Why inspirational music?

Inspiring Hope and Compassion: The Story behind my MusicI was first drawn to writing music when I realized the impact that music has on me.  There is something about music that speaks to the heart in ways that words never can, often bringing forth life and beauty in the midst of pain.  I began enjoying the type of music that brought me hope, and encouraged me to be the best person that I could be.  I could always count on my favorite musicians to express just what I needed to hear or say.  I wanted to be that person for others.I began to learn how to write music for a band I started in high school.  This was a tough time for my family, with broken relationships and struggles abounding.  I found that the lyrics I was writing actually served to encourage me and give me hope.  As I began sharing my songs with others, people began to express that they felt encouraged and inspired too.Inspiring CompassionAs I experienced God’s compassion for me during this time, I learned how to have compassion in my family relationships.  This very hard journey proved restorative in my relationships and for each of us individually.  That time of learning how to forgive and how to see the best in people radically changed how I approach everyone I meet, because I’ve seen that compassion is so essential to changing lives for the better.  This is why compassion fills many of my lyrics.As a ministry major in college, I was drawn to the many places in Scripture where God expresses His heart of compassion for the poor and oppressed.  This led me on mission trips to Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and around the US.  After one trip, I went back to school to study social work, so that I could learn how to intelligently help the oppressed.  So far, I've had the privilege of working to prevent abuse/neglect in families, helping to give a hand-up to poverty-stricken people, welcoming refugees from around the world, working in sexual assault prevention and aftercare, and educating communities about human trafficking prevention and rescue.  The people I've met are close to my heart, and their stories and perspectives naturally make their way into my music.  I believe that we can all do something to help bring compassionate justice to the world, and I write music to inspire just that.Inspiring HopeAs a Christ-follower, God grew in me a tendency to take the road less-travelled: using my educated mind for the purposes of restorative work rather than money, taking leaps of faith and trusting God to provide, and choosing to struggle through rather than be complacent about things that matter.  Through all of this, God has always provided, and always given me hope that my work and art is not in vain.Listening to the struggles of so many people in a variety of hard circumstances over the years has made me realize that people (including me) are in desperate need of hope. Placing my hope solely in Jesus has been the best daily decision of my life, and one that has never, and will never, disappoint.  I trust his promises to guide me through life, to use my music, to restore the earth, and to bring me to himself after death.PurposeSo, why do I write music?  I write it for you, and I write it for me.  I hope that we both like it, and enjoy listening to it.  I also hope it encourages and inspires you, just as it has done for me. My mission is to inspire restorative hope to the hurting, and inspire acts of compassion in a dark world. Will you join me?