On This Day, 12 Years Ago

August 14th, 2012 was the release of my first single, “Happiest Girl” on music platforms. It was my debut as an artist and the start of something new and exciting. I watched videos from release day and looked through old posts which I usually avoid, but this year, I wanted to acknowledge that time instead of ignoring it.

I was a young girl with dreams of being a rockstar after my friend, Jazmyn, introduced me to Christian Rock. I fell in love with Barlow Girl, Natalie Grant, Skillet and RED as I entered my emo phase as bizarre as that may seem. I signed with a new independent label after losing a Shine.FM “Shine Factor” contest. You couldn’t tell me nothin’.

After all these years, I just started to talk about the experience after moving past the damaged relationships and disappointment. I was bitter for a long time and it impacted my desire to write and to be on a worship team. I had to be refined. I had to heal and move forward.

Today, I want to approach this differently by being grateful for my mentor at the time who saw potential in me as a young girl, the experiences, the recording sessions, the gigs at churches (and a bar lol) in Chicago, the fancy studios and witnessing a man I looked up to work as a writer and producer. Leaving this season, I was bitter. Today in my 30s, I can see how the Lord has worked on me. How I love Jesus, the song of my heart for Him, my heart for the local church as a worship leader has all developed in a way that I needed it to after years of not writing and shedding all the baggage.

Twelve years later, comes “Eternity”, a song that the Lord blessed me with that I had the privilege writing and recording with V1 Worship from V1 Church. The song that we got together to bring to life on a Friday and sang at church that Sunday. The song that I was blessed to register on ASCAP and record at a studio in New York with my peers. The emotion that I felt listening to the final mix of this song was so sweet the I cried aloud as I listened. This song was like a promise fulfilled. It was years of going through the process to get to this point refined and humbled, yet still learning.

So, I share the song “Happiest Girl” written and produced by Cornell Burton Jr that released on this day, 12 years ago.

This song meant a lot to me then and still does today.

Twelve years later, I am honored to share with you, Eternity by V1 Worship. This song, this video, this band, this church is so precious to me. I am so thankful for Mike and Julie Signorelli. Available on itunes, Apple Music, Spotify.

The Lord is faithful.