I first heard about Ginny Owens in the late 90’s in Coos Bay, Oregon.  K-Light, our local radio station played her songs – promoted her CD’s.  I won a Rocket Town CD (Michael W. Smith) that had a song on it – that still is at the top 5 of my iPod favorites.  If You Want Me To. – I have found that I really enjoy the wee hours of the morning – paddling out across a mirror image lake – in the still quiet – with mist rising off of the warm water into the cool fog filled air, waiting for the sun to peek out over the eastern hillside – blasting praise music into my huge headphones while I sing off key as loud as I dare. And. I’m pretty daring. The neighbors are pretty used to this one:

It is a bit of a different slower more soulful arrangement  – but the words are there.  As you might have guessed, Ginny lost her sight at an early age.  I had just come in off the lake after belting this one out when the opportunity to review Ginny Owens’ new CD – Get In, I’m Driving.  Which sort of made me giggle – um. Since she can’t see and all – I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I start to listen to the first song – and heard her speak of being “a square peg in a round hole” – claiming to be herself – and hear the Lord say –  If you want to take the ride of your life – Come On, Get In, I’m Driving.

Each song played out this way – starting one way – quietly directing to another place. I’d be lulled by her soulful rhythms, and then hear it – and think – Did she just go there? Say that? Point that out?

It really hit on the second song – Mystery of Grace. I was expecting a song about how if you Give Grace to others, you’ll be able to forgive, live with joy – yada yada – But it wasn’t about others. It was about You.

Its time for truth to set you free – You are loved, you are Precious, you are Special in so many ways. You will find, Joy that fills you, Just give in to the Mystery of Grace.

You think no one can see the tears that hide behind your eyes.

You think no one can hear thoughts and fears that fill your mind.

I don’t know everything –  everything there is to know but – my heart breaks with your pain, I am here to help you let it go – You are loved, you are Precious, you are Special in so many ways. You will find, Joy that fills you, Just give in to the Mystery of Grace.

Grace replaces who you are with who you can become. Grace brings hope into the heart where there is none. And when you find beauty in giving your life away – then you’ve tasted all the Mystery of Grace.

Each song, through my head phones – I wanted to hear each story – I could picture Ginny. As the listener. Hearing all of these stories. I heard her heart break. I could see her standing on the wall praying for the people who sparked these stories. I saw the faces of my friends going through so many changes – I wanted extra copies to give each one of them.  Hear her heart:

You don’t know what I’ve been through, she said to me, Oh I carry the weight of empty promises and broken dreams, I can’t crawl out of this black hole where I live, Oh I’m trapped in the darkness of the things I can’t forgive, you’re holdin’ on tight to the pain that haunts you in the end letting go is all you can do – lay it down, everyone’s got a burden, that’s just part of livin’, so take the one you’re given and lay it down, don’t let it define you you’re not strong enough to carry that around. Go ahead and Lay it Down.

Short of typing out all of the lyrics – I just can’t put to words in one post – what she put into lyrics – Her desire to have you be set free, let the Lord take over, lay down your burdens, come to Him – and be filled with Joy. Knowing who you are in Christ Jesus.  She even sent the reviewers a personal message – asking us to hear her heart soul, prayer and effort that went into this project.  I listened to it 4 times that first evening – and have listened 1-2 times each day since. The lyrics wrap around my thoughts through my days. The easy going rhythm.  The praise.

Are you walking through something you don’t think anyone has gone through? No one will understand? Are you leaving a denomination? A Church? A Family? Have you been left? Do you have past doubts, fears, shame – Are you hard on yourself as a homeschool mom? Do you have a secret sin that only you knows about? I’m not wanting to paint a picture that this CD is all gloom doom blues and pain – that’s the beauty of it. It’s light, soulful, groovy, dancing and rowing worthy – it’s the little lines – right in the middle – that hit the heart – she’s heard your story – and she wrote about it.

I have a copy to give away to a reader – Leave a comment to be entered to win.

I have a new top 5 on my iPod.  Want to find out more?

• http://www.ginnyowensmusic.com – Website
• http://www.facebook.com/GinnyOwensMusic – Facebook
• http://twitter.com/#!/GinnyOwens – Twitter
• http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/before-you-fly-single/id442050145  – iTunes – Before you Fly

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising.”