2020 has the award for the slowest year ever but now 2021 seems like it is literally flying by! We are thankful for all the opportunities we’ve had so far this year! Every opportunity to encourage people, share Jesus, and equip the Church! Woohoo!

CD Cover

2019 has been an ongoing celebration of milestones. We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in October! 2019 also marks the 20th year of full-time ministry for our duo. So, to add to the celebrations, the release of our first ever Christmas album – ‘LOVE IS HERE’ – happened on December 1st!

‘Love Is Here’ is a collection of Christmas songs both old and new. The title track – Love is Here – is an original written by Russell and clearly shares the wonder of Christmas and the reasons to celebrate the wondrous gift of Emmanuel, God with us!

In addition to the album, we set out on a Christmas tour. The ‘Love is Here’ tour made stops in…
Houston, TX
Katy, TX
Lindale, TX
Texarkana, TX
Fort Smith, AR
Van Buren, AR
Myrtle Beach, SC
Murrells Inlet, SC

Every stop on our tour was an opportunity to share the Hope we have in Christ – The Prince of Peace coming as a child to save the world! Wow! Aren’t we thankful for Heaven’s Perfect Gift – JESUS!

‘LOVE IS HERE’ can be found anywhere you buy music (Apple Music, iTunes, Google, Amazon…etc….)
OR – for a Physical copy of the CD – CLICK HERE!

You’ll also find the ‘LOVE IS HERE’ – T-shirt! Like this one…

Our daughter Sidney sporting the ‘Love Is Here’ T-shirt!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Love is Here – His name is Jesus!

Russell and Kristi

I learned something from my dog, Rivers, this morning…well, really from God but through my dog.  We were out on our morning walk and I kept doing as I always do, nudging her to keep walking and she did as she always does, kept right on sniffing areas for way too long in my opinion!  This time, though, I was reminded of the fact that she hadn’t been out on a walk for several days due to rain so I was trying to be a little more sympathetic and give her a few more seconds of sniffing pleasure.
 
That’s when it happened…I felt my Lord saying to me, “Why the rush? Rivers isn’t rushing and what do you have pressing that requires so much rushing through this time?  Enjoy this.”
 
WOW!  How many times do I have to be reminded to just stop rushing?!  I KNOW this but I don’t act on it.  I know that there are not people that say on their death beds that they wished they had rushed through life just a little more.  NO…truth be told we probably all need to stop rushing through life and “stop to smell the roses” (to use an old adage).  img_0627
 
Sometimes, too, we will be able to hear the Lord speaking a little more clearly.  As I was just reminded at beachCHURCH this past Sunday through our pastor, Todd, God doesn’t speak with a loud, thunderous voice.  He speaks in a gentle whisper.
 
Thank You, Lord, for using Rivers to show me how to enjoy moments You give us.  Thank You for helping me to see that time already flies so fast that I don’t need to miss it.  Help us all to let up on the leash just a little bit and allow You to speak into our busyness, allow You to help us enjoy life just a little more.  Thank You for loving us even when we’re rushing and loving us too much to let us stay content in the rat race.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Wonderful evening in Lyndale, TX
Wonderful evening in Lyndale, TX

We had a great experience during our first ever ‘House Concert’ tour!  Taking us as far west as Texas and as far north as Pennsylvania, with stops along the way in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana & Mississippi.   A very big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who hosted us in your home – or church!  We are grateful for your hospitality and support!  These concerts were filled with warm moments of worship along with great fellowship and a whole lot of laughs and fun!  Your response to this tour blew us away!

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
We told you from the beginning that we had a crazy idea…  Well, you’ve asked and we are going to do it again!  We had such a wonderful time this Fall that we are announcing a Spring House Concert Tour – Remember, these concerts can be inside your home or in your backyard!  All you have to do is invite some friends and maybe supply some snacks!  These dates will fill up quickly so let us know if you’re interested and we can send you a PDF file that will give you all the details for you to host an event like this!  Email us at kristi@rkpraise.net or call us at 843-446-2983.

Here’s a look back at our Fall tour!  Enjoy!

 

 


REST

Rest.  What a seemingly simple word.  It is only four letters.  But, oh, the implications it can have on a life that actually does it!
My husband, Russell, will often say to me, “Sit down…rest.”  There’s that word again.  It’s sometimes, (I’m being a little too easy on myself), it’s often difficult for me to sit down and rest.  We homeschool our children, Will and Sidney, and this year is the first of many years to come of a lot more to do.  Me and our 2 amazing kidsWill is in eighth grade and Sidney is in third grade.  Their workloads are only increasing from here.  So, as I write this, I am looking back on yesterday – a Saturday that we were actually home and not out on the road doing ministry.  I had a terrible day because I couldn’t seem to rest. There’s that word again!
Saturdays, in my mind, were meant for catching up on the things you couldn’t get done during the week.  Well, because I homeschool, I had laundry, tons of emails to go through and send, and just the normal cleaning.  What I needed more than anything, though, was to rest.  There’s that…you get the picture.
Jesus had a few things to say about resting.  He tells us to come to Him, all who are weary and burdened and He will give us rest.  He says our souls will find rest.  He told His apostles to come away to a quiet and desolate place and rest a while because there were so many people needing them that they hadn’t even had a chance to eat!  We are to “be still and know that He is God.”  We are to rest.
I have to realize…it’s okay to rest.  Our bodies are designed to rest.  We can’t function properly without it.  Sometimes we just need a day, or even a few hours, doing things that instill joy into our lives:  playing games with our kids, watching a movie, or just napping or taking a long bath.  Maybe you haven’t just sat quietly and waited for the Lord to speak.  Tell yourself, “It’s okay to rest!”  Say it with me, “It’s okay to rest!”  One more time, “It’s okay to rest!”
Now, I wonder if your family will notice?  I think they will.  I think mine will.  When we’re rested, we can hear The Holy Spirit’s voice louder, easier. We can feel the joy that He intended for us.  I think our Heavenly Father will smile as we take time rest.
Now, can you count how many times I used the word REST?  Oh stop it…go rest!!
Kristi 🙂