by on

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!

  • Will leading students…
  • Marriage retreat in Gatlinburg TN
  • Women’s Retreat @ Ft. Caswell, NC
  • Evangelism Retreat – Greensboro NC
  • Will leading worship
  • Sidney leading worship
  • Investing in Marriage!
  • Worship
  • WinShape Retreat
  • Kristi leading
  • WinShape Retreat/Chic-fil-a Foundation
  • Sidney & Will leading students
  • Easter Service in Greensboro NC
  • Greensboro NC
  • Leading at the Cove
  • The Cove – Billy Graham Training Center
  • SBC Event – Music City Centre, Nashville TN
  • SBC Event – Nashville, TN
  • Christian Writer’s Conference – Ridgecrest, NC
  • the Super Bowl Trophy!
  • Marriage Retreat @ The Cove
  • Leading Worship
  • Kristi leading
  • Ridgecrest, NC
  • Sidney leading with us @ Ridgecrest
  • with NY Times Bestselling Author – Frank Perretti
  • Marriage Retreat – Rome GA
  • Nations of Coaches Marriage Retreat – WinShape
  • North Conway Baptist Valentines Event
  • Marriage Retreat
  • The Family!
  • backstage smiles!
  • Revolve Church – Durham, NC
  • FBC LaFollette, TN
  • FCA Coaches Camp – Black Moutain, NC
  • with Anne Graham Lotz
  • with our friend, Bob Smith in Nashville
  • Sidney loves vintage guitars!
  • with our friend, Tampa Bay Bucs QB Coach – Clyde Christensen

by on
  • Conway, SC
  • Will and Russell enjoying His creation! Looking Glass Falls, NC
  • Doing some speaker system maintenance during the pandemic!
  • Leading worship and social distancing with families at St Pauls Anglican Church – Conway SC
  • Sidney sporting the new RK beanie!
  • Our brand new CD, ABANDON was released August 4th 2020!
  • Leading worship and sharing via ZOOM!
  • Outdoor worship in Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Sidney leading worship
  • Will loves his new ABANDON hoodie!
  • Will in deep thought…
  • Will leading worship
  • Fourth of July fun on the beach!
  • Who knew… Sidney has her own street!
  • Will and Samantha leading
  • North Conway Baptist – Conway SC
  • brother and sister!
  • Fort Caswell – Staff reunion service – Fort Caswell, NC
  • Our dog Rivers helping out in the studio!
  • worship night in Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Sidney recording vocals for her upcoming CD!
  • Lakewood Campground concert – Surfside Beach SC
  • Rivers
  • recording!
  • Russell loves playing beautiful pianos like this! Darlington, SC
  • Easter Video Recording with 3 churches in Murrells Inlet and Garden City SC
  • Happy 14th Bday Sidney!
  • Marriage Seminar
  • Women’s Conference – NC
  • Helping record student ministry worship for livestream.
  • Connecting with churches virtually to encourage and lead worship!
  • Women’s Conference Feb. 2020 Ft Caswell NC
  • Our Adore Marriage Getaway with Kenn Kington!
  • Because of COVID19 – we are now live every Thursday night on FBLive and YouTube!
  • Sharp dressed man!
  • Marriage Getaway with Zion Hill Church Lumberton NC
  • Sidney sporting a Fort Caswell sweatshirt! Thanks YAM!

by on

As the entire world is being held hostage by this terrible virus, we began praying and brainstorming about how we could connect with people to share the Hope of Christ through music and encouragement while being stuck in our homes.  We felt that the best way to make that coneection was through social media, and so… We launched a Facebook Live Event that happens three nights a week for the foreseeable future!  Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays – 7pm Eastern time!  The response has been fantastic!  We could all use some encouragement through this season of uncertainty and seclusion.  Our hope is in Christ alone!  Please join us and invite some friends.  You can even host a watch party through your Facebook page!  You can find our live videos here…   You can even watch previous episodes and you can share those as well!  Be sure to like the Russell and Kristi Facebook page to get all the updates concerning the Livestream.  

Russell and Kristi Facebook Page

We hope to see you soon!
Russell and Kristi

1 Peter 5:7
“Cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you.”

by on
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.

by on

The other day I was getting ready in our bathroom and I “felt” the Lord speak to me…

I have always been a person who wanted to do things ‘by myself.’  My family always kidded me, “Oh don’t try to help Kristi open that jar.  She wants to do it by herself!”  It’s true.  I wanted to open the jar, the can, the whatever, by myself.  I guess, in this way, I wanted to be independent.  I wanted to feel the accomplishment.  I wanted to be proud of what I could do alone.  I’ve always looked as this personality trait as a plus, something I was kinda proud of, something that meant I would always give everything to try my best.  I still think it can be a positive trait; however, as I felt God speak to me the other day, I started to think of it in a different way…

I have a daughter who is the same as I was (am) in this.  Sidney wants to do everything ‘by herself.’  She wants to be independent when she wants to be independent, if you know what I mean.  I’ve told her many times over the years that she’s just like me.  Lately, though, I have seen Sidney not wanting to ask for help, even from the Lord.  She seems to think she doesn’t need to ask for help.
Maybe I was thinking about this the other day or maybe God just needed to tell me while I was in one place doing one thing, brushing my teeth.  He impressed on my heart that even though I’d always wanted to do things myself, He never created us to be alone.  He created us to be in community, to need others…most importantly, to need Him.
WOW!  I had never thought of my need to do things ‘by myself’ as a form of pride…until then.  I had never thought of my need to not ask for help as something that was keeping me from allowing others the privilege of helping someone…until then.  Until then, I had prided myself in the fact that I had always wanted to do things, sometimes over and over again, with no one’s help, mind you!  God spoke, though.  He told me it’s okay for me, and Sidney, and you, to want to try to do things on our own.  It’s okay to even try to do them over and over again, as long as we know that we know that we know we need others, most importantly, our Lord and Savior, to help when we struggle.
We were not made to be alone.  In Genesis 2, God even said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him.”
We were not made to be alone.
We need each other.
Let’s help each other.
Let’s let others help us.