“What will you do when you grow up?” My British grandma used to pose this question to me when I was ten. She peered down and all I could do was stand there baffled. I had no idea. I knew she was expecting something important. But what’s important?

I was 14 when I picked up the guitar for the first time. Little did I know this was opening a door to the rest of my life’s work. Holding that guitar, I didn’t think great playing was going to happen. Maybe I’d learn a chord or two. But soon enough songs were written from this instrument and I slowly learned to sing. Pretty soon Becca and I were playing ‘gigs’ with some friends at coffee houses around Colorado and leading worship at our youth group. That’s how music began for us.

What really held all the pieces of this journey together was when I felt ‘called’ to do music. But this feeling came gradually. I didn’t wake up one morning and go ‘yeah, I’m going to be in music for the next twenty years!’ You could say it developed while I was ‘faithful with a little’ day by day. Steadily, God began to reveal my true purpose and gifting. (Matthew 25:23)

Although, even when I knew I was called, I didn’t have it all together nor did I know what the whole thing would entail. So many people ask me “What do you do all day?” As if to say “Doesn’t a musician have nothing to do all day?” I laugh. But the years have been an array of writing songs and recording them, developing vision, meaning and heart behind what we do, lots of daily office work, emailing, and booking tours… and reaching out to those God brings along our path.

I couldn’t have guessed that I would learn to teach voice lessons and start an indie label through this journey or travel with my husband to Singapore or with my sister to England just to create music. ‘Called’ yes, but the job description is growing rapidly as Becca and I penned our first book last year and have begun speaking. 



So, what’s your calling? You may think it’s all figured out now, but be ready for surprises, ready for anything! You may be just as equipped if you know your ‘calling’ or if you don’t know. One thing we do know, you are called to love like Christ. In putting this to practice you will stumble into the very purposes God has destined you for.

-Elissa