Who Am I?

How is it that a small-town mom, wife, mental health counsellor who can barely strum a guitar, and mostly sings alone in her bedroom becomes a songwriter and records an album?

What a great question!

Who would think of doing such a thing when you know your own family and friends might throw things at you if you ever played for them?

Truthfully, I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. I’ve also always loved writing, storytelling, music, and poetry. In fact, I fell in love with stories before I could even read. Laughter through the art of storytelling and poetry has been woven into my family tree on both sides for generations.

My whole life, our family has enjoyed sitting around exchanging stories and bursting into laughter. Who doesn’t enjoy that?

But we all know life isn't always about laughter.

Life is also about tears, pain, and heartbreak. Those stories are harder to tell, tougher to listen to, and less likely to attract a wide audience. Like most families, we’ve experienced our share of brokenness. We’ve faced poverty and financial struggles, hailed-out crops and tornadoes, tragic accidents, addictions, depression, suicide, untimely deaths, illnesses, disabilities, divorces, broken relationships, and more than a few shin-kicking arguments along the way.

I’ve carried splinters from our family’s brokenness, and over the years life has handed me a few sharp shards of my own.

But in the midst of all the tears and confusion, I’ve discovered a story I believe is worth sharing.

I have found a Savior who carried me when I thought I couldn’t go on.

These songs are simply my attempt to tell that story. They are little reminders that hope can still be found in the broken places, that healing is possible, and that even when we feel forgotten, we are deeply known and deeply loved.

I’ve titled my debut album Benedikt, which means “to speak good” or “to bless.” We have an Icelandic horse on our farm named Benedikt, and my great-grandpa was Icelandic, so the name felt especially fitting.

The stained glass imagery represents beauty crafted from broken pieces, much like our own lives. It also reflects my belief that the Church, though broken and imperfect, still has a beautiful mission: to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus, bringing hope to a world that is desperate for it.

If these songs encourage even one weary heart to keep going, then they’ve already done more than I ever dreamed they could.