Certainly , it is a reflection of how her faith has been shaped and strengthened by motherhood with the added challenges of being mom to a special needs child . “ We started noticing when Zealand was two ,” she says , “ but the official diagnosis came in 2nd grade . When they told us it was Autism , I went through a time of mourning the death of the dreams I had for him .” It took some time , but she began to dream new dreams for her son , “ harvesting the gifts I could see in him .” Today , at 9 , Zealand excels in music , in both singing and piano . “ His ear is even better than mine ,” his proud mom says .
“ Everybody has faith in something ,” says Jaci , who served as the 2013 spokesperson for Autism Speaks ’ Tennessee Walk Now . “ But at the end of the day , if you ’ re looking to yourself to keep everything under control , God isn ’ t part of the equation . That ’ s where trust comes in , understanding that God loves your children even more than you do .”
Trust features 10 anthems that sing of God ’ s faithfulness , a modern worship and pop hybrid sure to resonate with anyone caught up in the chaotic uncertainty of the everyday .
“ I don ’ t know a lot about worship as a music genre ,” Velasquez freely admits , “ but I know how God can use music to move people . What we experience in church , in worship , we want to have that experience every day … at home , in the car . In the middle of the day , God uses it to meet us in the middle of our chaos , to move us closer to him , to remind us of who we are and who He is .” In fact , she really wasn ’ t convinced a worship album was meant to be until she found herself comforting her youngest son , Soren , 7 , in the middle of the night , after a bad dream ...
The rocks are falling , the broken calling to the God who moves the mountains The earth is shaking , the weary waken to the God who moves the mountains
“ When you ’ re scared and don ’ t know what to do , I want you to remember this ,” she told him . Then she played “ God Who Moves Mountains ,” written by David Leonard , Dustin Smith and Richie Fike . Standing in his room , she closed her eyes and , as the words washed over mom and boy , she raised her hands . When the song was over , they both had tears in their eyes .
“ Our lives were changed in that moment because God met us there in a song ,” she says . “ Music is powerful and healing .”
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“ Rest ,” a melodic ballad co-written with her husband Nic Gonzales ( Salvador ) and Greg Sykes , will undoubtedly resonate with mothers and fathers who hit the ground running all day , every day . Sitting down at 10pm for her first meal of the day , looking at a 4:20am wake up time for the next day , Velasquez realized she hadn ’ t even talked to God all day long . “ If I don ’ t rest , I ’ m just spinning my wheels ,” she says of the song ’ s origins . “ It ’ s not going to mean anything unless I give it all to him .”
A percussion-driven joyride , “ The Sound of Your Kingdom ,” written by indie-artist Ryan Corn , is as contagious as a song can get . “ I fell in love with it , not only for what it says , but for how it makes you feel ,” Velasquez says . “ When God sees us , He hears what we offer back to Him — our worship , our joy , our laughter , our honor , blessing and praise — that ’ s the sound of His kingdom .” One of her boys ’ favorites and a great reminder that we ’ re part of something really big and ongoing , she says .
From “ Praise the King ,” a phenomenal Easter-every-day celebration , to “ Great Are You Lord ,” an ethereal anthem / duet with her husband , to Martin Smith ’ s “ Great Is Your Faithfulness ,” to “ Never As Dark As It Seems ,” a powerful reminder for tumultuous times written by Michael Farren , Mike Grayson and Seth Moseley — Trust echoes the courage that rises from understanding the One we worship .
When my body ’ s shaking , my faith wont ’ be broken / You lift me up , my heart is wide open I know you are my light , and I trust you
“ Trust You ,” which Velasquez wrote with Aruna Abrams , James Slater and Bobby Hamrick , encapsulates the heart of the album .
“ I remember , before Zealand was diagnosed , sobbing in the office of the school ,” Velasquez recalls . “ All I could do was cry , my body was shaking in fear . It took a while to lay it all down , to trust God with my sons , to trust God with my marriage , walking that out as a child of God , as a wife and a mom , trusting him to make all things possible , to move the mountains in our lives ….” It ’ s the underlying theme of this record , she says , but more than that , “ it ’ s everything ”. Learn more at jacivelasquez . com .
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