Seventh Day Slumber

Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church in Santa Ynez just completed construction on their new building and to celebrate the grand opening, they had a series of summer concerts. On October 5th, Seventh Day Slumber headlined a free concert at the church. I happened to be listening to Klife on the way home from work one day and I heard the announcement. I drive right by the church on my way home every day, but there were no signs up yet. I went online to look up the details and discovered that Storyside B was opening for them. Those of you that know Kendall well know that Storyside B is her absolutely all time favorite number one band! She must be their biggest fan (not counting their Moms). I told Jay about it and we agreed that we would keep the concert a secret. Jay had to work that weekend and we didn't want to let Kendall know and have her get all excited and then have something happen and our plans fall through. So, I told her that we were going to SYV for a special service for their grand opening and somehow, she did not press me for more information. Jay got home in the nick of time and we ran through McDonald's and ate in the truck on our way to the show. We got there and everyone was standing in line and Kendall was already suspicious. She said, "I have a feeling there are going to be some bands here tonight." Jay and I just nodded and smiled. Then, someone behind us mentioned Storyside B and her eyes lit up! Jay played dumb, but I couldn't play along very well, I just smiled and kept quiet.

When we got into the church, she saw the Seventh Day Slumber merchandise Table and to her left was Storyside B's merchandise table and everything was confirmed! She hugged us and thanked us and was so excited, I was really glad we kept it a surprise.


We were able to get seats in the 2nd row and Chasen started off the evening. We had never heard of them and they are a little raw, but they were entertaining and we enjoyed listening to them.After Chasen finished up, Storyside B came out and Kendall went CRAZY! She immediately went up to the stage and stayed there the entire time they played. They put on a really good show and honestly, no matter what they played it was wonderful just to watch Kendall having such a great time. They are a very talented group of guys with a heart for kids and a heart for God. They really were a pleasure to watch. The only complaint is that the sound guy in the church had the music up WAY too loud (and no, it is not because I am old, even the teeny-boppers in the front were holding their ears!) I had to stand in the back at times and hold my ears because they were physically burning. I tried not to let it ruin the concert, but it sure was a distraction.

Finally, Seventh Day Slumber came out. They are the band that I was excited about seeing. I love their music and not only are they talented, but they have such an incredible ministry. The lead singer Joseph had an amazing testimony and as he was sharing, all of these teens were completely engaged. He shared about his years of drug use, time in jail, his strained relationship with his father, his suicide attempt, and the deepest darkest places that he lived before he called out to Jesus. He was so passionate and so engaging that you could have heard a pin drop. I saw teens with their heads bowed, kids and adults wiping away tears as we heard this beautiful account of what God can do in our lives if we will only ask him. After Joseph gave his testimony, he shared about http://www.teenhopeline.com/. I had heard Dawson McAlister on Sunday evenings on Klife taking calls from kids who are desperate for help, who feel that they cannot talk to their parents and who feel like they don't even want to face another day. Joseph and Dawson are partners and they started this teen hopeline to help kids who are contemplating suicide.I wanted to include the information about the hopeline in my blog. If you know someone who is feeling like there is no hope or know a parent of a child that is struggling to get through to their child and is concerned I want to make this information available. The counselors undergo a very long, very thorough training process and they want to let kids know that they are not alone. That they are loved by their heavenly Father and that they do have a reason to hope for a better tomorrow.

Teenhopeline

Who We Are: Provide a safe place where teens can interact, find scriptural answers and direction.Train up a generation of leaders with a passion to impact the yough culture.PRovide a means of assimilation into local bodies of the glogal church.Facilitate the education of parents and church leadership, world-wide.

Tis a Fact: Teenhopeline.com has reached out to hundreds of thousands of students since it first started in 2001. In 2007 alone, we talked to 55,000 students preventing upwards of 10,000 suicides and seeing approximately 7,000 students come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through the one-on-one chat and the alter ministry of Seventh Day Slumber.

Reach Us: The Hopeline 1-800-394-HOPE Chat: http://www.teenhopeline.com/

After the show was over and we all caught our breath after the tears and the amazing testimony and seeing all these teens go up and bow their heads and get on their knees, we went back out to the lobby to meet the bands. Not only did Kendall get to meet EVERY member of Storyside B, but we got to have a really nice visit with all the guys in the band AND, they all took their picture individually with Kendall and signed autographs for her. I still don't think she has slept a night through since that concert! They were all so kind and Jay and I were equally impressed with them. Although, our feelings were a little different than Kendall's. We were impressed with their hearts and their minds and Kendall....well....she is a healthy, very typical 13 year-old girl :>).