Stillwater Concert – Fri 9/26, 6-9pm

I’ll be playing again this Friday at Tin Bins Cafe in Stillwater!!  Come stop in & sing along! I will be playing the whole night this time, 6-9pm!! 😀

                                     ~ Kristin Benschine ~

                                               In Concert

                                Friday Sept 26, 2014 – 6-9pm

                     Tin Bins Café  (downtown Stillwater)

                413 Nelson St E, Stillwater, Minnesota 55082

*Stop in & hear a mix of originals, worship songs & other hum-a-longs!

Delicious (gluten-free) food & drinks, cozy atmosphere & family-friendly

(so long as young people can sit relatively still 🙂 ).

Songwriter Showcase Fri 8/22

Wow, hard to believe it’s been 10 months already since I last played at Tin Bins! As you may have noticed, it’s somewhat far & few between when I play out, so if you’ve been wanting to hear me, this is your chance. 🙂

Info:

Friday Aug 22, 7-8pm (music runs 6-9pm)

Tin Bins Cafe in downtown Stillwater near the river –  413 Nelson St E   

(651) 342-0799

Though music runs 6-9pm, I only play from 7-8pm, so if you want to hear me you have to be there then. 🙂 Two other great local songwriters will be playing during the other slots.

You’ll get to hear some songs from my acoustic CD, a familiar song or 2, and my newest composition. I am SUPER excited to have 2 other amazing friends & musicians joining me: Melissa Shuneson on keys/vocals & Ryan Spinti on djembe!!

Tin Bins is a great, cozy atmosphere! You’ll want to bring some money for the delicious food & drinks, as well they do collect tips for musicians ;). Due to there being 3 of us songwriters with friends coming & the space being on the medium-small side, I’d recommend coming early if you can to grab a seat (and hear other great music). As well, in downtown Stillwater on a Friday summer night, you may need to some time to find parking.

Looking forward with some butterflies in my tummy to seeing you all there! 😀

Open Mic in Stillwater Thurs 10/17, 6-8pm

I will be playing some of my songs at an upcoming Open Mic night on Thursday 10/17!  The location is a new eatery in downtown Stillwater (MN) called Tin Bins (that tall metal silo-looking tower).  Address: 413 E Nelson Street, Stillwater, Minnesota 55082.  It’s a super cozy & relaxed atmosphere & you can get a meal, or just a snack or cup of joe.

Open Mic runs 6-8pm. I’m not sure where in that time I’ll fall yet, but I’ll update this if I find out.  Otherwise, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with all the other great talent!  I’m excited to have yet another opportunity to play locally & hope to see some of your smiling faces there! 😀

Click HERE to see the event page on Facebook & add your name to the “yes, I’m coming!” list!

Hudson performance – Sun 9/22, 1-2pm

Come enjoy some beautiful artwork and uplifting music in Hudson, WI this Sunday, from 1-2pm!  I will be performing live outdoors, accompanied by 2 other talented musicians.  As well, you can view the pottery work of many local artists, and see the potter’s wheel & raku firing demonstrations.  And if you happen to purchase any pottery you are contributing to a good cause by helping donate to a great hunger organization!  The weather looks to be perfect for soaking in this scenic old farmstead, overflowing with all varieties of flowers and plants. 

The address is 1148 Troutbrook Road, Hudson, WI.  You can also view info on the event website: http://www.rusticroad13pottery.com/

It’s been a year since I’ve been out and played so I’m very excited for this, and hope to see many of your smiling faces and tapping toes! 🙂

“Be Still…”

I don’t normally give something up for lent.  According to wikipedia, “Lent is traditionally forty days, in commemoration of the forty days Jesus spent fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by the Devil.  The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial.  During Lent, many commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penitence.”

This year I felt strongly compelled to give up 2 things: facebook & sugar.  So far so good on the facebook end!!  As for sugar… well, it’s had its “highs” & “crashes”. 😛  The reason I decided to give up these things was mainly because I felt God tugging at my heart to enter a season of drawing away from some things that take up my time/attention in order to have more time/attention to ‘draw away’ with Him.  As well, I’ve been realizing I all too often allow cravings for these trivial things to supersede my craving for God.  It’s amazing what denying yourself something can do to drive your focus to God!

Being such a season, I thought it fitting to go to a prayer cabin (alone) for a few days over my spring break.  I wasn’t sure what God would speak, but I was sure He had something planned!  To be honest, nothing too exciting really happened.  He did capture my heart and give me peace with breathtaking beauty in things like the snowy field, as the sun beamed & filled it with glittering diamonds (see pictures above & below).  However, He didn’t light a bush on fire or part the waters (which would have been quite a feat, seeing as they were frozen!). But as I forced myself to stay quiet through the increasing feelings of awkwardness and restlesness I heard Him whisper…

…and it was that He loved me.  That I was precious and honored in His sight, and that He loved me (Is.43:4a).  Umm…yeah.. don’t I know that already God?  Yet, without warning, as I quoted the words from Isaiah aloud, tears started to fall.  What is my problem?  I know You love me already!  Why am I crying?  I don’t know that I fully understand what was happening, but I know that He was touching my heart with a new depth of His love.  And that He wanted me to spend time every day simply soaking in His love for me.  To be honest I felt a bit…I can’t quite think of the right word… selfish?  gluttonous?  Like it would be too excessive.  Like it wasn’t right to just receive so much extravagant love every day.

But then I thought about myself & God compared to a husband & wife.  If I had a husband that everyday wanted to extravagantly love on me, wouldn’t it be the right thing to do as a wife to simply receive it, even to bask in it?  In fact, it would be selfish not to.  Of course, it would also be right to return displays of affection, and Jesus did say “it is better to give than to receive”… but there is still a time & place to receive.  I think sometimes we find it easier to give.  Especially Christians who value keeping a right focus on God & others, not ME and what I can get.  Or maybe we feel worthy to receive some love, but not that much.  Truthfully, we don’t deserve any of it.  But God just loves us that much anyway.  He can’t help it.  And being the Bride of Christ, we need to allow our Groom to pour out His expressions of love in our hearts until we can’t contain anymore & it overflows!

For me, it is overflowing in new song, which I hope to share some of with you soon.

Be still… and you may hear Him whisper.

Come celebrate my birthday!

Tomorrow I turn 32 and I thought I’d celebrate by finally getting out to play again!!  I’ll be participating in an Open Stage night (hosted by the Minnesota Association of Christian Songwriters) at Dreamcoat Coffee in Maplewood, MN this Sat. night, 7-9pm.  I’d love to have you there to celebrate with me!  Seating is limited so you might want to come early.  Each songwriter gets a 15-30 min. slot.  I’ve been wanting to get to this place for a long time to play & meet other songwriters but it hasn’t worked out in my schedule until now.  I’m very excited!  Guess that means I’ll be doing some practicing this week. 🙂

Flying

I absolutely love flying!  In particular, take-off.  As I sat on the plane ride home from a 2-week vacation in Belize this past week, surprisingly teary-eyed, I pondered why that might be.  Perhaps I just like the feel of smoothly lifting up off the ground, the wonder of heading into the clouds, or the slight adrenaline rush as the plane speeds up & you’re pressed back into your seat, as if on a ride at the amusement park.  I think more truthfully, it’s because it signals the start of a new venture, which is generally exciting!  There are unknown people to meet, new things to learn & adventures to be had!  However, at some point, all exciting adventures must come to an end.  As a plane begins it’s gradual descent, so you can feel the journey starting to wrap up & you are simultaneously trying to accept the fact and be thankful for what’s been experienced, while also trying to ignore the pending change and focus on soaking up every last minute of enjoyment you can.  As the plane lands, it hits home that the previous venture has truly come to a close & it is time for the next thing.  The more wonderful the adventure, the harder it can be to return to “reality”.

I will admit, I’ve been wrestling with sadness since leaving Belize.  At the fact that it’s now time to dig my heels in & get back to schedules, work, & a faster paced society.  Back to taking care of the daily tasks I was able to temporarily leave behind for 2 weeks & not even think about.  Having to wait again until I can be overseas experiencing new cultures, doing ministry & that thrill when you connect with someone’s heart who doesn’t even speak the same language – passions that make my heart come alive!  However, to continue in sadness really has no benefit.  It keeps one focused on things of the past, things that are no longer there, & immobilizes us from really participating in or seeing all the present good things.

What I hadn’t really considered is that landing isn’t really the end of the journey, it’s actually another form of take-off.  You see, when one adventure ends, that means another one is beginning!  It’s just going to look different.  Even if it’s coming back to a familiar place, there are still always exciting things ahead.  At least that’s what I’ve experienced in a life with God.  It really comes down to perspective – how am I going to choose to view it?  Is the glass half empty or is the glass half full?  Will I focus on the good & remain thankful?

I find 2 comforting facts (at least they should be to any Christian).  First, no matter where we go, God is always with us!!  Second, our whole life is really just one big adventurous plane flight, leading us to the greatest adventure there ever was.  Right now we are flying high & there are things beyond our wildest imagination we can experience – heaven on earth!  Then one day the plane will land & the life we know in the body will end.  But we know that it only means we’ve been carried to another shore, where the greatest eternal adventure, one that we never have to be sad it will end, will begin!

“Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” ~ Psalm 139:7-10

 

Marina Concert = Awesomeness!!

As expected, God showed up & made the concert pure awesomeness. 🙂  It was so fun playing to a packed house of about 75!  Personally, I felt not even a tinge of nervousness, making it so easy for me to just enjoy the flow of the evening, which felt smooth as butter.  I loved all the smiling faces I saw as I looked out, hugs, & all my students singing along to the songs they knew. 🙂  My sister told me at intermission I had to stop making her cry all the time.  I told her that’s the effect I was going for! haha.

One cool testimony: On Thursday morning I woke up with excruciating pain in my right shoulder (strumming arm).  I was determined this would not discourage or hinder me from playing.  I got everyone I knew to pray for me, & was able to get my shoulder worked on & by the time the concert started Friday the pain was completely gone!!!  O taste and see that the Lord is good!!

Thank you to everyone who came & made the evening a special time!  I pray that the songs will continue to play in your minds & minister to your hearts long after the concert.  As well, that God will bless you in return for sowing into a ministry that builds up the lives of so many who are thirsting for a cup of living water.  A wonderful amount of money was raised for UWEZO, as well as many people wanting to continue supporting in various ways.

More pictures & video clips will be forthcoming, so check back in the next couple weeks!

2 Days!!!

The concert is now only 2 days away!!  I hope those of you coming are as excited as I am!  The other exciting news is that it’s going to be a completely full house of about 75 people!!  Just waiting to hear final tallies, but I think we are sold out of tickets!!  It’ll be a fun mix of young & old, near & far, old friends & new friends. 🙂  God is so good!!  Not only is a much-needed & amazing ministry being supported, I get to be with my wonderful ‘family’ of friends (you) & share the songs that are bursting out of my heart, which I believe God will graciously use to cause the following verse to become reality:

Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy & peace in believing (or, as you trust in Him), so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Coming together

As tickets start to sell and details get more finalized, I’m getting more & more excited for my concert on the 30th!  Set list is ready, already 20+ tickets have sold & I’ve heard of many others who plan to come!  A reminder that seating is limited to about 70 spots, so it’s best to get tickets in advance to guarantee a spot.  I’m believing we’re going to have a full house!  As well, kids are very welcome (love to see my students there!), just use your discretion if they’d enjoy sitting through a concert.  I’ll do several songs they might recognize from doing at school.  I will also have some audience participation, but a good chunk will be for you to just sit back & soak in & enjoy. 🙂

Not only am I excited to benefit a great ministry like UWEZO, I’m just so looking forward to an evening of fellowshiping with friends & family.  I really love simply spending time with you all, and having someone to share the songs of my heart with.  As well, there is something special created in the atmosphere and in our hearts when we come together as one community.  I just know that everyone who comes will walk away with their hearts brimming over with peace and joy and that ‘warm fuzzy feeling’. 🙂