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10 Questions with ... AsOne
May 25, 2015
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1. Brief history / synopsis
LISA - I was born in Yuma, Arizona and moved to Texas where I spent some of my early years before moving to California where I lived most of my life and attended school. I moved to Nashville in 1997 to pursue a musical career and have been here ever since. I went through a divorce, was a single mom for eight years with two kids, a mortgage and a job. I have a special place in my heart for single moms!
THERESA - I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and I grew up in a suburb called Warrensville Heights. I attended Warrensville public schools until high school. I graduated from The Andrews School for Girls in Willoughby, Ohio. I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston and then moved to LA right after graduating. I currently live in San Diego and it is my favorite place ever!!!
2. What does a normal day at home look like for you?
LISA - A normal day for me, consists of waking up and spending time in the Word and prayer before anything else. (Thats a must for me) I have a healthy breakfast, take care of my dog and spend some time with my husband. I run errands, check on social media, and when there's time, spend time out doors gardening and getting exercise, writing. I take care of typical household duties and try to encourage someone every day. I'm very involved at church on the praise team and as a soloist so when I'm in town I spend several nights a week at church as well. My evenings are spent winding down from the day, thinking/planning my next day, again, checking social media and watching a little TV with my husband.
THERESA - A normal day for me is waking up around 6:45am, dressing and feeding my 3 kids, getting them to school, running errands, exercising and then spending time with my husband (he works nights and sleeps in the day)..and then there's a period between 12-2 when I am free. I usually answer emails, write music, watch tv, etc. It's my only "me time" before picking the kids up from school. Once the kids are home it's dinner, homework, baths, then we watch something on the Disney channel and they go to sleep...shortly after I wake my husband up and feed him and get him out the door for work. I usually get 7-8 hours of sleep.
3. What's the song that you just can't get out of your head right now?
LISA - "Overcomer" by Mandisa. It's an anthem of hope and victory, with great lyrics and melody!
THERESA - Right now the song I cannot get out of my head is "Open Up Our Eyes" from Elevation Worship. We sang it in church a few weeks ago...I love love love this song. The part I can't stop singing is, "Our God is fighting for us always....our God is fighting for us all!" It's the best line because it's a reminder to self...despite what the devil wants you to think, God is on your side. He actually WANTS you to win and he WANTS you to succeed. The video for this song is awesome as well. The worship that pours from this performance is amazing!!!
4. How much do you travel, what are the challenges? How do you juggle life on the road with wanting to be home?
LISA - Well traveling, for me, is not an issue...my kids are off to college and with their father in California and I'm blessed to have my husband as my manager who travels with me most of the time. However, there are sometimes certain challenges that arise with travel such as just getting tired, maintaining a healthy eating plan, exercising and planning well so that I have my time with the Lord in the morning and practice good time management.
THERESA - I don't travel as much as I used to. Although, AsOne's schedule is starting to pick up. I traveled a ton as a backup singer for 13 years but I didn't have kids back then. Now I have a husband and 3 kids and the challenge is "planning". We just have to plan things in as far advance as possible to make sure 1. the children are never ever alone 2. My husband and I have carved out enough "us time" 3. Everybody can get to where they need to be as far as church, work, gigs, etc...
5. What Artist or Pastor has had the greatest impact on you?
LISA - My current Pastor, (Pastor Jim Frease at Joy Church International) has had a profound impact on my life. His teaching has equipped me with all of the tools necessary to face any situation life may throw at me with great confidence in God's love for me and His plan for my life. This knowledge has caused me to grow and mature as a child of God. It fuels me so that I can go out and give back. We cant give what we don't have so I make sure I stay fed and full.
THERESA - The pastor who has the greatest influence on my life right now is Dr. David Jeremiah, the pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church here in San Diego, simply because that's where I serve so I hear his messages every week. His sermons are 100% bible, very simple and easy to understand and very much applicable to my life.
6. What's the last book you read?
LISA - "The Shack", an allegory with an interesting twist on the frailty and emotional struggle of a man in an unthinkable situation. Though the author's choice of character representing God, was surprising and somewhat controversial, it was a moving and inspiring story of God's tenderness and willingness to love us and meet us where we are. Other than that I read the Bible every day and the book of Proverbs is my favorite book of the Bible. The Bible is my very favorite book!
THERESA - "God's Creative Power" by Charles Capps. It's about the power we have in speaking God's word and his promises over our lives. It impacted me because it made me more aware of my words and all this power I have in God's word that I sometimes forget to tap into.
7. Funniest or most embarrassing moment on the road?
LISA - The first thing that comes to mind is when we were performing at Disney's Night Of Joy at Disney World. There we were on the Grand Stage, opening for great artists like Casting Crowns and La'Crea. The music is cued, we walk out and start sing Born To Die, a heartfelt ballad that's somber and serious...it's going great and we're at a very quiet part of the song when out of nowhere someone very emotionally screams out at the top of their lungs, "GO MARY!" It was a bit distracting and a little strange at that moment in the song. I wanted to laugh so hard but had to focus on singing... We laughed about it later!
THERESA - This would HAVE to be when Lisa and I drove to Atlanta from Nashville for a gig. Along the way we stopped at a gas station and it wasn't the "best" part of town...there was a young black guy in the store who tried to flirt with Lisa as she was coming out. Her re-enactment of how he talked was HILARIOUS to me. When she got in the car and told me (with an Urban black dialect) we laughed until we were crying!!!
8. Take us thru a couple of your favorite songs on your self-titled project, "AsOne".
LISA - "Born To Die" is a ballad written from an unusual viewpoint; the viewpoint of Mary the mother of Jesus and how hard the real life struggle of knowing her son must die must have been for her as a mother. Women especially, seem to relate to this song, however we've had great feedback from men and women alike. The women always cry when we sing this song and we've actually had new fathers crying and telling us that thinking about the reality of what Mary had to do was so touching. People tell us that this song reminds them that this is not just a story written long ago but that it is the ultimate story of love and is still the greatest love story of all time!
Click to listen to "Love Won" the first Christian AC radio single, which is an anthem of the victorious love of Jesus Christ and how His love overcame death, hell and the grave and paid the ultimate price for us so we didn't have to pay it! His love won the victory forever! "Love Won" is resonating very well with people of all ages. We have had such great feedback from people who have told us how much they love the song, that it's their favorite, how powerful it is to them and that they can't wait to have the CD to play that song.
THERESA - The CD is self titled "AsOne" and our first Gospel single "Hero" is one of my favorites...the lyrics and music are just so triumphant sounding. Every time we sing it live and we get to the chorus that says "Undisputed, undefeated...." the crowd smiles and you can tell they get excited!
My other favorite is "You Prayed Me Through"....I came up with the chorus after my husband and I had gone through a rough patch. It was my way of thanking him for never giving up on us. He never ever stopped praying for our marriage. What makes the song even better is that Mark Kibble of Take 6 did the background vocals and they are AMAZING!!!!
9. What organization/service group are you affiliated with?
LISA - AsOne is affiliated with Crisis Aid International. CAI provides food for malnourished children, medical care, orphan care, water wells, safe homes for victims of sex trafficking and emergency relief. I'm honored to be involved with them because they are committed to "helping the helpless with relief efforts locally and globally". CAI also helps those after crisis by providing programs that train, and help them to be independent.
THERESA - They are an international organization that feeds the hungry and builds safe houses for women and girls who have been rescued from sex-trafficking. We are passionate about our involvement because they are just an awesome, compassionate, loving group of people and they serve some great causes.
10. Person you'd most like to have a discussion with, living or dead.....Deities are excused from this question
LISA - My sweet grandmother in heaven. I'd ask her what heaven is like, ask her what she'd have done here on earth if she had more time. I'd share with her how my dreams are coming true and she'd be so excited and proud of me. I'd sing her my songs like she always liked me to do, read the Bible to her, hold her hand and kiss her cheek. I'd again, tell her I love her and enjoy her wonderful laugh.
THERESA - I would love to have one last conversation with my dad. He passed away in 2009. I would especially love to tell him all about AsOne. He would be soooo proud.
Bonus Questions
1. Favorite Bible Verse....life verse?
LISA - This is a little tough for me because I have so many! Haha! One of my top favorite verses is Ephesians 3:20. It reminds me of just how wonderfully and infinitely amazing God is and it keeps everything in perspective for me. God can and will always TOP our most creative, imaginative desires, goals and dreams... And He WANTS to! He's just that awesome!!
THERESA - My favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 46:4, "I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you". That's everything I need to know all in one verse!
2. How & When did you become a believer?
LISA - I was 12 years old when I asked the Lord to come into my heart. It was at a small local church where my father was pastoring at the time. When the altar call was given, I went forward and my life has never been the same. What a wonderful journey!
3. What's the biggest "God moment" you've ever experienced? Personally or professionally, when has God shown up in a powerful way?
LISA - I have several but the most recent was last year. I'll try to be brief. My mother was rushed to the ER in excruciating pain to discover that she was dying; not eventually or soon or not even shortly: but right then! She was literally dying that moment! A blood clot had lodged in her intestine and caused all but 6 feet of her intestine to die. (gangrene had set in). They did emergency surgery to remove all but 6 feet. The surgeon met with us to prepare us for her death. He was a specialist and had never had anyone live in whom he had removed so much intestine. I walked out of that little room that day and prayed and declared God's healing in her life. My mother is a believer and I refused to let her go like this! I spoke out loud, "God, I declare that what the Dr. is calling catastrophic, that he turns around and calls remarkable." I spoke certain scriptures and believed His Word, stayed in the Word, flooded myself with uplifting music of P&W and "Stood". Three days later the Dr. came into ICU where my mother lay unconscious and on a breathing machine. After checking her he said, "Myself and my entire staff did not expect her to live and now she's come out of the woods. This is remarkable." One week later she went home and today she is a living, breathing testimony of God's love for His children and faithfulness to His Word. Miracles STILL happen!
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