HM 35- Following After God's Dreams with JJ Heller

Fifteen years into her marriage and her music career, JJ Heller opens up about how she has followed God throughout the ups and downs of the life of an independent musician. When she first started out in music, she believed that by not signing to a label she was choosing a life of obscurity.

“We made peace with the fact that we would never be on Christian radio, and we were okay with that. We would stay true to the music that God put on our heart and know that we would have to work hard for not a lot of money. It was the road that we chose. Then it was so interesting several years later when God had a big trick up his sleeves.”

After some national exposure on the show So You Think You Can Dance, JJ’s songs started getting airtime on Christian radio stations and she has continued to connect with listeners, creating multiple albums with her husband Dave.

She shares the background story of how she let go of her own dreams to play basketball in college and learned to follow after God’s dreams for her and the music she now writes.

“It’s only because my dream died that there was room for God to do something even better than what I had planned for myself.”

As a musician who travels and now a mom of two, JJ doesn’t have a strict morning routine. Instead, she focusing on allowing space for the Holy Spirit to direct her in how she needs to connect with God day by day. She shares how being aware of God’s presence and checking her heart’s intentions has given her a lot of grace in her busy season of motherhood and music.

“I think that God is also present in the little things and He delights in the small things of life. And I think that when we are grateful for the coffee smell in the morning or how the warm mug feels in our hands, then we are giving glory to the Lord as we appreciate the world that he has made.”

Hello Mornings Habits

• Allow space for the Holy Spirit to direct you on how and when to spend time in my Bible or prayer journal.
• Check your intentions for the heart behind the habits and routines of connecting with God.
• It’s okay to read pre-written prayers. It can help you express things that are on your heart that you don’t have words for.
• Check out the Pray As You Go app for a guided experience for connecting with God.
• Be aware of how God is present in the small things of life and give him glory as we enjoy simple pleasures.

Links Mentioned:

• JJ Heller: https://www.jjheller.com
• JJ on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JJHellermusic
• JJ on Instagram: https://www.jjheller.com
• Ford Commercial with JJ’s song: https://youtu.be/wPrMeJ38bDc
• So You Think You Can Dance segment with the song “Your Hands”: https://youtu.be/Jl__IXcQRyo
• Pray As You Go: www.pray-as-you-go.org
• Revelation Wellness: www.revelationwellness.org