Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is –

His good, pleasing and perfect will. 

- Romans 12:2

by David Dodd

The three sisters of Barlow Girl received a firm foundation of faith which has transcended into one of the most prominent musical ministries focusing on the hearts and emotions of young women.  Jesus told us to build our foundation on a rock, and they have done just that. 

 “This Scripture was something that mom and dad instilled in us at a very early age.  We were home schooled and it was one of the first verses we memorized.  There were posters on the wall with that verse on it, you know - not conforming to the world but being transformed – and I remember mom even bought us these shirts that had this one fish swimming against all these other fish, with the verse underneath it. It’s just something that was so embedded in us at such an early age. 

 It’s funny to see how God has used that as the foundation of our ministry.  To us it was just something that mom and dad taught us from the beginning.  It was, girls, question everything the world throws at you because we serve a God that is not of this world.  So to be more like Him, to be transformed like Him, you’re going to need to question

everything. 

Our parents taught us how to question impurity, immodesty and different things; how to allow God to really transform our lives to be more like Him.  They taught us to be less and less like the world.  That is actually something that has really seeped into so much of our music and so much of what we speak about because of that foundation.”   

There are also other elements that God provides us with, elements that may be uncomfortable on the onset, but once applied, become a life source of His Grace.

 “Silence is one of the scariest things with God because it’s that moment where you kind of let go and in the silence you just wait for Him.  I think one of the things that we miss right now is the waiting and the silence.  I believe it’s in those moments that we really see Him; that we get to know Him differently than when we do the talking.  That’s probably one of the greatest ways that I encourage people to  see just who God is, to get into the silence before Him.   

Taking that further, to begin to wait on Him a little bit more, and ask Him to show Himself.  Ask Him to show you who He is.  I’ve done that so many times, and I’ll continue to do that, you know, I’ll wake up and go, Lord, I’m struggling today, I need a glimpse of You, I need to see You somewhere in my life, and He comes through every day when I ask Him.

It may be something so little, but keep your eyes open for it.  He will show Himself.

One thing that we try to challenge people on because we’ve definitely been challenged on it ourselves, is the idea of slowing down for a moment.  We live in a world where there are 5 million things every day that are demanding our emotions and our heart.  There are so many things that are pulling for that.   

What we begin to see is God placed a need inside of us to give our hearts to something.  We want to give ourselves whole-heartedly to something in our lives so that we feel fulfilled, so that we feel completed and secure.  There are so many things that go along side that, and so many things in our culture today.  Unfortunately we are giving our hearts to so many things other than God because they’re instant.  

A lot of it is this recreational dating thing that’s really distracting our generation from where our hearts are supposed to be.  We’re quick to give our hearts in a relationship so that we can feel love and be fulfilled.” 

God give me your fire

and raise this life higher. 

 - Grey

 “That was our heart’s cry this past year as we were journeying through this.  When we came into this ministry, we were passionate, we were on fire, and the more and more you walk in it, it starts to wear you down a little bit.  You physically and spiritually get a little tired.  We’d go places and we’d hear the line: girls, maybe if you didn’t talk so much

you’d be more popular, or, girls, if you weren’t so bold about things.  

We’d hear that through different places or through the grapevine.  We were talking about it one day, praying about it, when we came across the verse in Revelation where it says: I’d rather you be hot or cold but not lukewarm, and we made the decision and renewed our hearts again to go, Yeah, Lord, whether or not we’re popular, it doesn’t matter.  You want us to be burning hot for You and we’ll only continue to get hotter.   

So that line was just our actual personal cry to God to saying, give us the fire because we need it to speak like You want us to speak, we need Your fire.  We don’t need ours, we need Yours.  That was our hearts cry and it continues to be our hearts cry.”