Lover of Jesus Pursues "Little Dreams"

For 10 years, singer-songwriter Marie Miller made albums with Curb Records, scored hits with songs such as "You're Not Alone" and "6'2," and found herself compared to artists like Taylor Swift and Sara Bareilles. But Marie also felt restless, yearning to create music with more of a country/bluegrass sound while openly singing and speaking about her Catholic faith. And so, despite some trepidation, she left the  safety of her record label to become an independent artist. That journey from fear to faith is reflected in Marie's new album Little Dreams, and we discussed it on Christopher Closeup.

"The deepest part of me is a lover of Jesus," explained Marie about her decision to leave Curb in 2018. Though she loves pop music and performing in regular venues, she wanted the option to do more faith-oriented work as well. At first, Marie felt excited by this new adventure. Then, fear crept in as she realized she no longer had the power of a major record label behind her. But she trusted in God anyway, noting, "In the way that God does, He has given me the daily bread of what I've needed."

The title track of Little Dreams, written with American Idol winner Kris Allen, especially reflects Marie's concerns of late, as well as her devotion to St. Therese, the Little Flower. She recalled wondering if all the effort she had put into her music career was worth it. Were people actually listening? Then, she and Kris "started talking about the significance of the dream itself, whether you play for a million people or for five people. That's where the St. Therese connection is: do small things with great love, focus on the soul and the small and then do it with love - and don't worry about the quantity, but more the quality."

Marie feels another connection with the saints, saying, "I'm learning that the artist and the saint have one thing in common. They can enter into the mystery of suffering and make something beautiful." That beauty was a theme she kept in mind while making Little Dreams. Marie explained, "When we take broken pieces in our lives, we can make a mosaic out of them and make something beautiful. And I was thinking, 'Wow, our Lord does that for us.' He takes our brokenness and makes something beautiful out of it. He takes the most broken thing in the world, the murder of God, and brings out the resurrection."

Brokenness and suffering are experiences that Marie only became acquainted with in recent years, having grown up with a "pretty idyllic, pain-free life." When suffering, heartbreak, and death entered the picture, she felt a little unprepared, experiencing a type of dark night of the soul. However, it occurred to her that "we have to be a remembering people. . . .When we are in dark places, there's a call to remember that [God] is faithful - and when He was faithful. . . . The thing is, God doesn't need us to feel good about Him all the time. He just needs us to trust Him."

Marie sums up her hopes for those who listen to Little Dreams in this way: "My hope is that they are encouraged and inspired to live out whatever unique journey that God has created for them. Each of us was made with a special gift inside of us, something that nobody else has. We were made to do something great for each other. So, don't be afraid to live out your dream."

This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column written by Tony Rossi, Director of Communications, The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.

Background information:

The Christophers

Marie Miller Music