For more than half her life, multi-platinum-selling, Grammy nominated artist Jaci Velasquez has pursued an entertainer’s dream, recording albums in English and Spanish and performing on stages around the world. From her debut at age 16, she has leaned full-throttle into her God-given gifts, racking up 16 No. 1 hits, penning three books, acting in seven films, gracing 50 magazine covers and launching a non-profit clothing line.
But the dream has seen its share of soul-searching questions, loves and losses, enough to bring any young woman to her knees. And just as the lyric of her 2006 hit “On My Knees” predicted, she has learned, in laughter or in pain, to survive. Her survival is built on trust. “I may not know what to do or what the future holds,” she says, “but I trust that God does.”
Certainly, it is a reflection of how her faith has been shaped and strengthened by motherhood with the added challenges of being mom to a special needs child. “We started noticing when Zealand was two,” she says, “but the official diagnosis came in 2nd grade. When they told us it was Autism, I went through a time of mourning the death of the dreams I had for him.” It took some time, but she began to dream new dreams for her son, “harvesting the gifts I could see in him.” Today, at 9, Zealand excels in music, in both singing and piano. “His ear is even better than mine,” his proud mom says.
“Everybody has faith in something,” says Jaci, who served as the 2013 spokesperson for Autism Speaks’ Tennessee Walk Now. “But at the end of the day, if you’re looking to yourself to keep everything under control, God isn’t part of the equation. That’s where trust comes in, understanding that God loves your children even more than you do.”
In 2019, just before COVID really hit the US, Jaci wrote her book “Rescripted” which was all about embracing God, in the midst of broken dreams, and allowing Him to reshape and “When God Rescripts Your LIfe” a new story. Whether as a Grammy Award winning artist, Author, Singer, Speaker, Actress, Radio or TV host, as well as Mom and Wife, Jaci has embraced change by holding on tightly to God’s daily purpose. Each day is a gift and Jaci loves sharing her inspirational story of Crisis, Faith, and Trust.
