Out of the Dark

This album has literally been over 20 years in the making. I started writing music in my early 20s, mainly as a way of expressing myself. Music became a safe way for me to deal with emotions—like grief and loss and anger and sadness.

Over the years, I’ve experienced much heartache, just as I’m sure many of you have. I coped with life by burying my deepest pain, grieving sadness in isolation, and hiding behind invisible walls I’d made to protect myself. It worked. But after two decades of “coping,” I found myself barely alive, just surviving at best.

At age 40, I spent Christmas Eve in an emergency room. My blood pressure was so high that I could have had a stroke. One nurse said, “I can’t believe the blood vessels in your eyes haven’t burst.” I really didn’t think I’d be coming home that night. I always imagined that when it was my time to die, I’d be eager to go. But that night, in that bleak hospital, I discovered something—I wanted to live.

I thanked God when I awoke the next day, Christmas morning. I knew I’d been given a second chance at life. But I also knew that living—really living—would require change. I had to let people in, had to share my pain, had to tear the walls down. “Out of the Dark” was birthed out of this healing process.

If you’re expecting perfection from this album or me, I’m afraid you’ll be sorely disappointed. We are both works in progress. I made this album myself, so don’t be surprised if you hear a dog barking in the background or the creak of an old piano bench. My prayer is that you’ll be able to look beyond the imperfections and simply enjoy the raw beauty of this work and all that it represents.

I realize that not everyone who listens to these songs will share my Christian beliefs, but my love for God reflects who I am at the deepest level. Many of the songs are written either to God or about Him. That being said, I’m not a theologian, either—just a follower of Jesus. You’ll find my songs riddled with questions and bouts of uncertainty. But through it all, I hope you’ll see that He’s the glue that holds this fragile life together.

Thank you for visiting my site. May you find whatever you’re needing—rest, peace, hope, new life—as you listen to this collection of songs.

–Kristi Houser