Jill Parr Bio - ChristianMusic.com
Jill Parr Review

About Jill Parr...

The ten songs on her new CD, ORBIT relate very much to her own experiences in her life; feelings of not quite measuring up to others' expectations, her own expectations of herself, never feeling that she quite fit in, restlessness and how she found the answer to her personal struggles, finally finding peace with a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Her own experiences with disappointment and failures, as well the joy and faithfulness of the Lord have given Jill Parr a compassion for people who are disillusioned with this world. Jill wishes to point her audience to find Jesus as the always faithful, loving accepting friend who loves us despite our weaknesses, our failings, and is willing to guide us, up hold us, challenge us, mold us, transforming our minds and our lives.

Many people can identify with Jill Parr's personal struggles with self-worth she has had in her past, and many will be inspired by her songs on this CD to seek Jesus as the source of peace, self-esteem, faithful friendship, and eternal, unconditional love, accepting us as we truly are, who will never let go of us. This main truth, which weaves throughout ORBIT, has been a powerful force in her own spiritual journey.

Jill Parr comments, "The idea that God is all encompassing, never-changing and all-forgiving is something that I cling to. Life has many different roads and sometimes we decide to take the long, difficult, challenging route that God meant the journey to be beautiful. I believe that ultimately those stray paths will lead us back to Him. We are never beyond His reach or His grace. I want to dare us to dig deeper, to evaluate who or what we are revolving around, or in other words, our 'orbit.' Yes, the Lord is the center of the universe, but is He the center of our lives?"

Jill Parr grew up in Michigan, and from a very early age, she had her heart set on singing, as she was blessed with the gift of a powerful voice and musical intuition. At the age of 12, she won her first contest, but she really couldn't enjoy her success because of all the false guilt and pressure she felt in her life at the time. She was searching for acceptance and security, trying to live with the following behavioral motto: "Never admit frailty, never admit defeat, never air dirty laundry. Put on your church face and bring out your best religious lingo."

Because she lacked the relationship or the knowledge of the true nature of Christ, the result was that Parr was left fighting the feeling that she did not fit in. Lacking the support and love from a personal relationship with Christ, Jill found no relief from the restrictions she struggled with in her life and her music, and eventually went down the path which led to a rebellious restlessness. She made her own way to Nashville, following her cherished music dreams. When things fell apart, Jill Parr went back home, discouraged and suffering from a failed relationship.

At this low point in her life, she discovered something wonderful about the character of the Lord. "When things didn't go the way I planned, I thought that I was no longer worthy of the dreams I had carried, and that God would fail me because I failed Him. But He was full of grace, and in time He led me back to Nashville and showed me that the dreams that He planted in me as a young girl were still there. My belief in the power of God through music was purified."