Kari Jobe’s Album: The Garden Review & Giveaway

Sometimes as you walk through dark valleys, you can feel as if you are the only one who has experienced a season so difficult. Over the past year as I've walked through the loss of my sister in a car accident, I've often become so overwhelmed with my own circumstances that I was oblivious to the struggles of those around me.

I think people are struggling more than they appear to be from the outside. When I got Kari Jobe's newest album The Garden, my daughter pulled out the insert and read the introduction. She was amazed to see that the words that Kari Jobe wrote so closely matched our experience this past year.

While it's been a hard season of life for us, God has been faithful to carry us through. He's never left our side, and He's offered hope when all seemed hopeless. This CD is just what we need to continue our journey of trusting God and worshiping Him through the difficult days to come.

The Garden

I received a free copy of "The Garden" in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. See my full disclosure policy for more details. 

The Story Behind The Garden

In the past two years, Jobe married her husband Cody Carnes and moved from her hometown of Dallas, Texas, to Nashville, where the couple bought their first home and had a baby. With due dates three months apart, Jobe and her sister, Kris, were excited to be pregnant at the same time. Yet, in the midst of happy life changes, heartbreak struck. Seven-and- a-half months into her pregnancy, Kris gave birth to a stillborn daughter, James Ivy. Jobe, four months pregnant with her son at the time, was devastated.

“It just shattered my heart. It was so, so hard,” Jobe shares. “It wrecked me—just the weight of unanswered prayers. I was trying to walk in peace when I didn’t feel peaceful and find my rest when my spirit didn’t feel rested.”

Aching for her sister, Jobe was simultaneously anxious for the safety of her own child. On February 18, 2016, a healthy Canyon Carnes entered the world. “It’s hard to celebrate life, but to be grieving with your sister,” Jobe admits, adding that knowing Canyon’s name ahead of time gave her strength through the remainder of her pregnancy after the loss of her niece. “God gave us his name even before this whole thing took place,” she says. “Canyon means a deep ravine for water to flow through. Canyons are formed through storms, so the fact that God gave me his name was so peaceful to me… I was thankful He gave me his name for that season.”

While the birth of her son was undoubtedly a milestone to celebrate, her sister’s loss weighed heavy on her heart. Yet, a reminder of God’s kindness came in a surprising way. As Jobe held Canyon in her arms, she stood looking out the kitchen window of her new home. And there in her backyard, she glimpsed the first signs of spring. When she and her husband purchased the house, a garden that resided on the property was overgrown; and though they knew it needed to be tended, they were advised to wait and see what it produced.

The result was a breathtaking bounty of harvest. That day, Jobe made her way through the garden—a stark reminder of God’s faithfulness in all circumstances. Looking up, interwoven in the archway, she couldn’t help but smile as she saw what only God could produce: thick, green ivy lacing its way overhead, immediately reminding her of her niece’s namesake.

“Ivy is the most resilient plant there is. It can grow in the harshest of climates; it can grow in the harshest of situations,” Jobe explains, adding, “I’m standing in this garden. There’s ivy growing, and I just started to realize, ‘God, You’re moving in a way that is different than what I asked for, but You are moving.’ He’s at work and doing things we can’t see.”

The experience yielded the title track for Jobe’s new album and fresh healing for her soul. “Those seeds were planted years ago for it to be the way that it was that day for me, because it wasn’t just last year that they planted all this beautiful ivy. That took years,” she observes. “Something in my spirit started to rustle. Life was coming back. What felt dead in my heart was starting to wake up. It was like I’d been in this place of being numb in my walk with the Lord, but something just started blooming in my heart.”

This album is for anyone who has walked through a season of trials and is searching for a glimpse of hope. Kari Jobe's words work a ministry of reminding her listeners of the greatness and faithfulness of God.

Win a Copy of The Garden

I have a copy of The Garden to give away! Enter the giveaway below, or you can purchase her new album here or you can stream it here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 Comments

  1. Allison on February 5, 2017 at 7:32 pm

    I have been following you since right before the loss of your sister and praying all the way. Music speaks to our souls on a whole different level doesn’t it? Glad you have found something to help you reach out to the Father in he dark times.

    • Betsy on February 5, 2017 at 8:28 pm

      Thank you so much friend! You have no idea how much I appreciate your prayers. I know the prayers of so many have carried my family through this past year. I don’t know why I’m always surprised by the sweet ways He tends to my heart. I love it. He’s a good Father!

  2. Theresa on February 5, 2017 at 8:10 pm

    What a sad, yet encouraging, story to read. Thanks for sharing the background of this album.

    • Betsy on February 5, 2017 at 8:30 pm

      You’re welcome. I thought her story really brought depth to the understanding of the beautiful songs on this album.

  3. Jennie on February 6, 2017 at 7:37 am

    Oh my heart, the story!

  4. Tamra Lewis on February 6, 2017 at 9:24 pm

    I’m excited to hear this album. I would keep it for myself!!

  5. Kris S. on February 6, 2017 at 9:52 pm

    I would love to keep this album and share it with all the guests we host!

  6. Lana at iLoveMy5Kids on February 6, 2017 at 11:17 pm

    Love Kari Jobe. I’d probably share with my kids who love music!

  7. Liz on February 7, 2017 at 2:13 pm

    I have some young friends who have lost babies recently. This is what they need. If I won this cd, it would go to my young friend who has lost several babies. It’s so hard to always know the right words to say. By sharing this, I hope it would gove her some comfort. Blessings to you and your family. Thank you for sharing. This is my first time on your blog. I follow you on Instagram. Blessings, Liz @lizannilla

  8. Tamara on February 11, 2017 at 9:33 am

    Katie Jobe is such a powerful and anointing singer..Her music has carried me through many rough seasons

  9. Sean W. on February 11, 2017 at 10:10 pm

    So cool to hear the story behind the album- thanks for sharing!

  10. Mindy H on February 11, 2017 at 11:30 pm

    This cd sounds great. I would keep it for my family.

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