Vanessa Fleming
http://www.vanessafleming.com
By: Kelvin Oliver

CS: How long have you been a Christian?

VF: Great place to start.  I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior when I was 5 years old in Sunday School at church.  I was so excited I went to school on Monday and led my 2 best friends to the Lord over bologna sandwiches at lunch.

CS: Can you share a short testimony with our readers?

VF: My testimony is in constant motion it seems because the Lord is never done with me.  It seems like just when I've learned to overcome in one area, He starts stretching me to move forward in another.  Let me share one of the most recent lessons God's given me.  Two summers ago I had a dream.  The Lord often speaks to me this way because I'm sure with my schedule it's the only time I'm quiet enough to hear Him.

In this dream I had a perfume bottle.  It was truly magnificent and very expensive.  The crystal was hand cut by a master craftsman and its contents were even more precious.  Inside the bottle was an extremely rare and priceless perfume.  Together they were a treasure and I put them high up on a shelf in my room so they would never be damaged. One day as I tidied my home in the dream, I looked up at the shelf and noticed that a tiny crack had started in the bottle.  Slowly, drops of the precious fragrance escaped.  Oh no, I thought to myself.  I tried so hard to keep it safe.  How could this happen?  I placed my hands on the crack to hold in the perfume but it seemed the more I tried to hold it in, the more the crack splintered until finally the perfume spilled to the floor in wild abandon.  I sat back feeling helpless and wept bitterly.  The most precious thing I owned was lost. gone in but a moment. I then noticed something strange happening.  The beautiful aroma saturated every pore in my body.  Not only that, it filled my entire home and touched each of my family members transforming them too.  That same fragrance poured down my street touching each home.  Not only my entire neighborhood, but my city, province, country and then the world. It was then I heard God's voice say, "Vanessa, your life is that perfume bottle.  I may bring you to places of great brokenness but it's in those times of brokenness when my presence and my Holy Spirit is revealed.  And it 's during those times that I will touch not only your life, but the lives of all those around you." Little did I realize that only a few short months later my mom would be diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer that would rapidly spread throughout her body.  It was a time of devastation.  I painfully watched my mom go from a 230-pound bundle of joy and energy to a 70-pound rack of bones.  She couldn't eat, and was constantly in pain.  Even the simplest things like rolling over in bed became impossible.  My mom was my best friend. 

On September 18, 2004, a few hours before my CD release concert, the Lord in His infinite wisdom called my mom home to heaven.  God taught me many difficult but important lessons through that ordeal. lessons like we never walk alone.  God promises to never leave or forsake us and though the world or people around us may change, God doesn't.  He also taught me that His love is beyond measuring.  There's always so much more He longs to pour out to us.  At times you too may feel like you just can't go on, the pain is too great, but that's when God gently whispers, " Draw close. I am everything and anything you'll ever need."  We may not always understand God's ways but He is still completely in control and works all thing together for good. God can be trusted because He loves our family members even more than we do. Another lesson learned is that God's grace is sufficient for each new day. And lastly, every day is a gift.  Treasure them.  Don't miss opportunities to tell people you care because that might be the only chance you'll ever have.  No matter what my mom went through, she was at complete peace.  She had a faith that couldn't be shaken and hope that couldn't be quenched.  She knew God loved her and that she was going to spend her eternity in heaven. The question we have to ask ourselves is, can we say the samenesses we say it is well with our soul?

CS: When and how did you accept Christ into your heart?

VF: Answered in 1st question.

CS: What is your musical background?  Did you take lessons to gain the musical skills you have now?

VF: Absolutely.  My parents both came from musical backgrounds so it was natural for them to want to encourage that in me as well.  I started with guitar lessons when I was 8 and had a teacher who'd make me sing to the songs I played.  At the time it was a real stretch for me because I'm quite shy.  To help me gain confidence, my parents enrolled me voice
lessons (yes, I can sing opera too) and piano, theory and history.  I discovered that singing was my forte.  Now more than ever I really appreciate all the times mom told me to practice.  Stick with it.  Don't waste the gifts God's given you.  Let Him use them for His glory.

CS: What is the main focus of your ministry?  Teens?  The lost?  The hurting? Why did you decide on this focus?

My main focus of this ministry (and I don't mean to sound religious) is worshiping God and declaring His worth.  It's my desire to draw others into His throne room through praise and worship.  Once we're there, God does all the work as He reveals His presence to all in powerful ways.  I know what the one and only living God has done in my life.  I am humbled every day that He chose me as His child.  I used to think that being a Christian meant you had to have your life together and be smiling all the time but that's not true.  It's the "getting there" that people can relate to.  When we share the struggles we have and how God is directing through those situations and leading us to victory, that's what ministers to people.  It gives them hope that they too can overcome.  In Revelations it
talks about believers defeating Satan through the blood of the lamb AND the word of their testimony.  There is power in God moving in our lives that is able to reach out to others and destroy the work and lies of the enemy.  My main focus for ministry is and always will be to let God be God.  I want to see healings, deliverance, salvation, and restoration. How He does it or to whom He does it is up to Him.  I just go where He
leads.

CS: How long did it take before you were signed with a label?  Did you have to do a lot of contacting of record labels or did God simply let it fall in your lap?

VF: I'm not at present signed with a label; I'm what they call an independent artist.  This for now is to my benefit because I'm able to have more of a say in where my money's spent and how much I travel.  If you're single you don't have to worry as much about stuff like that but I have a family as well as ministry so I have to make sure I spend enough time with them.

CS: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?  10 years?  The future?

VF: I'm thrilled and excited about what God's future holds for me.  Of course more music is in the forecast but my next CD I want to be a little more adventurous and add more of myself to it by writing several of the songs personally.  I also have a strong sense of needing to reach out to those in the secular world of music.  It was created for God's glory and we've
allowed that to be stolen from us.  Some musicians in the world make a mockery of whom God is and I want to be the one to tell them He is alive and He can touch even the most jaded hearts.  (Watch out Ozzie Osborne - I think God's spared your life for a greater purpose than you realize). I've been approached by a few organizations that would like me to have a weekly Christian variety show and I am very enthusiastic about that idea. I'm working on a book at present too.  No matter what opportunities arise, unless God goes before me, I will not do it.  I've learned to listen for His leading in all things.

CS: Do you ever worry about getting caught up in the world of showbiz?  That success will change you?

VF: I am aware of the lures of showbiz but I am terrified of displeasing God. He keeps me grounded against attitudes such as pride and self.  I have to tell you, in order to get to this place, I have been stripped of self in many ways.  God has impressed upon me the importance of walking in holiness. Not just with the outer appearances but in my heart and mind's
attitudes also.   My life is no longer my own, it's for Him.  I spend lots of time reading the Bible and even more time praying.  I don't want my sin getting in the way of the Holy Spirit moving so I constantly am searching my heart and giving things over to the Lord.  For me, true success is
measured not so much by dollars and fame, but rather by people noticing less of me and more of God's presence in me.

CS: Where do you get ideas for your music?  Where do you get the ideas for other writing (Books, poems etc.)?

VF: I once heard a very wise person say, "Write what you know."  I use personal circumstances and experiences as my inspiration.  Many times the Lord inspires me with His word as well.   I have had other occasions where I ask the Lord to reveal Himself and He'll use something so seemingly
insignificant to bring an entire song into being.  Afterwards all I can do is sit back and say WOW.  This is God.  I had that happen in Nashville when I was in a hotel room by myself.  I had just finished 9 hours of recording and went back to the hotel but felt pretty alone.  I said to God, "let me know you're here," and then I noticed this tiny crack of light peeking through the curtains.  From that crack of light came a whole
song about God' s presence.   I am so head over heels in love with the Lord that I simply want to share that love with others.  He's what is worth talking and singing about.

CS: What is the biggest thing you've learned from touring and ministering through music?

VF: God is a God of the impossible.  The more I sing and minister, the more I realize how totally inadequate I am on my own.  At my CD launch, I did not know how I'd be able to go ahead with the concert with my mom having passed away only a few hours before.  God taught me that day that it's, "Not by strength, nor by might, but by My Spirit." Nothing I do on my own is worthy of praise or recognition.  When we let Him have His way, God shows up and truly does the impossible, not just in our lives but others as well. I've also learned how vital it is to stay grounded in the Lord. Without Him, nothing I do is of value.

CS: What kind of relationship do you maintain with your audiences?  Do you fellowship with them or do you remain distant as a performer?

VF: I am so incredible thankful to each person who comes out to show their support.  I know what a privilege it is to share my faith and encourage others in theirs.  We are part of a body not independent from one another. I receive just as much from the audience as they do from me.  It's a tremendous joy to meet people and talk to them, include them in being active participants in the concert.  I know without their support I wouldn't be where I am today.  Thanks to all!

CS: How would you describe your music style?

VF: Something for everyone!   When I was choosing songs for the CD, God told me that you don't catch all kinds of fish using one type of bait.  As such, I try to be sensitive to the audience I'm ministering to so I can meet their needs.