By Jeanni Ritchie
Music, ministry and personal testimony came together Saturday, October 10, as Christian recording artist Jordan St. Cyr and special guest Josh Blakesley took the stage at the Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center in Alexandria for a Night of Worship, Hope and Healing Hearts.
Presented as a benefit for Healing Hearts Through Hooves, the concert coincided with World Mental Health Day, reinforcing the evening’s message of hope for those facing difficult circumstances.
Located at Ol’ Mel’s Farm in Deville, Healing Hearts Through Hooves provides equine- and animal-assisted experiences for veterans, first responders, healthcare workers, grieving families, young people facing hardship and others seeking emotional support.
Cofounders Melanie Moore and Amanda Lluvera, both veterans, recognize that traditional approaches to healing do not necessarily work for everyone. Their organization offers an alternative through interactions with animals and nature, creating opportunities for reflection, connection and emotional restoration.
Alexandria native Josh Blakesley, joined by fellow local musician Christian Gaudet, opened the evening with an invitation for the audience to get on their feet and worship. Their selections celebrated God’s faithfulness, including a brand-new song, “You’ve Been So Good to Me,” about His goodness and constant presence.
Headliner Jordan St. Cyr continued with a mixture of music and personal testimony, performing songs including “Wild Love,” “The Promise,” “Every Reason to Believe,” “Pray for You” and “Weary Traveler.”
One particularly moving moment came during “Fires,” as the audience joined in singing a song that would eventually take on a deeply personal meaning for St. Cyr.
Originally inspired by a struggling young father named Nathan, the song was written six months before St. Cyr and his wife welcomed their fourth child, Emery, who was born with a rare brain condition. Words he had written to encourage someone else became a source of strength as his own family faced unexpected challenges.
St. Cyr also shared the story behind “Rescue,” a song born from an overwhelming two-week period filled with family medical challenges, a broken leg, car trouble, food poisoning and the loss of his record deal. Through the chaos, he found reassurance in God’s faithfulness, a message that resonated throughout the evening.
Other selections included “Something Greater,” with its reminder of the light believers carry, before St. Cyr brought the concert to a close with “Hands to the Sky.”
The personal stories behind the music reflected the very struggles Healing Hearts Through Hooves seeks to address. Whether facing grief, trauma, illness or life’s unexpected challenges, the path toward healing often begins with finding hope in the midst of hardship.
At Ol’ Mel’s Farm, that hope may come not through a song or spoken testimony, but through a quiet moment beside a horse or the unconditional companionship of an animal.
Healing takes many forms, and sometimes hope begins in the most unexpected places.
For more information about Healing Hearts Through Hooves and its programs, visit healingheartsthroughhooves.com.
