“We came up with the wackiest names,” Colleen says. “We were looking at things in the room. But we think [Carried Away] is such a cool meaning, because one day we’ll be carried away to eternity.”

I caught up with the girls at a music festival in Michigan, where we chatted about their new album, what it means to be pure and their worst Christmas gifts. (Trust me, they’re bad!) So keep reading to learn about the music and ministry of these young 20-somethings.

Getting Personal
When it came time for Carried Away to record their second album, I Want You (a mixture of pop, acoustic rock and worship), the girls wrote or co-wrote all but one song.

“We didn’t know we’d be writing all these songs,” Colleen says. “We actually tried to start recording last year, and nothing was turning out right. We didn’t have a peace about it, so we kept writing and doing gigs. It’s cool, because on a lot of the songs Christine would write a really strong lyric and then I’d have a strong chorus. We complement each other’s writing styles. And Pam is always the one to say yea or nay.”

“When we’re all coming together with our different personalities, the song is really neat,” Christine adds.

This close relationship is something the girls value. Colleen jokes that living and traveling with Christine and Pam is good training for marriage! They admit there can be times of tension, but Christine says that they make an effort to be kind. It’s being thoughtful and doing little things to show kindness, such as buying Colleen or Pam their favorite candy bars.

“Sometimes we can get tired of being with each other, and we take each other for granted,” she says. In fact, in eight years the girls haven’t been apart longer than one week! “But we get over things pretty quickly. Stuff happens, and you just move on.”

Colleen is quick to point out that their bond is strong because it goes beyond mere friendship.

“We’re not just friends; we’re blood relatives. At the end of the day, we’re still family, so that’s the glue that makes us want to stay together as a group. If we were just friends, we could leave at any time.”

The girls also try to do devotions together as a group and pray the Scripture together. Carried Away knows that worshiping God helps to unify them as a group.

“There are so many things the world has to offer, so many things we can choose every day,” Colleen says. “But we try to put God at the top of the list.”

“Everything just falls into place when we do that,” Christine adds. “It’s amazing!”

Being able to write all their own songs means the album is a personal reflection of what the girls are learning. Christine wrote the song “Wasting My Words (Been Where You Are)” for her younger sister.

“It talks about how I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my past with dating; dating too fast, getting into a relationship too fast. My sister had a boyfriend, but I said, ‘You don’t need to be dating this guy for now. You need to grow and see who you are in Jesus.’ ”

Colleen agrees that dating can be a distraction.

“Looking back, I feel like I wasted a lot of my years on petty relationships. [As a teenager] I was in an awkward place, and I didn’t know where I belonged. I wanted to rebel, and so I wanted to be in a relationship all the time. Because God knows us better then we know ourselves, He already has the right guy picked out. God is the only one who won’t break your heart. Take time to find out who you are in Christ and be friends with guys.”

A song that’s personal to Colleen is “I Want You.”

“When I wrote that song I was sitting in my room with my guitar, feeling overwhelmed with my life and how I was living it,” she says. “It wasn’t that I was completely away from God, but I was choosing so many other things besides Him. I was so frustrated with myself, so it was me saying to God, ‘Forget it, I just want You. That’s it. I don’t want to live for other people; I don’t want to live by the world’s standards and what the world says to do. I just want to choose You above everything and let You take over.’ “

Reflecting Purity
This idea of choosing God over anything else is also reflected on I Want You through the theme of purity. The girls of Carried Away are intentional about living lives that reflect Christ.

“It’s so easy to compromise on the little things you think won’t affect you,” Colleen explains. “To keep yourself pure, you can try as hard or as little as you want. I find for myself, it’s when I have nothing to do that I’m tempted, and the devil offers distractions to me.”

“Purity is such a broad thing, it can be [found] in every aspect of your life,” Pam adds. “We’re really careful about the way we dress. It’s not even how much skin you show but how you want people to perceive you. Purity is a reflection of your relationship with God. Purity will just come out because you want to be pure, you want to be holy.”

Colleen says that as Christians, we shouldn’t focus on how close we can get to sin while still trying to live a holy life.

“We shouldn’t be seeing how close to the edge we can get before it’s qualified as a sin. We should be striving for how can we be better people and how can we resist temptation. It’s a daily thing: You have to wake up in the morning and say you want to live your life for God.”

Christine says that as a band, they’re learning how to be holy by being kinder and gentler with each other.

“That’s what Jesus calls us to do: Love one another. Offering ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Him is our spiritual act of worship.”

The new album also deals with being loved and accepted by Christ alone. Christine explains that her parents are separated, and it was sometimes hard for her dad to know how to love her.

“A lot of times I ran to guys because I craved wanting to be loved so badly,” she says. “But without a doubt, God loves us no matter what. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done or where we’ve been or our family problems. I know that I don’t have to be perfect or be loved by what I do; it’s because of who I am. I’m just Christine; I’m just a child of God. That’s the most amazing love ever!”

What’s Under Your Tree?
Carried Away wants to give every Brio sis . . .
Pam: “A big hug and a pair of heels. Every girl needs to walk in heels!”
Colleen: “I like a lot of aromatherapy things, so a smelly-good candle. Or a really soft, stuffed teddy bear.”
Christine: “A personalized song for each person.” (This prompts Colleen to say, ”You make my candle look lame!”)

Worse than a Fruitcake
Ever gotten a gift that’s not exactly what you wanted? Carried Away shares their worst Christmas gifts!
Colleen: “When I was 6 years old I really wanted a porcelain doll. I saw a box shaped like a doll under the tree, but when I ripped it open all I saw was a Steve Urkel doll. I was like, ‘Nobody asked for this!’ But it became the best present, because I ended up really liking it!”

Pam: “I got pajamas one year when I was 15 or 16. My mom thought it would be cute to get me a one-piece with the feet. The sad thing is, I actually wore them!”

Christine: “Someone got me a coat. It was hideous! It was boxy and short. I never wore it, and I gave it to Goodwill.”

Wanna MEET Carried Away? They’ll be sending us off with a private concert on the 2008 Brio missions trip!