Wow, sounds busy! So, being clearly involved in the music industry, do you have any particular favourite bands?
Well, I like Bloodgood of course! They are melodic, have good lyrics and are a bunch of genuine, good guys who really do walk the walk, not just talk the talk. What you see of the stars on stage is only about 1% of their lives as a whole. It's not just what they do on stage that counts, but what they do off stage also. The Bloodgood guys definitely live good, honest lifestyles outside of the bright lights too.
Excellent! I guess being a band of believers isn't just about the shows, but about being a witness in the lifestyle that goes with it. So, when you're not listening to Bloodgood, is there any other music you enjoy?
Yeah, I like U2, Creed, Van Halen... I appreciate all kinds of music from classical, right through to metal. Music is a good way of expressing yourself and showing creativity, so I'm willing to give anything a try.
Here here! So tell us; how did you meet your husband?
Ha-ha, ok, in a nutshell, it was like a fairytale - we were high school sweethearts! We both attended the same school, I was into dance, and Michael was the drama club president. He also played the guitar and was into music. We got talking in geometry class one day and he asked me to be in his band. I accepted, we started practising together... and the rest is history!
Everybody say ‘aaaah'! Sweet! So how did Bloodgood form then and did you have a major part in this?
Yeah for sure! Michael was working in a music store at the time. He used to get so frustrated at the amount of people who bought things without any idea about the meaning behind the lyrics, or negative content of the songs, particularly in the metal genre. We started praying to form a Christian metal band whose lyrics would be positive and send out a good message. And, despite a lot of criticism from many Christians around us, Bloodgood was born.
Wow, – so basically if God calls you to do something – do it! We've already mentioned that you support Michael in his role as a pastor. When did he feel called to lead a church and how did this affect you?
Ha-ha, well, he first felt called to be a pastor 19 years ago!
Ok, so how did this affect you?
Well, I obviously supported the idea and really admired Michael's faith. But I guess such a big decision comes with all sorts of worries. Whilst Michael saw the big picture, I was more concerned with the details like how would our family manage, where would we begin...? Starting a church isn't just like starting a Bible study; it's a huge commitment which affects your whole life! But we didn't set up the church until 7 years later during which time God prepared and equipped us. If He calls you to do something, He also equips you to do it!
So, do you feel that there are many expectations put on you as a pastor's wife?
People love to put expectations on pastor's wives but I just don't go there! I kinda think church is like a big pie, I'm just another slice of it – I'm no bigger or smaller than the person next to me! And if God called Michael to be a pastor then He also called me to be a pastor's wife and makes that role possible. Everyone faces expectations and pressures to be something different to what we are, you just have to take it to Lord and see how He feels about it. Sometimes it is uncomfortable to live within people's standards but you just have to put one foot in front of the other and keep walking.
Good advice! So, how do you work together as a team – are there specific male/female roles that you have?
We don't necessarily have specific roles; we both do what needs to be done. We work together as one complete unit. We got married to be married, not to live separate lives. I think that in any relationship it's important for each person to give 100% as if doing it for God – that way you stay motivated and aren't discouraged.
Being married to a world famous rock star there have obviously been long periods of time spent away from each other whilst on the road; or time spent together in small, cramped places, how did you manage this and maintain stability within your family?
The whole family always travelled together. Sometimes that meant living with the other band members and their families in really tight conditions so we constantly had to pray for God to give us strength to get through day without killing one another! The littlest things could set you off so we had to rely on God to do the hard work. We always managed to find family time and kept this as a priority, like we would take a few hours out to go and have a meal together, or baby-sit each other's children so the couples in the band could take turns to go on a date and spend some alone time with their partners. God provided for all our needs. Like, someone would lend us their car out of the blue so we could go off on a road trip together as a family, or a nice old lady at a church would cook us a meal or something. These guys were definitely the real stars. You don't have to be on stage to be a witness; everyone has their own ministry where they are. We definitely couldn't have done it without these guys.
So, how do you ensure that you find enough time for each other now?
We just have to be intentional about it and make time to be together.
Simple! So, I'm guessing that you've encountered a fair amount of groupies? Was dealing with them hard sometimes particularly when girls approached your husband? And did you find that you also had to cope with unwanted male attention?
Well actually it tended to be the guys who were more interested in the hard music scene so a lot of our ministry was to them. There weren't many girls around. But yeah, girls have always liked Michael. I just don't go there – jealousy isn't good! I would say that a man is truly attracted to a Godly woman so instead of worrying about the outward stuff – focus on the inward part! As far as male attention goes - you have to put hedges around yourself and your marriage. Temptation is always there, but the Bible tells us to flee from sin and to not even go near it. You have to keep stuff out of your life which you know is bad!
And what about the media? Do you find criticism hard to deal with?
To be honest I feel sorry for the people who criticise us, I mean they are criticising things they wouldn't go and do themselves. We did experience a lot of bad treatment from people, even Christians, for being who we were and doing what we were doing. But you just have to keep bringing these things before God. He is the one who protects us. We always made it a priority to go to church wherever we were, even after only 45 minutes of sleep! It's important to stay accountable to the body of believers always. And the fruit of our work kept us going. We would get mail from fans who had been delivered from things, overcome stuff and come through hard times. That was one of the best things. I mean, I think at the end of the day we all have the ability to make a difference in someone's life, it just depends whether we choose to make that a positive or negative difference.
 |
 |
Definitely! Ok, so being a rock star's wife is obviously quite glam! How do you cope with the pressure to conform to the ‘image' and look good?
Well I definitely think it's good for women to put effort into their appearance - it represents who they are – we can't let ourselves down by overlooking our image. Christians can over spiritualise clothes and appearance. We are who we are. If you make too much fuss about what to wear and what not to wear then you risk turning women away from church. Just because we are Christian it doesn't mean that looks are not important, it's about taking care of ourselves. If our bodies are a temple then we should take good care of them.
Another pressure which many women often face is about finding the right partner. What advice would you give to single female Christian's so that they can still be strong women of God without feeling inferior to their married friends?
Well the answer to life is definitely not in a relationship -it is in Jesus Christ. Keep God as your goal and priority in life and He will give you the desires of your heart. Don't let other people pressure you and make you feel inadequate just because you're not married. God can use you effectively in His Kingdom as a single women in ways which He couldn't use a married woman.
Awesome! So, what are your plans, hope and dreams for the future?
I guess I just want to continue to surrender my life to the Lord daily and realise that life is a gift. I'd love to do more ministry with Bloodgood too but I'm happy to just let God guide me into whatever He has planned. God makes life exciting, if you hand it over to Him.
And finally what parting words of wisdom would you give to women in the CHM scene?
Love the lord with all your heart soul and mind, strive to read the Bible daily, encourage one-another and trust that God has the best thing for your life.
Marilyn Blodgood was interviewed by Cariline Papillon |
