For most of 2020 I felt like I had lost my song.

Being on the front lines of ministry brings me so much joy, and to not be able to sing and speak publicly was heartbreaking for me. But, God used Covid to teach me how to find my joy in the Lord alone rather than in what I DID for Him! 

And then one day during that time of quietness and reflection, guess what? A song came. Just one song, but it was fresh, and I knew it was from the Lord. I took my one little song to Nashville last June and played it for producer Billy Smiley. Then another song idea came and another and another.

Billy took my crazy musical ideas (he calls me the "mad scientist") and brought together the musicians needed to bring the ideas to life. I was so so blessed to work with a team of gifted musicians such as Phil Keaggy, Tom Lane, Gordon Mote, Jonathan Crone, and many many others. 

Even my daughter Katharine helped! One day we were "singing the psalms" in the living room when Kat began to sing a beautiful melody to the words of Psalm 51. I recorded the idea and finished the song and brought Kat to Nashville to sing the vocal part. The result is stunningly beautiful and features a bit of our original cell phone recording! 

Finally, after a full year year of work I am getting ready to share this finished work with YOU and I couldn't be more thrilled. This will be my eleventh recording project but different from the rest. You see, what I discovered on this journey is that we are never truly satisfied until we find our "home" in God's love alone. Each song on this project highlights a different aspect of God's love, and the result is not just music, but rather a worship experience meant to bring joy, peace, healing, and freedom. 

What you may not know is that the music industry has changed drastically over the past ten years or so. Because of the advent of streaming services on the internet, music is no longer valued as something that people "pay" for. When one song is streamed on the internet, the artist may receive approximately .001/cent. That's right - .001/penny. So musical artists like me have to find other ways to fund the enormous cost of creating and recording music. 

Those of you who know me know that I do not consider music my "business". I don't get a paycheck, and I travel at my own expense to do ministry in prisons, homeless shelters, teen challenge centers or wherever I am invited. I don't charge for my services and often give books and CD's away where they are needed. So, to create new music, I need help! 

We are on the "Home"-stretch now, and the album is set to be released June 17. To partner with me and help finish the production, you can pre-order an autographed CD or the digital download. You can purchase books and some of my other music. You can make a donation or purchase a concert or speaking event at your local church or venue. You can even order a sampler of my favorite teas! (see the video lol!) If you have an idea for a perk that I haven't thought of, let me know! I would love to bless you as you have blessed me. 

I will be posting some of the stories from the making of the album in the blog below so you can see the journey as it unfolds. Thank you so so much for being such an encouragement to me over the years, and I can't wait to share my heart through music with you again soon! 

peace and joy,

Jean