This Is My Story: Hymns Not As Usual

Music and church have always been a part of my life. As a worship leader I have many times struggled with keeping music relevant to the youth of today without alienating the music that related to the youth of yesterday. In October of 2007, by brother John, was laying in a hospital bed when the doctor came in and announced, 'We believe you have lymphoma.' After the doctor left the room, he turned on the tv and the Crystal Cathedral choir was singing the hymn 'Blessed Assurance.' He believed this to be God's message to him that everything would be all right. Seven days later he passed away. A couple of years later, I received a phone call from my sister expressing some fear that she may have lymphoma. It turned out to not be the case, but upon receiving the phone call my mind immediately went to my brother and the assurance he experienced from the old hymn. That Sunday I decided to sing the hymn in church as a testimony of my faith in God on behalf of my sister. I changed the rhythms a little, 'jazzed it up' and, as they say, the rest is history. That began a hobby of taking some of the older hymns rearranging them musically while keeping the message the same. My hope is that through this album the message of the hymns will be passed along to the next generation.