"Into Freedom"

It's difficult to anticipate when the "hard" seasons of life will come knocking. More often than not, they show up out of nowhere and at the most unanticipated and inconvenient moments. At least, that was the case for me.

In 2017 I was met with the reality that I was walking into one of these "seasons" and there was no way around it. Little did I know, it would turn out to be filled with the most challenging and testing times I'd yet to experience in my life. Early on, my greatest temptation was to cope. I found it much easier to take shelter within shallow and frail walls of my "old familiar places". The further I sank into the cracks of those walls, the more intrusive the clouds of despair became. I needed something that would genuinely heal my heart and water my soul. The best thing my wisdom got me me was a quick fix. A lie.

My aftermath trajectory shifted the moment I decided to face the pain head on. It was very uncomfortable. Faith is uncomfortable but my choice was clear. I was going to struggle in Jesus' arms until I found my breakthrough or go my own way and end up worse off than where I started. That reality led me to worship.

Singing is not an uncommon reaction to the feeling of happiness and joy. But, when was the last time you heard someone singing a loud, jovial tune in the midst of their despair?(????)...I decided to try it out. I needed my own song to sing that would somehow capture the essence of what I was feeling, while at the same time, call me into remembrance of the promises of the Father. I began to write. The songs began to flood in.

Music for me has always been a way of connecting with people. No matter how personal, my first reaction to finishing a song is usually to play it for anyone who's willing to take 5 minutes to listen (unless of course it's an absolute atrocious song). As I chose to write, I realized that the songs had more emotional substance than anything I'd previously written (I'v been writing for 10 years). I suppose it makes sense. I was singing not because I wanted to; Not because I was elated. I was singing because I knew it was the only thing that was going to get me to the other side. In that place, I felt the realness of God's grace like I'd never experienced before.

This leads me to "Into Freedom". Each one of the 14 songs I've included on this album have played a significant role in my healing process. I call it "Into Freedom" because it's a snapshot into the process of Jesus graciously and mercifully walking me into a place of hope, peace and new life in the midst of "the hard times". My greatest prayer is that these songs will do the same for you. I pray that as you hear the words "I will sing when I don't want to sing, I will dance when I don't want to dance, I will lift your name Jesus and watch your Kingdom advance" (Kingdom Advance), you will find the strength to run fast into the presence of Jesus and find the shelter and grace that He has never and will never fail to provide.

- Steven