Find out the inspirations and story behind the songs.
If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something (2005)
God Help Me
"I
wrote this song on my 27th birthday. I was in L.A. just hanging out with some
friends over there. That morning I had such a sense of, “Man, life just moves
by so quickly!’ It simply moves on—and it often feels to me like I’m running
out of time. I’ve also felt (at times when I’ve not been sufficiently relying
on God) that I am running out of life and running out of love. At those points
I’ve felt, ‘I’ve got to be strong…I’ve got to buck up and put on a brave face.”
What God really wants me to do in these moments is cry out to Him for help—and
that this is actually a wonderful place to be. A place of vulnerability and
weakness. That place should make us turn to God –that’s the correct response to
those moments. I love singing this song because to me it’s an essential thought
of the Christian life… ‘God help me...I’m not enough!’"
Alive
"I love that this song is the first single from the album
because it really represents where I am in my life right now. I feel over the
last few years that God has really refreshed my soul. He’s done a lot of work
in me personally in just re-vitalizing me as well as re-energizing me in a
musical/ministry sense. I went to L’bri last year (a study center in the Swiss
Alps) and that’s where God did an amazing amount of this ‘heart make-over.’ I
think that this song really reflects this. I am in a space in my life where I
feel really ‘alive’. I also like the fact that this song talks about two
seemingly opposite thoughts— selfishness and celebration of God. The Christian
life should be a daily celebration of God and the fact that He does make us
come alive. The thing that can too often hinder that is our own selfishness.
This song challenges that root of selfishness that can get in the way of our
worship of God."
You Are Loved
"This is a song that’s very close to me. It’s written about a
childhood friend of mine that I grew up with in Sydney. I fell out of contact
with him after leaving our Christian school to move to a different state. I ran
into a mutual friend years later and asked how our friend, Daniel, was doing.
This friend told me that Daniel had really fallen away from God and that he’d
been iabusing drugs as well. As I was thinking about what I wanted to write
about on this album, he very randomly came to mind—and I felt that this
‘random’ thought was actually placed there by God. I had the concept… ‘If I had
one chance to tell Daniel something, what would I say to him?’ The message I
felt God really laid on my heart was to tell him…’You are loved.’ This is a
song for the prodigals—which is all of us. God is the father that has His arms
open wide waiting for us. He wants us to run towards Him and He will run toward
us. It’s a song of hope and a message my generation needs to hear. ‘No matter
where you’ve been and what you’ve done…you are loved.’
From this song came the album title—and really the key theme
of the project. I think I’ve come to realize, yes, we need to stand in awe of
God and be blown away by His power. But it’s really His kindness and His love
that draws us to Him and into a relationship with Him—His love makes us desire
to know Him and love Him in return. That is for me the most important message I
need to share—through this album and in my life. From how I relate in my
relationships with others to what I say onstage –the message is ‘we are
extravagantly loved by God"
Shadowlands
"Since I was a child, I’ve been inspired by the writings of
C.S. Lewis. He talks about the ‘shadowlands’ in some of his work. To me, the
‘shadowlands’ represent the times in our lives when we feel like we are walking
through a valley filled with a deep cloud—and we just can’t see how we’re going
to move out of it—we can’t see much hope or the light at the end of the
journey. I’ve been in those spots before in my own life. Times when feelings of
discouragement and vulnerability seem to surround me… so much that it’s hard to
see the light. What this song really says is that there is hope in the form of
our God - who is constantly there with us even in the shadowlands. He will
bring us through, out of the clouds and back into the light. I think there’s
symbolism in that we’re using the word ‘sun’ in this song and at the same time
we’re talking about the Son of God—Jesus—being the giver of that light. Another
thing I enjoy about this song is that it talks about the promises of God—such
as, ‘if I sow in tears, I’ll reap in joy’. My favorite part of the song is the
bridge where it says:
I know it’s true—all that you say. I
believe in you…
And I’m standing on the promises
you’ve made.’
To me, that’s such a big declaration of my faith"
Love Being Loved By You
"This song is a one of two worship songs on the album. Worship is a big passion
of mine and a big focus in my concerts. I think the thing I’ve come to realize
over the last few years is the knowledge that I am so undeserving of God’s love
and yet the fact that He does love me so extravagantly is so beautiful. I am
His princess, His beloved, cherished one. I think there’s a lot of inspiration
and joy for me in the fact that He does so love me. In the last few years I’ve
had a real picture of God as my Father who just longs for me to climb up in His
lap and be held by Him. This is a song that expresses that sentiment."
I Need You
"I
wrote this song about my best friend, Karleen. I think for a long time I felt
like I needed to be this strong, independent young woman who didn’t really show
weakness. I felt like it was not a positive thing to be vulnerable. God has
really seriously changed my thinking on this. In the beginning of the song, I’m
talking about this shift that happened in my life. I’m singing this song to my
best friend and just saying, ‘I need you.’ Also I’m talking about the beautiful
unconditional love she has for me—and that I thank God for her. She has truly
enriched my life with this God-given friendship she has offered me. It’s a song
that I hope people can sing to their friends. It’s a song that embraces
‘community’ –which is a word that I love."
Beautiful Stranger
"For years I have wanted to write a song that sums up my
heart for the work of Compassion International—and this is it—it arrived! Ever
since I was a little girl and wanted to work in an orphanage and help kids in
need, I’ve had a passion to show God’s love in practical ways. I think this
song challenges me—and hopefully it challenges the listener—to not ignore those
that we experience in our day-to-day lives who are hurting. I want this song to
encourage people to reach out in the sense of reaching those who are hurting
all around us. To offer God’s help and hope to those who are struggling with
all kinds of needs - from poverty to loneliness, and to give to those that too
often are lost and unnoticed in the crowd. What the song challenges us to do is
to see that person as if we’re truly seeing Jesus –when we someone, we are
loving Him. I am personally challenged by this song when I sing it and that’s a
good thing."
Thank You
"I’m
a fan of simplicity. I think our lives can easily get too complex. Too busy.
Too full. Too complicated. One thing I like about this song is that it’s so
simple. It’s a reminder to be grateful to God for all of the amazing blessings
He brings into our lives. Sometimes we can just coast through life until we
have this reality check of just how much we have been given. Those moments for
me of realization, of gratitude— are my most intense times of worship. Times
when I’m really thanking God and deeply praising Him. After I wrote this song I
was out riding my bike weeks later and the lyrics really began to minister to
me.
‘Something I know is amiss in my soul
My eyes are on me
This should not be
I’ll praise you from the center of
the fire.’
Even while we were still working on the album this lyric was
ministering to me—it was a reminder to praise God and thank Him from the center
of the challenges in my life. To find God’s blessing even in what feels like a
valley. I love that challenge—it’s something we all need to be reminded of
continually.
I’m also really excited that tobyMac was involved with this
song. It’s probably the most urban track I’ve ever written and recorded so it
felt very natural to have him involved. I’m hoping we can perform this song
together out on the road sometime!"
Take All Of Me
"I love worship music. This is a song a
friend played for me while I was looking for songs for this album. I was
immediately gripped by the power of this lyric. It’s a Hillsong United song and
I used to go to Hillsong Church back in Sydney—so it really ties into my
worship roots. As I’ve now recorded ‘Take All of Me’, it’s really held a deeper
challenge for me personally. There’s a line that says: ‘All of my hope is in
You.’ Sometimes it seems easier to put our hope in other people or things. For
me, whether that’s a romantic relationship with a guy, or my family, or the
enjoyable things I experience in life—it’s easy to put hope in these things.
But God calls us and desires for us to put all our hope in Him, because
everything else will let us down. I’ve been really drawn into worship by this
song—and at the same time very much challenged by it"
I Can Trust You
"This
song came out of really wrestling with God—and some really personal gut
wrenching pain. I had a certain aspect of my life that I really felt God
calling me to give completely to Him. There’s been a few experiences in my life
where I have felt God calling me to ‘let go’—but this particular time was just
so hard. It was giving a dream to Him that was so deep within me—yet He was
saying ‘Give this to me, and trust me with it, and I will take care of you,
Rebecca.’ I feel that God (when we ask Him to) does give us the ability to ‘let
go’ in the times when it’s really impossible for us to do this on our own. One
of the things God has called me to let go of and trust Him with is this whole
singleness area of my life. A major dream for me has been to get married and
have a family—so this song really challenges me. God called me to trust Him
with my desire to be married. To say, “Lord, if you have another purpose for me
other than this desire that I have, I choose to trust you that you know what’s
best for my life.’ He gave me the ability to do this. This song really talks
about the challenges of giving God the things closest to us.
‘I’m so scared of letting go of this
Afraid of what you might do with it
How could I forget
Who You are like this?'
When we’re scared to give God the deepest things in our
lives, it’s because we forget ‘who’ He is. He, more than anyone else in the
universe, will take care of us faithfully.
'When I let go…freedom’s found.'
That’s what I’ve really experienced in my life. When I have
been challenged and given God the deepest areas of my heart…that’s where
freedom’ has been found. And it’s beautiful."
Forgive Me
"This
song has a really cool story. I actually heard it for the first time four or
five years ago at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. I was so moved by
hearing the song in the service that I went up to the worship team afterwards
and asked about this song. I ended up meeting the writer—he had actually just
written ‘Forgive Me’ for that particular service. To me it was so inspired and
so anointed that I asked him if he would send me a tape of the song—with the
idea of maybe recording it. He sent it to me probably six months to a year
later and I’ve had it sitting in a drawer for literally years. Every once in
awhile I’d pull the song out and listen to it again—and really be touched by
it. I re-discovered the song recently –and once again was profoundly moved. The
story gets even more intriguing. I’m soon going on tour with Barlowgirl—they’re
really good friends of mine. We get together and talk about God and life from
time to time and I love those girls. When we got together to sing on this
track, it turned out that they actually know the writer—his wife was a vocal
coach for them—and they also go to Willow Creek. It was amazing when we got
together and realized all the connections we had to this song and how God
brought us together on it. When I listen to it, I’m moved to worship God for
His grace towards me and also to realize my own sin. It’s a song really of
confession—something that’s too often absent in our lives as Christians… to our
own detriment. This song reminds me of the everlasting beauty of God’s grace."
Lest I Forget
"This song was
inspired at an Easter Service at my church—a church that has wonderful music.
This particular Sunday our worship team performed a communion song –and
reflecting on that song, I felt led to pray, ‘God please inspire me with a song
along these lines.” Shortly thereafter He answered that prayer—with ‘Lest I
Forget’. So often we go off on tangents in the Christian life—we major on minor
things and forget the central truth that Jesus did die for us and that He rose
again and is alive. I think just remembering that sacrifice and what He did
every day is so important.
Lest I forget all of your goodness
The blood you have shed
The cross I now remember
Lest I forget.
It’s somewhat of a sobering song but a song of gratefulness
that simply treasures what Jesus has done for us."
(From www.rsjames.com)