In this morning's "Our Daily Bread" devotional reading, a story by Mike Wittmer really impacted me. It described the way little boys like to help their dads, and it brought back so many memories of me as a child, and my own children as well.
In the story, as a Father was going out to cut wood his son yelled out, "Dad! Wait up! I wanna come with you!" He grabbed his toy chain saw, and ran to help dad cut wood.
It reminded me of my kids down in my workshop, hammering nails in scrap wood. I can recall them following me around the yard with their toy lawn mowers. Although they thought they were helping me, what mattered most to me was that they wanted to be like me, and that they wanted to be with me.
Do you see how that is like a model of our relationship with the Father? He doesn't need us to perform perfectly. The tools we bring to the problem aren't even the point! What the Fathers longs for is our presence. He wants us to emulate Him, to follow Him, to be with Him.
Let's make time to be in His presence today. That's what He longs for, and what we need.
One thing that came up in our devotional today was the notion of dependence and self reliance. The author suggested that dependence on God is at the very heart of a consistent prayer life.
I thought this was important enough to share with you. I hope you find it enlightening.
So let's ask the question of products: how dependent are we on God? If we are not making time in our life for prayer, it is possibly because we're depending on our own strength rather than on God's?
Do we see ourselves as able to provide for all our own needs spiritually, relationally, financially and materially?
I am convinced that our actions betray our true beliefs. We can say all the right words, tell ourselves we believe all the right things, but if we don't live them out, then our true preferences are exposed.
When I tell myself I don't have time for prayer, or that I'll make time later, am I actually exposing my self reliance?
I want to rely on God. I want every breath in to be like breathing in the Holy Spirit. I want every breath I exhale to be a silent prayer of dependence on him and prayer for all he's done. When I am in time of need, I want my first thought to be god, and my first action to be prayer.
When I'm tempted to meet my own needs, to work too hard, to put God second, to choose comfort over discomfort, to trust instinct over discernment, those are the times I hope instead to kneel before Him in penitence and dependence.
My wife and I have been able to do our devotions together now for a number of years. We do it first thing in the morning while drinking our coffee. We started out by doing the "Daily Audio Bible" for about 18 months. We then floundered a bit looking for alternatives, and finally discovered "Glorify," which we did for two or three years. Currently we are loving "Ten Minute Bible Talks."
In today's devotional, there were a few points made that I valued and I thought I'd share them.
1. Regular Bible reading is transformative
2. Using a physical Bible allows you to engage in a more tangible way than using a Bible app
3. Write in the margins, highlight, and underscore passages so you can look back and remember the way that God has spoken to you through His word
4. Journal the things you sense God is telling you so you integrate them into your memory
5. Ultimately Bible reading isn't about "completion," but about "interaction." By this I mean that we should first be focused on inviting God to speak to us. Our desire is first an encounter with God. Of secondary importance is checking off an item on some spiritual to-do list.
So this blog entry is a response to the prompting of the Spirit today. I've moved one of my Bibles to my bedside table. Instead of checking out my phone as soon as I wake up, I'm going to try to choose to open the holy book. My journal is digital, and public, at least for now... but I'm considering whether I need to also return to a paper journal.
Lord God, please help me as I seek you. May I not be only a hearer of the Word, but a doer also.
Hey, do you have any plans for summer? Are you going on a holiday somewhere, or are you taking any kind of "vacation"?
My wife and I have discussed what we should do, but it’s so hard to get away. Not only that, but we really love just being at home. Our screened-in porch feels like a country cottage, and we only live a quick walk from the local beach. We might just be satisfied with a few day trips to museums and maybe a few days of overnight camping.
One thing we’ve talked about is "going on tour" somewhere. We wondered whether we could find churches that enjoy my music and would host an evening of scripture-based worship music. I don’t really know how that works, exactly, or how to find these types of locations. Plus, it seems like a lot of work to plan! If you think your church would be interested, please reach out to me.
In other news, today was especially sad for our family: we had to say goodbye to my daughter’s sweet tuxedo tomcat. He has been a regular fixture around this house for the last three years, and we’ve known him since the day he was born.
Goodbye, Chim, old buddy.
While you’re reading this, we would appreciate a prayer said for our family. It’s especially hard for Grace, who was so close to the big fella.
One of the biggest challenges of adulthood is coming to terms with my innate childishness. I don't want to believe that I still have unmet disappointments, unrealistic expectations, and selfish desires.
Like so many other aspects of ego, I'm often blind to myself. The question I must ask is, why am I refusing to take a cold, hard, candid look at my problems?
I tend to blame other people when they don't like things about me. It's only in moments of honest self-reflection that I can take responsibility for my problems and the way I come across to others. This struggle is exactly what Paul addresses in Galatians 5, where he describes a war within us.
This inner war, or "duality of self"—this tension between what I think I am and what I really am—is a big part of what Paul is describing in Galatians 5. It's the classic battle between subjectivity and objectivity. He calls it the Spirit and the flesh, or as some translations read, "the sinful nature."
His use of "flesh" is a nuanced term which refers to our sinful desires, but also to the broader human inclination to prioritize one's self over God.
I can somehow talk myself into justifying a judgment against another person. It's surprisingly easy to withhold love from others, to harbour inner resentments, to explain away criticisms, and sometimes even normalize unforgiveness. I make exceptions for myself that I don't make for someone else.
This is what Paul would call indulging in "the flesh." This sinful nature is at the core of my being, and I must not let it win.
How do we deal with this rotten core?
We must let the Spirit have its way in us. God will begin to transform us from the inside out as we let Him replace our childishness with Spirit-centredness. Like a healthy tree produces delicious fruit, so God's work in us will cause flourishing. Our "rotten core" will be replaced with a spiritual fruitfulness.
The work of God's Spirit doesn't depend on us. We don't need to clean up our lives for him to work in us, but that doesn't mean we aren't participants in the process. As Paul says, stop doing whatever you want. We must follow the Spirit, and as we begin to turn from our selfishness, hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, and selfish ambition, the Spirit of God continues to bring about a change in us. We will see fruit grow up inside us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
That song on "The Fruit of The Spirit" comes out next time! Stay tuned!
The lyrics to this particular song (and consequently, scripture), “Running the Good Race” from Galatians 5:7-15 are strange.
Okay, not all of it. The apostle Paul starts off by reminding these Celtic people, the Gauls of Galatia, that they started out strongly in their faith. He's curious why they stopped running “this good race,” and states clearly that their recent behaviour does not come from God.
If I'm reading this for the first time, I might think Paul's going to encourage me to run harder! I might wonder if he'll flesh out the exercise metaphor. Perhaps he'll entreat me to push myself even when I'm exhausted, or to keep my eyes on the prize. Maybe he wants me to be encouraged by a great cloud of witnesses in heaven, cheering me on. He's said these kinds of things in his other letters.
But actually, that's not what he's doing at all. He switches metaphors from sports to bread. He cautions the Galatians that a little misapprehension of the Gospel will infect all they do and believe. Just like yeast in bread, it will end up spreading into every facet of their faith.
So what's this change he's so worried about? What's this metaphorical yeast? Why does Paul say that those teaching these new theologies will be punished?
The yeast is bad teaching.
Here's what was going on: teachers have been coming into their community, and telling them that they need to obey the whole law. Specifically, they're telling the men to submit to circumcision. For some unknown reason, the Galatians haven't recognized these teachers as infiltrators, but have been fooled! Maybe they're attracted to the idea of having more of a role in their salvation? Maybe the teachers have appealed to their desire to please God through obedience? We don't really know, but I think we can imagine a few reasons these Galatians were caught up in this heresy.
Why does Paul care so much about circumcision? Why does he say he wishes the false teachers would just cut everything off, making themselves into neutered eunuchs?
It's because this non-Gospel symbolizes a change in how they are viewing their salvation. They now are acting like salvation doesn't come by faith alone, but through obedience to the law of Moses. He's so impassioned about this because these baby Christians are risking everything because of bad teaching.
This is crucial! The essential point of Christianity is that we are not saved by what we do, but rather by accepting what Jesus has done for us in order to rescue us from our sinful condition.
I have regularly encountered people on Facebook and YouTube who claim faith in Christ, yet submit themselves to the Hebrew law. This message is for them.
Jesus has brought a new covenantal relationship from God, one based on faith alone. But these false teachers are resurrecting the old covenant between Abraham and God, which was sealed through circumcision. (If the term is unfamiliar to you, think of a covenant as a sacred agreement, where God says, “Here’s my promise to you,” and “You do this for me.” It’s not just a deal—it's a deep, binding commitment.)
Submitting to the old law-based system is the real issue. After Jesus' sacrifice, we are invited to take part in a new covenant with God that is not dependent on us, but rather completely dependent on Him. If we believe that the work is finished through Christ's sacrifice, it makes no sense at all to then depend on ourselves, on our adherence to the law, and especially not to depend on circumcision as if it's a necessary process in order to be saved!
You see, we have a freedom now through Christ Jesus! Paul wants to be clear that this doesn't mean we should abuse this freedom, purposely pursuing the gratification of the flesh, or breaking the laws God has outlined for us. I must understand my relationship to law and obedience. It is not salvific (it doesn't change our position before God, nor contribute to being more acceptable to him). Rather, obedience is responsive. We are transformed into humans who desire to please God, while at the same time knowing our attempts will never be enough.
None of the laws from the Old Covenant were ever enough to save us anyway! Circumcision is one such example of the law, but the new law, according to Paul, is a law of love!
Those judging and criticizing these Galatian believers for not following the law are tearing one another apart. Paul wants us all to know that this kind of behaviour leads to the destruction of all involved!
If you're tempted to put your faith in yourself, whether that be in your obedience to law, your right theological views, your alignment with a specific tradition, or in any other thing that is somehow not dependent on God, then you're missing the Gospel.
I've been reflecting on the journey behind my first Galatians song, “Grace and Peace To You (Galatians 1:3-5),” released on March 23, 2024, and I'm filled with gratitude for Nathan Keys, whose voice and faith brought such a heartfelt depth to the track. Nathan's story—from the countryside of Northern Ireland to leading worship in Winnipeg—is one of transformation through God's grace, and I feel blessed to have collaborated with him on this project.
Nathan grew up in the rolling countryside of Northern Ireland, where he spent his days exploring the great outdoors with his dog and playing football (soccer) whenever he could. His spiritual transformation began when he gave his life to Christ at a young age. This is a moment he vividly recalls from a Sunday at church when he chose the song “Eagle's Wings” as his declaration of faith: “Here I am waiting, abide in me I pray… come live in me, all my life take over.” That early commitment marked the beginning of his lifelong journey with God, one that would deepen significantly over the years.
In 2007, Nathan moved to Canada with his parents and one of his brothers, as his father pursued a work opportunity—and a dream—to truck across North America. Settling in Winnipeg, Nathan's teenage years became a pivotal time for his faith. He connected deeply with his church, joining the youth worship team and participating in a youth Bible study that profoundly shaped his walk with Christ. It was during a study of Romans, led by a faithful brother in Christ, that Nathan's eyes were truly opened to the Gospel. Though he had given his life to Christ in Northern Ireland, this study convicted him to live fully for God's glory, bridging the gap between what he calls his “Sunday Christian” and “carnal Christian” lives during high school.
Nathan went on to lead worship at his church in Winnipeg for 10 years, a role that pushed him far beyond his comfort zone. Growing up as a shy, introverted child in Northern Ireland, the idea of singing in public—let alone leading worship—filled him with anxiety. He recalls feeling deathly ill on Sunday mornings, barely able to eat for fear of throwing up or passing out, and in his first year of leading worship, he had to sit on a chair to lead, lacking the strength to stand. Reflecting on those early days, Nathan now sees God's strength so clearly at work: “There's no way this kid from Northern Ireland, who had many 'sick days' from school due to anxiety, could lead people in music to the throne. It's all for God's glory.”
One of the most impactful moments in Nathan's worship leadership came early on, when he felt God calling him to emphasize Matt Redman's song “Heart of Worship.” The song's message resonated deeply, stripping away distractions like fancy lights and fog machines often seen in larger churches. Nathan felt God saying, “I want my people to simply worship,” a call to return to the essence of praising God in spirit and truth. This conviction aligns with John 4:24, a verse Nathan holds dear: “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (ESV).
Since 2018, Nathan has been growing a music ministry, writing songs and hosting worship events that reflect his heart for authentic worship. It was around this time, I think in 2023, that I first connected with him after he commented on one of my TikTok videos. Noticing he was getting more interactions than I was, I asked for his secret, and that sparked a conversation that soon turned into a collaboration. As I developed the website for the GMA Covenant Awards, I had the chance to interact with Nathan more, and later, at the award ceremonies, we met in person. I saw his shyness firsthand, just as he described from his earlier years, but I was equally impressed by how enthusiastically he threw himself into our work together, bringing energy and dedication to our shared efforts.
Today, Nathan is married to his lovely wife and a father to two children, continuing to be reminded of God's strength in every aspect of his life. He strives to be faithful in his responsibilities as a husband and father, always seeking to live out his faith with integrity.
Collaborating with Nathan on “Grace and Peace To You” was a true blessing, and the song has resonated deeply with listeners. It's currently my second most listened-to song on Spotify, with 11,222 listens! Nathan's Irish lilt perfectly complements the track's folksy-Celtic sound, which features penny whistles and a hint of bagpipe in the mix. His voice carries the weight of his journey—a young boy in Northern Ireland who gave his life to Christ, a teenager in Canada who found grounding in the Gospel, and a worship leader who overcame anxiety by God's strength alone. Nathan's story is a testament to God's transformative power, and I'm so thankful for the way his faith and talent enriched this scripture song.
Hi supporters! Thanks for your help with this ministry!
I wasn't able to find a vocalist for this track, and there will be more and more songs released in this project that aren't duets, unfortunately. Part of the problem with this song is that the singers I contacted didn't want to sing about circumcision.
That can be a weird consequence of singing scripture. It isn't new, even the Psalms have some challenging parts. Sometimes, as I write these songs, I struggle with the best way to proceed.
However, I'm convinced that all of scripture is useful, and we need to learn it and interact with it, so I pray my efforts are a blessing to you.
I'm excited to introduce Jillian Ruby, a gifted musician and passionate worshipper whose voice brings a radiant joy to my upcoming track, “Be Happy Jerusalem (Galatians 4:24-31),” part of my word-for-word scripture project. Set to release on April 20, 2025, this song carries a powerful message, and Jillian's heartfelt contribution makes it truly special. Her story of faith, family, and leading the next generation in worship is one I can't wait to share with you.
Jillian grew up in a lively Christian home in Seeley's Bay, Ontario, as one of six siblings, all close in age. With a music teacher for a mom, their house was a hub of melody. Every sibling was required to learn and play an instrument. Even from the early days of elementary school, they performed together at nursing homes, country fairs, churches, and small concerts. “Mom was the most instrumental person in teaching us about music and its impact,” Jillian says. Worship music was always on—in the background at home, in the car—filling their lives with praise.
Those early years shaped Jillian's heart for worship. Soon, she and her siblings were leading at their home church. One moment stands out: at 15, when their church opened a new sanctuary, the youth were entrusted to lead worship for the first service. “I felt so empowered,” she recalls, “so excited to be among the first to give praise in that new space.” That day deepened her belief that worship starts young, planting seeds of faith.
Music and faith are inseparable for Jillian. As a violin instructor, she's passionate about teaching children music and helping them use their gifts for God's glory. “Our brains retain more with melody,” she explains, which is why she weaves music into children's camps, Vacation Bible School, and mid-week kids' programs. Singing scripture over kids or teaching them worship songs is her way of rooting God's Word in their hearts. It's a joy she sees in her own young daughters, who hum worship songs while playing with Barbies or “house,” echoing the music they hear at church.
Jillian's faith journey took root as a teenager at a camp ministry, where the high-energy, “go-go-go” vibe suited her extroverted nature. “Camp felt like home,” she says. It was there she got saved, forming lifelong friendships that kept her grounded. Her walk with Jesus has been a slow, steady climb, marked by small steps of faith. Her husband, Jordan, has been a cornerstone. On their first date, he told her he was called to ministry and needed a wife who understood that calling. Eleven years into marriage, Jillian describes Jordan as someone who loves fiercely, pursues her heart, and holds her to high accountability. “He's been the biggest challenger of my faith,” she says.
Becoming a mother eight years ago brought a new depth to her relationship with Jesus. Holding her newborn, Jillian glimpsed a fraction of God's immense love for His children. “It changed me,” she admits. But her 20s brought struggles too. She wrestled with deconstructing her faith, seeking to understand what Christianity truly meant and how to defend it. That season sparked a passion she still carries: helping youth and seekers dive deeper into scripture, pointing them to Jesus as the ultimate answer. “I love praying with them, explaining why I believe what I believe,” she says.
Jillian's faith and love for worship shine through in “Be Happy Jerusalem,” a word-for-word scripture song from Galatians 4:24-31. Her voice carries the joy and conviction of a life devoted to God's glory, making this track a powerful addition to the project. From her roots in a musical family to her mission of raising up young worshippers, Jillian's journey infuses this song with authenticity and hope.
I'm so grateful to my Patrons and supporters for making projects like this possible. Jillian's voice is a blessing, and I can't wait for everyone to hear “Be Happy Jerusalem” when it drops on April 20, 2025. Stay tuned for something truly uplifting!
This has been a crazy week in the life of the Silver family, testing us in ways we couldn't have foreseen. Between personal emergencies on my wife’s side, some big changes at church, and tax season, we’re facing adjustments that are tough to prepare for.
Joanne’s father had to be rushed to the hospital a couple of days ago with internal bleeding, so we’ve hurriedly booked her a flight to Saskatchewan. She’s hoping the doctors can get to the bottom of it and he’ll be released to recuperate, so she can care for him and help him get back on his feet.
You probably know how it is this time of year: Easter is a big celebration, and we were planning to have 25 to 30 people over—children, spouses, siblings, parents, nieces, and nephews. Now that Joanne may not be here, we’ve had to change our plans.
It’s emotional for lots of reasons: change is surprisingly hard for me to navigate, but the health of our aging parents is obviously more important. I believe we should always make ourselves available to care for those who’ve cared for us sacrificially over the years. Although it will be a challenge for me when she’s gone, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
We’re also in the middle of a big renovation at church to nearly double our worship space—a great problem to have! So many young families and newcomers are attending, and seating is tight. We’re tearing down the wall between the auditorium and fellowship hall, swapping pews for chairs, and expanding the platform. For the next five weeks, though, our worship services will be held in the gym. The acoustics aren’t great in that huge room, and I’m concerned about the sound’s volume and clarity. It’s thrilling to see so many new faces filling our church, even if the gym’s acoustics might test our patience for the next little while.
Tax season adds its own pressure—self-employment and part-time church work leave me guessing about the bill, another unknown in a season of them.
All this change has left me feeling unsettled. Will my wife’s father recover? Will I see her by Easter? Will the gym services be a struggle? Will the congregation get discouraged by the challenging setup? Will we lose ground in our growth? Will I face complaints? Will the tax bill drain us dry?
All this worry is a waste of time, of course. God has our future in His hands, and He’ll be glorified in the end, whatever happens! It’s necessary to trust Him, yet sometimes it’s hard to let go. God’s word cuts through it—Psalm 55:22-23 steadies me:
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful
will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you.
I'm thrilled to introduce Cindy O'Neil, a woman whose voice and spirit bring a powerful resonance to my next track, “Promise God Made to Abraham (Galatians 4:17-23).” Cindy's contribution to this scripture song is a beautiful reflection of her journey with God, and I can't wait for you to experience it.
Cindy's story begins in a home where God's name was spoken more as a warning than a comfort. Growing up, she recalls a childhood tinged with a vague fear of Him—whispered threats of divine punishment rather than any sense of love or relationship. A brief stint in Sunday school as a young girl offered little clarity; she didn't know Him, and the lack of His presence left a void that shaped her early choices.
After high school, Cindy drifted through retail jobs and office work while chasing a dream in the arts. By the early '90s, music became her focus—songwriting, recording, and performing live. But in July 1999, her health took a sharp turn, bringing pain and physical challenges that tested her resolve. By October 2001, a diagnosis of severe systemic Rheumatoid Arthritis brought everything to a halt.
Yet through it all, unbeknownst to her, God was in pursuit. For years, Cindy admits, she had her back turned to Him—lost in pride and ignorance, avoiding the purpose He had for her. Her efforts to build a life on her own terms left her with a quiet hopelessness that seeped into everything.
Then, in 2015, a shift began. She started whispering, “God speak to me, I'm listening.” At first, His voice was faint, but the more she sought Him, the clearer it became. Good things unfolded, then wonderful things, as hopelessness gave way to promise.
By 2018, she found herself marvelling at His presence in her life. One night, while praying in bed, she felt Jesus fill the room—not visually, but with a weight of joy, love, and power so tangible she surrendered everything to Him in an instant.
That surrender changed all. Cindy describes the freedom she's found in Jesus as something the world could never offer. Through every trial—health struggles, daily challenges—He's been with her, bringing peace and progress as she's learned to trust Him.
She's discovered the power of her words: a simple “Help me Jesus” invites His aid without fail, while worldly reactions dim His work in her life. Psalm 107:20 has become her anchor: “He sent His Word and healed me, and delivered me from my destructions.” It's a truth she carries into every note she sings and every conversation she shares.
In 2021, a desire to proclaim God's greatness took root in Cindy's heart, blossoming into what she now calls Kingdom Vocal Vibes (KVV). After gentle nudges from God, she said “yes” to this calling, launching KVV on April 19, 2023. This podcast and online community is a celebration of an up-close, personal relationship with God, featuring episodes where Cindy talks with people from around the world about how He moves in their lives—real time, real life.
It's a platform where God's love, His work through people, and His invitation to conversation shine through original, Bible-based content. KVV uplifts and challenges listeners, offering something relevant every day because, as Cindy puts it, “God knows what we face.
I'm honoured to have Cindy lend her voice to “Promise God Made to Abraham,” a scripture song set directly to the words of Galatians 4:17-23. Her journey—from a place of fear and distance to one of surrender and purpose—infuses this track with a depth that only a hard-won faith can bring. Her work with Kingdom Vocal Vibes is a testament to her mission, and you can explore it further on Patreon at patreon.com/KingdomVocalVibes.
I'm so excited to share this track with you—stay tuned for something truly special!
I'm delighted to introduce Robyn Owen, a gifted vocalist featured on my next track, “Become Like Me (Galatians 4:8-16).” Robyn brings a remarkable depth to this scripture song, and I'm excited for you to hear her contribution.
Like so many professional artists, her love for singing began in the church, and early on she participated in worship services where her father served as a pastor. Surrounded by the voices of other worshippers, she found a passion that has shaped her life ever since. Over the years, Robyn has lent her voice to a wide range of settings—local theatre productions, community choirs, weddings, funerals, and even singing in a band. She once auditioned for Canadian Idol, showcasing her versatility. Yet, it's in worship where she feels her voice truly belongs.
Robyn has led worship for 27 years, and describes it as the context where she feels most whole. She's spoken about the profound joy she finds in collective worship—an unmatched experience, even compared to the many opportunities she's had.
But her story isn't without struggle. Robyn has openly shared how she's faced moments of feeling small, wrestling with guilt, shame, insecurities, and deep hurt. For 13 years, she's navigated the heartache of raising children between two homes—one rooted in faith, the other not—and grieving as they've drifted from Jesus. Insecurity has shadowed her elsewhere too: she works among academics, and sometimes feels out of place among her more highly educated peers. Even while writing her musical album, her lack of formal musical training became a personal challenge as she battled with “imposter syndrome.”
Despite these strains and attacks, she's found strength in her faith, and has trusted God to keep her steady. She defines these difficulties by asserting and reminding herself that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”—a truth that resonates in her singing.
In 2019, Robyn released her album You Make Me New, a collection of songs proclaiming God's goodness that earned four GMA nominations (Gospel Music Association Canada Covenant Award). Her music is available on Apple Music and Spotify, and it's well worth a listen. Currently, she resides in Woodstock, Ontario, with her husband and two children. I'm honoured to have her voice grace “Become Like Me,” a track rooted in Galatians 4:8-16, and I believe her heartfelt delivery—shaped by faith through hard-won trials—elevates the scripture in a beautiful way.
I'm grateful to my Patrons and supporters for enabling projects like this one. Robyn's participation is a blessing, and I look forward to sharing the finished piece with you all. Stay tuned for her stunning contribution!
It's been so exciting here lately! Nearly all of the snow is gone, and the earth is awakening! Birds are singing, and the dead of winter has mostly passed. I am eagerly anticipating daffodils and sunshine, buzzing bees and butterflies!
As I look around, though, I find that there are a few shady shadows and hidden hollows that do not see the warmth of the sun. In those places the ice is stubbornly refusing to melt. I can almost sense a desperate battle as it clings to its cold and hopeless reality.
Although we can't see it yet, I know that plants are waking up. Beneath the surface of the earth, sprouts are unfurling, roots are taking up water, and life is reawakening!
It may be a tired metaphor, but this renewal of the earth is similar to what happens to our own cold hearts when we let the love of the Son of God shine into the crevasses and valleys of our pain. Sometimes we may find ourselves intentionally hiding behind difficult events and memories. We may even use them as a type of shade from the blast of God's peace and mercy.
And this "son" vs "sun" renewal isn’t just a play on words—Jesus himself said, in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John's disciples expanded on this even more, when they said, "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all... If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:5-7)
Are you in pain? Are you struggling to experience the transformation available to you? Let these scriptures be an encouragement. God’s love and light can bring you to cleansing and place you in community, so we don't need to stay in our isolated, shaded hollows.
For Lent this year, I thought I'd try to give up “scrolling” on my phone. My main aim was to decrease X use (formerly Twitter). I really have come to enjoy using X, but I also have noticed that my mood can become quite agitated and even depressed after reading for a little while about the declining state of the world.
We all seem to be more attuned to negative news, and if you aren't careful, you can quickly get caught up in the drama and trauma of our world.
In actuality, I haven't been very good at my anti-scroll-goal. My decision was to limit phone use, so I still read posts on my desktop computer. I also have snuck a few glances in the early morning while Joanne is asleep next to me. (I don't want to make noise getting out of bed and waking her).
I think what I really need to give up—and not just for Lent—is the drive to understand and solve why my music doesn't seem to have a very good reach. I spend quite a bit of time wondering and wishing. I wish that I could make more of a living from putting scripture to music. I wish that more patrons would subscribe, more people would follow my work on X and YouTube, that I would have more listeners on Spotify. I put in a lot of time compared to any monetary return, and I have to remind myself regularly that I'm not doing it for finances.
Rather, I do it because I love it! It's my calling and mission! It gives me a creative outlet which is meaningful and satisfying (as long as I'm not obsessing about results).
If you find yourself praying for me, I ask that you will pray that God continues to use my work for His glory, and not mine. Pray that I get it through my thick skull that He is my audience, of One. Pray that God provides, and that I trust him to do so.
Today I'd like to introduce you to Doug van der Horden, a talented musician and passionate advocate joining me on my upcoming scripture recording, “Because You Are His Child” (Galatians 4:6-7). Doug's not just a collaborator—he's a neighbour and friend, and I'm excited to share a bit about his journey and the heart he brings to his ministries in the Kingston area.
Doug's a musical force in our community. As a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, he’s a familiar voice across Kingston's pubs and venues, playing multiple gigs a week with his band or solo. His sound blends folk, rock, and soulful originals, delivered with a raw energy that hooks listeners. Beyond the pub scene, Doug’s part of our church family at Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church, where he plays in the worship band alongside me. That shared faith and music make this Galatians project extra special. You can find his music on Spotify under “Doug van der Horden”—well worth a listen.
His passion doesn't stop at performing. Doug founded Fast101 (Fight Against Sex Trafficking 101), a ministry to fight human trafficking, channelling his music into advocacy. He raises awareness and support for survivors—like the 2018 fund-raiser he organized at my church—to purchase backpacks filled with necessities to help these poor kids. Kingston Live nailed it when they said he “combines advocacy and music” to make an impact, a thread that runs through his life's work.
Doug is faithful, and driven, and I'm grateful to have him lend his voice to “Because You Are His Child.” His depth—honed in worship and storytelling—will bring Galatians 4:6-7 to life. Stay tuned for this project—it's a privilege to create with someone who lives his convictions so fully.
The other day I was thinking about the remaining songs which need to be recorded (there are 10), and the disappointment that I have been having such a difficult time finding vocalists to join me.
And then a couple names came to mind of people I know and love already who make music. One is Doug van der Horden, who has a vital ministry in Kingston, and lives 2 kilometers from me. He regularly gigs out, and runs an important rescue ministry for girls caught in sex-trafficking. He actually attends my church too, and when I remembered him, I felt a little sheepish! Why hadn't I asked him before?
When I did bring it up, he was enthusiastic to help! As you know, I have not been able to pay these performers, asking them to donate their time in exchange for whatever exposure I can bring them. This is one of the reasons I keep asking you, my loyal listeners, to follow each artist's profile and encourage them wherever you find them on social media and streaming services.
After speaking to Doug, another name came to mind: Brenda Brown has a lovely, soulful voice. When I was the music pastor at Philpott Church in Hamilton, she was on my music team with her husband Glen Brown, who played drums. All three of their children are involved in music and the arts in some way. They are a wonderfully kind and supportive family.
I spoke to Brenda a few days ago, and she has also agreed to participate! So that's two down, and eight to go.
One of my friends on Patreon, Cindy ONeill has also offered to sing with me, so we just have to work out those details as well.
Hey friends, I've finally finished the mix for my Galatians 4:1-6 song, "When the Right Time Came," featuring Jamie Hiscox! Jamie has a raw, kind of rock-and-roll style voice, and it's quite a contrast with my more mellow sounding voice.
I'll be excited to hear what you and other listeners think. If you're a patron or a supporter on YouTube, you can head over there now to hear the final recording before it's released to Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and other music platforms.
Thanks to Jamie for agreeing to sing with me. I love the opportunity I've had of virtually connecting with these other Canadian Christian musicians.
As some of you may know, lately I've been struggling to find people to sing with me on my Galatians series. It's been a challenge to find people who are interested and capable, who already have been putting music online, and so have a following themselves.
I've been able to use 17 people so far, which I think is really cool, and not a small deal. But as I've faced a real struggle finding more lately, I've sensed God telling me that it's time to move away from this endeavour and instead to return to my first calling. I'm able to keep up a schedule of regular releases when I don't have to depend on the cooperation of others, and it has the added benefit of relieving a fair bit of stress.
So moving forward there will no longer be featured artists joining me. There may be a song or two for which it occurs, either because it's already been set up, or because it happens organically, but in general I'm going to try to get back to bi-weekly releases.
Thanks for being patient with me while I attempted to complete this project. I'm sorry it has taken so long.
I thought you might be interested in hearing a bit about some of the artists I've been involving in my Galatians music project! This is the first in the series.
Londa Lamond is featured in my Galatians 3:23-29 song, and I asked her recently to tell me a bit about her walk of faith. She has a beautiful testimony of God's faithfulness.
Londa Lamond's journey with faith began early in her life. Born into a church-going family, she accepted Christ at the tender age of six or seven. Since then, her life has been intertwined with her faith, particularly through music. She found herself at the forefront of her church's praise and worship team by the age of 14, using her voice as a vessel for spiritual expression.
However, like many, Londa's walk with God has not been without its trials. She openly shares her struggles with depression, which she describes as having become almost a companion throughout her life. These struggles were compounded by traumatic experiences; she was sexually assaulted multiple times during her youth, an ordeal that tested her faith and self-worth.
The courtroom's harsh judgment further deepened her battle with depression when, in her late teens, a judge labeled her a liar during a trial related to her assault. This rejection led Londa to a dark place, where she attempted suicide twice. Through this profound darkness, she experienced what she describes as God's direct intervention, saving her from her despair.
Londa's road to recovery included battling low self-esteem, particularly about her appearance. She once despised her smile because of a noticeable gap in her teeth, something she has since learned to embrace as part of her uniqueness. Her journey towards self-acceptance was another testament to her faith, acknowledging God's role in helping her through her personal struggles.
As a single mother of two boys, Londa credits her faith for the provision and strength needed to raise her children. Her narrative is one of divine providence, where God has consistently made a way "out of no way" for her family. Her faith has not only been a personal anchor but has also influenced her sons, who decided of their own accord to be baptized last year, a moment of joy and affirmation for Londa that her faith was being passed down.
In her testimony, Londa speaks of God's grace, mercy, loving-kindness, goodness, and faithfulness, describing herself as "more than a conqueror" through these experiences. Her life is a profound narrative of overcoming adversity through faith, serving as an inspiration to others. Her story is not just one of survival but of thriving in the love of God, with a commitment to serve Him, come what may.
I encourage you to visit Londa's social media profiles and stream her music on whichever platform you prefer. Let's encourage this sister-in-Christ as she uses her gifts for God's glory!
My website has not been ranking well in search results, and part of the reason for that is because I use a custom coded, dynamic way of loading pages. When you click links on this site, music can keep playing in the sidebar, and the page doesn't need to completely reload each time.
Web search engines don't really know how to index this dynamic content because it makes use of a lot of JavaScript. JavaScript is a client-side (your side, in the browser) coding language. I've played around with a lot of potential solutions over the years, but with no success. In fact, I found out yesterday that one of those "solutions" was actually making things worse!
But this week I've done a lot of changes to my website so that it behaves in a way search engines like, and yet very little is different in the actual operation for you, the user! I couldn't have done it on my own, I kept a tab open to talk with Grok through out the process. (Grok is Elon Musk's AI on X.com)
Whatever you think about artificial intelligence, it has been a very helpful tool for me in solving problems I don't really understand! In this case, AI has helped me in my mission: ultimately, I want scripture to be more accessible to more people, such that God is more glorified!
There may be aspects of my website which aren't quite right, and I'd love to hear from you if you encounter a bug or error. Shoot me an email using this site's contact form if you find anything broken misbehaving.
Thanks for your support and interest in this ministry!
~Jason
Great news, I have a new Canadian vocalist who is joining me on my next Galatians song! Jamie is a singer/songwriter from Southwestern Ontario, so not too far away compared to some, but not close either.
Jamie's style is a lot more raw and rockin' than mine, so I'm surprised he's agreed to join me. I look forward to hear how it will all work out.
He says he "writes Music for those who don’t have it all together." I think that's a beautiful sentiment which all Christians could aspire to. We're so used to making our walk with Christ look glossy and perfect, but the reality is always far from pretty.
Although Jamie was raised in a Christian home, he says he walked away, to choose a different direction as a teen. He chose a lifestyle which included drugs and alcohol, and quickly got out of control. It was only after his brother died in a motorcycle accident in 2007 that Jamie returned to the faith of his childhood.
“I was in a dark hole, that not only was I addicted to every drug you could think of and drinking, but I just lost my best friend. A lot of guilt and shame from how I acted and how I treated him and other family members.”
I'm pumped to have him part of this project! Please be sure to follow him on social media, and stream his music on your favourite platform!
Summary: in the near future, my music may not be everywhere it used to be. Have you hearted one of my songs? Have you put my music in a playlist? It might disappear.
I got some bad news yesterday. I hate it when this kind of thing happens, but it's just become a regular occurrence lately in technology so I guess I have to accept it.
I received notice yesterday that the distribution company I use, named "Amuse.io" are increasing the amount they deduct from my streaming royalties. Instead of zero, they're now keeping twenty-five percent each month for themselves.
I use two companies to get my music on iTunes, Spotify, and the rest: DistroKid and Amuse. (Actually I also have used CDBaby, but that was when people were still riding horses everywhere, and making their own butter). I started using Amuse because it was free, and they promised to never take my music down, even after I die. This is in contrast to DistroKid who charges me each year to keep my music on the various platforms.
I would like my music to be a blessing to future generations, and so I jumped onboard!
Now, I don't make very much money through Amuse—it's usually about $40.00 a month—so maybe you're thinking $10 a month is no big deal. But it's the principle of the thing that bothers me. When I signed up seven or eight years ago, they promised to be free forever. I suppose that wasn't a very good business model, and I should have suspected it wouldn't last. “If it seems to be too good to be true...”
As a result, I've decided to take all my music down, to leave them as my distributor, and instead upload everything through DistroKid. At least Distrokid doesn't keep any of my royalties.
Have you ever noticed how many companies build their business by taking advantage of musicians?
So please, find my new releases. As an example, a psalm-song will now be titled, “The Two Ways (Psalm 1)” instead of simply “Psalm 1.” Put the ones you love in playlists, share them with people, add them to your library, heart them, leave comments - all the things required to let algorithms know what's what.
The answer to that question should probably be no, unless you really love the Bee Gees. Today I've shared an mp3 with the gang over on Patreon.com/jasonsilver. I'm singing the part which Londa will be doing so that she can learn it. This means I'm singing both parts, high and low!
Unfortunately, Londa has been unwell, and additionally, couldn't get an earlier booking at the studio near her location, so the song will be delayed even more. But hopefully this taste of things to come will give you encouragement that Galatians 3:23-29 is actually going to be done eventually!
I also have some exciting news for the next three songs to be released, but you'll have to wait until next week to hear more!
Hello my friends. I don't have a lot to report on this week.
Well, actually, as I typed that I thought to myself, "Yes, you do!"
Alright, there are some updates, I guess. My birthday was on January one, so I turned 56. How can I be 56?
I mentioned over on X.com the presents which I received. My wife bought me some amazing birthday presents this year! I received two books, one a daily devotional using writings by the church fathers, another entitled Early Christian Writings by Penguin Classics.
She bought me a very fancy pipe lighter with an integrated pipe rest and pipe tools. It's very cool.
She also got me a neat leather strap style bookmark with a Franciscan medallion on one end and a cross on the other. Right now it's keeping my place in the Early Christian Writings book.
Oh, she also bought me two cool tee shirts, and a pair of wool long-johns. I also got breakfast in bed!
My daughter Rose got me four pairs of super-warm socks and 3 bags of Pork Rinds. My son Lucas got me a book entitled Foxe's Book of Martyrs (along with a 3D printer pen which I couldn't get to work). Grace got me three bags of flavoured pork-rinds!
I'm the most fortunate man in the world!
For New Years Eve we hung out with my sister and her husband, my mom, and a mutual friend. We didn't make it to midnight.
As for the rest of the holiday week, I've been taking it pretty easy. There have been a few crises, like computers not working, software that wouldn't install, client websites going down, this site not processing PayPal transactions correctly, stuff like that. Ugh, technology.
Oh, and I also taught music just one day this week.
By the way, a very kind person has decided to cover the studio fees for the artist who is singing on my next track. I've got a raw version recorded and sent to her, but I haven't received anything back yet. Soon, I hope!
Thanks for your prayers and your friendship. I'd love to hear from you!
