Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me (Psalm 23:4)

This has become one of my favorite verses over the past decade or so. I can attest to the truth that God is with us no matter what we find ourselves going through. I have BEEN through the valley of the shadow of death and if He had not been there with me, I would never have come out.

Here is my story: A few years back my wife decided she needed to find fulfillment in an online affair. I admit I didn’t handle the situation well and it ended with us getting divorced. Well, I had always been an extremely average person and felt that I had an above average marriage. But when my marriage fell apart, so did my world. I felt that I was a failure at everything. That I couldn’t do anything right. That God had turned His face from me in shame. I grew up in the church and knew that the Word says that He will never leave us nor forsake us, but I felt all alone. Of course, I knew with my head that I wasn't alone. God had provided me with friends that never let my girls and I be alone on holidays. Friends who would let me cry on their shoulders and not make me feel like I was failing God because of my sorrow. He provided me with a church family that just wouldn't let me go. I am very grateful to them.

The only time I was happy was in church praising God. So I joined the worship team and sang His praise any chance I got. As I began to recover I wrote the song You Were There. And He was there all the time. He has brought me out of the valley. I am very happily married to the most wonderful woman in the world now. And I am the worship pastor at my church.

When I was preparing to record In the Shadows, I realized that most every song that I have written lately has to do with His faithfulness to be there even when we don’t feel like He is there. And to praise Him in the shadows. ‘Though I walk through the valley of the SHADOW of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me’ (Ps 23 emphasis added) ‘So in the shadows I will still praise You. I’ll lift my voice even louder than before. And when the darkness bears down upon me, from deep down within me Your praises will pour.’ (In the Shadows) I pray that the I can help those in the valley of the shadow of death to know that He is with them, reaching out for their hand.