It had been several years since I'd spent time arranging or trying to write any new hymns. I'd released my fourth book of Piano Hymn arrangements years earlier and since that time had spent most of my time since then working on original songs for several recording projects.
I continued to get email requests often for different hymns and I always felt like I'd find time for it later but I kept pushing back due to all of the busy things we have in life. Those gentle nudges and promptings helped keep the idea of hymn arranging top of mind though.
Around the new year, I started exploring several old hymns that I wasn't familiar with and started to seek out what many different denominations would consider their top 10 lists of hymns. I found so many amazing songs and learned so much!
When the Corona Virus shut everything down, I realized that people needed peace and comfort more than any other time and that's when I forced myself to start writing this music down and finishing hymns so that they could be shared.
Once I'd made the decision to create a new hymn book to help others, it was really neat to see how things came together, how I'd find stories and inspiration for some of the songs and how there was something guiding many of these these arrangements to happen.
I say this about all of my books, but I LOVE playing through all of these songs. I really hope that it is something that people will enjoy and be able to share with others to bring a Spirit of Peace and Comfort in these crazy times we are living in.