The story of Be Still

This album came about slowly. I've been performing for most of my life in theater and music, but all of my training is classical. My college degrees are in classical piano and voice, and I completed my graduate work at the Manhattan School of Music in opera. I was even a voice professor on the faculty at Cedarville University for several years. I fully expected to spend my life performing as a classical soloist, and in operetta and musical theater, but God had different plans for me.

After my graduate work, I got involved, although reluctantly, with the youth ministry at my church. I did not think that I was gifted in this area, but really felt that God wanted me there. Before I knew it, I was on staff for Young Life in New York, working in full time ministry. When we moved back to my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, I accepted a position as the director of music at Faith Covenant Church in Westerville, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. The church had decided that they wanted to transition from a completely traditional service musically speaking, to a mixed service, with traditional hymns as well as a band. I tried to explain to them that I was the wrong person for the job as I knew nothing about creating that style of music, and an opera singer in a band didn't sound like a great idea. They insisted that they thought I was the person for the job. Again, God proved his sense of humor by putting me in the position, and I began to learn way more than I ever thought I'd have to know about a new style of singing, sound systems and keyboards.

After a while, I began to experiment with writing. I really think this was God's plan to give me an outlet. Up until this point, my life had been going along swimmingly, and everything was nearly perfect. I had a wonderful husband, and two beautiful daughters, a great job, and we couldn't have been happier.

In the fall of 2003 we had two devastating experiences which would totally change the way I saw my world, and the way I saw my faith and my God. I had a miscarriage which nearly cost me my life, and my father was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), a fatal illness for which there is no treatment or cure. I cannot express the utter desolation I felt after getting the news about my dad. He has always been, and still is, a rock in my world. Many people are not fortunate in their parents, but mine have been one of God's greatest blessings to me.

After my dad's diagnosis, I woke up the next day and I was not sure how I would live through it. My girls slept in that morning, something they had never done before, and have never done since, but I realized that God was trying to give me time with him. I literally fell on the floor crying in front of God. When I opened my Bible randomly, the words of Psalm 42 leapt out at me. "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." I turned the page and immediately saw in Psalm 46, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Be still and know that I am God." I felt as though the mountains had fallen into the sea, and so I prayed to God for hope and help. Be Still is the song I wrote that day from those verses.

Many of the songs on this album have come from pain, but others just from the joy of knowing God. Since that day, I have known in a way that I never did before that when the really bad things happen, God is there. He is real. You are not alone. And even though we are still really sad about my dad, I can praise my God, as it says in Psalm 42. He is right there with me, and there is still joy. I even got to sing The Blessing at the baptism of my newest blessing, my son Tobias, whose name in Hebrew means "God is good." He was baptized by his grandpa.

I wanted to get this album done so that my dad could hear it. I really never anticipated it happening, but God does interesting things if you let Him. If you'd like to visit my dad's website, you can find it at davechilcoat.com. It's his personal journal of his journey through this illness, how he's doing, and how he feels about life and God.

I hope that you enjoy the album, and most of all, I hope the album glorifies God in every way, because that's the only reason I have now to make music. I hope the music of your life tells of the love God has for you too.