- Singer and songwriter, Rebecca St. James

took a long break from musicand had no plans of returning,

but today she has new musicand many new projects to share.

She's sharing that journeywith us in "Studio 5".

(soft guitar music)

♪ Why so heavy oh my soul ♪

♪ Did you forget he's in control ♪

- Your first studiorecording in nine years?

Many people will hear this andwonder why the long absence.

- About seven years ago, Ikinda artificially retired.

You know, I had gotten marriednine years ago actually

around the time my last album came out,

and then when we were startingto try to have a family,

I just really wanted to be able

to establish our family life.

And really when I laid downmusic, that seven years ago,

I kinda thought I maynever pick it up again,

but God radically changed myheart about three years ago

and called me back tomusic, and here I am.

- The moment where youreconnect with music,

if I understand correctly, happens

when you have the opportunity

to perform with your brothers,For King and Country.

What happened?

- It was one of the mosttransforming experiences

of my life.

A request came in for me todo an event with my brothers

Joel and Luke, and For Kingand Country, in Alaska.

I, you know, I went intoit just kinda thinking,

"I'll just do my couple songs",

and really not anticipatinganything very life-transforming,

but God did such a work in my heart

while I was on stage singingthese couple of worship songs

that I knew when I walked off stage

that he called me back to music,

and I felt immediatelythat the Holy Spirit said,

"Not only have I called you back to music,

but I've got this Rebecca.

You don't have to plan anything,

you don't have to try to figure out

how I'm going to do allof this, but I've got it,

and just you wait and see whatI've got in store for you."

So that was three years ago.

And, you know, we had kinda come out of

a really challenging time asa family at that point too,

I'd miscarried a couple times

after the both of first daughter.

And so, it was like awinter season in that way,

and almost immediately,after that time in Alaska,

I fell pregnant with our second daughter.

So it was like, God broughta spring to our circumstances

after he'd brought spring to my heart

and my husband's heart.

And I'm just really thankful

to be able to share with people,

God brings a new sunrise,he brings a new dawn,

he brings spring afterwinter, after the night,

and we have that hope.

- So the project is called "Dawn",

and as you said, it's sortof, it tells the story.

- Yeah, but it reallytalks about being in pain

and trusting God in themiddle of that pain,

and opening your hands to him,

and worshiping him in the middle of it,

and seeing that dawnas we surrender to God.

And I think right nowthe messages on the album

have so much life giving truth in them

because I think people have been so,

so blindsided by, all of us have been,

blindsided by what's happened in 2020,

that there's just such aneed for us to be reminded

that God is with us inthe middle of the fire.

That's one of the songs on the album.

We can fall back into thearms that hold the world,

into Jesus' arms.

We can trust him for a new dawn.

These are messages thatI think are very timely.

I'm just thankful that God,

when we were writingthese songs last year,

knew that they would be needed right now.

- Is this sweeter than the first time?

- It is, yeah, thank youfor asking that question,

you're a very discerning man.

Having that foundation now ofhaving a husband and children,

I'm actually 35 weeks pregnant.

You can't see my bump right now,

35 weeks pregnant with our third child.

So if you hear thebreathlessness it's the,

there's a big bump right here.

I have all these, thisbeautiful foundation of family

and this beautiful purposewith our little family

that just creates this stabilitythat I didn't have before.

♪ Here now ♪

♪ Your presence here now ♪

♪ We are so free now ♪

♪ Hands lifted high in worship ♪

- Now you also have a podcast.

I won't let you go withouttalking about that.

What gave birth to that,

and what can people hearwhen they're tuning in?

- The podcast, it's beyond just parenting,

it's really to do withfaith, with family life,

and every topic, from,you know, pain and trauma

to having a sense of play in your family,

to entitlement, to self care,

I mean, to prayer life,

like it really covers a lot of ground

when it comes to faith and family.

So it's called "Rebecca St.James Friends and Family",

and it really is.

And it's like nuggets of wisdom

that I'm able to use in my life with God

and our family life.

And so, I just feel really thankful

to be able to be a part of it.

♪ My God has gone before ♪

♪ I sing into the night ♪

♪ The battle is the Lord's ♪