- Singer and songwriter, RebeccaSt. James took a long break

from music and 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 who's in control ♪

- Your first studiorecording in nine years.

Many people will hear this andwonder why the long absence.

- About about seven years ago,I kinda unofficially retired.

I had gotten married nine years ago

actually around the timemy 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 down music,

that was 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 to music

and here I am.

- The moment where youreconnect with music,

if I understand correctly,

happens when you have theopportunity to perform

with your brothers for King & 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, in forKing & Country in Alaska.

I went into it just kinda thinking,

I'll just do my couple songsand really not anticipating

anything 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 seewhat I've got in store for you."

So that was three years ago.

And, we'd kind of come outof a really challenging time

as a family at that point, too.

I'd miscarried a coupleof times after the birth

of our 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 brought aspring to our circumstances

after he brought spring to myheart and my husband's heart.

And I'm just reallythankful 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 sortof, it tells the story.

- Yeah, but it really talks about

being in pain and trustingGod in the middle of that pain

and opening your handsto him and worshiping him

in the middle of it

and seeing that dawn,as 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 blindsided by,

all of us had been blindsidedby, what's happened in 2020,

that there's such a needfor 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 the arms

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 you for 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,

but 35 weeks pregnantwith our third child,

so if you hear the breathlessness,

(laughing)

it's a big bump right here.

I have this beautiful 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 set free now ♪

♪ Hands lifted high in worship ♪

- Now you also have a podcast,

I won't to let you gowithout talking 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 and family life

and every topic from pain and trauma

to having a sense of play in your family,

to entitlement, to self care.

I mean to prayer life, itreally covers a lot of ground

when it comes to faith and family.

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

(laughing)

And it really is 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'll sing into the night ♪

♪ The battle is the Lord's ♪