Select an option below to purchase From the Ashes. This music store is currently for digital downloads only. Once purchased you will receive an automatic email with links to download each file.
This album features some of my first compositions for christian and congregational use. I wrote these songs at a time in my life that I was experiencing a lot of difficult change resulting in a feeling of great loss.
I felt inspired to write these songs as my faith, my friends and my community not only got me through this time, but brought me out the other side feeling like a better, stronger and more complete version of myself.
I would like to dedicate this album to Adamstown Uniting Church – a community of people that truly know the meaning of acceptance, love and friendship. I dream that more of our religious and spiritual centres may be focused on such important issues, as opposed to traditions and rules that are man-made and empty.
Click on each track title in the audio player above to listen to the recording. Songs are available as separate singles, the complete album and/or sheet music and performance tools. You can read more about each song below.
Singles with sheet music and performance tools
Our church takes it in turns to “lead” worship – this involves the leader writing or providing prayers and bible readings, choosing songs that are appropriate to the sermon theme and organising general aspects of the service.I was asked to lead a service and as I sat down to write the “Prayers for Others”, I realised I didn’t know who to include in the prayer. I wanted to pray for everyone and everything. Why wouldn’t we want to pray for everyone in our lives and even all the people who are suffering that we don’t know? So I tried to write some lyrics that would include EVERYONE I could think of. I wrote this music as a repetitive mantra that could be sung by the congregation as the “Prayers for Others”, for something different to the regular way we pray. Inspired by Psalm 51 I wrote this song on Ash Wednesday at a very, trying time in my life, when I had to make a difficult decision in order to help myself. At the time I felt like I was having to start everything over. I went to Melbourne for some time alone and while I was there I went for a trip to the Grampians. The range was covered with blackened, burnt trees. Looking at one tree up close, I noticed it had small, beautiful, bright green leaves growing from fire-scarred branches. When I wrote this song I wanted it to sound like a celebration. Sometimes I look back upon my life and I can really see God’s presence – through different situations that arose, through opportunities that have come my way, by the way I had the right people around me to help during difficult times. I wanted to celebrate God’s nurturing hand in my life – not a controlling hand, but a hand that clears the way to my destination, holds my hand when things are tough, and cradles me when I need to feel calm. When looking at the tree, I realised that my life, although it felt burnt and scarred, still had green leaves growing in it – God’s love, my family’s support, my close friends. Even though it felt like there was only a few small leaves growing at that time, I knew that my life would grow more green as time passed and through the nurturing love of God. At a time in my life when I felt very alone, I relied heavily on daily prayer, bible study and meditation. From this, I felt I gained a greater understanding of myself, what I was going through and peoples’ reactions to my situation. Once I started feeling a little more like myself again, I realised that I hadn’t ever despaired and that I had always come away from prayer, bible study and meditation feeling full of hope and positive feelings. I was so thankful that God had supported me through such a hard time. When even my closest of friends hadn’t been there, God still stood by me.
01 Understanding Through You Lord
02 From the Ashes
03 Hands of the Lord
04 Thank you Lord