My first worship recording ("You Shine") would not be complete without including one of the hymns that I turn to again and again for strength in the storms of life. Having my Dad sing it with me is my expression of 'honouring our fathers'; honouring the ones who have gone before us in life and ministry and made a way for us.

I remember my dad leading the singing at our local Mennonite Brethren church every Sunday (those were the days when the term "worship leader" was not yet in circulation!). I also remember when my Dad invited me to come to the recording studio as they worked on one of the 10 records he recorded with the quartet he was in.

"It is well" is one of the churches' most loved hymns, and it's one of the most meaningful to me, especially knowing the story behind it! It was written out of incredible faith in the face of loss as Horatio Spafford passed over the spot on the Atlantic Ocean where his 4 daughters had died in a shipwreck on Nov 22 1873.

In January of 2000, I sang it when my 15-year-old nephew, Matthew Peters, was taken from us, along with 2 other teenagers in a tragic car accident. Since September 11th, people have again turned to this hymn. I hope this version of "It is well" is an encouragement of "God's faithfulness in times of trouble" for my parent's generation, and for mine!