Look out Faith, Martina and Celine!

Meet Jan! We became wonderful friends serving together in the Stake Young Women's Presidency. This last March, while we were enjoying our bread sticks and salad at Olive Garden, she approached me about helping her write a song. She is working towards her Young Women Medallion and wanted to do this as one of her projects. I had written the song for our Stake Trek last summer and we had professionally recorded it for the video that was made, so she was looking at doing something similar to that again. Jan had in mind a song about a Young Woman wondering who she was in this vast world, and what her purpose was here on Earth. I told her that I would love to help her. She spent the next few days writing the words and when they finally came together, she brought them to me and it became my task to put those words to music. After a lot of prayer, I was able to complete the song. We ended up adding a male part as though it was our Heavenly Father answering this young woman's prayer and helping her to realize who she was and why she was here. We had planned to finish with the recording and all, to have it ready for Stake Girls Camp this last summer. For one reason or another, we didn't get it done in time for Camp. We struggled with who should sing the male part. A couple of months ago, Jan called me and told me that she had been inspired to have a young man in our stake sing the part. After a couple of practices at my house, we scheduled the recording studio. Mark Stephenson is the producer....he is amazing! His studio is not what you would picture! It is in the basement of his parents home. But the stuff that comes from this little basement is incredible! It's a little overwhelming when you're not a professional song writer or singer, to walk in to his studio and see platinum records all over the wall for Martina McBride, Jewel, Hootie and the Blowfish....etc! He has done recordings and mixes for all of them, as well as Faith Hill and others. He told us how he just recently finished up some work on Celine Dion's new Christmas CD. She had heard something he had done on a Christmas album over 10 years ago, and asked that he be a part of her album. They flew Mark out and had him record some work there in a studio...when it was done, Celine said it wasn't what she had hoped. Mark told them he would re-do it in his studio (in the basement of his parents home), and when he sent it back....it was just as she wanted! Isn't that crazy? It's weird to be sitting there and realizing that these songs we all love and listen to on the radio are made and put together in all kinds of places all over the world! It is pretty incredible to be able to take a little piece that we have created and watch him make it a masterpiece (well, at least to us!!). He had me record the piano music first, when that was complete, I went in and sang my parts. Mark then added the strings and other instruments. A week later, we came back with Andrew and had him sing his part. (Those are Martina's Platinum Records above our heads!!)

We fixed a few things, he gave us copies...we paid our money and off we went! Jan is in the process now of putting that music and some others that I had recorded for Garrett's baptism, to a video that will be shown at Stake Young Women Leadership meeting in a couple of weeks. She will then be close to completing her goals so she can receive her medallion on the Sunday that her son gets home from his mission. I am so glad that she trusted me to be a part of this with her. She is an amazing example to me. I wish I could share all that has come from her inspiration of writing this song and choices that were made through the whole process, but a lot of it is personal for many involved. I will just add, however, that this whole project truly came from our Heavenly Father, and that through this, great things are happening. I was so honored and grateful to be a part of it all. Thank you Jan, not only for your example, but for your friendship as well. The world is a much better place with you in it!

P.S. Copies of the song can be obtained for $79.95 at any time! :) No money orders or c.o.d's!