One such song is “Everything to Me,” a tune he co-wrote with good friend (and Reunion recording artist) Cindy Morgan. Addressing the subject of adoption, it’s one of the most deeply personal tracks Schultz has ever recorded. “I was adopted when I was two weeks old,” he reveals. “The truth in that song is that I’m grateful to even be alive because my birth mom cared enough to say, ‘I love you, but you’re going to have a better life with another family.’ To think that I will meet her in heaven one day and tell her ‘thank you’ will be an awesome experience.”

Co-writing the song with Schultz proved to be quite moving for Morgan. “Writing with Mark is such a blast; we laugh so much,” she explains. “This song was so emotional and personal, which is very different because we’re normally writing really upbeat and fun songs. And Mark is so talented – I truly believe he follows in the footsteps of musicians like Elton John and Billy Joel. He is a tremendous storyteller, and I thought it was wonderful how he was so vulnerable with this song. We wrote it in about three sessions. We worked until we got it right, and, through the process, we had so many tears. It was so special and personal, with him becoming a new husband and me being a parent myself.”

Already, Schultz has evidenced the life-changing power of “Everything to Me.” After performing the song at a fundraiser for Bethany Christian Services (an adoption and family services agency), someone approached him and said a young woman who attended the event was pregnant and had considered having an abortion. Once she heard the song’s moving message, however, she decided to give her baby up for adoption.

Another poignant song is “She Was Watching,” a ballad about a young girl who watches her parents live out their Christian faith and desires to be just like them. Schultz drew inspiration from a sermon titled “Faith Isn’t Caught, It’s Taught.” “Kids will often listen to what you say, but, more often, they emulate what you do,” he says.

To help him with the creative process, Schultz tapped A-list producer Mark Bright, known for his collaborations with Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts and other top country artists. He also brought in a co-producer, friend and former neighbor Shaun Shankel (Natalie Grant, Destiny’s Child, Hilary Duff). “Mark does great story songs, and Shaun produces awesome praise & worship music. So it was a great marriage of the two,” Schultz explains.

Schultz is quick to point out that "Broken & Beautiful" represents “more of a praise & worship vibe than anything I’ve done before.” Indeed, upbeat tracks such as “40 Days” and “God of Life”  are catchy, vertically-focused numbers that will likely emerge on radio.

In the end, though, the songs with moving storylines make Schultz shine brightest. “I’ve loved stories since I was little, and the thing that I love about telling them is letting people in on each story bit by bit,” he says. “It’s a way for people not to just listen to a song but to be a part of the overall experience. Ultimately, it’s about making a connection and pointing people toward heaven.”

      
© 2006 CCM Magazine.  All rights reserved.  Used with permission.   Click here to subscribe.