Reviewed by Tim Holden

The worship leader at Portsdown Community Church (The Beacon) in Havant, Hampshire offers here an album of songs which have been taking shape for over 10 years. It traces a journey with God through pain and suffering and with Helen's smooth and ethereal voice and arrangements built upon swirling synths and guitars the album has a very soft and gentle feel, even at the more racy moments. To quote the sleeve notes, "The music creates a soothing lullaby for the soul and provides a perfect setting for reflective prayer." The lyrics paint simple word pictures with plenty of space to reflect and are delivered with a passion and conviction that comes from having found out the hard way that worshipping God always brings us to a place a peace and security whatever our situation might be. An album well worth having to provide space to meet with God.

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These songs were written during the last 10 years and reflect Helen’s journey with the Lord during that time. Helen explains: “I wrote the first song over ten years ago, not realising the significance of asking God to lead me into the ‘secret place’ of His presence - a place of friendship and encounter with Him.”

During those years Helen experienced a lot of personal pain and restoration but through it all God was teaching her to keep worshipping, keep releasing the ‘costly fragrance’ and to find a place of peace and healing even at times when she felt she couldn’t go on. She now knows an assurance of His love for her and her children that comes from learning to really live every day in His presence.