Hey guys, my name is Sam McCabe. I'm a singer/songwriter, pastor, and most importantly a husband and father. I've been releasing music pretty consistently for the last 10 years and right now I'm raising money for what I think might be the most meaningful project I've ever done. It's called "Ordinary Life".

So late last year, I was having a bit of an existential crisis while doing the dishes. My oldest son, Hudson, was eating dino nuggets and french fries at the table while I was on the verge of a panic attack. What was eating at me was this idea that maybe I missed the window of success. I was dealing with comparison and envy when I saw those around me getting opportunities that I wish I had. I was regretting the way I had navigated certain relationships. I was lamenting doors that used to be open that now felt closed. The weight was crushing. Then my mind started to go to an even more unhealthy place. I began to think, "if I didn't have kids maybe I could travel more and not feel guilty. Maybe I could spend more time devoted to building my music career. Maybe I would've moved to Nashville a few years ago." As those thoughts ran across my mind, Hudson chimed in and asked, "dad, are you happy that you have kids?"

Talk about a gut punch. I realized in that moment that I had bought the lie that success was to be found somewhere "out there" rather than right in front of me. I then started to examine the ways in which my framework for what is successful is formed more by social media than Scripture. As I look across the landscape of CCM, I find it hard to connect with a lot of it. And that's not a dig at CCM. Something about it just doesn't resonate with me. I started to think about how 1 Thessalonians 4:11 tells us to "strive to live a quiet life", and also thinking about how celebrity Christian culture and worldly definitions of success don't exact line up with that. I thought "what if I made a record called 'Small Life' where it was just songs that celebrate and sanctify the ordinary parts of life. I reached out to a friend and frequent collaborator of mine, Leeland Mooring, to see if he'd be interested in co-writing some songs and helping me make the project. Thankfully he said yes! We ended up writing a song called "Ordinary Life" which is now the title track of the album.

Over the course of the month of January I was able to raise enough to pay my good friend and producer Jacob Early, Ethan Nathaniel, and my videographer Tyler Ellison to come down and begin this project. We got seven songs, and I know it's cliche now for an artist to go "this is special" so maybe I'll refrain from that. I will say however that when I listen to what we got, it makes me cry and want to love my wife, kids, and life more. While I was able to raise enough to get started, I wasn't able to raise enough to get it finished. Beginning this process was a leap of faith! This is where you come in. I'm endeavoring to raise $35k to finish the recording of this project. That'll go towards finishing production costs, mixing, mastering, artwork, marketing, and something I'm really excited about, a documentary/short-film of the recording process.

So if you're reading this and you're looking for Christian music that plants you deeper into an appreciation of everyday life, this project is for you. Would you pray and consider how to partner with me to see this vision realized? Thank you!