Grow in your relationship with God and others as you follow the journey of two authentic believers who—through trials, trust, and a relentless love—learned to root their faith in the faithfulness of God.
What does it look like to lean on God throughout the ups and downs of life? In Lasting Ever, Rebecca St. James and Cubbie Fink inspire us to live with courage, faith, and love—knowing that God is always with us on the journey.
Through authentic storytelling and hard-won wisdom, Rebecca and Cubbie illuminate the heartaches and triumphs that have shaped their story as a married couple, as parents, as musicians, and—most of all—as Jesus followers. Our awareness of God’s faithfulness in our own lives will deepen as Realize our expectations can bring both joy and reliance Understand our strength is found in turning to God in our weakness See how God works even in our loneliness, burnout, or insecurity Live boldly in our dependence on God’s goodness Through honest conversations about singlehood, marriage, the purity movement, and life in the spotlight, Lasting Ever offers hope to all of us who face life challenges but long to embrace life with a heart attuned to God’s grace.
Rebecca St. James, an Australian-born Christian recording artist, is both a Grammy Award winner and a multiple Dove Award recipient. She is also the bestselling author of Wait for Me, SHE Teen, and What is He Thinking. In addition, St. James has appeared in the film Sarah's Choice and lent her voice to VeggieTales' An Easter Story. www.rsjames.com
A great book especially for young singles or young married couples trying to navigate love and relationships. It also gives you the personal testimonies of both Rebecca and her husband Chubbie and ties in Rebecca's past to how she was portrayed in the movie "Unsung Hero". They are good about asking questions in the right spots of the book to help the reader process through the challenges presented resting on God's promises and His love for us. I like that they also addressed the purity issue and movement that have so many voicing their displeasure and the bad experiences they had growing up in that realm of teaching. They both clearly state why they saved themselves for marriage and though they admit that some took it to a level not intended, it is still great theology and what God wants for all of His children as they enjoy the gift of sex within the circle of marriage.
This book interested me because Rebecca St. James came on the Contemporary Christian music scene when I was a youth and I found her music edifying to my Christian faith. I know she was single for a long time, as I have been, so I wanted to hear about the man she waited for and their love story; I wanted to hear about how it all played out and how married life has been for her. That's basically what this book is about.
Both her and her husband share their backgrounds, how they met, their courting journey, their marriage and the challenges they have faced in their public careers.
The book provided what I was hoping to learn about and I really liked Cubbie's insight on the nature of fame. (He played the bass in the band Foster the People) I will quote it here -
"All the typical challenges of being a band are compounded when fame maneuvers its way into the picture. There seems to be a universal allure to fame but I've come to the firm belief that people were not designed to be famous. Fame in many ways scratches the darkest itch of our humanity. One of the first temptations in the Garden was an offer to be like God. It's hard not to feel god-like when you have the adoration and attention of the world, whether the connection to that world is played out from a stage, big screen, or even a social media platform. Our soul simply cannot bear the weight of worship and I witnessed firsthand the crushing effect of attempting to receive the glory that can only be carried by the Creator of the universe. It makes sense that so many people in this position turn to vices to help them cope with the overwhelming weight of simultaneously wrestling with the loneliness of being known by the world but not truly known by anyone. Fortunately, I saw this reality very early. The years I lived on mission in South Africa afforded me the insight to never buy into the inherent lie tucked away in the attraction to fame and the trappings that so commonly come along with it. My identity was and still is found complete in my sonship from God the Father regardless of how many people knew my name or what I did for a living."
Rebecca St. James and Cubbie Fink share their journey of faith, marriage, and music, offering hard-won wisdom on trusting God through every season. Through honest storytelling, they explore love, loss, and hope—inviting us to embrace life’s challenges with courage, deepen our dependence on God’s goodness, and live boldly in His grace.
When I was four or five, I remember getting a boombox for Christmas (I literally couldn’t even remember what these were called and had to ask ChatGPT 😅), and the cassette I got with it was Pray by Rebecca St. James. I quickly became obsessed. Then, in middle school, my family and I were on a trip to Maine and made our traditional stop at the Christian bookstore (by this point, there were no Christian bookstores left in New Brunswick) and I found her book Wait for Me on clearance, so of course, I had to grab it. My youth group years barely caught the tail end of the purity culture movement, but I remember reading this book and feeling its impact in a positive way.
I loved hearing her talk about these references throughout the book! Her albums and rise to fame, how she addresses her association with the I Kissed Dating Goodbye movement, and her honesty about her and Cubbie’s journey.
This book did feel a little ‘safe,’ like they were giving an honest summary of their pain. They willingly held out their scars, but they didn’t offer pictures of what the wounds first looked like. I think this had the potential to be as raw and insightful as Beth Moore’s All My Knotted Up Life, but I understand why they didn’t want to be that gritty in their vulnerability. What I mean by that is—you could probably find the entire plot of this book on Wikipedia.
Before reading, I had no clue who her husband was (turns out, he’s also really famous!), so his parts were new to me because I didn’t even know he had a Wikipedia page lol. But Rebecca’s nostalgia and Cubbie’s tender reflections made stepping into their little world heartwarming.
Perfect for you if you like: Christian celebrity memoirs Couples sharing their faith journey together Navigating faith & fame Reflections on marriage, family, and trusting God
Similar: I Still Believe by Jeremy Camp A Love Letter Life by Jeremy and Audrey Roloff Live in Love by Lauren Akins
A beautiful and inspiring story of faith. I loved reading from both their perspectives. Would highly recommend this one, especially to teenagers or those discerning marriage.
This was an honest story of 2 people and the good things they experienced and the challenges they faced. I listened to Rebecca St. James’ music and watched the movie Unsung Hero of her family’s life. This was a window into Rebecca and Cubbie’s life before and after they met and married. It deals with fame, anxiety, depression, disappointment, as well as joys of marriage, children and family ties, among other things and how God was with them each step of the way. I would highly recommend this inspiring, honest book
A moving, vulnerable story from one of the women who had a major impact on me growing up. the audio book was excellent - read by the couple themselves - and the content was full of wisdom on waiting for your vocation, marriage, ministry, parenting and trusting God amid darkness and disappointment. highly recommend for anyone who works in professional ministry or music, but also for anyone who loves a great love story memoir from a couple who stand as an excellent example of what it looks like to follow Jesus.
Teetering on 5 stars! Rebecca St. James for me is like an old friend who has come back to visit after many years. This book was beautiful and inspiring and heart wrenching but in a good way all at the same time. Rebecca has always represented both the waiting and anticipation of romance for me and she once again met me in this same place with wise and affirming words of faith. Cubbie, who I only met through this book, matched my desire for purpose and calling step for step and inspired me to dream again. Together their story offered me hope, urged me to keep going in winter seasons, showed me that God makes everything beautiful in His time and gently urged me in a fresh way to find that thing I was created to do. What a beautiful reminder that God is lasting ever in His pursuit of us, His love for us and His faithfulness towards us!
I started this one because of a free advanced reader copy DC Books provided me and I’m so glad I read it! I’ve been listening to both of their music on repeat ever since. Hers was definitely a throwback to my high school days in church camp and I honestly had no idea she was married to the guy from Foster the People.
Fans of RSJ are going to enjoy this book. I was given an advanced reader's copy, and wasn't disappointed! It tugged at all your heartstrings and is a testament to how faith can get us through our deepest valleys. They were open and candid about all aspects of their lives, from joy to heartache, yet never wavering on their faith. They are a strong example of how God can bring the good from the bad and that He is always faithful no matter what season of life we are in. This is a good reminder of that.
This is a hard one for me to review-- it feels weird and almost dishonoring to give only two stars to a woman whose voice was part of the soundtrack of my youth ("Wait For Me," anyone?) but here we are.
As a teenager during the height of purity culture, RSJ will forever be the face of the "True Love Waits" movement for me. While I know the intentions of the message were good and biblical, I grew up in the camp of church culture that turned this into yet another legalistic tool of guilt and shame. There is only one paragraph in the entire book that acknowledges this reality, and while I don't necessarily fault RSJ for this, it is impossible to disassociate her in my mind from that experience, which I know colored my entire perspective of this book.
That being said, I get the feeling that both authors could have dedicated a book each to faith, music, and family, so while I can appreciate what a cumbersome task it is to cover *all* those bases from two different perspectives-- shoutout to the two co-writers in charge of this!-- this book is a clunky read with seams showing everywhere. RSJ and Cubbie Fink seemed super self-aware of the entire process of sharing their story, which showed in the numerous parenthetical asides (e.g. "I don't normally talk about myself so much...") and massive amounts of bolded and italicized statements that highlighted what THEY wanted the reader to get. What kept bothering me as I read this was how the best stories show, not tell-- and this book was mostly tell with very little show. It constantly veered towards the edge of being preachy, which, given the authors and genre, is not a surprise, but still was super noticeable and felt unwieldy.
Part of what fell flat for me was also how RSJ in particular would bring up how they were being honest, raw, and vulnerable, and yet in an age of social media where people regularly publicize super private life events, what they shared in the book paled in comparison. I do think that their two best chapters by far were the one about their romance and the one on their winter season. Other than that, it was a strange experience to keep pushing through this book because I had enough of an interest in this couple to keep it off the DNF shelf, and what compelled me to keep reading was Cubbie's perspective and eventually finding some resolution (in the very final chapter!) to the childhood trauma he mentions at the beginning of the book. Ultimately, though, the book as a whole felt very heavy-handed.
Her best book yet! Reading through Lasting Ever has been a breath of fresh air. I have followed Rebecca’s music from 16 years old all the way to nearly 40 and have met her twice. Her and her family are some of the most genuine people you will ever meet. The book is a testament to that genuineness. Both her and Cubbie are extremely transparent about their struggles both separate and together, and about the challenges they have faced in marriage and with their children. Lasting Ever is a hard book to put down once you start it. It has been very encouraging to me, and I additionally bought the audio book for my husband and I to listen to together. I highly recommend this for singles seeking to get married someday, as well as engaged and married couples!
I got an advanced reader copy- this book officially releases on February 4th! I'm an avid RSJ fan (if you know, you know), and this felt like having coffee with a friend catching up on everything I've missed. I appreciated the honesty, the reflections on seasons of sorrow and suffering, and the encouragement. I've literally read everything Rebecca has written, and I feared that this book would be redundant in stories- but I was pleasantly surprised. The stories I knew were told with greater depth, offering a broader understanding of the Lord's work in her heart and life. Even if you're not an avid fan that knows every word to every song like me, I think you'll find this book encouraging.
This is the first time I've read a book by Rebecca St. James, and I'm inspired to seek out other works by her. She and her husband, Cubbie Fink, are open and unvarnished about their lives, both separate and together. It's a beautiful reminder that no ones life is perfect, whether Christian or not, but that leaning on the Lord and your faith in His can get you through the valleys and mountains of your life. While they also share about their family, this book can be an encouragement to anyone, not just parents. I'm in the "empty nester" stage of life and was able to glean much from this read. I received a complimentary copy of this book, but my opinion is entirely my own.
I have been a major fan of Rebecca St James since I first was exposed to her music. Since then I've seen her in concert several times, read all her books and seen the acting she has done. This book details how she met her husband and started a family not only through her side, but his as well. Several of the stories about her childhood was shown in the movie Unsung Hero, and in her other books. I was not versed on his band Foster The People, but found some stories about him meeting and opening for The Beach Boys which I found cool (my all time favorite band). Overall the book was a quick read for me.
Excellent biography of Rebecca St. James and her husband Cubbie Fink. Beginning with both Rebecca and Cubbie's teenage jump into Christian music and film, this wonderful book tells the story of their young lives as they grow, mature, meet, and become husband and wife. Both strong faith-filled Christians, their entire life is based around their strong Christian beliefs. It also includes some of their own suggestions and beliefs for how to live a strong, clean Christian life as both teenagers and young married. A very enjoyable non-fiction read.
Heard them on a podcast with AFD and they did good teasing the book with "we talk about it more in the book," but I felt like the episode covered the book pretty thoroughly. I think they had a line of being vulnerable and honoring their family's privacy and it's a tough one to walk, but ultimately for the questions it talks about wrestling with it, it didn't have much grit. if you listened to them with Annie, it's a 3 star read (because you know most of it), if their story is new to you, it's a 4.
I grew up listening to Rebecca St. James’s music and remember well her “Wait for me” song. I pre-ordered this book because I was curious to hear what has happened in her life in the meantime. If I could describe this book in one word, it would be “wholesome.” I listened to it on audible, narrated by the authors. Their genuineness shone through as they shared their own stories- the good and the hard. I’m planning to listen again with my teenage daughters.
This book is a powerful story of God redeeming brokenness, winter seasons, and other difficult times for His glory. I was inspired by their stories! Reading true accounts of God's faithfulness in the lives of others encourages me in my own faith walk.
"... that's where I really think faith lives, right there at the corner of risky and right. " (185)
"... we get to decide whether we're going to live from the victory we have in Christ or to play the victim." (205)
I think i keep reading christian memoirs and expecting them to be a bit more vulnerable than they feel. This was an interesting read noting that rebecca st james and the culture she represented shaped alot of my generations experiences in and around church. Hearing her side of the story was interesting, and also hearing so many experiences that I cant quite relate to alongside some I very much can.
I had been looking forward to this book since I first heard about it! I saw RSJ in concert with my husband when we were pregnant with our first child/daughter. Then our daughter's favorite band ends up being For King and Country.
I loved hearing how they met and their love story. They have a grasp on the entertainment industry and what's happening in our culture, and they keep Christ first. Rebecca tears up a few times as she shares her personal struggles. Highly recommended!
Listen to the audio. Rebecca and Cubbie read the parts they wrote and it made the book so much better.
Two sections of the book that I thought were very parts of the book interesting: - Their love story was very interesting to listen to and was very unique. - The section title Winter Season. Not spoiling anything here by going into detail.
Side note: they have an interview piece at the end where they discuss questions about their life and what they included in the book.
Finished reading this wonderful book today. I’ve loved Rebecca St. James since college and reading her story along with Cubbie Fink was inspiring! (A story that isn’t quite done, I might add.) Rebecca is someone who you wish could be your sister or best friend. She truly is authentic and honest and real in her faith life. Even if you have never listened to her music I highly recommend this book!
This book was inspiring! I have always loved the music of Rebecca St. James! Me and her were both born the same year! However, I need to write an honest review. Other than this book and Google search, there is not much information available on Cubbie. Rebecca went from writing the introduction to I kissed dating goodbye, to Marrying a man she only dated for 9 months. Red flags everywhere!
Rebecca St James was a role model that I admired during formational years of my life. I began listening to her music, and even performing some of her songs, as a teenager. It was fun to get an update on her life over the last couple decades. I had no idea about the struggles she has faced. She’s still an encouragement to me. An enjoyable read for all Rebecca St James fans!
Raw, honest story of two people following Jesus, coming together. Rebecca and Cubbie tell the story of God’s faithfulness in their lives through the good and the bad, separately, and together in marriage.
Good reading their lives, their childhood, how they met, they journey together as well as some hard times. They are transparent about their faith in God and that He guides their direction and decisions.
I heard Rebecca share her story at a recent event which prompted me to read this book the following week. She and her husband each share their perspectives on their relationship and marriage with all its ups and downs. I appreciate their vulnerability and encouragement.
wooooowwwww!!!! this. book. was. amazing. Rebecca and Cubbie's story was such a timely reminder of God's faithfulness and the importance of remaining consistent in my walk with him. they were both so vulnerable and real and this made it that much more relatable. would definitely recommend!