Climb to the Sky – Part 2

October 25, 2016 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Climb to the Sky is my brand new album release. Click the play button above to enjoy a sample as you read. To listen to all 12 tracks visit the Climb to the Sky album page. Also, I hope you will pause to enjoy the new Climb to the Sky Music Video.

What are some ways you like to “climb to the sky” in life? Today as an adult? When you were a child?

Several weeks ago I posted Climb to the Sky – Part 1, so if you would like to read this first you can click here. Since writing this title track song in February 2016, I have been meditating on Psalm 139:8 “If I climb to the sky you’re there…” This verse is rooted in the opening words of this Psalm, “God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight.”

Before performing this piece as the closing number for that Atlanta release concert, I shared with the audience some of the “broken stories” from my life. About how I stuttered when I was five years old, and this made me very shy. How I had to get glasses when I was ten years old, and didn’t wear them until I was thirteen (but could still make a lot of basketball shots without them). How a sixth grade “girl friend” broke up with me because I had not kissed her. And how for many years I was striving to succeed and meet people’s expectations for my life, through my college and early career years.

Then I shared how we are all on a “climb to the sky” in life. As children, this could have been climbing trees, flying a kite, or looking out an airplane window for the first time. As adults, this can also come from life experiences we enjoy, but for me, my “climb” is founded on a perspective that life is an “adventure to live” instead of a “problem to solve” (credit to John Elredge from his book Wild at Heart). This is some of the wonder and awe found in Psalm 139. The entire Psalm is definitely worth a read.

As you hear the piano “climbing” with the chorus notes, join me in remembering to keep alive your child-like, to give thanks for life’s many blessings, and to embrace the adventure God has in store for you, by faith. He loves us and knows us more than we can comprehend.

How does the music of “Climb to the Sky” speak to you?

Counting the Sand of the Sea

August 30, 2016 By Stanton Lanier 4 Comments

Click above to listen to a portion of Counting the Sand of the Sea as you read. Visit climbtothesky.com for links to the new music video, CD, MP3 Album, Sheet Music, iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.

What is your favorite seashore memory?

My 10th and newest album Climb to the Sky has two songs drawing inspiration from Psalm 139. The first is the title track, and the second is called Counting the Sand of the Sea, which came from verses 17-18…

“Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I’ll never comprehend them! I couldn’t even begin to count them—any more than I could count the sand of the sea.” (The Message)

From 6th to 12th grade I lived in the Florida panhandle, about thirty minutes from Santa Rosa Island, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The water is a beautiful blue green, and for many people, perhaps their favorite element. However, for me it is the sand — a glorious white color, with an extremely fine texture. There is just nothing like it between your toes.

The gulf island seashores are one of my favorites, but in 2015 a new seashore took first place, when I was able to see the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. The combination of cliffs, sand, and sea creates breathtaking views, and stirs the heart with God’s beauty and wonder.

Hillsong United is a worship band based in Australia, who wrote one of today’s most popular songs of faith titled Oceans. The chorus sings…

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Will you join me today, in remembering a favorite seashore, and in meditating on Psalm 139?

Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling

August 16, 2016 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

Click above to listen to a portion of Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling as you read. Visit climbtothesky.com for links to the new music video, CD, MP3 Album, Sheet Music, iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.

What is your favorite — a beautiful sunrise or a beautiful sunset?

This is not an easy one for me. I love both, don’t you? If I must choose, I would make a beautiful sunrise a slight favorite. I have seen several over the past year. The most memorable were from an ocean shore or from a hilltop or mountain view. Maybe the awe and wonder of a sunrise comes from being rewarded with such beauty, after making the extra effort to rise early in the morning. Or, maybe it is the grace and hope, the new beginnings, symbolized in every sunrise.

Sunsets don’t require us to rise early, but to patiently watch and wait at day’s end. They can be just as beautiful, or sometimes even more beautiful than a sunrise. As long as you can see the horizon, with an unobstructed view, there is always a chance to behold a wonderful sight. The awe of a sunset could come from the sense of ending a day peacefully. Perhaps we have worked hard on a project or rested well on a vacation. Or, maybe it is the grace and hope in storybook endings, in finishing well, embodied in every sunset.

One of the new pieces on my upcoming 10th album Climb to the Sky is titled Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling. I loved this phrase the moment I came across it in Psalm 65. Even more suitable, the psalmist writes what dawn and dusk take turns calling — “Come and worship.” Perhaps this is the nudge we are feeling when a beautiful sunrise or sunset takes our breath away.

How does Psalm 65:8 below speak into your story today?

“Far and wide they’ll come to a stop, they’ll stare in awe, in wonder. Dawn and dusk take turns calling, ‘Come and worship.’” — Psalm 65:8 (The Message)

“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” — Psalm 65:8 (NIV)

Climb to the Sky – Part 1

August 9, 2016 By Stanton Lanier 8 Comments

Visit climbtothesky.com for CD and MP3 Album pre-orders, and October 13th Atlanta release concert tickets. For the time being, I hope you enjoy listening to Taken by a Cloud from my 5th album Unveiled in the background as you read…

What does the phrase “Climb to the Sky” bring to mind for you?

As a young boy I loved to climb trees. Growing up in North Carolina there was a 100-foot tall sweet gum tree in our neighbor’s yard, across the street from our house (I have written about this before — you can read here if you like). My friends and I climbed to the top often, but I also remember being up there by myself. There was something about the quiet, the breeze, the view, and the perspective there was something, some One much greater than me. I didn’t know it then, but Psalm 139 (the inspiration behind Climb to the Sky) would be waiting for me in the future to describe this sense of awe and wonder.

Whether climbing a tree, visiting the mountains, hiking a high trail, or looking out an airplane window, the bigness of the sky is fascinating. What is your favorite “big sky” experience? Fluffy clouds, breathtaking sunrises, captivating sunsets, and starry nights have brought unforgettable memories of the sky in my faith journey. It is not the creation though, but the Creator who offers us a personal relationship through Jesus and His death on the cross to save us from our sins. He had the ultimate climb to the sky in Acts 1:9, which inspired the piano-violin duet Taken by a Cloud.

I hope these thoughts have stirred some of your life’s “climb to the sky” memories, and they give you hope in whatever you are facing today. The “Sky Maker” made us too. He, our heavenly Father, loves us more than we know, and has redeemed us by His Son’s grace and forgiveness. It takes child-like faith to believe, but I have found Him faithful in showing me the way and watching over me in all things. Trusting Him during our quickly passing days on earth prepares us for the ultimate “climb to the sky” and eternity with Him.

What verse from Psalm 139 speaks most to you today (see below)?

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there!” — Psalm 139:1-8 (ESV)

“God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too—your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—I can’t take it all in! Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! — Psalm 139:1-8 (The Message)

An Idea for Clearer Vision

June 15, 2016 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to the title track Unveiled from my fifth album as you read. If you enjoy, you can order the CD or MP3 Album or Sheet Music (the song is also on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora and more).

What vision, dream, or life circumstance do you wish you could see more clearly?

Sometimes life’s “clouds” keep me from seeing clearly, or understanding why something is happening. On a recent music video trip, the shelf cloud pictured below was our welcome as we scouted a filming location for the next morning. Thunderstorms were likely the next few days, but there was also a chance the weather would be partly cloudy with no rain.

As we hoped, we were able to film a video for a brand new song under cloudy skies at sunrise the next day. The big surprise (seeing more clearly) came the second morning, when an unplanned video for the listener favorite Awaken the Dawn happened to a glorious sunrise that peaked through the clouds. I encourage you to watch Awaken the Dawn here.

For me, seeing more clearly, seeing beyond the “clouds,” involves praying, watching, waiting, or acting, and usually a combination of these. Waiting can be the most difficult, which is where faith comes in. There is a sense that God is revealing next steps toward living out a vision or dream for the future, or living life on purpose, or making sense of life circumstances.

Here is the liner note I wrote for the song Unveiled: “A ‘veil’ is a covering of my heart that keeps me from understanding. When I turn to God the veil is taken away and I can more clearly see and reflect His goodness. See 2 Corinthians 3:18.” There is no guarantee we will see or understand things fully every time. However, I have found that God helps put things in perspective. He is faithful to unveil things in His way and in His time.

What step can you take toward seeing more clearly today?

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV)

“…our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, MSG)

Sound Waves – Simplify & Refresh

June 1, 2016 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to J.S. Bach’s Prelude in C while you read. This is from my 7th album A Thousand Years, which features a blend of original composing with unique arrangements of favorite classics and hymns.

What is your favorite movie soundtrack?

I love to experience the wonder of a musical journey, with beautiful melodies and awe-inspiring performances. If you would like to hear some of my favorites, I have created a summer vacation Spotify playlist called Sound Waves (you can listen here).

During a recent music video filming trip, I was able to wake before sunrise three mornings in a row. One morning captured below included the combination of ocean waves with a breathtaking sunrise. The scene was a picture of simplicity and refreshment, which are two of the key elements I love to bring listeners through my music.

If we described our favorite movie soundtrack, “simple” and “refreshing” may not be the first words we would use, but they would likely be in the mix. Two composers who inspire me are J.S. Bach and Hans Zimmer. I love their quotes about music below…

“I’ve spent my life trying to make things simpler. Because I find ultimately that complicated doesn’t reach the heart.” — Hans Zimmer

“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” — Johann Sebastian Bach

Think about how you can simplify and refresh today. Can you use music? Do you need get outside to breathe the air? Take a walk? Find a quiet place? Thanks for joining me on this quest. I would love to hear from you with any comments or feedback.

What is one way you can simplify and refresh today?

“This is all that I have learned: God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.” — Ecclesiastes 7:29 (Good News Translation)

Walking in the Light

May 24, 2016 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Walk in the Light as you read. This is the title track from my very first album of Scripture inspired piano in 2001.

How do you know if you are walking in the light?

This question can have a lot of good answers. Last week while filming some music videos in south Georgia, I captured the image below. It is a beautiful symbol of how life brings light and darkness. By faith, we are called to walk in the light.

Isn’t it interesting how the setting sun draws our attention in the photo? We know there is darkness in the world, in life, and even in our hearts. This darkness, and the dark storm clouds pique our curiosity, but we are drawn to the light.

Here are four ideas to consider, which help me know if I am walking in the light…

1. Walk in the light of God’s peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

2. Walk in the light of God’s rest. “The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'” (Exodus 33:14)

3. Walk in the light of God’s hope. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

4. Walk in the light of God’s healing. “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 58:8)

Reflecting on these truths refreshes and encourages me. I hope they do the same for you. There is light, God’s light, beckoning to us in the midst of life’s storms. I would love to hear from you if this is especially meaningful to you today. You can send your comment down below.

Which idea for walking the light shines the most for you?

Here is the inspirational verse for the song Walk in the Light: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

3 Steps to a Life of Adventure

May 12, 2016 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Call to Me from my third album Draw Near. If you enjoy, check out the CD or MP3 Album, Sheet Music, or visit iTunes, Amazon, or Spotify).

Do you view life more as a problem to solve or an adventure to live?

This question from John Eldredge’s book Wild at Heart entered and changed my life about fifteen years ago. I was composing some of my first Scripture inspired piano melodies, and was beginning to wonder if I should pursue music full-time. If yes, what an adventure that would be! The idea was both exhilarating and frightening at the same time.

Recently I took this photograph of a butterfly. The beauty captured in this moment reminds me that figuratively, we are “made to fly” like a butterfly. We were born for more than to “crawl through life” like a caterpillar. Below are three steps I have used to grow in living a “made to fly” life of adventure.

1. Be Still. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10, NIV). Being still is a difficult first step in a world full of noise and distraction. To experience this fully requires unplugging from news, email and mobile phone apps. My richest times of stillness come when I am meditating on Scripture, reading a devotion, or praying with a posture of listening for God’s voice. When my desire is to hear from Him, He is a faithful guide in my life decisions and circumstances. He also invites me into adventures which both stretch my faith, and bring a great sense of purpose.

2. Abide. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NASB). Abiding is a verb made up of other verbs — seeking, desiring, and drawing near to God (James 4:8). Psalm 37:4 describes what this looks like: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” A life of adventure with God comes when we join Him in the work He invites us into. Abiding is far more, and better, than coming up with our own good idea, and asking God to bless it.

3. Obey. “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track” (Proverbs 3:5-6, The Message). “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3, NIV). “Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own” (Jeremiah 33:3, The Message). These verses speak for themselves, and Jeremiah 33:3 inspired the song Call to Me. They have been so powerful in leading me into a faith filled adventure with God. He has special plans and purposes for each of us, which are beyond what we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). I pray for God’s revelation and blessing over your journey with Him.

Which step toward adventure is most meaningful in your life right now?

Rembrandt’s Prodigal: A Life Lesson

April 27, 2016 By Stanton Lanier 6 Comments

Click above to listen to Spirit of Grace as you read (from my 8th album Open Spaces). If you enjoy, visit the online store to order the CD or MP3 Album or PDF Sheet Music. You can also download or stream on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Pandora.

Can you find yourself in Rembrandt’s painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son?”

The three main characters in this renowned painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son” are also found in The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) — the father, the younger brother, and the older brother. This story and painting have transformed my life, and are a deep source of inspiration behind my music and calling.

As I share how and why, look for yourself in the story. I believe this can be transforming for your story too… (please see the two excellent resources down at the bottom, which have spoken very powerfully into my story as well).

The Younger Brother (Kneeling). For much of my life this parable in Luke was a wonderful story. The father’s forgiveness of his youngest son was a beautiful symbol of God’s forgiveness of my sin. This picture of God’s grace spoke to me, but my wonder was limited. I couldn’t relate. This youngest son had taken his share of his father’s estate and squandered it all on reckless living. I am the oldest of three sons. I wanted to please my parents and follow the rules. However, I did envy people who seemed to be having so much fun with “reckless living” (I also quietly judged them). I have had my “prodigal son moments” in life, but I didn’t think this story applied so much to me, since it was really for those who had “lost it all.” Or was it?

The Older Brother (Standing). I can relate to the older brother. This is me, since I have two younger brothers. Because the “Prodigal Son” story doesn’t focus so much on the older brother, I thought I was safe. His story is in the last section of the parable, more of a footnote than the headline. He had stayed home, spending his life serving his father and taking care of his estate. He was prudent, not reckless. However, when his father held a great feast and party to celebrate his younger brother’s homecoming, the older brother was angry and refused to go in. It took many years for God to reveal this “aha” moment in my life. For too long, I had taken life too seriously, not having enough joy, and quietly holding a self-righteous pride in my heart. Now the story did apply to me. God was showing me I needed His love, grace, and forgiveness just as much as the younger brother.

The Father (Touching). As Tim Keller and Henri Nowen so eloquently illustrate, God can enable each of us to have the heart of the father in the story. He loved both of his boys, the youngest and the oldest. His love was filled with grace, acceptance, and forgiveness toward both, more than either son realized. This revelation is what transformed me. God wants me, wants us, to be like the father in the story — to love people well, to grow in seeing them through His eyes, from a heart of grace, forgiveness, and acceptance. The “heart of the father” has been breaking through in my life ever since. This is the heart behind my music — to meet people where they are, to express God’s peace, rest, hope and healing through Scripture inspired piano.

How does this speak to your story? What character are you? Who do you want to be?

The following are links to two of the very best books on this subject, which offer amazing insights into the deep meaning of Luke’s writing and Rembrandt’s painting: The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith, by Tim Keller, and The Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, by Henri Nouwen.

Finding Life’s Open Doors

April 19, 2016 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

Click above to listen to The Voice, the title track from my 4th album The Voice, as you read. If you enjoy, visit the online store to order the CD or MP3 Album or PDF Sheet Music. You can also download or stream on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Pandora.

What is an “open door” you are walking through or wishing for?

In this sense an open door is something filled with God’s goodness. It could be a new job, a creative project, a family vacation, some fresh joy in your marriage, finding your soulmate, or anything good your heart desires.

One of my “open door” wishes right now is new music. I am composing for a new album coming this fall. As I seek and meditate on verses to become Scripture inspired piano, the process can often seem very slow. Sometimes nothing comes. Sometimes portions of a song come quickly.

As I experience life’s ups and downs, instead of focusing on my frustrations, I am wanting to remember the blessings. It is not a perfect journey, but when I seek to hear God’s voice, and offer a heart of worship to Him, I see more clearly and He reveals more “open doors” of His goodness.

Below are some verses I lean into, whether I am walking through, or wishing for an open door. I hope these inspire your story today, and pray God reveals more of His goodness to you.

…but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper. When Elijah heard the quiet voice… 1 Kings 19:11-13 (The Message)

“Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness.”
Psalm 34:8-9 (The Message)

Which of these verses moves you closer to your open door?