December 5th ~ God Has Not Forgotten

December 5, 2015 By Stanton Lanier 1 Comment

Click above to listen to my arrangement of Coventry Carol as you read. This track version is from 2009 Best Holiday Album December Peace (ZMR Awards, winning over Enya and Yo-Yo Ma). If you enjoy, please consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen and download on iTunes and all other digital outlets.

This story is from 31 Days of December Peace (soft cover or eBook). Also available from Amazon Kindle, iTunes, and other e-Readers.

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” – Psalm 147:3

When I was seven, growing up on the outskirts of Atlanta, I decided I wanted a motorcycle. So off to the bank I went, not wanting to wait. I borrowed $165.00 with a little help from Dad and Mr. Morris, the neighborhood banker. I worked for 50 cents an hour and purchased a Honda QA 50. Life feels pretty great sometimes and this was certainly one of those times.

As we all get a little older, we realize life can send some very difficult things our way. Some are seemingly by chance, while others are a result of our choices, and we end up feeling like God has forgotten about us. You might say my divorce, illness, death in the family, financial crisis or
emotional storm has left me feeling like I will never surface from the sea of difficulty.

It wasn’t long before I began to outgrow the motorcycle. As a young boy I truly wondered if I would experience the joy and peace of someday having another motorcycle. After what seemed like forever, when I was in the fourth grade, one cold December morning I walked into the den, and discovered Santa had left a Honda SL 70 under the Christmas tree. I can still see the big red bow on the gas tank. Santa did not forget about me, and God will not forget about you, your pain, and the unique challenge that weighs you down.

Hang in there. God can’t wait to surprise you with healing or a new job. Regardless of your challenge, when he wraps your gift you can rest assured He knows just what you need. Trust Him. May December be a reminder of the greatest gift of all – Jesus.

December 4th ~ Lord, Make Us Thankful

December 4, 2015 By Stanton Lanier 1 Comment

Click above to listen to the Thanksgiving piano-English horn duet as you read. This track version is from 2009 Best Holiday Album December Peace (ZMR Awards, winning over Enya and Yo-Yo Ma). If you enjoy, please consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen and download on iTunes and all other digital outlets.

This story is from 31 Days of December Peace (soft cover or eBook). Also available from Amazon Kindle, iTunes, and other e-Readers.

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

Frank Stanton Bondurant was his name. My mom called him “Daddy,” but to his grandsons he was known as “Daddy B.” He was born in 1905 and died in 2002, just shy of his 97th birthday. As I reflect on his influence in my life, I am amazed at how many lasting impressions he made. He was quite a storyteller.

Daddy B was an only child. His parents both died before their 42nd birthday, so he didn’t think he would live past that age. They both played piano, but he was a gifted violinist. He played high school football when there were no face masks, just a thin leather helmet. He broke both eyebrow bones and both collar bones. He loved to play games and tell jokes. If you said, “Please pass the cereal,” he would throw you the box! He introduced me to fig preserves and Mama B’s blackberry cobbler. He threw baseball with me for hours when I was a Little League pitcher, teaching me how to grip the threads to throw a curve ball, drop ball, fast ball and slider. He played his violin with me when I was playing piano in middle and high school (that’s us in the photo when I was thirteen).

When I learned to drive he always reminded me that if an animal ever ran in front of me that I should “go through it,” and not swerve to miss it. He had wrecked his car one time avoiding a dog. His advice probably saved my family’s life when I hit a deer in June 2002 driving sixty miles per hour. I went through it. Incredibly, we were on the way to Daddy B.’s funeral when this happened.

“Lord, make us thankful for these and all our blessings. Pardon our sins for Christ’s sake. Amen.” This was Daddy B’s prayer before every meal whenever we saw him. These are only a few of my memories of this beloved man of character, passion and faith. I loved Daddy B. I will always remember the blessing he was in my life.

Who is your Daddy B? Can you be a “Daddy B” for someone?

December 3rd ~ The Glow of Giving

December 3, 2015 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

Click above to listen to Little Drummer Boy as you read. This track version is from 2009 Best Holiday Album December Peace (ZMR Awards, winning over Enya and Yo-Yo Ma). If you enjoy, please consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen and download on iTunes and all other digital outlets.

This story is from 31 Days of December Peace (soft cover or eBook). Also available from Amazon Kindle, iTunes, and other e-Readers.

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

“For it is in the giving that we receive.” – St. Francis of Assisi

In 1991 we lived in a tiny apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey. Early that December we had a window leak, so a handyman and I spent the better part of a week together in our small living room. Near the end of the week I asked him if he knew of anyone going through a tough time who had young children, because I wanted to help out with buying Christmas gifts. He was quiet for a few moments and then said, “Is it too bold of me to ask for this gift… I have four kids and it’s been a rough year.”

His joyful spirit never gave a hint of his struggles. I was so excited to help his family. He gave me the ages of his kids, their interests, and their special Santa requests. We agreed that I would give him the wrapping paper so he and his wife could have the joy of giving the gifts. It was a tearful moment for both of us.
When he came back the next week to pick up the toys, he burst out crying while he bear hugged me. We both cried tears of joy and gratitude. I will never forget the depth of emotion we shared.His story may stop there…. his 1991 Christmas miracle. My story doesn’t.

I basked in the glow of giving all year that year. I couldn’t wait to do it again and feel the warmth of giving the following Christmas. We found another family in a rough spot and my husband and I agreed to meet the father with wrapping paper and unwrapped toys so he, too, could have the joy and ownership of wrapping his children’s gifts.

As we knocked on his door, we had Christmas in our hearts and anticipation of being wrapped in the warmth of gratitude. The door opened wide to a family young and old. Without any pleasantries, they swiftly grabbed the gift bags, nodded, and slammed the door in our faces.

We stood there in shock with the closed door inches from our noses. Slowly we turned to each other and started to chuckle in total disbelief at the speed of the exchange. We walked back to the car shaking our heads trying to parse together what had just happened.

I am grateful for the juxtaposition of these Christmases. This quick exchange taught me a greater lesson than the warmth of the first. Didn’t Jesus heal ten lepers, and only one came back to give thanks? (Luke 17:15-16). Lack of gratitude didn’t stop Jesus from giving and it wasn’t going to stop me.

Give, give, and give as Jesus did with no expectations. The warmth of the bear hug and tears shared in 1991 is enough to sustain me forever.

December 2nd ~ The Soundtrack of Peace

December 2, 2015 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

Click above to listen to Awaken the Dawn as you read. This track version is from 2009 Best Holiday Album December Peace (ZMR Awards, winning over Enya and Yo-Yo Ma). If you enjoy, please consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen and download on iTunes and all other digital outlets.

This story is from 31 Days of December Peace (soft cover or eBook). Also available from Amazon Kindle, iTunes, and other e-Readers.

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

As a writer, I use music to wash over me, creating moods and an environment that fuels creativity. When I wrote the Left Behind: The Kids series with Jerry Jenkins and Dr. Tim LaHaye, Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman felt like friends. Writing Almost Heaven was an exercise in mandolins and guitars and bluegrass.

There is a soundtrack to our lives, our stories, as real as those we hear in films. It’s up to us to listen. We can drown the notes with other pursuits, other music that crowds it out, but it is there, running through our lives every day.

At this busy, hustle-bustle time of year, the Good News is all around us, but you have to listen carefully to hear the soundtrack over the 24 hour news cycle. If you lean even closer, you can hear that same soundtrack running through your own life.

I choose to rest in a sovereign God who made everything seen and unseen. I choose to believe there is more going on than I understand. Looking back, I see the intricately woven story of redemption as the soundtrack playing behind the man and woman choosing to eat. I hear the minor chords as men sell their brother into slavery and watch that evil become their salvation. When all seems lost, the waters part and a path is hewn where none existed. Promised Land ahead, people stumble over their wayward hearts as prophets, priests, and kings rise and fall. A Wonderful Counselor is promised. A Mighty God will appear. A Suffering Servant.

Sometimes I think the soundtrack of my life is the B side of an old garage sale reject. It’s haphazard and scratched and almost unintelligible. I envision God watching human history and shaking his head. Then, with a snap, he awakens with the spark of an idea. A way to redeem he hadn’t considered.

God is not like this.

The cross was not his fallback plan. God chose the manger that cradled the infant head of his Son. Every bit of straw, every animal in that dirty cave, every shepherd that came running, every angel that sang his song was chosen. Every footstep toward Golgotha, each nail, each thorn on the crown. Every Roman guard pressed into service. The tomb that couldn’t hold him. The stone that rolled away.

And you.

The sovereign God who made you wants you to hear this soundtrack, not to figure out how he scored the music. This is not a musical puzzle. He asks you to surrender to his music. He is playing the notes behind the pain and struggle of your life. You can participate. You can fight against him or abandon yourself to the ebb and flow that began creation’s song.

The soundtrack of peace is the love of God. This crimson melody runs through history’s landscape and the crags of your life.

May the music haunt you today and give you peace. May you hear the soundtrack gently leading you toward hope.

December 1st ~ The Sled

December 1, 2015 By Stanton Lanier 6 Comments

Click above to listen to In the Bleak Midwinter as you read. This piano-English horn duet is from 2009 Best Holiday Album December Peace (ZMR Awards, winning over Enya and Yo-Yo Ma). If you enjoy, please consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen and download on iTunes and all other digital outlets.

This story is from 31 Days of December Peace (soft cover or eBook). Also available from Amazon Kindle, iTunes, and other e-Readers.

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

Cypress Road was packed with fresh fallen snow in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I could see it through the big living room window of my childhood home. The temperature was just below freezing. School was closed. My tummy was full with a vitamin fortified Kaboom cereal breakfast. All my “Mt. Everest” gear was in place. It was another dream winter morning for a nine-year old. Cypress Road. One hundred yards long with a perfect twenty degree slope. Another downhill sledding adventure was about to begin.

This unforgettable scene happened many times during my elementary school years. It was a treasured experience. So much so that a full body length sled was at the top of my wish list for Christmas 1974. The gift appeared and was all I had hoped for. A Gladding Champion Fastback. Sixty inches long, three strips of polished hardwood, painted for speed (including speedometer) and shiny red runners.

Every day after Christmas I waited… January… February… March… April… no snow. I couldn’t believe it! My sled dream had come true, but the snow never came that winter. The following summer my dad took a new job in Pensacola, Florida. As my eleventh birthday approached, I wondered “Is this really happening?!” My new sled and I were moving to the Florida panhandle! That was a long time ago. The Gladding Champion Fastback is now stored in the basement, still gliding through life with me. The glamorous adventure he was born for has ended up being a humdrum existence. A historic two inch snow at our house in Milton, Florida only resulted in a drag across the flat front yard. A few times “Champ” has coasted down some small slopes when we have had ice and snow in Atlanta or north Georgia, where I have lived most of my life. But for the most part, it just rests in storage, waiting to deliver pure joy with a long, downhill run.

Every December when I see my sled, I still long for that joy ride. But I am also reminded that no earthly possession will ever bring me the joy that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

What is your sled? Do you treasure Christ above all earthly treasures?

Pausing to Breathe

October 13, 2015 By Stanton Lanier 28 Comments

Click above to listen to the brand new song Breathe as you read (releasing 10/27/15 on iTunes worldwide, and all other download and streaming services).

How can pausing to “breathe” help you go from better to best?

Last week I put aside my “to do” list to film a new music video in the mountains of western North Carolina. My original idea was to go deep into an old forest with huge trees, since trees help us breathe by producing oxygen. After some hiking and scouting, the plan shifted. It was a little unsettling at first, but taking time to pause, to breathe in this moment, led to an amazing discovery…

Back at the entrance to the historic forest, there were two signs. The first indicated the mileage to a lookout point. The second said “No Outlet.” My friend (and camera man) agreed we should go exploring, to see if we might discover an even better (perhaps even the best) music video location. We were blown away, and couldn’t wait to start filming at sunrise the next morning.

The image above is just a glimpse of the beauty and wonder we experienced, and I cannot wait to share the new Breathe music video with you soon. Here are a few points of reflection from this story, which may be helpful with your creativity today:

Having a creative vision and dream to make a positive difference in people’s lives is a great first step.
Pausing to breathe (being flexible, waiting to see what is revealed) can take you from good, to better, to best.
Taking calculated risks (seeing what is down a “no outlet” road) is part of experiencing awe and wonder.
“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)
“I bless God every chance I get…I live and breathe God…” Psalm 34:1-2 (MSG)

What are you working on that could move from better to best by pausing to “breathe” in a new creative direction?

Breathe – A New Song

September 24, 2015 By Stanton Lanier 42 Comments

https://www.stantonlanier.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Breathe-Single.mp3 
Click above to listen to my new song Breathe as you read and reflect on these words (this new single released 10/27/15 on iTunes and all other outlets). Also, you can enjoy and watch the Breathe Music Video.
The piano notes, and the space between the notes, were inspired as I meditated on Scripture being God-breathed, my longing to live and breathe God, my need for time to “breathe” in the midst of a busy and noisy world, and for breathing room (margin) in my life and and the life of my family. Think on the verses below, and take some time to breathe today…
“…then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” – Genesis 2:7 (English Standard Version)
“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” – Job 33:4 (English Standard Version)
“I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise. I live and breathe God…” – Psalm 34:1-2 (The Message)

“You’ve always given me breathing room, a place to get away from it all, A lifetime pass to your safe-house, an open invitation as your guest. You’ve always taken me seriously, God, made me welcome among those who know and love you.” – Psalm 61:3-5 (The Message)

“God, the one and only— I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him, so why not? He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I’m set for life.” – Psalm 62:1-2 (The Message)

“With your very own hands you formed me; now breathe your wisdom over me so I can understand you. – Psalm 119:73 (The Message)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:105 (English Standard Version)

By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. – Psalm 119:105 (The Message)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (New International Version)

What is one of your favorite life experiences where you had room to breathe in the moment?

Two Levels for a Dynamic Life

September 17, 2015 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

How healthy are your “two levels” in living a dynamic life?

It is amazing how music and life are so deeply related. An idea came to me, and I encourage you to join me in this experiment. Earlier this year I filmed some short videos with helpful composing tips, as part of building toward a new Master Class video course. The first 2:45 of the video below are about the importance of dynamics (louds and softs) in piano performance and composing. The experiment is for you to watch the video, and to think on the “dynamics” of your life in the following ways:

How healthy is my “soft level” to empower dynamic living (i.e. solitude, silence, quiet time, prayer life, etc.)?
How healthy is my “loud level” to enrich dynamic living (i.e. relationships, interaction with people, reaching out, etc.)?
What am I practicing in my private life that will make my public life more dynamic – spirited, energetic, passionate, magnetic?
Have you ever thought of your life as a movie script? Like you are living out a “master class” to make a difference in the world?

Now, watch the video, listening to importance of dynamics in the song Awaken the Dawn. Write down your thoughts on the above as you take in the video. Look for the parallels between music and life. Notice the similarity between music dynamics and living a dynamic life. After the video, identify one or two action steps to help you make progress in dynamic living.

What “dynamic life” level needs your focus right now – the “soft” or the “loud?”

Here is the short description from when I created the video. Think of “life” instead of “piano” when you read the text…

I use Awaken the Dawn to demonstrate how dynamics help elevate emotion in the listener. Using different levels of soft, medium and loud expression in our playing helps melodies “speak” to the heart. Be flexible, experiment, and have fun with your creativity!

If by chance you would like to browse Piano Books and PDF Sheet Music click here. For Master Class details click here.

4 Questions to Refresh Your Work-Life Balance

September 14, 2015 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Spirit of Grace from my 8th album Open Spaces. If you enjoy, you can order the CD or MP3 Album or Sheet Music directly or visit iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora, and more.

Which of the questions down below refreshes you the most?

I recently was invited to speak on this pivotal issue of work-life balance. It was a good challenge to think through the best ideas I have learned over the years, but most importantly, to see how I have applied them to grow in my work-life balance.

1. Is your life more of an argument or more of a story?

In looking back, I realized I spent my first thirty years (until 1994) viewing life as more of “a problem to solve” than “an adventure to live.” There had been moments of adventure, but the overarching theme of my life was more of an argument than a story. Over the past twenty-one years, by surrendering and asking God what He wants me to do, instead of striving to achieve and hoping to meet everyone’s expectations, I have experienced much greater clarity, purpose, contentment, and work-life balance. Think of your life as an inspiring story, an award-winning film, being lived out each day.

2. Are you more of a creator, or more of a consumer?

Starting about fifteen years ago, I dramatically reduced the amount of time I spent listening to the radio or watching television. This idea began a journey toward keeping a balance between creating and consuming. Having a “creator” mindset influenced my wife and I in our living, and in parenting our children, to spend more time “creating” and less time “consuming.” It became more fun to film a short movie, cook a meal together, or play an old-fashioned family game. Try applying this idea in your work, family time, hobbies, etc., using your unique, creative gifts.

3. Which way do you lean: scarcity mentality or abundance mentality?

The world sees everything as scarce — time, money, belongings, etc. Applying an abundance mentality to work-life balance can lead to amazing, unforgettable moments. Here are just a few examples: believing anything is possible in your career and trusting your calling, spending on a family dream vacation or special home project instead of saving too much, becoming a better saver if you have a history of overspending, or giving generously to charitable causes which align with your heart. From a faith perspective, Jesus promises abundant life (John 10:10) and eternal life (John 5:24) when we believe Him, overcoming the scarce and temporal.

4. Are you pursuing more: grace-liberty-progress or truth-legalism-perfection?

In most life areas, including work-life balance, I used to see things through a lens of truth (always be right), legalism (follow a formula), and perfection (make no mistakes). The “Life Balance Wheel” set me up to fail when the “right formula” became the “perfect life wheel.” I have been very refreshed by pursuing work-life balance with grace (goodwill), liberty (freedom, flexibility) and progress (forward movement). I choose Grace over Grind, Refreshed over Exhausted, Progress over Perfection.

What is one idea you should act on to make progress with your work-life balance?
— Marriage, Family, Career, Financial, Spiritual, Health, Vacation, Other?

Invigorate My Soul

June 5, 2015 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Use today’s post as a time of meditation. The selected verses down below are from Psalm 119 in The Message. They speak to me powerfully. They invigorate my soul. They also include the inspiration behind the Open Spaces music and video.

I hope this combination of music, words and video inspires your faith, creativity and calling. Please feel free to comment on how this speaks to you, and I will reply personally.

Grace and Peace, Stanton

Verses 1-2
You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him.

Verses 17-18
Be generous with me and I’ll live a full life; not for a minute will I take my eyes off your road.
Open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-wonders.

Verses 43-48
Oh, I’ll guard with my life what you’ve revealed to me, guard it now, guard it ever;
And I’ll stride freely through wide open spaces as I look for your truth and your wisdom;
Then I’ll tell the world what I find, speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed.
I cherish your commandments—oh, how I love them!—relishing every fragment of your counsel.

Verses 175-176
Invigorate my soul so I can praise you well, use your decrees to put iron in my soul.
And should I wander off like a lost sheep—seek me! I’ll recognize the sound of your voice.