Stanton Lanier

Scripture inspired piano to refresh your spirit

SO LOVED Track #9 – Heart and Soul

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Click above to listen to track #9 Heart and Soul from the new album So Loved as you read. You can enjoy the CD, MP3 Album, Piano Book and Sheet Music on the So Loved Album Page. You can stream the music on Spotify, iTunes-Apple Music, Amazon MP3, Pandora, and more.

What are you pouring your heart and soul into right now?

This could be your work, your hobby, your family, your marriage, your next vacation, your walk with God, or any number of noble pursuits. The song Heart and Soul is a soundtrack inspired by the life of Caleb, whose great faith resulted in a life of even greater adventure as he trusted God’s guidance. A better phrasing of this question in my journey is “How is God stirring my heart and soul to follow Him better, to follow Him like Caleb?” This requires a wondrous and mysterious combination of stillness and waiting with surrender and action. As you listen to the music and read about the six sections of this song below, I hope you will find fresh inspiration and wisdom in making your life choices and decisions…

1. Section 1 (First 45 seconds, 0:00 to 0:45). Approaching God in Stillness and Waiting. The song opening expresses our wanting to know what to do next. This requires moments of prayerfully getting quiet, and listening closely for God’s gentle whisper.

2. Section 2 (Next 45 seconds, 0:45 to 1:30). Moving with Surrender and Action. This section symbolizes taking first steps as we begin to find our rhythm with faith and obedience, and to know God and His voice more intimately, like Caleb.

3. Section 3 (Next 60 seconds, 1:30 to 2:30). Going Deeper in Stillness and Waiting. This section is a little bit longer than the opening, symbolizing deeper stillness and waiting — listening more attentively, and hearing God’s voice more clearly.

4. Section 4 (Next 45 seconds, 2:30 to 3:15). Moving with Greater Surrender and Action. Our life and faith rhythm gets bigger and louder so to speak, as we interact with God, listen for His voice, and obey His further instructions more swiftly.

5. Section 5 (Next 45 seconds, 3:15 to 4:00). The Blessing of Communion and Interaction. This musical bridge takes us into still deeper communion with God, interacting with Him as we combine both waiting and acting. He knows our needs and guides us faithfully.

6. Section 6 (Final 60 seconds, 4:00 to ending). The Blessing of Affirmation. As we follow God with all our “heart and soul” He encourages us and gives us greater confidence. Like Caleb, the chorus melody and rhythm now begin to represent the growing fruit and impact of our life choices and decisions. This happens as we continue to trust and obey God in all things.

Which phase of this process is most meaningful to you at this moment?

HEART AND SOUL | CALEB
Deuteronomy 1, Numbers 13-14. “he (Caleb) was all for following God, heart and soul.” When God says “let’s go” and we obey, all things are possible with Him.

SO LOVED Track #8 – Strength Is Yours

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Click above to listen to track #8 Strength Is Yours from the new album So Loved as you read. You can enjoy the CD, MP3 Album, Piano Book and Sheet Music on the So Loved Album Page. You can stream the music on Spotify, iTunes-Apple Music, Amazon MP3, Pandora, and more.

How do you bring forth strength when you feel weak and helpless?

When I am overwhelmed by life struggles or battles I may ask the questions, “Lord, why is this happening?” or “Where are you Lord?” As you listen to Strength Is Yours, journey with me for a moment into the story behind this song and its application in our lives. Then perhaps listen again with a renewed perspective. Here is how this song and its meaning came together…

It was about 1180 B.C. The Israelites were completely overwhelmed in Judges 6. They were being defeated and overrun by the Midianites. They were way outnumbered, all their crops were being stolen, and they were hiding in caves to find some sense of safety and security. This was the scene when God appeared to Gideon, a man small in stature, and called him a Mighty Warrior. Gideon was certain God had made a mistake and needed quite a bit of convincing before his faith would reach beyond his current reality. When we face life’s battles or life seems hopeless, in mystery and wonder God offers us hope that He knows everything we are going through. Not only does He join us in the battle, He is fighting our battles for us.

The helpless feeling we experience is expressed in the intense opening of this soundtrack. The violin opens with a distressed melody, and is answered by the cello notes singing the phrase “go in this strength that is yours” in the midst of our insecurity and uncertainty. These were God’s words to Gideon, and they are His words to us, even when life’s battles lead to a hopeless heart. He promises to give us His strength and to be with us in all things. He is singing a “Mighty Warrior” chorus with angels and a heavenly orchestra of music, which builds in the song to a climactic finish filling our hearts with hope and strength. Let the music and this truth wash over you as you “go in this strength that is yours.”

What is one thing God is saying to you today through this music and its inspiration?

STRENGTH IS YOURS | GIDEON
Judges 6. God said to him, “Go in this strength that is yours. I’ll be with you. Believe me.” God is mighty and strong. He fights life’s battles with and for us.

SO LOVED Track #7 – Lush Meadows

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Click above to listen to track #7 Lush Meadows from the new album So Loved as you read. You can enjoy the CD, MP3 Album, Piano Book and Sheet Music on the So Loved Album Page. You can stream the music on Spotify, iTunes-Apple Music, Amazon MP3, Pandora, and more.

What is a favorite “lush meadow” moment for you? What was the scene like?

As I composed Lush Meadows my heart was to write music that would take us to a beautiful meadow. I wanted to feel a sense of lying back and looking up at the clouds, of resting and relaxing in the moment, and of trusting God in all areas of life. This song was inspired by the 23rd Psalm and the peace and assurance expressed in David’s words, as well as Psalm 51 and David’s brokenness before God. Here is some of the story behind the soundtrack and how it happened…

David was called a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). He wrote half of the Psalms (75 of 150), defeated the giant Goliath as boy, killed a lion and bear when he was a shepherd tending his sheep, and was the second king of Israel. However, he was also sinful, afraid, and often cried out to God in distress. The tension within his character has helped me have a much deeper understanding of God’s grace and forgiveness toward us, as well as His love and power working through us. With all this in mind, the music encompasses the friction between the wonder and beauty of the Holy Spirit working in our lives (the lush meadows from Psalm 23), and our sin and brokenness before God (within this beauty the piano sings the words “Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me” throughout the song).

Musically, the piano is underscored by an atmosphere of deep peace to represent a lush meadow. The French horn symbolizes a shepherd’s horn. The harp is a tribute to David playing the harp and lyre as recorded in the Psalms. Listen to the song again, and allow God to sing His grace, forgiveness, and beauty over you.

How does Lush Meadows and its inspiration speak into your story today?

LUSH MEADOWS | DAVID
Psalm 23 and 51. “God, my shepherd, I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows. Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love.”