An Invitation from Dawn and Dusk

October 24, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to stream Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling as you read. For additional reflection, I am also including the music video at the bottom, which was filmed during sunset in a south Georgia pecan grove.

Which is most inviting to you — 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 my favorite pieces from my newest 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…our hearts are being invited to come and worship God.

How does Psalm 65:8 inspire you 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)

How Do You Climb to the Sky?

October 17, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

This week is the 1st anniversary of my 10th album Climb to the Sky. You can click above to listen above as you read, and visit the Climb to the Sky album page for the CD, MP3 Album, and Sheet Music. I am also including the music video at the bottom of this post for additional inspiration (filmed during a mountain sunset at 6,200 feet).

How do you “climb to the sky” in life?

This title track has such deep meaning in my story. I meditated on Psalm 139:8 “If I climb to the sky you’re there…” for quite a while before the music was revealed to me. 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.”

There are many “broken stories” from my life which God has gradually healed and redeemed over time… Stuttering when I was five years old, which made me very shy. Getting glasses when I was ten years old, which I despised (I could still make a lot of basketball shots without wearing them). Having a sixth grade “girl friend” break up with me because I had not kissed her. Failing my first exams at Georgia Tech. Working as a shift manager in a carpet mill all but two Sundays every month. Over striving to succeed and meet people’s expectations during college and my early career years. There are others I have shared in earlier blog posts. What are some of your broken stories you need to climb above?

We are all on this “climb to the sky” in life. As children, we may have experienced this while 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. I have found an eternal view to be most helpful. My “climb” is founded on a perspective that, one day at a time, life is an “adventure to live” instead of a “problem to solve” (credit to John Elredge from his book Wild at Heart). There is a sense of wonder and awe, and God’s loving kindness toward us found throughout Psalm 139, which 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 faith, 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?

10th Anniversary – Why I Composed Awaken the Dawn

October 10, 2017 By Stanton Lanier 4 Comments

Click above to stream Awaken the Dawn as you read. For additional reflection, at the bottom I am also including the soothing, uplifting Awaken the Dawn music video filmed during an ocean sunrise on the Georgia coast.

What can you celebrate this week that happened ten years ago?

This week I am celebrating the 10th Anniversary of my 5th album Unveiled and the opening track Awaken the Dawn, which has consistently been a top listener favorite around the world. As I paused to look back and remember how this song happened, I was prompted to share more of the story with you…

I began composing Awaken the Dawn in May 2006, two months after the extremely painful experience of having our house robbed of everything small and valuable (all jewelry, cameras, etc.). I was on a quest for more hope in my life. The original working title was Waking Light. The inspiration was coming from Psalm 108:1-2, “My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.” I learned this passage is identical to Psalm 57:7-8, and these are the only two places in the entire Bible (NIV version) where the words “awaken the dawn” are used.

The music was nice, but for many months it featured a main chorus which was not stirring enough emotion. I worked on it off and on, and finally by early 2007 it was taking shape, with each musical section finding its place. In all the writing, re-writing, and playing the notes over and over, my heart’s longing was to express the deep essence of hope referenced in these Psalms. It was a lofty goal, but I wanted this message of God’s hope, without words, to speak to the heart of every person around the world who might one day hear this melody.

We have all been “robbed” of hope in various ways. This could be in our dreams, relationships, emotions, spiritual journey, health, circumstances, or any number of life events. It is interesting to me that God would inspire a song about hope following not just having our house robbed, but several other experiences of loss or struggle, where there were moments of hopelessness in my life. Hidden in the piano notes is a message from my heart to yours… I have found Jesus to be faithful when I put my faith in Him to provide the peace, rest, hope and healing I need each day.

How does “Awaken the Dawn” sing a song of God’s hope into your life?