Stanton Lanier / Sky Whisper Sound, LLC

Scripture inspired piano to refresh your spirit

Breathe – A New Song

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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…

Breathe Single Cover

“…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

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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:

  1. How healthy is my “soft level” to empower dynamic living (i.e. solitude, silence, quiet time, prayer life, etc.)?
  2. How healthy is my “loud level” to enrich dynamic living (i.e. relationships, interaction with people, reaching out, etc.)?
  3. What am I practicing in my private life that will make my public life more dynamic – spirited, energetic, passionate, magnetic?
  4. 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

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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.

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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?