Day 21 for “31 Days of December Peace” ~ Embracing Life’s Seasons

December 21, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to O Come, O Come Emmanuel as you read, from December Peace (Best Holiday Album, ZMR Awards). If you enjoy, consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen on Spotify, Pandora Holiday Channel, Apple Music and all other digital streaming services.

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

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”
– Ecclesiastes 3:1

I remember December 2000 like it was yesterday. I was graduating from nursing school with hopes to start caring for children at a local pediatric hospital. I had met the man of my dreams, and knew that God had finally led me to my future husband. My family was looking forward to celebrating our first Christmas at our new mountain home in beautiful Blue Ridge, Georgia. It was as if God had brought everything together in perfect harmony.

I had also finished an amazing year of Bible study learning the foundations to live out my faith, and was so encouraged each week by watching God’s work take place in the relationships and lives around me. Celebrating Christmas this year felt different. Snow brought a rare white Christmas. Most vividly, there was a December Peace in my family, not only for me, but also for my sister and my parents. My twin sister had also met her future husband, and my parents were happier than I had ever remembered.

I paused and reflected on the above scripture found in Ecclesiastes 3:1 during this season. I was so thankful for this SEASON I was in, so thankful for this time to embrace, this time to quit searching, this time to love, and this time of peace.

It was in January 2001 when I felt God telling me a different season was coming. I remember thinking He was probably preparing me for my new life with a career, living independently from my parents, and taking care of all my own needs. I remember reflecting in my Bible studies. I had not had a true season in my life where I had to learn about true faith. Maybe this new season would be my time of refinement and growth.

It was January 8 when suddenly my season changed. My amazing mother passed away at the young age of 53. It was not the season I was expecting to go through. I had not focused on “a time to grieve” or “a time to cry” previously. It was through God’s incredible grace I was given that December Peace as the year 2000 came to a close. My life continues with many different seasons. To this day, I look back on that December with such gratitude and hope for the future. This season was “defining” for me personally. It brought me to a new place spiritually. I learned firsthand of my dependence on God to give me that peace that surpasses all understanding. I don’t look back with anger or bitterness. I look back with gratitude. Gratitude for an amazing mother who walked with me for my first 23 years. Gratitude for God teaching me to embrace each season of life. He has taught me how to weather each season that comes, focus my thoughts on what is true and good, and find JOY even when it is not the season I was expecting or looking for.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ~ A Time for Everything

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.

Day 19 for “31 Days of December Peace” ~ His Peace

December 19, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Angels We Have Heard on High as you read, from December Peace (Best Holiday Album, ZMR Awards). If you enjoy, consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen on Spotify, Pandora Holiday Channel, Apple Music and all other digital streaming services.

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

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

Peace took on new meaning for my family in 2004. That December found us holding our first and then only daughter, Hayley, close in our arms, day after day, as we awaited her final breath. Years of faith, prayers of loved ones, and Scripture-inspired music surrounded us daily and reminded us of the eternity we one day would share together; the knowledge of Hayley’s imminent death, though, remained wrenching. I remember constantly kissing her forehead, as I had a lifetime of love to fit into an unknown, but certainly short, number of days. I wanted the warmth of her cheek on mine and the memory of holding this cherished gift from God to be etched on my heart forever.

Hayley would pass away from an aggressive form of leukemia on December 19, 2004, having been home under hospice care for several weeks. A year filled with hospital rooms, intense chemotherapy, more than 60 blood and platelet transfusions, full-body irradiation, and a cord blood transplant would come to an end that evening with our daughter taking her last breath…six weeks before her second birthday.

December Peace is His Peace. His Peace brought tears of joy to my eyes and compelled my heart to sing praise as my precious daughter smiled, took her last breath, and left this world forever. His Peace was joy amidst anguish.

His Peace continues to turn my fear, anger and confusion into faith, love and compassion, and helps me look forward for comfort rather than backward for explanations. And it is His Peace that now fills my Decembers with visions of my baby girl running into His arms.

This life is full of difficult, sometimes nearly impossible-to-bear circumstances. His Peace reminds me that there is an eternity beyond what we can imagine. His Peace reminds me that all that is ahead is so much greater than anything we will leave behind. His Peace reminds me that He is in control AND that I am loved.

His Peace frees me. His Peace brings me to contentment, even when my heart aches… especially in December.

Day 18 for “31 Days of December Peace” ~ My Favorite Month

December 18, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to In the Bleak Midwinter as you read, from December Peace (Best Holiday Album, ZMR Awards). If you enjoy, consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen on Spotify, Pandora Holiday Channel, Apple Music and all other digital streaming services.

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

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

December is my most exciting month of the year. It is the month we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. When I reflect on our Savior and what He has done for me on Calvary, I have so many things to be thankful for, and I rejoice in all that Jesus has made available to me.

Jesus is my Peace, my Healer, my Comforter, my Joy, and my Strength. When I think on the works of His marvelous hands, I recognize my future is in Good Hands. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “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.” I can look forward to having peace in the new year and walking in God’s plan for my life .

December is the month when I reflect on how Jesus made a difference in my life throughout the past months and seasons. Never has Jesus failed to bring me through. As I travel along this journey, I have an assurance I am never alone because Jesus promised in Hebrews 13:5 that He will never leave or forsake me. When I know Jesus is the one lighting my path, I can see brighter days ahead. December is the month I take pleasure in celebrating our Savior with Christmas carols, love, unity, and fellowship with those who have impacted and made a difference in my life. I also make a great effort to give back to those who may not know the love of God. I realize throughout the year I have been blessed to be a blessing, so I seek to allow my life to be a blessing to as many as God would have me serve. I celebrate my Savior by lifting Him up and magnifying His name in the midst of those who need a word of encouragement, and hope.

December is the month I look forward to giving out some of the most beautiful and inspirational greeting cards. While drinking hot cocoa, I write words expressing my love. My favorite December songs are Silent Night and Holy is the Lamb. I am always anticipating God raining down some snowflakes, giving us a white Christmas that shows reverence for His Holiness.

December brings me great joy because I know in my heart Jesus is real, and everything begins to reflect Christ’s love. People are more generous; all over the world songs are being sung about our Savior’s birth; amazing miracles are expressed and talked about over the news; lights are bright throughout the nights, and the world has a heart of giving. Children are laughing and playing, and everyone is anticipating the birth of something new.December is a time I reflect on God’s Peace. There is always a feeling of God’s awesome presence moving around us that lets me know all is well. December is the last month of the year, and I know God speaks about our “Latter being Greater.” As I look back, and look ahead, I can actually testify as to how God’s Peace has calmed all my storms.

Day 12 for “31 Days of December Peace” ~ Finally Home for Christmas

December 12, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming as you read, from December Peace (Best Holiday Album, ZMR Awards). If you enjoy, consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen on Spotify, Pandora Holiday Channel, Apple Music and all other digital streaming services.

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

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

Esther looked out her window at the gathering gloom of dusk and accumulating snowfall. It would be a long night here at the nursing center and she hoped that tonight her roommate would finally sleep. The long nights of intermittent moans and raspy breathing did nothing to help her own discomfort, tethered as she was to the ever-present oxygen cannula since her last heart attack in June. Her decision to stay here in New England rather than to live with her daughter in the Midwest had been hers, one she was at peace with after much thought and prayer. Yet tonight, despite the colored lights and garland at each window, it hardly seemed like the Holidays here, much less Christmas Eve. Trusting in her Lord and His providential care for her was a great comfort; but the nights here could be so lonely… especially on this night…

Staring into the darkness, watching the swirling, playful snowflakes’ procession on their way to join the blanket below, she could not help but think back over her 89 years to the happier days of girlhood; to the Christmases of days gone by, with the expectation of Santa Claus and presents. There was Mamma’s cooking and Daddy’s stories, all jumbled together with memories of her own children, in like manner, now all grown and gone with young adult children of their own. She thought wistfully of her own dear Bill, of a Christmas Eve proposal and a lifetime of love and sharing. He was now long-gone to be with Jesus and her heart ached, just to see him smile…to hold his hand… to hear him call her “Essie” one more time. Her family, busied with their own children and grandchildren, managed to call fairly frequently these days… always a lift for her spirits. But, it was not like being there, amidst it all, as impractical and impossible as that was now. The cycles of life, intertwined and spinning together like the dancing flakes before her, were always moving, always changing…
Finishing her bedtime routine, complete with her daily Scripture reading, she slipped beneath her covers and sighed audibly. She remembered the baby Jesus, another unnoticed sojourner; a pilgrim forgotten by the very world He came to save. She remembered John 3:16 and thought about the Father’s Gift, the Light of the World, and how strange it must have been for this infant King; our God wrapped up in flesh, to be away from His home… just so we could know Christmas…

Drifting now, headed for sleep, she breathed a wearied but fervent prayer: “Just to be Home, Lord Jesus… Home with You… Home with Bill… just to be Home…” Her breathing steadied as sleep overcame her. The minutes passed; then an hour, then two, as steadiness gave way to slowing, slowing now to a peaceful still.

And somewhere in the blustery, wintry darkness, Light said, “Come,”…and she did!…

Day 11 for “31 Days of December Peace” ~ Sacred Joy

December 11, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring as you read, from December Peace (Best Holiday Album, ZMR Awards). If you enjoy, consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen on Spotify, Pandora Holiday Channel, Apple Music and all other digital streaming services.

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

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

Snow had fallen softly all day that Christmas Eve, and the blanket that covered Philadelphia made even the most gnarly northeasterner smile. Street sounds throughout the city were muted, and inside we listened to Mitch Miller sing the holiday songs of 1963 that only he could deliver.

The tree was especially beautiful that year, or perhaps in my memory it must have been, since unknown to me at the time, it was the last Christmas our family had together. There was palatable joy in the house, and seeing my mother and father full of that joy made the world perfect for a six-year-old little girl.

Santa visited our home that evening, an unimaginable feat that he would take time from his very busy schedule to visit a little girl in a row house in Philadelphia, but there he stood in my living room in full color, including a slightly red nose. His eyes seemed blurry and not twinkling, but I chalked that up to the cold night outside. I later learned that the red nose was honestly earned by our neighbor who gladly dressed up as Santa on Christmas Eve each year for our block. He was Italian, and did enjoy a bit of Christmas vino throughout the day before visiting our homes.

I was given a quick hug and cautioned that I had better be in bed early if I wanted a visit. I raced up the stairs and into my new red and white flannel polka dot pajamas, and pulled the covers up to my nose. My father, who was a commercial milk truck driver, worked nights, even on Christmas Eve, and I listened closely for the hushed conversation of my mom and dad as they said good night and locks were drawn. My mother padded through the house quietly as if the snow had fallen inside as well. As she turned off the lights room by room, I could see the Christmas tree lights filter under my door and intersect with the moonlight from my window as though they sought each other out. I drifted to sleep knowing that when my father came home at daybreak, I would surely hear the turn of his key in the lock and the great festivities would begin.

That anticipation, hope, and joy that rested on me in 1963 is still with me as I ponder the glorious gift of God become Man. I have learned that all memories of this kind of joy and love are sacred even though they are not outwardly religious. They are not laden with nostalgic glimmer, but rather they are full of eternal hope, and a lovely shadowing of the eternal things to come.

All of heaven must have been full of the same anticipation that first Christmas Eve. All of mankind now yearns for that intimate knowledge of God and our childlike experiences and memories are to be embraced and nourished. They are a reflection of the glory that is ours as we experience the birth of Word become Flesh, the daily grace of the Spirit of Truth engraved on our hearts, and the magnificent love of a Father who has come home and turned the key in the lock. Rejoice and be glad! A Savior is born!

Day 9 for “31 Days of December Peace” ~ Peace on Earth

December 9, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Peace as you read, from December Peace (Best Holiday Album, ZMR Awards). If you enjoy, consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen on Spotify, Pandora Holiday Channel, Apple Music and all other digital streaming services.

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

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” – Luke 2:14

Peace on earth begins with peace in the human heart. It is the result of an inner transformation that affects external conditions. So for example, if a home is conflicted over angry adults, then peace will come when hearts have been captured by peace with God. When Jesus enters the arena of life, He brings peace to those who submit to Him.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5:1-2a).

Are you stressed out over meeting everyone’s expectations? Is the pressure of buying gifts, planning menus and making year-end financial decisions pushing your patience to the edge? If so, inhale the peace of God and exhale the expectations of others. Be careful to not miss the joy of Jesus during this celebration of His birth. Focus on His desires.

Peace on earth does not mean all wars will cease. As our Savior taught, “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come” (Mark 13:7). In fact, many times following Christ means a clash with the morals of society, a discomfort with family members and conflict with your work culture.

However, in the middle of our situations of unrest, we can rest in the Lord. The calming presence of Jesus was illustrated as He lay in swaddling clothes as the world’s Savior. His peace pursues impure hearts – He came to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). So begin by surrendering to your Master Jesus, who began His reign in a humble manger.

Worship the glory of God in all of His goodness, mercy and grace. Wise men and women still seek Him, because He is the originator of wisdom and peace. His favor rests on those who rest in Him, love and obey Him and follow Him all the days of their lives. So, settle down and see Jesus. Replace your frantic pace with calm faith and loud noise with silence. Invite the peace of God to enter into your hurried heart. His peace settles stress.

Lastly, use this season of celestial celebration to celebrate your salvation in Christ. Maybe bake a birthday cake for Jesus and sing happy birthday to your Savior. Dress up in His honor and read the Christmas story. Encourage the children and grandchildren to take on Bible character roles and act out that special day in Bethlehem. Most of all, by grace, model for a world without peace – the world of peace Jesus gives you.

Have I made peace with God? How can I rest in His peace under stressful situations?

Day 2 for “31 Days of December Peace” ~ The Soundtrack of Peace

December 2, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Awaken the Dawn as you read, from December Peace (Best Holiday Album, ZMR Awards). If you enjoy, consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen on Spotify, Pandora Holiday Channel, Apple Music and all other digital streaming services.

This story is from 31 Days of December Peace (soft cover or PDF 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.

How Thanksgiving Leads to December Peace

November 28, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Thanksgiving with piano and English horn as you read. If you enjoy, listen to more music from Best Holiday Album Winner December Peace (ZMR Awards) and check out the 31 Days of December Peace devotional e-Book.

How can Thanksgiving lead to December Peace?

My good friend and mentor Ken Boa consistently encourages me to practice two disciplines: Gratitude and Remembrance. As we transition from our U.S. Thanksgiving holiday to the season of Advent, I was reminded of two verses that have transformed my life and faith journey. Here is how I believe these can prepare you and me for December Peace, and even can lead us there…

As you are listening to Thanksgiving, reflect on these words: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Recorded in Philippians 4, verses 6 and 7 point me toward giving thanks. They focus my heart and mind on gratitude. This prompts me to remember God’s blessings. Then I begin to think about particular times when God has been faithful to provide for me, to see me through a difficult time. For example, when our house was robbed, when there were emergency room visits to the hospital, when I was having fears and doubts about the future, etc. By practicing the thanksgiving in verse 6, this leads to the peace promised in verse 7, which will guard my heart and mind.

I composed the song Thanksgiving from these verses, because I am often tempted to be anxious about everything, not just anything. The music expresses child-like faith, and skipping through life with joy. I wrote the Advent and Christmas season devotional 31 Days of December Peace, to offer real life stories filled with hope and inspiration (from my life and the lives of special friends). Each leads to peace and rest, to gratitude and remembrance, to experiencing “December Peace.” Wishing you and your loved ones a holiday season filled with thanksgiving, peace and joy!

As you prepare for Thanksgiving, and for December, ask yourself these questions:

Who are some people you are grateful for?
What are some things you are grateful for?
What difficult times has God helped you through?
When did something amazing and good happen that encouraged you?

5 Things to Know About Heaven

November 14, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to stream Longing for Heavenly Country from my 10th album Climb to the Sky as you read. I am also including the music video at the bottom, so you can use for additional reflection if you like.

What does “heavenly country” make you think of?

With our U.S. Thanksgiving holiday approaching, along with autumn colors and cool air, November brings a season of harvest and reminds us to count life’s blessings. Each of us has the universal challenge of quieting life’s noise and distractions enough to pause and give thanks, and to experience more moments of peace and contentment.

Inspired by the song Longing for Heavenly Country, I began to think about heaven, and how setting our thoughts on things above can bring a harvest of blessings to us now — during life on earth — as well as to our future. Along with the music track and video, I hope you will reflect on “5 Things to Know About Heaven” (from Scripture and C.S. Lewis) to increase your peace, joy, and contentment now, and in the days to come.

1. Heaven is a Real Place.

The word “heaven” appears in the Bible 622 times. If we believe by faith, here are two of many encouraging verses about heaven being a real place…

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” — Genesis 1:1 (NIV)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” — John 14:1-3 (NIV)

2. Heaven is Our True Home.

“The fact that our heart yearns for something Earth can’t supply is proof that Heaven must be our home.” — C.S. Lewis

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…” — Philippians 3:20 (NIV)

“But our homeland is in heaven, where our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is; and we are looking forward to his return from there.” — Philippians 3:20 (TLB)

3. Heaven is a Better Country.

“Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.” — C.S. Lewis

The passage below is from Hebrews 11, known as the “Hall of Faith,” from the many Bible characters named in this chapter.

“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” — Hebrews 11:13-16 (NIV)

4. God and Jesus Invite Us into Relationship from Heaven.

“The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” — Psalm 14:2 (NIV)

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” — John 14:6 (NIV)

5. We Can Play a Part in Bringing Glimpses of Heaven to Earth.

“Joy is the serious business of heaven.” — C.S. Lewis

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” — Matthew 6:9-10 (NIV)

Which of these encourages you the most right now?

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)