Stanton Lanier / Sky Whisper Sound, LLC

Scripture inspired piano to refresh your spirit

3 Questions that Changed My Life

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Click above to listen to Vive La Joye (meaning Joy Forever in old French) from my 7th album A Thousand Years as you read. You can also order the CD or MP3 Album or PDF Sheet Music, or enjoy on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Pandora.

Is my life more creative or more consumptive?

Is my life more of a problem to solve or an adventure to live?

Is my life more of an argument or a story?

Since they have so impacted and transformed my life, I was prompted to share these three questions with you. I hope you find them to be just as inspiring, meaningful and potentially life changing. It may be enough to read them a few times, reflect, and watch for any action steps to be revealed. Or, you can continue reading for more about how they changed me, and continue to influence my journey…

1. Is my life more creative or more consumptive? Consuming is an important part of life. There are things I need to buy, and there are times for watching movies or taking vacations (which can create wonderful memories). However, creating something original is usually more life giving and brings even more joy, both to me and to others. We all have one or two gifts and talents where we are uniquely creative.

Ask yourself, “What is something original I have created lately?” Lean more in this direction instead of taking the easier path of consuming. This could be any number of things, such as a new recipe, a new poem, a new painting, a new invention, a new song, a new story, a new teaching technique, a new presentation method, a new parenting approach, or a new marriage enrichment idea.

2. Is my life more of a problem to solve or an adventure to live? I am the oldest of three boys, and the son of an analytical chemist (my dad) and an art major (my mom). For much of my life, I was driven by goal setting, striving for success, and seeking to please others. Life was a problem to solve, and I was pretty good at the “math.”

I loved piano and basketball, but neither seemed practical as a career path or way of life. When I wrote my first song on the piano at age fourteen, I had no idea this was a hint of what I would become twenty-six years later. The shift from “problem to solve” to “adventure to live” began years later, when I fully surrendered my life to God at the age of thirty. Life’s adventures have been growing and surprising me ever since. Take a leap of faith and surrender. God will direct your steps.

3. Is my life more of an argument or a story? From my experience growing up in the church, there was this sense I had a duty to “defend my faith” instead of a joy to “share my story” with regard to the presence and power of Jesus in my life. The “argument” perspective went right along with the “problem to solve” approach to life.

Another amazing result of surrender, and trusting in God by faith as the Great Storyteller, is how life begins to become more of a story than an argument — like a great movie, with twists and turns, ups and downs, tears of sadness, and tears of joy. In the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) I am the elder brother, literally and figuratively, doing all the right things, but lacking the great joy available to me. God wants my heart to be filled with His love and grace toward others, like the father in the story. He loved and forgave both his sons, the older with his pride and lack of rejoicing, and the younger prodigal son who returned home after wasting away his entire share of the estate. With God being the author of our life, seeing life as a great story unfolding — with great joy — is life changing for me.

The above photo of captures the essence of my heart’s desire for a life filled with creativity, adventures, and stories. It was Palm Sunday, April 2011, a day of rest from the studio in Vermont, where I was recording my 7th album A Thousand Years. I hiked to the top of the ridge, placed my camera on a tree branch, aimed the lens at this amazing swing with fifty foot long chains, and set the automated ten second timer. On the second try, the camera clicked when the swing reached its highest point. For me, it symbolizes child-like faith and joy, and reminds me God is “holding the chains” with a smile from heaven, as I “swing” through life with faith and trust in Him.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11 (NIV)

3 Steps to a Clearer Vision

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Click above to listen to the title track Unveiled from my fifth album as you read. If you enjoy, you can order the CD or MP3 Album or Sheet Music (the song is also on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora and more).

What is keeping you from having a clearer vision?

A recent trip to Africa reminded me how to obtain and sustain a clearer vision. I was one of one hundred Americans teaching various skills to over 700 rescued orphans at Family Legacy’s Dream Camp in Lusaka, Zambia. The vision for my music class was for every student to write their own song using their faith in God and the Bible as their inspiration. And they did!

The expressions on our faces in this photo capture the emotion of three steps we can all take to have a clearer vision…

1. Surrender (to abandon oneself entirely) — A huge moment happened in my story in 1994, when I surrendered my career to God. As soon as I said by faith, “Lord, I surrender…” I began to hear God’s voice and sense His direction more clearly. It was so worth the wait for my vision to become aligned with His vision of career success. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

2. Seek (ask for something from someone) — In 2004 I found myself asking Jesus for a clearer vision, and to help me know Him and His voice. With my wife at home with our two young children, was I supposed to start a full-time music ministry? He was faithful to show us the way. Luke 11:9-10 says, “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

3. Stride (walk with long, decisive steps in a specified direction) — I love this definition. God has shown me how 1994 and 2004 were part of His plan to bring me to Zambia in 2015, 2016, and 2017. After surrendering to and seeking God, if you and I stride forward by obeying each step He reveals, our vision becomes clearer. We can look back on the past, live now in the present, and move forward to the future with full confidence in Jesus. Philippians 3:14 says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Which of the above steps needs more of your attention right now?

The song Unveiled was inspired by 2 Corinthians 3:18 and life’s “veils” which prevent me from having a clearer vision. A “veil” is a covering of my heart that keeps me from understanding. When I turn to God the veil is taken away and I can more clearly see and reflect His goodness. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Monastery or Megaphone?

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Click above to listen to Monastery at Eventide from my 7th album A Thousand Years as you read. You can also order the CD or MP3 Album or PDF Sheet Music, or enjoy on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Pandora.

Which do you enjoy most — private time with God, or public ministry to others?

Job 7 and letting tears flow for healing inspired the original introductory and closing notes to my arranging and performing one of Frederic Chopin’s great classical melodies. Monastery at Eventide features his Prelude in E Minor (Prelude, Op. 28, No. 4). This is one of 24 preludes (one for every major and minor key) he composed in the late 1830s at a monastery in Valldemossa, Majorca, a Mediterranean island off the coast of Spain. He requested Prelude in E Minor be played at his funeral, and described the meaning of this piece as the “shedding of tears.”

One of my meditations behind this music is the idea that the depth of our private time with God overflows into the fruit of our public ministry in the lives of others. Instead of “either / or” as the post title implies, this is actually a “both / and” idea…

Instead of choosing one or the other, “Monastery” (quiet time with God) or “Megaphone” (public ministry to others), these two aspects of our faith journey are interrelated and dependent upon one another. I have times when I especially need and enjoy quiet times of solitude — praying, asking, and listening for God’s voice. At other times I am filled with joy and gratitude when I have the privilege of serving others and making a difference in their lives.

When I feel like I am running dry or downcast in my spirit, I know I need to refuel with some “monastery time.” If I find myself wanting to spend too much time alone, I need to lean back into obeying God’s guidance with how He wants me to serve others.

Do you need to invest more “monastery” or “megaphone” time in your current season?

Psalm 46:10 — “Be still and know that I am God.”

John 15:5 — “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

3 Reasons for a Spirit of Grace

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Click above to listen to Spirit of Grace from Open Spaces as you read (after reading, watch the Spirit of Grace music video). You can also order the Open Spaces CD or MP3 Album or PDF Sheet Music, or enjoy on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Pandora.

What do the words “spirit of grace” make you think about?

This song and the story behind it came to mind this morning. I was reflecting on some life experiences and memories, some beautiful, some ugly, which kept pointing me toward grace. The photograph below is from an unforgettable family visit to the Great Ocean Road in Australia a few summers ago. This image symbolizes three reasons for a “spirit of grace” in my life, relationships, and calling. I hope the music and these inspirations behind it encourage you to consider joining me in cultivating a spirit of grace.

Reason 1: Receiving Grace Leads to Giving in Life. God’s love and grace are bigger than an ocean, surrounding, protecting, and washing over the shoreline of my heart. The more deeply I  receive and am grateful for them, the more they overflow out of my life. This leads to giving love, grace and forgiveness to others, as well as giving time and resources to serve others.

Reason 2: Giving Grace Leads to Blessings in Relationships. God and and the truth of His Word are like the rock along the Great Ocean Road — strong, unshakeable and often bold. God’s grace is like the oceans — deep, wide, and often gentle. After unknowingly doing the reverse for many years, I have found if I first give people gentle, compassionate grace, which is rooted in bold, confident truth, this leads to blessings in relationships.

Reason 3: Blessings of Grace Lead to Freedom in Our Calling. In the verses down below the Holy Spirit is called a spirit of grace, the spirit of truth, and our Helper. Jesus was full of both grace and truth, and the gift of God’s grace saves us through faith. It is easy for me to condemn myself because of my sins, selfishness, imperfections, and failures, which can hold me captive. I can never earn them, but I can receive the blessings of grace. These include being forgiven, others-centered, faultless, flawless and excellent in God’s eyes, all of which lead to freedom in my calling.

Which aspect of grace is inviting you — receiving, giving, blessings?
 
“I’ll pour a spirit of grace and prayer over them.” — Zechariah 12:10 (MSG)

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever…the Spirit of truth.” — John 14:16-17 (ESV)

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” — John 1:14 (NIV)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

“The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive, a living knowledge of God ocean-deep, ocean-wide.” — Isaiah 11:9 (MSG)

“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” — 1 Samuel 2:2 (ESV)

From Fear to Freedom

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Click above to listen to a portion of Far Away from Home from my 9th album Treasures of Peace. Order the CD or MP3 Album or the Sheet Music. Listen on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora, or your favorite source.

What have you been afraid of in the past, where you now have freedom?

Two issues prompted this new post. First, with almost two months gone, my and your New Year excitement and enthusiasm about all that is possible in 2017 may have begun to fade. Some of this decline can be due to fear. Second, this Thursday, February 23, is “Shine a Light on Slavery Day” where the End It Movement is leading the fight for freedom for an estimated twenty million people in the world being held against their will.

Below are six examples of moving from fear to freedom in my life story. After you read these, I hope you will click the image below to watch the Far Away from Home music video, and look for all the moments of freedom in the story…

Click the image above to watch the “Far Away from Home” music video

From FEAR…
—Being abused by a male babysitter at age nine led to fear and insecurity with my identity.
—Missing the first word in the 8th grade spelling bee led to a fear of public speaking.
—My right leg shaking during piano recitals led to fear of playing the piano for an audience.
—Going from 20 points to only a few minutes per game in high school basketball led to fear as a team leader.
—Failing my first two college exams led to a fear that I may not be smart enough to pass.
—The leap of faith from a fifteen-year business career to full-time music ministry led to fear of failure.

To FREEDOM…
—Being vulnerable instead of hiding pain, brings freedom that God sees me and knows me.
—Focusing on what God thinks of me, instead of what others think, brings freedom in public speaking.
—Surrendering performance, playing for an audience of One, brings freedom in piano concerts.
—Remembering my 30-point game instead of 0-point games, brings freedom in being a leader.
—Recalling my joy in making two B’s after starting with two F’s, brings freedom in giving my best.
—God’s faithfulness since 2004 with Music to Light the World, brings freedom in living out my life calling and purpose.

We all have deep and meaningful fears and freedoms, struggles and victories, tears and joys. Thinking of people being enslaved, whether through human sex-trafficking, work without pay, or other forms of violence and abuse, prompts me to ask God to bring rescue to them physically, from fear to freedom. Recognizing others whose struggles are far greater than mine, prompts me to be much more grateful for the freedoms God has given me by His grace.

What is one fear you have, where God can help you move toward freedom?

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

“Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.” — Isaiah 41:10 (MSG)

A Love Song for Your 2017

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Click above to let the love song Pure Fountain from Open Spaces be your reading soundtrack (then pause it for watching the Pure Fountain video below). You can order the Open Spaces CD or MP3 Album or PDF Sheet Music, or enjoy on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Pandora.

Have you ever had a favorite instrumental love song?

With the February 14, 2017 Valentine’s Day holiday approaching, I wanted to offer you a love song without words. Our favorite love songs with lyrics are wonderful, but sometimes creating a musical opportunity to listen for God’s loving “gentle whisper” or “still small voice” can provide a special blessing in my life. I hope this love song for you is a blessing throughout this year.

Reflect on these words from the Lover (God) to his Beloved (you) in Song of Solomon, Chapter 4. Then, watch for them in the Pure Fountain video, receiving this as a love song from God to you for 2017…

“Dear lover and friend, you’re a secret garden, a private and PURE FOUNTAIN. A garden fountain, sparkling and splashing… You’ve captured my heart. I stay until dawn breathes its light and night slips away. Body and soul you are PARADISE. One look my way and…I was hopelessly in love!” (The Message)

Father God, thank you for loving me and forgiving me. Please show me your love today, and throughout 2017. Help me to take notice, and to share your grace and love with others. Amen.

“…the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him.” — Psalm 32:10 (NIV)

3 Phrases to Fuel Your Dreams

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Click above to stream listener favorite Awaken the Dawn, which appears on three albums. If you enjoy, you can order the CD or MP3 Album or Sheet Music (or listen on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora and more).

What are you dreaming about for 2017?

It is amazing to think that one month has already passed this year. As you look back on January, did you make progress toward your dreams? If you are like me, it is sometimes easier for my “self talk” to be negative, telling me what I didn’t get done, instead of being positive, and recalling steps accomplished toward my dreams for 2017 and beyond.

As I was exercising early yesterday morning, three phrases came to mind to fuel my dreams, and I wanted to share them with you…

1. Sing and Make Music.
What is your passion? Your purpose? What do you love doing that also serves others? To “sing and make music” means to release your “song” — your gifts and calling — into the world to be a blessing to others. To clarify your purpose, think about the one or two things you love to do. They often begin in childhood, or revealed themselves to you early in life. Do one thing today to “sing and make music.” Read and reflect on the verse behind this phrase (see down below). You can also watch the Awaken the Dawn video to inspire you.

2. There’s No Need to Fear.
What are you afraid of? Success? Failure? What others will think? These are some of my fears. Take a leap of faith today, like a little child who jumps into your arms and trusts you to catch them. Take one action step that is a little scary, but which will move you one step closer to your dream coming true. Read and reflect on the verse behind this phrase (see down below). You can also watch the Far Away from Home video to give you courage.

3. Do Not Be Anxious.
What are you worried about? What makes you anxious? For me, this can be uncertainty about the future, financial security, being healthy, my creativity, making a difference, etc. Whatever you are are anxious about, surrender this to God today, asking Him to carry it for you, and to show you a next step to take toward your dream. Read and reflect on the two verses behind this phrase (see down below). You can also watch the Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling video to bring a calm assurance.

What words below speak to you the most?  Write them down, keep this in front of you, and take action this week.

Psalm 108:1-2 (NIV)
“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.”

Isaiah 41:10 (MSG)
“Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.”

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Psalm 65:8, Psalm 34:9 (MSG)
“Dawn and dusk take turns calling, ‘Come and worship.’ Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness.”

New Year Gratitude in Guardians of the Night

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Click above to listen to a portion of Guardians of the Night as you read, from the new album Climb to the Sky. Visit climbtothesky.com for links to this 10th and newest album, music video, CD, MP3 Album, Sheet Music, iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.

What are you grateful for in January 2017?

Have you recalled all the experiences and events you are thankful for from 2016? Yes, every year life has times of struggle, suffering, stress and despair. But also yes, we can remember and express gratitude for moments of victory, hope, peace and joy.

Can you remember some “reasons for gratitude” from a family vacation last year? A date with your spouse? An event with your children? A mountain top moment with your work? A mission trip or time serving others? A particularly moving prayer or quiet time with God? The list could go on. As I reflect and remember, I find energy and momentum to look for “gratitude moments” in 2017. (One year ago I was grateful for the December 2015 moment with my son when we photographed the Mojave Desert night sky – see below).


The song Guardians of the Night was inspired by Psalm 136. This Psalm names twenty-six “thank you reasons” followed by twenty-six “for God’s steadfast love endures forever.” One of these is for the moon and stars which are “guardians of the night.” This reminds me to even be thankful for a good night’s rest, to God for watching over me during the night, and for giving to His beloved even while we sleep (Psalm 127:2).

How can you keep gratitude in your heart and mind throughout this New Year?

Psalm 136:4-9 (The Message, NIV)

“Thank the miracle-working God…The God whose skill formed the cosmos…
The God who laid out earth on ocean foundations…The God who filled the skies with light…
The sun to watch over the day…Moon and stars as guardians of the night. His love endures forever.”

Two Ideas for Awe and Wonder

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Click above to listen to a portion of While the Morning Stars Sang in Chorus (Cinematic Mix) as you read, from the new album Climb to the Sky. Visit climbtothesky.com for links to the new music video, CD, MP3 Album, Sheet Music, iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.

What stirs awe and wonder in you at this time of year?

As we are now in the first week of Advent, a season of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of Christ’s birth, I was reflecting on how best to share the inspiration behind the new song While the Morning Stars Sang in Chorus. This is a “creation song” rooted in God’s words to Job:

“Where were you when I created the earth?…How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone, While the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise?” — Job 38:4-7 (The Message)

There is an amazing and beautiful connection to the Hubble telescope image below (credit to NASA and STSCI). Pause for a moment to study this image and read its description, then consider two ideas which stirred my wonder and awe. I hope they will stir yours too.

morning-stars-image“Hubble peered into a small portion of the nebula near the star cluster NGC 2074 in 2008, to take a snapshot of a dazzling region of celestial birth and renewal. This approximately 100-light-year-wide fantasy-like landscape is a firestorm of raw stellar creation, perhaps triggered by a nearby supernova explosion. The image reveals dramatic ridges and valleys of dust, serpent-head “pillars of creation,” and gaseous filaments glowing fiercely under ultraviolet radiation. The region is on the edge of a dark molecular cloud that is an incubator for the birth of new stars. It lies about 170,000 light-years away near the Tarantula nebula, one of the most active star-forming regions in our Local Group of galaxies.” — NASA

IDEA #1 — CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE

Let the beauty and wonder of the stars and all creation stir your wonder and awe this Advent season. If you believe, let God’s marvelous handiwork enrich your faith. If you don’t believe, God believes in you, and offers His love, forgiveness and hope in all things.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” — Psalm 19:1

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

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” — Hebrews 11:3

IDEA #2 — SAVIOR OF THE WORLD

The “birth of new stars” pointed me to the birth of Jesus. How can the Creator of the universe also be the Savior of the world? It is good to ask questions and to search for truth. We don’t have all the answers, but God does when we believe by faith and seek Him. Jesus coming as a baby is an awe inspiring display of power and humility, the Lion and the Lamb, our Creator and Savior.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” — John 1:1-3, 14

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” — Luke 8:10-11

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” — 1 John 4:14

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” — 1 John 2:2

How does the music, image and/or words draw you toward awe and wonder?

My Soul Silently Waits

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Click above to listen to a portion of My Soul Silently Waits as you read, from the new album Climb to the Sky. Visit climbtothesky.com for links to this 10th and newest album, music video, CD, MP3 Album, Sheet Music, iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.

What are you waiting on?

Sometimes people ask us this question when it is obvious to them what our next step should be. Other times we are asking ourselves. There is tension in the waiting as we decide what we will do. A friend of mine describes this as “active patience.”

We all seem to have a favorite way to practice silence. It could be walking on the beach, driving in the mountains, hiking in the woods, or sitting in our favorite chair at home. Wherever you are on your faith journey, I encourage you to invest time in listening for God’s voice, and to ask God to speak into your current situation. This is the essence of the song My Soul Silently Waits.

mysoulsilentlywaitsTake a moment to reflect on the verses below, which I have found very helpful for seeking discernment with a decision, or seeing things more clearly in my circumstances. In addition to reading Scripture, it helps me to rephrase the verses into a personal prayer back to God. Then there is more of a conversation with Him, through both speaking and listening.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go: I will counsel you and watch over you…the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.” — Psalm 32:8 and 32:10 (NIV 1984)

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” — Psalm 62:1 (ESV)

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5 (ESV)

“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.” — Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” — Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV, ESV)

Which of these (or another passage) speaks into your waiting?