Click above to listen to Grace and Truth, from my first album Walk in the Light. You can listen to and play the CD or MP3 Album or Sheet Music or hear this song on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and more. What do the words “grace and truth” bring to mind? Fifteen years ago this month (in May 2000), I composed my first ever Scripture inspired piano melody. I had been meditating on John 1:14 which reads, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (NIV). Musically, this piano composition features a higher, simple section symbolizing the gentleness and patience of God’s grace, and a lower, big chord section representing the strength and power of God’s truth. I have thought a lot about this song and verse. The following ten ideas to live out grace and truth are from my journey since writing the music fifteen years ago. In the midst of corresponding lures of the world, perfection is unattainable, but little by little, progress is possible. I hope these inspire the story you are living out… 
Jesus’s Grace and Truth / Lures of the World 1. Love and listen to people first / Judge people without knowing their story 2. Offer grace and forgiveness / Seek to always be right 3. Create more to serve others / Consume more for me 4. Give generously / Store up selfishly 5. Spend strategically (family vacation) / Bank on the future (secure retirement) 6. Pursue childlike wonder and awe / Settle for more seriousness and less joy 7. Practice simplicity and silence / Overdose on busyness and noise 8. Work at solitude and surrender / Join the crowd and be self-reliant 9. Take one step toward God’s big dream / Predetermine big dreams will never work 10. Abide in God’s purpose to receive / Strive for success to achieve Which of these inspires you the most?
5 Ways to Blossom this Spring
Click above to listen to Always in Blossom from the album A Thousand Years as you read. If you enjoy, consider ordering the CD or MP3 Album, or Sheet Music (the song is also on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora, and more).
How do you plan to blossom this spring?
With trees, shrubs, and flowers budding, the wondrous colors of spring will be revealed soon. This is my second favorite season after autumn. You will see this in my April and May posts.
Always in Blossom was inspired by Psalm 1, which contains a few ways our lives can “blossom” more fully — making a positive difference in the world and the lives of others. I added a few inspiring thoughts of my own which align with this theme to come up with what I am calling 5 Ways to Blossom this Spring…
1. Eyes up, knees down, hands open. Gaze upward to heaven, kneel in prayer asking God to bear fruit through your life, have a posture of “open hands” to receive His guidance and blessings.
2. Experiment with random acts of kindness toward family, friends, those you serve, those who serve you, and even strangers. See what happens when you love others with grace.
3. Take good things into your heart, because out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Speak encouraging, life-giving words to others.
4. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). If this is hard, ask God to help you delight in Him and His Word. Meditate on Scripture. Use biblegateway.com to search verses, words and topics of interest.
5. Allow the beauty of creation to set your thoughts and praise on our Creator. This is what Saint Francis of Assisi did in 1225 A.D. when he penned words inspired by Psalm 148. These became the great hymn All Creatures of Our God and King (which inspired my song — and blog post about — Alleluias Dancing).
Which one is your favorite to live a more radiant life this spring?
Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom. — Psalm 1:2-3 (MSG)
Whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers. — Psalm 1:2-3 (NIV)
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. — Luke 6:45 (NIV)
Mozart’s Twinkle, Twinkle Meets It Is Well with My Soul
Click above to listen to the title track A Thousand Years from my 7th album as you read (featuring original, Mozart’s Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and It Is Well with My Soul melodies). If you enjoy, consider ordering the CD or MP3 Album, or Sheet Music (the song is also on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora, and more).
What is one of your favorite childhood memories that filled you with wonder and awe?
As you listen to the music stream and read this post, I want you to think of a favorite childhood memory filled with beauty, then recall something recently that stirred this same child-like faith, wonder and awe. I can remember climbing to the top of a 100-foot tall sweet gum tree in North Carolina at age nine, the first time I saw the Rocky Mountains when I was ten, or trying to outrun the ocean waves washing up on the beach at age eleven. Just a few years ago I got to visit northern Minnesota for a week of canoeing and camping. I awoke at 3 a.m. several mornings to gaze at night skies filled with more stars than I had ever seen.
For me, these kinds of moments are breathtaking. They remind me that creation has a Creator, and the story I am living has a Storyteller. They point me toward God’s beauty, adventure, and intimacy he reveals to me, and his incredible gift of grace and forgiveness. Connecting physical and spiritual wonder and awe is so powerful and reviving.
This was all contained in my heart as I created the song A Thousand Years, combining original composing from Psalm 90:4 with Mozart’s famous melody best known as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and the famous 1871 hymn It Is Well with My Soul. Musically I wanted to interweave the wonder and awe of child-like faith with the peace and hope of spiritual peace with God through Jesus in my soul.
If this music and topic inspires you, please take time to watch or bookmark the newest music video Far Away from Home, from my 9th album Treasures of Peace. The music and story are a visual illustration of Isaiah 41:10 child-like faith and living life without fear.
Where is a place you could go to nurture your child-like wonder and awe?
Psalm 90:4 (NIV) “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.”
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.”
Ten Ideas for Drawing Near to God
Click above to listen to the title track Draw Near from my third album. If you enjoy, check out the CD or MP3 Album, Sheet Music, or visit iTunes, Amazon, or Spotify).
Are you feeling near to God or distant from God right now?
As I wrote this question I was reminded that in my faith journey, one or the other is true. For me, answering “somewhere in between” is not an honest answer. In reality, I either lean toward feeling near or distant. Some spiritual word pictures for “Near” could be Sanctuary, Mountain Top, or Still Waters. Some for “Distant” could be Desert, Valley, or Stormy Seas.
In this post I am challenging myself to name ten ideas which help with drawing near to God. I hope some of these will help you in this quest, or at least trigger your own idea to apply. These are in no particular order, and are worded as personal affirmations…
1) I will meditate on James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
2) I will practice child-like faith, giving a random act of kindness or a hug to someone.
3) I will ask God to show me how much He loves me, and watch to see what happens.
4) I will unplug from technology for five minutes to pray for two and listen for three.
5) I will surrender a desire or issue to God, and ask for His wisdom and direction.
6) I will share extravagant love with someone, by asking for or giving forgiveness.
7) I will speak words of life and encouragement to someone who could use a lift.
8) I will pause to count my blessings, instead of focusing on my frustrations.
9) I will serve someone through a hospital visit, a warm meal, or other special need.
10) I will listen to Scripture inspired piano to experience God’s presence.
Sometimes I need to focus more on Being (pursuing God to know Him better and listening for instruction), and sometimes I need to focus more on Doing (giving God’s love, grace and forgiveness to others). Practicing being and doing draws me nearer to God, and then He fulfills His wonderful promise to draw near to me.
How is God inviting you to draw near to Him?
A Valentine Love Song Just for You
Instead of the typical free music stream, for this post I am providing you with the Pure Fountain love song music video down below. If you enjoy, check out the CD or MP3 Album, or Sheet Music (or visit iTunes, Amazon , Spotify, Pandora, etc.).
Have you ever had a love song written just for you?
With one week until February 14th, this question came to mind: Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all had a love song written just for us? I’ve got some good news — I think we do.
My worst Valentine memory was the year I forgot my wife was preparing a candle lit dinner for two. Ouch. That one really hurt. Sometimes I can still feel like I am making up for this mistake that happened twenty years ago (my wife has forgiven me, and yes, she still loves me!). One of our family’s best in recent years was cooking a gourmet dinner to enjoy together. There are many sweet Valentine memories filled with love and smiles.
In my brokenness, I frequently feel like I need to “earn” my wife’s love. It becomes conditional. If I “do this” or “don’t do that” then she will love me more. If I am not careful, I can also begin thinking incorrectly that God will love me more based on what I do or don’t do.
Pure Fountain is probably my favorite of three instrumental love songs I have composed (Captivating and More Precious are the other two). When these Scripture inspired piano melodies were born, I was writing them for my wife, but I was inspired by God’s unconditional love for me. His forgiveness, love and acceptance are not based on my performance, but on His grace.
So, read the few phrases below from Song of Solomon Chapter 4 (taken from The Message). Then, watch for them in the Pure Fountain love song video. Receive this as your love song — God’s love song, music, and words written just for you.
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!
How did this speak to your heart?
Four Essential Tools to Stay Inspired
Click above to listen to Streams from the album Draw Near. If you enjoy, consider ordering the CD or MP3 Album, or Sheet Music (the song is also on iTunes, Amazon , Spotify, Pandora, and more).
How do you navigate life’s ups and downs?
If you feel like you are more in a valley or desert right now, instead of a mountain top or sanctuary, this happens to me too. When we are feeling down, there is a way to climb upward.
It wasn’t obvious then, but in the early 1980s four practices were planted in my heart. They happened working summers at Adventures Unlimited canoe rental in the Florida panhandle. Each one is an essential tool I can remember and apply to rise up from life’s “downs,” or when celebrating life’s “ups.”
Maybe all four, or at least one, can inspire your journey. Here is how each seed took root at the canoe rental, and then blossomed into fruit when I learned verses to apply (thanks to Charles Swindoll and his powerful little book Intimacy with the Almighty). All four of them became song titles in my early years of composing Scripture inspired piano.
1. SIMPLICITY. Take time to do simple things, to see life and the world through a child’s eyes. Unload the canoes in the morning, drive customers to the starting point, show them how to canoe, load up the canoes in the afternoon. The work day was simple. Give the customer a great experience, and stir their child-like simplicity. This song on the album Draw Near was inspired by Ecclesiastes 7:29 — “God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.”
2. SILENCE. Take time to unplug, be silent, pray, and listen for God’s voice. I loved the job of unloading one hundred canoes on the sandbar to be ready for customers (see the photo above). I worked in silence and it was silent when the work was done. So silent I could only hear the water, the wind, and the birds. This song on the album Still Waters and re-recorded on December Peace was inspired by Habakkuk 2:20 — “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.”
3. SOLITUDE. Take time to be alone. Working outdoors along a river provided lots of alone time. Many special moments come from solitude…working hard, resting well, creating calmly, listening closely. This song on the album Walk in the Light was inspired by Mark 1:35 — “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
4. SURRENDER. Take a position of surrendering control with relationships, work and play. This took the longest and is the hardest for me. Sometimes life’s worst moments offer the best possibility for responding with surrender. This song on the album Draw Near was inspired by Proverbs 3:5-6 — “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.”
What can you do to practice more simplicity, silence, solitude and surrender?
The song Streams also reminds me of the Coldwater River (in the photo) and was inspired by Psalm 42:1-2 — “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”
Do You Need a “Small” Miracle? A True Story
Click above to listen to the love song Captivating from the album The Voice. If you enjoy, consider purchasing the CD, MP3 Album, or Sheet Music at stantonlanier.com (the song is also on iTunes, Amazon , Spotify, Pandora, and more).
How would you describe your greatest point of need right now?
Would it be physical (health), relational (spouse/family), financial (debt), emotional (ups and downs), spiritual (faith), or something else? If you need a “miracle” there is no such thing as a small one.
It was a Monday night in March 2005. We had founded Music to Light the World as a non-profit 501(c)(3) ministry the previous year, and through this I had become a full-time pianist and composer of “Scripture inspired piano” in August 2004. We were only six months into this adventure, and my wife came to me in tears. She couldn’t take it any more. Not knowing where our income would come from was too unsettling (I was afraid too). We cried together and I told her I had such a strong sense in my heart that we were doing the right thing. I didn’t know how it would all work, but I just knew we should keep going by faith. We prayed and surrendered, asking God to watch over us and to direct our steps. Then the miracle happened…
The very next morning — 12 hours later — there was a donation check for $20,000 in the PO Box from an anonymous donor (still the largest one-time gift to this day). I was speechless. Tears of joy and amazement flowed. I called my wife to celebrate in disbelief. Then a few minutes later it struck me — there must have been a mistake. Nope. Everything was correct. Through some research it was confirmed. I learned the source was a 104-year old lady in Iowa (I never got to meet her). I called it a “small” miracle, but I have learned that there is no such thing as a small miracle with Jesus.
God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). Sometimes He amazes us. Sometimes He doesn’t answer our prayer the way we would like, or the way that seems best. Sometimes He is quiet and doesn’t seem to be moving at all. The twelve months following the “$20,000 donation miracle” included an emergency ambulance and hospital stay for my wife, and our house being robbed of everything small and valuable during the middle of the day. Prayer and surrender are hard for me sometimes, but the Lord meets me where I am and gently encourages me by His grace and power.
I chose the love song Captivating as today’s listening track because God loves you and me more than we can imagine. He is captivated by us, like the lover is with his beloved in Song of Solomon or Proverbs. There is no such thing as a “small” miracle with Him. He knows our every need. He loves for us to share them with Him, and ask for His help. It is a life long process, but I have found He keeps His promise “if you seek me you will find me.”
What step can you take toward seeking and surrendering?
Three Ways to “Be Still” and Reduce Noise
Click above to listen to my arrangement of the old hymn Be Still My Soul (1752 lyrics, 1899 music), from the album A Thousand Years as you read. If you enjoy, consider ordering the CD or MP3 Album, or Sheet Music (the song is also on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora, and more).
How do you like to “be still” and reduce life’s noise?
If you are wanting more “peace and rest in a hurried world,” and all the “noise” in life has you overwhelmed, I want to let you in on a secret — you weren’t designed to be stressed.
I also felt more stressed until the idea of creating and listening to Scripture inspired piano was revealed to me. I didn’t know that practicing this regularly for fifteen years would lead to touching listeners around the world, and becoming an award-winning composer. I just had a desire to “be still” in my own life, and rise above the fog of noise and busyness.
Here are three ways to “be still,” which have increased my inspiration and productivity. One of these may stand out, or these three suggestions might give you a better idea to try for you.
1. Unplug. On our most recent family vacation, I did not take my computer. This became more invigorating each day. It helped me to live in the moment, and focus on creating memories together. I try to “unplug” from technology for part of each day. For example, I have been jogging without any earbuds or music in my ears. Listening to my foot steps, my breathing, the wind blowing, or a bird singing blocks out the noise. When I did finally get a smart phone (I waited until January 2012), in the settings I turned off “push notifications” for everything, including email. I figured I did not want technology to “push” me around. Instead, I would “pull” from it on my schedule. How do you unplug from the noise?
2. Do Something “Old Fashioned.” On that same recent vacation, we only took a deck of cards for entertainment. We played a few times and it was nice to talk to each other during the games. At home we sometimes play a board game instead of watching TV. I also enjoy cooking in the kitchen with my wife, or grilling dinner outside. When we do watch TV, we often enjoy “old fashioned” shows the most, such as The Muppets, Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, or The Dick Van Dyke Show. If you’re married, try taking a walk with your spouse and holding hands. What are some “old fashioned” things you like to do?
3. Meditate on a Bible Verse. Consider writing down (or recording as a voice memo in your smart phone) a Psalm or verse that can encourage your faith and spiritual journey. For example, Psalm 46:10 reads, “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’” This idea grew to a new level when John 1:14 inspired my first Scripture inspired piano melody — “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.” Meditating or memorizing verses like these helps me remember I wasn’t designed to be stressed.
What step can you take to “be still” and find refreshment for your soul?
What Race Will You Run in 2015?
Click above to listen to Freedom from the album The Voice (recorded at the George Lucas Skywalker Sound Studio). If you enjoy, consider purchasing the CD, MP3 Album, or Sheet Music at stantonlanier.com (the song is also on iTunes, Amazon , Spotify, Pandora, and more).
As I was jogging this morning, this idea came to mind… What race will I run in 2015?
What race will you run in 2015?
Then I thought, “What kind of races are there? There is the human race, which we are all “running.” There is the rat race, which we can choose (or choose not) to participate in. Can you think of others?
Then I asked, “What if in 2015, I run the Freedom Race?” Here is what I mean…
I believe in freedom for all. My heart has been moved by organizations like the International Justice Mission www.ijm.org, rescuing and protecting the poor from oppression and slavery, and the End it Movement www.enditmovement.com, raising awareness for the 27 million men, women, and children trapped in slavery today, and helping END IT. However, with the phrase “Freedom Race” I am referring to something that drives our hearts from the inside out.
Psalm 119:32 says, “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free” (NIV, 1984 version). When I was composing the Scripture inspired piano for this song in 2004-2005, the music had “running” parts and a “pausing to listen” section, to illustrate the importance of reflecting in the midst of the “race.” As I grow in my desire to know God, to know His Word, to have faith, and to listen for His still small voice (the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit), this “Freedom Race” becomes an unparalleled life adventure, filled with moments of marvel and wonder.
Will you run the “Freedom Race” with me in 2015?
Day 31, 31 Days of December Peace ~ Confetti Moments
Click above to listen to Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring as you read. This unique arrangement is from 2009 Best Holiday Album December Peace (ZMR Awards, winning over Enya and Yo-Yo Ma). If you enjoy, please consider sampling and ordering the CD, MP3 Album or sheet music. You can also listen and download on iTunes and all other digital outlets.
This story is from 31 Days of December Peace (soft cover or eBook). Also available from Amazon Kindle, iTunes, and other e-Readers.
Where could you use some “December Peace” today?
Confetti Moments ~ by Stanton Lanier (Copyright 2012, not to be re-published without permission)
Even though I have played the piano or keyboard over 500 times for concerts, events and groups of all sizes, I haven’t been to that many concerts in my life. On July 2, 2012 I got to go with a friend to see Coldplay live in Atlanta. The audience was captivated from the opening moments. Confetti was blown in huge volume from the stage to the ceiling throughout the second song. Then, it floated back down over the crowd in millions of pieces. This was followed by huge, colorful, air-filled balls being hit into the air across the arena. All kinds of celebration symbols were lavished on everyone like it was New Year’s Eve. It was magnificent.
Here is what I learned…
1. Humankind Loves to Behold Beauty. Rainbows of colors and lighting illuminated the stage, the band members, the confetti, and the computer programmed sparkling wristbands (that everyone in the audience was wearing). These experiences illustrated C. S. Lewis’s words that our greatest moments of beauty, adventure and intimacy in this life are glimpses of heaven. Also, that God planted eternity in the human heart. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
2. Humankind Longs for Hope. C. S. Lewis once wrote, “All joy… emphasizes our pilgrim status; always reminds, beckons, awakens desire. Our best havings are wantings.” Pleasure, comfort, safety, security, good health, provision, enjoyment, seeing the world, loving people… these are some of the ways in which we look for and long for hope. The list could go on and on. G. K. Chesterton adds, “I had always felt life first as a story; and if there is a story there is a storyteller.” The idea that my life is part of a greater story gives me hope.
3. Humankind Loves Moments of Wonder and Adventure. C. S. Lewis also said, “I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” There is this hard wiring we are born with. One part says guard your life, another part says go for it – “it” being experiences of wonder and adventure. Life moments that make our heart race – like being mesmerized by nature, taking a faith risk, or serving others in love – are worthy pursuits.
What beauty are you beholding today? What hope are you longing for? Where are you feeling nudged toward wonder and adventure in the New Year? Watch for life’s confetti moments…
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