Five Simple Steps for Stillness

June 30, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 6 Comments

Click above to listen to the title track Still Waters from my second album as you read. If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from iTunes, Amazon, or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

Have you had any “still waters” moments lately?

When I composed this song in 2002, we had two young children and my financial planning career was in full swing. I was beginning to wonder if I was supposed to make a dramatic career shift from “money to music” (it was 2004 before I would leave a fifteen-year business career to become a pianist-composer and ministry founder). I had this longing for stillness in the midst of life’s fullness and busyness on all fronts. All the music I composed for Still Waters was created “around the edges of life” (late nights and early mornings). Every song was like a diary entry in my quest to find the “still waters” God promises we can know and experience.

This quest has taught me to seek progress rather than perfection. Life’s activities and distractions are abundant not some of the time, but all of the time. Regardless of your season in life, below are five steps I have found helpful in finding still waters, and receiving the benefits of stillness.

1. Stop. For some, unplug might be the better word. Put your phone down. Step away from the computer. Turn the television off. Begin to practice three short “stop” moments: after waking in the morning, sometime during the day, and in the evening before going to sleep.

2. Be Still. This can look different, depending on how you are wired. You might physically be still reading in a chair, or praying as you sip coffee or tea on your patio. You might mentally be still resting your mind during a walk, jog, or swim. You might enjoy stillness alone or together.

3. Listen. Allow for moments of pause, to listen in silence. Try exercising without any video, music, audiobooks, or podcasts. Listen to your breathing, the birds singing, the breeze blowing. Composing and listening to instrumental music has helped me listen differently too.

4. Meditate on Scripture. Use a short verse to repeat in your head and absorb into your heart. For example, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything give thanks” (Philippians 4:6). Ask God to speak into your life during these first four steps.

5. Live by Faith. Enriched through “still waters” moments, I find myself more able to trust, believe and hope in God’s promises to lead, restore, guide, comfort and prepare me in the midst of life’s activities and distractions. Living by faith integrates stillness and action, being and doing.

Which of the above could benefit you most today?

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Four Reasons to Practice Solitude

June 20, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 5 Comments

Click above to listen to Solitude from my 2001 debut album Walk in the Light as you read. If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from iTunes, Amazon or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

What is your favorite way to practice solitude?

When I was in high school and college I worked several summers at a canoe rental in the Florida panhandle (Adventures Unlimited is still going strong and has beautiful canoe trips and awesome zip line courses – today’s photo is from a return visit to the Coldwater River in 2012).

My favorite job was called “the top.” A co-worker would drop me off at 7 a.m. at the beginning of the twelve mile day trip. At the same time other co-workers would unhitch trailers full of canoes and drive back to home base. Within a few minutes it was just me and one hundred canoes to unload. For the next hour, one by one, I would carry them on my shoulders down to the sandbar beach. It was an awesome physical workout, but here is why I loved this job so much…

If I could finish by 8 a.m. or maybe a little sooner if I hustled, I knew I would have twenty to thirty minutes to soak in the cool, clear, shallow river (before the busloads of canners would start arriving). Or, I could lie back on a cushion in a canoe and just listen to the breeze blowing through the tops of pine trees, or the birds singing to start a new morning. I wasn’t thinking about it a lot then, but looking back, I was learning to practice solitude. It was refreshing and energizing. It made my attitude more positive and my work more productive.

To this day, I can draw on those memories, and I know what a difference it can make to be alone, to be still, and to take in the moment. Whether taking a morning jog or swim, or sitting in my den before the world awakes, I like to listen for God’s gentle whisper in these moments. I am alone, but I am not lonely. The more I practice solitude, the more enriching it becomes. Four motivating reasons for me are: 1. Refreshment, 2. Energy, 3. Positive Attitude, and 4. Productive Work.

How could some moments of solitude shed light on a life decision you are facing?

“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.” – Mark 1:35

Practicing Simplicity

June 16, 2014 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Simplicity from my third album Draw Near as you read. If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from iTunes, Amazon or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

What are your favorite childhood memories illustrating the importance of simplicity?

One of mine is climbing trees. I also loved playing on the “dirt pile” or riding my “spyder bike” with the banana seat. This morning however, another memory is rising above these, especially since yesterday was Father’s Day here in the U.S.

It was my tenth birthday. I had been waiting for this with great expectation. My Dad was taking me camping for the weekend in the North Carolina mountains. Being the oldest of three boys, I was the first to experience what became a family tenth birthday tradition. Here are a few things that happened on this simple, yet unforgettable, camping trip…

It poured down rain as we put up our tent. Over night a raccoon chewed open the peanut M&M bag, and ate some. As we prepared morning breakfast, we discovered there were ants in the spam (an inexpensive, salty canned meat). We went fishing at a trout farm, where you used kernels of corn for bait. When the fishing hook hit the water, there was a feeding frenzy! It took about ten minutes to catch our dinner. The most meaningful thing was the simplicity of it all — just being with my Dad.

This experience inspired me to have a special outing with my son and daughter on their birthdays. I couldn’t wait until my son was ten, so we went camping for his fifth birthday, and the tradition began. The simple things in life are often the most valuable. God’s love is like this — just be with Him and ask Him to be with you. Keep it simple.

What is a simple thing you can do with a loved one to create a priceless memory?

Ecclesiastes 7:29 — “God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.”

Progress Over Perfection – What's Love Got To Do With It?

June 13, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 4 Comments

Click above to listen to First Love from my third album Draw Near as you read. If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from Amazon, iTunes, or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

Is your mindset thankful for progress, or frustrated by a lack of perfection?

The tension in this question is real in my day-to-day life. If you are like me, maybe you have a “performance mentality” that wants to rear its ugly head. When this happens, I am tempted to start striving too hard, and my body language feels more like clinched fists and gritted teeth. I risk my mindset looking like something like this — strive to please others and do my best to perform for God, then maybe others will like me better and God will love me more. Going down this slippery slope leads to frustration that once again, perfection is out of reach.

This is why I wanted you to listen to First Love as you are reading this…

Several years ago a good friend spoke words into my life that began to stick. He said, “Focus on progress, not perfection.” As a “recovering perfectionist” this was huge for me. It was a mindset shift. Focusing on progress rather than perfection helps me be thankful instead of frustrated. Surrendering results and outcomes to God also increases my peace and rest.

About half of my Scripture inspired piano compositions are lyrical, meaning the piano is “singing” some words. First Love is one of these. Here is what the notes are singing: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” (1 John 4:16 is the verse melody) and “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 is the chorus melody). 1 John 4:10 offers a great summary: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

What a gift this is, to be able to receive grace and forgiveness rather than having to strive, please and perform. This is the foundation for my “Progress Over Perfection” mindset. By God’s grace, He loves me even though I am not perfect. As I make progress in surrendering to Him, seeking to listen to Him, to follow Him, He shows the way and I can trust Him with results and outcomes.

How can being thankful for progress inspire your journey today?

Numbering Our Days

June 11, 2014 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Number My Days from my first of eight albums, Walk in the Light. If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from Amazon, iTunes, or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

Are you numbering your days?

Today’s post was birthed during a morning swim, as I was remembering last night…

Number My Days was one of the first Scripture inspired piano melodies I composed. It was the summer of 2000. We had a three-year old son, and were expecting our second child that fall (we were blessed with a baby girl). When I was creating this piece, I was meditating on Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (NIV). The Message says it like this — “Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!”

Here is what happened last night…

This same “baby girl” (now our thirteen-year old daughter) wanted to go with her friends for pizza after the swim meet. It was 11 p.m. and meant we would be out until midnight. I knew we would be tired this morning, and it might even make for long day. Yet, I knew that one hour would be worth it, one of those priceless moments woven into the fabric of daily life. It was a “number my days” moment to treasure with my daughter.

Treasuring life’s “priceless” moments is like pausing to treasure a beautiful sunrise. Being intentional to invest our living to “number our days” is like making the effort to rise early to witness a breathtaking view. I hope this music-words combination is a blessing and encouragement to you today.

What is a recent “number my days” memory for you? How can you apply this to an upcoming life event?

My Personal Faith Story (Video)

June 9, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 14 Comments

This morning I am taking a leap of faith by inviting you into some of my life story, with the song Peace from The Voice playing in the background. Thanks to the 315 Project for capturing this 3-minute version of my faith story so beautifully on film.

How does my story connect with yours?

I would love to hear from you and will respond personally. You can comment through the blog or contact me via email. Thanks for watching and God bless you in your journey today and this week!

Rivers of Light – A Piano Prayer

June 6, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 10 Comments

Click above to listen to Rivers of Light from Unveiled as your background reading music (piano and flugel horn duet with Jeff Oster). If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from Amazon, iTunes, or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

Have you counted your “rivers of light” blessings lately?

Here is why I ask. When I was creating Rivers of Light there were two inspirational verses behind the notes. Whenever I play this piece in concert with its custom video of a north Georgia waterfall and river, it is like a piano prayer — here is why.

The first verse, which is lyrical, meaning the piano is actually singing these words, is from Isaiah 65:24: “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” When a friend introduced this verse to me, I was blown away. God knows the prayers in my heart before I even call to Him. And He hears my prayers before I am finished speaking to Him. Wow. Take a moment to pause and open your heart to Him, to speak with Him, to listen for His answer.

The second verse is the overall theme for this song, and encourages me to count life’s blessings. “Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light.” (James 1:17) This was captured in the CD liner notes: “Desirable and beneficial gifts from heaven are painted in this song as rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light.” Take a moment to pause and give thanks to God.

How does this “piano prayer” speak into your story today?

Refreshing Your Wellspring

June 4, 2014 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Wellspring from Unveiled as your background reading music (piano and English horn duet with Jill Haley). If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from Amazon, iTunes, or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

Have you ever had your breath taken away by a cold water spring?

Did you just go for it and jump in, or did you take longer and tip toe your way in? One of my memories is from Barton Springs Pool in Austin, Texas. The pool itself measures three acres in size, and is fed from underground springs with an average temperature of 70 degrees. The cold water will take your breath away, but it is so exhilarating and incredibly refreshing. Here is how this relates to the song Wellspring…

There is a verse that says “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) When I was composing the music you are listening to, I found a way to make the piano have a bubbling or rippling sound. I envisioned myself hiking in a distant forest, coming upon an old well and quenching my thirst with its cool and refreshing water. The English horn symbolizes that I am not alone on this quest to renew my heart daily, to not let it become bitter or hardened.

When our hearts are renewed, refreshed, or even exhilarated by something God reveals to us, or does through us, our living looks more like beautiful flowers or trees. I am still learning to embrace the mystery and uncertainty that is part of this journey into wonder and adventure. Sometimes you just have to “jump” — take a leap of faith — instead of tip toeing, when God invites you into the “pool” of His activity. There is no limit to its size, and instead of coming from underground, His divine “springs” will refresh and sustain you from above.

What step can you take to nurture your heart, your “wellspring of life” today?

How Do You Awaken the Dawn?

June 2, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 4 Comments

Click above to listen to Awaken the Dawn from Unveiled as your background reading music (piano and five guest artist ensemble). If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from Amazon, iTunes, or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

How will you “awaken the dawn” today?

For me, every sunrise ushers in a feeling of hope, a sensation of awakening with passion for a new day, a summons for gratitude in spite of my struggles. I love to watch and photograph sunrises like the one below, but there is a catch. I have to wake up very early, and get in position. Writing these two steps created an “aha” moment. Here is what I mean…

Breaking down “Wake Up Early”
Wake — This reminds me to breath in God’s attributes of true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy. Not just to survive, but to thrive. Up — This reminds me which way to look for instruction, guidance, wisdom, and when life gets me down. Early — This reminds me, as though I were treasuring a live sunrise, to treasure God’s grace and to give Him thanks first (early) each morning. One of my favorite quotes is, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive” (Wild at Heart by John Eldredge).

Breaking down “Get In Position”
Get — This reminds me of my responsibility for my posture toward God, people, and tasks. Instead of “get” illustrating selfishness, I want it to be about what Paul says in Matthew 6:31 (The Message): What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. In – This reminds me be “in” the moment, to be ready, to nurture my inside (private) heart life in order to experience a more fruitful outside (public) living. Position — This reminds me I have a role in the story, a part to play, a position to take in today’s story God is writing (for example: husband, father, child, brother, leader, co-worker). You can fill in the positions He has for you.

How can you better “awaken the dawn” tomorrow?

“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.” — Psalm 108:1-2.

Alleluias Dancing – A Tribute to St. Francis of Assisi

May 30, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 6 Comments

Click above to listen to Alleluias Dancing from the album A Thousand Years (2011 Best Neo-Classical Album Nominee – ZMR Awards, and 2011 Notable Sacred Music – Christianity Today). This piece features piano, angelic vocals, English horn, and guitar. If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from Amazon, iTunes, or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

Is your spirit dancing today?

Mine often needs refreshing and recalibrating toward the “true north” Saint Francis of Assisi wrote so eloquently about in 1225 A.D. in Assisi, Italy. It would be four hundred years before this hymn was published, and set to the tune of a 1623 melody from a German hymnal.

Let the image below, the original melody, and the unique arrangement of All Creatures of Our God and King (all together known as Alleluias Dancing), and Francis of Assisi’s words wash over you today. My hope and prayer is this will put a little more spring in your step, a little more dance in your spirit today.

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!