31 Days of December Peace: Day 10 ~ The Quest

December 10, 2012 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

The new 31 Days of December Peace eBook is available for only $4.99. Download at stantonlanier.com or the Amazon Kindle Store.

I was twenty-one years old and had just graduated from Georgia Tech with a chemistry degree. I decided that I had memorized enough formulas and performed enough laboratory experiments for my lifetime. So, I drove my 1980 Oldsmobile Omega and all my possessions (clothes and a stereo) to LaGrange, Georgia to become a shift-manager in a carpet dyeing plant.

After a few weeks of orientation and training I began to work alongside other shift managers to learn from them. I had to get to know the jobs and the workers from front to back on the two hundred foot long “range.” There were four guys who ran the whole thing, from sewing the carpet together, to dyeing, drying and inspecting it. It was a pretty amazing operation to observe.

Pretty soon my boss asked me to work on Saturdays. It wasn’t too long before I was only getting two Sundays off per month. I remember asking, “What about Labor Day?” regarding time off. An experienced shift manager answered, “It’s labor day.” Thanksgiving week I worked seven days straight from midnight to 9 a.m. Low on sleep, I followed through with plans to go with my dad to the Georgia vs. Georgia Tech football game in Athens, Georgia, about two hours northeast of LaGrange. It is always the Saturday after Thanksgiving and was an afternoon game that year. I sat there during the game watching the 80,000 plus crowd enjoying the game and their Saturday, knowing that at midnight I would be back at the plant for another day’s work. This was a pivotal point in my decision to end my short carpet industry career.

The event that made an even bigger impact happened one night when I was working third shift. It was pretty common for something to break down, but you never knew when it would happen. This time it was at 3 a.m. The dryer broke, which meant the carpet would come out damp. The dryer had to be shut down for repair and all the dyed carpet in the queue had to be piled up in a big metal tray. So there I was at 3 o’clock in the morning, twenty-one years old, B.S. in chemistry diploma back at the apartment, kneeling in a big pile of wet carpet, with more wet carpet coming down on me to be stacked in the tray. It was at this moment when I thought to myself, “Who am I? Why am I here? What am I doing? Why did I major in chemistry? How am I making a difference? After all, it’s only carpet!!!” Somehow, by faith, I knew I was not alone in my struggle.
This was one of those “character building” experiences that is part of life’s quest for purpose and meaning. It would still be several years before I surrendered my career path, asking God what He wanted me to do, instead of trying to make my way into opportunities for financial success. Through a sense of hopelessness and failure a mark was left that was life changing.

Have you had a “3am carpet mill” moment? What chapters in your story have been part of your quest for life purpose and meaning? How did you find peace in the midst of the struggle?

31 Days of December Peace: Day 9 ~ Peace on Earth

December 9, 2012 By Stanton Lanier 1 Comment

The new 31 Days of December Peace eBook is available for only $4.99. Download at stantonlanier.com or the Amazon Kindle Store.

“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?

31 Days of December Peace: Day 8 ~ Wide Awake in December

December 8, 2012 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

The new 31 Days of December Peace eBook is available for only $4.99. Download at stantonlanier.com or the Amazon Kindle Store.

“The glory of God is man fully alive.”

This quote from Irenaeus captures how December Peace speaks to me as a believer and as an artist. As a worship leader at a large church in northern California, the Christmas season is gloriously hectic! It is a frantic season filled with rehearsals, transcriptions, planning, scheduling, music, drama, video, gifts, services, services, services! Too many services! In the midst of this frenetic pace, December Peace helps me to slow down so that I can be fully alive – more fully engaged, spiritually and artistically, during this demanding time of year.

Our church had the privilege of inviting Stanton to perform some of the songs from December Peace during the 2009 Christmas season. I still have a vivid memory of listening to Shepherds and Stars while be captivated visually by the beautiful video graphic. It remains one of my most special Christmas memories, musically and visually.

Growing up as a young boy in South Carolina, I remember listening to Christmas albums every year as we hung the tree, put out decorations, and enjoyed the sweet taste of eggnog. Little Drummer Boy was always a favorite of mine. I would perk up when that song began to play on the turntable.

As a musician I love singing the lyrics in my mind to this classic song while the melody of Stanton’s arrangement resonates in my home or car. It creates a space for me to worship our wildly creative God who put the potential in the world for melody, the vibration of strings, the resonance of vocal cords, and the pulse of rhythms in 4/4 time. It all echoes the words of the psalmist as he declares: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:6).

With all of these thoughts and recollections it seems most fitting to describe December Peace as a summons; a gift that meets the deepest longing of our heart which is to be wide awake to God. In and around the frantic pace and the barrage of activity, December Peace slows us down and extends stillness and reflection.

It is an invitation to art and to worship.

31 Days of December Peace: Day 6 ~ Silent Night Beneath the Light

December 6, 2012 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

The new 31 Days of December Peace eBook is available for only $4.99. Download at stantonlanier.com or the Amazon Kindle Store.

Peaceful. Content. Joyful. Free. Mesmerized. Filled with a deep sense of wonder and awe.

These words reflect the emotions connected to one of my favorite childhood memories… sitting beneath the street light in front of our home, admiring the endless parade of snowflakes as they emerged from the darkness and entered into the light. The combination of the delicate flakes dancing in the wind and landing without a sound brought me peace.

To this day, when I hear the song Silent Night I can close my eyes and find myself transported back to that sacred place. I can see the individual flakes. I can remember what it felt like when a flake landed on my eyelashes or nose instead of my tongue as I sought to enjoy a frozen treat. It was a peaceful place of solitude and silence where I could get lost in time and thought. I spent hours watching snowflakes fall.Looking back now, I realize how rare an occasion it was for me to sit still as a boy. I was an active kid, always on the run. What was it about that scene that drew me back so often? That kept me silent and still?

Although I was oblivious to my connection with the Creator of the heavens and the earth as a child, today I am convinced that my overwhelming sense of wonder and joy was born beneath that street light. It’s as if God was calling me to experience a silent night, to sit alone with him, to leave the cares of this world (you know the tough stuff like 3rd grade math and watching TV) behind me. I have no doubt that I under-appreciated the silence, solitude and peace available beneath that street light. Fortunately I can still retrieve those moments of peace from my memory bank and relive them in my mind’s eye today from a far more grateful perspective.

When you think back upon your childhood, where did you experience December Peace? Can you close your eyes and go back to that sacred place? Take a moment and get lost in time today. Set some time aside to experience a silent night beneath the light.
Close your eyes. Travel back into your childhood memory bank. Who knows, you might just feel a snowflake or two hit your nose before you open your eyes. Peace be with you.

31 Days of December Peace: Day 5 ~ God Has Not Forgotten

December 5, 2012 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

The new 31 Days of December Peace eBook is available for only $4.99. Download at stantonlanier.com or the Amazon Kindle Store.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” – Psalm 147:3

When I was seven, growing up on the outskirts of Atlanta, I decided I wanted a motorcycle. So off to the bank I went, not wanting to wait. I borrowed $165.00 with a little help from Dad and Mr. Morris, the neighborhood banker. I worked for 50 cents an hour and purchased a Honda QA 50. Life feels pretty great sometimes and this was certainly one of those times.

As we all get a little older, we realize life can send some very difficult things our way. Some are seemingly by chance, while others are a result of our choices, and we end up feeling like God has forgotten about us. You might say my divorce, illness, death in the family, financial crisis or
emotional storm has left me feeling like I will never surface from the sea of difficulty.

It wasn’t long before I began to outgrow the motorcycle. As a young boy I truly wondered if I would experience the joy and peace of someday having another motorcycle. After what seemed like forever, when I was in the fourth grade, one cold December morning I walked into the den, and discovered Santa had left a Honda SL 70 under the Christmas tree. I can still see the big red bow on the gas tank. Santa did not forget about me, and God will not forget about you, your pain, and the unique challenge that weighs you down.

Hang in there. God can’t wait to surprise you with healing or a new job. Regardless of your challenge, when he wraps your gift you can rest assured He knows just what you need. Trust Him. May December be a reminder of the greatest gift of all – Jesus.

31 Days of December Peace: Day 4 ~ Lord, Make Us Thankful

December 4, 2012 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

The new 31 Days of December Peace eBook is available for only $4.99. Download at stantonlanier.com or the Amazon Kindle Store.

Frank Stanton Bondurant was his name. My mom called him “Daddy,” but to his grandsons he was known as “Daddy B.” He was born in 1905 and died in 2002, just shy of his 97th birthday. As I reflect on his influence in my life, I am amazed at how many lasting impressions he made. He was quite a storyteller.

Daddy B was an only child. His parents both died before their 42nd birthday, so he didn’t think he would live past that age. They both played piano, but he was a gifted violinist. He played high school football when there were no face masks, just a thin leather helmet. He broke both eyebrow bones and both collar bones. He loved to play games and tell jokes. If you said, “Please pass the cereal,” he would throw you the box! He introduced me to fig preserves and Mama B’s blackberry cobbler. He threw baseball with me for hours when I was a Little League pitcher, teaching me how to grip the threads to throw a curve ball, drop ball, fast ball and slider. He played his violin with me when I was playing piano in middle and high school. When I learned to drive he always reminded me that if an animal ever ran in front of me that I should “go through it,” and not swerve to miss it. He had wrecked his car one time avoiding a dog. His advice probably saved my family’s life when I hit a deer in June 2002 driving sixty miles per hour. I went through it. Incredibly, we were on the way to Daddy B.’s funeral when this happened.

“Lord, make us thankful for these and all our blessings. Pardon our sins for Christ’s sake. Amen.” This was Daddy B’s prayer before every meal whenever we saw him. These are only a few of my memories of this beloved man of character, passion and faith. I loved Daddy B. I will always remember the blessing he was in my life.

Who is your Daddy B? Can you be a “Daddy B” for someone?

31 Days of December Peace: Day 3 ~ The Glow of Giving

December 3, 2012 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

The new 31 Days of December Peace eBook is available for only $4.99. Download at stantonlanier.com or the Amazon Kindle Store.

“For it is in the giving that we receive.” – St. Francis of Assisi

In 1991 we lived in a tiny apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey. Early that December we had a window leak, so a handyman and I spent the better part of a week together in our small living room. Near the end of the week I asked him if he knew of anyone going through a tough time who had young children, because I wanted to help out with buying Christmas gifts. He was quiet for a few moments and then said, “Is it too bold of me to ask for this gift… I have four kids and it’s been a rough year.”

His joyful spirit never gave a hint of his struggles. I was so excited to help his family. He gave me the ages of his kids, their interests, and their special Santa requests. We agreed that I would give him the wrapping paper so he and his wife could have the joy of giving the gifts. It was a tearful moment for both of us.
When he came back the next week to pick up the toys, he burst out crying while he bear hugged me. We both cried tears of joy and gratitude. I will never forget the depth of emotion we shared.His story may stop there…. his 1991 Christmas miracle. My story doesn’t.

I basked in the glow of giving all year that year. I couldn’t wait to do it again and feel the warmth of giving the following Christmas. We found another family in a rough spot and my husband and I agreed to meet the father with wrapping paper and unwrapped toys so he, too, could have the joy and ownership of wrapping his children’s gifts.

As we knocked on his door, we had Christmas in our hearts and anticipation of being wrapped in the warmth of gratitude. The door opened wide to a family young and old. Without any pleasantries, they swiftly grabbed the gift bags, nodded, and slammed the door in our faces.

We stood there in shock with the closed door inches from our noses. Slowly we turned to each other and started to chuckle in total disbelief at the speed of the exchange. We walked back to the car shaking our heads trying to parse together what had just happened.

I am grateful for the juxtaposition of these Christmases. This quick exchange taught me a greater lesson than the warmth of the first. Didn’t Jesus heal ten lepers, and only one came back to give thanks? (Luke 17:15-16). Lack of gratitude didn’t stop Jesus from giving and it wasn’t going to stop me.

Give, give, and give as Jesus did with no expectations. The warmth of the bear hug and tears shared in 1991 is enough to sustain me forever.

31 Days of December Peace: Day 2 ~ The Soundtrack of Peace

December 2, 2012 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

The new 31 Days of December Peace eBook is available for only $4.99. Download at stantonlanier.com or the Amazon Kindle Store.

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.

31 Days of December Peace: Day 1 ~ The Sled

December 1, 2012 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

The new 31 Days of December Peace eBook is available for only $4.99. Download at stantonlanier.com or the Amazon Kindle Store.

Cypress Road was packed with fresh fallen snow in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I could see it through the big living room window of my childhood home. The temperature was just below freezing. School was closed. My tummy was full with a vitamin fortified Kaboom cereal breakfast. All my “Mt. Everest” gear was in place. It was another dream winter morning for a nine-year old. Cypress Road. One hundred yards long with a perfect twenty degree slope. Another downhill sledding adventure was about to begin.

This unforgettable scene happened many times during my elementary school years. It was a treasured experience. So much so that a full body length sled was at the top of my wish list for Christmas 1974. The gift appeared and was all I had hoped for. A Gladding Champion Fastback. Sixty inches long, three strips of polished hardwood, painted for speed (including speedometer) and shiny red runners.

Every day after Christmas I waited… January… February… March… April… no snow. I couldn’t believe it! My sled dream had come true, but the snow never came that winter. The following summer my dad took a new job in Pensacola, Florida. As my eleventh birthday approached, I wondered “Is this really happening?!” My new sled and I were moving to the Florida panhandle! That was a long time ago. The Gladding Champion Fastback is now stored in the basement, still gliding through life with me. The glamorous adventure he was born for has ended up being a humdrum existence. A historic two inch snow at our house in Milton, Florida only resulted in a drag across the flat front yard. A few times “Champ” has coasted down some small slopes when we have had ice and snow in Atlanta or north Georgia, where I have lived most of my life. But for the most part, it just rests in storage, waiting to deliver pure joy with a long, downhill run.

Every December when I see my sled, I still long for that joy ride. But I am also reminded that no earthly possession will ever bring me the joy that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

What is your sled? Do you treasure Christ above all earthly treasures?

Are You Ready for 31 Days?

November 27, 2012 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Do you long for peace and rest during the stressful holiday season? I have been working on a special project to bring you daily inspiration throughout December. I will be sharing in my blog, but you can also learn more by visiting my Amazon Kindle page.

31 Days of December Peace is a brand new companion resource for my 2009 Best Holiday Album December Peace (ZMR Awards). I, along with special friends from my musical journey, have written stories and reflections inviting you into blissful moments each day during December (best while listening to the album).

My journey to founding Music to Light the World, and becoming an award-winning pianist and composer, was shaped by climbing trees in North Carolina, working at a canoe rental in the Florida panhandle, majoring in chemistry at Georgia Tech, meditating on ancient scriptures, and many other stories. Special friends have played a part in this story too, including a nephrologist, a Grammy winning producer, a jewelry designer, business owners, spiritual leaders, artists, authors, financial advisors and cancer survivors. Their stories interweave with mine to create a beautiful tapestry of peace, rest, hope and healing that is touching lives around the world.

Find a quiet place. Pause from the stress. Receive peace and rest. The words of 31 Days of December Peace and the music of December Peace invite you to experience a refreshing and renewing December.