Easter 2018 ~ Seeking Hope

March 27, 2018 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to listener favorite Awaken the Dawn as you read (this track first appeared on Unveiled, and is also on December Peace and Treasures of Peace). which appears on three albums. You can also order the CD or MP3 Album or Sheet Music and listen on Apple Music-iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora and more. If you have never seen it before, I strongly encourage you to pause and watch the Awaken the Dawn music video.

Where are you seeking hope this Easter, and in 2018?

It is amazing to think that three months have already passed this year. Since “hopes and dreams” are often spoken in the same phrase, how is your progress toward finding hope, and living your dreams in life? If you are like me, it is often easier to think of negative things reducing my hope in life, and preventing my dreams from coming true.

One of my hopes is that the four ideas below will help bring you greater hope this Easter, and also fuel your 2018 dreams…

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 and go deeper with this idea.

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 and go deeper with this idea.

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 and go deeper with this idea.

4. Jesus is Our Ultimate Hope
Easter fills me with awe and wonder. Though I am sinful and undeserving, Jesus loves me (and you) so much, He came from heaven to earth to save us and make us fully alive forever, through His death on the cross and His resurrection three days later. Romans 10:9 and John 5:24 are two of many beautiful and powerful Scriptures which testify to this…”if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (ESV)

Father God, thank you for loving us more than we can know or imagine. Thank you for your amazing gifts of grace, forgiveness, and hope you offer to us through Jesus.

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.”

2018 Dreams ~ Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling

January 30, 2018 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling as you read. For additional reflection, I am also including the music video at the bottom, which was filmed during sunset in a south Georgia pecan grove.

Which inspires your 2018 dreams the most — a beautiful sunrise or a beautiful sunset?

This is not an easy one for me. I love both, don’t you? If I must choose, I would make a beautiful sunrise a slight favorite. I have seen several over the past year. The most memorable were from an ocean shore or from a hilltop or mountain view. Maybe the awe and wonder of a sunrise comes from being rewarded with such beauty, after making the extra effort to rise early in the morning. Or, maybe it is the grace and hope, the new beginnings, symbolized in every sunrise.

Sunsets don’t require us to rise early, but to patiently watch and wait at day’s end. They can be just as beautiful, or sometimes even more beautiful than a sunrise. As long as you can see the horizon, with an unobstructed view, there is always a chance to behold a wonderful sight. The awe of a sunset could come from the sense of ending a day peacefully. Perhaps we have worked hard on a project or rested well on a vacation. Maybe it is the grace and hope in storybook endings, in finishing well, embodied in every sunset. Or, perhaps a beautiful sunset reminds us to keep surrendering our dreams to God, to see how He will lead us toward accomplishing them one day at a time.

One of my favorite pieces from my newest album Climb to the Sky is titled Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling. I loved this phrase the moment I came across it in Psalm 65. Even more suitable, the psalmist writes what dawn and dusk take turns calling — “Come and worship.” Perhaps this is the nudge we are feeling when a beautiful sunrise or sunset takes our breath away…our hearts are being invited to come and worship God as the ultimate Dream Giver.

How does Psalm 65:8 inspire your 2018 dreams?

“Far and wide they’ll come to a stop, they’ll stare in awe, in wonder. Dawn and dusk take turns calling, ‘Come and worship.’” — Psalm 65:8 (The Message)

“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” — Psalm 65:8 (NIV)

Day 24 for “31 Days of December Peace” ~ Christmas 1914

December 24, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

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

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

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

Approximately 7 million soldiers lost their lives in World War 1. Much of the war took place in the mud in central Europe where Germans, French and British soldiers lived in trenches for years at a time, their feet wet and their bodies chilled. It was a war of inches. The Germans would advance 100 ft. and many lives would be lost. Then the French and British would advance 125 ft, reclaiming 25 feet of real estate, and again many lives would be lost.

It was Christmas Eve, 1914 when the Germans began singing Christmas Carols. The British and French soldiers answered with many of the same carols in English and French. On Christmas Day a German soldier hesitantly came out of his trench with one of the many Christmas trees which had been brought to the front to cheer up the German soldiers. Other trees were added. A few, and then many British and French soldiers joined the Germans. They shook hands. Some embraced. Someone produced a soccer ball and they spent Christmas Day playing soccer together. They exchanged chocolate, champagne and cognac, cakes, candy and tobacco. They showed each other photos of their families.

This spontaneous display of man’s desire for peace, and for the meaning of Christmas for all of them, is one of the great testaments to the potential goodness of humanity. The armies did not approve and many men were disciplined, but it was an act of love, charity and peace even in war. It was Christmas.

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

December 2, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

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

Where could you use some “December Peace” today?

As a writer, I use music to wash over me, creating moods and an environment that fuels creativity. When I wrote the Left Behind: The Kids series with Jerry Jenkins and Dr. Tim LaHaye, Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman felt like friends. Writing Almost Heaven was an exercise in mandolins and guitars and bluegrass.

There is a soundtrack to our lives, our stories, as real as those we hear in films. It’s up to us to listen. We can drown the notes with other pursuits, other music that crowds it out, but it is there, running through our lives every day.

At this busy, hustle-bustle time of year, the Good News is all around us, but you have to listen carefully to hear the soundtrack over the 24 hour news cycle. If you lean even closer, you can hear that same soundtrack running through your own life.

I choose to rest in a sovereign God who made everything seen and unseen. I choose to believe there is more going on than I understand. Looking back, I see the intricately woven story of redemption as the soundtrack playing behind the man and woman choosing to eat. I hear the minor chords as men sell their brother into slavery and watch that evil become their salvation. When all seems lost, the waters part and a path is hewn where none existed. Promised Land ahead, people stumble over their wayward hearts as prophets, priests, and kings rise and fall. A Wonderful Counselor is promised. A Mighty God will appear. A Suffering Servant.

Sometimes I think the soundtrack of my life is the B side of an old garage sale reject. It’s haphazard and scratched and almost unintelligible. I envision God watching human history and shaking his head. Then, with a snap, he awakens with the spark of an idea. A way to redeem he hadn’t considered.

God is not like this.

The cross was not his fallback plan. God chose the manger that cradled the infant head of his Son. Every bit of straw, every animal in that dirty cave, every shepherd that came running, every angel that sang his song was chosen. Every footstep toward Golgotha, each nail, each thorn on the crown. Every Roman guard pressed into service. The tomb that couldn’t hold him. The stone that rolled away.

And you.

The sovereign God who made you wants you to hear this soundtrack, not to figure out how he scored the music. This is not a musical puzzle. He asks you to surrender to his music. He is playing the notes behind the pain and struggle of your life. You can participate. You can fight against him or abandon yourself to the ebb and flow that began creation’s song.

The soundtrack of peace is the love of God. This crimson melody runs through history’s landscape and the crags of your life.

May the music haunt you today and give you peace. May you hear the soundtrack gently leading you toward hope.

An Invitation from Dawn and Dusk

October 24, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to stream Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling as you read. For additional reflection, I am also including the music video at the bottom, which was filmed during sunset in a south Georgia pecan grove.

Which is most inviting to you — a beautiful sunrise or a beautiful sunset?

Sunsets don’t require us to rise early, but to patiently watch and wait at day’s end. They can be just as beautiful, or sometimes even more beautiful than a sunrise. As long as you can see the horizon, with an unobstructed view, there is always a chance to behold a wonderful sight. The awe of a sunset could come from the sense of ending a day peacefully. Perhaps we have worked hard on a project or rested well on a vacation. Or, maybe it is the grace and hope in storybook endings, in finishing well, embodied in every sunset.

How does Psalm 65:8 inspire you today?

“Far and wide they’ll come to a stop, they’ll stare in awe, in wonder. Dawn and dusk take turns calling, ‘Come and worship.’” — Psalm 65:8 (The Message)

“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” — Psalm 65:8 (NIV)

10th Anniversary – Why I Composed Awaken the Dawn

October 10, 2017 By Stanton Lanier 4 Comments

Click above to stream Awaken the Dawn as you read. For additional reflection, at the bottom I am also including the soothing, uplifting Awaken the Dawn music video filmed during an ocean sunrise on the Georgia coast.

What can you celebrate this week that happened ten years ago?

This week I am celebrating the 10th Anniversary of my 5th album Unveiled and the opening track Awaken the Dawn, which has consistently been a top listener favorite around the world. As I paused to look back and remember how this song happened, I was prompted to share more of the story with you…

I began composing Awaken the Dawn in May 2006, two months after the extremely painful experience of having our house robbed of everything small and valuable (all jewelry, cameras, etc.). I was on a quest for more hope in my life. The original working title was Waking Light. The inspiration was coming from Psalm 108:1-2, “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.” I learned this passage is identical to Psalm 57:7-8, and these are the only two places in the entire Bible (NIV version) where the words “awaken the dawn” are used.

The music was nice, but for many months it featured a main chorus which was not stirring enough emotion. I worked on it off and on, and finally by early 2007 it was taking shape, with each musical section finding its place. In all the writing, re-writing, and playing the notes over and over, my heart’s longing was to express the deep essence of hope referenced in these Psalms. It was a lofty goal, but I wanted this message of God’s hope, without words, to speak to the heart of every person around the world who might one day hear this melody.

We have all been “robbed” of hope in various ways. This could be in our dreams, relationships, emotions, spiritual journey, health, circumstances, or any number of life events. It is interesting to me that God would inspire a song about hope following not just having our house robbed, but several other experiences of loss or struggle, where there were moments of hopelessness in my life. Hidden in the piano notes is a message from my heart to yours… I have found Jesus to be faithful when I put my faith in Him to provide the peace, rest, hope and healing I need each day.

How does “Awaken the Dawn” sing a song of God’s hope into your life?

3 Phrases to Fuel Your Dreams

January 31, 2017 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

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…

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.”

Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling

August 16, 2016 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

Click above to listen to a portion of Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling as you read. Visit climbtothesky.com for links to the new music video, CD, MP3 Album, Sheet Music, iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.

What is your favorite — a beautiful sunrise or a beautiful sunset?

Sunsets don’t require us to rise early, but to patiently watch and wait at day’s end. They can be just as beautiful, or sometimes even more beautiful than a sunrise. As long as you can see the horizon, with an unobstructed view, there is always a chance to behold a wonderful sight. The awe of a sunset could come from the sense of ending a day peacefully. Perhaps we have worked hard on a project or rested well on a vacation. Or, maybe it is the grace and hope in storybook endings, in finishing well, embodied in every sunset.

One of the new pieces on my upcoming 10th album Climb to the Sky is titled Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling. I loved this phrase the moment I came across it in Psalm 65. Even more suitable, the psalmist writes what dawn and dusk take turns calling — “Come and worship.” Perhaps this is the nudge we are feeling when a beautiful sunrise or sunset takes our breath away.

How does Psalm 65:8 below speak into your story today?

“Far and wide they’ll come to a stop, they’ll stare in awe, in wonder. Dawn and dusk take turns calling, ‘Come and worship.’” — Psalm 65:8 (The Message)

“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” — Psalm 65:8 (NIV)

An Idea for Clearer Vision

June 15, 2016 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

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 vision, dream, or life circumstance do you wish you could see more clearly?

Sometimes life’s “clouds” keep me from seeing clearly, or understanding why something is happening. On a recent music video trip, the shelf cloud pictured below was our welcome as we scouted a filming location for the next morning. Thunderstorms were likely the next few days, but there was also a chance the weather would be partly cloudy with no rain.

As we hoped, we were able to film a video for a brand new song under cloudy skies at sunrise the next day. The big surprise (seeing more clearly) came the second morning, when an unplanned video for the listener favorite Awaken the Dawn happened to a glorious sunrise that peaked through the clouds. I encourage you to watch Awaken the Dawn here.

For me, seeing more clearly, seeing beyond the “clouds,” involves praying, watching, waiting, or acting, and usually a combination of these. Waiting can be the most difficult, which is where faith comes in. There is a sense that God is revealing next steps toward living out a vision or dream for the future, or living life on purpose, or making sense of life circumstances.

Here is the liner note I wrote for the song Unveiled: “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. See 2 Corinthians 3:18.” There is no guarantee we will see or understand things fully every time. However, I have found that God helps put things in perspective. He is faithful to unveil things in His way and in His time.

What step can you take toward seeing more clearly today?

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV)

“…our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, MSG)

December 24th ~ Christmas 1914

December 24, 2015 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Awaken the Dawn as you read. This track 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?