Beauty Archives - Stanton Lanier

SO LOVED Track #11 – If You Say So

July 10, 2018 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

Click above to listen to track #11 If You Say So from the new album So Loved as you read. You can enjoy the CD, MP3 Album, Piano Book and Sheet Music on the So Loved Album Page. You can stream the music on Spotify, iTunes-Apple Music, Amazon MP3, Pandora, and more.

What “deep water” is God calling you to?

If You Say So is a tribute to Peter’s bold faith. We can relate to his story because, like us, he was longing for spiritual hope and beauty, and yet he was broken and imperfect. His devotion to Jesus led him to proclaim, “Even if everyone else falls to pieces on account of you, I won’t.” And yet, three times he denies ever knowing Jesus. As I composed this song it became a conversation between the piano and cello, with French horn underneath. Here are the two phrases the notes are singing, which we can apply to our life and faith…

If You Say So I will. If you listen for them, you may hear how the piano and cello are singing these words throughout the song. The song opens with “But if you say so, I will” repeated four times. Peter and his co-workers had been fishing hard all night, and had caught nothing. Following this, Jesus told him to push out into deep water and let his nets down for a catch. They caught a huge haul of fish strained the nets to capacity. This story inspires me to ask God two questions: “Do You have something you want to let me know? Is there any deep water you are calling me to?” If we lean in by faith to ask, listen closely, and obey, we can experience God’s faithfulness and fruit in our lives beyond our capacity to comprehend or imagine.

Do You Love Me? The piano and cello notes begin singing this phrase in the middle of the song, and more and more to the very end, where these words shaped the final four notes. After His resurrection Jesus asks Peter this question three times (remember Peter denied knowing Jesus three times before the crucifixion). In our lives, we know Jesus loves us because He says this, and promises this to us, so many times in Scripture. The entire album and title track So Loved are a testimony to His great love for us (John 3:16). The question “Do You Love Me?” has become even more powerful for me. Even though I am (and we are) broken, sinful, and imperfect, Jesus loves us first. He invites us to love Him in response with grateful hearts. When we experience His love and grace more fully in our lives and stories, it overflows from us to people we encounter in God’s “deep water” moments.

How do the music and words offer you hope and beauty today?

IF YOU SAY SO | PETER
Luke 5, John 21. Peter’s bold words “but if you say so I will” and Jesus’ words “Do you love me?” inspire us to know God’s patient tenderness toward us.

PUSH OUT INTO DEEP WATER (LUKE 5:4-11, MSG)
When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.” Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I will let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch. Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. “Master, leave. I’m a sinner and can’t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.” When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee’s sons, coworkers with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.” They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.

DO YOU LOVE ME? (JOHN 21:15-19)
(This happens following Jesus’ resurrection, right after Peter has a second miraculous catch of fish). After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” He then asked a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me? ” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep.” Then he said it a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me? ” Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep…”

SO LOVED Track #6 – Stunningly Beautiful

June 5, 2018 By Stanton Lanier 7 Comments

Click above to listen to track #6 Stunningly Beautiful from the new album So Loved as you read. You can enjoy the CD, MP3 Album, Piano Book and Sheet Music on the So Loved Album Page. You can stream the music on Spotify, iTunes-Apple Music, Amazon MP3, Pandora, and more.

How often do you think of yourself as Stunningly Beautiful?

We usually associate the words “stunningly beautiful” with something outside of ourselves, such as a person, a piece of music, a work of art, a wonderful meal, or a place (like the Great Ocean Road at sunset pictured below). Have you ever thought about the possibility of God seeing you, just as you are, as stunningly beautiful? Bear with me for a moment as I share how this song happened and what I learned…

Most of my albums include a love song for my wife, each of which are ultimately a love song from God to each of us. Stunningly Beautiful was inspired by the story of Rebekah, when Abraham’s servant traveled on a journey in search of a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac. The full story is an amazing read, and can be found in Genesis 24. It took many hours to compose this soundtrack expressing the scene where Rebekah comes to the well to fetch water, and God reveals her to be Isaac’s wife. The Lord brought me to tears as He revealed the beautiful melodies, and as He brought to light how he sees me, and sees each of us, as stunningly beautiful. Even though I am broken, sinful, and undeserving, the Lord sings a song of forgiveness, grace, and beauty over me. He invites us to accept His amazing gift of love and salvation, from the Lover to His Beloved.

Will you join me in asking God to help us see with His vision – that we are stunningly beautiful?

STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL | REBEKAH
Genesis 24. “The girl was stunningly beautiful.” God sees beauty in us and wants to show us His steadfast, unfailing, gracious, loyal love as He did for Isaac.

SO LOVED Track #5 – Salvation Song

May 30, 2018 By Stanton Lanier 3 Comments

Click above to listen to track #5 Salvation Song from the new album So Loved as you read. You can enjoy the CD, MP3 Album, Piano Book and Sheet Music on the So Loved Album Page. You can stream the music on Spotify, iTunes-Apple Music, Amazon MP3, Pandora, and more.

What does the title “Salvation Song” stir in you?

Salvation Song is becoming a listener favorite on So Loved. When I began working on this soundtrack inspired by life of Moses, I wondered if one piece of music could express all the key events of his story, and at the same time sing something beautiful to us as we listened. Think about the twists and turns, and the ups and downs in your own story as I share some highlights from Moses’s life.

After hiding him for protection, his mother placed Moses in a basket and put it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile River. The Pharaoh of Egypt’s daughter saw and retrieved the basket, and raised him as her son. As a young man Moses killed an Egyptian who had beaten a fellow Hebrew. When Pharaoh tried to kill Moses for this, he fled to the desert in Midian, married his wife Zipporah, and had two sons. He encountered God at the burning bush, where God told him to go and bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses was hesitant because speaking was a weakness (he was slow of speech and tongue), so God allowed his brother Aaron to help him. When Pharaoh wouldn’t let the Israelites go, God brought ten plagues. When Pharaoh finally did let Moses and the people go, he and the entire Egyptian army chased them to the edge of the Red Sea. God parted the waters so the Israelites could cross on dry ground. They all made it safely to the other side, and every single Egyptian drowned when the sea covered them in their pursuit. A lot of other events happened, including the manna from heaven to feed God’s people in the desert, the ten commandments, Moses striking a rock to bring forth water for the people, and Moses striking a rock a second time later when God told him to speak to the rock to bring forth water again. This act of disobedience cost him getting to cross the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land. With all these thoughts in mind, here is what happened when I started writing the music…

God began to reveal to me that instead of the dramatic, sometimes dark, sometimes triumphant music I was envisioning for Moses, perhaps He sang a more beautiful song over Moses’s life than I was imagining. Then, in a very profound way, this revelation moved me to consider how God also has a unique and beautiful song for my life, and for your life. He is singing this over us from heaven, and He wants us to “hear the music” so to speak, which can be very hard sometimes due to life’s moments of disharmony and discord. To know God’s grace and love filled song for us, we have to be still, surrender, and listen closely for His gentle whisper. This has been life changing for me to know God is singing beauty over me, even though I am broken, sinful, weak and ordinary, just like Moses.

Musically, this track has many instruments singing to represent the height, depth, and breadth of God’s love for us. There are layers of beauty, and His love for us is beyond what we can comprehend. I hope this song sings into your story in a powerful and beautiful way just like it has for me. I believe one reason it is a becoming a listener favorite is because every human being wants a “salvation song” in their life. God created us and wants us to know and trust Him. He offers us complete forgiveness, and He wants us to experience salvation through Christ.

How does this song and its inspiration speak into your faith journey?

SALVATION SONG | MOSES
Exodus Chapters 2 through 15. “God is my strength, God is my song, and Yes! God is my salvation. Your strong right hand God shimmers with power” (Exodus 15:2, The Message). All glory be to God as He sings His salvation song over each of our lives.

2018 Hope and Beauty ~ Walking on Air

January 16, 2018 By Stanton Lanier 3 Comments

Click above to listen to my newest song Walking on Air as you read. After reading and listening, I encourage you to watch the Walking on Air Music Video for additional reflection and inspiration.

What is your hope in 2018? What beauty can you look for?

There are three references to “Walking on Air” in The Message Bible (included at the bottom of this post). These inspired a fifteen hour studio day last year writing and recording this new song. During a summer British Columbia concert trip, a new music video was filmed to combine a musical and visual expression of hope and beauty in a world that so often can seem hopeless and unappealing.

Isaiah 55:8-9 is a powerful passage I rely on by faith whenever things don’t make sense, or whenever events are impossible to fully understand… “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (ESV).

Just as we all would love for a moment to be able to “walk on air” or fly like a bird, we also experience events in life that are the opposite of hopeful or beautiful. When my faith is tested, I can either put my faith in God’s promises or in my circumstances. In an Isaiah 55:8-9 kind of way, I have found God is always bigger than my situation and worthy of my trust. From tragic events happening around the world today, to this week’s severe winter weather along the US east coast, to whatever “storm” you may be facing in life, my prayer for you is to receive God’s grace, hope, and beauty through Walking on Air.

How does “Walking on Air” encourage you with hope and beauty?

Interestingly, the three passages below use the phrase “Walking on Air” in contexts of celebrating life’s beautiful moments, worshiping God with vibrant beauty, and looking to the future with eternal hope.

1 Samuel 2:1 (MSG)
“Hannah prayed: I’m bursting with God-news! I’m walking on air…I’m dancing my salvation.”

Psalm 89:5-9 and 15-18 (MSG)
“God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways, the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways! Search high and low, scan skies and land, you’ll find nothing and no one quite like God. The holy angels are in awe before him; he looms immense and august over everyone around him. God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you, powerful and faithful from every angle? You put the arrogant ocean in its place and calm its waves when they turn unruly…Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God. Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do—they can’t keep it quiet! Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us— you’ve been so good to us! We’re walking on air! All we are and have we owe to God, Holy God of Israel, our King!”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (MSG)
“He’ll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise—they’ll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we’ll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words.”

Walking on Air – Guided Meditation #3

October 3, 2017 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

The new song and video Walking on Air inspired me to create three short meditation opportunities to help you stop “doing” for a moment, so you can practice “being.” There are deep and meaningful insights available to us when we take time to pause and listen for God’s voice. Our moments of “being” with Him equip and energize our “doing” for Him as we seek to serve and love others well.

This exercise will seem simple, and it is, but it will not be so easy because you need to quiet your mind and silence any distractions. For this third meditation guide, as you watch the video below and listen to the music, I want you to think about your future, and how God offers us eternal hope. First, read the Scripture passages below…

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (ESV)

“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 1:8-9 (ESV)

“He’ll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise—they’ll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we’ll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (The Message)

Next, watch the video (or close your eyes) and as you listen to the music, see what God wants to reveal to you. What is He saying about your present circumstances? Your past hopes and hurts? Your future with Him? Anything else? When God speaks, write down what He is saying to you, or at least take mental notes so you can hold onto His words for future encouragement.

Walking on Air – Guided Meditation #2

September 26, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

This exercise will seem simple, and it is, but it will not be so easy because you need to quiet your mind and silence any distractions. For this second meditation guide, as you watch the video below and listen to the music, I want you to set your heart and mind on pursuing three things: to know God, to worship Him, and to notice His vibrant beauty. First, read the passage below…

“God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways, the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways! Search high and low, scan skies and land, you’ll find nothing and no one quite like God. The holy angels are in awe before him; he looms immense and august over everyone around him. God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you, powerful and faithful from every angle? You put the arrogant ocean in its place and calm its waves when they turn unruly…Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God. Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do—they can’t keep it quiet! Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us— you’ve been so good to us! We’re walking on air! All we are and have we owe to God, Holy God of Israel, our King!” Psalm 89:5-9 and 15-18 (The Message)

Next, watch the video (or close your eyes) and as you listen to the music, see what God wants to reveal to you. What does He want you to know about Him—for the first time or in a fresh way? How was this worshipful for you? What did He say to you about His vibrant beauty? Anything else? When God speaks, write down what He is saying to you, or at least take mental notes so you can hold onto His words for future encouragement.

Walking on Air – Guided Meditation #1

September 19, 2017 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

The new song and video Walking on Air inspired me to create three short meditation opportunities to help you stop “doing” for a moment, so you can practice “being.” There are deep and meaningful insights available to us, when we take time to pause and listen for God’s voice. Our moments of “being” with Him equip and energize our “doing” for Him as we seek to serve and love others well.

This exercise will seem simple, and it is, but it will not be so easy because you need to quiet your mind and silence any distractions. For this first meditation guide, as you watch the video below and listen to the music, I want you to reflect on celebrating one or two of your life’s most beautiful moments. When Hannah found out she was pregnant (with her son Samuel), 1 Samuel 2:1 tells us, Hannah prayed: “I’m bursting with God-news! I’m walking on air…I’m dancing my salvation.” (The Message)

Now, pause and ask God to bring to mind a beautiful moment or two from your life, when you were filled with celebration, when you were “walking on air.” Next, watch the video (or close your eyes) and as you listen to the music, see what God wants to reveal to you. What are the moments He brings to mind? What is something deeper He wants you to know? From these memories? About Himself? Anything else? When God speaks, write down what He is saying to you, or at lease take mental notes so you can hold onto His words for future encouragement.

Walking on Air – A New Song of Hope and Beauty

September 12, 2017 By Stanton Lanier 4 Comments

With September 12, 2017 being the worldwide release day of this new song, I encourage you to first watch the new Walking on Air Music Video. Then read the words below as you listen using the Spotify link above. When you finish reading, take time to watch the video or listen once more for a time of reflection. If someone comes to mind who could use some hope, please share this with them.

What is your anchor of hope when things seem hopeless? Are you noticing beauty around you?

I discovered in February 2017 there are only three references to “Walking on Air” in The Message Bible (included at the bottom of this post). This inspired a fifteen hour studio day in early March writing and recording a new song. During a July concert trip to British Columbia, a new music video was filmed to combine a musical and visual expression of hope and beauty in a world that so often can seem hopeless and unappealing.

Just as we all would love for a moment to be able to “walk on air” or fly like a bird, we also experience events in life that are the opposite of hopeful or beautiful. When my faith is tested, I can either put my faith in God’s promises or in my circumstances. In an Isaiah 55:8-9 kind of way, I have found God is always bigger than my situation and worthy of my trust. From tragic events happening around the world today, to remembering 9/11, to recovering from Hurricane Harvey or Irma, to whatever “storm” you may be facing in life, my prayer for you is to receive God’s grace, hope, and beauty through Walking on Air.

How does “Walking on Air” speak to your story today?

1 Samuel 2:1 (MSG)
“Hannah prayed: I’m bursting with God-news! I’m walking on air…I’m dancing my salvation.”

Have You Seen A Glimpse of Heaven?

November 7, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 1 Comment

Click above to listen to Eternity from my fourth album The Voice. If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from iTunes or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

Have you seen a glimpse of heaven?

For me, these glimpses happen when I experience life’s greatest moments of beauty, adventure and intimacy (a concept inspired by C.S. Lewis and Ken Boa). This past summer my son and I stayed up past midnight and photographed a thunderstorm several miles out over the ocean. The lens would stay open for twenty seconds or so, and a few times we captured some amazing lightning flashes like the one below (notice the stars in the upper right from long exposure).

This image reminds me of a precious moment that combined all three experiences: the beauty of distant thunder and lightning, the adventure of staying up past midnight, and the intimacy of an unforgettable photo shoot with my son.

What is one of your life experiences similar to this?

As you are listening to the Eternity music stream, recall one of these moments and cherish it. Reflect on Ecclesiastes 3:11 that inspired me to compose Eternity. For me, the cello and piano represent heaven and earth, respectively, and a conversation between the two, where a welcoming grace meets a longing for hope. Below are some other quotes around this theme. I pray you see a glimpse of heaven in something or someone today. I would love to hear your comments.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. — Ecclesiastes 3:11

The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing to find the place where all the beauty came from. — C.S. Lewis

I believe in the immortality of the soul because I have within me immortal longings. — Helen Keller

We must meet the uncertainties of this world with the certainty of the world to come. — A.W. Tozer

People without a relationship with their personal Creator are hungering for love, happiness, meaning, and fulfillment, but nothing that this planet offers can fully satisfy these longings. — Ken Boa

If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can satisfy, also we should begin to wonder if perhaps we were created for another world. — C.S. Lewis

What I Learned from Coldplay Last Night

July 3, 2012 By Stanton Lanier 4 Comments

Even though I have played over 500 times for concerts, events and groups of all sizes, I haven’t been to that many concerts in my life. Last night I got to go with a friend to Coldplay in Atlanta. Below is an image of confetti that was blown in huge volume from the stage to the ceiling at the beginning of the second song for the show. Then it floated back down over the crowd in millions of pieces. It was magnificent. Here is what I learned…

Confetti = Beauty, Hope and Wonder

1) Humankind loves to behold beauty (eyes, heart and mind). The stage, the band members, the confetti, the stage lights, the sparkling light wristbands (that everyone in the audience was wearing), displayed rainbows of colors. The moments illustrated C.S. Lewis’ quote 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. The list could go on and on. If there is a Creator, there must be a Creation. If there is a Storyteller, human life lived to the fullest must be part of a greater story (paraphrased from G.K. Chesterton).

3) Humankind loves moments of wonder / adventure. “I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation” – C.S. Lewis. 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 in a good way, like being mesmerized by nature, a roller coaster ride, serving others in love.

What beauty are you beholding today? What hope are you longing for? Do you have a memory, or something you are looking forward to that promises wonder and adventure?