For Such a Time as This

November 15, 2016 By Stanton Lanier 4 Comments

Click above to listen to a portion of For Such a Time as This as you read, from the new album Climb to the Sky. Visit climbtothesky.com for links to this 10th and newest album, music video, CD, MP3 Album, Sheet Music, iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.

What is a “for such a time as this” decision you are facing, or dream you are making?

As I was driving a winding, mountain road last weekend in north Georgia, the colors of autumn brought to mind the new song For Such a Time as This. I love the fall because it brings cooler air, and splashes of red, orange, yellow and gold leaves amidst southern pines and evergreens.

I couldn’t resist pulling off the road to capture the image below. Just as the brilliant red of this maple tree is only present for a short time, and just as the seasons come and go, life brings us possibilities and opportunities that will soon pass. Some of these are “leap of faith” moments, and we have to decide whether to jump. How do we know when to say “yes?”

Like Esther’s story in the Old Testament, we don’t get to see the full picture of all God is orchestrating until we can look back. What we do have the privilege of doing is surrendering to Him and asking Him to direct our steps. When I seek to listen for His voice, and wait on Him for either direction or confirmation for a next step, He is always faithful to reveal His plans little by little. When life’s “for such a time as this” decisions present themselves, I want to have a mindset of aligning my “push” with God’s “pull.” Practicing this today helps give me greater confidence and clarity for tomorrow’s “for such a time as this” choices.

This song is also a sixteenth birthday gift to my daughter, composed with a heart of love and blessing from her earthly father, and inspired by words from her heavenly Father. When we read the Scripture verses behind this song, one is spoken to Esther, and one is spoken from the Lover to his Beloved in the Song of Songs. Yet, the way to receive them is as though they are spoken from God to each of us (in my words): “…perhaps I have brought you to your current position for such a time as this. Remember, you are altogether beautiful and flawless in my sight.”

Hold on to these thoughts in your journey today — God believes in you, loves you, and forgives you more than you can know. Jesus loves you and believes in you, and His gifts of grace, love and forgiveness will always be there for you.

How can this be applied to one of your decisions or dreams today?

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” — Esther 4:14 (NIV)
“You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.” — Song of Songs 4:7 (ESV)

Finding Hope in Long and Lonely Nights

November 8, 2016 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

Click above to listen to a portion of A Long and Lonely Night as you read. Visit climbtothesky.com for links to this 10th and newest album, music video, CD, MP3 Album, Sheet Music, iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify. After reading, watch the Far Away from Home music video to lift your spirit.

What have you been anxious or fearful about lately?

Recently I had the opportunity to share my music at a conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and to play concerts in Waukesha and Kenosha. This trip allowed me to visit the shores of Lake Michigan, including the Cana Island Lighthouse.

The image below was taken through a small window from inside the lighthouse during the climb up (a small “climb to the sky” moment). As I thought about sharing the inspiration for the song A Long and Lonely Night, I began thinking how the inside of a lighthouse is much darker than the outside. The greatest source of light on the shore, which can be seen for miles, is dark inside.

When I am feeling dark on the inside, the light of God’s word and presence is there shining into my circumstances. When I am anxious or fearful, He says “Fear not.” When I am having a long and lonely night, or not sleeping well, He is always there, caring for me, offering hope and comfort, even though I may not feel hopeful.

My long and lonely nights are not nearly as rough as Paul’s. He went from being totally against Jesus and his followers, to being totally for Jesus. His personal encounter with Jesus in Acts 9 transformed his life. From then on he shared the good news of God’s grace and forgiveness, and that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God. This resulted in Paul being jailed, beaten, flogged, shipwrecked, robbed, betrayed, and without food multiple times. He had many a long and lonely night.

How does this solo piano melody and its inspiration speak into your long and lonely nights?

“I’ve known…many a long and lonely night without sleep…” 2 Corinthians 11:27 (MSG) “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (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.” — Isaiah 41:10 (MSG)

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

Counting the Sand of the Sea

August 30, 2016 By Stanton Lanier 4 Comments

Click above to listen to a portion of Counting the Sand of the Sea 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 seashore memory?

My 10th and newest album Climb to the Sky has two songs drawing inspiration from Psalm 139. The first is the title track, and the second is called Counting the Sand of the Sea, which came from verses 17-18…

“Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I’ll never comprehend them! I couldn’t even begin to count them—any more than I could count the sand of the sea.” (The Message)

From 6th to 12th grade I lived in the Florida panhandle, about thirty minutes from Santa Rosa Island, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The water is a beautiful blue green, and for many people, perhaps their favorite element. However, for me it is the sand — a glorious white color, with an extremely fine texture. There is just nothing like it between your toes.

The gulf island seashores are one of my favorites, but in 2015 a new seashore took first place, when I was able to see the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. The combination of cliffs, sand, and sea creates breathtaking views, and stirs the heart with God’s beauty and wonder.

Hillsong United is a worship band based in Australia, who wrote one of today’s most popular songs of faith titled Oceans. The chorus sings…

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Will you join me today, in remembering a favorite seashore, and in meditating on Psalm 139?

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?

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. 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)

Climb to the Sky – Part 1

August 9, 2016 By Stanton Lanier 8 Comments

Visit climbtothesky.com for CD and MP3 Album pre-orders, and October 13th Atlanta release concert tickets. For the time being, I hope you enjoy listening to Taken by a Cloud from my 5th album Unveiled in the background as you read…

What does the phrase “Climb to the Sky” bring to mind for you?

As a young boy I loved to climb trees. Growing up in North Carolina there was a 100-foot tall sweet gum tree in our neighbor’s yard, across the street from our house (I have written about this before — you can read here if you like). My friends and I climbed to the top often, but I also remember being up there by myself. There was something about the quiet, the breeze, the view, and the perspective there was something, some One much greater than me. I didn’t know it then, but Psalm 139 (the inspiration behind Climb to the Sky) would be waiting for me in the future to describe this sense of awe and wonder.

Whether climbing a tree, visiting the mountains, hiking a high trail, or looking out an airplane window, the bigness of the sky is fascinating. What is your favorite “big sky” experience? Fluffy clouds, breathtaking sunrises, captivating sunsets, and starry nights have brought unforgettable memories of the sky in my faith journey. It is not the creation though, but the Creator who offers us a personal relationship through Jesus and His death on the cross to save us from our sins. He had the ultimate climb to the sky in Acts 1:9, which inspired the piano-violin duet Taken by a Cloud.

I hope these thoughts have stirred some of your life’s “climb to the sky” memories, and they give you hope in whatever you are facing today. The “Sky Maker” made us too. He, our heavenly Father, loves us more than we know, and has redeemed us by His Son’s grace and forgiveness. It takes child-like faith to believe, but I have found Him faithful in showing me the way and watching over me in all things. Trusting Him during our quickly passing days on earth prepares us for the ultimate “climb to the sky” and eternity with Him.

What verse from Psalm 139 speaks most to you today (see below)?

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there!” — Psalm 139:1-8 (ESV)

“God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too—your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—I can’t take it all in! Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! — Psalm 139:1-8 (The Message)