2018 Peace and Rest ~ Breathe

January 23, 2018 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to stream the song Breathe as you read. I am also including the Breathe music video at the bottom, so you can use it for further reflection in seeking “2018 Peace and Rest.”

How can “pausing to breathe” bring peace and rest, as well as joy and productivity?

An amazing story happened during the filming of the Breathe music video. For 24 hours I put aside my “to do” list and unplugged from all technology while in the mountains of western North Carolina. I needed and wanted some “breathing room” to convey the essence of this song musically and visually. My original idea was to go deep into an old forest with huge trees, since trees help us breathe by producing oxygen. After some hiking and scouting, the plan shifted. It was a little unsettling at first, but taking time to pause, to breathe in this moment, led to a surprising discovery…

Back at the entrance to the historic forest, there were two signs. The first indicated the mileage to a lookout point. The second said “No Outlet.” My friend and camera man agreed we should go exploring, to see if we might discover an even better (perhaps even the best) music video location. We were blown away, and couldn’t wait to start filming at sunrise the next morning.

The image above is just a glimpse of the beauty and wonder we experienced, and I believe you will love the Breathe music video footage. Below are “5 Reasons to Pause and Breathe” from this story. I hope these will help lead you toward greater peace and rest, greater joy and productivity, and greater inspiration and creativity in 2018.

To help you clarify a creative vision and dream to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
To embrace flexibility, waiting to see what is revealed, is part of going from good, to better, to God’s very best.
To take calculated risks (seeing what is down a “no outlet” road) is part of experiencing God’s awe and wonder.
To grow in surrender. “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)
To allow beauty to lead to worship. “I bless God every chance I get…I live and breathe God…” Psalm 34:1-2 (MSG)

Which “reason to pause and breathe” inspires you most for 2018?

5 Reasons to Pause and Breathe

November 7, 2017 By Stanton Lanier 4 Comments

Click above to stream the song Breathe as you read. I am also including the Breathe music video at the bottom, so you can use it to “pause and breathe” for further reflection.

How is pausing to “breathe” beneficial to you?

The image above is just a glimpse of the beauty and wonder we experienced, and I believe you will love the Breathe music video footage. Below are “5 Reasons to Pause and Breathe” from this story, which may be helpful with your creativity or in your life today:

To help you clarify a creative vision and dream to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
To embrace flexibility, waiting to see what is revealed, is part of going from good, to better, to God’s very best.
To take calculated risks (seeing what is down a “no outlet” road) is part of experiencing God’s awe and wonder.
To grow in surrender. “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)
To allow beauty to lead to worship. “I bless God every chance I get…I live and breathe God…” Psalm 34:1-2 (MSG)

Which “reason to pause and breathe” speaks most to you right now?

3 Questions that Changed My Life

March 29, 2017 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Vive La Joye (meaning Joy Forever in old French) from my 7th album A Thousand Years as you read. You can also order the CD or MP3 Album or PDF Sheet Music, or enjoy on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Pandora.

Is my life more creative or more consumptive?

Is my life more of a problem to solve or an adventure to live?

Is my life more of an argument or a story?

Since they have so impacted and transformed my life, I was prompted to share these three questions with you. I hope you find them to be just as inspiring, meaningful and potentially life changing. It may be enough to read them a few times, reflect, and watch for any action steps to be revealed. Or, you can continue reading for more about how they changed me, and continue to influence my journey…

1. Is my life more creative or more consumptive? Consuming is an important part of life. There are things I need to buy, and there are times for watching movies or taking vacations (which can create wonderful memories). However, creating something original is usually more life giving and brings even more joy, both to me and to others. We all have one or two gifts and talents where we are uniquely creative.

Ask yourself, “What is something original I have created lately?” Lean more in this direction instead of taking the easier path of consuming. This could be any number of things, such as a new recipe, a new poem, a new painting, a new invention, a new song, a new story, a new teaching technique, a new presentation method, a new parenting approach, or a new marriage enrichment idea.

2. Is my life more of a problem to solve or an adventure to live? I am the oldest of three boys, and the son of an analytical chemist (my dad) and an art major (my mom). For much of my life, I was driven by goal setting, striving for success, and seeking to please others. Life was a problem to solve, and I was pretty good at the “math.”

I loved piano and basketball, but neither seemed practical as a career path or way of life. When I wrote my first song on the piano at age fourteen, I had no idea this was a hint of what I would become twenty-six years later. The shift from “problem to solve” to “adventure to live” began years later, when I fully surrendered my life to God at the age of thirty. Life’s adventures have been growing and surprising me ever since. Take a leap of faith and surrender. God will direct your steps.

3. Is my life more of an argument or a story? From my experience growing up in the church, there was this sense I had a duty to “defend my faith” instead of a joy to “share my story” with regard to the presence and power of Jesus in my life. The “argument” perspective went right along with the “problem to solve” approach to life.

Another amazing result of surrender, and trusting in God by faith as the Great Storyteller, is how life begins to become more of a story than an argument — like a great movie, with twists and turns, ups and downs, tears of sadness, and tears of joy. In the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) I am the elder brother, literally and figuratively, doing all the right things, but lacking the great joy available to me. God wants my heart to be filled with His love and grace toward others, like the father in the story. He loved and forgave both his sons, the older with his pride and lack of rejoicing, and the younger prodigal son who returned home after wasting away his entire share of the estate. With God being the author of our life, seeing life as a great story unfolding — with great joy — is life changing for me.

The above photo of captures the essence of my heart’s desire for a life filled with creativity, adventures, and stories. It was Palm Sunday, April 2011, a day of rest from the studio in Vermont, where I was recording my 7th album A Thousand Years. I hiked to the top of the ridge, placed my camera on a tree branch, aimed the lens at this amazing swing with fifty foot long chains, and set the automated ten second timer. On the second try, the camera clicked when the swing reached its highest point. For me, it symbolizes child-like faith and joy, and reminds me God is “holding the chains” with a smile from heaven, as I “swing” through life with faith and trust in Him.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11 (NIV)

Cultivating the Artist Child Inside You

March 15, 2016 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

Click above to listen to Wherever You Go as you read (from my 8th album Open Spaces). If you enjoy, visit the online store to order the CD or MP3 Album or PDF Sheet Music. You can also download or stream on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Pandora.

Are you cultivating the artist child inside you?

The photo below is from the 8th grade talent show, when I performed Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree. But this did not happen naturally or easily. In kindergarten and early elementary school I stuttered when I talked. I am still reminded of this today, whenever I say the word “reward” with the “r” and “w” sounds. Even though I began piano lessons at six years old, well into my teenage years my right leg would always shake when I played for an audience. And, in the 7th grade I wanted to quit piano lessons because it did not seem cool anymore, and I wanted to focus on basketball.

As I started writing songs in high school, both piano and basketball were my two favorite things in life. However, as I looked ahead to a college education and career, the voices speaking into my life all said “You are a good at math and science, and a smart student. You should be an engineer.” Very few people, if any, believed that piano or basketball could be a career choice. Guess what began to happen to the artist child inside me? Conformity began to overtake creativity. Fear began to replace child-like faith.

I just finished reading The Artisan Soul by Erwin McManus, who for fifteen years has been a voice God has used to inspire me to nurture the artist inside me, and to seize divine moments. Erwin writes (viewing God as our Creator), “…we are both works of art, and artists at work. At first our soul is like a canvas where others begin to paint the portrait of who we are. Slowly as we develop and mature, we take the brush into our own hands and continue painting our own lives.”

I have also been meditating on Psalm 139, which has an amazing section… “Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day” (The Message).

I hope these thoughts, and some part of my life story inspire you to nurture and cultivate the artist child inside you. God has given each of us a unique set of passions and abilities. I encourage you to visit yours often, to practice them with a spirit of child-like faith and adventure. Be sure to make time to create. Don’t replace your creativity with conformity. You are an original work of art!

What step can you take to cultivate the artist child inside you?

P.S. Wherever You Go was carefully chosen as the music stream for this post. The song was influenced by some music rhythm and life conversations with my teenage son, and was inspired by Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.“

Pausing to Breathe

October 13, 2015 By Stanton Lanier 28 Comments

Click above to listen to the brand new song Breathe as you read (releasing 10/27/15 on iTunes worldwide, and all other download and streaming services).

How can pausing to “breathe” help you go from better to best?

Last week I put aside my “to do” list to film a new music video in the mountains of western North Carolina. My original idea was to go deep into an old forest with huge trees, since trees help us breathe by producing oxygen. After some hiking and scouting, the plan shifted. It was a little unsettling at first, but taking time to pause, to breathe in this moment, led to an amazing discovery…

Back at the entrance to the historic forest, there were two signs. The first indicated the mileage to a lookout point. The second said “No Outlet.” My friend (and camera man) agreed we should go exploring, to see if we might discover an even better (perhaps even the best) music video location. We were blown away, and couldn’t wait to start filming at sunrise the next morning.

The image above is just a glimpse of the beauty and wonder we experienced, and I cannot wait to share the new Breathe music video with you soon. Here are a few points of reflection from this story, which may be helpful with your creativity today:

Having a creative vision and dream to make a positive difference in people’s lives is a great first step.
Pausing to breathe (being flexible, waiting to see what is revealed) can take you from good, to better, to best.
Taking calculated risks (seeing what is down a “no outlet” road) is part of experiencing awe and wonder.
“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)
“I bless God every chance I get…I live and breathe God…” Psalm 34:1-2 (MSG)

What are you working on that could move from better to best by pausing to “breathe” in a new creative direction?

Spontaneous Joy and Creativity (Inspired by my Grandfather)

June 24, 2014 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Joyful from my second album Still Waters 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).

Who inspired your childhood with spontaneous joy and creativity?

I immediately think of my grandfather Frank Stanton Bondurant. 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. Here are a few ways he brought joy and creativity to my life…

He told great stories. One of my favorites was about him playing high school football when there were no face masks. Players only wore a thin leather helmet. He broke both eyebrow bones and both collar bones. We would laugh together as he told how the offensive linemen chewed tobacco so they could stream the juice in the defensive line’s faces to confuse them just before the ball was snapped.

He made life fun. If you said, “Please pass the cereal,” he would throw you the box! He loved to play games and tell jokes. 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 (in the above photo he was seventy-two and I was thirteen).

He imparted life wisdom. 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 and 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.

He encouraged me. He always believed in me and my potential with sports, music, and serving others. He told me how practice and hard work would make a difference in the long run. As I entered the business world, he taught me to say “It would be a joy and privilege to serve you” for each opportunity.

He was a man of prayer. “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 were together. His personal relationship with God fed my desire to know God and hear His voice.

These are just a few 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, and how his spontaneous joy and creativity were an inspiration to me.

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

Psalm 100:1 “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.”

Gaining A Thousand Years

April 9, 2014 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to A Thousand Years (title track from my album A Thousand Years) as you read. If you enjoy you can stream, download music, or find sheet music at the following links: A Thousand Years CD, MP3 Album, Piano Book, A Thousand Years PDF Sheet Music, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora.

Could you use a little more time, like me?

Recently I composed a new song in about one hour, which is not typical. It was as though time stood still, or at least slowed down. Can you find the bumble bee in the image below? As I observed, I noticed the bee was not in a hurry. What if “A thousand years in your sight are like a day or a watch in the night” is true, as written in Psalm 90:4? If this was taken literally, if 1 day (24 hours) was like 1,000 years of time, then…

Half a day (12 hours) = 500 years
6 hours = 250 years
3 hours = 125 years
1 hour = 42 years
1 minute = 8 months
1 second = 4 days

Which of those is your favorite? As you begin your next one-hour project, think about this being the same as forty-two years from God’s point of view. This helps me maintain a long-term perspective regarding my daily to do list, big projects, relationships, and more. It means sometimes a whole lot of progress can happen in much less time than I expect. It also helps me keep things in perspective when they don’t seem to be moving along as quickly as I would like. Have you ever had “a thousand years are like a day” experience?

Spring 2013 Recording Sessions

May 1, 2013 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

A lot of exciting composing for the new album “Open Spaces” has been happening this year. I am excited to share this insider look into the creation of Music to Light the World’s eighth album, and to share behind the scenes video with you. Below is a 5-minute video collage from Monday and Tuesday, April 29-30, 2013 piano recordings and percussion overdubs, featuring samples of seven new pieces. I hope you enjoy!

Bursting with Possibility

September 12, 2012 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

I am feeling overwhelmed by having so much more than I can do right now. However, at the same time, life is bursting with possibility. How about you? Are you feeling overwhelmed, and burdened by impossibility? Or, are you feeling overwhelmed, and bursting with possibility? A swim, a phone call to a friend, and a morning snack created an “aha” moment today…

“How can my life story have more plentiful juice with a refreshingly sweet tang?”

Clementine – Bursting with Possibility

This morning I swam 60 laps (about 3/4 mile). I was feeling great, partly I’m sure, from the endorphins produced by the exercise. There was a sense this was so worth while. That the “lost time” of working out would more than make up for itself. The day ahead was filled with possibility.

After the swim, I was prompted to call a friend and connect with his story. He is beginning a new adventure, so I wanted to encourage him. He is a great storyteller and has helped me tell better stories. His heart was so filled with possibility for his future, the stories were just flowing out of him. It was so worthwhile, and I knew the time would be redeemed. He was filling my cup with possibility.

When I got home to start my work day, I was planning a “snack reward” for my swim – a Crunchy Peanut Butter Clif Bar (they were on a really good sale at Walmart). Before I could grab one, my wife said I should have a piece of fruit. I knew she was right. I went for a Clementine, a tiny tangerine that peels really easily and is bursting with juice and flavor (I have to admit, I ate it in one bite). As soon as it burst into juice and flavor in my mouth, I realized even in the midst of an overwhelming to do list, today was bursting with possibility.

Read this definition of a Clementine and relate it to your life story today…Also known as the Algerian tangerine, Clementines are the crown jewel of the Mandarin Citrus Family. Originating in North Africa (now also grown in California and Florida), this is the best loved mandarin orange. A hybrid between an orange and mandarin or tangerine, this variety is seedless, smaller in size, has thinner membranes, and more plentiful juice with a refreshingly sweet tang.

Are you feeling overwhelmed like me? Don’t be burdened by what is “impossible.” Will you join me in remembering that every day is bursting with possibility? How can this help you live a better story?

“…With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26

An Evening of Hope

August 20, 2012 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

When I wrote my first song at age 14, and composed my first instrumental melody at age 35, I didn’t know what it would mean. In both cases, and every time in between, I was just led to create, to compose. I wasn’t thinking about who would hear it, or what would happen. Creating gives me hope. Are you creating just because something inside or from above is inspiring you? Does this give you hope?

Over the past ten years, people have shared amazing stories from around the world about my music bringing peace, rest, hope, or healing to their life or health circumstances. I have learned I cannot control what will result from my actions. My small part in a much grander story is to be faithful to my calling and purpose. One day, one step at a time.

When Music to Light the World was founded in early 2004, these were a few things I didn’t know…

A co-worker’s daughter would die of leukemia that December
I would write a song for her called “Peace,” which would become a listener favorite around the world (inspired by her life and John 14:27)
Music to Light the World would begin donating CDs to families who had lost a child to cancer in 2005
We would begin calling this program Get Music Give Hope in 2009 (every CD purchase helps one CD be given to a patient or family)
One of the daughter’s nurses from 2004 would become Program Director for Beads of Courage, serving 30,000 children and families facing cancer or severe illnesses in the U.S. and overseas
In 2012 we would have a goal to donate 30,000 CDs, so every one of these families could be offered hope and healing.

On October 11th, Music to Light the World will host our 2nd annual fundraising dinner and concert, called An Evening of Hope 2012. Whether you are near or far from Atlanta, Georgia, I hope this story has inspired you, and you will consider playing a part in this unique event. If you would like to learn more about how you or someone you know can attend or make a tax-deductible donation to this effort, please visit https://www.stantonlanier.com/10-11-12.php

Are you following those nudges to use your creative gifts? Are you finding hope in the process?