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

December 4, 2014 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to the Thanksgiving piano-English horn duet as you read. This track version 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?

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 (that’s us in the photo when I was thirteen). 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?

How Does Autumn Refresh My Soul?

November 17, 2014 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to World of Wonders from the album A Thousand Years as you read, featuring Amazing Grace. If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from iTunes or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

What is you favorite season and how does it refresh your soul?

Mine is the fall, followed by spring, summer, and winter. Join me for a moment as I associate words with memories and ways “autumn splendor” refreshes my soul. I hope this triggers some special memories for you of your favorite season.

Invigorating: Feeling cool air and wind on my face
Adventuring: Building boyhood forts out of sticks and leaves in North Carolina
Captivating: Seeing the wide variety of trees and colors
Nurturing: Raking pine straw and blowing leaves
Cherishing: An early October wedding and Vermont honeymoon
Listening: Quiet walks in the woods help me hear God’s gentle whisper
Exploring: Driving in the mountains searching for beauty
Celebrating: Giving thanks for family gatherings and Thanksgiving traditions
Capturing: Photographing radiant leaves (like the one above I took this week)

The piano melody in World of Wonders is “singing” about breathtaking moments of beauty we can notice in nature, whether winter, spring, summer or fall. The emergence of Amazing Grace inside this composition is a symbol of God’s common grace in the seasons, how he cares for creation and for us. This great hymn also embodies the gift of His saving grace and forgiveness.

What comes to mind with the words “world of wonders” and “amazing grace?”

“Sing to God a brand-new song. He’s made a world of wonders!” — Psalm 98:1 (The Message)

“Amazing grace! how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch; like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.” — Amazing Grace first verse; hymn written by John Newton in 1779, and joined to a traditional song named New Britain in 1835 which became its famous melody.

How Beautiful – The Weather Channel Surprise

November 5, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 1 Comment

Click above to listen to How Beautiful from my second album Still Waters as you read. If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from iTunes, or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

When was a time something you love was part of a great surprise?

Sometimes these events happen in bunches, and sometimes there may only be a few per year. This story happened Saturday, February 1, 2003. I was still a full-time financial planner and had released my second album Still Waters before Christmas 2012. In the midst of Saturday chores and projects around the house, there was a voice mail left on my phone.

It was a friend from Arkansas, and the message said, “I think I just heard your music on The Weather Channel. How is that possible!?” With technology at the time, it took a few days to figure out. A Still Waters CD had made it from a person at work to a person at The Weather Channel to the person in charge of music for the Local on the 8s. The song How Beautiful had been selected for the music rotation, and was playing in the background about once every two hours across the U.S. This only lasted for two minutes during the local forecast.

To my surprise, this led to CD orders from thirty states. There were amazing stories from people who emailed to share they could sense God’s peace and hope in the instrumental music. One was from a lady in Michigan who was folding her laundry. Another was from a young man in a Connecticut hospital. All of this caused tears of joy and a growing sense that something bigger was happening. Was God calling me toward doing music full-time?

The other big surprise was the inspirational verses behind How Beautiful. This was and still is one of my favorite melodies on this album. The piano notes are singing the scriptures almost word for word, which speak of the beauty of serving others in love, and the wonder and mystery of God’s grace and forgiveness.

How beautiful can your life be today in sharing some good news with someone?

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” — Romans 10:15

“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” — Romans 10:9

Tenor Plah

April 7, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 2 Comments

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

It’s a rainy day in Atlanta this morning as I write. This “Tenor Plah” idea is a good one for rainy days, but can be applied any time when your spirit needs a lift. Sometimes rainy days — or life — can bring me down, if I allow my thoughts to spiral down a negative path. Before I share what “Tenor Plah” helps me remember, here is a list of “rainy day” words for consideration — Faithless, unimpressive, inopportune, polluted, ugly, deplorable. How did those impact your outlook? They are the opposites of the words I am about to share.

The words “Tenor Plah” help me remember “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” “Tenor Plah” represents the acronym “TNR PLA” from these six key words found in Philippians 4:8. Thinking about such things always helps me have a better perspective on rainy days, and life. So, whether it’s rainy, cloudy, snowy or sunny as you read this, consider filing “Tenor Plah” in your memory bank, so you can apply this whenever needed. What is something true, noble, right, pure, lovely, or admirable you have noticed today?

Sacred Mountain Moments

March 17, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 1 Comment

Click above to listen to Sacred Mountain (from my 8th album Open Spaces) as you read. If you enjoy you can stream, download music, or find sheet music at the following links: Open Spaces CD, MP3 Album, Piano Book, Desert Thirsty for Rain PDF Sheet Music, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora.

Can you think of a recent experience you can connect with a childhood memory?

It was June 1974 when I first saw them. I was ten years old, and we were half way into our only cross country family vacation. North Carolina to Wyoming and back — by car. Our 1972 Buick Skylark was loaded to the brim. The trunk would barely close and the white carrier top held all our tent camping gear. I will always remember my first viewing of the Rocky Mountains. Driving west, watching them rise, and rise, and rise over the horizon left a mark. It was a sacred moment. There was a sense that only God could have created something so beautiful, so majestic. Being in the mountains always triggers a spiritual encounter for me.

These are things I reflected on as I was composing “Sacred Mountain,” inspired by 2 Peter 1:18. “We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.” What a scene it must have been when Jesus led Peter, James and John up a high mountain, and there was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, his clothes became as white as the light, and Moses and Elijah appeared, talking with Jesus. I believe God wants to reveal “sacred mountain” moments in our day-to-day life, but we have to have our hearts, ears, and minds open to “see” them.

What is a childhood experience you had that was “sacred” in your memories? Have you had a “sacred mountain” moment lately?