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Stanton Lanier

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31 Days of December Peace: Day 28 ~ Pursuing Your Passions, Part 1

December 28, 2012 By Stanton Lanier 1 Comment

The new 31 Days of December Peace eBook is available for only $4.99. Download at stantonlanier.com or the Amazon Kindle Store.

Pursuing Your Passions, Part 1 ~ by Stanton Lanier (Copyright 2012, not to be re-published without permission)

In 1994, at the age of 30, I surrendered my career life to God and asked Him to show me what He wanted me to do. After getting an MBA and spending five years in consulting and sales, the time had come to trust God 100% instead of asking Him to join me in what I was doing.

Concert Photo

In 1995, God called me to Ronald Blue & Co. to become a financial planner. It was the clearest sense of direction I had experienced in my life. So clear, in fact, that I thought the greatest blessing was that I had found my life calling. It was a joy and a privilege to wake up each day and give financial counsel to clients based on a biblical perspective.

Working with clients on financial and life stewardship caused me to ask myself the same questions I would often discuss with clients. How much is enough? What are your passions? As I reflected, my heart was stirred to revive a lifelong passion I had for playing the piano and writing songs. “Baby steps” of faith led me to a place where God inspired me to compose instrumental melodies to help people slow down and experience His peace. The next year, I released my first CD and gave it away to friends, clients and co-workers. More and more people began to enjoy and share my music and two more albums followed.

Below are the first two steps that had a powerful impact on my faith journey. I hope they inspire and encourage you to pursue your passions.

1. Invest. In 1999 I had a stirring in my heart that I was supposed to invest in a keyboard and computer to record some old songs I had written in high school. God’s voice just would not go away on this, so I gathered information for six months, waited upon the Lord, and took action steps to obey and invest. Following this, God revealed a new idea to create solo piano from scripture to bring peace to the soul. “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

2. Invigorate. What is it that invigorates you (i.e. refreshes, revitalizes, stimulates, enlivens, energizes, rejuvenates, animates, strengthens, livens you up)? Make sure to integrate whatever “it” is into your life, even if this means just a few minutes each day or a few hours each week. Make the most of life right now where you are. “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free” (Psalm 119:32).

Are you hearing God’s still small voice telling you to invest in some way? What invigorates you?

To be continued tomorrow…

Filed Under: Inspiration, Life Stories, Spiritual Journey Tagged With: December Peace, Life Calling, life purpose, pursuing passions

Podcast #1: Vive La Joye – The Sweetgum Tree

August 15, 2012 By Stanton Lanier 4 Comments

I am very excited to share my very first podcast with through this blog post! I have wanted to do this for a long time. The idea is to provide you with an extended “concert moment,” with three ways to experience peace and rest, inspiration and creativity in your life today:

Part 1 – You will hear a short, personal life story to inspire your journey.
Part 2 – You will be able to listen to a full-length melody to help you pause and reflect on a specific aspect of your life.
Part 3 – You will be able to consider a few questions to encourage and challenge you to live a better story.

Stanton Lanier, The Sweetgum Tree

Sweet gum photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/14083893

I started piano lessons at age six, growing up in North Carolina. There was a giant sweet gum tree across the street from our house. It seemed a hundred feet high. I didn’t know it then, but climbing to the top was stirring a longing for wonder and adventure in life. This got pressed down as I got older and struggled to find safety, security and success.

I hope you will make the time to listen. It may stir up some great memories of your childhood. Maybe there is something it will encourage you to pursue. Something good and true you have thought about doing for a long time. I would love to hear your comments and will respond personally…

[buzzsprout episode=’56615′ player=’true’]

Filed Under: Inspiration, Life Stories, Peace and Rest Tagged With: childhood memories, childlike faith, pursuing passions, vive la joye

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