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Three Inspirations to Bring Peace to Your Soul

May 28, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 4 Comments

https://www.stantonlanier.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/04-A-Thousand-Years.mp3

Click above to listen to the title track A Thousand Years from the album A Thousand Years (2011 Best Neo-Classical Album Nominee – ZMR Awards, and 2011 Notable Sacred Music – Christianity Today). This piece features piano with Jill Haley’s breathtaking English horn. If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from Amazon, iTunes, or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available).

Is your soul at peace today?

Mine needs frequent nourishment to experience this peace, a peace that passes all understanding. This is why I composed the melody A Thousand Years. As you listen, reflect on three inspirations, delicately interwoven to “fill your cup” with this peace (note the album cover symbolism in the water flowing out of the piano – by amazing mixed media artist Craig Corbin).

2011 A Thousand YearsInspiration #1 – the original melody expressing Psalm 90:4, and the mystery of God’s gift of peace to us: “A thousand years in your sight are like a day or a watch in the night.”

Inspiration #2 – Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star to represent child-like faith, child-like peace we have inside us, but the world has pressed out. In 1781, when Mozart was twenty-five, he composed a set of 12 improvisations on the French melody Ah! Vous Dirai-Je, Maman, which we know as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

Inspiration #3 – The great hymn It is Well With My Soul, by Horatio Spafford
Did you know this hymn was written after several traumatic events in Spafford’s life? The first was the death of their only son from Scarlet Fever in 1870. Second was the 1871 Great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer and had invested significantly in property in the area of Chicago which was decimated by the great fire). His business interests were further hit by the economic downturn of 1873 at which time he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the SS Ville du Havre. In a late change of plan, he sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sea vessel, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford’s daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone …”. Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died (from Wikipedia).

It Is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,a
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
A song in the night, oh my soul!

Which of the three inspirations brings peace to your soul today?

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Filed Under: Music Stories, Peace and Rest, Spiritual Journey Tagged With: a thousand years, Horatio Spafford, It Is Well With My Soul, Psalm 90:4, Scripture Inspired Piano, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Comments

  1. Linda says

    May 28, 2014 at 10:17 am

    God speaks to me through your music and the blog posts…….and today I am learning to rest….and each of the pieces of music spoke to me, in a different way….but combined together to say to me that God sees every detail of our lives and weaves them all together…..having been involved in 2 separate car accidents in the past week, unbelievable really, as previous to this i had never been involved in an accident!,i am now learning to rest. I have learned that my recovery will take at least a month. I am celebrating my birthday today,and really enjoyed ‘Inspiration#2’ piece, which reminded me that I need to have childlike faith, and #3, which is a familiar hymn often sung at funerals….really brought home to me, that after my horrible accident last Friday that today could have been my funeral……wow! Sobering thought !
    Thank you for your beautiful music which I play when I am teaching my Infant Massage classes at work, and the music is very calming and peaceful :))

    Reply
    • Stanton Lanier says

      May 28, 2014 at 11:29 am

      Dear Linda, thank you very much for writing to share this about today’s post. I am so sorry to hear about your two car accidents in one week (that is unbelievable!). I pray for your healing and recovery to go well. I am grateful you enjoy my music and blogging, and I appreciate you sharing it during your infant massage classes. Grace, peace and rest to you today, Stanton

      Reply
  2. Reflections of Love says

    May 29, 2014 at 7:36 am

    Nice article thanks for sharing with us .

    Reply
    • Stanton Lanier says

      May 29, 2014 at 9:58 am

      Laith, thank you for taking time to read/listen and send you comment. I really appreciate it, and am so glad you enjoyed. Blessings, Stanton

      Reply

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