Music

When You Behold, You Are the Artist

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I finished reading Brennan Manning’s Abba’s Child for the first time over the weekend. Regardless of your take on his life, there is some good stuff in there.

For me, it started in the foreword by Jon Foreman with these thoughts:

In my songs, I’m always looking for light. I’m looking for a window or a mirror-something to frame my experience here on the planet in a new way that allows me to see the truth. Why am I always looking for these windows and doors? Because my ears become deaf, my eyes become blind. I desperately need new ways of looking at the world and at myself. I have a friend who is a visual artist. He defines “the artist” not as someone who creates beauty but as someone who looks for it. And to that end I would say a good songwriter does the same thing: hoping for more than just a new chorus, longing to be free from the same old patterns, to be transformed by the renewing of the mind moment by moment, day by day.

That definition of an artist struck a chord. For those who believe they missed out by not having creative artistic skills, you are not excluded.

The awe in your eyes when beauty surrounds you is artistic.

Photo by Nick Chung on Unsplash

The smile on your face when witnessing a beautiful act is artistic.

Photo by Leonardo Miranda on Unsplash

Your body responding when hearing beautiful instrumentation or lyrics is artistic.

Photo by NATHAN MULLET on Unsplash

Beholders are artists. Keep looking.

Sabbath Beauty

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My Friday night journal entry included a weekend/Sabbath commitment/exercise. Look and make note of beauty for 48 hours.

Of all the observations, these were the four most notable, counting down to #1.

#4

Papa Cleve’s Jamaican ice cream in Miami is legit. The two flavors I chose were Oreo Cheesecake and Coffee. Check out this video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15j1T2e8GL/

#3

Came across this song by Benjamin William Hastings. Added to my 2025 Rest playlist. I couldn’t find a “story behind the lyrics.” I have strong suspicions, but I’ll let you listen for the message you get.

#2

Trees are one of my favorite creations. This one a few blocks from my Airbnb in Miami captured me. I had to drive back by to get a quick photo. It doesn’t do it justice. It looks burnt. I’d like to know it’s story. Whatever it is, the message to me is, “I’m still here.”

#1

No picture or video. Why? It’s what happens when you run without a device.

Yesterday morning the first image of beauty to start my exercise was of a hoverboard rider. We passed one another on opposite sides of Old Bradenton Road around 6:05AM. I don’t even know if he saw me. I heard him before I saw him. I thought he was listening to music. Turns out, he was singing along to it, louder than I could hear it. It was hard to tell what he was saying, but I caught enough to suspect it was a praise song. That’s right. A hoverboarder starting his Saturday on a ride worshipping. How can that not be #1?

Easter Playlist

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One thing I’m grateful for is the availability of creating playlists. They are a tool for wellness and many other things.

My Easter playlist is one of my favorites. Usually each year I edit it, typically by adding new songs. I’m not doing that this year. I’m enjoying the familiarity of the existing 20 songs, letting them remind me why this week matters.

Most of the songs were released over a decade ago, and probably half of them never made it to radio. They are hidden gems to my spirit.

I encourage you to check out my playlist for two reasons:

  • To receive the fullness of Easter
  • To consider what could be on your Easter playlist

https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/d4c45641a1b1432a9c587c183b04c3dfsune?ref=dm_sh_FbW3SbQHcFxAFbobVKMB3Kwk6

Top 3 2024 Word of the Year Songs

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The first year I chose a word for the year was 2020. It’s an exercise I’ve grown to appreciate. If you have yet to consider it, here are a few blog posts about it:

https://mountainmodernlife.com/word-of-the-year/

https://www.fillingthejars.com/word-for-the-year/

My 2024 word was “courage” for which I created a playlist. At one time the playlist had over 20 songs. Last month as we edged closer to year end, I began deleting songs as a way of keeping focus. And in a fun way, unintentionally, I got down to the top three songs on the list that spoke the most to me along this theme. So I thought I’d share them with you.

To share them, here’s the playlist and videos of each song. Take Courage!

Piano Lessons on Humility

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Bored between football and hockey late this afternoon, my surfing led me to a documentary mid-air. It being about a piano, I paused and didn’t move the channel.

Piano to Zanskar is an award-winning British documentary film which tells the story of Desmond O’Keeffe, also known as Mr Gentle, a 65-year old piano tuner who embarks on an impossible mission.

Facing his future in retirement, “sitting in deck chairs and eating lemon drizzle cake”, Desmond decides instead to take on the most challenging and perilous delivery of his four decade career: transporting a 100 year-old, 80 kilo, Broadwood and Sons upright piano, from bustling London to the remote heart of the Indian Himalayas. 

Setting off from his busy workshop in Camden Town, and enlisting the help of two young and eager apprentices, Desmond’s ambitious destination is a primary school in Lingshed, Zanskar. At 14,000 feet above sea level, it is one of the most isolated settlements in the world. 

At 56 years of age, I continue to receive lessons on humility; they come faster and deeper. Watching this film, I faced several realities of extraordinary privilege my life has afforded that I must stop taking for granted.

  • Grew up in a home with a piano. (As of 2015, one in 3,788 U.S. families owned a piano. That statistic for the world isn’t known.)
  • Received piano lessons at various levels.
  • Earned a degree in music education.
  • Taught piano for seven years.
  • Started a piano competition in the early 90’s, now known as The Greater Jacksonville Federation Piano Competition, that continues today.
  • Have played for thousands of church worshippers in America, Belarus, and Jordan.

God has used pianos to heal me, to touch others, and to lift his name high.

For His sake, may the humility lessons continue.

As You Live and Move and Breathe

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Came across a song new to me today that voiced a prayer of personal need. Before sharing it, do you know or remember this one?

Matt Maher gave us this song 11 years ago, a prayer declaring an awareness and desperation regarding needing God. There are moments in life where this prayer song matches our spirit. In those moments, I believe God is like a father, thankful his child trusts their need with him.

The song I found today is also a prayer song about need, but the declaration isn’t a cry for help. Instead, the song is a declaration of belief in God’s ability to meet needs and, therefore, a desire to stay close to him. Why? Because he knows what we need. That “because” leaves the lyricist to declare something about himself. He wants everything he does and says to lead him back to the one who knows what he needs.

Two songs about human need. Two songs voicing a prayer of faith. Wherever your faith is today regarding your needs, chances are one of these songs captures it.

As you live and move and breathe, sing along. He’s listening.

The Worshiper’s Reward

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Dutch Sheets begins his book The Pleasure of His Company by focusing on God as a Person. From the outset, he emphasizes the opportunity we have to experience intimate relationship with God.

The last paragraph of the chapter focuses on what worship is about from the position of the God being worshipped, in this case through the avenue of singing.

When we worship, He is captivated by the singer, not the song. Our company is what He longs for.

Chapter 1, “The Person”

This is good news for all worshipers. Some worshipers can sing the song flawlessly yet miss the joy of God’s company. Some worshipers have no shot at “being in the pocket” yet enjoy the freedom of God’s presence. Sheets called these worshipers enlightened.

They know that when they approach Him, He responds; and the pleasure of His company becomes their reward. Make it yours.

Photo by Hudson Hintze on Unsplash

I Gave Up…And It Was Ok

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I’ve found a podcast that’s growing on me. It’s called Everything Happens with Kate Bowler. Check out the link to see what it’s about.

One episode prompted me to think about some things I’ve given up. When we think about giving up, some things we give up are good loses; other things we choose to give up may cause people to question why. The latter is where my mind went. Not that I’m paralyzed by what people think, but I revisited two things I gave up that have often caused people to cock their head with a look of, “I’m not sure that makes sense.”

In 2014, I gave up tennis. Almost to the day ten years ago, I had my second neck surgery giving me three infusions most likely due to a car accident that happened around twenty years ago. What does that have to do with tennis? Both instances when the nerve pain surfaced was either the next day after playing tennis or during a season where I was playing quite a bit of tennis. It can’t be confirmed, but it makes sense to me that the motion of serving and other movements during a tennis match didn’t go well with the disc issues that surfaced. Thus, I gave up tennis. Exercise does include some pain, but being healthy doesn’t have to include self-harm.

In 2001, I gave up being a worship leader as an occupation. It became clear to me after 12 years of music being the basis of my work life that it wasn’t fulfilling. There was something else that was better. I didn’t have the answer, but step one was to give up doing something just because I can. A bigger purpose rose by choosing better over good.

In this vein, my pastor spoke this morning about giving up things in order to live in freedom rather than anxiety. When we are honest with ourselves, we often are quite aware of what’s binding us that we aren’t willing to give up. If you find yourself in this position, let me encourage you with this blessing from Kate Bowler. Each episode I’ve listened to, a blessing is how it ends. In the episode that prompted this post, she ended it with the following words. May they speak life into your soul that it’s okay to give up.

Blessed are you who have reached a new age, even if it doesn’t seem to fit. It may feel too big, too reductive, too limiting. It may be marked by a life you barely recognize. The kids who have all moved out or settled somewhere far away, or they’ve never left. And you’re wondering if you’ll ever get that home office. The work that no longer sets the daily hum. The life partner who is gone. And friends you’ve outlived. The body, which doesn’t allow for the hobbies you loved anymore. The monthly check that doesn’t provide the flexibility you’d hoped for. Wasn’t I young just a second ago? Will I ever recognize the person staring back in the mirror? What’s left to do that really counts? How do I know if I am or ever was enough? God gave us eyes to notice the ways life can still be beautiful and rich and full in the midst of so much that has been lost. Remind us that you are not done with us yet. For the God who spoke us into being calls us even now. Not to an ideal or a role, but to a moment. This one. In a world that equates age with liability, it’s time for a reminder that you are a gift. You give advice. You hold on to family recipes. You remember that thing that happened and honestly, we shouldn’t have forgotten. You think our kids are beautiful, and our bad partners should be soundly dumped. You kept the photo album. You hold our stories. Thank you. Even when the world isn’t paying attention. May you get a glimmer of a reminder that these little things add up to something that is and always will be beautiful.

Photo by Lucas Davies on Unsplash

Top 3 2023 Word of the Year Songs

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The first year I chose a word for the year was 2020. It’s an exercise I’ve grown to appreciate. If you have yet to consider it, here are a few blog posts about it:

https://mountainmodernlife.com/word-of-the-year/

https://www.fillingthejars.com/word-for-the-year/

My 2023 word was “rich” for which I created a playlist. At one time the playlist had about 20 songs. Last month as we edged closer to year end, I began deleting songs as a way of keeping focus. And in a fun way, unintentionally, I got down to the top three songs on the list that spoke the most to me along this theme. So I thought I’d share them with you.

To share them, here’s the playlist and videos of each song. Enjoy the richness!

Eternity Peeks

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I had forgotten how much I liked playing that Yamaha grand piano. The lower octaves have deep, rich tones that feel human. If it weren’t for the occasion, I could have sat there all afternoon.

The occasion was a memorial service. They had asked for 15-20 minutes of prelude music, mostly hymns. Normal.

What wasn’t normal was no one was in the auditorium at that time. They were all in the lobby. So like on Sunday mornings when the worship team starts a service to 25% of the eventual crowd, I started playing thinking it was a cue. Nope. I pretty much played the entire prelude to an empty audience. Or so I thought.

Truthfully, I was glad it was empty. Back in the day, the situation would have annoyed me. But not on this afternoon. I just relaxed, sort of pretended I was in a studio or living room. Let the songs go wherever they wish. Play a verse here, repeat a chorus however many times I want, move around between octaves, just improvise freely. I think I must have stuck on a medley of “More Love To Thee” and “I Need Thee Every Hour” about five minutes. Wasn’t planned, but certainly flowed. Albeit late, the group gathered, and the service got under way.

Unbeknownst to me, the service was streamed, even the prelude. My friend who put the gathering together texted me that evening to say folks from Georgia appreciated the piano music prior to the service. I had no idea. I’m guessing had I known I might have approached things differently.

How often I’ve missed moments like this because of who’s in the room. Focusing on the wrong person or the wrong motive downgrades everything. So the challenge can be to always play as if the room is empty, at least of humans. Play from the connection that goes beyond the gut to full body, mind, and spirit in order to commune with the Giver of music.

I believe those moments are glimpses of eternity. I wasn’t expecting that glimpse when I sat down at that Yamaha. That’s something beautiful about how God relates. I believe he loves to catch us by surprise, when we aren’t expecting it. Since He placed eternity in our hearts, only He seems to know when and how to give us a peek. When He does, it’s a peek into so much more than an afternoon here on earth.

Cherish the peeks.

Photo by Trac Vu on Unsplash