SONGS ABOUT THE LORD 2024
BACK STORY: I wrote this song beside a lovely lake in the summer time – in every way so far from the content of this song. It is a reminder that every good thing we enjoy cost our creator so much. The line that always gets me is that “it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him, make him an offering …”
SONGS ABOUT LIFE 2024
BACK STORY: A few years ago my mother asked me to write a song for her. I had written a couple songs for people dear to me after they had died and she wisely figured I might write one for her and she wanted to hear it (smart lady). This was not a song that came easily to me. It took me at least two years to write. I really had to contemplate the good things I learned from her. What a blessing a good mother is!
INSPIRED BY BELIEVERS 2020
BACK STORY: I found myself humming the chorus one day and then contemplated who had written those words – the Apostle Paul. I dedicate this song to him as it is really his story.
BACK STORY: I was practicing some jazz chord progressions one day and just started to sing the chorus as it came to me. I later used Psalm 148 to fill in the verses. I dedicate this song to King David, the joyful worshiper of God.
BACK STORY: This is my favourite song on the album. I like the rhythm and open D tuning. I wrote this song several years ago in the back seat of a car on a drive to Florida. That we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we only need turn inward to commune with God is the culmination of the mystery of the ages. How great God loves us. It is dedicated to Timothy in the bible as he was told by prophecy to “stir up the gift within him”.
BACK STORY: I wrote this song for my son. When he was a little boy he only wanted to read one bible story – Jesus on the Cross – day after day. How powerful is the account of the crucifixion that it would totally captivate a 4 year old. If you knew only one thing from the bible, this is what you need to know.
BACK STORY: This song was inspired by a sermon. The theme of the sermon is that it is all the unknown believers who quietly do the work of the kingdom of God, changing the world. It is inspired and dedicated by the nameless wise man of Ecclesiastes 9:14.
BACK STORY: I wrote this song on a camping trip. It is dedicated to Martha the sister of Mary. Martha reflects so many of our struggles – distraction, anxiety and duty.
BACK STORY: I wrote this story after hearing about some bad decisions some unrooted believers had made. Then I remembered how any one of us can be wise one moment and then foolish the next. I thought of Apostle Peter how he foolishly rebuked Jesus so soon after receiving the revelation that Jesus is the Messiah. Lord help us to make your thoughts our thoughts and your ways our ways.
BACK STORY: I have always found that one word from God changes every situation. All we really need is to hear from him. This song is inspired by Hannah in the bible and her great anguish due to fertility problems.
BACK STORY: This song is inspired by John’s letter in Revelation to the church at Ephesus. I contemplated how fervent my love for the Lord was in my teen years and how as life and responsibilities progressed it is a great challenge to keep up the good spiritual habits.
BACK STORY: My guitar player friend Mark who did the guitar arrangements on many of the songs on this album did a remix of the song. I am including it just for the fun of it.
BACK STORY: During recording the saxophone player did a quick run through of the song. We thought he did a great job, and so I am including his version as well.
30 DAYS ALBUM 2017
BACK STORY: After several years of not writing songs, I began to investigate books and blogs for writing techniques and advice. One blog said to write an idea down every morning before you get out of bed. If memory serves me right I believe it was raining on our metal roof and it made me reminiscent of rain falling on my childhood cabin, how I loved the sound and all the other things that take my breath away.
BACK STORY: I joined a song writing association and entered this song into a contest. It didn’t win but it was fun to see if I could turn the theme of a husband and wife drifting apart into something positive.
BACK STORY: Coming back to making music after 20 years away from it was overwhelming at first. Everything was digital now and most singer songwriters could record themselves with software in home studios. The songwriting organization issued a challenge to write and record a song using only 2 chords. I didn’t know where to start except to say, “I can do this – if anybody can, I can!”
BACK STORY: I attended a summer church camp meeting and heard a speaker talk about a book he had read called “30 Days”. I took up the challenge to think about what would I do if I had only 30 days left to live. In the end I felt I would spend my time song writing. This was the exercise that brought me back to songwriting.
BACK STORY: One week the leader of our song writing group issued a challenge to write a song about deception and lies. I immediately knew what I would write about. A few years earlier we had been tricked into a financial loss by someone we had considered a friend.
BACK STORY: I used this song to communicate to my daughter all the things I would want her to look for in a good man. It was the song I sang on my 25th wedding anniversary.
BACK STORY: During a time of great discouragement when I felt a failure on many fronts, I wrote this song for the one who loves me unconditionally.