For His Good Pleasure

The story behind the album

Some moments in our lives can cause us to reflect and realign our priorities. Such a moment touched me in August of 2014. While flying back and forth from Atlanta to New York City every other week for work, I occasionally felt a burning tingling sensation in my arms. I had ignored it thinking I had a pinched nerve from the heavy back pack I was using. As the sensations became more frequent, I finally decided to make an appointment with my doctor while I was home.

The following Monday, my doctor agreed it was possible that a pinched nerve could cause these sensations in my arms. But to be safe I would take a stress test that same week. I was scheduled to be back in NYC the following week and then on to Hawaii for a long overdue vacation. On that Thursday, much to my surprise, the stress test put me into a whirlwind chain of events that quickly culminated in a 5-way heart bypass surgery.

While I was shocked, I was assured that all would go well because I was strong, not overweight, ate well, exercised, did not smoke and had not suffered damage to my heart from a heart attack, so I was a perfect open heart candidate. Fortunately, all went well with the surgery and my recovery process.

As I became far more informed about my true condition in the weeks ahead, I discovered I had been a ticking time bomb. I had to accept that I had heart disease. Had I known all I know now, I would have been far more fearful going into the surgery. I began to reflect on how naïve I had been. Slowly I began to take in the miracle God had given me. Except for His mercy to circumvent an imminent heart attack I should not be alive today. He also surrounded me with exceptional doctors and a wonderful medical staff. One of the fruits of my reflection was the birth of this album, For His Good Pleasure.

After my recovery, I decided that I needed to record some music as a legacy for my family and for my grandchildren. This music is about the messages I wanted to convey to them. As the recording project progressed, I felt deep stirrings of inspiration flowing into new melodies, fostering a deep awareness of God's favor and His pleasure with the music. I felt the same emotion as was scripted by Colin Welland in Chariots of Fire, attributed to the great Olympian runner Eric Liddell: "God made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." At one point in the project, I suddenly understood that the compositions were far more significant than I had originally conceived. I knew why I must continue. Within the level of giftedness I was given, for as long as He blesses me with melody, I will continue to create music, For His Good Pleasure.

Track notes

In the classic sense, For His Good Pleasure is a collection of program music pieces — sound tracks composed as settings for specific scriptures or messages from my heart. I have always struggled to find words to express the passions of my heart. However, I hope this music penetrates your spirit with messages far deeper than words. If you find time to "soak in" and allow the music to speak, I pray that you will be blessed.

Program music is any composition in the classical tradition designed according to a preconceived narrative, or to evoke a specific idea and atmosphere — as distinct from absolute music, created for music's sake. Symphonic poems, ballades, suites and overtures are program music. A classic example is Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, composed as an imaginary tour of the work of the artist and architect Viktor Hartmann, and played as the art was being viewed.

While the title of each track may provide a glimpse of its message, I have provided brief descriptions and hope the listener will be inspired.

1. Healing in His Wings

"But for you who revere My Name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings."Malachi 4:2 (NRSV)

Following my open heart surgery, I was able to comprehend this passage in a new light even though I know my healing is temporary. I know that God intervened so that I might be alive today. I am extremely grateful for the rejuvenation I feel and the new season I have been given. But this passage has a much more profound meaning.

Ann and I lost our 18-month-old son in a drowning accident 30 years ago. While the pain subsided over time, we are forever marked by our loss. Christopher was in the hospital for 10 days before passing away. We pleaded with God for Christopher's healing because we know we serve a God that does heal. But God finally showed me that I was holding on to death, not life. Even though I pleaded with God, His answer never changed. During the weeks that followed our son's passing, I cried out to God, "Why did you not heal my son?" Then I heard Him answer: "I did… I did, my son."

2. Take Me Safely Home

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith."2 Timothy 4:7 (NASB)

While I have attempted to add lyrics to this song, the title is the hook line: "Take me safely home." There is a hymn, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," with the words "prone to wander, Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love." This song is my prayer to finish my life's course in a manner that truly pleases Him.

3. Hannah's Song

Purpose.

"Train up a child in the way he should go…"Proverbs 22:6 (NASB)

Ann (my wife) and I look for moments to challenge or inspire our grandchildren according to the gifts that God has given them. In the year preceding my heart surgery, I wrote a piano piece for my granddaughter, Hannah. She showed a natural musical talent but was struggling with practicing her piano. With an understanding of her technical ability, I wanted to encourage her to pursue her gift. The piece was designed to inspire her, to expand her harmonic understanding and challenge her musical expression.

Message.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

The message is about those discords in life that become the turning points for great beauty. For the music theory buffs, the song begins with a dissonant chord that resolves and later uses abrupt common-tone key changes — all pointing to the unexpected events God can use to create something new in us to bless others, if we let Him. If we cling to Him through the painful experiences of our lives, God promises to take those discords and create something truly beautiful in His time.

4. Springs of Living Water

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in Me… from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water."John 7:37–38 (NASB)

5. The Father's Love

"The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God."John 16:27 (NIV)

I wrote this song over 30 years ago, in the style of an old romantic movie theme. I played this piece for all of my daughters' weddings and was fortunate to perform it again for my wife in Le Jules Verne restaurant at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris for our 25th wedding anniversary. This piece has dual messages. While the romanticism of this composition is about my love for my daughters and family, it is truly about our Father's love for us.

6. Joy after the Storm

"Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning." — "You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy."Psalm 30:5b, 11a

Storms can help us see more clearly. He has the power to transform loss to peace, mourning to joy, even fear to exhilaration. After the storms we gain new freedom when we allow His joy to change us. In those times we are better able to identify the things that should be cherished while letting go of things that should not be valued as they once were.

7. Where Honor Stood

"No one can have greater love than to give his life for his friends."John 15:13 (NLV)

I have visited places where men and women have courageously sacrificed their lives for others. Each time I have a deep sense of holiness and great introspection as I begin to grasp the enormity of their sacrifices and ponder the events around them. This is a tribute to men of honor and their great sacrifices.

8. Faithful to Save

"But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears… He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters."Psalm 18:6, 16 (NLT)

There are moments where I have felt distressed and cried for His help, and have experienced His faithful rescue. While this composition was never meant to have words, there is one melodic line near the end — after the orchestra drops out, leaving just the piano and a clarinet — where the melody implies the words, "My God is Faithful to Save."

9. Great is Thy Faithfulness

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."Lamentations 3:22–23 (ESV)

While the melody is not the same, I have taken words from the hymn to apply to this melody:

Great is Thy Faithfulness, unto me, unto me. Morning by morning new mercies I see. Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not. God of Wonder, never changing, but the wonder I see is always new.

10. To Dance for His Pleasure

"For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation."Psalm 149:4 (ESV)

This was the fifth piece I wrote for the album. The melody came to me early on a Monday morning shortly after I awoke. I immediately began writing and tracking the composition as it came to me, and gradually began to envision its balletic story line. The orchestration — everything — came so smoothly that I knew He was leading me at every step. This piece was composed, orchestrated, recorded and mixed in five days from start to finish. On the third day, I was overcome with deep emotion as I truly felt His pleasure. Suddenly I understood what the title of the album must be, and why I must complete it.

In my mind I envision a storyline of four seasons in the life of a woman who loved to dance: first as a young girl, then as a young woman, next in middle age, and finally as an elderly woman who reflects back on her life. In each season she dances for her Heavenly Father to the best of her ability, with total abandon. There is, of course, a significant change in both her skill and strength that corresponds to the struggle of each season. Yet at each season she grows in a deeper understanding of His favor as she dances for His pleasure.