A Bit About Me and My Music

For as long as I can remember, I have had tunes running through my head, sometimes with words, sometimes not.  In fact, my sister Carol Wieland and I used to make up tunes to help us memorize our Bible verses when we were young.  I love singing and listening to music and enjoy playing the piano.

Several years ago, my brother-in-law Dr. Jonathan Sastic sent us a CD with Easter music he played on the piano and organ.  One of the songs is “The Via Dolorosa” by Niles Borop and Billy Sprague, for which he had made his own arrangement. I love that song and decided to learn to play it.  I bought a copy of the sheet music, but it was accompaniment and too hard for me to play, plus the right hand wasn’t the melody.  So I figured that if Jon could write his own arrangement, so could I. 

Now I had taken some piano lessons when in high school, but didn’t get very far and really didn’t know what I was doing. But I sat down at the piano and kept hitting the keys and eventually came up with something I could play and that I liked.

Then one day as a tune with the phrase “the heavens declare your glory, O Lord” was running through my head, I decided to pick out the melody on the piano.  I then got the words and notes on paper, added chords and the song was written.  Since then, I have written a few more songs.  Without any music theory this has been a challenge, but one I enjoy.

A bit more about me – I am nearing 60.  My husband Charlie and I raised 4 wonderful children, homeschooling them all the way through high school.  I love to garden (organically), sew, read, exercise, try new recipes, take pictures, and play the piano.  Most importantly, I strive to live for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that He would be glorified through my life.

The Glory of God

If I were to ask you what you think the glory of God means, what would you say?  I think back to the time I spent a summer in Seattle, WA, when I was in college almost 40 years.  One of my favorite things to do was watch the sun hit Mt. Rainier.  If you have never seen this mountain, it seems to float above the clouds and is tipped with snow.  When the sun strikes it, it is unbelievably majestic.  I used to think that if God were ever to dwell on this earth, that would be the perfect spot.  But the splendor and majesty of Mt. Rainier is nothing compare to God’s glory!

The glory of God is referred to many times in the Bible. 

Exodus 40:34 says “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”  Moses was allowed but a glimpse of God’s glory and then he shone for a time afterwards.  Jesus came to bring glory to the Father and, of course, we will receive a glorified body someday after we have been justified, sanctified, and then finally glorified.

All creation gives glory to God by doing what it should do. (My husband’s suggestion)

Ps. 19:1-2 sates this rather well:  “The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

When I think about God’s glory, I think of His majesty and brightness, His honor and importance.  My daughter, Christy Reed, suggested His overwhelming goodness and power.

The first hymn I wrote is called The Glory of God.  The first verse is based on Ps. 19:1-2.

My sole purpose in writing and sharing these hymns is to give God glory.  May His name be glorified in all the earth!

(At the bottom of this post is a video with the tune playing or a link to the video on You Tube.)

The Glory of God

The Heavens declare Your glory, O Lord

And the firmament shows us Your handiwork.

The day and the night both share in the praise

And they show us Your infinite power.

The glory of the Lord, the glory of the Lord

We’ll praise Your name forever.

Holy, holy are You, God Almighty

The whole earth is filled with Your glory.

You are righteous, Lord, in all of Your ways

And You’re holy in all of Your mighty works.

The glory of the Lord, the glory of the Lord

We’ll praise Your name forever.

Who’s like unto You, O King of Kings?

Who is like you in glorious holiness?

Fearful in praises and doing wonders

And You lead us with mercy and with Your strength.

The glory of the Lord, the glory of the Lord

We’ll praise Your name forever.

We long for the day when Your face we will see

And we’ll worship our Mighty Creator.

We will shout for joy and behold Your glory

And we’ll praise Your almighty power.

The glory of the Lord, the glory of the Lord

We’ll praise Your name forever.

Ps. 19:1,2         Ex 15:11,13        Is. 6:3           Ps. 145:17

Written 3/31/12

or watch it on You Tube

Christ, the Lamb of God

                                                                              (photo by my daughter, Christy)

This is another Easter song that I wrote right after the previous one – Our Risen Lord.  The tune for this one is one that I started to compose for the words to Our Risen Lord, but the tune just didn’t fit the mood of the words to me.  So I put it aside and started a new tune for that song.  When it was done I went back to this tune and finished it for this song – Christ, the Lamb of God.

In Israel, lambs were slain by the priest for the sins of the people.  The lamb had to be perfect – without spot or blemish, male, and first born.

Jesus fulfilled all the requirements as a sacrificial lamb. His death on the cross, His body broken, His blood shed, all in our place.  We are the ones deserving of death, but He paid the price instead.



(At the bottom of this post is a video with the tune playing or a link to the video on You Tube.)
 

Christ, the Lamb of God

Christ, the Lamb of God,       

There on Calvary’s tree,          

All my sins He took on             

And suffered there for me.         

And suffered there for me.

Christ, the son of man,

For our guilt bore the shame.

He purchased our redemption there

Lost sinners to reclaim.

Lost sinners to reclaim.

Christ, the sacrifice,

Dying in agony,

Forgave the ones who put Him there

And gave His life freely.

And gave His life freely.

Christ, the Paschal Lamb,

Was for all sinners slain

His body broken, His blood shed

But now He lives again.

But now He lives again.

Christ, the risen King,

Conquering o’er the grave

He defeated sin and death

For all mankind to save.

For all mankind to save.

or watch it on You Tube

Our Risen Lord

I decided to start a blog so I can share my hymns with you.  I pray that they will bless you and draw you closer to the One Who loves us! This first one I chose is for Easter called Our Risen Lord.

As I have been pondering the meaning of Easter, God has impressed something on my heart that I have never really thought much about.  We all know that Jesus was rejected as Messiah by the Jews, He was condemned to death by crucifixion by sinful men, but did you ever think about the fact that He was forsaken by His Father?  "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46b)

Some of you may know the pain of being forsaken by an earthly father, spouse or other family member, or even a close friend.  But I can’t fathom what it was like for Jesus to feel forsaken by the Father.  I invite each one of you to spend some time contemplating how much He must love each one of us to have endured what He did for us.

(At the bottom of this post is a video with the tune playing or a link to the video on You Tube.)

This song I wrote is based on a poem I wrote when I was 12.  Here is the poem:

He who knew no sin

Died for you and me

He was scorned and beaten

Just to make us free.

He left His Father’s presence

And riches far above.

He died upon the tree

To show us His great love.

He was placed in a tomb

Sealed with a great stone.

But God could not leave Him there

For He was His own.

On the third day at dawn

Mary came to see

The sepulcher where Jesus

Had laid so silently.

But Jesus was not there

For He was set free

By a Heavenly angel

That came with victory.

Now He is in Heaven

Ready to forgive

Any sins that we commit

So that we can live!

I had to change the words some and add more to make it fit the tune in my head, so this is the song:

Our Risen Lord

He who knew no sin died for you and me                     

He was scorned and beaten just to make us free        

Rejected as Messiah, condemned by sinful man         

Forsaken by the Father, all a part of God’s great plan. 

Mankind was condemned to eternal death

God sent His only Son to the wicked earth

Who left His Father’s presence and riches far above

To die upon Calv’ry’s tree for to show us His great love

All our sins He bore hanging on that tree

And there He died suff’ring such great agony

He was placed inside a tomb sealed with a great stone,

But God could not leave Him there because He was still His own.

The third day at dawn Mary came to see

The place where Jesus had lain so silently

But Jesus was not there, our risen Lord is He

And conquered sin and death and He gained the victory!

Now He’s in Heaven ready to forgive

Any sins we commit so that we can live

Eternally there with Him by His own Holy Word.

We’ll praise His name forever; He’s our glorious risen Lord.

(2/22/2014)

Or, here it is on YouTube.