Paradigm Swap

His Rain

His Rain

Vocals and Lyrics by Maria Hathaway Spencer

Music by Chas Hathaway

I am standing in the rain

In the sparkling drops of rain

I seek the warmth of new light

Beneath the endless sky

I am walking in the rain

In the sparkling drops of rain

Through the clouds I see a new light

A tunnel to the sky

The rain is clean

The rain is pure

I feel it wash away the world

I am new

I am pure

I found His light

I am dancing in the rain

In the sparkling drops of rain

I have found the warmth of His light

Descending from on high

His rain is clean

His rain is pure

I feel it wash away the world

I am new

I am pure

I found His light

I am new

I am pure

(I found his light)

I found His love

This post is originally from…

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His Rain

His Rain

Vocals and Lyrics by Maria Hathaway

Music by Chas Hathaway

I am standing in the rain

In the sparkling drops of rain

I seek the warmth of new light

Beneath the endless sky

I am walking in the rain

In the sparkling drops of rain

Through the clouds I see a new light

A tunnel to the sky

The rain is clean

The rain is pure

I feel it wash away the world

I am new

I am pure

I found His light

I am dancing in the rain

In the sparkling drops of rain

I have found the warmth of His light

Descending from on high

His rain is clean

His rain is pure

I feel it wash away the world

I am new

I am pure

I found His light

I am new

I am pure

(I found his light)

I found His love

See more entries that include the Meaning behind the Music

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From the North

D&C 110:11

After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.

I have always been fascinated by the history of the tribes of Israel.  They were in bondage, then led to freedom.  But their hearts weren’t right yet, so they couldn’t inherit the promised land.

Then when they did qualify, and were allowed to enter the promised land, they lasted a short time, and then fell back into wickedness.  So they were again taken into bondage.  Realizing their mistake, they repented, and the Lord showed mercy on them and led them away – both to the north and all over the world.

The history of the tribes of Israel is covered in blood, wickedness, repentance, forgiveness, freedom, pride, idolatry, and suffering.  It is a painful history, a sad history, and an inspiring history.

But we are living in the golden age of those tribes.  They are being gathered from around the world and brought into the church.

And sometime prior to the Lord’s return, He will lead the group that fled north back to the lands of their inheritance.  No longer will they teeter on the fence between righteousness and wickedness.

Their final redemption will be complete, and their scriptures, mingled with ours, will prove that the Lord is looking after ALL His people.

See more entries that include the Meaning behind the Music

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To hear the music without my voice, go to Overtones and scroll to playlist on the sidebar called, “The Ancestor CD,” and click on From the North

This post is originally from…

From the North

D&C 110:11

After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.

I have always been fascinated by the history of the tribes of Israel.  They were in bondage, then led to freedom.  But their hearts weren’t right yet, so they couldn’t inherit the promised land.

Then when they did qualify, and were allowed to enter the promised land, they lasted a short time, and then fell back into wickedness.  So they were again taken into bondage.  Realizing their mistake, they repented, and the Lord showed mercy on them and led them away – both to the north and all over the world.

The history of the tribes of Israel is covered in blood, wickedness, repentance, forgiveness, freedom, pride, idolatry, and suffering.  It is a painful history, a sad history, and an inspiring history.

But we are living in the golden age of those tribes.  They are being gathered from around the world and brought into the church.

And sometime prior to the Lord’s return, He will lead the group that fled north back to the lands of their inheritance.  No longer will they teeter on the fence between righteousness and wickedness.

Their final redemption will be complete, and their scriptures, mingled with ours, will prove that the Lord is looking after ALL His people.

See more entries that include the Meaning behind the Music

See more entries about The Ancestor CD

To hear the music without my voice, scroll to playlist on the sidebar called, “The Ancestor CD,” and click on From the North

Wide as Eternity

Moses 7:23-41

23 And after that Zion was taken up into heaven, Enoch beheld, and lo, all the nations of the earth were before him;

24 And there came generation upon generation; and Enoch was high and lifted up, even in the bosom of the Father, and of the Son of Man; and behold, the power of Satan was upon all the face of the earth.

25 And he saw angels descending out of heaven; and he heard a loud voice saying: Wo, wo be unto the inhabitants of the earth.

26 And he beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced.

27 And Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven, bearing testimony of the Father and Son; and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.

28 And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?

29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?

30 And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever;

31 And thou hast taken Zion to thine own bosom, from all thy creations, from all eternity to all eternity; and naught but peace, justice, and truth is the habitation of thy throne; and mercy shall go before thy face and have no end; how is it thou canst weep?

32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;

33 And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood;

34 And the fire of mine indignation is kindled against them; and in my hot displeasure will I send in the floods upon them, for my fierce anger is kindled against them.

35 Behold, I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my name; and Endless and Eternal is my name, also.

36 Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also, and among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren.

37 But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?

38 But behold, these which thine eyes are upon shall perish in the floods; and behold, I will shut them up; a prison have I prepared for them.

39 And That which I have chosen hath pled before my face. Wherefore, he suffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my Chosen shall return unto me, and until that day they shall be in torment;

40 Wherefore, for this shall the heavens weep, yea, and all the workmanship of mine hands.

41 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch all the doings of the children of m...

Wide as Eternity

Moses 7:23-41

23 And after that Zion was taken up into heaven, Enoch beheld, and lo, all the nations of the earth were before him;

24 And there came generation upon generation; and Enoch was high and lifted up, even in the bosom of the Father, and of the Son of Man; and behold, the power of Satan was upon all the face of the earth.

25 And he saw angels descending out of heaven; and he heard a loud voice saying: Wo, wo be unto the inhabitants of the earth.

26 And he beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced.

27 And Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven, bearing testimony of the Father and Son; and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.

28 And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?

29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?

30 And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever;

31 And thou hast taken Zion to thine own bosom, from all thy creations, from all eternity to all eternity; and naught but peace, justice, and truth is the habitation of thy throne; and mercy shall go before thy face and have no end; how is it thou canst weep?

32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;

33 And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood;

34 And the fire of mine indignation is kindled against them; and in my hot displeasure will I send in the floods upon them, for my fierce anger is kindled against them.

35 Behold, I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my name; and Endless and Eternal is my name, also.

36 Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also, and among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren.

37 But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?

38 But behold, these which thine eyes are upon shall perish in the floods; and behold, I will shut them up; a prison have I prepared for them.

39 And That which I have chosen hath pled before my face. Wherefore, he suffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my Chosen shall return unto me, and until that day they shall be in torment;

40 Wherefore, for this shall the heavens weep, yea, and all the workmanship of mine hands.

41 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch all the doings of the children of m...

Popcorn and Pop Music

Music, Art, and Media Series

Lex De Azevedo, A Closer Look at Popular Music

Is pop music of the devil, and classical from heaven?  Is it really so cut and dry?  Tell us your thoughts!

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The Canyon black

Vocals and Lyrics by Maria Hathaway

Music by Chas Hathaway

The Canyon Black is an abridgment of the poem, “The Valley of the Canyon Black,” by Maria Hathaway.  The poem is a parable of the Cain and Abel story.

The song is abridged, but the words to the original poem are written out in full here.

The Valley of the Canyon Black

by Maria Hathaway

Where the road follows the path of the stream

dividing the valley with one great seem

there cottonwoods in sunlight gleam

a morning wakes from twilight’s dream

in the Valley of the Canyon Black

Follow this road of dusty cloud

with rocks and boulders well endowed

to find a path in scub oak shrowed

that leads to the Canyon Black

The wind that ripples an ocean of sage

and bends the trees that moan with age

holds a secret within it’s rage

like a story that’s lost in a torn up page

of the Valley of the Canyon Black

Keep the wind strong behind

for thus the tail will soon unwind

the path becomes a twisting vine

of quaking aspens and emerald pine

climbing the Canyon Black

A cougar track now marks the sight

velvet grass and daisies white

sparkling brooks on either side

of the meadow of the Canyon Black

In years gone by two houses stood

built of trees from nearby wood

by men who shared their mother’s blood

her only sons, a gift from God

to the valley of the Canyon Black

One was fair with eyes as blue

as morning glory’s silken hue

touched with first light’s chrystal dew

in the meadow of the Canyon Black

His cedar hair with cheerfull ease

curled and danced on slightest breeze

his honest heart with aim to please

resonated purest peace

through the valley of the Canyon Black

A flute he carved from ancient willow

it’s haunting song was low and mellow

penetrating to the marrow

the soul of the Canyon Black

The elder brother, lean and tall

with hair like leaves in crimson fall

and eyes that glinted green and small

always watching, seeing all

that moved in the Canyon Black

All his thought he freely gave

to that which held his heart a slave

for it was greatness he did crave

over all in the Canyon Black

And so his mind began to long

to overpower his brother’s song

his flute was straight, his fingers strong

but everything he played was wrong

for the Valley of the Canyon Black

In envy’s senseless rage he dwelt

watching as his brother knelt

drawing from his leather belt

his flute in the Canyon Black

Through glinting eyes and anger’s tears

the elder watched the forest near

tremble with pleasure, a silent cheer

for what it knew it soon would hear

soothing the Canyon Black

And then the younger unaware

raised his flute without a care

and from his lips blew purest air

breathed in the Canyon Black

Like smoke that curls on mountain breeze

music wrapped around the trees

shivering though the aspin leaves

the melody of river reeds

the song of the Canyon Black

The elder brother’s eyes grew narrow

from his quiver he drew an arrow

Heikhal

Heikhal is the Hebrew word for temple.  I have used a mode for this piece that is reflective of Middle Eastern music.

The temple is the most sacred place on earth.  There, the most sacred and divine ordinances are performed.  It is, quite literally, a bridge between heaven and earth.  Is it any wonder then that it is referred to as a place of revelation?  I suppose the veil is thinner there than anywhere else on earth.

Anciently, mountains acted as temples.  Sinai acted as the temple for Moses.  Then, when the Lord felt that the children of Israel were ready for more, He had them build the Tabernacle.

Once they reached the promised land, He had them build the Temple.  We often label it the temple of Solomon, but really it was the Temple of God.

Now temples cover the world.  But each is The House of God.  The power and influence of each building is not diluted by the increasing number of temples – rather, with every new temple, the power of God is increased in the world.  That power and influence increases exponentially with each new temple.

So how can we help that power increase?  Attend the temple.  Attend often, even regularly.  Whatever your circumstance, you can make more time for the temple.  As all of us attend the Temple more often, the need for more temples will increase, and the power of God will increase.

Even on a more personal level, as you attend the temple, you will see the power of God increase in your life.  You will be happier, and your life more fulfilling.  It’s that simple.  I promise.

See more entries that include the Meaning behind the Music

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To hear the music without my voice, scroll to playlist on the sidebar called, “The Ancestor CD,” and click on Heikhal

The Sixth Day

The Sixth Day is the sixth piece in the Creation Series, and the sixth track on the CD, The Ancestor, by Chas Hathaway

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