On the first week of each month during 2020 I’ll be releasing brand new improvisations on hymn tunes through this podcast. Here are three hymns that focus attention on Christ in reverence, acknowledgement, gratitude and praise. I pray these musical meditations fill your soul with the “brightest and best of the stars” and give you peace in His presence.

This is the 50th episode of the Prayerful Improvisations Podcast and I am so grateful for all who have listened and supported this effort during 2019. I hope you’ll continue to listen in 2020 and be blessed by the music and sacred space created here. To close out the year I have included music this week that features additional instrumentation along with the piano, featuring guest musicians Tristan J. Butler on clarinet and Lindsey Sherman on flute. Enjoy and have a blessed New Year!

Have a blessed and joyous Christmas! And may you experience the peace that surpasses all understanding from the One whom Christmas is all about. Joyeux Noel!

“Silent night, Holy night, all is calm, all is bright.” While this classic Christmas carol depicts a possible night when Jesus was born, it’s also an excellent picture of a healthy lifestyle. Take time to be silent and honor the One who is Holy above all else, and we will experience calm amidst chaos and light amidst darkness. “Silent Night, Holy Night; Mindful of mankind's plight, The Lord in Heav'n on high decreed From earthly woes we would be freed! Jesus, God's promise for peace. Jesus, God's promise for peace.” Amen.

Winter can be bleak for many of us. I’m the first to admit it’s not my favorite time of year. But Christina Rossetti’s poem reminds us that even during the coldest and darkest times in our lives, there is hope—hope in a God who promises “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). If you are in a cold and dark place in your life right now, I pray you find solace and joy in the God who loves you more than you can imagine.

The season of Advent—the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day—is traditionally a time of reflection and anticipation. Have you been waiting for something to happen in your life? It’s difficult to wait, especially when we’re hoping for something better to come along and change our situation. As we wait and reflect may we never forget that there is Someone who waits with us and offers comfort and hope in Him—the best thing that could ever come in to our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving! I give thanks for the gift that you all are to me and for the gift of music. Let us remember to “give thanks in all circumstances”, for both the great and small things in life. Keep a heart of thanksgiving and God will surely be with you. Thank you!

As the big holiday season approaches there is a danger in getting caught up in the unnecessary busy-ness and stress that accompanies this time of year. Take time to slow down and contemplate why we celebrate these holidays and savor each moment with family, friends and loved ones. Don’t let the world steal your joy and peace. Slow down . . . slow down . . .

In honor of all Veterans who have served our country with great courage and devotion—THANK YOU! This week’s music is dedicated to you. May we be reminded that we can find courage, strength and honor in serving a greater purpose than ourselves.

British playwright and poet William Congreve wrote the often misquoted line, “Music hath charms to sooth the savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” At the core of this sentence is a truth that music has a healing and restorative power like no other. If you are suffering from pain or heartache today, or perhaps feeling a bit lost, I pray “the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26) reaches out to you today and soothes you through this music.