Your Eyes Open Wide, by Daniel Lovett

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nedjfYUF7Rs]

Your Eyes Open Wide

There have been times, I’ve wondered what you see in me
Stuck in my mind, the ruts of failure running deep
I try to think, of ways I can appease my guilt
You never blink, as you undo the beast I’ve built

CHORUS:
(Cuz) You see and you know
All our brokenness inside
And you dare to love
With Your eyes open wide

I drift away, the current sweeping me downstream
I feel the fade, this hopeless feeling crashing in
The enemy, has filled my heart with dread inside
How can this be? You’re eyes betray a Father’s pride

(CHORUS)

BRIDGE:

I’m undone when I think of how
You know the depths of me
And that you love me more than I could dream

Outro:

In what you’re goin through,
I wont give up on you
(I see you oh my love)

Purchase this song HERE!

STORY BEHIND THE SONG

Years ago Catherine and I had the idea for a song about how God is committed to a relationship with us even though he fully knows exactly what he is getting into. He knows it will get messy and be difficult and often slow going when it comes to us yielding to righteousness. And yet, He’s all in.

We had the chorus and bridge that just sat on the back burner for a few years simmering till it was nice and tasty (nothing like a slow cooked song), but we never could settle on the verses. We tried a few times and nothing ever seemed to fit.

Then one day, not too long ago, I was taking the kids to swimming lessons. I would have some time to kill while waiting for them but had no book. So I grabbed some paper and a pen and in a half hour I had written the verses.

Emma came up to me on the benches at the side of the pool and asked what I was doing.

“I just wrote a song! You wanna hear it?”

I didn’t know there was a melody yet. I hadn’t really worked that out but I sang it perfectly the first time and it stuck. Wow! Within an hour I was at a nursing home concert and sang it acapela. I hadn’t worked out the guitar yet.

Well, the recording came together so perfectly and you want to know the crazy part? I did not feel like recording. I hardly ever do. But you just do it regardless of how you feel. It opens up the flow and you get the ball rollin down the hill. Momentum. Movement. Purpose. Happiness. =)

I decided to collaborate with my cousin Esther Eyre. She plays the piano and recorder on this one. Click HERE to listen to more of her music!

December 21, 2016November 29, 2017

The Huron Carol (Jesous Ahatonhia)

Want to sing along?

Huron Carol Lyrics

Dm Am Dm
Twas in the moon of winter-time When all the birds had fled,
That mighty Gitchi Manitou, Sent angel choirs instead;
G Dm
Before their light the stars grew dim,
Am Dm
And wandering hunters heard the hymn:
F G Dm F G Dm
“Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, In excelsis gloria.”

Within a lodge of broken bark, The tender Babe was found,
A ragged robe of rabbit skin, Enwrapp’d His beauty round;
But as the hunter braves drew nigh,
The angel song rang loud and high…
“Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, In excelsis gloria.”

The earliest moon of wintertime, Is not so round and fair
As was the ring of glory, On the helpless infant there.
The chiefs from far before him knelt
With gifts of fox and beaver pelt.
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, In excelsis gloria.

O children of the forest free, O sons of Manitou,
The Holy Child of earth and heaven Is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant Boy
Who brings you beauty, peace and joy.
“Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, In excelsis gloria.”

I love how the Christmas story is framed in a Native American way in this song, don’t you? I love how the translator retained a Native word for God – Manitou – which literally means “Great Spirit” in the Algonquian language. Manitowoc, where we used to live, means “Home of the Great Spirit”.

Enjoy our brand new version of Canada’s oldest Christmas song, “The Huron Carol” (Jesous Ahatonhia), along with a couple of other Christmas songs in this little Concert we put on just for you:

A Youtube Christmas Concert Just for You (Click Me)

My favorite lines in the featured song are:

“O children of the forest free, O sons of Manitou,
The Holy Child of earth and heaven Is born today for you”

I love being a free son of the Great Spirit!

“For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17

So, as a free son of the Great Spirit, what will we do with our freedom?

I’ll tell you what Jean Brebeuf, the man who wrote the Huron Carol, did with his freedom. He gave his life (literally) to serve the Wendat (Huron) people. Imagine devoting your life serving people who were often suspicious of, and sometimes even hated you, who rarely loved or celebrated you.

Was their suspicion for good reason? How much do we know of how Jean loved and “manifested” the character of Christ? I hope he truly knew and loved Jesus and represent him well?

No one can know for certain I suppose and yet, Jean faithfully stuck with the Wendat and served them best he knew how. He believed so much in the Lord and his mission that in 1649, even after being warned that an Iroquois raiding party was on their way to kill all the inhabitants of his village, he stayed on to help those who chose not to flee for their lives. Instead he was captured and, while being tortured to his death by the Iroqouis, he encouraged his fellow missionaries to consider the eternal glory that awaited them just beyond the pain of the moment. Wow!

What are you going to do with your freedom?

Song Story and History:

The Jesuit missionary, Jean de Brébeuf (1593-1649), is the most likely candidate to have written this song. He lived and worked among the Hurons for 22 years putting their language into written form and trying to “win converts”.

After learning what I had in my research it was hard not to judge the man. I realize that perhaps he did the very best of his ability and knowledge but how can anyone honestly believe that sprinkling someones head and making the sign of the cross over a Native actually did anything to convey the wonderful news and glories of Jesus in someone’s life? Or effect any change in their heart? And why would a Native convert have to adopt a European “Christian” name? This is ridiculous and shameful.

From the documentary (below) Brebeuf confessed that he was making no headway with the Wendat. “That is not our custom”, they would tell him. The one convert he did make was because the man recovered from the smallpox that the missionaries brought with them. The one healed considered it a miracle and that these missionaries God must be more powerful because they remained unaffected by the plague. Once “baptized” he was given a Christian name of Joseph. To be honest, this ticked me off.

Sorry, I couldn’t just whitewash this man’s story and I have to be true to what I have found in my research and also in the documentary video below. This goes to show you that people who write the history books have the power to sway public opinion or make a saint or a villain of anyone.

I found the following from an internet search:

In 1649 an Iroquois war party invaded Huronia, killing or driving out all the Hurons, and destroying the missions. Refusing to leave their people at St. Joseph, Brébeuf and Lalement were captured and killed at the stake after enduring many hours of savage torture.

Some of the Hurons escaped to Lorette, near Quebec City, and there their descendants live to this day. They did not forget Father Brébeuf’s carol, and about 1750 another Jesuit, Father de Villeneuve, heard them singing it and wrote it down. Then it was translated into French under the title “Jesus est né” and it is still sung in that form in Quebec. In 1926, a Canadian poet, J. E. Middleton, wrote the English words, which have become widely known. (From the liner notes of ([Mills-A 1960])

Here is the fascinating documentary of the man Jean Brebeuf:

And here is another hauntingly beautiful version of this song:

Want to try singing the original words in the Wyandot (Huron) language?

Ehstehn yayau deh tsaun we yisus ahattonnia
O na wateh wado:kwi nonnwa ‘ndasqua entai
ehnau sherskwa trivota nonnwa ‘ndi yaun rashata
Iesus Ahattonnia, Ahattonnia, Iesus Ahattonnia.

Ayoki onki hm-ashe eran yayeh raunnaun
yauntaun kanntatya hm-deh ‘ndyaun sehnsatoa ronnyaun
Waria hnawakweh tond Yosehf sataunn haronnyaun
Iesus Ahattonnia, Ahattonnia, Iesus Ahattonnia.

Asheh kaunnta horraskwa deh ha tirri gwames
Tishyaun ayau ha’ndeh ta aun hwa ashya a ha trreh
aundata:kwa Tishyaun yayaun yaun n-dehta
Iesus Ahattonnia, Ahattonnia, Iesus Ahattonnia.

Dau yishyeh sta atyaun errdautau ‘ndi Yisus
avwa tateh dn-deh Tishyaun stanshi teya wennyau
aha yaunna torrehntehn yataun katsyaun skehnn
Iesus Ahattonnia, Ahattonnia, Iesus Ahattonnia.

Eyeh kwata tehnaunnte aheh kwashyehn ayehn
kiyeh kwanaun aukwayaun dehtsaun we ‘ndeh adeh
tarrya diskwann aunkwe yishyehr eya ke naun sta
Iesus Ahattonnia, Ahattonnia, Iesus Ahattonnia.

October 20, 2015

Enter the Silence, New Worship from Reflect Worship

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYNhcaaY8Pk]

A friend called me up a few years ago. He was distraught. He wanted to reconnect with God and didn’t know how. He felt his sins had taken him so far from God. He asked me for help.

I had just read something in the Bible that I knew was perfect for him. It was exactly what he needed and he told me so. “You should write a song about it”, he said. I told him that I would. That very night most of the song was written. I entitled the song Enter the Silence because this is the advice Jeremiah gives us when we need to take care of business with God:

“…The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.
And it is good for people to submit at an early age
to the yoke of his discipline:
Let them sit alone in silence…” (Lamentations 3:25-27 NLT)

This Scripture is from Lamentations three. As you can probably guess from the title of the book in which it was found, it is not a warm fuzzy Scripture. But sadly, oftentimes neither is life, especially when we are suffering the weight and devastation of our sins… as was the case in this horrifying book of the Bible.

But in spite of the discipline, which the Bible agrees is not so pleasant at the time, God gives us hope. In fact, it is his discipline that is a sign that he loves us and accepts us as his children. How crazy is that in light of what his discipline sometimes entails… I mean, this is the book of Lamentations!

Jeremiah is lamenting the murderous rampage of his people by the Babylonians, babies wacked against rocks, pregnant woman cut open, woman being raped, the king forced to watch his sons killed and then have his eyes gouged out, mens wives and daughters being taken as sex slaves by Babylonian officers.

It was horrific.

I guess the reason I say all this is that even God’s saints are not spared suffering either. Of course the Israelites mentioned in Lamentations were suffering for many years of grievous sins. They had abandoned God (who is Love) and were guilty of horrible idolatry. They had been worshipping demons, sacrificing babies, and engaging in vile sexual perversion, etc… They were reaping what they had sown. Just like we often do as well.

But what about innocent Christians today who are getting their heads chopped off by ISIS and then their decapitated corpses nailed to crosses? What about the Christian women being raped publicly as they worshiped Jesus? (Article on this here).

What About Christian Persecution Today?

I just watched a film with my wife called Furious Love. In this film Darren Wilson goes to and explores the darkest areas of the world to see if God’s love is any match for the darkness the enemy has to offer.

One story he covers is of a region in India were zealous Hindus are massacring Christians. One surviving girl whose family was slaughtered said, “Why is this happening to us? What did we do? But the Bible says we are blessed for suffering for the Name of Jesus.”

He also interviews Daniel who had just taken a trip to war-torn Congo. The Christians there are heavily persecuted. There are hardly any women who have not been raped. Daniel had to fight back the intense fear that nearly had him vomiting at the thought of being caught by the rebels.

He tells a story that was told him of the rebels randomly killing two men on a bus. One woman who was holding a baby starts to lose it because one of the men was her brother. The rebels then take her baby and bash it against the bus until it is dead then shoot the woman.

Jesus is all that these Christians have left. Daniel recorded the sounds of them worshiping the Lord with all their heart and it was beautiful!

God tells us in his word that we, as Christ followers, are “counted as sheep to be slaughtered”, but that in spite of that and all the raping and murder and baby bashing and persecution – in spite of everything the devil will throw at us – nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Please Read Romans 8) This is supposed to mean something to you. Sadly, our choice to remain in sin will rob us of having this mean anything.

I have experienced a small taste of the infinite intensity of God’s love. I know that it makes all the difference. It gives us hope beyond all the hell that surrounds us and torments us. Our suffering is drowned in perfect love.

This is not cheep. This kind of hellish persecution and suffering are a reality for believers all over the world.

God also tells us in his Word that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that shall be revealed to us. (Rom 8:18)

All the madness. All the pain, suffering and anguish the devil can heap on us is not worth comparing with experiencing the love of Jesus. Has his love captured your heart? Have you let it? Invite it in now! Invite Jesus to reveal his love for you even now!

And to think that some of us still engage in taking the bait of the enemy. The sin he so easily ensnares us with. We know that sin wages war on love and that to engage in sin is to be complicit to the enemy who steals, kills, and destroys. We must repent. We must be holy (which means to be fully surrendered). We must remain loyal to love. God will give us the grace we need to do it.

At the outset of every day please pray, “Father God, I ask for and receive the grace I need to live an abundant life of love in Jesus for your glory. Thank you.”

Lamentations three points us beyond the suffering and reminds us of a God who can wipe away every tear and restore the hope and sunshine back into a devastated and despairing soul. Hope springs up in Jeremiah when he remembers the LORD and his faithfulness. God can and will “make everything sad come untrue” as one poet has said:

“Is everything sad going to come untrue?”

—Sam Gamgee to Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings

“[Some mortals] say of some temporal suffering, “No future bliss can make up for it,” not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory.”

—C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, chapter 9.

Here is Lamentations 3 in its context. Please read prayerfully. It doesn’t hide the fact that the darkness is very dark, the pain and consequences of sin are very dire. Our song Enter the Silence adapts its lyrics from this chapter:

I am the one who has seen the afflictions
that come from the rod of the Lord’s anger.
2 He has led me into darkness,
shutting out all light.
3 He has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
4 He has made my skin and flesh grow old.
He has broken my bones.
5 He has besieged and surrounded me
with anguish and distress.
6 He has buried me in a dark place,
like those long dead.
7 He has walled me in, and I cannot escape.
He has bound me in heavy chains.
8 And though I cry and shout,
he has shut out my prayers.
9 He has blocked my way with a high stone wall;
he has made my road crooked.
10 He has hidden like a bear or a lion,
waiting to attack me.
11 He has dragged me off the path and torn me in pieces,
leaving me helpless and devastated.
12 He has drawn his bow
and made me the target for his arrows.
He shot his arrows
deep into my heart.
14 My own people laugh at me.
All day long they sing their mocking songs.
15 He has filled me with bitterness
and given me a bitter cup of sorrow to drink.
16 He has made me chew on gravel.
He has rolled me in the dust.
17 Peace has been stripped away,
and I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 I cry out, “My splendor is gone!
Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!”
19 The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.
20 I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
21 Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
26 So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.
27 And it is good for people to submit at an early age
to the yoke of his discipline:
Let them sit alone in silence
beneath the Lord’s demands.
29 Let them lie face down in the dust,
for there may be hope at last.
30 Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them
and accept the insults of their enemies.
31 For no one is abandoned
by the Lord forever.
32 Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion
because of the greatness of his unfailing love.
33 For he does not enjoy hurting people
or causing them sorrow.
34 If people crush underfoot
all the prisoners of the land,
35 if they deprive others of their rights
in defiance of the Most High,
36 if they twist justice in the courts—
doesn’t the Lord see all these things?
37 Who can command things to happen
without the Lord’s permission?
38 Does not the Most High
send both calamity and good?
39 Then why should we, mere humans, complain
when we are punished for our sins?
40 Instead, let us test and examine our ways.
Let us turn back to the Lord.
41 Let us lift our hearts and hands
to God in heaven and say,
42 “We have sinned and rebelled,
and you have not forgiven us.
“You have engulfed us with your anger, chased us down,
and slaughtered us without mercy.
44 You have hidden yourself in a cloud
so our prayers cannot reach you.
45 You have discarded us as refuse and garbage
among the nations.
46 “All our enemies
have spoken out against us.
47 We are filled with fear,
for we are trapped, devastated, and ruined.”
48 Tears stream from my eyes
because of the destruction of my people!
49 My tears flow endlessly;
they will not stop
50 until the Lord looks down
from heaven and sees.
51 My heart is breaking
over the fate of all the women of Jerusalem.
52 My enemies, whom I have never harmed,
hunted me down like a bird.
53 They threw me into a pit
and dropped stones on me.
54 The water rose over my head,
and I cried out, “This is the end!”
55 But I called on your name, Lord,
from deep within the pit.
56 You heard me when I cried, “Listen to my pleading!
Hear my cry for help!”
57 Yes, you came when I called;
you told me, “Do not fear.”
58 Lord, you are my lawyer! Plead my case!
For you have redeemed my life.
59 You have seen the wrong they have done to me, Lord.
Be my judge, and prove me right.
60 You have seen the vengeful plots
my enemies have laid against me.
61 Lord, you have heard the vile names they call me.
You know all about the plans they have made.
62 My enemies whisper and mutter
as they plot against me all day long.
63 Look at them! Whether they sit or stand,
I am the object of their mocking songs.
64 Pay them back, Lord,
for all the evil they have done.
65 Give them hard and stubborn hearts,
and then let your curse fall on them!
66 Chase them down in your anger,
destroying them beneath the Lord’s heavens.

September 28, 2015

Captivated, New Worship from Reflect Worship

“I am won by your unconditional love.”

This is a line from our new song Captivated. Is God’s love really unconditional? Really? I guess I find this astounding. What does it even mean?

I’m not used to that sort of love. Who is?

It’s no wonder we have difficulty with believing, much less receiving this unconditional love from our Papa.

Love without conditions. You can do whatever you want with it. Receive it or Ignore it. Cherish or Spurn it. Run into the arms of love or Run from it by choosing sin instead. Honor this love or Insult it. But, nothing we choose to do could ever make him love us any less! We can’t mess this up because his love doesn’t depend on our response. He will still love you… completely. Infinitely. Forever. He is Love!

This song Captivated will appear on our new album Reflect Love. When people ask me what our new album is about I tell them the theme is, “God is Love, in whom we live and move and have our being.”

This is based on two verses:

“God is Love“

and, wait for it…

“In him we live and move and have our being.”

God can’t help it. He just IS Love! He can’t escape it. And the awesome thing is, we can’t escape him. We are in him! Love is God’s character, his DNA, his very essence. He will always do and act and think in the most infinitely loving way toward you and everything and everyone else he has made!

So, what is love?

Recently a friend of mine challenged me to “meditate daily on Corinthians 13…above all else, love is what we need” (he sent me this link). It really made me think. I am fairly familiar with that passage of Scripture, but his challenge took me deeper into it and to ask the really hard questions. Is this what my life looks like right now? Is this what people see in my responses to convos on Facebook? How I treat my wife, kids, friends, or even enemies?

Let’s take a look at the passage:

Love Is the Greatest

…So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all. If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. Let love be your highest goal! (1 Cor 13 NLT)

The apostle whom Jesus loved (John) informs us that “we love because he first loved us.” We love each other because He first loved us. We love God because he first loved us. So receiving his love is a pretty big deal as we cannot be expected or even begin to love if we don’t first receive the love of God, right? We must connect to the vine, our source of life and love. “Abide in my love“, Jesus says.

I love to tell everyone I meet:

“It is the primary responsibility of every human being is just to let God love you!”

That’s it. Once we are good receivers of God’s love, everything else falls into place. When I was first learning this concept I would drive around and pray, “God, I receive your love… I receive your love.” I would very often feel what I call the sunshine of heaven coming into the widows of my soul and warming me. Even now I am praying this and feeling the Lords love.

Enjoy this worship song! We hope it connects you to the Lord and his love in a really special way:

May 7, 2015

Come Lord Jesus, a New Worship Song

Here is a preview of our song, Come Lord Jesus which will appear on our new album (currently in production):

The inspiration behind Come Lord Jesus came as I was reading a book by C.S. Lewis called the “Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” to my five year old daughter. C.S. Lewis wrote this book as an allegory for the Gospel. There is a white witch who had kept Narnia under her spell for a hundred long years. It was always winter and never Christmas. Everyone suffered under her rule and everyone who opposed her was turned to stone.

Then Aslan, the Creator of Narnia and the Christ figure, returns to Narnia. The white witch loses her power. Everything thaws and Spring comes in a single day. The birds are singing, trees and flowers are blooming. It is beautiful!

As I read that, a thrill came to my heart. I thought about the day when Jesus will come back to this world he created. The devil will lose his power and my prayer is that our hearts, which the devil has kept frozen, untrusting, and suspicious of the true nature of Jesus, will thaw at his return!

This is also what happens to anyone who comes to the Lord. Spring comes into their heart. All your life previous to knowing Christ was the longest, hardest, most brutal winter you’ll ever know and then you meet Jesus. Spring has come at long last!

The first century church had an Aramaic word they used to greet each other: “Maranatha”, which means, “Our Lord is coming” or “Come Oh Lord”.

Jesus (aka Yeshua) is returning soon!

Lyrics:

Come Lord Jesus

The winters passing on and spring has
Come, come, come Lord Jesus
Our hearts are thawing ever drawing
Near to you Lord Jesus

Fill our hearts with love and beauty
Fill our lives now, Holy Sprit

The trees are reaching for Yeshua,
Come, come, come Lord Jesus
The birds are singing Hallelujah,
Come, come, come Lord Jesus

Fill our hearts with love and beauty
Fill our lives now Holy Sprit
Fill our hearts with love and beauty
Fill our lives now, Holy Sprit

Spring rain is falling down,
Spring rain is washing out,
Spring rain is falling down,
Spring rain is washing out,

All the filth, all the things we could do without
All the pain all the stains you are cleansing out
All the filth, all the things we could do without
All the shame all the stains you are cleansing out…

(Instrumental)

Come Lord Jesus, Come Lord Jesus
Come Lord Jesus, Come Lord Jesus

The winters passing on and spring has
Come, come, come Lord Jesus
Our hearts are thawing ever drawing
Near to you Lord Jesus

Come, come, come Lord Jesus
Come, come, come Lord Jesus

A few extra details about this song: I wrote the music for the song after a concert one day at a nursing home. It was first recorded on a smart phone the first day of Spring as I played it for Daniel Bettters, a man of God who was on his way to be with Jesus. He passed on into the next life that day and I later played this very song at his funeral. They had called the memorial service a “celebration of life”. And it most certainly was! I was delighted to hear all the amazing stories of this man of profound faith and love for Jesus. I was so excited and glad to have been there to hear of his walk to remember!

Another detail about the song is that is recorded in the Solfeggio key relating to the frequency 528 Hz – the “love frequency”.

Live version played on the very piano I wrote it:

February 5, 2013

Happy Valentine’s Day!

“Feeling Love for the First Time”

Inspired by the memories of our own budding romance, the song “Feeling Love for the First Time” is much like our relationship… it fell together like magic! As you listen, I am sure you will agree.

Share it with someone you love, or help us out by posting it to your facebook page!

Support us by downloading this song or our entire album @:

http://reflect.bandcamp.com

Catherine and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage this year. Incidentally that is also how long we have been sharing music together – whether it is leading worship in the church or just playing a fun show at a coffee shop.

Thought for the day: “You are outrageously loved by an outrageously loving God!”

October 15, 2012

Story Behind "Tiny Hands"

I wrote this song, “tiny hands”, about a little girl who touched my life and made me passionate about speaking out on behalf of the defenseless:

Download “Tiny Hands” for free here: https://reflect.bandcamp.com/track/tiny-hands

Please read this amazing true story behind the song:

“Tiny Hands” was inspired by the amazing story of our sister-in-law Stacy and her little girl Ava.

Stacy had, in her younger years, suffered from a rare form of cancer of the blood that had been for many years in remission. Not long ago she had been feeling quite ill and went to see the doctor. After many thorough tests it was confirmed. The cancer was back… and with a vengeance. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the blood. A few weeks passed and Stacy learned that she was pregnant. She was advised by her doctor to abort her child in order to receive the treatment that would prolong her life. She refused and expected, for all practical purposes, to deliver her child and die soon after; leaving her husband with two young children to raise on his own.

All of her family and friends began praying for her situation and asked that the Lord would heal her. We prayed and we prayed. I can still remember the day that we received the phone call that the cancer was gone! The Lord had answered our prayers and healed her!

Stacy gave birth to a happy and healthy daughter named Ava Grace. Ava is truly the happiest baby I have ever met and has just celebrated her first birthday. What a tragic thing to think that Ava would have been killed had Stacy listened to her doctor.

We don’t live in the dark ages. We all should know by now that a baby inside the womb is still a baby. That means abortion is murder. This has been going on for far too long. Yet so many of us are silent on this issue. There is no overwhelming outcry against abortion. So what are our leaders to think? They represent us don’t they?

They represent the fact that we care more for our wealth, our individuality, and our precious freedom of choice, then we do about the rights of the unborn.

Will you help me change this? Give an unborn child the right to live?

I believe that if we all continue to stand for truth and justice that we can make a difference. Much like William Wilberforce stood against the profitable and despicable practice of the slave trade in England (watch the movie “Amazing Grace”), we must stand against the murder of children in “God blessed” America.

Please pray with me and fight with me for the unborn! Do what you can while God lends us breath to pursue justice and truth and most of all, love.

I was thinking this morning about the emotional scars that women carry the rest of their lives after an abortion. Many of us are trying to be sensitive to them and not raise such a painful issue. But future pain can be avoided, and present pain can be healed.

My wife and I recently watched a movie that “lit a candle in our heart” and spoiled us by showing us what a good movie is all about. The movie is called Bella. Make it the next one you rent and be blessed.

——

I used to live near a planned parenthood. I would drive by and be visually assaulted by these protesters who would stand out on the street with pictures of babies found in dumpsters. Like most people I hated having to be being offended day after day by these shocking photos, but then my heart changed about it. How much more shocking that murder is legal in America? How much more shocking that places exist where would-be mothers can dispose of their “inconvenient” child?

What does God think of abortion? How does it make him feel? I know that He is heartbroken. I know that He is deeply wounded that his “babies” are killing their own babies. At points during the recording of this song “tiny hands” I had to stop because of the emotion that came as God showed me his heart for the little ones. Jesus loves all his little children and we would all do well to become more like them. We have a lot to learn from the children as Jesus frequently pointed out.

This is a human rights issue. A human being has a right to live!

I honestly don’t know if we will ever be able to legally defend the life of the unborn. I don’t know if the laws will ever change. Be we can and ought to do what we can, reaching one person at a time with the message that each new life is precious, a gift from God to be cherished and loved.

This is why I am offering my song “tiny hands” as a free download. I asking you to please share this with your friends. Send them a link to this page. Just please pass it on. If even just one woman decides to keep and cherish her child. It will be worth it.

Thanks for listening,

Daniel Lovett

LYRICS:

Tiny Hands

Tiny hands, tiny feet,
She’s the cutest little girl you have ever seen
First thing she learns is how to smile
You see the joy of God, in the face of this sweet child

CHORUS:

What a precious gift, is this new life,
So full of innocence and wonder, with her eyes so wide
She takes it in, all this love you give,
How could it ever be a question that you let her live?
That you let her live…

Her first steps, her first words
The sweetest little sounds you have ever heard
You watch her grow and feel such love
And every day you spend with her, just never seems enough

BRIDGE:

“It’s time for bed, now go to sleep,”
“Just one more story mama, please read to me”
So you read to her and all the while,
You’re looking at your princess and how she makes you smile

Words and Music by Daniel Lovett
©2008 Reflect Worship Music ASCAP

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Here is a YouTube Video of Catherine telling the story:

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September 12, 2012

September 11th CD Release Anniversary NEWS

September 11th

It has been two years since the release of our album, “I Will Bring You Peace”, in 2010. We chose to release this album on September 11th as a way of reminding people that, though we live in a world at war with itself in so many ways, Jesus offers us and invites us into a peace that truly passes all understanding. The album (and title track) is themed around Jesus words found in Matthew 11:28-30:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

To celebrate this CD release anniversary of our defining album, we are offering it for a “pay what you want” to download this album. If you like what you hear, download it and decide how much you’d like to bless our ministry. (I’ve also included an option that allows an immediate download, plus a physical CD for $10.)

The album can be found here: www.reflect.bandcamp.com

Ministry Update:

I was so blessed to walk into a nursing home facility today to find a lady sitting next to a CD player humming along to “Come Thou Fount” from our Reflect Hymn album. At first I thought, “I know that song, but that doesn’t sound like us.” And then I realized it was because she was singing along with it. The nurse said that they play our Reflect Hymn CD at least once if not twice a day and that the residents really enjoy it.

It reminded me of who our main ministry is to. As many of you know, we don’t have a thriving ministry to our generation (as much as we may want to connect with and bless those in our generation). Instead God has blessed our ministry to the elderly in nursing homes.

It’s because of reminders like these that I’d like the next album we make for them. But we need your prayers. The honest truth is, we feel worn down and often uninspired. It’s been awhile since we even wrote a song or did much of anything creative. I believe we under attack from the enemy (yes, we have an enemy) and we need your prayers. If you are a Christian brother or sister, would you just say a prayer for us right now? I trust God will bless you for the love you show by lifting us up in prayer (that’s “Christianeze” for talking to God and suggesting he get us out of our funk).

We really desire to be used mightily for the growing of God’s kingdom.

Happy Rosh Hashanah!

Daniel & Catherine

May 9, 2012

Struggle with Depression? I've been there!

I wrote the song Redeemed after being comforted in my severe depression by the Psalm the song is based on. Psalm 107 describes some difficult situations people find or get themselves in and in each instance the people would cry out to God for help and God would answer them. In fact God says in his word that everyone who calls on him will be saved! That’s pretty awesome!

Here is a link to the studio version of this song: Psalm 107 on Bandcamp

Here is the song story and the song “Redeemed”:

Enjoy this story? Consider sharing it! Hope this song blessed you, leave a comment below!

April 19, 2012

Please Come Home, a song based on Prodigal Son story

Do you feel unworthy to be near God? The apostle Peter sure did. When he first realized who Jesus was after a miracle, he said to Jesus, “Depart from me Lord, I am a sinful man.” As if to say, “God, you don’t want me around, I’m too sinful. You’re better off without me. I’ll just muddy things up.”

Have you ever felt that way? I sure have.

Here’s a common scenario:

You know what God wants you to do but you fail him and break his heart for the billionth time and you wonder, how in the world would he take me back again? Why would he give me another chance? Why would he ever risk his heart on me again?

And so you stay away. You keep your distance. You may even come to believe that you are beyond his grace. Beyond forgiveness.

But Jesus would say to you, “You are the reason I came. I came for you! I died that day to take away all your unworthiness and every last sin and shameful thing that you think keeps you from me. So come. Please come and just let me love you! Please come home.”

Jesus shared the story of the prodigal son to tell us something about how God feels for those who feel this way. (Read the story here). He shows us the attitude of the Father God toward all his lost children. He is waiting and watching and I believe, is doing everything possible to bring them home. Yes, he has done and is doing everything!

The cross accomplished more than we will ever know. When Jesus said, “It is finished” he meant it. On the cross God Himself bore our shame, our pain, and our every sin. Yes, even every last lustful look and judgmental attitude. He bled for every murder, every rape, every homosexual act, & every word of gossip so that we might be saved and have hope & redemption.

Redemption is yours if you want it. God respects our free will. He will never force us to come. He simply invites.

Be reconciled to God today! Stop everything and take a moment and connect with him right now! Please pray with me:

“Dear God, thank you for being the God of second chances. Thank you for always risking your heart and trusting in your love and grace to change us. May your love and grace do it’s work right now and soften our hearts towards you God. Thanks for loving us so much that you would run out to meet us and lavish us with love when we turn for home. God, we come home to you now.”

(“Please Come Home” is now part of our 5 song free sample download available on our website and is this month’s “Song of the Month”.)

Song Story & Chords:

The Original (Download) Version of this song:

Performing this song at Cup O Joy in Green Bay:

Here we are as the whole band playing this at Lifest 2012:

If this song has blessed you, please use the share buttons at the bottom of this post to share it! Join the conversation, please leave a comment!

Please Come Home
(note to Guitar players – Capo on 3 and play the following chords)

Am Fmaj7
You think I’m better off without you
You say, “Depart, for I’m a sinful soul”
But you’re the reason that I came to earth
To bleed upon a cross to give you hope

CHORUS:
C G
So please come home, please come home
Am F2
Where you will never more, have to be alone
So please come home, please come home
Where you will never more, have to be alone
Am Fmaj7
Please come home

Am Fmaj7
I know your anxious thoughts and that your mind is filled with doubt
You wonder how I’ll take you back, with all your dark clouds
And you think you’ve gone beyond, what my grace can bear
But I want you to know; your debt is paid in full

Gadd9 F2
I know you feel unworthy, and that you don’t belong
Perhaps you think you’ve sinned too much,
Your shame is just too strong
No need to worry, I will never bring it up
Am F2
Instead I will lavish you with love

Words and music by Daniel & Catherine Lovett
cop.2012 Reflect Worship Music

ps. So as I was writing this song it reminded me of Dustin Kensrue and when I checked iTunes store for songs of the same title, and who should appear in the search results but Dustin Kensrue. He wrote a song by the same title. Crazy right? His version is completely different of course.