Right Outside Our Window
May 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment
On a recent spring morning here in Tennessee Annie made oatmeal while we both listened to a news/talk radio station. Sadly, the only good news we heard was a commercial about a sale on flower garden items. The rest of the news was totally depressing.
Not wanting to hear any more about the spiraling fall of our nation’s economy and the bleak unemployment statistics, and the irresponsible politicians who seem to prefer spending over fixing what’s wrong, we decided to turn the radio off and take our breakfast to the sunroom.
God surely knew that our troubled hearts needed lifting because right outside our window an encouraging reminder of His goodness landed on a metal flower holder. It was my all time favorite bird… the bluebird.
Right outside our window
I grabbed my camera and snapped the photo posted here. Seeing the brilliant colors of the male’s feathers through the viewfinder was breathtaking. Add to that sight the soothing sound of its song and I had plenty to bring me out of the doldrums.
As I enjoyed the timely encounter with the bluebird I whispered a prayer of thanks to its Maker and how He, through a small, feathered creature had brought a smile to my emotions. Then I remembered another trait about the bird that caused my soul to feel at peace.
Bluebirds are voracious consumers of insect pests. For that reason, gardeners will go to extreme lengths to attract and keep them in their garden for the protective benefit they provide.
When I recalled this helpful characteristic of the bluebird God quietly reminded me that as long as our family does all we can to make Him welcome in the “garden of our lives” we will enjoy the beauty and the benefit of His presence.
What a comfort it is to know that, like the bluebird that destroys the enemies of a garden, God is willing and fully able to rid our home of the damaging “pests” of uncertainty and fear that swarm around us.
May God help each us do all that is necessary to make Him feel welcome at our homes…as welcome as a bluebird!
He shall cover you with His feathers and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. Psalm 91:4-6
And He said, “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14
When my enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish at Your presence. Psalm 9:3
Don’t Give Your Treasure Away!
April 18, 2013 by 3 Comments
The song below is from a 1988 concert (also posted on our Vintage Video page). It is titled, “The Treasure” and features a lyric that candidly addresses the issue of pre-marital sex.
The verbal introduction is a straightforward statement to both parents and teens about the dangers of giving away the 
treasure of moral purity.
While it is an honest set up to the song we hope the tenderness of the music and lyrics will offer helpful instruction to those who have saved their “treasure” for marriage as well as encouraging hope for those who have stumbled in this area.
Please forward a link to this post to those you might know who could benefit by the content.
Pastoring…A Costly Call
March 19, 2013 by 5 Comments
Pastor Paul J Chapman
(1958)
Having been raised in the home of a pastor and seeing what it requires of a life to respond to that calling, we offer the song, “Don’t Unpack Your Bags” at the end of this post.
Pastoring can be a costly call. The price that is paid to fill the pulpit can include a person’s physical health due to the constant, unrelenting work involved. It can also include their emotional health due to the stress related to dealing with everything from apathy to something even worse, that is, the opposers and power-hungry individuals in the congregation.
To all of us who attend churches with pastors, Annie and I want to remind you of something very important… PASTORS ARE PEOPLE, TOO!
They need our prayers, our words of affirmation, thanks, and encouragement. And by all means, they need our prayers for their physical, emotional and spiritual protection… as well as that of their families.
We hope the song, “Don’t Unpack Your Bags,” will remind you to pray for your pastor. If you happen to be a person in the pastorate and the song paints a familiar picture for you, please know that our heart’s cry is that God will sustain you through the field of battle that the pulpit can sometimes become.
If you are the spouse of a pastor whose life is represented in the song, may God give you an extra measure of grace and strength as you stand with your beloved. If you are the son or daughter of a battered pastor, may the Lord protect you from believing that all church members are evil. Believe it or not, there are those who care…and we are two that do
“Don’t Unpack Your Bags” is available on the CD, “That Way Again.” For a free download specifically for pastors and their family members email us at the address found on our “contact” page.
And… we and others would value your comments on this topic as well as the song!
Faith Of A Few Close Friends
March 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment
One day I had lunch with some friends I had not seen in a while. We took turns catching up on all that was going on in our lives since we had last seen each other. The energetic banter covered everything from the adorable antics of our grandchildren to disgust with the current political climate.
In the room that was filled with laughter and lamenting, I noticed one among us was not participating. As I turned to look at her I could see tears forming in her eyes. Seemingly against her will she began to weep openly. With all attention turned to her, she quietly began to unburden herself.
She confided that her husband had been out of work for two years and the financial survival of her family rested on her tired shoulders. She said she felt helpless and emotional paralyzed by the situation.
Spontaneously, we all moved from our seats and gathered around her. As a group we banned together and began to pray for her. We were adding our faith to her need; asking God for a divine intervention for her family.
What happened that day reminded me of an account in the gospels about a man who was paralyzed. He couldn’t get the help he needed on his own but everything changed for him when a few who cared enough about his helplessness to carry him to Jesus.
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt helpless and received the assistance of others? Or, have you been the one to help someone in need? If so, you will appreciate the song featured in this post.
Faith of a Few Close Friends
There was a man laying paralyzed
He had no power, no hope in his eyes
He lay there waiting for his turn to die
But a miracle was about to begin
Cause all the sudden his bed began to move
They were lifting him up, but he didn’t know who
He could hardly say it, but he whispered, “Who are you”
And they said, “We’re just a few close friends”
They took that man to Jesus
He had no faith of his own
But when Jesus saw the faith of a few close friends
He said, “Take up your bed, man, take up your bed and go home.”
Now, there are homes filled with children and husbands and wives
Who feel like that man who was paralyzed
They have no hope they will ever survive
But let the miracles begin
Let those who are strong, and those who care
Lift them up to Jesus through the power of prayer
Take them to the Healer and on your way there
Don’t forget about that man and his friends
They took that man to Jesus
He had no faith of his own
But when Jesus saw the faith of a few close friends
He said, “Take up your bed, man, take up your bed and go home.”
S. Chapman - Available on the CD, “The Miles”
Honoring A Wonderful Woman-Sylvia Alice Eckard Williamson
March 12, 2013 by 2 Comments
Sylvia Anne and
Sylvia Alice 1991
Seventeen years ago, on March 12, 1996, my sweet mother finished her race and went home to be with Jesus. She left behind her loving husband of 52 years (Dad joined her 2 ½ years later, to be friends forever) and six children who absolutely adored her.
The only true gift we leave behind for our loved ones is cherished memories. Mom left a lifetime of happy thoughts, funny stories and the knowledge that she loved her family dearly. Remembering Mom leaves me with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes.
After Mom died, nearly every night I dreamed about her. I can’t describe how terribly I missed her. Six months after her passing I had a dream unlike all the others. After telling Steve about it, he wrote the dream experience into this song.
If you are suffering the loss of a loved one, I hope this song will encourage you as it does me. Although death is a thief, it cannot steal the memories or the impact our loved ones have on us. If we know Jesus, we can look forward to seeing our friends and family again…in a much better place.
She’d Rather Be with Me
Last night, in a dream, I saw my mother once again
Her face was so bright, as the family gathered in
Our favorite spring flower
The Hyacinth
Photo by Heidi Beall
What a sweet reunion, all her children at her side
But I thought I saw a far away look in her eyes
And I said, “Lord, I don’t understand. Seems she doesn’t care to stay
In that moment in my heart, I heard my Savior gently say;
“Every one she loves down here, and everything she held so dear
They don’t hold her any more. It’s not like it used to be
She loves you, my child, but she’d rather be here with me.”
Then I awoke and realized, she cannot come to where I am
But someday I’ll go to be with her, in that far better land
Now, I can cry tears of joy cause I understand at last
My mother’s in my future, she’s not in my past.
“Cause everything one she loves down here
And everything she held so dear
They don’t hold her anymore, it’s not like it used to be
She loves you my child, but she’d rather be here with me
She loves you my child, but she’d rather be here with me.”
Words and Music by Steve Chapman/Times and Seasons Music/ BMI/1996
Available on the CD, “That Way Again”
We Will Love This Child
February 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
My daughter, Heidi and I co-wrote a book on the subject of hospitality entitled, Entertaining Angels. In preparation for the writing of this project, we conducted surveys of women from all across the country. The questionnaires were meant to explore attitudes about extending hospitality within, as well as outside the home.
We asked this question: “What would your response be if you were asked to give a baby shower for a girl who is pregnant and not married?”
Here are some of the responses:
- I would say yes. It is a great way to show God’s love to someone who really needs it.
- I would consider this a great opportunity to minister to this young girl and her family. The Bible says the world will know we are Christ’s disciples, not because we are right all the time, but because we have such extravagant love for one another.
- I was that unmarried and pregnant teenager. I remember members of my extended family as well as my church family giving me a baby shower. But more than the helpful gifts, they showered me with love and forgiveness. No one had to tell me that I had messed up. I knew it. But the love shown me was the greatest gift of all.
Along with the above responses there were also different attitudes expressed like this one…
- We had a young girl at our church who “got in trouble.” The ladies in the congregation talked about what we should do. We decided instead of a baby shower, we would have a simple dinner with family and close friends. We didn’t send out invitations, and we didn’t use a registry. We just bought some things we thought she might need. The gifts were sent home with her, and she opened them by herself. We were hesitant to create too much of a party mood that might encourage wrong behavior in other young girls in our church. We tried to create a balance of helping the girl without rewarding her bad behavior.
Honestly, the above response broke my heart. In my mind’s eye I could see the young girl opening each gift as she sat all alone in her bedroom. I contrasted the response of this group of church ladies with the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. [Keep in mind, had the prodigal son been a prodigal daughter she more than likely would have come back to the father’s house pregnant.]
“But while he (the wayward child) was still a long way off, his father saw him and filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
“But the Father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and scandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.’”
Some dear friends of ours were faced with the disappointment of becoming grandparents before they became in-laws. The father was devastated that his daughter was pregnant and not married. Gratefully, they allowed mercy to win over judgment. Steve wrote the song, “We Will Love This Child” to affirm the choice the parents made to love and forgive. Not surprisingly, this sweet child has become the crowning glory to her grandma and grandpa.
Perhaps you are facing a similar situation at this very hour. I hope the lyric to the song posted above will be an encouragement to you. When we get to heaven, I don’t believe we will ever hear the heavenly Father say to us, “I think you were too quick to forgive. You showed that person too much mercy. You loved too much.” No, when we choose to forgive, show mercy and offer love, it is the thumbprint of God on our lives. We can never go wrong when we do what we see the Father doing.
Annie Chapman
We Will Love This Child
We will love this child, my child, that grows inside of you
Love is how God smiles, so love is what we’ll do
A dream come true too early still can be a dream come true
We will love this child, my child, the little one in you
This was not my plan for you, or me
But plans were made to change sometimes, if they have to be
This child will lead you on a journey to a different place in time
But love will go there with you, and you will find, yes, you will find that
We will love this child, my child that grows inside of you
Love is how God smiles, but love is what we do
A dream come true too early, still can be a dream come true
We will love this child, my child, the little one in you
Words and Music: Steve Chapman/Times & Seasons Music/BMI
Available on the CD, “Love Was Spoken”
Seasons of a Man
January 26, 2013 by 3 Comments
Its always interesting and humbling to know that folks are so moved by the songs we’ve written that they are motivated to “marry” the songs to their video images or photos. Such is the case with the video linked to this post. We offer our thanks to “pastorusty” for creating this tender visual with the song, “Seasons of a Man.”
A note about the song, without exception it was the most challenging I have ever written. The goal of putting a long life into 3 minutes was not easy. Choosing the word pictures that would be familiar to most of us took a lot of pondering, in fact, it took almost a year to settle on them. The song was released on the “Times & Seasons” CD in 1986.
The springtime voice is our son, Nathan, who was around seven years of age. The summertime voice was a fourteen year old named Paul Terry Hester, I did the voice of autumn and at the time I was nearing forty. The voice of winter was Steve Barron.
Obviously each of the singers have moved on into other seasons of their lives. Steve Barron is now enjoying the eternal spring.
We hope you enjoy the video and thanks again to “pastorusty” for his creation.
Steve Chapman
Seasons of a Man
I am the springtime, when everything seems so fine
Whether rain or sunshine, you will find me playing
Days full of pretending, when a dime is a lot to be spending
A time when life is beginning, I am the springtime
I am the summer, when days are warm and longer
And the call comes to wander, but I can’t go far from home
When the girls become a mystery, and you’re barely passing history
Thinking old is when you’re thirty, I am the summer
I am the autumn days, when changes come so many ways
Looking back I stand amazed that time has gone so quickly
When love is more than feelings, its fixing bikes and painting ceilings
Its when you feel a cold when coming, I am the autumn days
I am the winter, when days are cold and bitter
And the days I can remember number more than the days to come
When you ride instead of walking, and you barely hear the talking
And goodbyes are said too often, I am the winter
But I’ll see spring again in heaven, and it will last forever
Steve Chapman/Times & Seasons Music, Inc/BMI / Available on our “Tools for the Trade” CD
