This album was inspired through an advent season of change, It was written and released ten years ago as I was adjusting to my mother’s residential change to heaven. It marked a time of transition, a moment of growth, and the realization of a deeper faith through healing.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” ~ John 1:5
If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?
Oh, without a doubt, it would say Dig Love! It’s my belief that above all, that’s what’s wanting in our world, we just don’t seem to care about each other anymore, we have discounted the value of human life.
With just one voice, love can be heard
With just one hand, love can be felt
With just one smile, love can be seen
With just one heart, change can begin
Dig love
~ E.M.
Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?
I spend the majority of my time attempting to live in the moment. It’s an outgrowth of trying to be more mindful. I can’t change the past, and I have little to no control of the future, so it’s the minute at hand that has the most to offer me.
The future is a very fragile and unpredictable thing. We have no way of assuring how each day, let alone our week, or year, will turn out with any certainty. I was reflecting on this and the use of the word someday when I wrote this song. I was thinking about how we often refer to someday in describing our future dreams and endeavors. My parents always spoke of someday as in my future, down the road, and spiritually God also does, but life has an uncanny way of sneaking up on us when we least expect it.
Someday was oh so later
Someday was down the road
But someday just happened to me now
~ E.M.
Album: Stars Under My Feet
Video Credit: E.M.
Available at http://www.eddymann.com
© 2017 Eddy Mann
Hissongs | ASCAP
So much has been written about mankind’s need for hope, and there’s never been a time when we didn’t need it. Scripture says, ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.’ (Romans 15:13 ESV) ~ E.M.
Hope of the World ushers in a radiant light, instills hope, and leaves you with a smile that lingers
The Further
I was asked recently about the journey of this song, as in how did it get to this version, and on this album? It’s no doubt the oldest song on the project. It was written twenty years ago and has gone through quite a few differing arrangements over that time. I was never really happy with it, in fact I had no intentions of including it on an album back in 2011 called The Twelve. It took some prodding from a voice on my accountability team. And yes, I have a real accountability team that keeps me on the straight and narrow, or at least it attempts too. I included it back then because it was always an engaging song during times of worship. What made me uncomfortable was not the message, I love the message, but the musical setting never quite felt right. I always struggled to find a nice little niche to sing it from …where it didn’t feel awkward.
The Chapel Songs project was created as a collection of easy to access worship songs for the small church, not that they couldn’t be embellished and sung in larger communities, but so many of todays popular recordings can be intimidating for musicians who aren’t professionals, and I wanted to provide an album of songs a single guitarist or pianist could lead with.
So I revisited this song and toyed with some sparse arrangements, and eventually found one that made me smile, and that was it. The lyric video is an unplugged version of the album track and presents an even simpler approach. The message is still intact, and is certainly still relevant. God’s messages always are!
Hope of the world
Shine on us
You are the Answer
Fill up our hearts, fill up our souls
Lure us away from all that’s wrong
Fill up our hearts, fill up our souls
Give us the strength to carry on
Here we stand, blessed with each new day
Here we stand, humbled works of clay
© 2003 Eddy Mann
CCLI #6123488
Hissongs / ASCAP
You can listen/stream the album version here on my website
I’d love to hear your thoughts
Pray on,
Eddy
The ever widening chasms between each of us seem to grow daily as we continue to establish barriers between what we call acceptable, and what we deem objectionable. In doing so I’m afraid we’re dismissing an important narrative to our happiness. The moment we start to discount our differences, is the moment we start to cheat ourselves out of the things that can make our lives richer. Our ingenuity illustrates our individuality. We’ve got it all messed up. In our quest to get on with each other, we’ve told many people to get out. Instead of drawing the world a little closer we are drawing divisional lines in the sand. We’re not closing gaps, we’re creating gaps.
Discounting our differences, devalues our dignity.
When we close our ears and eyes we are missing the beauty of an extremely diverse world. A world that was created for our benefit. It was created out of love for us. All of it’s beauty and splendor was designed by our Creator, for good! So what does it say when we turn from His ideals, from what He deems good for us, from His loving vision of our lives (Ephesians 2:10)?
Diversity does not demand division.
We bridge the gaps by putting aside our differences, by opening our eyes and ears to new and different sounds and sights. When we open our mind to new ideas evolution can occur. The natural flow to a united and loving world begins with a judgement free view of life (Romans 12:16). Thankfully we don’t all lookalike, and soundalike. That would be pretty boring don’t you think? Well thinking everyone should think alike is the same thing. It’s a very narrow view of a very panoramic creation.
So I spend my days first trying to identify, and then trying to bridge these gaps. The inspiration comes from my never ending idealistic dream of a loving united world. One that cares for others more than themselves. One that truly finds more satisfaction in the act of giving than in receiving (2 Corinthians 9:7). A world that differs a great deal from the one I currently seem to live in.
My platform for such change has always been music. I find enormous joy in touching the hearts of others through poetry and song. A tough message can be much easier on the ear when it’s riding the the crest of a memorable melody. or being propelled along by an irresistible rhythm.
Come, let us walk together
Come. let us walk hand in hand
Cone, let speak with one voice
Come, let us walk in the light of love
~ E.M. (‘Come. Let Us Walk’)
My plea is one of compassion. If we start with a loving approach to our differences I believe that we would see and hear things with a new found appreciation. I invite you to join me in opening up a new world of inspiration. Pray for a cleansing view of the world. Ask God for new ears and eyes that would lovingly see and hear the beauty of diversity. That fresh mindset will bridge gaps both small and large over a period of time. A period of time when we can draw closer as friends and families… as our Creator intended.
Pray on,
Eddy
What motivates you?
My motivation each and everyday is to serve and give back simply because I’ve been so blessed. I love on others because I was first loved. I know it can sound too sweet at times, but the truth is the truth, and that’s the honest …
Let my love be my mark…
Be my mark in this world
Let my love be my alms…
Be my alms to the Lord
~ E.M.
What do you love about where you live?
I love that I have been blessed to settle into two very creative settings. One in Bucks County, PA, and another on a barrier island in Brevard County, FL. Both homesteads are remote without being out-of-touch with society, and offer a personal connection to nature. What I love the most is that I’ve found them both to be spiritually inspiring places to call home.
When my path is straight
And love replaces hate
Don’t you know
I’m home again
~ E.M.
What is the most important thing to carry with you all the time?
Speaking for myself, the most important thing to carry with me at all times is love.
It doesn’t matter what I say
It doesn’t matter what I do
Without love
I’m nothing without love
~ E.M.
What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world?
Wow! I’ve been championing a world that embraces diversity for some time now. So that would be the greatest change that I could ever hope for.
I in them and you in me and we in kind can change the world together
May we experience a unity like never before
A neighborhood of brotherhood and sisterhood as one together
How deep and broad we flow from shore to shore
~ E.M.
Describe your life in an alternate universe.
Haha, most of the time I actually feel like I’m living in an alternate universe. I don’t adhere to so many of this world’s ways. I find it hard to wrap my mind around the changing social, political and economic landscape. And since I’m willing to do the will of God, I’m constantly challenged to live in what feels like an an alternate universe.
I’m willing to do your will
I’m living to live your love
I’m serving the son to hear you one day say well done
I’m willing to do your will
~ E.M.
Works 