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“Carpe Diem” means “seize the day” (or, like ripe fruit, “pluck the day”). I’ve been taking advantage of the time I have each day, filling-out my life with the things that matter to God and to me. This week is Winter Break for Valley Christian Schools and has allowed me a good balance of relaxing, starting new things, and catching up with ministry as well as personal things.

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I’ve started a new instrumental album called Instrumental Guitar Volume 2. I’m learning cool songs by contemporary guitarists such as Andy McKee (Drifting) and Larry Carlton (Smiles and Smiles to Go). Plus, I’m writing new songs with lots of advanced guitar techniques. It’s very fun creating songs and being challenged while learning other artist’s songs.

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I’m keeping in shape physically through daily exercise (like jogging, crunches, push-ups, jumping jacks, and kicking). Keeping in shape mentally through learning French (The Duo Lingo APP for iPhone). Keeping in shape spiritually through daily Bible reading (I just finished reading through the Bible again and today I’m on Genesis 10), listening to audio books (Lead Like Jesus and RC Sproul’s Systematic Theology) which is a good way to use time in the car as I travel, currently memorizing Romans 12:1-5, and lots of prayer.

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My family is doing well. The boys are enjoying majoring in Animation/Illustration at SJSU (check out one of Brandon’s paintings above). We’ve been playing some Halo 4 recently which is a fun bonding time. Sherri continues to take care of us boys and is busy creating center-pieces for Mount Hermon Conference Center’s Women’s Retreat. Earlier this week, we went out to dinner for a “date night” in Santa Cruz.

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Please, continue to pray for balance in my life, protection and health for my family, and God’s favor in all we do. May God enrich your personal life as you stay close to Him in all you do.

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Moving Forward in 2014!

Vacation was so relaxing, but now I’m back in the fast lane. I can’t complain because I’m doing what I love. I feel so blessed to be teaching, leading worship, and spending most of my days in music and ministry. I’m playing guitar at least an hour everyday. This year will hold more training, concerts, and worship leading.  Thank you for your interest in what God is doing through Heartfelt Music Ministry.
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Concert-Worship Leading-VCS
Check out what’s happening in the columns below which are significant events for the next couple of weeks.  I’ll be performing a benefit concert at The King’s Academy this Friday night at 7:00pm. I’ve been leading worship at Community Presbyterian Church in Danville and will be leading for two more weekends in the Video Cafe. I’m training and leading three worship bands at Valley Christian School as well as teach a Guitar for Fun class at the elementary school. We will have a week long Spiritual Emphasis Week in a couple of weeks using all three worship bands.
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Accelerate the Impact
The Accelerate the Impact support opportunity, over November and December, was a tremendous blessing. We received $4,100.00 which will help Heartfelt Music Ministry to do more ministry…sooner.  It will still take just over a year to pay off this debt we’re carrying.  Thank you for praying for us and for your generous donations. Please, CLICK HERE to make a donation or sign up to support us monthly.
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Albums
Both of my latest albums, Here & Now and Instrumental Guitar Volume 1, are available on our website, CDbaby, iTunes, Rhapsody, Spotify, and others  The lyrics and the stories behind the songs on Here & Now are on the Heartfelt Music Blog HERE. The stories behind the songs on Instrumental Guitar Volume 1 are on the Heartfelt Music Blog HERE.

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Benefit Concert at the King’s Academy

This Friday, I’ll will be performing a concert at The King’s Academy in Sunnyvale as a fundraiser to benefit their Guadalajara Service Trip and Hope House in Ixtlahuacan, Mexico. The cost is $8.00 in The King’s Academy Theater. I’ll be sharing songs from my two latest albums and leading worship with familiar songs.  Come join us!

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Worship at CPC in Danville

This weekend, February 1 & 2, I will be leading worship with Community Presbyterian Church in Danville making beautiful music joining with their excellent musicians. Come join the great worship and teaching for 5:00pm service for the Gathering in the Multi Purpose Room and on Sunday for the Video Cafe in the same place.

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Chapels at VCS

I am leading three worship bands at Valley Christian Schools.  We just finished studying a book called Becoming a True Worshiper by Tom Kreauter. The bands lead the 2,000 students in worship during chapels every week. It’s a delight to work with the groups, learn new songs, and see significant spiritual growth in the lives of the student body.

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Coming Events

Jan 31 (Friday)

Performing a concert for The King’s Academy in Sunnyvale as a fundraiser to benefit their Guadalajara Service Trip and Hope House in Ixtlahuacan, Mexico. The cost is $8.00 in The King’s Academy Theater. It will be from 7:00-8:30.

Feb 1 & 2 (Saturday & Sunday)

Leading Worship at Community Presbyterian Church in Danville on Saturday night for The Gathering (6:00pm) and on Sunday for the Video Cafe (9:00pm & 10:45pm).

Feb 7 & 8 (Saturday & Sunday)

Leading Worship at Community Presbyterian Church in Danville on Saturday night for The Gathering (6:00pm) and on Sunday for the Video Cafe (9:00pm & 10:45pm).

Mar 7 & 8 (Friday & Saturday)

Teaching Workshops at BASS (Church Workers Convention in Castro Valley: Teaching four workshops: Creative Songwriting, Worship Infusion, Dynamic Guitar in Worship, and Worship Band Interactive.

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Get Involved
Keep in touch and share your thoughts on:

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Happy New Year!

May this coming year make you stronger than ever

2013 is almost over and 2014 is almost here. Now is a good time to reflect on the “sweet and sour” times over the last year, but ending with thankfulness knowing God works all things out for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). It’s also a great time to look ahead and set goals. God has plans for you to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Stay close to God and He will make a way for you. On behalf of the Heartfelt Music & Ministry crew, Happy New Year! May you enjoy this video of me performing the song Getting Stronger.

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Accelerate the Impact
There’s only one day left to help fund Heartfelt Music & Ministry’s Accelerate the Impact.  So far we’ve raised over $4,000.00 and we shout a grateful “Thank you!” to all who have contributed. Please, consider helping us with a donation of any size.  We appreciate your support!

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Get the New Album
Check out the new album Here & Now on iTunes, CD Baby, Rapsody, Amazon or at our website’s Product Page. You can find all the lyrics and stories on our blog by clicking HERE. As a special gift, we’d like you to enjoy a free MP3 Download of the song “Flame” from the new album by clicking HERE.

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Accelerate the Impact is a one-time support opportunity through December 31, 2013, to relieve the financial burden we have incurred over the years from ministry events like the Christian Guitar & Bass Conferences. These events have had exponential impact on thousands of lives, but they have left us with a financial burden that inhibits us from certain ministry possibilities. Though powerful ministry continues today through private lessons and worship leading in churches throughout the Bay Area, we are limited in some ways because of this current weight of debt.

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Your gift will propel Heartfelt Music Ministry to touch more lives and encourage more people toward a greater faith in Jesus Christ. The sooner this is paid off, the sooner more enhanced ministry opportunities can take place.  CLICK HERE to get started!

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The total below represents what has been given directly through Indiegogo.com.  However, some have chosen to give cash or checks directly to Heartfelt and some have contributed through PayPal.com making the total almost $4,000.00 by Christmas day.  We are so grateful!

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I hope this Christmas is filled with meaningful moments with family and a strong sense of “making room” for Jesus.  As the Christmas carol Joy to the World exhorts, “Let every heart prepare Him room!”  Though times are tough and we wish things could be different, let’s turn to the One who is in control and worship Him.  This Christmas, may you have a “Mary Christmas!”

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A Season of Giving!

Christmas is coming and there are reminders everywhere, all over the world!  Jesus is the center of our celebration and relationships are what He’s about.  More than “loving things,” Jesus has demonstrated His deep “love for us” by becoming one of us, giving His very life, and making a way for us to be with Him forever.  This is a season of giving as we recognize and value the relationships God has brought into our lives.  May this be a most meaningful Christmas for you, your family, and your friends.

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As a special gift, we’d like you to enjoy a free MP3 Download of the song “Flame” from the new album Here & Now (CLICK HERE).

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We are holding a one-time opportunity for you to give to Heartfelt Music Ministry called Accelerate the Impact.  We have never done something like this before and will not be doing it again.  Unlike most non-profit ministries who hold yearly giving campaigns, we have not chosen to do that. People have volunteered one-time donations and some give monthly or bi-monthly. This is how we thrive.  The Accelerate the Impact opportunity is a way to help Heartfelt Music Ministry start fresh by paying off the $21,000 debt from the past Christian Guitar and Bass Conferences.  See details below and visit the Indiegogo site for more information.

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My new album, Here & Now, just came out last week!  You can hear excerpts at iTunes, CD Baby, Rapsody, Amazon, and you can order physical CDs at our product page or CD Baby.  I continue to teach about 30 guitar students, lead worship at various churches, and train through workshops.  I’m setting up January events now, so let me know if I can join you or your church in some way.  Wrapping up a semester at Valley Christian School which has been a rewarding ministry experience.  Our Christmas concerts will be all next week, Tuesday through Friday at the California Theatre in San Jose.

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Get involved and share your thoughts on:

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Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. We had a great day being together as a family.  Sherri cooked a turkey for the first time which came out so nice…Yum!  Then we went to see the new Hunger Games movie. We all enjoyed it very much. May this whole weekend be filled with relaxation and thanksgiving.

New Album is Here!

Even though I just came out with my first instrumental album in March Instrumental Guitar Volume I, I haven’t had a vocal album out in a while.  Finally, Here & Now is available in CD and MP3 format. You can go to the Product Page on our website to order either a physical CD or immediately download a digital copy. All the stories and lyrics are on our blog (click here to see them).

Accelerate the Impact

We are raising $21,000 to further Heartfelt Music Ministry. Inspired by “Accelerate the Impact,” some have contributed to us through Indiegogo ($850), some have given by check ($2,300), and some through PayPal.com ($400).  We have a total of $3,550 as of Thanksgiving Day!  We’ll keep it open through December 31 which is great for year-end giving and receiving a tax write-off for 2013.  Thank you for considering helping us.

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I’m very excited to announce that the Here & Now album is now available!  It’s available on this site (of course) under Products, but after December 1 it will also be available at 20 different online venues including iTunes and CD Baby (You can hear an excerpt from each song on either of these two sites).

Here & Now is my 15th album.  My previous 14 albums are Living In Jesus, No Greater Love, Take It to Heart, Radically Committed, Shout for Joy, Sing to the Lord, A New Song, Heartfelt Celebration, Intimacy, Confidence, A Christmas Gift, Heartfelt Praise, Here to Worship, and Instrumental Guitar Volume 1).  I hope you enjoy it!

This album has a variety of styles with a variety of guitar techniques.  I wrote eight of the songs and two of them were written by others, but have meant a lot to me throughout the years.  The acoustic guitar I use is a Taylor 815ce and the Electric-Synth guitar is a Godin LGXT (the pan flute solo on Here & Now and the electric guitar solo on Flame).  I use the Voice Live effects by T.C. Electronics for harmonies on Calm Down, O My Soul.

Here are the stories and lyrics for each song:

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Here & Now – The most important truth that has ever captivated my life is the reality that Jesus is alive and lives in me. The first line of the chorus in this song is my frequent prayer, “Here and now I need You to live out Your life in me!”  Jesus reveals the main desire of His life in the last three words of His prayer in John 17:26, “And I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” Paul makes it clear; this is the good news, “…Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27), and “…it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20).  It’s true, I am not adequate to live like Jesus.  I need Jesus to live His life through me, giving me His strength. “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:4-5).  I wrote this song while I was ministering in Albania one summer visiting villages and churches, training musicians, and doing concerts.  The Albanian flag has a two-headed eagle on it, which for them represents strength.  As Christians, the eagle also represents strength to us, as it says in Isaiah 40:29-31, “He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” This song is a prayer to have wings like eagles living in the strength of Christ.

[Standard tuning]

Here & Now
Give me wings to fly
And a heart that’s bold
With Your Word awaken
Every heart grown cold
Like the wings of eagles
In Your strength I go
May the Wind of heaven
Stir each longing soul

Here and now I need You
To live out Your life in me
Every word that You inspire
Will implant the melody
I will sing the Song of Ages
And let everybody know
They can taste Your love and mercy
And drink the grace You’ve shown
How I want each person here to feel
Your love

Copyright © MM, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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Worthy & So Wonderful – We are called to worship only God (Deuteronomy 6:5, 13).  He is worth the highest honor, the greatest value, and our deepest love.  I was in Illinois for one of the Christian Guitar & Bass Conferences, late at night and alone in my room. I was so overcome and moved by God’s greatness that I wrote this song. Worship is to give ultimate worth to something or someone (to “worth-ship” them). God deserves this place in my life!  I long for a lifestyle of giving God the worth and love He deserves.  I was working on a trilogy on “worth” but never finished the first two songs. I started with I Don’t Feel Worth Anymore, which gave words to those who don’t feel they have any value.  The second one, I’m Worth It, took a look at John 3:16 and how God thinks we are so valuable, that He sent His Son to save us. That night, I did finish the third one in the trilogy, Worthy & So Wonderful, but it’s now a stand-alone. The more we worship Him, the more we realize how much worth and value He gives us. He deeply and unconditionally loves us.  It makes me want to praise Him continually. One thing that influenced this song is when the prophet Isaiah was lifted up to heaven, seeing Jesus in all of His glory and hearing the angels shout to each other “Holy, Holy, Holy, Is the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:1-8).  What a scene, to see Jesus in all of His glory and hear all the angels praising Him. He is worth all the praise and, one day, every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:11). Let’s start now, lifting Him high with praise!

[I use a capo on the 2^nd fret only on strings 2-5 so it sounds like a double dropped-D tuning]

Worthy & So Wonderful
In the wake of all eternity
I dwell upon Your majesty
Creation is the gallery
Displaying Your glory

In the beauty of Your holiness
I think about how You have blessed
Showing me Your faithfulness
And sharing Your glory

Your worth, O my God,
Is far greater than anything
Your value to me
Is beyond any measuring
Whole and complete
Perfect and pure
You’re holy

Holy, holy, holy
Worthy and so wonderful
Glory, glory, glory
Mighty and so powerful
Holy, holy, holy
All the angels praise Your name
Glory, glory, glory
Forevermore Your love will reign

Holy! Lord, You’re so worthy

Copyright © MMIV, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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Flame – At times it feels like we’re living in a world where we don’t fit.  There has to be more. This song uses the metaphor of living in deep water, cold and dark. Water is nice, but we were never meant to stay in the water. We are meant to live on land and experience warmth and light. In reality, we are to thrive in God’s world, the heavenly spiritual world, living in the spirit while we’re on earth. God saved me from a world I wasn’t intended to be engulfed by. With Him, I experience abundant life and the source of the flame (John 10:10). His fire burns in me and draws me to His abundant life and brilliant light. Now, I want to be a flame illuminating Him and attracting people to His Name, His very character, the wonderful God He is! Following the theme of Jesus living in me, I want to let Him shine His light through me even in the darkest places.

[Standard tuning]

Flame
Swimming in the chaos
Of this world I’m in
I take a dive to find
If there is one solution
There’s no answer there
Only dark despair
I surface knowing
There’s no resolution

Flame, I want to be a flame
To be a light to Your name
I want to be a flame
To be a flame

You pulled me from the water
Put me on dry land
Cold, but then you warmed me
With Your holy fire
Now You burn within
Dealing with my sin
You are my Savior
And my soul’s desire

I want to be Your light
Shining in the darkest night
I want to live my life
For Your glory

Copyright © MMVI, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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I Can Fly – This song was written during a very difficult time in my life along with a couple of other songs, like Jesus Lives in Me and Every Moment with You (the next song on the album).  Like the song Here & Now, I use the metaphor of an eagle which represents strength and the ability to live gracefully. Before I accepted Christ as my Savior, I was pretty selfish. Now, slowly but surely, God is making a change in my heart, giving me a heart like His. Sometimes, people try to put others in a box and put labels on them. This can mess with our identity and make life confusing, stressful and unsatisfying.  Yet, putting our confidence in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:4) gives us a freedom to live life to the fullest without the worry of what others think. Some time ago, Bob Munger wrote a little booklet called My Heart, Christ’s Home. It was a story of someone letting Christ into His heart. He was welcome to live in the living room, kitchen, and all the rooms except the closet. Jesus wants to have access to the whole house, even the closet. This reference is in the line, “In my heart Christ made a home.” Right after that, I switch to another analogy, where Jesus lives in me like blood – flowing continuously in my veins. God is committed to drawing me closer to Him through Jesus and through His Spirit in me. Let God’s love give you confidence, stability, and the ability to live life gracefully, giving you wings to fly.

[Dropped-D tuning]

I Can Fly
There was a time I couldn’t fly
Caged in pride and selfishness
Then Jesus saved me with His life
Trading sin for righteousness
Slowly but surely He’s making a change
I’m no longer seeking my fame
Whoa

By God’s grace I can fly
I can hold my head high
I can sail on the wind
Of His deep love for me
I can fly like the eagle
He wants me to be
I can spread my wings and fly

In the love of Christ I know
There has been a life exchange
In my heart He’s made a home
Now His life flows in my veins
Slowly but surely He’s making a change
Drawing me into His name
Whoa

Confidence in Christ I know
Yes, I feel like I can fly

Copyright © MCMXCVI, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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Every Moment with You – We were meant to have a close relationship with God. The more time I spend with Jesus, the more I see things from His perspective, an eternal perspective. By this, I don’t mean we can see the future or anything like that. I mean, when we let our thoughts be influenced by Jesus, we see things in reality. We see the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).  Reading God’s Word is a great way to spend time with God, getting to know Him better and learning more about ourselves and how God wants us to live.  I’ve experienced some hard things in my life with my parents dying when I was young, damaging my the nerve in a high School track & field accident, and other challenges. There are anxious times, sorrowful times, and even lonely times. But, God knows; He sees and feels what’s going on, He comforts us, and He loves us through it all. Choose to spend time with Jesus!  Every moment you do, you’ll experience true life which only comes from God.

[Standard tuning]

Every Moment with You
Every moment with You
Opens my eyes to Your eternal view
Every moment with You
Opens my heart to the life only from You

Bringing every anxious thought
I know You clearly see
All the sorrow in my heart
Your Spirit comforts me
You know every move I make
Each feeling that I feel
When others don’t have time to care
Your love for me is real
Your love for me is real

You’ve given me the love I need, Lord
You’ve given me the joy I need, Lord
When I’m troubled You put Your peace in my heart

Every moment with You, I’m growing closer to You
Every moment with You, I’m growing closer to You

True life only
True life only from You

Copyright © MCMXCVI, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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You Are My God – This simple song is like a Psalm. It’s a prayer of commitment and resolve while sharing emotion experienced.  Jesus is my God. I recognize Him as the only true God. There are plenty of little gods in this world that sometimes take the place that only God should have, but God deserves first place, the best place, because He is the one and only God. There have been times of pain and hurt in my life, times that compel me to look to God for comfort and healing. There have also been times of joy and hope that motivate me to look to God in praise and thanksgiving.  Sing with me as we let Jesus be Lord of our lives.

[I use a capo on the 4^th fret only on strings 1-5]

You Are My God
You are my God
And forevermore I will worship You
You are my God
And forevermore I will worship You

When pain comes crashing through
And hurt consumes my soul
I lift my eyes to You again

When joy comes crashing through
And hope consumes my soul
I lift my eyes to You again

Copyright © MMXIII, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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Calm Down, O My Soul – Have you ever had times where you feel overwhelmed and out of control? This song is for you. Well, it’s actually for me. Yes, I have times when I’m moving too fast, unsure if things will work out, and forget that God is in control. One of my favorite verses is a great reminder, “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Similar to my song Slow Me Down, I’m reminding myself that God will work things out for good (Romans 8:28) because He is in control of all things and loves to lavish us with blessing.

[This song is a capella and I use the Voice Live by T.C. Electronics for the harmonies]

Calm Down, O My Soul
Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul

Slow down, O my soul
Slow down, O my soul
Slow down, O my soul
Slow down, O my soul

God is in control
God is in control
God is in control
God is in control

Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul
God is in control
God is in control
God is in control

Copyright © MMXIII, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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Sherri, My Love – My wife Sherri has been my best friend and companion over the 29 years we’ve been married. She is such a complimentary part of my life, such a blessing!  When I went to Russia for the second time in 1996, I took a chord book with me by the legendary Ted Green and learned some beautiful jazz chords over the two weeks I was there.  One of the best ways to learn something is to apply it in song, so I wrote this song for Sherri celebrating our Anniversary using chords and progressions I learned. “Bear, you are my love!  Thank you for who you are and all you do.  You are captivating!”

[Standard tuning]

Sherri, My Love
Sherri, my love
I can’t believe we’ve come this far
And time flies by
All the times we laugh, the times we cry
Oh Sherri, my love
Your faithfulness, it makes me so strong
I want to thank you for the years you’ve been loving me
Thank you for loving me

Oh Sherri, my love
I couldn’t do all the things I do without you
You lift me up and pull me through
Oh Sherri, my love
You are my love and my best friend to the end
And forever we will grow in love
Forever we’ll grow in love

You’re so beautiful
Like a rainbow in an April shower
How your children love you
Call you a beautiful flower
And I want you to know
That I love you so

Oh Sherri, my love
You meet my needs
I promise as before to meet your’s
In the strength that only Christ can give
Oh Sherri, my love
Through all these years we’ve had so much fun in God’s love
And together we will be as one
Together we’ll be as one

Copyright © MCMXCVI, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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Water Grave – This is one of the most significant cover songs from my past. Asking Jesus to come into my heart and take over my life was more than just a one-time wish. It meant dying to my old self and rising to the new life Jesus promised. The best symbol of what happened is baptism where we are buried in the water to our old sinfulness and come alive to Christ as we are raised out of the water. It brings back memories of my baptism in a pool in southern California and of Sherri’s baptism in the Pacific Ocean. In this song, the person who wrote it was so excited to show his heavenly Father his desire to change that he’s going down to the river to be “buried alive.”

[Standard tuning]

Water Grave
In this house there’s been a mercy killing
The man I used to be has been crucified
And the death of this man is a final way of revealing
In a spiritual way to live I had to die

Now if I let this dead man linger in me
I might get a little idle in my ways
So I’m going down to the celebration river
I’m gonna lay this dead man down in a water grave

I’m going down to the river my Lord
I’m going to be buried alive
I’m going to show my heavenly Father
The man I used to be has finally died

When I think of where I’m going
In terms of where I’ve been
It makes me glad to know my Lord
That I’ve been born again

Copyright © MCMLXXIX, Steve Chapman c/o Mrs. Kari Stewart, Warner/Chappell Music, 10585 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025-4921, Phone: 310-441-8600. (SESAC #53600) ARR, UBP

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Make My Life a Prayer to You – Another one of the most significant cover songs for me is this one, written by Melody Green and sung by Keith Green.  Keith was a pianist, songwriter, concert artist, and passionate follower of Christ. He was probably the most influential musician for me during my college years. His Last Days Ministries offered powerful direction and encouragement toward being a Christian musician with integrity. I first heard Make My Life a Prayer to You on Keith Green’s album, No Compromise. It became my prayer during that season and continues to resonate in my heart even today.  I remember meeting him at one of the Christian Artist Music Seminars in Colorado. He was remarkably intense as we talked about his music and my music, yet he was very encouraging. May we have a spirit of boldness as we lay down our sinfulness, live for Christ, and share the hope and love of Jesus to everyone God puts before us.

[Standard tuning]

Make My Life a Prayer to You
Make My Life a Prayer to You
I want to do what You want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise
I want to shine the light You gave
Through Your Son You sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know You’re really there

I want to thank You now
For being patient with me
Oh it’s so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess I’ll have to trust
And just believe what You say
You’re coming again
Coming to take me away

I want to die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave to me
The love that set me free
I want to tell the world out there
You’re not some fable or fairytale
That I’ve made up inside my head
You’re God the Son
You’ve risen from the dead

I want to die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave to me
The love that set me free

Copyright © MCMLXXVII, EMI April Music, Inc. ARR, UBP

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If you’re interested in downloading this album (or individual songs),  go to Gumroad ($9.00).  If you’d like to get a physical CD, go to our Products Page and order through PayPal.

Our family had a wonderful summer doing day trips to places like San Francisco and Carmel.  But, the summer went by way too fast.  We’re already well into the fall and the days of sleeping in to 8:00am every day are long gone.

Brandon and Austin are full-on doing Animation and Illustration at San Jose State University.  The middle picture above was taken from our back yard during a sunset a few weeks ago (this photo is unedited).  I’m so grateful to have a home in Mount Hermon!

Personally, I am thriving.  There are three guys that regularly pray with me and hold me accountable to stay close to Christ and make sure first things are first.  Even though life is very busy, I’m doing what I enjoy and I’m staying disciplined to daily include those things that keep me on track and “sharpen the saw”  (daily Bible reading, daily exercise, eating right, time with family, and reading specific books and magazines).  I’m in the gospel of Luke right now being reminded of Jesus’ power and wisdom.  I just saw Gravity with my boys this weekend and enjoyed time with them.  Sherri and I have been working inside and outside this weekend taking care of things around the house.  Sherri empowers us boys in so many ways.  I have a song on my new album coming out soon called, Sherri, My Love. which sings how thankful I am of her, as one line says, “Through all these years, we’ve had so much fun…,” so true.

Thank you for your prayers and encouraging notes here and there.  Life is not always as smooth as we’d like it.  This last year has been a tremendous challenge for us financially.  But, God is sustaining us.  As I pray for students and teachers at school, my private guitar students, family, Heartfelt Music board members, those I meet at events, and special people God brings to mind, I would love to pray for you as well.  If you need that little extra prayer, let me know.

People Matter!

People are what God cares about most (John 3:16).  Even though the schedule seems a bit hectic sometimes, valuing people the way God does makes it all worthwhile. Autumn is here and the pace has really picked up for me.  Waking up at 5:00am is something I may never get used to, but Valley Christian School is a tremendous ministry experience where I daily see God moving.  I have 20 private students in San Jose, Los Altos, and Mount Hermon which I look forward to mentoring each week.  I continue to lead worship at various churches and provide concerts and workshops throughout the Bay Area.  Let me know if you’d like me to come to your church.  For more information, go to the Heartfelt Music website.

My most recent album called Instrumental Guitar Volume 1 is available on iTunes, our product page, as well as other venues (like Rhapsody).  The stories behind the songs are on the Heartfelt Music Blog.

Heartfelt Music Ministry has been carrying a financial burden for a few years now primarily because of the Christian Guitar & Bass Conferences we held for 15 years.  We really can’t do some of the projects and conferences because of this burden and much of the time I spend is donated time.  We have been faithful to pay toward this burden each month and will have it completely paid off in 18 months.  For now we are greatly limited because of it.  The next eNewsletter will include an opportunity for you to help.  Thank you for your prayers!

New Here and Now Album

I’m still progressing on a new album called Here and Now.  Three songs can be viewed on my You Tube Channel (Similar versions that are on the album): Worthy & So Wonderful, You Are My God, and Here and Now. I’m writing a new song called Calm Down which is replacing the song He’s Alive.  The songs are developing very nicely. Six of them are completed, but I need to put the finishing touches on the other four.  I’m not sure when this new album will be released because of current financial limitations. All of the recording has been done on the Roland VS-1680 shown above.

Music Training at VCS

Ministry at Valley Christian Schools is thriving!  In the High School, I’m teaching two worship bands, a music technology course, a beginning guitar and bass course, and private guitar lessons.  In Junior High, I’m leading the worship band and teaching private guitar lessons.  In the Elementary school, I just began an after-school course for beginning guitarists called Guitar For Fun (As you can see in the picture above).  Mentoring and empowering these students to serve God through music is a passion of mine that is so fulfilling.

Music in the Mountains

Last Saturday, I did a concert for the community off of Summit Road in the Los Gatos mountains.  The view was beautiful as we had a BBQ dinner before I sang.  Many of the people had lost their homes in the fire a few years back and still are struggling to get back to normal.  I shared about God’s deep love for them and how I’ve experienced Jesus through a number of tough situations.  It was an encouraging evening as 30 of us were packed into the living room.

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