Blessed Assurance

1. Here's Blessed Assurance. It is, maybe, my favorite hymn of all time. Definitely my favorite Fanny Crosby hymn. You will be happy to hear that I finally got my piano tuned! It had gotten to the point where everything was beginning to sound like honky-tonk pi-aner instead of piano. I mean, I love ragtime, dixie-land, 1920's whorehouse music just as much as the next guy, but when you're trying to play an altar call song in that style, it just doesn't jive! You know?

Watch it here.

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2. There was a bird poop on the window so I covered it up with the cool Harry Connick Jr. poster we got a few weeks ago at his amazing concert at the Ryman.

Not Fanny Friday

Fanny Friday will be back next week. Here's Dramatic Chipmunk.

Take the World but Give Me Jesus

This is the first Fanny Crosby hymn I have come to in the Celebration Hymnal that I was not familiar with. I like it! How bout that?

Watch it here.

1. Take the world, but give me Jesus,
   All its joys are but a name;
   But His love abideth ever,
   Through eternal years the same.
   • Refrain:
     Oh, the height and depth of mercy!
     Oh, the length and breadth of love!
     Oh, the fullness of redemption,
     Pledge of endless life above!
2. Take the world, but give me Jesus,
   Sweetest comfort of my soul;
   With my Savior watching o’er me,
   I can sing though billows roll.
3. Take the world, but give me Jesus,
   Let me view His constant smile;
   Then throughout my pilgrim journey
   Light will cheer me all the while.
4. Take the world, but give me Jesus;
   In His cross my trust shall be,
   Till, with clearer, brighter vision,
   Face to face my Lord I see.

Texas, Travel, and the Truth

I love to travel! We have been in Texas for the past few days, first for a horse show in San Antonio, then visiting family in Austin.

The Gray Moss Inn in San Antonio was superb. The fresh mushroom appetizer was amazing, then Wahoo (fish) flown in from Hawaii... oh my. Maybe the most perfect piece of fish ever, with grilled asparagus. We we're in the company of our dear friend, Mark Farrar. I feel so lucky to get to work with people I love.

We also got to spend time with our good buddy, Casey McBride, photographer. This guy travels across the country shooting beautiful photos of horses with his wife, daughter and black lab for a living. I am always inspired by people who have found a way to live their lives in an unconventional way.

To say that I've been staying with folks who are living outside of the box seems inadequate when it comes to Holly and Jeremy Shore, Amanda's cousins. These people make the unattainable look easy. When the layers come back, and you see the foundations of basic Christian principles behind the lives of this photo perfect, yet very real family, it makes me feel so encouraged. The super hip city of Austin doesn't hurt either.

Here's my point. If you want to live outside of the box, get out of your house. Get a little uncomfortable. Open your home to others. Share what you know, and learn from people who know more than you!

I read in the Bible just now about a woman named Lydia who listened to Paul's teaching and opened her home to him. It only said a few things about her, but all of them made me like her. She sold expensive purple cloth, she believed the good news, and she kept on urging Paul and Silas to stay at her house until they did. She wore them down with her kindness, and showed them hospitality in her beautiful home. I think it is safe to say that someone who sold pretty cloth would at least have some nice drapes.

I want to be like that. She shared her home with some strangers; and see what it got her? Her name is remembered for all time in the holiest book of all.

She was not afraid to associate with people who were a little outside of the box. These guys were going around teaching something that was stirring everything up. They were put in jail for it! But Lydia heard the truth, and apparently didn't care what anybody thought. She believed! And I do too.

That's the yellow rose of Texas in the photo.

I Am Thine Oh Lord

Fanny Friday is here! This really is one of my all time favorite hymns.
I hope you'll be singing this one all week. Watch me play and sing it here.


I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice,
and it told thy love to me;
but I long to rise in the arms of faith
and be closer drawn to thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to the cross where thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to thy precious, bleeding side.

Consecrate me now to thy service, Lord,
by the power of grace divine;
let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
and my will be lost in thine.


O the pure delight of a single hour
that before thy throne I spend,
when I kneel in prayer, and with thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!


There are depths of love that I cannot know
till I cross the narrow sea;
there are heights of joy that I may not reach
till I rest in peace with thee.

Change is a-Coming

In the next few weeks, in an effort to streamline my blog with my home website, this blog will get a new address: stacybeam.com. From there you can listen to my music, see photos, videos, and continue to read all about what is going on with us. You will also get to download free music, and buy cool stuff from the store!

Just a heads up to all of you who read my blog, because if you are like me, sometimes things get lost in the busy-ness of life!

If you are interested, there are some new posts there that you might want to check out.

I always appreciate your feedback, and I hope you will continue to share my journey.