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As a child I learned to play the piano
"by ear". My father was the pastor of a small
church and they didn't have a piano player. My mother led
the congregational singing without music. Daddy was
praying for the Lord to send a pianist.
My sister was ten years old and I was eleven. She and I
helped Mom clean the church every Saturday night to get
it ready for Sunday services. While they cleaned, I
"banged away on the piano" playing Nursery
Rhymes, such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb",
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", and taught
myself to play.
When Mom saw how easily I learned she
wanted me to practice Hymns. After several weeks of doing
this, my playing begin to sound like something we could
sing with.
One Saturday night Mom chose songs for Sunday and we
practiced them together. We didn't tell Daddy, because we
wanted to surprise him~ and surprise him we did! We
thought he would fall off his seat the next day when I
went to the piano to play for Mom to lead the singing. In
the years that followed I listened and watched others
play the piano. I learned new chords, and techniques.
Through practice I developed my own unique style.
A few years after I married my husband I
began writing gospel songs. I want to share some of the
songs, plus the events that inspired me to write them.
"LET US BE LIKE A BIRD FOR A
MOMENT PERCHED ON A FRAIL BRANCH WHEN HE SINGS; THOUGH HE
FEELS IT BEND, YET HE SINGS HIS SONG, KNOWING THAT HE HAS
WINGS."~Victor Hugo
Artwork by my nephew, Eddy Smith.
BECAUSE HE CARES
God sees the sparrow when it falls, He
hears our
cries each time we call. He knows each number of our
hair, and thus He proves how much He cares.
Because He cares, because He cares, I know He cares.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and lay your treasures
up above; all the things that you have need, He will
supply abundantly. Where your treasures are on earth
there your heart will be also; so look above, look above,
because He cares.
CHORUS
For He knows what we have need of, even now before we ask
Him. Consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap,
because He cares, because He cares, I know He cares. Copyright 1982 All rights reserved
I wroteBecause He Cares March 1979.
My husband was in Intensive Care in serious condition
recovering from blood clots that went to his lungs after
a heart valve replacement surgery.His heart valve was
replaced with a pig heart valve, because they are
similiar to human valves. It had been eight days since
his surgery and I had not been outside since going to the
hospital with him. Dad and Mom were with me, and Daddy
urged me to go outside and walk with him for fresh air
and exercise.
As we were walking around the hospital I
glanced to the ground and noticed a dead bird and stopped
to show it to my father. As I turned to walk away from
the bird, my heavenly Father assured me that if His
concern includes " the falling of a little
sparrow", and "keeping record of the number of
hairs we have on our head", then I had nothing to
fear. He knew the exact room where my husband was and He
knew what was needed to bring healing.
The next day I went home to rest and as I read the Bible
for encouragement, I was inspired to write the words and
melody to Because He Cares.
God did care~ my husband recovered and came home with me.
~A BIRD DOESN'T SING BECAUSE HE HAS AN
ANSWER...HE SINGS BECAUSE HE HAS A SONG.~ (unknown)
LORD I COME TO
THANK YOU
There have been some trials, tears and sorrows, and often
I've felt all alone. I've been weary from the battles,
but in God's presence I find fullness of joy.
I've been in the valley, upon the mountain, and sometimes
my strength has been gone. All my hopes and dreams were
shattered, but in God's presence, He restoreth my soul.
CHORUS
Lord, I come to thank You for what you've done for me:
for every time I call your name You hear my plea. And
when I whisper my fears, it's then I feel You so near, so
now I come to offer praises to You. Copyright 1982
I wrote
"Lord I Come To Thank You" June 1982 after
my husband successfully came through his second open
heart surgery. He had another heart valve that needed to
be replaced. This diseased heart valve was replaced with
a metal valve. With every beat of his heart it made an
audible ticking sound. Unlike his first heart valve
surgery, this one went smoothly with no complications and
he was able to leave the intensive Care Unit a day
earlier than the doctors had anticipated. He went to a
regular hospital room until he was released two weeks
later.
The night before my husband came home from the hospital I
sat down at the piano and wrote this song. My soul was
overwhelmed, because of the goodness of God and His
mercies toward us. Writing this song was one of my ways
of thanking Him.
WHO AMONG US HAS
NOT SOUGHT PEACE IN A SONG? ~Victor Hugo
MY GOD'S GOT
IT ALL IN CONTROL
If God could control the chains on Paul and Silas when
they were in Jail, then He controlled the firey flames
when the Hebrew boys would not bow to Baal. I know He
parted the water for Moses and for Joshua too. Surely He
controls everything, just for me and for you!
CHORUS
I know my God's got it all in control. I know God's got
it all in control! For He sits high upon His throne, He
reassures me that I'm one of His own. Oh, I know that my
God's got it all in control!
If God could control the rain for Elijah and the ravens
brought him food to eat. Then He controlled the loaves
and fish when the disciples ran out of meat. Jesus walked
upon the water with Peter right by His side, surely He
controls everything~ And I know He'll be my guide!
Copyright
1987, All rights reserved
I wrote "MY GOD'S GOT IT ALL IN CONTROL" August
1987. My husband was in the VA hospital in Nashville,
Tennessee undergoing tests for his third open heart
surgery. Tests showed that the two heart valves, that
previously had been replaced, were defective. The doctors
admitted him to the hospital one week before his surgery
to replace both of the valves. While more tests were
being performed, I drove home to get everything ready for
Sunday. (I am our church Secretary /Treasurer)
During the drive home I tried to think positive about
this surgery, but it was difficult. The memory of a
recent pacemaker surgery was still fresh in my mind. He
almost bled to death.
I was almost home when the Lord gave me "My God's
Got It All In Control." Through the words of the
song the Lord reminded me that what concerns me, concerns
Him! Knowing this helped prepare me mentally and
spiritually for the difficult double heart valve surgery
that was ahead.
"For He shall give His angels charge over thee to
keep thee in all thy ways." (Psalms 91:11)
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