Original Composition: Sleep In Heavenly Peace (Little Tiny Baby Toes)

Little tiny baby toes,
wrapped up tight in swaddling clothes.
Sparkling eyes and a face that glows,
sweetest breath this wide world knows.
One star twinkling, shining bright.
All is well in Bethlehem tonight.
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Little tiny sleepy head,
resting in His manger bed.
Then little baby reaches high,
meets a tear from Momma's eye.
Daddy squeezes Momma's hand,
all is well in this holy land.
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Wise men kneeling in the hay,
bearing gifts from far away.
And shepards with their little lambs,
come to touch the babies hands.
Cooing doves in the rafters high,
sleep in heavenly peace tonight.
Sleep in heavenly Peace.

Original Composition: As The Waters Cover The Sea

This is a song that I wrote with the words from Isaiah 11:6-9 and 2nd Nephi 30:12-15. Those verses have always intrigued me because of the imagery and also because the words of these scriptures sound like poetry. The vocalist is my daughter Sierra who recently returned home from the Norway Oslo Mission.




And then shall the wolf, dwell with the lamb;
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling,
together; and a little child shall lead them.

And the cow and the bear shall feed;
their young ones shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

And the suckling child will play on the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.

2nd Nephi 30:12-15

Original Poem: The Least Of These

With inspiration from

Psalms 107: 23 - 31

A ship arrived in port one day, through heavy seas, and gale. 

some say the safe return was due, to skills at helm and sail. 

They say the captain, brave and true, steered through the mountainous waves,

and kept them all from drowning deaths, and lonesome, watery graves. 

Three cheers they called, lets lift him high, and carry ‘im down the plank, 

and show him heart-felt gratitude, in honor of his rank. 

But the Captain waved their praises off, with head bowed to the ground, 

he asked if they would lend an ear, curious they gathered round. 

You see, my crew, it is quite true, I skipper you good men, 

but I do not control the waves, nor direct the savage wind. 

It’s He, the master mariner, who kept us from the grave, 

and held us in his hallowed hand, it’s He, ‘’mighty to save.’’     Alma 34:18 

And as your Captain, whom you hold, in highest of esteem, 

I must confess, amid redress, I’m not quite what I seem. 

You see, I am ashamed to say, for some time I’ve been lost, 

and drifted on the sea of life, alone, and tempest-tossed. 

But after all sad wanderings, I’m fi-nal-ly at ease,

because a mate showed me the way, I was His  “least of these.”    Mathew 25:40 

He cradled me in kindness and, shared with me His love, 

He guided me, o’er treacherous sea, and blessed me from above.  

And now my eyes are opened wide, and yes I see His light. 

No more to be a blinded guide, I look towards heavens height.     Mathew 15:14 

It wasn’t me who brought us through, but our Almighty Lord! 

So honor Him who lends us breath, it’s Him to look toward.       Mosiah 2:21 

.  .  .  .  .  .

So trust in Him, out on the deep, as you sail the briny breeze  .  .  .  .

and praise Him who’s “mighty to save” .  .  .  .  . and serve His  “least of these.” 

March 25, 2012  -  By J. Brad Chapman

Original Composition: A Gift From The Sea

This is a song that I wrote while living on Guam between 1989 and 1995.  I visited the Rock Islands in Palau while on a family vacation. We took a one day skiff excursion out through the Rock Islands and I was blown away at the sheer beauty. We also learned about the LEGEND OF THE EYE-LAYING CYCLE OF THE TURTLE while we were there and upon returning to Guam I wrote this song.

Original Poem: Of Wind And Waves

I see fear in their furrowed brow, their terror stricken eyes,
as they stare into the fierceness of the gale.
I see the tenseness of their hands, their strained and vice-like grip,
as they wildly clutch the safety of the rail.

The panic seizes all the crew, as the pouncing tiger waves,

leap with fury  across the drenched and heaving deck.

Tender thoughts of family sweeps with horror through their minds,

as they contemplate their doomed and foundering wreck.

With seas now sloshing around  their knees, they know that soon they'll sink,

the time is now or never to do or die.

But lo, look there, the sleeping Lord knows nothing of the storm,

but calmly slumbers even when death is nigh.

He’s jostled from a fitful sleep, and standing, stretching now,

He feels the awkward movement of the waves.

“Carest not that we parish?” is the question he is given,

as their eyes reveal their fear of watery graves.

So gazing out upon the deep, He slowly lifts His arm,

and rebukes the wind with gentle words, not shrill.

The men now all-aghast, as the winds start to subside,

with His meek and lowly words of .  .  .  . “Peace, Be Still."

Why are ye all so fearful? Why do ye have no faith?,

He questions as the winds lay down to calm.

“What manner-of-man is this?” they say, “that even-the-wind and sea,

obey this man who has no doubts or qualms.”

.  .  .  .

And now we look back on that day, that fierce, tempestuous storm.

when the Master did command the wind and waves.

But more than that, we’re sore amazed, He’d not just rescued us,

but with His blood  .  .  .  .  .  . our souls  .  .  .  .  .  He’s mightily saved!

Of Wind and Waves 

By J. Brad Chapman

November 2, 2014

There is a painting in the lobby of the Las Vegas Temple of the Savior calming the wind and waves. It is my favorite painting of that event. I wrote this poem with that painting in mind and tried to capture the feelings and thoughts from the faces and actions of the crewman.

Painting by Walter Rane

Original Composition: Like Unto This River

This is a song that I wrote using Father Lehi's  and Nephi's words in 1st Nephi in the Book of Mormon. The scriptures are 1 Nephi 2:9-10, 3:7, and 20:18. The photos are of my 4 favorite rivers: the Colorado, the Sa'Dan River in Sulawesi, Indonesia, the Ayung River in Bali, Indonesia, the Seneca River in upstate New York, and a handful of rivers on my mission to Japan. This song is dedicated to all of my grandchildren (who I love with all of my heart).

Original Poem: The Prudent Mariner

I wrote this poem on a small ship on the passage between Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Freeport on Grand Bahama Island. I was on a work assignment. The last few miles into the harbor were in shallow water and the channel was marked with buoys. Out of the channel it was very shallow. The perils of getting off-course were very apparent and the poem came to my mind. As I was writing the poem, I was also thinking about the 19 vessels that I had counted that had run aground as I was delivering a vessel from Florida to New York Harbor.

Original Composition: From Glassy To Ripple And Ripple To Wave

This is an original composition called,

 "From Glassy To Ripple And Ripple To Wave." 

The title of the piece comes from a line in my poem, 

"The Face Of The Sea."

Recently I finished reading MOBY DICK (for the second time), by Hermin Melville. 

I love it in the first paragraph where Ishmael says, 

"I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world." 

The composition is put to photos of my own travels 

to the "watery part of the world."

Original Poem: Stick To The Chart

This nautical poem came from a true life experience. I was captaining a 100 passenger high-speed ferry from Sitka, Alaska to Victoria, BC, where it would be loaded on a freighter for Miami, Florida. From Miami I would pilot it up the eastern seaboard to New York Harbor for a company called New York Waterway. In Queen Charlotte Sound we ran into heavy fog and the poem started to sprout when my crewman asked me, "can you see where you're going?".  I carefully made my way through the sound by keeping a close watch on the nautical chart and the radar. I would see where the channel buoy was on the chart and then find it on the radar screen. It was slow going and tedious but it got us safely through the fog. My trusty binoculars where vital in order to locate the next marker buoy and keep on the correct course. Remember that maps are called charts in the nautical world.

                                     

 Stick To The Chart

 By J. Brad Chapman

"Can you see where you're going?", he called to the bridge;

the fog was as thick as a curtain.

"Can't see a thing",  came the voice from the helm.

"I'll stick to the chart, that's for certain."

The chart gives directions to steer the ship true,

through dangerous shallows and gaps.

When sight is obscured, visibility gone,

we trust in the use of our maps.

Scriptures like maps , will show us the way,

through sheer rocky passes and storms.

They guide us safely through tempest and trial,

to where it is sheltered and warm.

Like the sure captain, do you stick to the chart,

when the course turns foggy and gray?

Or do you despair, when you cannot see,

and murmur and whine in dismay.

God grants us faith when we stick to the chart,

to weather the worst of the storms.

And He grants the spirit as we brace to the wind;

it comforts us, guides us, and warns.

So when sight's obstructed and you've drifting off-course,

and you can't see your way through the squall.

Look to the scriptures; the Charts of the Lord.

Be bold, show faith, and stand tall.

And if ever you ask, "which way do I go?",

when the course is obscured, dim and gray.

Grip tight to the chart, and sail out in the wind;

God's already charted the way!

Arrangement: But With Joy, Wend Your Way

This is my guitar arrangement of the hymn, "Come, Come, Ye Saints". 

As our daughter Sierra is returning from her mission in Norway this coming Thursday,(October 16, 2014) I dedicate this to her. Also to our son Bryan who returned from the Philippines on February 12, 2014.

It is performed on a Martin 000C (Nylon String) Guitar. 

I added photos of our family's missionary endeavors through the years in celebration of Sister Sierra's return!

♫ "How Deep The Fathers Love For Us" - Stuart Townend ♫

I think this is marvelous!

Original Composition: And I, God, Created Great Whales

Our family lived in Sitka, Alaska from 1995 to 2007. I have a USCG Captain's license and worked for a company that did Whale-watching and Wildlife viewing tours for the cruise-ship passengers. What a joy it was to be in the company of these gentle giants on a daily basis. The tour season in Alaska goes from mid May to the end of September.
I never captained a Whale-watching excursion without my camera.

The company had a guarantee that if you didn't see a whale, a bear, or a Sea Otter; then you got your money back. In the 12 years I lived and worked in Sitka, Alaska, I never had to refund money.

I think it is quite magnificent that our Heavenly Father makes specific mention about His creation of the "Great Whales".

Genesis    1:21      And God created great whales,

Moses      2:21     And I, God, created great whales,

Abraham  4:21     And the Gods prepared the waters that they might

                           bring forth great whales,

Original Poem: The Face of the Sea

During the October 1998 General Conference, President Hinckley gave a talk during the Priesthood Session where he said, "there is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed". In November of 2008, 10 years later, I penned this poem as the recession started to take its toll. Being a writer of nautical poetry, his words about stormy weather often echoed around in my head.



The Face of the Sea 

J. Brad Chapman 

As I stand at the helm and gaze out on the calm, 

there’s something intriguing to me. 

That the subtlest breeze blowing over the deep, 

can change the kind face of the sea. 

From glassy to ripple and ripple to wave, 

the movement of air is so slight. 

But little by little the breeze gathers strength, 

till breakers reach dangerous heights. 

Many a seaman have awoke to the dawn 

of a beautiful, calm, cloudless day. 

Only to find as they bask in the sun, 

a storm building right in their way. 

They’d let down their guard as the sea state was mild, 

they’d forgotten how harsh it could be. 

And now with tempestuous winds gaining strength, 

they’d meet the wroth face of the sea. 

With sail unreefed and hatch unsecured, 

preparations undone or in haste. 

The sea doesn’t wait for convenience or ease, 

and they’re caught in the storm’s fierce embrace. 

The trials of life are like strengthening storms; 

we don’t notice the threat till too late. 

‘Cause we sail content on the calm seas of life, 

and we sit back and seal our fate. 

And so with the thunderous waves pounding in, 

we forget in the midst of our strife, 

that the tempest began with just one gentle breeze, 

and we learn a great lesson of life -  

We learn that a lifestyle of comfort and ease 

makes us soft and complacent and weak. 

We need that brisk wind blowing stiff in our face 

to keep us alive at our peak. 

So greet the wild gale and square up to the wind, 

prepare for the storms that may be. 

From glassy to ripple and ripple to wave, 

respect the kind face of the sea. 

Arrangement: Adam-ondi-Ahman

"The Earth Was Once A Garden Place  .  .  .  .  ."

Arrangement: Ere You Left The Ranch This Morning

Original Poem: The Beauty of the Earth, The Grandeur of the Sea

From early in my life, I have been moved by nature. As members of The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we know that He "created all to bear record of me". This blog was created as an outlet to celebrate the grand creation of this earth and its many wonders and beauties. It is intended that this blog will be a place where lovers of nature and lovers of the gospel will go on quiet, peaceful Sundays to renew the wonder and awe of this beautiful world, and the grandeur of the sea. I will celebrate the beauties of nature through photography, music, and poetry.

The title of this blog comes from a reference that Elder Maxwell used to make from time to time about, "seeing through the lens of the gospel".

J. Brad Chapman
August 30, 2014

The Beauty of the Earth, the Grandeur of the Sea

By J. Brad Chapman

(November 21, 2013)

I feel god in each grain of sand that’s sifted through my hand.

From lofty peak, His spirit speaks; in wonderment I scan.

From the smallest desert flower, its fragrant scent I smell,

to surging beach or tranquil reach, from each resplendent shell.

I see God in the northern lights; its dancing, swirling show,

I see God in the tropic depths; its phosphorescent glow.

I taste God in the goodness of a clear, high mountain spring,

I’m calmed by God’s beautiful song, as meadowlark, she sings.

I see God in the sunset with its vibrant, vivid hues.

I see God in horizons wide, their vast and splendid views.

I see God in the snow-white flakes that flutter from the sky,

and the thought of temple blessings bring tears to grateful eyes.

I feel God in each drop of rain that trickles down my face.

I think of living water and His matchless, infinite grace.

God’s purity and peace I see in alpine lakes so clear.

God’s strength I sense in craggy peaks; precipitous and shear.

In stormy seas the lighthouse glows, its sweeping beacon bright,

I see God in its steady beam, a constant guiding light.

I see God in the steadfast waves that break upon the sand,

and think of His unceasing care and ever-reaching hand.

I see God in the order of the sun, the stars, and moon,

I see God’s sure, creative hand in forest, marsh, and dune.

I see God’s love in furry chicks or newborn wobbly faun,

and I marvel at that tender love  .  .  .  .  .   which I rely upon.

I love the beauty of the earth, the grandeur of the sea,

and know the Lord created all, “to bear record of me.”

So with the gratitude I feel, my eyes with tears a-flood,

I’ll cherish the supernal gift of His atoning blood.

____________________________________________________


When we rejoice in beautiful scenery, great art, and great music,
 it is but the flexing of instincts acquired in another place and another time.
(Elder Maxwell, Ensign, May 1984, p. 21.)

___________________________________________________

The photo at the head of this post was taken at Toroweap on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. It is my favorite place on the Canyon and fills me with wonder and awe of the beauty and majesty of the earth.  From the cliff edge where I sit in the photo, it is 3000' down to the river. Lava Falls is visable in the photo; one of the largest rapids on the Colorado River. The photo was taken by my daughter Sierra Chapman.