John Albert Thomas Solo Piano

Letter From A Burning Heart

My dear friends,

I have been putting off this letter mostly because of pride. However, after spending this past weekend with godly friends seeking God’s face together, seeking wise counsel, praying and listening, I have come to believe that it is time to share what is on my heart and trust God with the rest.

Since childhood I have known two callings from God that have remained till this day: composer and pastor. Not a pastor in the traditional sense of leading a local congregation, but as a pastor through music, inspirational writing, and speaking. I trust my newsletters have been a glimpse of this. My piano music is becoming less about John’s dreams and more about the heart of the Father. It is my response to His calling to inspire and encourage with creativity, to call all men and women back to that which should be sacred, holy and pure. It is in fact a call to worship, not in our formulaic rituals, but in every ounce of our created, creative beings.

For instance, my next piano project will require my full attention over the next year as I work with ten families who have lost a baby, unborn or newly born. The world sometimes thinks of these little ones as insignificant, but it only takes a few seconds listening to their mothers to know just how valuable they are. And when we search the Scriptures we find that their value lies not in the opinions of man, but in the image of God that they carry. They are our equals, handcrafted by their Creator, even if His plan for their lives was much different than our own.

I will be composing ten piano works, orchestrating them, performing and recording them for these families. The end product will be a CD that will minister to these and countless families around the world struggling with the loss of their baby. Photographers working with the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS) organization will be able to use this music freely with their photo slideshows to give families like these something by which to remember their little ones.

God has called me to do this and I am obeying. I need your prayers and support during the coming year. It has been and will continue to be gut-wrenching, but it is worth entering the pain of these families. I can’t begin to tell you what this means to them. My heart is broken for them, but God is reshaping it to become more like His own.

My dear friends, if you believe in what I am doing, I ask for your support. Here are some ways you can help:

1. Pray for me as I compose, perform, record, orchestrate, mix, master, manufacture, and market this project. Pray for me. Pray for my family. Pray for these ten families. Pray that God would use this project to call all people back to a deeper sense of the sacred.
2. Buy my new solo piano CD, Zuzu’s Petals, for your Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers. My kids sleep to it every night, and Becky loves to cook and read with it. I’m sure you’ll find other ways for it to minister to you and your family.
3. Join my “street team”. Let me send to you 6 of my new Zuzu’s Petals CD that you can sell to family and friends as Christmas presents/stocking stuffers for $15 each. Then send me the money.
4. Contribute financially. This project will require a considerable amount of money, and I have given all I have. It will require even more.
5. Introduce me and my music to others who would care about this project.

Please let me know if you are interested in helping in any of these ways. I look forward to keeping you posted on my progress and letting you hear the finished project.

I am so grateful to have friends like you. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Your servant in Christ,
John Albert Thomas

Zuzu’s Petals Listening Room

FINALLY! You can now listen to ALL 11 tracks from Zuzu’s Petals in their entirety here, or go directly to http://johnalbertthomas.bandcamp.com to see all tracks at once. (Be sure to check out the cool flower visualization. It grows with the music!)

TRACKS:
1. Zuzu’s Petals
2. Be Still And Know
3. In The Shadow Of Your Wing
4. February Fall
5. Dancing With Fireflies
6. Lullaby For Hope
7. Blessed
8. Waltz Of The Wildflowers
9. Glass Slipper
10. The King’s Daughter
11. The Prince On The White Horse

Please note that you now have the ability to name your own price for the music on this CD. Just click Download and you can enter the amount you feel is appropriate. Thank you for your support!

The Cure For Fear

“Where no hope is left, is left no fear.” ~ John Milton

Fear can be good or bad. Fearing a 4,000 foot drop to the canyon floor without a parachute is good.  But what about the bad kind?  I’m talking about that slothful parasite that latches onto your mind and starts draining the life from your heart and even your faith.

In Psalm 56:11, after King David of Israel was seized by Philistines in Gath, he wrote, “In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”  I don’t know about you, but I would be a bit hopeless and fearful if I was carted off by a foreign enemy.  Why is David so fearless?  He says that trusting God eliminated his fear.

In 1 John 4:18, the apostle says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”  Why is John without fear?  He says that living in God’s loving presence purges fear.

Cure for fear: Trust God and live in His love.

So, what are you afraid of?  Losing your job, your house, your car, your family, or even your life?  Does it cripple you? Does it keep you from living or loving as God intended?  If so, turn your eyes off the object of your fear for a moment and ask yourself, “Do I really trust God?  Do I really know the depth of His love for me?”

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments!