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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Contribute financially. This project will require a considerable amount of money, and I have given all I have. It will require even more.
- 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
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John Albert Thomas began composing original, melody-based piano works when he was 12 years old. His compositions have the simplicity and thinly-layered delicacy of Mozart, combined with a contemporary sound reminiscent of Enya, George Winston, and Jim Brickman. In 1995, John graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, with a bachelors degree in Music Theory and Composition. Upon graduation he moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he now lives with his wife, Rebecca, and their four children. John has released several solo piano albums, and continues his work on future projects. 
Oh, John, this made me cry. I have been away for a few days, so I just read it today (Oct. 5). Today “just happens” to be the one year anniversary of the loss of our fifth child. I miscarried at almost 12 weeks, and I still miss that little one so much.
I will surely be praying for you, and if you have a button, or widget, or anything that I could post on my blog please let me know.
Blessings,
Sue
Thank you for sharing your story, Sue. I did not know about your miscarriage, and I grieve with you.
The best way to share the new album is to go to http://johnalbertthomas.bandcamp.com and click the Share button. It will give you lots of options for embedding on your blog.
Thank you, Sue.
John