“Following You” was released on hard copy CD on March 31st! It is also available on itunes if you search for Chris Chance!!! Please spread the word to everyone you know. Also, please leave a comment on my itunes site:)
- Be Sure to check out www.noisetrade.com/chrischance for my latest music! (Coming Soon)
Hey everyone, welcome to my blog! For those of you who don’t know me, I live in Marietta, GA and am currently a music teacher in the public school system. I am also the Children’s Pastor at a local church. My wife, Racheal, and I have two boys, which keep us busy and on our toes. I pray that you enjoy and are blessed by the songs on this CD. While some of them were written to bring my listeners into a place where they could simply enjoy fellowship with God; others were written from a very intimate place in my heart. Obviously, the “Barbie” song does neither, but I hope that you will just take it for the light, silly song that it is (we all just need to laugh sometimes). Please feel free to comment and post as you like. May God bless each of you and may He guide your steps, as you are “following Him”!
In Christ,
Chris
Romans 8:37-39
YOU
How many times have I claimed to be following Him, but really not trusting Him fully? Lord, help me trade in my dreams and passions for yours!
You, you take my breath away and give me words to say
Now I’m talking ‘bout You
You reached down in my life, turned my wrong to right
Now I’m following You
My heart was dark, my existence was cold
Spinnin’ round and round and round…Looking for You
I traveled every road, bearing every load
Cause I didn’t trust You
I lived in guilt and shame, even though I knew Your name
But I didn’t know You
This path brought me down to my knees
And grace flowed down like a morning breeze from You
Chorus:
Then You came and took my Hand, led me to a place to stand
Following the great “I Am”, now I’m following You
Cause You paid the price, with Your blood You saved my life
Now my heart is filled with light, that light is You
Lord, Shepherd, Savior Friend, Your mercy has no end
My hope is found in You
My hiding place, my love, my song
When I am weak, then I am strong in You
(Chorus)
I will sing to You, I exalt Your name
Jesus, You’re my King, All to You I bring (2x)
(Chorus 2x)
HIS PRINTS ARE IN THE SAND
I have always loved the “Footprints” poem and wanted to put those thoughts to music.
The other night I dreamed I was walking
Down a long and sandy beach
Jesus, my Lord was next to me
So I stayed within His reach
He said, “Son, do you know I love you?”
“I want to be your Lord, your Savior, your Friend”
The next words that He spoke to me
I will never forget
Chorus:
Well, I’ll walk with you and talk with you
I’ll take you through anything this world can bring
Come with me and take my hand
And we can walk together and you’ll see
That My prints are in the sand
As I looked back on the beach I saw
Some footprints in the sand
Sometimes one set, sometimes two
And I did not understand
I said, “Lord, I thought You loved me”
“So, why in the hardest times,
Is there only one set of footprints?”
He said, “Son, they’re not yours, they’re mine”
(Chorus)
Yeah, He carried me
Through the darkest times
Now, He’s calling out to you
He wants to save your life
He will walk with you, He will talk with you
Let Him walk with you, Let Him talk with you
Yes, He’ll walk with you and talk with you
He’ll take you through anything this world can bring
Go to Him and take His hand
And you can walk together and you’ll see
That His prints are in the sand
His prints are in the sand
His prints are in the sand
GUIDE ME (Psalm 5)
Don’t you love how scripture can set you in the right mood for your own personal worship time with God?
Give ear to me, O Lord
And consider my meditation
Harken unto the voice of my cry
For unto Thee will I pray
You are my King and my God
And my voice You shall hear in the morning
I will lift up my heart and lift up my eyes
So that You my guide me, O Lord
Guide me, Lead me
Help me to be still
Patiently, Waiting
Listening close for Your will
Lord, please give me Your will
Let me never forsake Your will
Help me always be in Your will
HAND IN HAND (Racheal’s Song)
Originally wrote this song with a video of our family through the years as a Valentine’s gift to my wife.
July, So long ago
You walked by, And what I was headed for I didn’t know
I looked into your eyes and saw you smile
As you walked away, I hadn’t felt so alive in a while
But before you turned to go, you said, “Give me a call sometime.”
And ‘til I saw you again, I couldn’t get you out of my mind
Chorus:
You had me walking on sunshine, dreaming of moonlight
And nights that we would spend
Planning for the future, looking for a place
For us to make our stand
Holding on, to each other
Hand in hand
Fast forward to a crowded room
All our friends and loved ones, and suddenly I was the groom
My head was spinning, as you walked down the aisle
I didn’t know if I could make it
Until again, you flashed that smile
Then in a moment we were raising a family of our own
The strength and grace you showed with each child
Is something I had never known
(Chorus)
As I talked with you this morning
And looked into those eyes
The years have only proved our love
I still melt when I see you smile…And I’m still
(Chorus 2x)
SAVE THE DAY
This song is very close to my heart, as it was written the week after learning that a former student of mine had taken his life. I really do think that God would want us to seek Him out in good times and bad. And I really don’t think He would be upset with us asking “where He is” in certain situations.
A dark and empty room, nobody else around
She wants to cry herself to sleep, but she’s afraid to make a sound
The place where she should feel at ease is now her deepest fear
She screams out in her head, but no one’s there to hear
Chorus 1:
So, where are you Jesus, in the midst of all her pain
Why don’t you just reach down and come to save the day
You said you’d be with her, but she’s so scared and all alone Please wrap Your arms around her with a peace she’s never known…never known
Miles and miles away, a boy has had enough
His so-called friends are always cruel, his family life is tough
His hero left the house one day, never to return
Ridiculed and mocked at school, his fragile heart is seared and burned
Chorus 2
So, where are you Jesus, in the midst of all his pain
Why don’t you just reach down and come to save the day
You said you’d be with him, but he’s so scared and all alone
Please wrap Your arms around him with a peace he’s never known…never known
This world can be so cruel, so many lives get torn to shreds
With broken hearts and broken wills, they think they might as well be dead
Abuse, disease and hatefulness, our children’s innocence in flames
Help us turn our eyes to You and call upon Your name
Chorus 3
So, where are you Jesus, in the midst of all our pain
Why don’t you just reach down and come to save the day
You said you’d be with us, but we’re so scared and all alone
Please wrap Your arms around us with a peace we’ve never known
We need You now, Jesus, so hear our cries and hear our prayers
Touch us with Your nail-pierced hands and keep us in Your care
I know we’ve been unfaithful, but we fall upon Your grace
There’s nothing else that we can do, please come and save the day
Save the day
Save the day
Save the day
TWO ROADS
Choices, choices, choices…So many times, we know what we should do, but ignore that “still, small voice”.
Left turn, right turn, which way do I go?
Will I make the right choice and how will I know?
You’ve given me everything I need and Your right by my side
But still I choose to sit on top of this fence that I ride
Is the straight and narrow path the road I walk everyday
Or do I tend to leave You, Lord and go my own way
Help my feet to show the prints that walk next to You
And when I start to struggle, God, please carry me through
Chorus:
Cause there’s no way we can ever stand
‘Til we take our foolish pride and lay it right in Your hand
Then we’ll rise up in the name of Your son
And go out to tell the world that You are the One…The One
Oh, no! Here I go again
Instead of standing on Your promises, I stumbled into sin
How can You show Your grace to someone like me
Who acts just like a prisoner, even though he’s been freed
Just like Paul and Silas, our chains have been released
But we find ourselves alone and scared and crying out for peace
Will we finally take these bonds and throw them on the floor
Then take a hold of Satan and just show him the door
(CHORUS)
Jesus is alive and He’s living in me
He wants to live with you, so repent and believe
GROWING
This song was written while doing a series on Spiritual Growth with the kids at my church…I think I may have gotten as much out of it as they did!
Step by step, I’m walking in circles
Am I going anywhere
My heart is pulled a thousand direction
Peeling me back layer by layer
But I know that Your grace is more than enough
It’s just that sometimes this life is so tough…
Chorus:
But I’m growing in God, climbing every mountain
With God, sailing every sea
With God, walking thru the valleys
‘Cause I know the love of God…is growing in me
I open up Your book looking for direction
To guide my steps and point the way
Your words of life speak soft and sweetly
I need to hear You day by day
‘Cause I know that Your grace is more than I need
I’ll pull aside and let You lead…Jesus, take the lead
(Chorus)
My heart is in Your hands, put Your words on my tongue
Show me the way, O Lord
It’s here I’ll make my stand, when all is said and done
As I bow and I kneel to Your Son
(Chorus 2x)
YOU ARE MINE
Romans 8:37-39 is one of my favorite passages…nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
There’s so many hearts that lie in pieces
Tell me when will there be a time
When crying and pain will cease to hold us
And I can find a peace that’s mine
But, oh—- There is a love that’s true,
He will never forsake you
And, here in his arms we’ll stay, forever
Chorus:
For neither life nor death nor heighth nor depth
Could take us from his hand
He holds the present, He holds the future
On this Rock I’ll stand
When my heart and soul are shaken
And I just can’t find my way
I’ll trust His voice, what does it say
“You are mine”
I’m here again in the dark and all alone now
Where all those voices fill my head
They’re telling me that my dreams have ended
But I’ll lean on what You said
‘Cause, oh, I’ve found a love that’s true
He will never forsake me
And here in His arms I’ll stay, forever
(Chorus)
When the storms blow, the rain comes
And my dreams are washed away
That’s when my Savior carries me
And His gentle voice will say
(Chorus 2x)
IT’S CHRISTMASTIME
Holidays aren’t happy for everyone, but with Christ, we can still find joy and peace in the midst of heartache.
Turn the page…another year
My friends and family have joy, they have cheer
But it’s not that way for me, no matter how many lights or trees
I still just cry myself to sleep tonight
Chorus:
So what, its Christmas time, my heart has lost its rhythm and rhyme
Don’t really need your packages and bows, don’t really care much if it snows
My soul is cryin’ for someone to be, the one who finally sets me free
From this loneliness inside…so what
It’s Christmas time
Today I had to make a stop to see a friend
His life was almost gone, his voice was thin
The cancer was too much, he gave his family one last touch
Before he closed his eyes and slipped away
(Chorus)
I stood there in silence with all his loved ones gathered round
His little girl not more than ten, came up to me without a sound
She slipped her precious hand in mine and tears filled up my eyes
The next words that she spoke would change my life…
Girls’ Chorus:
Please sir, it’s Christmastime, God will give you rhythm and rhyme
He doesn’t wrap it in packages and bows, He loves you so much and wants you to know
His Son is who you’re crying to be the one who finally sets you free
And brings you the joy…of Christmastime
Last Chorus:
So now, it’s Christmastime, my heart has found its rhythm and rhyme
Still don’t need your packages and bows and it doesn’t really matter if it snows
My soul is no longer crying you see, cause I know the One who set me free
From my loneliness inside…so now
It’s Christmastime!
BARBIE GOT PICKED UP (By a Dumptruck)
My boys came up with the main line of this song and got me to thinking, “What would happen if Barbie came down south and started seeing a good ole’ redneck?” This song is the answer!
I don’t know lately what’s happenin’ to me
I met this little girl and she was cute as can be
I didn’t know her name, but she was havin’ a ball
Pickin’ up everything she could find at the mall
Well, I got to her house and it looked like a dream
She had a big pink car, you know what I mean
I was afraid my ride was goin’ to stall
But then here came that beautiful doll
CHORUS:
Barbie got picked up, by a dump truck
At her house last Saturday night
She climbed right up with those high heels, she likes my big wheels
You know she was lookin’ so right
Well, my name ain’t Ken and I don’t live in Malibu
When I put that thing in gear and she didn’t know what to do
But Barbie got picked up, by a dump truck
At her house last Saturday night
With a spring in her step, she bopped down those stairs
Wearin’ the purtiest dress and that pony-tailed hair
I thought to myself, “I’m just a regular Joe.”
I like to drive real fast, but I talk kinda slow
We went to a show, then got some burgers and fries
But I was still frettin ‘bout her upper class guys
Then she changed my worry to bliss
When she pulled me in tight and gave me a kiss
(Chorus)
Now she’s wearin’ blue jeans and boots right up to her knees
She traded in all that fancy garb…for 4 on the floor…knobby tires…
And big redneck like me.
CHORUS 2:
And now Barbie gets picked up in my dump truck
Every single night
She got rid of those high heels for my big wheels
And some boots that are out of sight
Well my name ain’t Ken and I don’t live in Malibu
But when I put that thing in gear she yells….woo hoo!
So Barbie gets picked up in my dump truck
At her trailor every night
HOW MAJESTIC
Psalm 8…GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!!!
Chorus:
I’m gonna rise up like the morning sun
And lift your praise ’til night is done
I’m gonna sing and shout and glorify your name
‘Cause you saved me and raised me, the price has been paid
Lord, how majestic is your name, how majestic is your name
Verse:
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers
The moon and the stars you have set in place
Who am I Jesus, that you would even care for me
My life is just clay in your hands
Shape me as you will
(Chorus)
Bridge (3x’s)
Here we come to raise our hands, we lift them up to praise the Lamb
Shelter, Refuge and our Strength
Jehovah, you are God
(Chorus 2x)
