Touch the Feet

Touch the Feet is an album as well as a book, birthed from the relationships and experiences I've had in India over the years.

The album creates the atmosphere for the story of my personal journey to India. It is the stage for the book.

The songs come from my heart and have the fragrance of both east and west, for that is who I am; a person touched by two worlds..

Read more about the individual tracks in the album.

Holy Spirit is a plea to God for inspiration and talent to write songs. Although I believe that the Holy Spirit inspires my songs, some people may not agree. That's okay. I can happily say that it is my relationship to God which inspires the songs. Some songs have spiritual depth to them. Songs that lack that Holy Spirit power are eventually left behind and forgotten. Thus, "It seems that I will never write a song again, for your Spirit comes upon me, I know not when. Your power overwhelms me, humbles me within, I pray, O God, put a new song on my lips again."

Just So Close was written after a close friend died. She loved me like a mother and took the chance to do so after my own mother died. She was always very caring and sacrificial in her love not only towards me, but also towards my sisters and family. I had not met her for a few years, but one day I awoke feeling an uneasy urgency. I thought perhaps there was some emergency in my family, so I phoned my father. He assured me that he was fine, but this woman, who had loved me, had passed away. Death can bring feelings of regret... things unsaid, acts not done, hugs still wanting. And the question of heaven and hell has to be left in God's hands. Death always gives us something to think about.

All I Want is from Phillipians chapter 3, verses 10-14. It was Easter, and we were living at our children's home in rural India. I wanted to write a special song about the sacrifice of Christ for Easter Sunday, so I quickly grabbed a pen and paper and wrote the song. I went to the house of my friend and coworker, Sushila, and told her that I wanted her to dance to the song I had written. She was shocked. She loved dancing but had not thought of doing it in front of an audience. After she listened to the song she agreed to dance and she did it well. Because I had written the song on a scrap of paper, it disappeared. A few years later, Sushila asked me to sing that song for her again... I had nearly forgotten it! After a search, the song was resurrected and became a favorite.

Veil My Eyes is a prayer. I am humbled and awed by God's Presence and His Holy Spirit power in our lives. The truth of how much God loves us is overwhelming and more than we can understand. The full revelation of God's love for us, the whole truth, would probably kill us. No doubt we'd faint or die in the full knowledge of God's love. "Lord, veil my eyes to your holiness, for I'm bound to your love, mysteriously."

Rend Your Heart was an inspiration after reading the book of Joel in the Old Testament. It is the portrait of a holy God, the Creator and final Judge who hates sin and hypocritical displays of righteousness. Picture the wholeness of God's love in relationship to us, His world, and the revelation of Jesus Christ; "Rend your heart and not your clothes...".

Jesus Said is very close to my heart. It is birthed from the experiences that many years of my life were given for; to serve the homeless children of India. Sacrifice is never easy, otherwise, it is not sacrifice. Jesus was our ultimate example; his teaching on love and family is very clear. We are to be family to each other and we are to love our neighbour as ourselves. Jesus did not even recognize his mother when she pressed in for his attention, but stated that those who do the will of God are His father and His mother. In the same way, God gives us the privilege of being adopted into His family and expects us to do the same. If we are obedient, there are no orphans, children are orphaned only when they are taken from relationship. The right to relationship is meant for us to distribute freely; love.

Touch the Feet, the theme song of the album, springs from my experience of touching many dirty, dusty little feet and hands while working at an orphanage in village India in 1974. It was through these little feet that I was introduced to the person I really was. I was shocked and saddened, for in the mirror I saw a great lack of love, much pride and selfishness. These qualities begin to shine clearly while living with the poor, who give and give, and generously give more. I saw myself in a mirror that normally stays hidden, but the day I had the courage to look into that mirror was the day I came out of my comfort zone. It was through these poverty stricken lives that God confronted me with truth. It was life changing and it was humbling. But humility can have good outcomes, and my life was transformed by God.

I Release You was a prophetic word spoken to me in prayer. The word is simple: God releases us, we are not bound, we have freedom to believe, to hope and to dream the impossible. His will is to grant the desires of our hearts. In the same way, we are to release others to do what God has created them for. My oldest daughter was graduating from high school and she had ambitions. I remember her walking into my bedroom, clasping her hands in delight while sighing deeply, "Now I can do anything... I can give my life for Christ!" May that be our aim for not only ourselves, but for all.

Enter In was stolen. That is, I heard this phrase in another song, and was very struck by it. I began to meditate on it's meaning. It is an invitation. Christ invites us to enter into his presence. He calls us into fellowship with Himself and wants us to partake in His suffering, while at the same time, He calls us to partake in fullness of joy and shows us the way to enter heaven. Everything He does is a challenge for us is to "enter in."

Thanks, Dad is about God and also about my own dad. I see in them many of the same qualities. I'm thankful that my own Father could display so many of the attributes of my heavenly Father, for I realize that not all fathers do this. Growing up, I was the wayward child who caused my Dad heartaches. As a teen, I fought with my heavenly Father and openly disowned Him. Both Fathers remained sacrificial in their commitment of love towards me. I am thankful for their faithfulness.

Satisfied is a song I'm very partial to. It expresses what I feel about my relationship with God. Satisfaction. One morning while in the village, I woke early to have some quiet moments. I walked out onto the fields where a mist floated just above it like a white blanket. Only the sounds of morning entered its peace; a bird wakening, a cricket chirping, the sounds of water flowing. It was the place of God. It was the burning bush and I had the sense of needing to take my shoes off lest it be holy ground. Alone in the wet grass, I was struck by the obvious; "In me I find the need for you..."

Keep Me as Your Child is dedicated to our ageless spirit. One morning as I woke, the aches and pains of getting older were very real. One does not like to talk about such things (or even admit them) but our bodies age whether we like it or not. The wonderful love of God allows us to live in His ageless Spirit. Not only can we remain childlike, but we are commanded to do so. We must become like a child to enter the kingdom of God. It is our Spirit that can live in this wonder and childlike belief in a God who is there for us on every occasion, as a friend, lover and Savior. Our simple faith in Him is what keeps us young and dreaming and when we reach ninety-eight, it keeps us from dying "old!".