chelan rene’ russ

on ministry, motherhood, marriage, music, munchies…

Archive for the category “Original Songs”

02 Jul 2009

Psalm for Today (You’re Here) ~ a song I wrote for a friend dealing with betrayal

Psalm for Today (You’re Here)


I could have sworn you were right by my side
Prayers uninhibited; I had nothing to hide
Then all this went down
And I looked around,
Nowhere to be found was your presence,
All I need is your presence
.
This all began with the one I knew best
Damn disappointment put me straight to the test
Now it’s from all sides
Friends are droppin’ like flies
C’mon, hear my cries for your presence
All I need is your presence!
Pre-chorus:
And I will have all of the strength that I need
To take back what my enemy’s taken from me
Chorus:
(Cause) You’re here; You’ve been here all along
I trust you’ll restore everything that’s gone wrong
You’re here. You’ve been here all along
That’s why I’m gon’ keep on singing my song
Sing the following w/same tempo, but in half-time & acoustic:
Pre-Chorus
Chorus x2
“Singin’ my song” x3
Posted in My Music, with a dash of Poetry, Original Songs and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
17 Apr 2009

Forget Not – a song about peace and acceptance from God, our Father

Forget Not

by, Chelan Rene’ Russ

4 / ‘07

Intro:

God’s love is a love that, if seen & felt & experienced, we have no other option but to reciprocate. No other choice but to surrender. And when life hits us hard, we must choose to think about every thing, big & small, he has done for us. And every promise in his Word- for if we’re His children, we can stand on those unwavering promises.

As I write this, the image of trust that comes to my mind is when you put all of your body weight on someone else. When I was dating my husband & we were both 20, we were walking in a field of yellow, waist- high grass. He suggested this game we play, where he stood behind me and told me when to fall backwards. He’d have to distance himself right, and I’d have to trust that I’d fall perfectly into his strong arms. Well, I trusted him, & to this day I don’t remember what went wrong, but one thing i do recall clearly, is that fear-drenched second when I realized he stood too far back…& then ~ s m a c k ~ my butt cleared the grass & landed on some deceitfully hard ground. He felt pretty bad for bruising my tail bone. But that’s typical of what can happen when we trust man, or ourselves. When disappointment hits, the only sure thing we have is God’s love.

Inspirations:

Is. 62:4 ~ Your new name will be “the City of God’s Delight” and the Bride of God, for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his own.

Zephania 3:17 ~ The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Psalm 103:2-5 ~ Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

~~~

I will forget not all of thy benefits

I will forget not all of thy benefit

I will forget not just how much you love me

I will forget not...how you delight in me

(Key change, building…)

I know you delight in me

(And I) hear you sing over me

(Abba Father)... you delight in me

I hear you sing over me (I’m your child)

I know you delight in me

I hear you sing over me

(Abba Father)... you delight in me

I hear you sing over me (I’m your child)

(Key change, building…)

Know that I delight in you, too

Receive my praises to your throne (x3)

Know that I delight in you

Rec’v my praises

::

(Repeat Verse 1 ... basic acoustic, slower)

How you delight in me

Optional adlib vamp:

You still delight in me; after all I’ve done

You still delight in me; in spite of my self image

You still delight in me; in spite of how others view me

You still delight in me; your love is proven over & over again

~~~

Posted in Original Songs and tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment
06 Mar 2009
2 Comments

“Jesus” – a song about seeing my reflection in Living Water

Jesus!

By, Chelan Rene’ Russ

10/2006

The way I lived last week, even last night

Has not been a reflection of you, Lord

The very things I claim are so important

I’ve put myself above and just ignored

::

Oh, let everything I do

Let everywhere I go

Let every word I say

Seek your glory and your fame

::

Jesus!

Jesus!

Jesus!

Oh the power in that name…

Jesus!

Jesus!

Jesus! (Repeat)

::

The power in my life is seeping out

I’m … finding myself so dry and thirsty

I don’t know what my purpose is; I doubt (but I believe)

The sun came up this morning with new mercies…

::

So let everything I do

Let everywhere I go

Let every word I say

Scream out your holy name…today!

Here’s my attempt to video this song; I think I tried it a few keys too high :) oh well!

Posted in Original Songs and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
20 Feb 2009
2 Comments

The Way You Are ~ a song for a princess

The Way You Are (Princess)

By, Chelan Rene’ Russ

2/ ‘09

Dream, little one, of castles and kingdoms

Of sparkling crowns and colorful gowns

You’ll get on your horse and ride on the hills

You’ll follow a stream, and drift into sleep

Princess, you’re a princess

Splendor & grace (how they)

Dance in your face

Princess, you’re a princess

Near or far (you are)

Loved just the way…

You are

Your Daddy, the King will see just how far

You’ve wandered away to ponder and play

With servants and prayers, danger and love

He’ll rescue his daughter, right next to the water

(Chorus)

Loved just the way you are loved just the way you are loved just the way you are…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inspirations:

“Captivating” by, John and Stasi Eldridge

Luke 15:22-24 ~ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

Jeremiah 50:6 ~ “My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.

Jeremiah 31:3-4 ~ Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel…”

Posted in About Chelan {or Ricky}, Original Songs and tagged , , , , , ,
17 Feb 2009

Lost and Found – a song I wrote about fulfillment & intimacy

Lost & Found

By, Chelan Rene’ Russ

2005 – Chords uncertain

You formed me from the depths; You made me your own

My range of thoughts are listened to; so I might as well expose

My deepest fears (that) I’ve held on too tightly for (all these) years

I choose to surrender & be…

Lost in the fullness of you

In the mountains of your grace (You are…)

Found in the emptiness of me (yeah)

Intimacy, Intimacy

With surroundings unfamiliar, I feel unknown

Tryin’ to make myself important; a vice to which I’m prone

Help me – to see – my value lies in nothing that I do,

But in Whom I belong to! I am…

(Chorus 2): Lost in the fullness of you

In the ocean of your love (where you are…)

Found in the emptiness of me (yeah)

Intimacy, (true) Intimacy (is when I’m…)

Chorus 1: Lost in the fullness of you

In the mountains of your grace (you’re finally)

Found in the emptiness of me (of me)

Intimacy, Intimacy

(Softer): Found in the emptiness

Of a broken vessel,

broken pride (linger on this note)

Intimacy, Intimacy

Intimacy, Intimacy

Slower: Intimacy (Lord) See into me

Intro:

I wrote this song in reflection upon the previous year & how I’d become so self-absorbed, self-focused. After being a part of one church since age two, & a pastor’s kid at that, I moved to Southern OR. After 9 months of searching & praying, we found a great new church home & I thought I should join their worship team to make myself useful.

After reading a book, The Heart of the Artist, I can see now how I very slowly began receiving my self-worth from singing – in how many mistakes I made while on stage, or how many compliments I received later that day.

But if I take Him at His Word, I’m his child, worth everything to Him; I could be deaf, mute, blind, & brain-dead and not be loved any less than as I am right now…or as I have been in my past – right in the middle of sin. He gives his love & grace to us simply because we’re his kids.

Inspirations:

* Psalm 139:13-14, 23-24 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it!

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

* Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NLV) In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

* Matthew 16:24-26 (The Message) Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself?

* Table Rock Fellowship – Medford, OR

Posted in Original Songs and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
17 Feb 2009
1 Comment

Cover Me – a song I wrote; a plea to God for protection

Cover Me

By, Chelan Rene’ Russ

‘05

Cover me, with your loving-kindness; pull a blanket of mercy

Up and around my neck

Tuck me in cause I’m all tuckered out from the tops of my shoulders

Down to the tips of my toes

::

Run your fingers through my hair, number them for me again

Make me forget every worry and care, take my hand, lift…my…chin, and

Remind me, I am the apple of your eye and you smile when I smile

And you cry when I cry

Hide me under the shadow of your wings for I’m giving up trying

To shelter myself

::

Repeat vs.1 & 2

Oh, please hide me under the shadow of your wings!! For I’ve given up trying

To shelter myself

::

Then A Capella:

Yes, I’ve given up trying to shelter myself

Intro:

A great memory I have from when I was a little girl was getting into bed and waiting for my dad to tuck me in. He’d make me laugh, and then he’d tuck the covers in all around my whole body – & then leave me there, mummified! I don’t know why, but I loved it.

Somewhere between then & now I’ve built emotional walls to protect myself. I just realized that by doing that, I’ve shifted my trust from Jesus to me. It’s left me unsure in relationships, especially when they start to get deep – like I could fall through a thin layer of ice & drown at any moment. One thing I’ve learned is that when this happens, I can realign my trust – straighten it out. There must be a dozen requests of God in this song!

Never be afraid to ask…just as David did in Psalm 17:7…for that kind of security again from your Heavenly Father.

Inspirations:

* Ps. 17:7,8

Show your marvelous loving-kindness by your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings.

* “…he is unstable in all his ways”

* Bruce Bebb, a.k.a. “Pops”


Posted in My Music, with a dash of Poetry, Original Songs and tagged , , , , , ,

Post Navigation

Newer Entries →
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.