ONCE IN A LIFETIME – 1993

ONCE IN A LIFETIME – 1993

Produced by: Brian Tankersley & David Meece

Executive Producer: Darrell A. Harris

Recorded & Mixed by Brian Tankersley

Recorded at Skylab Studios, Shakin Studio & Allies Recording Studio, Nashville, TN

Mixed at Alpha Studios, Burbank, CA

Mastered by Hank Williams, Master Mix, Nashville, TN

Additional Engineering: Terry Bates

Second Engineers: Terry Bates, Barry Campbell, Greg Parker, Russell Burt

Acoustic piano & all other Keyboards: David Meece

Drums & Bass: Brian Tankersley

Additional Keyboards & Percussion on “Early in the Morning”: Paul Mills

Electric Guitars: Jerry McPherson, Dale Oliver, George Cocchini, Michael Hodge

Acoustic Guitar: Michael Hodge

Viola on “Going Home:” Deborah Meece

Backing Vocals: David Betros, Lisa Bevill, Kristina Clark, Renee Garcia, Carrie Hodge, Gary Koreiba, Guy Penrod, Chris Rodriquez, Judson Spence, Sarah Underwood, Chris Willis

Men’s chorus on “Going Home:” Morgan Cryar, John Mandeville, Hank Martin, Freddie Richardson

Guest vocal on “My Father’s Chair”: Kelly Meece

Lisa Bevill appears courtesy of Vireo Records

Carrie & Michael Hodge appear courtesy of Star Song Communications

Kelly Meece appears courtesy of David and Deborah Meece

Executive Art Director: Toni Thigpen

Creative Director: Joan Tankersley

Sleeve Art Direction by Steve Urbano

Sleeve Design, Logo Design and Photo Manipulation by SRG

Sleeve Photography by Valerie Gates

Grooming and Wardrobe Styling by Carter Bradley

SPECIAL THANKS:

To my co-producer, Brian Tankersley for your creativity, stamina and wit, thank you for believing in this project, for the integrity that you represent both musically and in your walk with God and for being a wonderful friend;

To Stan Moser, Darrell and Janet Harris, Jeff Moseley, Toni Thigpen, Brenda Boswell, Danny McGuffey and everyone at Star Song for your encouragement, leadership and the transparency of your hearts;

To Mike Hudson and Dwight Liles for helping me to synthesize my journey within the boundaries of lyric form;

To Joan Tankersley for your encouragement and creative eye;

To Nancy Polley for your understanding and the ability to keep your head when all those about you have lost theirs- you are truly a Godsend to our lives;

To Dave Harrell, Becky Land and my pastor, Richard White, for exemplifying what being a part of the body of Christ is all about;

To Don Cason and everyone at Word Publishing Group for continuing to believe in me;

To Wes Yoder and everyone at Ambassador, Inc., for concert scheduling and loving support;

To Randy Smith for your support and encouragement;

To Denny Jiosa at Skylab Studio. Most of all, thanks to my wife, Debbie, for your wisdom, love and unwavering support;

To our children, Christopher and Kelly; love is always there for you in YOUR father’s chair.

NOTE…..

Though I still grapple with the hurts of my past, having grown up in a dysfunctional family where alcohol and violence threatened to destroy me, I am learning to recognize God’s grace as it surfaces moment to moment is a precious gift from Him to live or to lose.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME has emerged from my struggle to tear down the protective walls around my heart and to risk a new kind of relationship with God. I now know Him to be more loving, more understanding and more forgiving than I ever imagined. My wife, Debbie and I have shared in this learning process and we have attempted to capture our feelings in an accompanying devotional book which is available with the album or obtained separately. It is entitled ONCE IN A LIFETIME just as the record and is my attempt to more deeply share insights into each song in a way that this project becomes more than adjust a recording. Our prayer is that a glimpse at our walk with God might help you as you cope with the issues in your life.

I dedicate this project and this once-in-a-lifetime moment to Larry Crabb, whose books and friendship have influenced me for several years. I deeply thank you, Larry, for giving me the extra measure of courage to take a careful look inside. Your honesty and transparency have helped me finally find out what it means to love God and to love others. God bless you.

David

INSIDE OUT (Once in a Lifetime)

Lyrics by David Meece and Dwight Liles
Music by David Meece
Copyright, 1993 Meece Music (admin by) Word Music and Ariose Music

Gotta open that door
Take a look inside
Change what’s in there
From the inside out
Inside out

Find the window of truth
Past the web of lies
And open it wide
From the inside out
Inside out

And let the winds
Of conviction
Blow through this
Hurting soul of mine

CHORUS

Search me Holy Spirit
Help me look inside
Tell me what You’re seeing
What I’m trying to hide
Holy Spirit
Send Your healing power
Search me Holy Spirit
Help me change from the inside out

Wanna know Your word
Wanna hear Your voice
Wanna heed your call
From the inside out

Gotta break these bars
Gotta build a bridge
I gotta climb that wall
From the inside out
Inside out

So cast Your vision upon me
And crush the chains that
Have bound my heart

CHORUS

Search me Holy Spirit
Help me look inside
Tell me what You’re seeing
What I’m trying to hide
Holy Spirit
Send Your healing power
Search me Holy Spirit
Help me change from the inside out

OVER YOU (Once in a Lifetime)

Words by David Meece & Michael Hudson
Music by David Meece
Copyright 1993 Meece Music (admin by) WORD Music & Ariose Music

Great wars have been fought
Great crusades of the “saved”
Have been launched over You
Their heretic searches and
Inquisitorial taunts over You
At least that’s what was said
By the ones who were
Dreaming of lifting their heads

CHORUS

Over You, over You
There is nothing
There’s no one
There’s no other Lord
Over You, over You
You’re the Great King
The One God
The Lord of us all
There is none
There is none
Over You

The skeptics laugh “Faith is past
God is dead, we’re at last over You
Our infatuations lost all fascination
We’re now over You”
But then, not all agree
You know, as for myself
Lord I never could be

Over You, over You
There is nothing
There’s no one
There’s no other Lord
Over You, over You
You’re the Great King
The One God
The Lord of us all
There is none
There is none
Over You

Under Your mercy
Dear Lord I will stay
Under Your sheltering
Hand I will pray
Under Your covering
Word I have learned how
To say

Over You, over You
There is nothing
There’s no one
There’s no other Lord
Over You, over You
You’re the Great King
The One God
The Lord of us all
There is none
There is none
Over You

BROKENNESS (Once in a Lifetime)

Words by David Meece, Michael Hudson, Dwight Liles & Niles Borop

Music by David Meece

In my brokenness
In my hour of darkness
I will lift my hands
And worship You
In my brokenness
In my time of sadness
I will lift my voice
And praise to You

Time stands still
As I kneel down before You
Life draws near
Like waves upon the shore
You touch me

In my brokenness
In these whispering shadows
I will lift the pieces
Of my heart to You

Time stands still
As I kneel down before You
Life is here
Your waves of power
And glory touch me

In my brokenness
In my hour of darkness
I will lift my hands
And worship You

I will lift my hands
And worship You

EVERY LITTLE STEP (Once in a Lifetime)

Words by David Meece, Dwight Liles & Deborah Meece
Music by David Meece
Copyright 1993 Meece Music (admin)WORD Music & Ariose Music

Lord I pray to You
But sometimes I doubt You’re there
Lord I wait for you
But You’re silence seems unfair

I want to find You
Walk beside You
Show me the way

Every little step that I take
Lead me on to see Your face
Every little breath that I breathe
Flow – flow Your river through me
Every little think that I do
Let it only deepen my faith in You
Every little step that I take

Like a father’s hand
You pull me to my feet
I know You understand
You’re strong – my body’s weak
Touch the child in me
Open my eyes to see
Show me the way

Every little step that I take
Lead me on to see Your face
Every little breath that I breathe
Flow – flow Your river through me
Every little thing that I do
Let it only deepen my faith in You
Every little step that I take

Though Your hand’s unseen
And I can’t hear You speak
In the little things
You reveal Yourself to me

It’s a long hard climb
I need to know You’re by my side
All the time

GOING HOME (Once in a Lifetime

Words by David Meece & Michael Hudson
Music by David Meece
Copyright 1993 Meece Music (admin by) WORD Music and Ariose Music

It should feel so good
It should be so right
Going home again
To find the years that shaped my life
But shadows line the streets
They whisper endlessly
And all I see are ghosts
Of my most painful memories

Going home, going home
Lord someday I’m going home
To a place where I know I belong
Where the ghosts and the fears
And the shadows disappear
Oh His angels bear us there
Going home

And somewhere in the night
You see a distant light
Lifting up my soul
To meet the God who gave us life
Mama don’t you cry
Children don’t you weep
For all the ghosts have vanquished
And my journey is complete

Oh going home, going home
Lord someday I’m going home
To a place where I know I belong
Where the ghosts and the fears
And the shadows disappear
Oh his angels bear us there
Going home

EARLY IN THE MORNING (Once in a Lifetime, Odyssey)

Words by David Meece & Michael Hudson
Music by David Meece
Copyright 1993 Meece Music (admin)WORD Music & Ariose Music

Once a good young King came by
Early in the morning
Hope soared nearly to the sky
Early in the morning
Yet that first hope nearly died
With so little warning
The good young King was crucified
Early in the morning

In the stone cold tomb He lay
Early in the morning
Laid with Him the hope of day
Early in the morning
Saints and angels fearful, pray
Yearning for a dawning
Breaking on the silent grave
Early in the morning

Alleluia
O the bright dawn breaks
Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia
O the sweet King wakes
Alleluia, alleluia

Long the anxious claws had gripped
Early in the morning
Now vanquished claws have slipped
Early in the morning
How the bragging dragon trips
Head, so high, now fawning
Mouth, denied, forever drips
Early in the morning

Alleluia
Empty claws proclaim
Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia
Now the good King reigns
Alleluia, alleluia

Steady in the waning night
Early in the morning
Risen Morning Star our light
Early in the morning
Dragons breed again to fight
Fearful is their taunting
Yet, we trust, Lord, thy great might
Early in the morning

Alleluia
Saints and angels sing
Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia
Praise the risen King
Alleluia, alleluia

MY FATHER’S CHAIR (Once in a Life time)

Words by David Meece & Dwight Liles
Music by David Meece
Copyright 1989 Meece Music (admin by) WORD Music & Ariose Music

Sometimes at night I’d lie awake
Longing inside for my father’s embrace
Sometimes at night I’d wander downstairs
And pray he’d returned, but no one was there.
Oh, how I’d cry, a child all alone
Waiting for him to come home.

Chorus:
My father’s chair, sat in an empty room
My father’s chair, covered with sheets of gloom
My father’s chair through all the years
And all the tears I cried in vain
No one was there in my father’s chair.

Sometimes at night I sit all alone
Drifting asleep in a chair of my own
When sweet sleepy eyes peer down from the hall
Frightened by dreams they cannot recall
I hold them close, calming their fears
Praying they always will say,

Chorus:
My father’s chair sits in a loving room
My father’s chair, no matter what I do
My father’s chair, through all the years
And all the tears I need not fear
Love’s always there in my father’s chair.

Sometimes at night I dream of a throne
Of my loving God, calling me home
And as I appear, He rises and smiles
And reaches with love to welcome His child
Never to cry, never to fear
In His arms, safe and secure.

Chorus:
My Father’s chair sits in a royal room
My Father’s chair holds glory beyond the tomb
My Father’s chair, my God is there
And I am His eternal heir
Someday I’ll share my Father’s chair.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME (Once in a Lifetime)

Words by David Meece, Dwight Liles, Michael Hudson and Deborah Meece
Music by David Meece
Copyright 1993 Meece Music (admin by) WORD Music & Ariose Music

I still feel the pain the darkness of yesterday
The clouds that held no rain
Illusions remain and memories mock the truth
But God can break these chains
This day comes but once
I live or I lose
Remember

No matter where we’ve been
No matter what we’ve done
Today can be our once in a lifetime
For yesterday is gone
Tomorrow may not come
This moment is our once in a lifetime

In spite of the tears the chill of a winter’s light
The sorrow of the night
My cold lonely past is melting away from me
As by God’s grace I see
This moment is mine
My moment of truth
Forever

No matter where we’ve been
No matter what we’ve done
Today can be our once in a lifetime
For yesterday is gone
Tomorrow may not come
This moment is our once in a lifetime

Our day is today our moment is now
To follow out dreams to reach for eternity

No matter where we’ve been
No matter what we’ve done
Today can be our once in a lifetime
For yesterday is gone
Tomorrow may not come
This moment is our once in a lifetime

LIVING IN THE SHADOWS (Once in a Lifetime)

Words by David Meece & Michael Hudson
Music by David Meece
Copyright 1993 Meece Music (admin by) WORD Music & Ariose Music

Hey little boy are you living in the shadows
Hey little boy are you living in the shadows
Can you feel them clutch
Oh, oh – it’s an icy touch
Oh, oh – and it costs so much
Oh, oh – living in the shadows

Hey little boy are you driven by the shadows
Hey little boy are you driven by the shadows
Can you feel them press
Oh, oh – in their eagerness
Oh, oh – such a dark caress
Oh, oh – living in the shadows

Oh, oh – living in the shadows
Changing shape but never taking form
Oh, oh – living in the shadows
Promised life but never being born
Oh, oh – living in the shadows
Covered up but never ever warm
Oh, oh – I’ve been there before
I’ve been there before

Hey little girl are you cozy in the shadows
Far from the sun is it rosy in the shadows
Can’t you hear the kiss
Oh, oh – coming with a kiss
Oh, oh – on those hungry lips
Oh, oh – living in the shadows

Hey little girl are you bound to your shadows
Why don’t you run, will you drown with your shadows
Can’t you feel their weight
Oh, oh – it’s as light as hate
Oh, oh – and as firm as fate
Oh, oh – living in the shadows