To read the story
about the inspiration
that led Michael and
Cheryl to write this
powerful song,
please scroll down.
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Bricks From the Ashes
~The
Inspiration~
"Bricks
From the Ashes is one of those very rare and special
songs that are created from a vision - more than a
dream.....
As I was sleeping one night, a picture
suddenly appeared in my
mind. It was one of those times when you just know you are
really there. Everything around you is crystal clear. You
can smell
the air, touch the trees, and feel the emotions of the
moment.
You know that this is not merely another dream.
I saw a woman standing in front of a
large pile of ashes. She
was dressed in dark clothing and she was wearing a veil
that hid
her face. I could only see her eyes. Her eyes were sad and
filled
with tears. I watched as she knelt down, cupped her hands
together, and picked up a handful of ashes. She then
formed a
brick out of the ashes. She took the brick and placed it
gently
down next to another brick. She kept repeating this over
and
over. After a while I realized what she was doing.
She was building a road out of the bricks.
I looked in the direction that the road
was leading and far in the
distance, rising just beyond the gray horizon, was the
most
beautiful light! It was a pure and peaceful light. I
became very
curious as to who this woman was and what she was trying
to do.
Suddenly, she turned her face toward me, and as her
tearful eyes
met mine, she slowly took the veil from her face. I was
shocked to
see that her face was badly bruised. As I walked
toward her, I
finally realized who she was. She was someone I loved
dearly and
who had passed away several years before. She was a loving
aunt who lived upstairs from me when I was growing up.
She was terribly abused by her husband.
As the scene faded from my mind, I
began to wake up.
Immediately, the title "Bricks From the Ashes"
and many other
lyrical and melodic ideas began to fill my mind. I
recorded my ideas
and the next day my wife Cheryl helped me finish the song.
As much as I would love to take credit for writing it, the
real author of Bricks From the Ashes is the Lord.
I truly believe that this song was
given to me in this vision for one purpose - to help
the many hurting souls who are living in abusive
relationships. Perhaps, somewhere in this song, they will
hear a
line or a verse that will give them just enough
encouragement to
take that frightful first step toward building a new life,
not only for themselves, but for those they love.
