Today, I say goodbye to one of the most influential people in my life. Gentleness and kindness sum up my Grandpa to the very core.
Back in July, when my Grandpa was busy “directing” his own funeral, we sat down and had a tender conversation in which he asked me to write a song for him, to be played at this time. He wanted the song to reflect how he had found such peace in knowing that God is right there – so close to you – and all the time, if you just reach out to him. And here it is, Grandpa’s song: ‘Closer’.
And I am so thankful that Grandpa got to hear his song in this life. Earlier this month, we were so fortunate to travel back to the UK to see him and play him his song. His response was simply, ‘It’s beautiful’. On the morning of his passing, my aunt played the song to him only once and, after a restless night, he finally passed away with his song playing in the background. And now he is at peace.
So Grandpa….
Thank you for the memories,
for listening & advising with such gentleness and love,
for your kind & giving spirit,
for your encouragement & support,
for your love & wisdom,
for your generosity & so much more.
…you have had a huge impact in shaping who I am. And I love you.
…Until we meet again… xoxo
When you live at any distance from family and friends, you really begin to treasure your time together more. Last week, we were able to head back to the UK to see some of our family and friends. I now find even greater joy in spending time with family, as I know our time together is limited. And as for our friends…well, it was just like old times – almost as if we had never left London to move to Stockholm.
I am grateful for these friendships – with both family and friends. Their support for what we are doing with our music means so much to both me and Ben.
Re-visiting the area around Wimbledon, where we used to live, was quite a strange experience but also helped us to gain a lot of perspective. Along with meaningful conversations with our afore-mentioned friends, it reminded us of the choices we have made, all that we have acheived over these last 9 months or so, and it excites me to discover the plans God has for our future.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29 v. 11
I listen to this track quite a lot as I reflect and thank God for all He is doing in our lives. It’s an instrumental track from our latest Salt of the Sound EP – if you like it, it’s available on our bandcamp store.
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Do let me know what you think of the song. What good things is God doing in your life? Maybe you face similar challenges with distant loved ones? As always, I love to hear from you!
In the last month, we have released not one…not two…but three new releases…with the final release being today! So lucky you…you will get to hear it first.
Salt of the Sound – ‘Through the Mist’
Our brand new EP ‘Through the Mist’ contains 6 brand new tracks, based on the theme found in 1 Corinthians 13v12:
We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
You can read more about it and listen to a preview over at the Salt of the Sound website (Before you buy it here!)
Having received fantastic reviews for our first album did add an element of pressure – to really do justice to the music we were writing for this latest EP. In this way, we have been challenged to really make progress with our music, whilst still maintaining the overall meditative sound that we have created with Salt of the Sound.
Salt of the Sound ‘meditations’ (Instrumental Album)
Looking for some background music in your life? We have the perfect dinner party / social gathering / study music / pre or post-church service (basically, it works on so many levels for so many things) playlist for you. We have also released a full length album of Instrumental tracks. Download it here or listen on Spotify.
This album has already been recognised by several chillout playlists – including some non-Christian podcasts. Yes – we write as Christian musicians but it is great to see our music being used in so many different settings!
Anita Tatlow (Worship songs)
If you’ve visited my blog before, you’ve probably heard about my new worship song project – well, they’re out. You can download them here or listen on Spotify here!
How you can support us:
We are independent artists and write and produce all of our own music. We simply trust that God will take our music and use it for His glory. So if you like what you hear, here are some ways you can support our music ministry:
Download our music
Share our music – Follow us on Facebook & Twitter.
Listen on Spotify – you can follow Salt of the Sound here too!
Thank you for your support – it means more than you know!
Blessings,
Anita
This year, I experienced my first complete Summer in Sweden (and luckily for me – it was a hot one!). The Swedes love the summer months, and after their long, dark winters, are known for embracing the summer sun in all its glory.
Midsummer is a big celebration in Sweden in June…but we missed most of this as we got the keys to our new flat 2 days before midsummer so you’ll have to wait until next year to hear my thoughts on this one…
The strangest thing I found about summer in Sweden is that everything closes down and everyone goes on holiday…I already knew this but the reality of it is bizarre. People take 4-5 weeks holiday and just leave the city. Cafes and restaurants close. The tubes run a very limited service. Things just stop. It’s actually quite nice…as long as you don’t need anything doing with any kind of urgency!
So what did we do during the long summer when the sun never seems to sleep? Well, alongside working; we fitted in some days at the beach, swimming in the lakes, joined some friends on their boat, enjoyed our new surroundings in Stockholm (including a few day trips out & about), took a staff trip to Tallinn, Estonia and this week, we said goodbye to the summer and welcomed the cooling autumn breeze with a trip to Yasuragi, a Japanese spa in Stockholm.
Now, I wait for all that autumn has to bring with anticipation – a season of change, creativity & expectation is upon us and I look forward to discovering what it holds in store…
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What is your favourite season? Are you longing for the fading summer or looking forward to cold winds of autumn & winter?
It’s been a while since I’ve posted on here. Here is a brief insight into what we’ve been up to (in no particular order):
- Leading Summer Camp in Småland for 60 youth from Immanuel International Church (Stockholm) & Fisher’s Creek (Gothenburg).
- Involved in the life & ministry of Immanuel International Church.
- A short break to Oslo, Norway – just the two of us.
- Visiting family back in the UK & catching up with some friends too.
- Buying & moving into our own apartment in Stockholm.
- Enjoying the incredibly warm (& thunderstormy) Swedish Summer from said new apartment.
- Continuing to work on our musical projects as Salt of the Sound, Anita Tatlow & Benjamin Tatlow.
- Working on our global healthy living business & helping the new people in our team to do the same for themselves. Want to know more? Get in touch.
Exciting music news!
We are just putting the finishing touches together for our Brand New EP, entitled ‘Through the Mist’. You can read more about the inspiration behind this project over at our website.
And here is a preview track from the EP:
Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below or on SoundCloud. I always love to hear from you.
