A fun children's worship song - Alphabet Praise. In the summer of 2001 at Camp Wyldewood near Searcy, Arkansas, we used to have an "Alphabet Praise" time during our worship sessions. We would say a letter and campers would speak out words of praise that started with that letter. We'd say "C!" and campers would yell out "Christ, Creator, compassionate, caring, cool!" . . . and more. My daughter Shelby, eight years old at the time, said, "Dad, you should write an Alphabet Praise song and it should start like this, . . . 'A' is for awesome . . ." So, that is what I did with some input from Shelby along the way, not to mention all of the campers that summer. It is hard to believe that it has been over 20 years since this song was first taught. I thought I would teach it and then maybe sing it once or twice more (since there were a LOT of lyrics and we typically did not have any printed materials, hymnbooks, etc.). But the kids picked it up immediately and started asking for it constantly. I've enjoyed singing it with kids in many countries on four continents since then. In the fall of 2001, we put a singing group together to record this song and many other special songs from Camp Wyldewood. We called the group "Waterfall". You can find some of these songs on this page, just scroll down until you see a link for the “Songs of Wyldewood” songs.
Jillian and I did a quick scratch recording of a song I wrote several years ago. Not long after moving to China, I was thinking about this amazing journey we are on with our Savior Jesus.
Surely God is My Salvation, Isaiah 12 (chord sheet below video)
words from Isaiah 12, music by Ken Shackelford
OUR HOPE IS IN THE BLOOD... Here is another quick scratch recording of a song I wrote in 2007. I'm doing these recordings mainly so others can learn it (folks with better voices and instrumental abilities than I) and then, maybe someday, I can do a professional recording of some of these songs!
Rejoice! Our God is Near
Rejoice! Rejoice! Our God is near, a Child in Bethlehem is here
Rejoice! Rejoice! The Light has come, it brightly shines for everyone
Emmanuel, the Son of Man is come!
Behold the Lion and the Lamb are One!
Rejoice! Rejoice! Our God appears! His love will cast away our fears
Rejoice! Rejoice! The Light is near, the star in Bethlehem is here
And now we see the Prince of Peace is come!
And now behold the Hope of Man is come!
Rejoice! Our King of Kings we see, He’s come to set the captives free.
All nations of the earth sing praise and let your hands for Him be raised!
Emmanuel, the Son of Man is come!
Behold the Lion and the Lamb are One!
And now we see the Prince of Peace is come!
And now behold the Hope of Man is come!
words & music by Ken Shackelford
This was the first song I ever wrote back in 1988. It has been my "go to" song when I begin my personal prayer and praise time ever since. I pitched it quite low so I could sing all four parts without hurting myself! ~ Ken
NOW TO THE KING ETERNAL, IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, THE ONLY GOD, BE HONOR AND GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. ~ 1 Timothy 1:17
God is Real (Be Still and Know) - acapella, all parts, video has words & notation
words & music by Ken Shackelford, performed by Ken Shackelford & Waterfall
“Shining Eyes” - video made for our 25th Anniversary
Holy Spirit, Living Waterfall
He Arose!
Finally, by popular demand . . . “My Country Song”
Back in the mid-90s, I dug down to my roots (that would be Arkansas, not Italy) and managed to "write me a country song". It was inspired by some bad fish I got near the Sea of Galilee (true story!). Then, several years ago, my brother-in-law JP Wornock (yeah, the one who was "a doctor in Drasco, Arkansas") got a rare video of me singing it sometime after a satisfying Christmas Eve dinner. I put on the thickest country accent I could manage and gave it a go. Enjoy!