One morning, as was her habit, Jan Kolb opened her Bible and read from Proverbs—and received the command "to write." After continued prayer, she decided to create devotions to accompany a series of hymns that had been composed through the power of the Holy Spirit and given to her husband, who could not even read music!

She sat with closed eyes, pad and pen in hand, and began to pray. Soon she was praying very deeply in Spirit. To her surprise, sentences began to form like soundless whispers within—and with her eyes closed, she scribbled all that she heard the whispers say as she prayed. When she finally looked down at the pages she had written, there were scribbled lines all at a slant—but readable. She knew the messages had been given to her by His Spirit. Each included a scripture passage, a devotion-like message, and a closing prayer.

Each morning thereafter, Jan was drawn deeply into prayer through the power of the Holy Spirit, and each morning she was given a new writing—sometimes several. And so it continued until there were forty-five writings each complete with scripture, meditation and closing prayer, and each with the title of a hymn from her husband's collection.

You do not have to have a piano or instrument to enjoy the hymns, for they can be read as poetry, or sung softly without accompaniment of any instrument.

Endorsements

"Whispered Notes is a beautiful marriage of devotions, written by our mother, Jan, and coordinating hymns, written by our father, Bob. These dual blessings have touched many lives as they were given straight from the heart of our Lord. 'Jesus our Savior' has been sung at our sister's and niece's weddings and at both occasions was a powerful witness to the gift of eternal life." Barbara Kolb Egan and Laurel Kolb Kuhl

"Whispered Notes has been a constant presence in our home for years. I display it proudly on our piano, so it is always available for a little 'sit down' at the piano bench to relax and play some hymns, and clear my mind and open my heart to the Lord. Having the devotion right there, next to whatever hymn I happen to choose, makes my time at the bench more meaningful and important. Knowing these are my parents' reflections has great meaning for me today, and for all my tomorrows. It's a gift to our family, my children, my grandchildren, and to future generations. My parents' devotion to the Lord, and their love for HIM and for each other, will live on through this wonderful collection and impact future generations long after they are gone from this earth. A true legacy! We've enjoyed singing Dad's hymns through the years, and one, in particular, 'Jesus My Savior,' has been sung at two family weddings: my sister Janna's in 1994 and my daughter Leslie's in 2013. A great hymn to reinforce a good foundation for marriage. Whispered Notes is a family treasure, one that will continue to bless through the ages...." Rob and June Hudson (Bob and Jan Kolb's oldest daughter and son-in-law)

"Whispered Notes is an all-inspiring celebration of devotion and musical achievement - inspired by God and written by Bob and Jan. I highly recommend you immerse yourself in these weekly writings which were beautifully crafted in harmony with their beliefs and God's timeless teachings." Michael and Jessica Drakely

"Whispered Notes has been a part of my life and that of my family’s for years. My father was a prolific hymn writer and this book was a collaboration between him and my mother, who wrote all of the meditations along with his music that created a powerful worship experience. Whenever my family and I traveled to New Hampshire to spend time with my parents and get away from our busy day-to-day lives, we would always use Whispered Notes as our worship tool on Sunday mornings. It became a part of my life, in addition to my wife Valerie’s and my kids.

"When Valerie and I were planning our wedding in 1997, we thought it would be powerful to include one of my father’s hymns in our service. We decided on "Here in This Place," one of our favorite hymns. When I discussed this with my father and mother, we decided to rewrite a few of the stanzas with words related to our relationship and marriage. I will always remember sitting in the cabin working on these lyrics with my father and mother until we had something that we all liked.

"My father and mother have built an amazing legacy, and Whispered Notes, with these personally written meditations and hymns, is one of those key pieces of that. I write this in loving memory of my father, Robert Kolb. I greatly thank my mother for her tremendous commitment to his legacy and congratulate her on an amazing writing career and this collaboration with my father." George R. Kolb, Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations, Villanova University

Table of Contents

Meditation Hymns

1. Sweet Jesus
2. Praise the Lord
3. Fill Me Holy Spirit
4. In a Stable
5. Changeless Jesus
6. The Bible
7. Think Jesus
8. My Friend Jesus
9. This Was the Man
10. Join the Fellowship
11. Step out in Faith
12. Let Me Be a Witness
13. He Made Me Whole
14. A Friend So True
15. I Will Sing a New Song
16. Spirit Power
17. Walk with the Lord
18. My Cup Has Been Filled
19. God of Grace and Love
20. Strengthen Me
21. Father to You
22. Give Thanks
23. Magic Night
24. The Living End
25. Believe Your Beliefs
26. A Place in Eternity
27. Jesus My Saviour
28. Just Believe
29. There Is More
30. Jesus Is Coming
31. He's the Answer
32. We're Bound for Heaven
33. Deep Is the Ocean
34. Jesus Christ Is Lord
35. In God We Trust
36. Jesus My Lord
37. Show Me the Way
38. No Hands but Mine
39. Oh for Ways to Praise
40. I Know the Man
41. Sweet Release
42. I Serve
43. Spirit of the Living Lord
44. When Jesus Was a Little Boy
45. Here in This Place
46. For God So Loved
47. There's a Lighthouse
48. Only by Faith
49. We Shall Be Known
50. When Christ Arose
51. Jesus Is Well
52. A Time for God

Excerpt

Meditation:

"Not by might, not by power--but by My Spirit" saith the Lord. "All things are accomplished through the power of My Spirit. I have sent Him to yielded vessels--He never forces Himself on anyone who does not desire His love and companionship. I have gone from the earth--but My Spirit has been given to you and will live within all those who surrender to Me. He purifies and makes living Temples of God."

Not only does He come to dwell within us and teach us and direct us-- but He bestows on us gifts. These gifts are to be used for the glory of God and are never to cause division or separate His people. Each gift has a purpose. Ask for the gift that the Holy Spirit wants you to have that you may minister to the body of Christ. Look to the "giver" of these gifts--and want only what He wants to give you. Let your will meld with his and only then will you be perfectly used by Him.

"I am the Spirit of truth--let Me live in your temple until the day that you see Him facr to fact." Hallelujah!

Blue Dolphin Publishing, 2013