Freedom

One drink led to twenty

Twenty led to years

No longer fun, my nightmare had won

And left me trembling in fear

A cunning ruler

Giving no mercy or peace

Yet I continued to serve it

Praying it’s rule would cease

Crouched in the dark, He led me out

He paved an escape route for me

No longer a slave, my freedom was won

Now I trust wherever He leads

Heavenly Commander

Faithful I will be

To follow where He leads

For I know his yoke is light

His provisions are my only need

When this life brings trouble

When the arrows fly

I will not cower in fear

For He remains by my side

A devoted soldier I’ll be

Whether I win or bleed

Surrendering to His battle plan

Guaranteeing His victory!

“The Lord your God is in your midst – a warrior bringing victory. He will create calm with his love; he will rejoice over
you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Not Afraid

If You lead me to dark places

You’ll give me power to shine your light

If life gets difficult and the weight is heavy

You’ll carry it with me

Through every sorrow and plight

Your will on earth is not hindered

By the will of any man

You preordained, saw beyond time

And worked it into your plan

So I am not afraid

You go before me

You light my stepping stones

I am not afraid

You are my confidence

To do Your will

No matter where I go

Psalm 23 Rendition

Blessed beyond measure

Overflowing with joy

My cup runneth over

With the abundance

No earthly ail could destroy

The table is set

In glorious fashion

Within the sight of my enemies

You pull out the chair

Ask me to take a seat

And join You for a heavenly feast

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” Psalm 23:5-6

His Help

No addiction, no flaw

No matter how far you fall

He will take your brokenness

And mend it all

Surrender today

your futile attempts

Ask Him to rescue

And come to your defense

His love is great

His Spirit breaks chains

His grace covers shame.

Surrender to faith

In His unending strength.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-30

One Day at a Time

In your hope, I live and breathe

I turn away from fear and find your peace

In your will, my purpose is seen

I turn away from self and find your serenity

“Go forth”, You say, “in confidence”

Carrying your strength, I need no defense

On a mission to love and provide

Hope for the hurting with no ill-will or pride

To live a life of service to others

Setting all selfish motives aside

I follow your footsteps one day at a time

Sweet Surrender

You give hope when we reach the end of ourselves.

You give purpose when our own agenda fails.

You give peace when our world has come undone.

You use the impossible to display your power and love.

I surrender my life to You

No other satisfaction will do

You carry my burdens and impress upon my heart.

Your Word and promises are true.

His Bride

Law breakers, low lifes, outcasts

Shunned and looked down upon

Those are the ones He dined with

The reason He rose the 3rd day by dawn

The penniless, the nobodys

The ones who could see their flaws

Those are the ones He traveled with

He won’t stop until He gathers them all.

“I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do”. John 17:14-16

Thought Life

Sometimes I forget to breathe

And the anxiety builds inside of me

Negative thoughts begin to attack

And all I can see is all that I lack

Other times life is roses and rainbows

I find purpose in every trial life throws

I feel strong, confident and unbreakable

I win every challenge and keep my life stable

Then there’s the in between, the unknown

Where I forget who I am and the wrong roads I follow

Reality is in question, I fear and I hide

False beliefs emerge, You disappear from my sight.

So what does your Word say to manage the three

Into a right and healthy mentality?

You say think on those things that are lovely and true

Things that are pure and of good repute.

Think on things that are just and have virtue

Honorable and bring praise to You

To take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ

To draw my strength from your sacrifice.

The battles in my mind with long suffering I’ll endure

Knowing the war has been won and You are the Victor

This world will bring trouble, but You have overcome

So through the trials and tribulations, I’ll cling to your Son

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Sing

You give me a song to sing

When my heart is trembling

When sorrow is knocking on the door

You give me a song to sing

When my life is struck by thunder

When I can carry on no more

You give me a song to sing

To rise my tune above all earthly things

And on your wings of gladness soar

“But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Life Line

I can write my story

I can tell you where I’ve failed

I can glory in the ways I got back up

But there’s a better story to tell

My common thread

My strong life line

Who’s been by my side

Since the beginning of time

He knows my frailties

Seen me through my darkest nights

He wakes me up every morning

And encourages me in this life

Just As I Am

I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity as a lyricist on one of Olya Homesin’s new songs “Just As I Am”. Olya sings on the Praise and Worship team at “The Story Church” in Houston, TX. The single (or 3 song album) will be available for download on August 23rd. If you’d like, you can go to the link below to presave it and be notified by platforms when it’s out. I believe you will be blessed by her beautiful voice!

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/olyahomesin/through-time?fbclid=IwAR0upFvGApF1NOveCmo9tq4cnsJu9LDGeuAVyoNvD63HX7uTArOtTryXubo_aem_Aaz9GDEBzzrqA9_UeswjLYacfLQm-0No00VMHvdrr3h8ZBG18k1a5mExDLdEQHcM0CU&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Please and Thank You

Please reconcile all that’s gone wrong

Please heal hearts that have been hurting too long.

Please give peace where there are no answers

Please fill our hearts with grace for one another.

Please pave a new road for relationships gone bad

Please infuse hope for new memories to be had.

Thank You for wanting to hear our prayers.

Thank You for welcoming us into Your care.   

This Life

One day I’ll see You as You are

No hidden veil, healed battle scars

One day, I’ll join You in eternity

Until then, You have plans for me

Mountaintop views, treacherous terrain

Tests, trials, blessings – all for Your name

You refine, redefine, give new life and rebirth

Preparing my soul for heaven’s will on earth.

The Lord is My Helper

The Lord is my Helper, I shall not be afraid.

What a statement! Just as I write it, my mind is filled with potential fears.

Fears of losing those I love, fears of falling ill, fears of financial strain and fears of failure.

But… the Lord is my Helper, Whom (or what) shall I fear?

The Bible is full of statements that seem to contradict our human experience.

Yet, He shows up time and again proving His Word is true

And on this Rock, we stand.

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I give thanks to Him with my song. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” Psalm 28:7

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1

You See

You know my heart, You see my pain

In faithfulness Your love remains

You heal, restore, open up the doors

Your power breaks chains, I am sustained

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

Your Embrace

When the crown turns into thorns

And the payment owed

Is more than I have to give

When my trials find me on my knees

And failures make each day so hard to live

I look to my Savior

Grateful I am His

When a mountain top is reached

And blessings shower down all over me

I stand in awe

Your grace too much to bear

Overwhelming joy mine to declare

I look to my Savior

Grateful He brought me here

Hope

You are near to the broken hearted

You are near to those lost

Your faithfulness to us

Came at a great cost

You don’t see our iniquity

You don’t see our faults

Your Son paid that price

On the cross

We live in a world

Where questions abound

Doubt seeps in

And hopelessness is found

But Your Word and truth

Gives hope

Your voice and forgiveness

Helps us to cope

Every moment brings a new promise

A new sunrise and change

Every prayer makes us feel heard

And gives us hope for the next day

As a Child

Can we find the words of faith to utter yet one more prayer?

Is our seed of faith big enough for one more trial to bear?

You say come to You as a child, believing in your care.

Your forgiveness, your provisions, your promises are waiting for us there.

“But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” Matthew 19:14

Be Teachable

You give me what I need

When I need it

Even though my understanding

may be wrong

You teach new truths

And clarify questions

You lovingly show me

Where I belong

I’ll acknowledge the signs

And accept the corrections.

I’ll allow myself

To hear what You say

I’ll let go of the past

Knowing it was all direction

To develop me more

And brighten tomorrow’s day

He Walks with Me

A secret way by which You lead

Off the beaten path

Where no other traveler has set foot

Just You and I together at last

A place where You tell me

Of things long ago

And give me glimpses

Of where we’ll go

We sit by a stream

to refresh and renew

Where I bask in Your presence

And give my praise to You

Stand Firm

Stand firm, He says

Do not be swayed or dismayed

Stand firm, He says

Knowing I command the waves

Don’t let impatience have its voice

Calling you away or aside

Don’t rush ahead to force change

Convinced by your own pride

No, stand firm, He says

In my will and in my way

Stand firm, He says

For I rule this and every day.

Single Petition

Two are better than one, they say

So please send someone my way

But not just any man will do

He must know, seek and follow You.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12