I know that your feelin’ lonely
I know that your feelin’ down
I know that your feelin’ distant
I know that your fallin’ apart

I will never forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:8)
You will rise up on Eagle’s wings (Isaiah 40:31)
Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you (Hebrews 10:22)
I am close to the broken hearted (Psalm 34:18)

I know that your hurtin’
I know that your weak
I know that your cryin’
I know that your searchin’

I will bind up your wounds (Psalm 147:3)
I will defend the cause of the weak (Psalm 82:3)
I will hear your cry (2 Samuel 22:7)
You will find me if you search for me (Isaiah 55:6)

I know you’ve felt abandoned
I know you’ve doubted
I know you’ve lived life as a captive
I know you’ve experienced pain

Father why have you forsaken me(Matthew 27:46)
Stop doubting and just believe in me (John 20:27)
He has come to set the captives free (Isaiah 42:6-8)
The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10)

I’m fallin’ apart
This life is hangin’ by a thread
Tryin’ to comprehend the reason
For your promises to me

You will not hurt me
You will sustain me
You will be there for me
You will carry me through

Do you not know there is a God who loves you
Do you not know there is a God who cares for you
There are people who try to tell you don’t matter
And there are people who try to take away everything you live for

Some of us are like bruised reeds
Some of us smoldering wicks
Some of us are fighting to stay afloat
Some of us are flickerin’ like light in the distance

Matthew 12:20
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory.

Look around the debris wonderin’ how anything so hard could ever happen
Tryin’ to see through the dust that has covered all we ever knew
My eyes are straining to see your hand in this awful tragedy
Everything we ever had is now laying before you in ruins

I had very little to begin with now I have nothing left to offer
My ears are filled with the sounds of sirens
My soul is filled with questions
My hands; the dust that reminds me how much you love me

I offer you my heart; I ask you for your healing touch
I offer you my life; all I have left is you
I give you these relics; asking you to bring beauty from these ashes
Sand is what I have; I give you every grain

You offer me your hand in return
You offer your grace if I’ll give you my sorrow
You gave me freedom; all I saw was bondage and tyranny
My eyes are tearing up; it’s so hard to explain

The amount of devastation that disaster brings
Then I rememeber it’s of your love that my heart sings
You take away the pain, and offer me comfort
You place within me a peace that passes all understanding

You provide for me even if I have nothing to give you
You offer me your hand when I often turned my back
You’ve been my redeemer, and you’ve been my savior
You’re gonna bring beauty from the ashes

From the ashes we will emerge stronger
From the ashes we will become more desperate for you
From the ashes You will triumph
From the ashes You will prevail

Written after the Earthquake in Haiti 1/12/10

I wanna break free from the bondage that seems to hold me back
I wanna break free from the things that I once loved
I want a clean break from everything that has weighed me down
I want a fresh start to be who God created me to be

I want something more
I want to live for something greater than myself
I wanna dig for deeper meaning than what lies on the surface
Tryin’ to find the one I am lookin for

Breakin’ free experiencing the life that lies in front of me
Breakin’ free from the things that held me back before
I am crashin’ through the walls that I have created
Like a prison cell that I locked myself in

Darker than the night
Darker still was my heart before you found me
You tore away the things that kept me from seeing you
You helped me realize that my only hope is you

Inspired by Mess of me, off Hello Hurricane by Switchfoot.

There are so many people tryin’ to make ends meet
Anyway they can try to stay alive and warm
Breaks my heart to see, there are homeless people right in our own backyard
Always tryin’ to pretend there can’t be needy people here because this is the USA

Tonight my eyes were opened to a new realm of reality
People livin’ underneath the bridge, with only the light of a candle
People wantin’ somethin’ more, hopin’ with everything they have to make it another day
The homeless get neglected, rejected and yet no one seems to notice

We are called to love one another and that includes the homeless
We are called to take the gospel to the world
Even when we are led out of our comfort zones
When it doesn’t feel natural to lend the helping hand

Show us how to love the homeless
Show us how to love the less fortunate
Show us what it means to give out of the abundance of our hearts
Show us how much we have blessed, and how to share our joy with others

Written after serving in downtown Indianapolis

Would you feel the same way if you were in my situation
I’m just wonderin’ if you would respond any different
The news that you were precious, and loved by a loving God
Tryin’ to sort out the things that were runnin’ through my mind

There are things that I thought would help me understand
My feeble attempts to comprehend the magnitude, left me wanting to know more
If there was any doubt that my Savior loved me,
I looked to the cross, and saw you on Calvary

All my doubts escaped my mind
Tryin’ to grasp the amount of love that you showed me that night
You whispered that I am your child
You already bought me back with your blood

Didn’t know how to respond you offered me your hand
It was then I saw the scars
I didn’t know what to say as tears filled my eyes
You reached out and whispered you already were holding me

I hear you tell me that I am your child
You are my Savior
You are my God
You are my Father

Looking at the ceiling
Thinkin’ to myself there must be so much more
Layin’ awake tryin’ to sort out the events of the day
Beggin’ for you to speak to me, and wonderin’ if this would be the night

For you to bring me home,
For you to bring me close,
For you to heal my hurts,
For you to be there with me in my troubles

As I look to your word,
I discover that your promises are true,
So thankful for a glimpse of you,
I am waitin’ on the Lord

Tryin’ to figure out a plan
Knowin’ that I was born to do yours
Wonderin’ if today would be the day
That my eyes would be open to what you say

Knowin’ that with everything I do,
Can be a reflection of you
Stayin’ awake at night thinkin’ that I am here by mistake
Lovin’ my Savior, by livin’ my life as sacrifice

There may have been some chemistry between us
But I realized that when I tried to give you my heart it fell apart
Didn’t know why the pieces were all scattered
I chose not to look, but saw all my dreams shattered

I will try not to remember the times that hurt my heart
I wanted to let you back in my life, but it was too hard
Everytime I tried to tell you how I felt
You showed me how to play the hand you dealt

A life of pain and misery
A life of guilt and shame
I don’t need to live in the shadow of past mistakes
Things that may have been

There have been times when I wanted to be held
You offered to hold me but I knew it all along
I needed to let you go, because it was what was best
I don’t know how to deal with my emotions, when I realized that you weren’t the one for me

Another road has led me to the end
You once were more than a friend
Now that I know that I’ve let you go
The road to healin my broken heart has officially begun

Inspired by Collin Rainey’s song Closure

When will she be ready for you
When will she be able to give everything to you
When will you return to take away your bride
When will you choose to make the church your own

She is being gathered
She is being molded into all you want her to be
She is waiting for you to take her home
She anticipates your return

She is being healed
Her time is coming
The opportunity for her to grow is now
She is moving because of you

When will you come back for her
When will you see in her what you’ve created for her to become
She will be ready; for you are preparing to take her home
Take away the veil that hides her from seeing you

A song about the church

Carry me in your arms Daddy
I don’t mean to stray away from the one who loves me
Keep me in your pasture, grazing upon the words of life
Like a sheep, hold me so that I may hear your heart beating

I feel like I’ve known the way to life but I keep dabbling in sorrow
I feel like I’ve been hurt beyond repair, because my heart has broken
Struggling to keep my head up and looking into my Savior’s eyes
Feeling the warmth that comes from you whisperin’ I’ve finally found you

Layin’ on my back with my hands outstretched toward you
Feelin’ my way through the bitter cold, knowin’ with each breath I am one step closer
Telling you how I feel is probably the best because I know you’ll understand
I don’t see how you could take all my sin upon you on the cross

Sometimes I don’t know where to turn because I’ve used the clouds to cover my eyes
Thinkin’ I was protecting myself by hiding from the rays of the sun
Then I realized that your light kept shining through, and you wouldn’t go away
I want to rest in your peace, as you hold me gently in your arms

The shepherd will carry me close when I feel I need to run away
He will find me when I stray away
He will welcome me with His words of love toward me
I just wanna look at the stars and see His face, and let my soul feel His glory.

11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:11 (New International Version)

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:6 (New International Version)