darling,
don't listen to them.
don't listen to the naysayers,
don't listen to those that say
that you won't make it,
that you're not worth it,
that you're not enough,
because darling,
you will make it.
you are worth it.
you are enough.
shine your light,
tune them out,
and sing your own song.

in my pocket i keep
words from the sun
with light to shine
through the cracks of
your heart

in my pocket i keep
wildflowers and daisies
lovely and bright for
you to place on
your hair

in my pocket i keep
mints and lollipops
and chocolates and
caramels to sweeten
your day

in my pocket i keep
bad jokes and funny
stories from years
past to bring out
your smile

in my pocket i keep
pennies for you to
wish on a well so
that you never forget
your dreams.

may my love for you be
wild,
like stallions on prairies, not like
stars
that fade away in time
but may it be
fire,
a dancing flame that never burns
out.

no more.
no more pretending.
no more pretending that i can.
no more pretending that i can do this on my own.
no more.
no more pretending.
no more pretending that i am.
no more pretending that i am strong.
i can't.
i can't do this on my own.
i am not strong.
i can't fight You anymore.
i let these walls crumble.
i am weak.
no more pretending that i can do this on my own.
no more pretending that i am strong.
no more pretending that i do not need You.
i need You.

lovers write sweet verses
but yours do not compare.
You write ballads with the wind,
and rhymes with the roses.
flowing stanzas with the rivers,
love letters with the stars,
sonnets with the seas.
all You do says ' I love you',
all You do is poetry.

it took me forever
to realize that You love me.
even though You've said it
countless times
even though You wrote it
in the stars
and on the grains of sand
i couldn't fathom
that You loved me.
it's just that You are
too majestic
too wonderful,
too magnificent,
too grandiose,
too glorious
to pay attention to
ordinary little me.
but You love me
You wrote it in the stars,
You wrote it on the cross,
You wrote it on my heart.

just like the sun rises every morning,
just like a flower in bloom,
just like the morning dew,
every day your mercies are new.

my heart is
a treasure
my heart is
precious
my heart is
not a toy
my heart is
not meant to be played with
my heart is
not meant to be cut in tiny pieces
my heart is
mine
my heart is
alive
my heart is
a wellspring of life
my heart is
fearfully and wonderfully made
and i know that full well.

i leave my self behind
and let You put your breath in my soul
and it is no longer me who lives
but You.

i am light.
i am fire.
i am beautiful
and wanted
and lovely.
i am brave
i am strong
i am chosen
i am sought after
and cherished.
i am a diamond.
and you won't bring me
d
o
w
n.

before dawn,
before the sun's rays come out,
before the world
and its distractions
steal my peace,
let's meet,
You and me.
let me seek You,
let me find You
in the quiet,
in the beauty of a
new day.
let me pour out my heart,
let me tell You how i feel.
reassure me with your love,
embrace me with your mercies,
let's be just
You and me.

beauty does not come
in lipstick tubes,
in concealer,
in eyeshadow
and liquid eyeliner.

beauty isn't
perfection,
beauty isn't
fashion,
beauty isn't
grabbing everyone's attention.

beauty hides in
the soul of she who faced her fears
beauty hides in
the heart of he who is brave
beauty hides in
a joyful heart
beauty hides in
brokenness made new.

your worth is something no
one can't take from you. You are
unique and special and only Christ defines you

and he says you are
redeemed and
enough and

whole and
out of the ordinary and
royalty and
truly loved and
his child and
y**ou are worthy.

i cannot exaggerate You
because
there are no words
to describe how great
how majestic
how loving
how merciful
how beautiful You are.
i cannot exaggerate You
because
there aren't words that
capture who You are
and how You love
and what You do.
i cannot exaggerate You
because
there are no words for
You.

with your hands You
hung the stars in the sky
and know them all by name.
You put the sun and moon
in their places and
with your hands You
made the roaring seas
and majestic mountains
and those same hands that
hung the stars and
placed the sun and moon and
made the seas and mountains
made this heart.

He is in a breeze on a summer day,
in the purples and pinks of a glorious sunset,
in the melodies of the chirping birds,
in the rolling waves of the seas.
He is in the blue of the sky,
in a child's laughter,
in the blooming roses,
in your heart.
my soul, be still.
my soul, stop looking for Him,
for He is here.
all creation sings His praises,
all creation shouts hallelujah,
all creation screams glory.

Your love doesn't fit in the sea
and the sky isn't wide enough to hold You.
your thoughts outnumber the stars
and the sun can't shine brighter than You.
You are majestic and beautiful and mighty,
strong and loving and merciful,
You love recklessly
and endlessly
and extravagantly
and beautifully
and i will sing of You
forever.

my heart was tired of
carrying this heavy burden of
guilt and
my mouth couldn't cry out to
You and
my soul was weary of
wandering and
my hands were chained and
couldn't reach out
to You and
my ears couldn't hear that
You
were calling my name and
my eyes were blind and couldn't
see
that You had forgiven me.

You took
my grief
my heartache
my sorrows
my despair
my mourning
my broken heart
and burned it
until it was all
ashes
and You took the
crown of thorns that
i wore and
placed on my head
a crown of beauty.

the voices of the past
make their way into my head
and they whisper to me
all the things that i have done
and remind me of who i once was
they remind me of when
i broke your heart
and i cry
because i don't deserve You
but You embrace me
and tell me that
You don't care about
who i was or what i did
You just care about
my heart
and your voice, your light
drowns out
the darkness of the voices
of the past

here i am,
unclean,
unworthy,
a sinner,
broken,
an alabaster jar.
i lay this broken heart
at your feet.
i lay down every thing
i have
and i kiss your feet
and i can't speak,
i can only cry
because You saw
this wretched heart
and You gave all You
had for me and i have
nothing so
take me.

may i never get enough of You
may i never stop wanting You
may i never stop knowing You
may i never stop loving You
may You always inspire me
may You always make me wonder
may You always be my desire
may You always be enough.

You made grace rain
and hope bloomed
in this heart
in this soul
You are making me new.

i left your side and
i searched for something more
something bigger than You
and all i found was emptiness
and i stopped loving You
and i searched for something else to love
but i couldn't find it
and in my aimless wandering,
in my idiotic search for something other than You
i forgot You
and it was such a long time before
i decided to come back and return home
and it was such a long distance that i put
between You and me
and not for a moment
did You
leave me
stop loving me
forget me
You never changed

sing over me
and tell me that i am loved
sing over me
and tell me that You're here with me
sing over me
because i can no longer sing on my own
because i need to feel You
because this emptiness is filling up my heart
sing over me
and tell me that i am forgiven
sing over me
and tell me that You will never leave me
sing over me
because i can't feel you anymore
because i have strayed too far away
because i have failed
sing over me
until i can sing with You again

You saw
my heart's brokenness and
you took the tiny pieces
of sin and hurt and ugliness
and
turned it into a mosaic of
beauty and grace.

even when my heart is broken
and my hope is lost,
even when the pain is too much
and my wounds won't heal,
and even when my voice is gone
and my joy is stolen
and even when i run out of words
i will praise You.

don’t be afraid to let the light inside you shine.

with every sunrise
You tell me that
i am loved and that
i am forgiven and that
my heart is sought after and that
You have not forgotten me and that
i am Yours forever.

this body is weak.
it's been on its own for too long,
carrying the weight of sin
on its fragile shoulders,
its feet are tired of walking on
this dry, weary land
and they cannot take one more step.
this soul is worn,
tired of being alone,
tired of aimless wandering,
ready to go home.
i need You to carry me.

i used to wonder why
You'd keep quiet when
i talked to You about
my plans and my dreams but
now i know it's because
You've given me a
brush and a bright palette and
a blank canvas and
the freedom to
be free.

your worth doesn't come from
the things you've done or
the things you'll do or
the color of your skin or
the way you dress or
the way you look.

your worth doesn't come from
the words people have labeled you with or
what they think of you or
how many people follow you on twitter.
your worth doesn't even come from you.

it comes from the fact
that you are here
that you're alive
that you haven't given up on life
that you're still fighting
and smiling
even when you're falling apart.

your worth is yours and
no one can take that away from you.

you're not who I thought you were
and that's okay.

stop fighting, my soul.
my soul, don't you know?
Love already won for you.
desist, o my soul.
faint not.

i will let myself
[my soul]
sink into your ocean.

You own
the skies
the stars
the seas
the mountains
the valleys
and You want
my heart.

i want You to be
the path i walk on and
the place i walk to.

i want to fall in love with You
i want You to invade my every thought
i want to breathe You
i want to drink You in
i want You to be the path i walk on
and the place i walk to
i want You to be my beginning
my middle and my end
i want You to be the song i sing
i want You to set me on fire
and make me burn for You
i want You to be my only desire
make me fall for You.

maybe it is time for me to start chasing you.

you are
outstanding and
unique, a work of

art. You are as
radiant as the sun, your beauty is
enchanting, and you are

lovelier than any
orchid or lily or tulip or rose or
violet, and
even though you might not see yourself as such, you are a
d**iamond, you are beautiful, and you are loved.

i am light
i am fire.
i am beautiful
and wanted
and lovely.
i am brave
i am strong
i am chosen
i am a diamond.
and you won't bring me
d
o
w
n.

My soul, it is well. O my soul, faint not.
Trust in Him, my soul.
It is well.
The wind and waves know Who he is.
Mountains bow at his feet.
My soul, it is well.
Faint not, my soul. He doesn’t miss a thing.
He feels your pain. He has not forgotten you.
He knows what’s happening in your heart.
It is well.
Whatever happens, faint not, my soul.
My soul, I don’t know what tomorrow brings.
But He does,
and he says
*“it is well”.

even though life feels like hell
it is well
even though i don't know what tomorrow awaits
it is well
even though it seems like heartbreak will never end
it is well
You are who you say You are and
it is well
You know everything so
it is well
You say
it is well
and give me the faith to say
*it is well

it surprises me that You
still love me.
that you are undeterred
by my actions.
when i told You that i
lied and stole and cheated
You didn't even flinch.
You didn't cast a stone.
You didn't leave.
Instead
You took me into your arms, held me close,
kissed my forehead, and whispered into my
ear that
You don't care about what i've done,
You just care about who i am.
i guess that's what makes you
You.
There are 7 billion other people out there
and You still vie for my attention.
You keep loving me.

You are not sitting up in a throne,
listening to angels play the harp
and worship You.
You are not looking at me from a distance,
You are not a million miles away.
You are here.
You are in
the sun's rays
the roses' scent
the ocean's waves
the clouds' rain
my heart.
You are everywhere.

as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow,
as sure as the rivers flow,
as sure as the birds will sing,
and as sure as the moon will shine,
I will love you.

i wanted You to speak to me
i wanted to hear your voice
i wanted your words to be brighter than the sun
i wanted You to tell me everything
i wanted You to spell my present
i wanted You to dictate my future
i wanted You to say every word in the dictionary
but instead You kept quiet.
and i realized that in your silence
You said everything.

show me how to appreciate You.
show me to be in awe of your wonderful creation.
-seas and skies and depths and heights-
but teach me to find You in the everyday.

teach me
to smile when
the sun's rays creep in
through my curtains and with their warmth
kiss my face.

teach me
to listen quietly
to the sparrow that perches on my window,
singing his song
and glorifying You.

teach me
to marvel at
the rain that gently falls
and brings life
to a dead garden.

teach me
to laugh with
giggling children,
innocent and carefree,
and to treasure their thoughts and curiosity.

teach me
to be still
when You move around me
because that's where You hide-
in the small, everyday things

Dear friend, why are you so blue?
Are you all alone because everyone left you?
Did you and your loved one part ways?
Did a friend move away?
Did life let you down?
Is that why you've got a frown?
Is everything falling apart?
Is it raining in your heart?

I have something to say
That'll take the pain away:
You are loved and you're alive,
Everything will be alright.
Face today with a smile,
Don't let your sorrows pile.
You can defeat the pain,
Go out and sing in the rain.

even when things slip away
from my hands
i will not slip from Yours
no matter how many times i fail You,
no matter what i do,
no matter what happens,
i will not slip from Your hands of grace
because life is not about
what i can do for myself but
what You've already done for me.
i will not slip from Your hands because
no one is able to steal what is in Your hands.