99

Dear number ninety nine,
I see your small town heart,
But tell me through the fame and success,
Does it feel far apart?

You seem to have all you've wanted,
Built on hard work and big dreams.
But please tell me, is having it all
Really all it seems?

Do you feel totally fulfilled?
Or is something missing you can't explain?
Are you searching for more greatness?
Is there something else you need to gain?

Dear number ninety nine,
It seems your hard work has been rewarded.
But did you ever stop to think of the One,
From whom all your gifts were awarded?

With all the awards and accolades,
All the credit goes to you,
But I wonder if deep in your heart,
You give the credit where it's due.

The man who throws players to their knees,
Do you ever get on yours and pray?
The man who leads in many stats,
Do you ever let God lead your way?

Dear number ninety nine,
Nobody is perfect, you and I will fail and be weak,
Times like these I look to God for strength,
Who is it that you seek?

In times of doubt and insecurity,
How do you feel secure?
Is it by working out and pushing yourself through
The hardest exercises you can endure?

The times you feel empty and broken,
How do you feel whole and new?
Is it by new cars and vacations,
And doing whatever you want to do?

Dear number ninety nine,
I love your work with those who defend our nation.
Without even knowing it, you're doing the work
Of the King of all Creation.

Like all you do for underprivileged kids,
Providing them athletic equipment to compete.
By allowing them to play sports,
You help keep them off the street.

People of all ages look up to you,
But what if you gave them more to see?
Kids want to be like you when they grow up,
But what if you gave them more to be?

Dear number ninety nine,
Does that small town heart beat for the love of God?
Or for simply the love of the game,
And giving it all you got?

Do you think of the people you can help,
Or the opponents you can defeat?
Do you train your body for your work,
Or do you train to be God's hands and feet?

Imagine what would happen
If everyone who know and love you,
Would also by association
Know and love God too.

So when you lock yourself in your cabin,
To find peace and train alone,
I challenge you to find your God,
Who will train you from his throne.

Your heart will beat, and your hands and feet
Will move in ways you've never known.
Your thinking will change for the better,
Your mind will be heavenly blown.

There's a peace you never knew possible,
A strength you never knew existed,
A mental toughness shining light
On a society so dark and twisted.

Dear number ninety nine,
I know it's pizza you like to deliver.
But what if you could provide the hope
That calms every shake and quiver.

You know how to score a touchdown and touch a life,
But tell me can you touch a heart?
With the kind of love and faith that never fails,
Something that won't ever fall apart?

Dear number ninety nine,
I see your face on the television,
But do tell me does it always reflect
The face of God's mission?

At 23 years I haven't seen what you  can see,
But I know the greatest sight was the one that's in me.
No superbowls, photo shoots, or riches can ever satisfy my thirst,
Like how it feels in my heart to put my Lord and Savior first.

You seem to be the headline of every story,
But few are dedicated to giving God glory.
Tell me, are you shy or afraid of offending?
Or are you going to keep going through life pretending?

You can isolate your self to build every muscle,
You can train all you want to have more strength and hustle.
But if you don't give thanks, listen to the spirit, or pray,
You may not be reaching your greatest potential each day.

One muscle will still be neglected,
unless one day god's temple is erected.
Your heart is the muscle that shows true strength
Following God's path to every length.

You're in the hearts of so many people,
Imagine what would happen if their hearts would build a steeple
If your heart filled with God, maybe theirs would be too,
But it all starts with number 99, it can begin with you.

You see forever when you look into my eyes,
I look to my Father reigning in the skies.
You want this to last, you want me to be yours,
I pray God leads me to the man through whom His love pours.

Is this your design? Is this what You planned?
Is this the solid ground you want me to stand?
Is this the man you picked to give my whole heart?
Is this love what you've intended from the very start?

Cuz when I look in his eyes and return his gaze,
I don't see the holy fire that sets the world ablaze.
I can't feel his heart beating for Jesus's love,
I don't see his mind setting on the things above.

Am I to be patient and wait for your Spirit's work?
Hoping he'll one day reject all the demons that lurk.
Am I to be loyal and forever stand by his side?
Hoping he'll be the Christian man that makes me his bride.

God, calm my heart for I don't like to wait,
I thirst for your truth if this is my fate.
Lord, strengthen my soul if I am to be a light,
I beg for your grace to shine so bright.

Father, you know my heart and what it needs,
You feel all my hurts, aches, and pleads.
God I pray for wisdom to open my eyes,
Give guidance to my heart when it comes to guys.

Here are the things I want that sometime I'll say,
This is how I want to live life every day.
Here is what I want in my relationship's story,
This is how I want to give God his glory.

I want to seek God's love to give to you,
I want to read God's word to know what's true.
I want to walk by faith while walking by your side,
I want to live for God and swallow my pride.

I want to speak His words and have conversation,
I want to be loyal until His revelation.
I want to be open and honest and share similar views,
I want to live in moderation with food and *****.

I want to live for Jesus because he died for me,
I want to shine my light for all to see.
I want to be strong and stand out in the crowds,
I want to be confident my home is in the clouds.

I want to be bold and live without fear,
I want to feel God when you are near.
I want to see God's presence through each other.
I want to set and example, be a good mother.

I want us to want the same things and share the same vision.
I want us to rely on God for every provision.
I want us to live by the Word and share the good news.
Above all, I want this to be the life that YOU yourself choose.

Until then I'll be waiting on the edge of staying and leaving,
Waiting for the day that you truly start believing.
For all the things I want I have doubts they'll come true,
Maybe one day I'll know that what I want is you.

i believe i am beautiful,
i believe i am enough,
i believe i am strong,
even when times are tough.

i believe in innocence,
i believe in love,
i believe there is someone out there,
god sent me from above.

i believe in laughter,
i believe in joy,
i believe there's more to life
than just a silly boy.

the ribbon in my hair is a symbol,
not just for girlish charm,
a symbol that true love exists
with out abuse or harm.

the ribbon reminds me of patience,
to let the bad boys pass,
a symbol showing me i'm worth more,
than just a piece of ***.

the ribbon gives me confidence,
it reveals the beauty inside,
a symbol i learned from my mistakes,
and i can hold my head with pride.

so share this as a movement,
share to fill a void in girls today,
a lack of self respect and dignity,
that lets boys get their way.

share this for standards to be raised,
share for heads to be held high,
a change in attitude and image,
that shows her limit is the sky.

share this with all you know,
share with all the girls you see,
that a ribbon in her hair tells guys,
"you're gonna have to work for me."

one day i won't want to be with you.
one day i won't think our love was true.
unfortunately that day is not today,
so until then in my mind you'll stay...

one day i won't dream of kissing your lips,
one day i won't want the touch of your fingertips
i miss your arms around me, living wild and free,
it's hard to think that now all i have is me.

one day i won't walk past your door,
one day i won't want to see you anymore.
i go out of my way just to see your face,
and when i do i see memories i can't erase.

one day i won't look around, scanning the school,
one day i won't be paranoid and look like a fool.
i'm always wishing and hoping you were near,
not being able to stop this is my biggest fear.

but one day i will remember why we aren't together,
one day i will remember why we couldn't last forever.
i'll think not about what made us so strong,
i'll think about all those things that went wrong.

one day i will see you and my heart won't race,
one day i will be calm when i see your face.
you will be just another face in the crowd,
my internal cries for you won't be so loud.

one day i will walk by with a simple greeting,
one day i won't want us to have another meeting.
you will be just like all those other boys i knew,
my thoughts of you will be so far and few.

it's happened before so many times to me,
and each time i was fine and soon i'll see
that one day i won't flinch or freak,
i'll be strong and won't feel so weak.

so will keep wishing and praying,
and away from you i am staying.
for the one day all these things come true,
i know that'll be the day i'm over you...

I wish I knew the song playing in my heart
the lyrics seem to be breaking me apart
it's a different tune than the one before
the carefree melody is no more

I try to guess the chorus but I don't get it right
the unfamiliarity is keeping me up at night.
where is this coming from? why the sudden change?
the beat of the song makes my heart beat strange.

a new wave of emotion comes with this new song,
a feeling that makes what's right feel wrong.
I wish I had control, the instruments are out of my reach,
the vocals are deafening, an alarming screech.

I used to sing every line, danced to every word
but now I'm stuck frozen amidst noise so absurd.
this new song is an alert, a loud warning cry
calling for a change in direction away from a guy

the guitar strums confusion, the drums beat haste,
the resulting effect is a good relationship gone to waste
each note plays thoughts of doubt in my head,
the final product is a melody that's dead.

maybe it's maturity, maybe it's fear
but I lost something I held so dear.
if only this song was a little more clear,
I would save two people from shedding a tear

i need some time, i need some space,
i need to train to match life's pace.
i'm a work in progress, i'm under construction,
getting involved with me would only lead to destruction.

God is the artist and i am his work,
temporarily vulnerable to dangers that lurk.
my edges are being smoothed, my heart is being repaired,
over the last few years i've become quite impaired.

i hobble and limp from the aftermath of my decisions,
i can now reflect on my mistakes to make revisions.
so long i've been so blind, but i'm starting to see,
that God is the only one who knows what's best for me.

my bones ache and my muscles are sore,
i have finally ended the internal four year war.
i threw in the white flag, gave victory to my Lord,
i tossed aside every shield and sword.

i may be broken, i may be hurt
feeling exposed like a man without a shirt,
but my God is the umbrella to my torrential rain,
He will be the medication to heal all of my pain.

it's a truth i've known for far too long,
that God is all i need in order to be strong.
that if i put my trust i Him, my path will be straight,
i just wish i didn't truly accept this so late.

whereas before i had my doubts and hesitations,
i now stand before the cross with no reservations.
better late than never is what they always say,
i choose to surrender my life to the Lord today.

it's a breath of fresh air, the calm before a storm,
the awaiting of a brand new me to form.
reaching rock bottom, being at peace being broken,
allows me to cash in my heavenly redemption token.

i'm a work in progress, taking everything day by day,
it'll be a difficult, but i wouldn't have it any other way.
my God is here and He is here to stay.
He is creating me fearless, so come what may...

i will have my share of good and bad, and up and down,
but i know i will always be renewed by my holy crown.
I will make mistakes, i will sin and fail,
but i know that no matter what, God's love will prevail.

so i will walk my path wearing a caution sign,
announcing that this heart is no longer mine.
my body and soul has a new owner, the great Divine,
who will cleanse me, rebuild me, and make me shine.

it will ward off any potential invaders that the time isn't right,
this heart will remain taken until i'm strong enough to fight.
it'll only be in God's time, not mine, that i will be fully ready,
so until then i will focus on the future, living slow and steady.

before you love others, you need to love yourself.
display your confidence, humility, and dignity on your shelf.
dig deep to find who you are and who you want to be,
then present your true self for all the world to see.

this may not come easy, this much is true,
but there's no greater reward than finding the real you.
the ease to be natural, the joy to be free,
praising God saying, "thanks for making me, ME!"

it's easy to get wrapped up in the things all around,
but material possessions are not what's to be found.
self worth is not measured by your wallet or phone,
not even your clothes or house, but by you alone.

you can discover your interests, embrace every passion,
but don't get caught up with your looks and your fashion.
you can acknowledge an imperfection, accept a downfall,
tolerate your weakness, and love yourself through it all.

analyze your body for habits,  gestures, and quirks,
search your soul for every dream and secret that lurks.
find your inner peace, recognize what you cannot tweak,
and know God has made you special and unique.

now you may know yourself like the back of your hand,
but do you know your Creator who had you all planned?
best way to discover yourself is to consider the source,
the loving hands of God are the greatest force.

everything you are, is a miracle only God can make,
for this reason, you must never think you are a mistake.
to doubt yourself means to doubt your Father,
so if you think you need to change, don't bother.

every  interest, hope, dream, and taste,
every freckle, frizzy hair, ****, and waist,
every mother, father, daughter, and son,
God's blessings are seen in everyone.

if you suffer an illness or loss, lose your job and pay,
breakup or divorce, you can't find your way.
in the midst of it all, you may forget who you are,
starting from square one, know God isn't far.

have faith He made you to be blessed and succeed,
have faith He gave you a purpose, go where He will lead.
have faith He will you bring you through the bad,
have faith He will give you strength to smile when sad.

in a corrupted world of sin, violence, and greed,
it may be hard to be different and do God's deed.
people of sin will die but those of God will thrive,
a child of God, not of the world, will forever be alive.

God crafted each person and made them His own,
He lives inside you so you may never be alone.
next time you look in the mirror, put a smile on your face,
envision your proud Father wrapping you in His embrace.

love for yourself will come when you see God's love,
undeserved, precious, and holy love from above.
He sent His son Jesus to die and forgive our sins,
it is for His death that our new life begins.

God's love is all we need to make us full and complete.
only after He captures our hearts, can others compete.
to love others, we must know the greatest love of all,
and know there is a godly person to catch us when we fall.