Getting Started

He wanted a favor And I said no This potential friend A soul in need I wasn't going to die By helping out I had the power To do something His day worse Mine better And that's how it is The parking lot is stained with fallen leaves There's a parking block missing And found next to its neighbor block There's an old loading dock that can be seen from the road That's still in use in the morning, With a sign above pointing to the back, "additional parking" Taking out the trash And the recycling Improves the health of my apartment It takes a sigh of relief When it's a quarter full, half full, or even three quarters full It just sits there stinking and rotting But when you're finally ready to take everything outside The empty recycle bin And clean trash bag They smile  Inside are the freshest fruits and veggies Mean on display and cut to order All the local, organic products you could want Even a small sandwich shop that's usually glad to get you a sp...

The crisp, fresh air Stinging the cheek muscles and Tugging on hair follicles Burning wide-open eyes until they well-up with water, soon to be streaming down to the chin The cool breeze is so quiet you can hear yourself think The waves rock your body up and down, back and forth The open freedom humms and buzzes under the too-warm sunshine Up front the bow jumps wildly in the air Like an animal in the wild Smooth and fast Free and powerful An unsteady walk to the stern A time-out from the action A side-view of the sprawling forests Clean and well-kept beaches And a massive divide, cut deep into the earth's temporary shape Fanning out and slowly falling back in line A long day of adventure and excitement A good laugh to strengthen family bonds A picnic in the wilderness And another good memory Of success

I'm trying my best To remain humble I'll be patiently waiting For a time when my talents are needed When I'm wanted I'll be following orders Fitting in And remaining useful Ready if I'm ever called upon I've got nowhere to go Nothing better to do And I don't much care for leaving I'll be in the corner waiting And training Watching and hoping That someday what I have will work

Let us sit in silence I am a moment You are forever There is no power greater Than love that's almighty With our hearts full of praise Oh mighty love Give us peace That which is born of the flesh is flesh That which is born of the Spirit is spirit The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear it's sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes Lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdom And the power And the glory forever Mankind is in a spiritual darkness and death That is our natural state We need to be reborn, with a new heart We are unable to choose good over evil, dead in our trespasses We are reborn to be alive, free from sin The word made flesh God owes nobody his love It is our responsibility to repent and believe, and trust in the Lord

Is for that special club you joined, with only a few members And you're always hoping everyone shows up to every meeting And gets the most out of being there Encouragement Is for that one guy at work Not because you need the help, But because you know he doesn't always make good decisions And he has kids at home and he really needs to show up And do well, not relapse into old patterns Encouragement Is for that family member that is usually doing well, but today something seems different Because you know how well things can be when everyone gets along And you know that a little encouragement is all that it takes It works if you give it a chance A lone beer can lurks beneath a fluffy green bush, awaiting redemption A young woman reclining in a rocking chair on the porch, lights a blazing candle to ward off the bugs A shirtless young man wipes sweat from his brow and glances around before returning back under his jacked up car A faded ambulance rumbles past with rubbed off emblems...

I plan to make the most of my time here Not too much Not too little I have my vision of just a bit in front of me I have far-off dreams And I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow A also know what I'm not gonna do What won't or shouldn't happen Because I'm strong And I have faith I can see my tiny little rock My high-flying adventure through space I know my flag doesn't mean much But there it is There it will be My own My family is going to be a part of it I have hope My friends are already there and hopefully stay a while I have strength My future can be great if only I could focus and work hard enough I know it's good Where I'll fall or change course I don't know, but that's ok with me I have hope

For having something When we could have nothing Gratitude For those before us and after us For those above us and below us Gratitude Keeping us well-mannered and honest For things we have and that we don't Gratitude For the new clothes on my back And the worn out shoes ready for the trash Gratitude That I have the chance to buy fresh produce And not the misfortune of stale bread Gratitude I'm healthy and happy and whole I'm free and exuberant and happy to be competitive I'm so glad to be me

When disaster strikes I will not be ready I imagined today My wheel fell off while driving to work I dreamed last night I forgot to lock the door and someone broke in I fear for what I'd do If I ever got injured or something happened at my job I don't own a gun or know about cars I'm not great with relationships or networking And that's how things will be At the crest of the freshly paved hill a brand-new house, spotless paint and trim Freshly stained patio furniture and a flag proudly waving atop it's pole A small barn by the road with a wooden flag nailed to the top Two immaculately maintained vehicles sit in the gravel driveway, perched next to the open garage Happiness Is being alive, early to rise, early to bed Happiness Is a steady job with benefits and decent coworkers Happiness Is belonging to a caring family that keeps in touch Happiness Clean and sober, couldn't be healthier Happiness Is dreaming big or small or any way we choose Happiness Is a warm, h...

Spending time with what's good Practice and repetition and love For something we know is greater Because it has to be We are not the best And should never hope to be We do what's right every day Exercising our bodies with goodness Eating health and nutrition for wellness Trying our minds to virtue Practicing over and over With humbleness and respect Our worship bring strength Our actions are the symbols of our meaning Our future bright and positive Great and possible Wide open and focused Bringing us un-ending joy

We're not always the best We weren't the first and won't be the last The strongest and fastest and smartest and sometimes even the most handsome We are going to be wrong sometimes Someone else was there Someone wants it more We are proud of everything we have We were so brave when we work to get there We were for a moment strong and courageous We were for a while very clever and likeable Our time may never come, but some day There will be a time for reflection For an expression of awe and understanding The winters journey of a thousand miles Done in a day and with nothing to show A lifetime later a moment will be there A careless second is something and nothing We must remain grounded and small In order to one day grow big In order to be big, ever The best is the best is the best We are all here, trying our hardest

We know from where we came Rooted and build up in Him and established in the faith Just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving You need nothing but faith to overcome anything And let everything we do in our lives be a perfect offering Our lives will be one of thankfulness Freedom comes from the death of evil desires As we remain rooted in faith we remain free from sin And you have been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority Not thank us all our God All praise and joyous be Let no one disqualify you Light of the world Without it, there is darkness He conquered the sea The deep, dark, chaotic sea The wind and the crashing waves To deliver the boat of followers safely to its destination And within us, Our chaos and the storms we go through There is a guide Faith. Hope, goodness, strength The light of the world Will lead us to our destination

The bright, brilliant blossom Flourishing along the perky, green vine With preposterous friendly leaves Dies during the first winters frost The warm air and vibrant sun Brought the gentle life back from beyond Not for long, as the season presses on And the days grow shorter and colder The season of revival is next year And the year after And every year after that If left undisturbed

Today I'm too busy With chores and tasks at work To think about concerns of the past Present and future Consumed by what's happening At hand, right now And worried about things of no consequence I may not need to remember to forget I will be focused and ready Fit and pleasant Already winning, which need not matter anymore The present is forever and consuming Happiness and satisfaction Never done A pair of tire tracks, recorded, set into the road Coming from the opposite direction of the narrow road that sharply bends the other way Smooth and well-groomed in the middle, Rough and unmaintained along the shoulder The frenzied moment of exuberance and delight, all brought together through meticulous planning and constant hard-work It doesn't need to be great It shouldn't be overlooked It is proud and honorable Close to home and soaring through dreamland It's gonna keep us going when we get tired and frustrated It's gonna help us stay as long as we see fit And move u...

We are allowed to see the sun rise in the morning We may look up at the stars in the sky at night We take the time to enjoy the leaves As they change color and fall to the ground We get to partake in the great and the small The time spent training and burning with pain The time up early and staying late Listening and learning and waiting and wanting Living and loving and bleeding tears of happiness Tonight it was worth it, tonight was enough All glory and honor All respect and esteem Is earned and won Can fade and be lost Just as easily Every sunset begins the night Every new moon comes in turn We are allowed to know the joy Of holding a new-born baby We are allowed to compete and win

Relaxed, Stress-free, Happy, Alert, Connected, With the ones that matter A job that's stable, successful, and productive Needs that get met and bills that get paid A bit of savings and a bit of exercise, When there's time and support and resources required Asleep, Quiet, Talkative, Energetic, Smart, Savvy, Not wanting for something somewhere else Or somebody that isn't part of the here and now Ready to show up and participate and do good Be good When life is comfortable

A double layer coat with a weather-proof shell a hat and gloves Sneakers and jeans Are what's needed for a freezing cold walk Along the frost-stained and wind bitten pavement Littered with salt and sand from this and other storms Snow adrift here and there along the journey Just across the bridge and inch of flurries from the night before haven't been shoveled or plowed Squeaking under foot from the too-cold Sneakers crunch a fresh path, the bottom half not getting cold The top half wind-whipped and zipped up to the chin Exposing just the nose and beneath the glasses The cold, the freezing cold causing fluid leaks Threatening the safety of the whole situation Tears in the storm A nose running away Bravery and health and adventure and strength and triumph at stake A simple walk in the freezing cold

Every morning I start my car To warm it up in the freezing cold I grab the brush and the scraper from the back seat Close the door and clean the car off So I can see driving down the road in the winter And I just know that with the keys inside and the doors all closed The rotten machine is going to lock me out Somehow I don't trust it That's my ride to work and my house keys Sitting in the ignition Behind closed doors That could just lock Somehow But they probably won't I hope