If I Should Die Before I Wake

It's human nature to want security; we want it more than purity. We want to know what the future holds, but since we can't, we want safety in case it comes time to fold. We want to sleep soundly, and when we wake, we want to solve our problems profoundly. It's easy to sit back and relax, confident in your salvation seeing no need to act. Complacency is a state of mind, it'll lead you right into the ties that bind every time. You seem confident on the outside, but on the inside are you really that sure, can you remember the last time you truly cried. In your complacency did you think even one time about the reason or rhyme that guides the steps that you take even when the tears you cry have become so fake. Now you put your head on your pillow and close your eyes, you say a prayer in hopes of covering your lies. Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, and this time you begin to weep. What have you done to keep it all fresh, when is the last time you fought back against your flesh. What if this is it, the last breathe you take before your heart decides to quit. There were still things you had to remit and the next thing you feel is emptiness. Your skin begins to burn and you cry out, Lord get me out of this empty drought, you scream it without any hint of doubt and suddenly you wake; I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Testify Once More

This isn't your first time around the block, not the first time you've been staring at a hard place with your back against a rock. You've taken a stand, testified and said that all can, but here you are once again, on the outside looking in. This isn't Deja Vu, you've done this before and the problem really is you. Your the success story with a million and one stories, but why wasn't the first time enough worry. Which one will be the testimony that kills you, how long before the testimony becomes a eulogy.

Theory of Revolution

There's something out there, past the sound of a muffled prayer. It's brewing somewhere in the midst of a group, it's the idea in some soldiers mind in the middle of a troupe. It's the words of a man who's lived his life, and warns his kids of the downward trend and strife. It's the silent tears of a young woman who's seen one too many leave. It's the mothers tears for her children wiped on her sleeve. It's the revelation that's long overdue, finally received. It's the final prayer of a father before his final breathe has been breathed. All it requires is the one who takes a stand, or a fresh breathe of air in a life gone bland. It's a sound that grows louder, every day growing in power. It's been said to exist yet in some peoples minds it's never going to happen and they resist. It's become a myth or at best a thing of the past that won't ever come at long last, been promised so many times and in so many lines. It's something so explosive yet we forget to check our motive and the purpose escapes us. This is something that won't remain hidden, it's something that will free the guilt-ridden and break the chains of those who have found themselves chained and those who needed something so badly that they remained, until they had given all they had or until it hurt so bad that they knew they need healing. This will give stability to those who find themselves reeling in a world that never sleeps and to the child when all she can do is weep. It will be justice for the wronged and acceptance for those who have never truly belonged. This is something that can not be ignored forever; it won't be something you can push off till whenever. If it isn't you, there will be somebody who stands up, there isn't time to waste, either take the mantle or pass the cup. It won't start as a force, at first it may only be you, even then stay real through and through. Rest assured that others will follow your example, your provision will always be more than ample. This is something much bigger than you, it can't be controlled, this is being right on time in the right place, meeting the right face, introducing mercy through grace, whatever the case. It's not just learning to lead, it's learning to follow, preventing the enemy from reaching those he may swallow. To many, it has become that thing we strive for but never attain, our desire to change the world while we let the cultural status remain. They say it's an illustration, but I don't read the margins, I skipped the Scott J. Jones annotation. This is something that grows inside the young minds of a generation, chosen; while the rest of the world stands frozen. Tell them it's impossible, too late; they're already redefining the word possible. They've heard about it and they know it's coming, the sound is growing from a humming, turning slowly into something undeniable, it has been tried, tested, and proven viable. It went from a thought in a mind to a movement of a different kind, a brand new state of mind. That, is the theory of Revolution.

Remember Me

It was night, the darkest place in my plight. This wasn't what I had come for; my body was beaten, bruised and sore. I tried to think of a way out. Every thought was shot down with a fear or a doubt. I was locked up and bound inside this prison in my own mind where confusion abounds and all those who tried to help, it would confound. But I knew I had once been found and last time all I had to do was yell out loud, so;

I'm broken and beaten; restore me.

I'm battered and blind; rescue me.

My heart is shattered to pieces; remember me.
This is what I am; nothing without the pure blood of the lamb.

It was morning; the sun had risen without warning. The sun rising on the horizon. This is where I knew everything would be all right. I couldn't even remember my last plight the future looked so bright. Nothing stopping me from reaching my desires, it was all I could think about; burning inside me like a fire. I forgot from where I came; it wasn't long before I had a brand new shipment of shame. I couldn't figure it out, the future looked so bright and now it had all but burned out. Then I remembered;

I'm broken and beaten; restore me.

I'm battered and blind; rescue me.

My heart is shattered to pieces; remember me.
This is what I am; nothing without the pure blood of the lamb.

It was dusk, the light was fading, my life felt like a sketch without the shading; empty as it gets like a guitar without the frets. This couldn't be it, there must be something I can remit. I couldn't just watch the last bit of light in my life dim; beyond that the future looked pretty grim. Why couldn't my life have a balance, apparently I couldn't just rely on my talents. I was caught in this cycle of life, ranging from joy to strife. If this was how it was, why couldn't I just be glad; even through the good and bad. I had left out one very important factor; I had been living my life in the hands of a captor. To be released I needed something more, there was something in life I need to adore. In the happiness and sadness, the joyful and the hurtful. So once more;

I'm broken and beaten; restore me.

I'm battered and blind; rescue me.

My heart is shattered to pieces; remember me.
This is what I am; nothing without the pure blood of the lamb.

One Last Time

My heart’s beatin outta my chest, I can feel the pain, I can hear the cry, but I can’t make it stop. I need salvation from this haunting manipulation, I need to lie down, need some rest. Even though I'm the best in the west with no contest there will always be competition, someone trying to knock you off the top spot, but it’s okay because you can’t stay hot forever. Never say never just remember the good times as they go and try to forget that bad ones as they come. The U.S. might be in debt, but that doesn’t mean we all have to give up and fret because of all the bad decisions made in greed. It’s the mean green monster named greed that creates a world of full of pain and hurt that never seems to learn from all the red liquid we bleed. It’s the blood from the young guns fighting the wars across the world that have been shed mostly in vein. The Bible says write the vision, make it plain. Lord we ask you, speak to the leaders let them know you reign! In wisdom and in love you reign, so we ask you… would you send the rain. Let it fall upon the earth one last time before the free reign.

Another Hallelujah at Midnight

He's tried so hard to tell her it's alright, but that little girl knows there's no end in sight.

He can't lie to her anymore; he doesn't even know what's in store.

He tucks her in and kisses her forehead, all the while wondering if she'd be better off with her mother instead.

Just another day in the life of a man who's lost it all; it's been like this since long before last fall.

How does he cope, how does he live this life without even the slightest bit of hope.

It's just another prayer in the night, another hallelujah at midnight.

One more tear in a silent prayer, another praise when the world doesn't care.

It's another life in the hands of love; given strength through grace from above.

It's another hallelujah at midnight.

Another day and another empty stomach; It's another struggle and one more bad check.

The kids ask why and it's all she can do to not cry, she knows she has to get up in the morning and try.

It's not for her it's all for them, she can deal with the disapproving looks that seem to condemn.

She always wanted them to go to college; if she can't even give them food how can she give them knowledge.

She has to keep going and it's always tough, but sometimes when she wonders if she has enough;

It's just another prayer in the night, another hallelujah at midnight.

One more tear in a silent prayer, another praise when the world doesn't care.

It's another life in the hands of love; given strength through grace from above.

It's another hallelujah at midnight.

He gets up in the morning and heads to work, sometimes it seems like in life there is no perk.

Then he remembers his family, and that brings a smile to his face naturally.
Sometimes it tends to be a grind but all in all he really doesn't mind.
The house is threatening to be taken and that wreck last week still has him a little shaken.
He hasn't gotten to rest in a while but even through all that he can still smile.

It's just another prayer in the night, another hallelujah at midnight.

One more tear in a silent prayer, another praise when the world doesn't care.

It's another life in the hands of love; given strength through grace from above.

It's another hallelujah at midnight.

Revolution

Sometimes you just can't sleep when your mind gets going, you open up your heart and the words start flowing. Once you've got the passion going it's like a fire, burning up all self-pity and desire. This is how the movement starts, once you realize your generation is falling apart. This can't be acceptable, somebody must be held accountable. It's my generation that has the call, we have to be the ones to change it all. Yet here we stand a generation of statistics, the product of a few men's analytics. We're expected to fail and told we'll quit, that we owe a debt already that we can't remit. This comes from those who sold my generation for some here and now; without remediation. We're no longer individuals, we're a mass market, the largest mass media target. Yet they won't even let us take our own blame, it's something we have to realize if we're to remain. In a world where rebellion is regarded as the norm we have to start a revolution of a new form. It won't start loud and it won't start large, just a few here and there standing up and taking charge. Something like this is volatile, it won't fit with the in style. It's a movement that will be heard, you can't squelch the sound of the word. This isn't just being different, that's what made you want to make a difference. This is being different out loud, amidst the people and crowds. This is a revolution.