Portrait of Me

Quiet confidence. Walking through the halls absorbed in her own thoughts. Intuitive. A close friend walks by and she reads the turmoil in their eyes. Hard to approach. Something about her seems so preoccupied all the time. Her inner strength is obvious to everyone but herself.

She scans the crowd with a solemn look on her face. Searching the many faces, taking note of the obvious stories written across them. Looking for a friend, strength in numbers. Her friend's support has a irreplaceable role in her overly cluttered life.

A t-shirt and jeans. Her trademark dress. Dressing always ready for a game of pick-up. She walks with long, slow strides like she's walking through water. Her feet seem to hold her back. No makeup. She has no one to impress. Hair up and out of her face. Always easier to think. Blending in to the crowd of people, she quietly resumes her everyday routine.

You Know Me Best

The look in my eyes
Shows you I'm stressed
The wild urgency
You know I won't confess

You know when I'm down
Hurt, beaten and sad
You know my strengths
My weaknesses and what makes me mad

My likes and dislikes
Are second nature for you
Sometimes you know how I feel
Even before I do

The long talks about
Anything and everything it seems
Has opened your eyes
To my secret hopes and dreams

If someday I am
Half as amazing as you
I'll be who I am then
Because of what you got me through

Faltering Faith

Many have their doubts
Some have many, some have few
Some follow in his footsteps
Do you know them, I do

The ones everyone counts on
To lead them through their plight
Because of their relationship with Him
They are expected to make things right

But the more they are pushed
To know Him and what to do
The more stress and responsibility
As time goes on they lose sight of Him too

Walking in the darkness
Hoping to find the light
But everywhere you turn
The more sins you have to fight

You finally break down
And give up on the light
Turn back toward the sin
And give it all your fight

The sin attacks your soul
From every direction it attacks
The more it comes
The more your faith lacks

You have to come to a decision
What will it be?
Will you go back to Him
Or forever fail to see?

Mission Trip to Denver-mostly extracurriculars :)

Us at Casa Bonita with the cliff divers











My friend Tonya from Nebraska, Bailey and I






Eliza, Tonya, Bailey and I in the mountains








Schyler, Nate, Tonya and I in the mountains








My new friend Madison (7) and I

Trip To D.C.

Abraham Lincoln Memorial















The Capital of the United States of America








Us in the garden in front of the Capital building








Us in front of the Iwa Jima Monument









Gabe and I at the Air & Space Museum







Gabe in front of the Vietnam wall

Pure As Falling Rain

Twinkling eyes
Full smiles that are true
Makes your heart flutter
That at one time that was you

Unscathed by the cruel world
Full of trust, not knowing any pain
Seeing the best in anyone
Pure as falling rain

Endless imaginations
Hearts full of unconditional love
If only you could bottle
The untainted fingerprints of up above

Sensitive to their surroundings
The first to know something's wrong
They might no know what or why
But they know all along

To live their life
Where the worst is a toy taken away
To feel safe and secure
And not sugarcoat what you say

One's life is a fragile thing
Just as the purity of a child
But put them together and like magic
Regardless of life's hardships, they make you smile


A.M.H J.A.H. A.E.B A.P.B A.R.B L.P.B.

Heaven On Earth

Every year spent in joyful anticipation
To spend time in Beverly Hills, Michigan
Her heaven on Earth

All the time spent relaxing with no worries
Receiving almost royal treatment for being herself
A solution for failing self-esteem

Missing people, but never home, she looks back
On that awful year, where this trip is what kept her going
Her love and gratitude toward them grows

Now with all the anticipation gone, she tearfully says goodbye
In the back of the van, she watches as they disappear
And at once, she wonders, "What now?"

Days go by and even though the hurt doesn't subside, it's not as prominent
Plastering on that fake smile and putting one foot in front of the other
Her heart, she left in their care

As she trudges toward the new year, she hopes conditions improve
She hopes that memories from this summer will keep her going
Until finally, heaven is reached again next year