From Before to Now

You gave me your heart
And we went back to the start

Before all this pain
Before you tucked it away

Hidden from the world
And its sea of loneliness

And I found a way inside
Through all the brokenness

You set your heart
In my hands

As if you knew all along
That this was His plan

Even if love is all we have right now
Maybe all that matters is this moment

Or every moment since the second
You realized you weren’t completely broken

The moment I saw
That smile on your face

And the joy that came
From finally feeling safe

So run way with me
Just take a chance

Don’t give the world
A passing glance

Even when they say
I have a choice

Because the truth is when
You came I lost my voice

The only words
That would flow

Were those of a love
Like I’ve never known

In Your Hands

There's something about you
That makes me break all my rules

I'm laying my heart out as yours for the taking
I'll risk anything to stop yours from breaking

So I'm putting forth all my strength
And showing the world how much I can take

And I don't have anything to prove
But we've got two lives we could lose

And they see this too
So they ask us to choose

So you sit beside them in that bar
As familiar as always, but never this hard

You could go back to easy
But we can’t picture leaving

So you stay with me
And ride it out

Because, somehow, these words
Always manage to overcome the doubt

It's a phenomenon
I'll never understand

I guess it's a good thing
I let go of all reason

When I put my heart
In your hands

Just Within Our Reach

I know nothing
Of this world

There is nothing I can
Come to understand

There is nothing
I want to understand

About this place
That left her broken

I know not of
What they know

I know nothing
Of this place

I know no reason
Only, does she love me?

I know no right and wrong
Only, will this make her happy?

The only hope I know
Is for our future

My only plan
Is to stay

I hold nothing
But her heart

I possess nothing
But the words

That rest within this tattered soul
That’s too old for this body

I have everything I need
I have everything she needs

I will take her away to a place
Where my love surpasses all of this

We will run from the world
Not out of fear

But because of the knowledge
Of something so much greater

Lying just within
Our reach

You're On My Mind

I'm sure you've been
Waiting for something

But what time and energy I have
Is going into that letter

So don't worry
I'm still writing for you

I'll always be writing for you.

Chains

I hate ultimatums
I hate asking you to choose

I hate coming to the realization
That I may not be invincible

I hate the thought that
There is still so much to lose

You say I'm perfect, but
I'm really not that strong

I may be able
To say and do

All the right things
But for how long?

My love may be unwavering
But so is their resistance

And I may even
Handle it better

If there was
A little distance

Instead I have to stand two feet away
And not reach out my hand

I have to watch you cry
Knowing I can't offer my arms

All because they
Refuse to understand

I'm not asking for approval
And I never will

Even though I earned it when
I was finally given the chance

But really
What has changed?

Is that supposed to
Make me happy?

So what they're smiling at me
When the tighten the chains?

Making The Moments Last

My steps are lighter
And my smile has faded

But I still won't take off
These shoes or that bracelet

I can't hear your words
But I can read them on my walls

I can't see you, but I can see that space
In my closet where my jacket belongs

I can't hear you sing, but
I can listen to the songs

I can't hold you
But He can

And I trust that our blessing
Is a part of His plan

So open your Bible
Twenty-six times

Open the blog
Twenty-six times

Put on my jacket
Twenty-six times

Put each CD in
Twenty-six times

With these things
Take each day on

Enjoying these moments
Living for these moments

Until we can
Make our own

Try to make
Them last

Until they become a part of
Our broken yet beautiful past

Not Our Forever

I can't stop them from
Breaking your spirit

But I can promise
To mend it

I can't stop them from
Taking away everything

But can promise
To give you what you need

I can't tell you
They won't come after you

But I can promise to hold
Your hand through the storm

You will not just be safe
You will know comfort

You will not just
Have what you need

You will have everything
You've always wanted

You will not just survive
But you will live

All I ask
Is that you

Hold on to my words
A little tighter than theirs

And I will promise
To keep them

This is not our forever
It is simply part of our walk

I'm Still Here

They've knocked us off our feet
So let's lay here forever

They've broken us down, so let's
Put each other back together

They're trying to teach us
But we have nothing to learn

There's no such thing
As a love you have to earn

They've broken my heart, but you
Still have a piece in your hand

And because I know I will see it one day
I will comply with their demands

And I know from where I am
I can't offer much

But when they push you
Just feel my touch

When they yell
Just hear my words

When they try to tell
You what you deserve

Remember the truth
In my voice

Remember that soon
You will have a choice

When the tears fall at night
Know that I am by your side

When you can't sleep
Just feel my heart beat

Hold on to the sounds of my breathing
And promise you won't stop believing

I can't give you
A world without pain

But I can offer
You an escape

Just give me a little time
And I'll give you my life