Set Me Free

It hasn't always been this way
I remember brighter days
Before the dark ones came
Stole my mind
Wrapped my soul in chains

Now I live among the dead
Fighting voices in my head
Hoping someone hears me crying in the night
And carries me away

Set me free of the chains holding me
Is anybody out there hearing me?
Set me free

Morning breaks another day
Finds me crying in the rain
All alone with my demons I am
Who is this man that comes my way?
The dark ones shriek
They scream His name
Is this the One they say will set the captives free?
Jesus, rescue me

As the God man passes by
He looks straight through my eyes
And darkness cannot hide

Do you want to be free?
Lift your chains
I hold the key
All power on Heav'n and Earth belong to me

You are free
You are free
You are free 

~Casting Crowns

The Silence

Lately I’ve been relying on prayer a lot to just get me through the day….and the night. I find that God is really the only one I can truly rely on to always be there, no matter what. Sometimes it’s really hard to find a place to pray on my own, away from people. I realize that when I pray I like to go somewhere where no one knows where I am or can find me. I found it interesting that all throughout Mark the scripture says, “They went away, to a remote place by themselves” (Mark 6:31, 6:32, 6:46-47, 7:33). I love just being able to walk away from everything, hands down, and talk to the Lord in the quiet. Sometimes I feel that being able to be alone outside allows us to see a different kind of beauty that the Lord is always trying to show us. When we take time just to be alone with Him, in his presence, and see all the things he has created and how much love He shows us through that simple beauty of creation. We open up our lives to a newness no one can fully comprehend. We allow ourselves to enter a new level of vulnerability: one that includes the Father, who created us to be ourselves and to be lovely. There are so many things that aren’t visible to the naked eye when you’re constantly running to and fro, back and forth. Sometimes we just need to stop and be still. We need to take time to understand just how deep the Father’s love is for us, and how much compassion and understanding He truly wants to lay upon us. When we go off by ourselves to be in the presence of God He allows us to see things that enable us to keep going day by day. Most of the time I get so caught up in what the world is telling me, I forget that the same power that conquered the grave is in me. I forget that with Christ all things are possible, and that my Lord, my father is always with me. In the silence He reminds me of that. In the silence He allows me to see that he is the only way, and my only Savior. And it is because of this that I love to enter the silence with my God.

Come join the song, lift your voice
As heaven and earth give praise
Fall to your knees, at the feet
Of the Son of The One True God
Turn from old ways, lift your eyes
For the kingdom of God is here
Open your heart, offer all
For Jesus Christ is here
Oh now

We have found our hope
We have found our peace
We have found our rest
In the One who Loves
He will light the way
He will lead us home
As we offer all
To the One who saves us

Call on the Name, that is hope
Jesus the Son of God
Lord over all, He is good
And His mercy endures
Always

His love endures
Forever His love endures
Forever His love endures
Forever and ever 

~Hillsong, The One Who Saves

The Beast AND the Burden

Have you ever walked into Walmart and stopped just to see all the people moving around you......have you ever considered how many of those people have ever put a needle in their arm, picked up a bottle before 12 in the afternoon...or  tried to feel some sort of pain other than the pain they feel every day. How many addicts do we see every day without even knowing that that person feels the need to be so incredibly numb just to get through the day? Have you ever looked into the eyes of a hurting soul and been able to see all the pain they bear, all the chemicals running through their blood. Can you see the darkness that has taken over them? The fear that runs their lives.....every second of every day. Why can't we see it? Why don't we do something? Those people are also "the least of these", are they not? Why do we turn our backs against our own.....