Hope Rising: A Poem

As of late, in my day to day life I've looked around me, and I've seen such an overwhelming tide of hopelessness. When I see my loved ones fighting their own battles with the ugly monster, it makes me want to do everything I can to help. If God can use me in any way to shed a little light into someone's world, then my life has already been meaningful.

Sometimes we get these grand ideas of heroic measures to save others from darkness, and I admit, I've had quite a few. However, I've found in my relatively short years that true meaning and success aren't always found in the big things; it's the little things that make the greatest impact. 

With that being said, I wrote a poem with hopes that it will do just that; give hope to someone out there who needs it. If you're hurting and struggling to have faith in a world that can be incredibly harsh and unforgiving; this is for you.

We are a new army rising,

With fire blazing in our eyes.

We don't fear anything,

Because we're truly alive.

We died to the things we thought made us,

We strive to never let it bring change.

To the truth we know is just,

Despite those who want it deranged.

Venomous words,

They tickle my tongue.

Spoil my thoughts,

Infect my lungs.

Infuse and bate,

The monster inside.

Everything I hate,

Dwells in my mind.

We climb the mountains of fate,

Because we seek to understand.

How those before us became great,

And brought healing to our land.

But alas, we live in a land that's faithless,

As we struggle to remember our creed.

Our broken world has fallen into stasis,

Paralyzed by the promise of greed.

Why can't I see past doubt?

What's blinding my eyes?

My voice shakes when I shout,

Can't you hear my cries?

Innocence can't be forgotten,

True hope never dies.

The inside of a lie is rotten,

You think you crushed us, watch us rise. 

No matter the cost, we won't desist,

Faith isn't dead, nor is fearless belief.

Regardless of pain, we'll always resist,

Powerless, our enemy is a cowardly thief.

Victorious, we march to a higher drum,

Faithful, we seek to restore what was lost.

You think we're down, but we've only begun,

A child of God is never to be crossed.

Book News: Changes Coming!

As some of you know, I have wanted to write and publish books for many years. Five years ago, at nineteen, I began that journey with the self-publication of Wings of Honor, the first book in my prelude series, The Warriors of Aragnar Trilogy, that would establish the world and set the tone for the massive epic that will follow, entitled The Peace Keepers Chronicles.

In the past five years, not only has the series grown so much, but its meaning and depth has far exceeded my initial expectations. Funnily enough, the two series weren't originally planned to be connected, but God had a different plan in mind, and now, I'm so grateful that it has become the sprawling epic of my dreams. A true testament to my faith and prayers, not only has the story itself grown, but my artistic talent as well.

And finally, after years of praying and preparing, the series is about to endure a major transition into the publishing world. I am happy to announce that The Warriors of Aragnar Trilogy is going to be re-published through Crimson Pulse Media, an independent publisher run by author Brock Eastman! This is truly exciting, and as a self-published author who has long desired for the series to be given the opportunity to shine in its fullest potential, I thank God for this blessing.

Starting with the revision and re-publishing of Wings of Honor, the second book will be split into two novels due to its massive size (because I'm terribly long-winded) and will be published as a four volume series entitled The Warriors of Aragnar. 

This is the first big opportunity for me to get my books out there, and I thank God for His faithfulness! For many years I prayed and worked hard to get where I am today, and if not for God's wisdom and grace, I know that this day wouldn't have come. Despite the times I almost lost hope, grew frustrated, and questioned God's timing, I'm so very glad that I continued to pursue my passion no matter how I felt or what seemed to be impossible.

God is so good, and I hope that this story encourages you to never give up on your dreams. God's timing isn't always understood, nor does it always make sense, but He is good and can always be trusted at His word. I'm very excited to see where this journey will take me, and I trust that God will use my series to encourage and inspire many!

Red: A Poem

I do believe it is coming to my attention that I just need to compile all my poetry into a book, considering how many poems I've written as of late. This one hit me last night in a sudden surge of inspiration, and honestly could probably be put to music. Sometimes (okay, usually...) my poetry is pure attitude, and this is definitely one of them. Enjoy!

Don't you realize that this means war?

Can't you see my hands are already

Stained crimson to my very core?

I'm the loose cannon, the echoing drum,

The rogue gun you cannot live without,

The oxygen that makes your mind numb.

Without me you're empty, thoughtless,

And yet with me, you're intimidated,

My God, I truly know I'm dauntless.

I've not nothing to prove,

That hasn't already been said.

But I swear that I'll remove

Your voice from my head.

No matter how long it takes,

I will turn this world red.

For what is life without understanding,

Of the things that we cannot live without?

Compulsive truths, ever so commanding.  

Deceptive lies, how they convince us,

That we are weaker then our captors.

When there's really nothing to discuss. 

There's only war. 

I've not nothing to prove,

That hasn't already been said.

But I swear that I'll remove

Your voice from my head.

No matter how long it takes,

I will turn this world red.

Faulty Standards and Spiritual Babels: The True Differentiation Between Good and Evil

We claim to be the heroes of our age, and yet we fail to see where at times, we really are the villains. We either parade our faults for all to see in some sense of self-glorification, or we never explore them, hoping to wax over the shadow in our own souls. We choose to see ourselves as the pinnacles of a broken society, somehow unaffected by the destruction surrounding us. But are we really innocent?

We always wish to see ourselves as the 'good guys', but do 'evil' people see themselves as depraved forces of darkness? Or do they see themselves as the heroes who are willing to go farther then any other, and would dare to dirty their hands to bring about change? Even when those actions are indeed justifiably wrong, the mentality that dwells behind the actions are not always that much different then our own. How can we accuse people of past times for committing atrocious crimes that we have outmatched? How can we measure their sins by the blood that was shed when we condone the violent murder of many more millions of innocent lives? We cannot point accusing fingers without seeing that our own hands are soaked in the same crimson innocence. 

Despite this, we the people glaze our eyes and shield our sights from the truth that we would rather avoid. When a lie is seemingly painless, and a mask as cheap as paper, the cost is deemed to be far more effective then the well-deserved pain that the truth would bring. Evil is evil, no matter the age, circumstance, or seemingly righteous conviction. However, do evil people truly see themselves as servants of darkness? Or is it possible that those who stand on the wrong side of history saw themselves as the necessary agents of change; striving toward a better future? 

In the same light, truth is also truth. Many would believe that truth is in the eye of the beholder, and that there are many or no absolutes, as opposed to moral absolutes established by God. This simply isn't accurate, because with such a mentality, anything can be true. Such a belief is toxic and intrusive because many find it an appealing way to justify beliefs that do not line up with God's Word. This can go even deeper, when many more questions along this line of thought are asked. Who decides what is morality as opposed to what is not? Yes, we know the Word of God is the only absolute, but how can we differentiate truth from lie when the lies can be incredibly compelling?

The answers to these questions aren't simple, nor are they answers that many will want to hear. The first step we must take to understand the many layers to this conundrum is to understand the true danger and and manipulative tactics of deception. The Bible says that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, but have we ever asked ourselves why? Humanity has always had a natural aversion of evil, and yet, we also are sin-natured beings drawn to it like a moth to a flame. It is a volatile conflict that promises pain, and the inevitable struggle in our world is only the beginning of a much deeper feud. The enemy preys on our desires for justice and our anger of feeling wronged and twists truly justifiable hurts into unacceptably wicked results. 

Where does this vile switch occur? It starts when we veer from God's control, and try to take the reigns in our own mortal hands. It sparks the beginning of the end when we falsely march forward under the banner of the human mind, absent of God, and replacing Him with the faulty view of man being as high as God. It points back to the Fall of Man, when Satan planted the original seed of doubt, causing man to question God. When we think we can do God's job better then Him, and when we are foolish enough to act out such thoughts; that is the difference between a just cause and a rotten one. 

Throughout the ages we wave these false banners of human control, but we must remember that this notion of man raising himself above God is not a new one. Not that long after creation, man displayed an act of disobedience by building the Tower of Babel. Babel was not just a building, it was a statement of human pride and the foolish belief that man could rise to lofty heights without the aid of a sovereign God. In essence they were replacing God with themselves, as if they could be their own gods. How erroneously wrong they were. Their self-centered deeds were stepped, and their tower was brought low. 

Friends, the Tower of Babel may have been destroyed, but it was just a type. It was far more then a simple man-made structure; it was a spiritual statement. There are many Babels in our world today, as there have been many through our history. While they aren't necessarily physical structures, the mentality behind them remains the same. Whether it's an idea, a statement, a belief, or an action, if it is enacted out of man's impatience to see results instead of seeking God, it is destined to fail. When our hearts are raised in lofty arrogance, we strive to step ahead of God, and it isn't simply a problem our culture faces. Our church isn't exempt from this falsehood, and unfortunately, there are far too many examples of places or organizations in the church that have turned from God's way and meaninglessly struggled through the mire of man's fallible thinking. 

Deception is a sickeningly subtle disease, infecting within before revealing itself without. Many people with well meaning ideas and hearts have been led astray by the deceit of the enemy, who preyed on their desires and encouraged them to strike out on their own, as it were, and not involve God in the process. Because of this deception, many innocents have suffered, and even died, as a result. That is why it is so critically important for us to seek the Word so we can discern the truth from the lie, so that we will not become the next pawns in this vicious cycle. In order to understand these revelations and keep our eyes open to the tricks of the enemy, we cannot allow ourselves to be swayed by the influences of those around us, without taking a good long look at the Word of God first. Instead of focusing on those in history who we deem as 'bad', we need to look at ourselves and make sure that we haven't become the very monster that we had striven to defeat. 

March On, Weary Soldier: A Poem

One of these days I might just have to make a book of poems, considering the rate I've been writing them! This one focuses on the struggles of life and the drive to keep fighting for a life worth living.

I've walked this road,

So seemingly alone.

Shadows, they follow me,

And whisper their lies.

I try in vain to fight it,

These words in my head.

But no matter my actions,

They shout instead.

I'm going to fight,

But I'm tired of the lie.

Of always trying to be,

My own worst enemy.

I'm sick of running from

The monster I've become.

I'm done with ignoring

The drive of my dreams.

They say I only have to trust,

But that's a one-way street.

Don't they know it takes two

To make someone free?

I swear I'll never die, 

To what keeps me alive.

I'll fuel my fiery passion,

Forever, defiant, I'll fight.

I don't have the time

To nurse broken wings.

When I know I was meant 

To capture my dreams.