Faith & Resolve

I used to see you in full color, every shade inside your eyes,
Didn't mind the scars you carried, never asked you why.
I believed love wasn't borrowed, wasn't something you outgrew,
I was paintin' us tomorrow in a deeper shade of blue.
I never measured where you'd been, only where we'd stand,
Thought forever was a promise built with two steady hands.
But truth got thin and stories bent, silence filled the room,
Love don't die in black — it fades when lies assume.

I remember what we were,
Before honesty got blurred.

I loved you in colors, vivid and bright,
Every shade alive in the late-night light.
But love don't live in half-truths told slow,
And beauty stains when the truth lets go.
I still miss the dream of you sometimes, it's true,
But missing you ain't the same as wanting you.

I watched you learn from lonely women, scared to choose again,
Years stacked up like empty rooms, callin' that livin' in.
I saw forever sittin' empty in somebody else's house,
And I knew that wasn't me — I'm not built to wait it out.
Love shouldn't feel like habit, shouldn't feel like chains,
If it ain't still burnin', it ain't love — it's just a name.

I don't fear time, I don't fear truth,
I fear living half-alive with you.

I loved you in colors, rich and loud,
Sunrise gold to midnight sounds.
But love turns brown when trust runs thin,
Still there — just not alive within.
I wondered what we could've been,
But wonderin' ain't where I live again.

What would it take to feel that love again?
To be the one you didn't lie to at the end?
What would it take to choose the truth that night?
Turns out it took walkin' away.

I loved you in colors, now I see,
Love don't fade, it waits on honesty.
You kept the past, I chose what's real,
You stayed surviving — I chose how to feel.
I didn't stop believing in forever then,
I just stopped believing it was you.
Love ain't black — that's just a void,
And I don't live there anymore

She don't try to light up the room
It just happens when she walks in
There's a calm in the way she listens
Like she hears you before you speak
She laughs like she's known joy and sorrow
Carries both like they taught her grace
And you can tell she's been through something
By the kindness she gives away

She don't need attention
She don't chase the moment
She's already there

She's the kind of girl you don't explain
You just feel her when she's close
Every prayer you didn't know you prayed
Every good thing you still hope
She don't need to be perfect
She don't try to be
She's just everything love's supposed to be

She's got faith that shows up quiet
Not loud, not dressed for display
She believes in more than she can see
And still chooses love every day
She's gentle, but she's not fragile
Strong in a way that don't need proof
And somehow she makes the world feel lighter
Just by being who she is

She don't need saving
She don't need fixing
She knows who she is

She's the kind of girl you don't explain
You just feel her when she's close
Every prayer you didn't know you prayed
Every good thing you still hope
She don't need to be perfect
She don't try to be
She's just everything love's supposed to be

If the world was half as kind as her heart
It'd be a better place to land
She don't promise forever
She just shows you how to stand
And some people come to change your life
Some just remind you what's true
She's the kind you thank God for
Even if she never knows you do

She's the kind of girl time stands still for
When she smiles, the moment stays
Not because she asks for anything
But because she gives it away
She don't need to be perfect
She already is
In the quiet, honest way she lives

Rain on the windshield, emptiness I can't outrun
Scrolling through my phone just to keep my mind numb
Told the world I had it handled, said it like it was true
But I was scared I'd always be
The man I used to be

I'm not who I was, but I'm finding my way
These storms didn't break me, they taught me to stay
I'm learning to love the man I'm trying to be
I'm better than I was, but I'm not yet free

Sunrise on the highway, I'm breathing again
Stopped chasing every shadow, running from where I've been
Some battles ain't worth fighting, some storms gotta roll
I ain't healed all the way yet
But I'm learning to let go

I'm not who I was, but I'm finding my way
These storms didn't break me, they taught me to stay
I'm learning to love the man I'm trying to be
I'm better than I was, but I'm not yet free

The thunder still remembers me
The dark still knows my name
But I don't bow before the storm
I'm not that man again
My heart's still beating steady
I can feel it when I breathe
If I'm still standing here
That's gotta mean something

I'm not who I was, but I'm finding my way
These storms didn't break me, they taught me to stay
I'm learning to love the man I'm trying to be
I'm better than I was
And that's enough for me

He didn't come in power or borrowed light
Didn't raise His voice to be believed
He stayed long enough to hear the silence
Before He ever chose to speak
He didn't stand above them, didn't separate
Didn't make Himself hard to reach
He shared their tears, He shared their tables
Made love feel close, not out of reach

When He said your name
You didn't feel ashamed
You felt safe

He loved them first
Before they understood
Before they had the words
He never asked them to be more than they already were
He just lived like the Father's love was true
And He loved them first

He touched the ones the world avoided
Spoke with kindness, not control
Looked at failure like it wasn't final
Like every soul was still made whole
He didn't rush belief or force a change
Didn't trade fear for faith
He let love stay long enough
For truth to find its place

Standing next to Him
You didn't have to prove
You were already enough

He loved them first
Before the walls came down
Before the scars made sense
He stood beside their doubt and suffering
And called them worth it in the end
He never claimed He was better than you
He just gave away the love He knew
And He loved them first

He called God "Father" like He was near
Like love was already yours
Said, "What I've been given
I give to you"
And the world felt different than before
Grace didn't argue
It stayed

He loved them first
That's how hearts were changed
Not through fear, not through shame
He carried heaven into human skin
And love did all the work
If you've ever felt unseen or unsure
That's exactly who He came here for
'Cause He loved them first

I've met a thousand faces pass me by,
Some burned quick, some never stayed long.
I've learned the truth in the quiet nights,
You don't find love where it don't belong.
I'm past the stage of wantin' it fast,
I'm lookin' for somethin' built to last.

I ain't guessin', I ain't playin' parts,
I know what I want — my Queen of Hearts.

I'm searchin' for my Queen of Hearts,
The one who sees me where I am.
A love that's steady, brave, and true,
A hand I reach for, one I choose.
I don't need the lights, I don't need the starts,
Just a life built strong with my Queen of Hearts.

She ain't afraid of holdin' me close,
Or standin' strong when times get hard.
She sees my love as somethin' rare,
Not somethin' borrowed, not somethin' scarred.
She don't just stay 'cause the world feels right,
She stays 'cause love is worth the fight.

It took some time to understand,
I don't want many — I want her hand.

I'm searchin' for my Queen of Hearts,
The one who sees me where I am.
A love that's steady, brave, and true,
A hand I reach for, one I choose.
I don't need the lights, I don't need the starts,
Just a life built strong with my Queen of Hearts.

I believe she's somewhere close by now,
Dreamin' the same forever somehow.

I'm searchin' for my Queen of Hearts,
Not a fairy tale, just somethin' real.
If she's out there, I'll know the start,
When she feels like home and fire all at once.
No games to play, no second parts,
Just me and her — my Queen of Hearts.

She's right beside me, close enough to feel,
Her legs across mine, everything feels real.
I watch her sleep just a moment in time,
She opens her eyes and sees straight into mine.
No words spoken, nothing to prove,
It's in every little thing that we do.

But she's only in my dreams right now,
Daydreams at work, on the drive back home.
Empty side of the bed, quiet songs,
She feels so real, then the moment's gone.
I wake up calm, I don't fall apart,
'Cause I know she's real, just not in my arms.
I can't wait for the dream to come true.

She don't have to talk, I know her heart,
Ten seconds tells me right from the start.
She reaches back so I don't fall behind,
Like she's always known she'd be mine.
I ain't searchin' faces or callin' names,
Love like this is worth the wait.

Yeah, she's only in my dreams right now,
Borrowed moments I don't talk about.
Songs and silence pull me through,
Every night brings me closer to you.
I wake up calm, I don't fall apart,
'Cause I know she's real, just not in my arms.
I can't wait for the dream to come true.

I don't know her face, don't know her name,
But in every dream it's all the same—
I pull her close, say it soft and slow,
"I lover you… mucho."

She's only in my dreams right now,
But I believe she's close somehow.
When the dream turns real, I'll know what to do—
Hold her tight till the whole world's through.
I can't wait for the dream to come true.

Alarm clock hittin' quarter past four,
West Texas sunrise crawlin' through the door.
Boots on the floor, radio low,
Another long day makin' sure we all go home.
Hands learned lessons you don't get in books,
Every scar's a reminder to slow things up.
Didn't learn it in a classroom chair,
Learned it watchin' close calls turn into prayers.

I don't wear a cape, don't play the boss,
I just see the risk before it turns to loss.

I say steel-toed prayers on an oil-patch floor,
Not with folded hands — I'm watchin' more.
I ain't askin' for luck, I don't roll the dice,
Every rule I carry was bought with a life.
If there's dust in the air and danger near,
I'll plant my boots and stay right here —
Yeah, these steel-toed prayers.

Grease-smudged manuals, cold lunch pails,
Some jokin' loud, some worn and frail.
Old hand says, "I've done this thirty years,"
But I've stood where confidence met fear.
Fast ain't strong and luck runs thin,
Pressure don't care who's been here when.
I ain't slowin' work just to hear my name,
I'm slowin' it down so no one pays.

I don't preach fear, don't raise my voice,
I just lay it out so you've got a choice.

I say steel-toed prayers on an oil-patch floor,
Not on my knees — I'm on watch, sure.
I ain't askin' for easy, don't need a sign,
Just the right decision at the right time.
If there's dust in the air and danger near,
I'll plant my boots and stay right here —
Yeah, these steel-toed prayers.

Every line in that book was written in red,
Somebody paid so you wouldn't have to.
You shouldn't call it luck gettin' home safe,
Safety ain't chance — it's choices we make.
When the plan goes sideways, pressure hits fast,
That's when training matters — and I've got that.

I say steel-toed prayers with a weight I own,
For every worker trusted to get home.
I don't need glory, don't need the praise,
Just another crew punchin' out safe.
If there's dust in the air and danger near,
I'll plant my boots and stay right here —
Yeah, these steel-toed prayers.

We were Gen X kings after school
Cops and robbers, breakin' rules
Campus to campus, runnin' wild
Burnin' daylight, free for miles
Waitin' on the weekend fire glow
No camera phones — thank God they will never know

Fights turned into laughs by night
One swing, shake hands, we're alright

Back when life was simple
Back when time was slow
Back roads, loud songs
Nowhere else to go
Zima and a Jolly Rancher
July heat, buzzin' in the dark
Bonfires burnin' higher
Young, wild, bulletproof at heart
Yeah, we lived it
Back when life was simple

Pager on my hip, 9-1-1
Meant "call me now,"
Three-eight-one, 3 words, 8 letters 1 line
Said "I love you" back in that time
Fred ridin' shotgun, head out wide
That dog knew every wrong and right
Dime night dreams, broke boys stars
Trouble lookin' back at us from the bar

Windows down, radio loud
Wish I could ride that road right now

Back when life was simple
Back when nights felt long
Big mistakes, small town talk
Who kissed who wrong
Cheap beer, best friends
Loud guitars, no proof
Just stories we still tell
'Bout thinkin' we were bulletproof
Man, I still miss it
Back when life was simple

We got older, roads got short
Life hit fast, no warning horn
But every now and then that fire still calls my name
If I had one night to go back
I wouldn't change a thing
I'd raise that same cold bottle
Let the good times sing

Back when life was simple
Livin' loud, no regrets
Those memories burn forever
Yeah, I ain't done with 'em yet
One bonfire away
From feelin' young, invincible
Hell, we were legends
Back when life was simple

I ran as far as my feet would take me
Changed my name in a thousand ways
Tried to lose You in the noise and motion
But You never looked away
Every road I took without You
Every door I slammed shut
You were there when I turned around
Like You never left at all

You stayed when I didn't choose You
Loved me past my worst mistake
I was halfway gone, halfway broken
You were steady, You were brave
I didn't earn it, I didn't hold You
I didn't even know what to say
But You never faltered, never faded
No matter how far I strayed

It hit me somewhere in the quiet
When the running finally slowed
I saw the space where You should've left me
But You were still holding the door
I felt Your mercy before I felt forgiven
Felt Your peace before I understood
That's when I knew it wasn't patience
It was love that never moved

You stayed when I didn't choose You
Loved me past my worst mistake
I was halfway gone, halfway broken
You were steady, You were brave
I didn't earn it, I didn't hold You
I didn't even know what to say
But You never faltered, never faded
No matter how far I strayed

I won't pretend I always saw You
Or that I knew what I was doing back then
I just know You never turned Your back on me
And I won't forget it

You stayed when I didn't choose You
Loved me past my worst mistake
I was halfway gone, halfway broken
You were steady, You were brave
I didn't earn it, I didn't hold You
I didn't even know what to say
But You never faltered, never faded
No matter how far I strayed