Keep Believing

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
Keep believing through grief, because God loves you and he will sustain and transform you by his grace and peace as he works to bring good from evil.

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(Verse 1)
In the depths of sorrow, when night seems so long,
Remember, my child, your Savior is strong.
Though the path be weary, and grief abounds,
He walks beside you and will right what’s wrong.

(Chorus)
Keep hoping for what’s not yet seen.
Keep believing for what’s beyond belief.
Take God’s hand. In his will confide.
Receive more than you need, as his love provides.

(Verse 2)
When the world leaves you hurting, and doubts fill your mind,
Look to the cross, where your hope you will find.
For the Savior who suffered, he knows your despair,
And his vict’ry, he longs for you to share.

(Chorus)
Keep hoping for what’s not yet seen.
Keep believing for what’s beyond belief.
Take God’s hand. In his will confide.
Receive more than you need, as his love provides.

(Verse 3)
When the future seems bleak, and your heart is in pain,
Cling to the truth that God’s grace sustains.
For his ways surpass ours, his timing is best,
Cast your cares on him, in his peace find rest.

(Bridge)
When your heart is broken, know that God is near,
His gentle touch will soothe each wound and tear.
Though your soul may struggle, his worth never fades,
Trust in him, dear child, he’ll never forsake.
For to trust is not to be over the pain,
It’s to place your burdens in his hands to reign.
He’ll hold them with love, and restore what was lost,
For his redemption, outweighs every cost.

(Verse 4)
So lift up your eyes, and let your soul take flight,
For in your Redeemer, there shines pure light.
He brings good from evil as he imparts his life
He’ll carry you through, the nights of great strife.

(Chorus)
Keep hoping for what’s not yet seen.
Keep believing for what’s beyond belief.
Take God’s hand. In his will confide.
Receive more than you need, as his love provides.

Recipe for Success

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
In the kitchen a daughter learns from her loving mother that she can excel at math if she perseveres.

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(Verse 1)
Frustrated girl sits at the table
With teardrops in her eyes
“I’ll never understand these numbers
No matter how hard I try.”

(Verse 2)
Mom takes a seat beside her
Reviews the test marked red
“You’re closer than you realize
Let’s unpack what’s in your head.”

(Verse 3)
“But Mom, you’re good with numbers
They never made you cry.”
“I struggled too, my darling
Success takes several tries.”

(Verse 4)
The homework sits abandoned
Dejection fills the air.
“Let’s take a break,” Mom whispers
“And head to the kitchen square.”

(Chorus)
With love and grit magic happens.
Baking, an unsuspected guide.
Measuring cups teach fractions
With Mom there by her side.
Numbers come alive in recipes
A different kind of test.
Where mistakes become discoveries.
Perseverance leads to her best.

(Bridge)
Flour dusts their aprons
As they dance across the floor
Dividing dough, adding confidence
Math isn’t such a chore.

(Verse 5)
The timer rings, the moment’s here
They taste their warm creation.
In her eyes, a sparkle new
A sense of satisfaction.

(Outro)
Beyond the sum of measurements
They’ve built what’s more profound:
A daughter learning she can solve
Any problem that comes around.

Puddle Dance

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
When you feel overwhelmed, spend time with those you love and renew your appreciation for simple joys.

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(Verse 1)
Her shoulders slump beneath the weight,
Of bills unpaid and chores undone.
The rain beats down, persistent, late —
A mirror to her spirit, numb.

(Verse 2)
She sighs and stares through tearstained glass,
While small hands tug against her own.
“Come, Mommy, see!” Sweet voice, at last,
Breaks through clouds, she’s lost in alone.

(Verse 3)
Little boots pulled on with care,
A flowered umbrella snaps open wide.
The dog bounds out without a care,
As mother steps with daughter’s pride.

(Chorus)
Sometimes all we need
Is a child’s loving eyes,
To help our hearts believe
In rainbow-painted skies.

(Verse 4)
She slips on grass, wet underfoot,
Her daughter’s laughter fills the air.
And suddenly, her smile takes root —
A bloom through cracks of her despair.

(Verse 5)
They splash in puddles, spin and leap,
The dog barks circles round their dance.
The bills and chores can wait and keep,
While joy reclaims its rightful place.

(Chorus)
Sometimes all we need
Is a child’s loving eyes,
To help our hearts believe
In rainbow-painted skies.

(Bridge)
When did she forget this simple truth?
That love shines brightest through the rain.
Her daughter’s heart, so pure and new,
Reminds her how to live again.

(Verse 6)
The clouds break open, sun appears,
A prism arches through the blue.
The rainbow scatters all her fears,
And paints her world in vibrant hue.

(Verse 7)
She kneels down low, meets eyes so bright,
Her fingers trace that precious face.
Two priceless souls through love aligned —
Bound together in this sacred space.

(Chorus)
Sometimes all we need
Is a child’s loving eyes,
To help our hearts believe
In rainbow-painted skies.

Ever Forward

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
Your best is yet to come when you trust and obey God. Guard against stepping back to what you once were, for God wants you to become something you have never been.

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(Verse 1)
Dawn breaks through shadows long,
Where doubt once held its reign.
God’s whisper turns to song,
New mercies fall like rain.

(Verse 2)
Roots of faith dig deeper now,
Beyond what eyes can see.
The past, a broken bough,
The future, a thriving tree.

(Chorus)
Your best is on its way,
When faith and deed align.
Don’t look back at what you were,
For God’s glory calls your name.
His path ahead is sure,
He’s surpassing what you’ve been.

(Verse 3)
Old chains now rust away,
As grace liberates your soul.
His Spirit leads the way,
Where broken becomes whole.

(Bridge)
Listen to his whisper in the stillness,
Feel the gentle current of his power.
What Christ secured upon that hillside,
Blooms within you hour by hour.
Not what you were, but what you’re becoming,
Not your strength, but his alone.
The miracle isn’t what you’re doing,
But how his life in you is growing.

(Verse 4)
These mountains that you climb,
Were once impossible to scale.
All things perfected in his time
His promises never fail.

(Chorus)
Your best is on its way,
When faith and deed align.
Don’t look back at what you were,
For God’s glory calls your name.
His path ahead is sure,
He’s surpassing what you’ve been.

(Outro)
So walk with lifted eyes,
Beyond the setting sun.
Where glory with God lies,
Your journey’s just begun.

Crown to Cross

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
By faith step down from your throne and take up the cross of self denial. Only then will you experience true life with God and the glory he designed you for.

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(Verse 1)
Clutching my crown so tight
Ruling my small domain
Blind to the coming night
My kingdom built in vain.

(Verse 2)
Tinsel and pride adorn
The emperor of dust
While true life waits, newborn
When in you I trust.

(Chorus)
By faith I step down from this throne
I take up your cross instead.
Your perfect way, not my own
By your hand, I’ll be led.

(Verse 3)
My fingers gladly release
The scepter I’ve long held
As I kneel, I find peace
My selfish heart expelled.

(Verse 4)
Walking the path you trod
Footprints of sacrifice
Dying to self, finding God
Your love paid my price.

(Bridge)
You wore thorns to crown me with light.
You descended so I’d rise.
You embraced death so I’d find life.
It’s you I want to magnify.

(Verse 5)
Through shadows into light
From weakness into power
Surrendered to your might
Blooming like spring’s first flower.

(Chorus)
By faith I step down from this throne
I take up your cross instead.
Your perfect way, not my own
By your hand, I’ll be led.
By your hand, I’ll be led.
By your hand, I’ll be led.

Breaking Away

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
A teenage girl realizes she needs to choose worthwhile friends who are doing something with their lives, who lift her up, and who help her move forward.

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(Verse 1)
She sits in silence, bored and glum,
As shallow friends waste precious hours.
Their laughter rings, but she feels numb,
What’s meant for fun, can quickly sour.

(Verse 2)
They prowl the mall with aimless feet,
Harassing clerks for cheap delight.
Their words sting like winter sleet
Instead of inspire like summer light.

(Chorus)
True friends lift you higher than before,
False ones leave you empty on the floor.
Choose those who help your spirit soar,
Who work toward something worth living for.

(Verse 3)
Their talk is gossip, and belittling,
A poison slowly seeping in.
She feels helpless to intervene,
Yet her patience is wearing thin.

(Verse 4)
Sneaking through the theater’s door,
Guilt weighs heavy on her heart.
She slips away to search for more,
A higher path to embark.

(Bridge)
Wandering the mall, she finds
A boy from school working at a stand.
As they talk, she sees he’s kind.
They share thoughts and hopes, and summer plans.
Her friends arrive and mock his role,
His glasses, uniform, and dreams.
She knows their cruelty takes a toll.
And persuades the group to leave.

(Verse 5)
Later outside, the boy’s bike has a flat.
Again, he’s their target for disdain.
But in her heart, she rejects all that,
And escapes their toxic refrain.

(Verse 6)
She turns away from her hollow friends,
To offer a ride, kind and sincere.
Her choice to break becomes a choice which mends,
As better days draw sweetly near.

(Chorus)
True friends lift you higher than before,
False ones leave you empty on the floor.
Choose those who help your spirit soar,
Who work toward something worth living for.

Wave by Wave

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
Difficulty in this fallen world of broken people comes at you in waves. You cannot escape it, block it, or jump over it, but you can overcome through it by faith in God.

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(Verse 1)
Far beyond the horizon line
Troubles form where eyes can’t see
Growing stronger with passing time
Rolling on toward you and me.

(Verse 2)
Some run fast along the shore
Fleeing what they can’t outpace.
Some build walls to block the roar,
But waves find every hiding place.

(Chorus)
You cannot prevail on your own
Waves of hardship that befall.
But trust in God, He gives his life
So wave by wave you overcome.

(Verse 3)
Waves that crest with furious might
Crashing down with thunderous sound
Some stand firm with all their might
Only to quickly be thrown down.

(Verse 4)
Brief respites between the sets
Moments when the sea seems calm
But soon another surge begets
A force no one can disarm.

(Verse 5)
Some try leaping over pain
A desperate bound above the spray
But gravity pulls down again
No one escapes the water’s way.

(Bridge)
As shorelines yield to ocean’s power
Transformed by every pounding wave
God redeems the darkest hour
For those who trust his love and grace.
When faith becomes your steady ground
Though trials wash across your life
In broken waters, hope is found—
God brings good from tears and strife.

(Chorus)
You cannot prevail on your own
Waves of hardship that befall.
But trust in God, He gives his life
So wave by wave you overcome.

(Outro)
Through the waves, not over them
Through the pain, not around
God upholds you when overwhelmed
In him, your victory is sound.

Kings and Pawns

by Mark Greenelsh ©2017, 2025
Chess is a game, but real war costs lives. Fight to serve and defend the needy, not to enrich the wealthy in their quest for land, power, and control.

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(Verse 1)
What manner of men are these
Whose battle is a mockery?
They scheme and fight as though it matters.
However, they skirmish upon a platter.

(Verse 2)
Foot soldiers march, followed by horses.
Their actions hemmed by eight square courses.
All maneuvers are quite plain to see
But strategies are cloaked in mystery.

(Chorus)
These wooden warriors feel no pain,
Unlike real soldiers slain in vain.
Fight not for glory, land, or throne,
But to serve the needy and defend against foes.

(Verse 3)
The clergy scurry according to shade
The castles defend against arrow and blade.
Now a twist in plot. Watch with me.
A woman has joined the tiny army.

(Verse 4)
She cleverly plots to save her mate
While she attacks their enemy’s gate.
She contends for gain beyond survival
Coveting the wealth and demise of their rival.

(Bridge)
Real kings sit in comfort, far from the fray,
While pawns are sacrificed day after day.
The powerful elite command from behind,
As common folk suffer, their futures maligned.

(Chorus)
Though wooden warriors feel no pain,
Real soldiers often die in vain.
Fight not for glory, land, or throne,
But to serve the needy and defend against foes.

(Outro)
Fight to stop evil. Stand for what’s right.
Restore freedom and dignity denied.
Don’t fight for your gain at others’ cost,
War’s not a game. Precious lives are lost.

Light in the Shadows

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
Become a leader like Jesus by following him and learning from him so you are equipped to help others find and follow God.

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(Verse 1)
Ancient Israel, set apart to shine,
A beacon for nations lost in night.
But in serving themselves they declined
To help others behold God divine.

(Verse 2)
Then came Jesus, Israel’s perfect Son,
Fulfilling what they could not achieve,
A light for Gentiles, God’s chosen One,
Salvation for all who believe.

(Chorus)
Lead me, Lord, that I might lead.
Guide my steps that I might guide.
Help me follow so others find you.
And walk with you, content at your side.

(Verse 3)
Through shadows Jesus walks in light.
His truth cuts through the fog of lies.
Where wrongs entangle, His grace makes right.
He saves through humble sacrifice.

(Verse 4)
He kneels to wash the dusty and worn.
Mends shattered hearts with tender touch.
Embraces outcasts, the scorned, forlorn.
His boundless love restores the crushed.

(Bridge)
Be my strength when the world calls.
Shield my heart from serving myself.
Settle my feet so I won’t fall.
Help me live like Jesus, above all.

(Chorus)
Lead me, Lord, that I might lead.
Guide my steps that I might guide.
Help me follow so others find you.
And walk with you, content at your side.

Through Soil and Stone

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
Every day is a blessing when you have someone to go through it with.

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(Verse 1)
Like a seed surrendered to darkness below,
Shedding its shell for new life to grow,
Through soil and stone, reaching for light,
A fragile sprout becoming tall with might.

(Chorus)
To grow and follow Jesus costs everything,
Your comfort, your plans, your very being,
But his life flows in, as yours gives way,
Through your open hands, others find his way.

(Verse 2)
A mother’s body stretched and torn,
In joyful pain, new life is born,
Family rhythms forever rearranged,
Making room to love, nurture, and train.

(Chorus)
To grow and follow Jesus costs everything,
Your comfort, your plans, your very being,
But his life flows in, as yours gives way,
Through your open hands, others find his way.

(Verse 3)
God’s Son, made flesh, walked dusty roads,
Carried our burdens, bore our loads,
Jesus who served until his final breath,
Planting redemption in the soil of death.

(Bridge)
From the grave he rose, death’s power undone,
New life springs forth like the morning sun,
From spiritual death to abundant life we rise,
When we trust Jesus who paid our price.
Your sacrifice, like seeds cast to the wind,
Takes root in hearts where grace has been,
Your momentary pain bears endless fruit,
As others find in Christ, their deepest root.

(Chorus)
To grow and follow Jesus costs everything,
Your comfort, your plans, your very being,
But his life flows in, as yours gives way,
Through your open hands, others find his way.