

Roads that led me home is a reflection on the sacred roads we travel—both literal and spiritual. These are the paths where faith is tested, where beauty and brokenness meet, and where God’s presence transforms even the most familiar landscapes into holy ground.
This poem is part of Songs from the Valley: Where I Found Him, a collection of heart-songs written in seasons of wonder, repentance, and renewal. May these words remind you that every path, even the ones that end in shadow, can lead us back to the Light.

Roads that led me Home
The roads I drove time and again
until I had memorized them.
Some roads led me to the most breathtaking views
under the heavens.
Roads that led me home
Some roads led me to the darkest valleys,
which led me to repentance—
where I was forged in fire
and learned to trust the Lord alone.
Some roads led me to dead ends—
these roads where I dreamed many dreams with You;
some made out of a fairytale,
some made out of the Scriptures of gold.
Roads that led me home
The lapis, emerald, and turquoise waters
reflect my day as well as my soul—
the brightest lights that flashed
and danced along your surface.
Roads that led me home.
I’ve seen your paths through the eyes of the residents—
through the elegant mountain Chickadee
and noisy Blue Steller Jays.
Roads that led me home
I’ve followed the footprints
of the cinnamon Crest Mama duck.
My heart broke with the Black Bears
as I fought for your freedom.
To a sea of ladybugs on your sandy shores—
I saw you through those who made you home.
Roads that led me home.

These are poems — psalms, really — written over the years through my walk with the Lord. For a long time, they lived quietly in the pages of my journals. I began sharing a few with close friends, and their encouragement stirred something in me: perhaps these words were meant to be shared.
Much of this writing was shaped by my years living in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in a small town called Incline Village, nestled near Lake Tahoe. A place of breathtaking beauty — 6,400 feet above sea level, home to about 9,000 souls. What once was a family vacation spot became my backyard: where I hiked, went to school, escaped, and found home.
It’s where I fell in love with my husband — and where my faith was forged in both mountain peaks and deep valleys.
These poems are my modern-day psalms — songs of the heart from the valleys and mountaintops of life. My hope is that as you read, you’ll find pieces of your own story woven between the lines, and perhaps a glimpse of the same faithful God who met me there.