The Author's Story

Out of
the Dust

How a maverick heart found the Cross

"I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, I will confess my transgressions to the LORD — and You forgave the guilt of my sin. You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance." Psalm 32:5, 7

These are those songs of deliverance.

A Word From Thomas

Welcome to My Story

Howdy. I'm Thomas — and I'm the maverick at the cross.

Country music has always spoken my language. The grit, the honesty, the wide open spaces — there's a rawness to it that matches the way faith actually feels when you're living it. When I needed a way to tell my story, country was the only sound that fit.

Here's something you should know: I wrote every word of this music myself — every lyric, every creative decision, every choice about what stayed and what got cut. I used AI tools to produce it, and the voice you hear was created with AI. But the story, the theology, and every word you hear? Those are mine. Written from the dust of a real life.

And the story is this:

I know the pain of loss, the betrayal of people I've loved.

I know the feelings of loneliness and separation, of bitterness and hate.

I know the lure of temptations, giving in to them, and the weight of guilt and sin.

I have experienced the dark nights of the soul.

But I also know the God that loves and forgives.

The God that raises dead men to life.

The God that breaks the bondage of sin and sets the captives free.

The God that upholds and gives strength to His children, even in the midst of their doubts and fears.

This collection of songs spans the journey of a life — from brokenness to victory in Christ. Both now, and to come.

I'm still on the journey. I'm still a maverick — but I'm no longer riding alone. By His grace, I invite you to join me — as together, we learn to walk by faith, with freedom and purpose, out of the dust.

Read on for the full story — how a maverick heart found the cross.

Chapter One

The Road

My story isn't a unique one.

My parents grew up in the sixties and seventies, married young and split when I was very small. My little sister and I were classic "latchkey" kids of the eighties. Homelife was often difficult and unstable, as circumstances frequently switched with little warning.

There was one main constant in those growing up years: our grandmother and her love for Jesus. She shared that love, and the joy she found in Him with us, and did her best to provide a safe haven, as well as keep us in church as often as possible. Then one night during a missions meeting, I confessed all the anger, hurt and bitterness I'd bottled up, to the Lord — and found forgiveness and peace for my young heart.

It was a beginning. But the road was rough.

As I grew into a teen, I was often on my own and developed a strong self-reliance — often walking several miles to land a job and work it until something better came along.

You could say, my heart was that of a maverick — independent, non-conforming, defiant. I could walk this road myself. I didn't need anyone.

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Chapter Two

The Fall

Following graduation from high school, I answered what I believed was a call to preach, and was encouraged into pastoral ministry upon finishing Bible College. Twice I tried to lead. Twice it ended in hurt and what felt like failure. Angered by church politics and disillusioned by the outcome, I decided I was done. People couldn't be trusted — even in the church.

I must not be cut out for this. I must not be cut out for anything.

That might have been the end of my story — but for God.

By His grace, I enjoyed a peaceful home with a loving wife and children, worked a decent job, attended a small church — lived a quiet life. Life was very good and I was content to let it stay that way.

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Chapter Three

The Return

But deep down, the maverick was on the road again. Going his own way. Watching his back. Guarding his heart. Trusting no one but himself.

It's a lonely road that goes nowhere. Praise God He never lets us stay there.

Through others' faithful preaching of His Word and the work of the Holy Spirit, He once again brought my wandering heart home. He renewed a faith I thought was broken. Healed the hurt I'd hidden behind for years. Set me free from the bondage of sinful doubts and fears — and gave me a new song to sing.

He taught me that He is good, even when I don't feel it. That Christ is enough, even when I know I've failed Him.

Showed me that I can be useful to Him, only when I stop leaning on my own understanding and trust Him.

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Chapter Four

Out of the Dust

When I reached the end of myself, I found the cross — and the truth that real freedom comes in humble surrender. Not by my will, but by His. Not based on my dreams, but according to His plan. His reality is greater than anything I could ever imagine. Gratitude rises up, and the maverick heart is finally learning to rest in trust.

It's been a long road, and it's not over yet. These songs are born out of the dust of hard travel — the struggles of living life for the Lord in your own strength. But then of being lifted out of that dust and given new hope, new strength, new purpose.

As you listen, I pray that your heart will also be encouraged — to stop following your own understanding, to walk by faith not by sight, stand firm in the Truth and keep your eyes on the victory still to come.

It's the only way out of the dust. The only way to live in — as well as for — Jesus Christ, to the praise of His glory and grace.

"For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
Philippians 2:13

These songs were born from the dust of real life — doubt, surrender, failure, and the relentless grace of a God who meets outlaws at the cross.

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Hear the Songs

Eleven tracks. One journey. Out of the dust and into His grace.

Listen to the Album Stay Connected