Spiritual Journeys Today

I wrote this song/prayer on March 5, 2012. As I am just posting it now, you can tell I am a little behind on getting things posted on this site. I don’t post everything I write on the site, only those things I think are either appropriate or good enough to be here. I’m going to give you a teaser here, in the hope that some of you will subscribe to these entries or visit the site again to see what happened. God answered this prayer and the others like it that I have been praying, on April 7, 2012. I’ll try to get those posts up very soon. I’m anxious to let more people know about the new project I will be working on.

May you feel and recognize God’s hand working in your life, today and always!

John

‘You’re Calling Me, I Know’

Life brings pain, that’s a simple truth
Each one of us suffers, then what do we do
Some of us internalize, others lash out hard
At all those around them, a broken, dangerous shard
Of glass like the ones I’ve seen in Guatemala
Lining compound walls where richer people live
Trying to keep out the pain that’s all around them
Instead of sharing what they have and learning to forgive

Oh, Lord, it is so easy to see another’s fault
Yet we hide our own shortcomings inside an empty vault
When we won’t see, what’s happening just outside our doors
Won’t admit that we have problems, and won’t make those problems Yours
Each one of us could take on, far more than we do
if we’d only stop and pray, Lord
We might start to get a clue

This life we live’s not hopeless, no matter how we feel
You sent Your Son to teach us, that’s true yet so surreal
We can’t believe that You would do so, we ponder what it means
We try to fit it into, our fractured, broken dreams
It doesn’t fit so well, Lord, in our system of rewards
And punishments, it’s foreign, making plowshares from our swords
We fight to take what we want, yet ignore the things we need
In an empty, vicious display,
Of envy, pride, and greed

If we’d only turn to You, Lord
And accept the love You share
We might really make a difference
We might really learn to care

So few accept Your message
So few answer Your call
So few give up their treasure
And truly give their all

I’ve yet to make it happen
You’re calling me, I know
Seems I want to know the plan, Lord
before I start, before I go
Help me to live my faith, Lord
To follow where You lead
To trust You, God, to give me
All that my family needs
I want to be Your servant
Like Your obedient Son
I want to live my life, Lord
Doing things that You need done

Hear my prayer, Lord, and show me the way!

Copyright 2012. John Lage, Jr. All rights reserved.

Some days I awake to the knowledge that God has already imprinted on my brain, his message for me for the day. The day I wrote this song, started just that way. God is awesome!

May you feel and recognize God’s hand moving in your life, today and always!

John

‘Loved, By God’

Trust is my faith in action
Faith is knowing God will succeed
Love is the essence of God and my soul
Love is all that matters, the core of all I believe
Love is God, God is love, I am loved, by God

It came to me this morning, moments after I woke
It wouldn’t let me sleep, never does, once God’s poked
At my consciousness, with a message for us all
I must write in a song, I must answer God’s call

Trust is my faith in action
Faith is knowing God will succeed
Love is the essence of God and my soul
Love is all that matters, the core of all I believe
Love is God, God is love, I am loved, by God

I don’t know why it happens, why it happens to me
I just know that God’s there, with some words, I must keep
It is important, need to take it all down right now
Before I do one more thing or try to get back to sleep

Trust is my faith in action
Faith is knowing God will succeed
Love is the essence of God and my soul
Love is all that matters, the core of all I believe
Love is God, God is love, I am loved, by God

It’s hard to explain, harder to just accept
God is using, a cracked vessel like me
To pass on his words, his truth for the world
He’s using, each of us, why can’t we see

Trust is my faith in action
Faith is knowing God will succeed
Love is the essence of God and my soul
Love is all that matters, the core of all I believe
Love is God, God is love, I am loved, by God

One by one, tirelessly, he touches us
Calling on us to just recognize
He’s the One, Lord of all, creator and god
Love and trust, give control, change your whole life

Trust is my faith in action
Faith is knowing God will succeed
Love is the essence of God and my soul
Love is all that matters, the core of all I believe
Love is God, God is love, I am loved, by God

Copyright 2012. John Lage, Jr. All rights reserved.

I wrote this song on one of those days when you look back over the bad times in your life, and wonder how you could’ve gone on so long, so wrong. While this exercise may not make you feel like the brightest bulb in the string, there’s good news! In fact, news doesn’t get any better than this,
God loves you! No matter what you do, no matter what you believe, God is, was, and always will be there for you, and cares for you, more than you could ever imagine.

No you feel and recognize God’s hand moving in your life today and always!

John

‘That Far Gone’

My bags were packed, my heart was broke
Though I really didn’t want to, it was time to go
Away
Now I don’t believe in divorce
But sometimes life’s river takes its own course
Astray
My drinking wasn’t that bad any fool could see
I was only having fun just ask me
I think
With a belly full of beer I was 10 feet tall
Didn’t need no one or nothing, thought I knew it all
Each drink
Make me sure that I was doing alright
Though I had a bunch of them each and every night
I was okay

When you’re that far gone, it’s hard to find
Any comfort at all, any peace of mind
How could it have taken me so long
To ask God for help, return to where I belong
Heaven seemed so very far away
But when I finally asked, I found God right there
Where God had always been and that he still cared
For me

So now I follow where God leads
Walking God’s path and sowing God’s seeds
My story
Needs to be told because God saved me
From my own self when I couldn’t see
Lifted me
Now I fly on eagles wings
As I write these songs and sing
In praise
If it worked for me you should try it too
there’s nothing you and our amazing God can’t do
Just pray

When you’re that far gone, it’s hard to find
Any comfort at all, any peace of mind
How could it have taken me so long
To ask God for help, return to where I belong
Heaven seemed so very far away
But when I finally asked, I found God right there
Where God had always been and that he still cared
For me

Copyright 2012. John Lage, Jr. All rights reserved.

I led a spiritual writing class at our church through the Lenten season. I experimented with some free form songwriting. This song started as one of those and I finished it tonight after several scattered days of revisions and editting sessions. Often my songs are done in a single sitting so this is a bit new to me as well. I hope you like it!

May you feel and RECOGNIZE God moving in your life today and always!!
John

‘Writing the Song of My Life’

The days of my life stretch before me, Lord
Like the lines on this empty page
Help me write the song of those hours spent with You
A journey none could ever erase
The ink we use will last forever, etched upon the pages of my soul
Each moment, each decision, each Word, verse, or phrase
Each learning opportunity, another chance to raise
My voice, my song, Lord, up to you, for help, for comfort or praise
A chance to show the world each day, that I walk in Your ways

Lord, my song will be different each time I call
The words, notes, and tones will change
Since the moment I gave control to You,
My life’s been rearranged
The blessings that you have given me,
Can’t be bought or sold like commodities
I must pass them on, I’ve got to give them,
To others until my time on earth ends
My spirit will join You, when I leave this earth
Returning full circle, a total rebirth

Today another line I’ll write
Filling this life so blank, empty and white
My actions are the melody
My thoughts and words, the harmony
Let the two align in words and chords
To praise your name, my Savior. my Lord
Let your guidance, Lord, be the rhythm, the beat
Tying it all together in a way that will please
You, the king of all creation

Each year of my life, a verse will become
Full of right and wrong, full of laughter and tears
The mountains I climbed and the valleys I crawled
All make up the music of these earthly years
This symphony’s finished, composition is through
My life has been written, and I rejoin You

Each moment’s been lived, and each page has been filled
The finale will thunder, what a joy, what a thrill
As I finally see Your face

Yet the journey’s not over, my song’s not yet sung
As I serve the Master, a new song’s begun
In service, Lord, to You!

Copyright 2012. John Lage, Jr. All rights reserved.

I worked yesterday with Pastor Cindy Yanchury on an advanced lay speaking class. The topic is evangelism. I woke at 4 AM this morning, thinking about the discussion we had about why we had to talk about our relationships with God, not why we could but why we had to. Once you’ve had the opportunity to tell someone your story and you get feedback that you’ve helped change their life, that opportunity to speak becomes an obligation to do so. This song is a direct result of that conversation.

May you feel and recognize God’s movements in your life today and always!
John

‘God Is The Answer’

Can’t sit quietly, in the background
Another silent Christian, unheard, unknown
I’ve a story, that must be told ’bout
How God has changed me
How much I’ve grown

Other hearts are going through
Valleys I’ve already passed
Addicted to some chemical
Trapped wond’ring how long it will last
It’s a recurring nightmare
Seemingly with no clear way out
I can help them find the exit
Of this I have no doubt

God is the answer,
Just whisper a prayer
The truth is you’ll find out,
God’s always been there
God can’t get any closer
God’s love surrounds your soul
But it’s only when we turn to him
That God can make us whole

Can’t wait patiently, hoping someone
Else will come, how the way out, God put, me here
For a reason, of that I have no doubt
Bringing them God’s word
Helping them hear

Help their hearts find a way through
Valleys I’ve already passed
Overcoming their addiction
Free knowing this pain’s in their past
Life can truly start all over
Amazing wonderful and free
God can help them make this happen
I know it worked for me

God is the answer,
Just whisper a prayer
The truth is you’ll find out,
God’s always been there
God can’t get any closer
God’s love surrounds your soul
But it’s only when we turn to him
That God can make us whole

Copyright 2012. John Lage, Jr. All rights reserved.

I’ve start to read and digest some books on spiritual writing. Today was a day when I just tried to write what I was feeling without stopping to hammer out the words and the rhythms. It worked!! The real question is ‘why do I keep questioning this direction and gift that comes from God?’ I can’t identify exactly which author may have contributed the exact suggestion since I have been reading books by Rachel G. Hackenberg and Patrice Vecchione in parallel. My thanks to each of them for their writing and inspiration. I like the way this song turned out and hope you will too.

May you feel and recognize God moving in your life today and always!!!
JOHN

‘Life Promise’

We live our lives so fast and so furious
Rarely stopping a moment just to be curious
About the things we’re passing as we go

For instance, the Sabbath, we smile and we nod
But we don’t slow down and give time to God
We’ve places to go and things we must do
Do You really expect us to make time for You?

Hamsters on a great big wheel
We won’t slow down to think or stop to feel
If we keep up this frantic, hectic pace
That never takes us any place
How will we figure out what life is all about?

That you’re the reason we exist
The One who was, will be, and is
God forgive us for ignoring, even You

Your Son showed us the way to live
That we must learn how to forgive
And even love our enemies
We hear You, Lord, but just can’t see
It can’t be real, it can’t be true
What You say that You want us to do
Ridiculous, it can’t be so
With the Bible, it’s so hard to know
How could a rational, modern person live like this?

I love you, Lord, I’ll follow you
I say the words but is it true?
Can I give up this life I live
And learn to love, truly forgive?
If I gave my heart and soul to you
Could I live the way you ask me to?
It can be done, Jesus did it
I don’t want to be a hypocrite

Down on my knees, I start to pray
Help me, dear Lord, right now, today
To try to give myself, my all
To live as You ask, to answer Your call

I’m sure I’ll need to ask, for Your help each day
As I try to live in Your holy way
My Lord, my God, my Savior

Copyright 2012. John Lage, Jr. All rights reserved