Spiritual Journeys Today

Truth Is

I told so many lies
Back when alcohol ruled my whole life
These days I realize
The booze couldn’t ever set my heart free
Of the pain, the hurt I tried to hide
That tore me up so deep inside
Now I look each person in the eye
Truth is, the truth is so important to me

I lost so many friends
Relationships I’ll never mend
My heart aches once again
As I look back on life, I clearly see
I can’t change the wrongs I did back then
The memories I wish would end
The things I’d change but never can
Truth is, the truth just might be the death of me

God chased me endlessly
Through valleys dark, God hounded me
God called my name repeatedly
I ignored, denied, rejected ev’ry call
I cried, I sobbed, I rent my clothes
The drinking death, I’d picked, I’d chose
I was almost there, life’s end was so close
And then I stopped

God was there
Right by my side
I took God’s hand
Life turned around
Truth is, the truth is God’s love and grace saved me

I live and love today
God’s love and grace, they guide my way
From God’s love, I’ll never stray
As I go through my life, it’s clear to me
I will love God and I will obey
I will treat my neighbors the way
I’d want them to treat me each day
Truth is, God’s truth is the heart and soul of me

Truth is, God’s truth is so important to me!

Copyright February 7, 2026 John Lage, Jr. All rights reserved.

I woke up this morning thinking about truth and lies. A couple of weeks ago, I made a decision not to attend some training concerning the political caucuses here in Minnesota despite being extremely interested and invested in the results of the coming mid-term elections, given the evil of Trump’s Republican administration. My reasons for not attending the training and the caucuses were based on the fact that I needed to sign a statement upon entering the caucus, that I consider myself to be a member of the democratic party. The problem is…I’m not a member of the Democratic party, or any political party. I remain a proud independent voter, doing my best to vote for the person that I feel could best serve the public in any given role. I have voted for third party candidates, even in presidential elections. My path through life has been difficult due to choices I made. Alcohol abuse played a major role in my lifestyle for more than a dozen years. When I finally got past those troubled days, during which I lied to everyone around me, pretty much constantly, I made a vow to myself that I would do my best not to lie anymore. Hence the dilemma around stating that I considered myself a member of the Democratic party and the reason I woke up this morning thinking about truth and lies. This song is a result of those thoughts.

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

John

Show Up

Show up, show up
As God’s face, just show up
Show up here, show up there
All the time, everywhere
Show up, show up
As God’s love, just show up

The powers of evil have shown up
Here in the land of the free
They’re kidnapping all kinds of people
They’re wearing masks, their faces we can’t see
Children of God
Yet thugs here on earth
I’d pray for them, God
But for words I must search

Due to:
My anger, my hate
My despair and my pain
I cry for relief
But my words seem in vain

Show up, show up
As God’s face, just show up
Show up here, show up there
All the time, everywhere
Show up, show up
As God’s love, just show up

People seeking power over others is
A sad and sick story of hatred and fear
But the cries of the voices for justice,
Is something these criminals can’t seem to hear
They maim and they kill, people’s hearts and their souls
Unencumbered by empathy, if truth be told
The racism shown t’ward folks brown and black
Is out of control, we need to step back
And become God’s face
Ev’rywhere, ev’ry place
Now, today

Show up, show up
As God’s face, just show up
Show up here, show up there
All the time, everywhere
Show up, show up
As God’s love, just show up

Demonstrate loud
Demonstrate proud
Demonstrate now
Demonstrate as a crowd
Show the world what God’s face looks like
Show the world what God’s love looks like

Show up, show up
As God’s face, just show up
Show up here, show up there
All the time, everywhere
Show up, show up
As God’s love, just show up

SHOW UP!

Copyright January 18, February2, 2026 John Lage, Jr. All rights reserved.

As shown below, this song was started in the margins of a church bulletin, filling the margins surrounding the graphic being used for the current sermon series. I mostly write songs using electronic methods these days, but I had left my phone at home that morning. If you look closely, you’ll notice some word changes. I believe that by being witnesses to the evil being perpetuated by the Trump administration towards immigrants, in particular. We can turn the tide towards the justice and equality that every person deserves. Let’s get back to the Biblical basics and “Love God with all our hearts, and love our neighbors as ourselves” so…show up as God’s face and God’s love!

Voices

I’m hearing voices
They’re frightened, they’re scared
I look around
There’s nobody there
Some are loud, some are hushed
Most are filled with despair
People are hiding, they’re staying at home
Though things seem much worse when you’re there all alone

The voices keep coming, though I never dream
I started to wonder just what it might mean
I thought and I thought, and I prayed just a bit
For guidance, for wisdom, to make sense of this
The meaning seems clear now, as clear as a bell
The voices are people who aren’t doing well
They’re poor and they’re hungry, they’re cold and alone
They’re looking to find a true place of their own

These past few months, they’ve started to ponder
If America’s path is starting to wander
Away from its place as the land of the free
Have evil and hate spread, sea to shining sea?
Is this who we are, who we’ve become?
Half of us say so, half of us want none
None of the hatred, none of the attacks
None of the worry ‘bout who’s got our backs
None of the gunshots, none of the death
None of the anger, none of the rest
Of the ugly, disgusting vitriolic words
That recently all of us have frequently heard

We must make our way back to faith, love, empathy
Towards each single person in God’s family
For those of you who are a bit slow
That’s every person, just so you know
There are no exceptions, there are no exclusions
Take it from me, it’s my humble conclusion

That everyone is a child of God
It only makes sense, it’s really not odd
Everyone! All! The entirety
Of each person who’s lived, throughout eternity!

I’m hearing voices, so many hurting voices…

Copyright February 1, 2026. John Lage, Jr. All rights reserved.

This morning, Ralph Schornack’s moving piano prelude started the flood that became the words above. His music was awesome. The service can be viewed at Sunday, February 1, 2026 Joint 10 AM Service at CUMC if you’d like to hear Ralph’s prelude or the entire service. I’m likely going to watch it myself as my attention was focused on writing this song.

Listen to my
🔉🔉Recording🔉🔉 of this. (Currently a poetry reading)

Embrace!

Embrace your gifts, all God’s given you
Embrace your friends, each one tried and true
Embrace the past, your joys and your mistakes
Embrace the future, and the choices you’ll make

Your gifts are the blessings God gives
Each person’s gifts vary quite a bit
Your gifts, a heavenly treasure
In which you’ll find much pleasure
Use your gifts, do God work, each and ev’ry day
Or the you that you are, just might go away

Your friends, the people that you love
Tell them you care, they’re your cherished ones
Spend time with your friends, in excess
Through them, each day has been blessed
Thank God, for all your friends, each and ev’ry day
Or the you that you are, just might go away

Your past is ev’rything you’ve done
Each shameful act, each glorious one
Each road or path down which you’ve turned
Each promise kept or bridge you burned
Remember where you’ve been, each and ev’ry day
Or the you that you are, just might go away

Your future’s looking very bright
The best days you’ll have if all goes right
Take a class, help a neighbor out
Read books, learn skills, make new vows
Try to improve yourself, each and ev’ry day
And the you that you are, surely’s gonna change

For the better
Greater than ever
God will embrace you
Fully embrace you
As one of God’s kin
Just as you’ve always been

Embrace the gifts, all God’s given you
Embrace your friends, each one tried and true
Embrace the past, your joys and your mistakes
Embrace the future, and the choices you’ll make

For the better
Greater than ever
God will embrace you
Fully embrace you
As one of God’s kin
Just as you’ve always been

One day you’ll look God, right in the face
And learn all the wonders of God’s full embrace

Copyright 1/31/2026 & 2/1/2026 John Lage, Jr. All rights reserved.

Last Friday, I was having a long coffee session with my close friend, Patrick Davitt. I stopped him mid-sentence after he used the word “Embrace”. I told him that the word had potential as the start of a song. Today, I woke up at 3:30 to go to the bathroom and sure enough the song started coming to me. As I was writing this back story near 5:00 AM, the iPad I was using gave me a low battery warning – 5%. I said to myself, I can finish this before that. I was wrong. It died. No problem, I had autosave on. It didn’t save anything. So this is try two. I probably only remembered 25 percent of what I was so satisfied with in the first draft. I’m happy with this take but the first one was better. The flood of words that hits me when I’m writing is great, but it comes so fast that what I put on paper doesn’t seem to imprint deeply on my mind. Thanks, Patrick, for the great idea! Well, it’s now Sunday, just after midnight. Version three is above with a flurry of improvements, still not the original but greatly improved IMHO. Lessons learned – save often, edit and review, appreciate all God gives you. I’ve included v2 below. Feel free to let me know if you think the changes made it better. Much to my chagrin, v1 seems gone forever.

Embrace – v2
Embrace the gifts that God’s given you
Embrace your friends, each one tried and true
Embrace the past, your joys and your mistakes
Embrace the future, and the choices you will make

Your gifts are the blessings God gives
Each person’s are very different
Our gifts a heavenly treasure
In which we should find pleasure
If you don’t use your gifts, each and ev’ry day
The you that you are, just might go away

Your friends are the people you love
Tell them you care, each and ev’ry one
Spend time with your friends, in excess
Then find, your life has been blessed
Be thankful for your friends, each and ev’ry day
Or the you that you are, just might go away

Your past is ev’rything you’ve done
Each shameful act, each vic-tory won
Each road or path down which you’ve turned
Each promise kept or bridge you burned
Remember all your past each and ev’ry day
Or the you that you are, just might go away

Your future is surely as bright
As each of the days you’ve ever lived
Take a class, help a neighbor now
Read a book, learn a skill, fulfill a vow
Try to improve yourself each and ev’ry day
And the you that you are, you surely will change

For the better
Greater than ever

Embrace the gifts that God’s given you
Embrace your friends, each one tried and true
Embrace the past, your joys and your mistakes
Embrace the future, and the choices you will make

For the better
Greater than ever

Stand Up For Your Rights, Minnesota!

Stand up for your rights, Minnesota!
We need to tell ICE just where they can go
We don’t want them here, never did
We must be free, we must be rid
Of the evil of the Trump administration
And return to the foundation
Of our once proud nation

Free to worship,
Free to live safely
Free to believe,
Free to speak bravely
Welcoming one, welcoming all
All who are answering, freedom’s sweet call
Land of the brave, home of the free
God lead us forward, to our lost liberty

ICE is obnoxious
They’re ruthless, they’re rude
ICE is the Gestapo
For the cruel orange-haired dude
Given full immunity for all that they’ll do
They kill and they kidnap, they terrorize too
Inside our courthouses, right on our streets
They make a mock’ry of our laws, how can we
Throw them out, send them packing
Make sure they don’t come back again

Stand up for your rights, Minnesota!
We need to tell Trump just where he can go
We don’t want him here, never did
We must be free, we must be rid
Of the evil work of his administration
And return to the foundation
Of our once proud nation

Free to worship,
Free to live safely
Free to believe,
Free to speak bravely
Welcoming one, welcoming all
All who are answering, freedom’s sweet call
Land of the brave, home of the free
God lead us forward, to our lost liberty

Immigrants are truly our friends
Stand up right now and defend
Their rights, their lives, their fam’lies, their dreams
Their futures, their everything, so it now seems
They’ve worked hard here at jobs that we just won’t do
They’re honest, trustworthy, they’re like me and like you
They send money back home, to take care of their own
If you stop, look, and listen, I’m sure you’ll conclude that we owe them
We surely owe them, much better than we’re giving them now

Stand up for your rights, Minnesota!
We need to tell immigrants they’re welcome here
We sure want them here, always did
Their culture, their wives and their kids
With true affection and great admiration
We will improve the broken foundation
Of our once proud nation.

Free to worship,
Free to live safely
Free to believe,
Free to speak bravely
Welcoming one, welcoming all
All who are answering, freedom’s sweet call
Land of the brave, home of the free
God lead us forward, to our lost liberty

Stand up for your rights, Minnesota!
Right now!

The video below is the recording of my first performance of one of my newer songs. It is also the first piece for which I wrote the piano accompaniment. The next words you will read are the ones that I used to introduce that song on All Saints Sunday, November 5,2023.

The song that I’m about to I sing was written in memory of my friend and Brother in Christ, Stu Eickelberg. It was written a couple of weeks after he passed away. I believe God gave me the words and music as message of hope and assurance. I pray that comes through clearly. As I was creating the sheet music, I was struck by the fact that while Stu was the inspiration, the song also needed to be dedicated to that large group of people who have contributed to my spiritual growth and development. I see many of you here today. I want to thank all of you.
Stu, I love you and I miss you!

One Day I’ll Join You There

There’s a hole in my life,
Now that you’re gone
God called you away
From this life, you moved on
You’ve gone to a place,
We will all join you there
Together, we’ll live
Blessed in God’s loving care,

What’s heaven like
Ain’t nobody knows
But I truly believe
It’s where ev’ryone goes
I don’t know God’s great plan
How, what, when, why or where?
I know God’s love ensures
One day I’ll join you there

There is joy in my heart
Though you’re not here with me
For you always will live
In my memory
The love that we shared
My brother, my friend
Seeking God together
Will live on, without end

I can still see your face
I can still hear your voice
I will ever remember
Our shared fears, hopes and joys

There are tears in my eyes
And pain in my soul
One day I’ll join you there
And again, we’ll be whole
For now, I must stay
Right here, where we first met
With you still on my mind
Cause I’ll never forget

What’s heaven like
Ain’t nobody knows
But I truly believe
It’s where ev’ryone goes
I don’t know God’s great plan
How, what, when, why or where?
I know God’s love ensures
One day I’ll join you there

God’s love is my promise,
One day I’ll join you there

In memory of Stu Eickelberg
October 11, 1943 – April 28, 2023

Dedicated to all those who have helped shape my life, especially Jan.
Copyright May 11, 2023 John Lage, Jr All rights reserved.

The chorus to this song is a paraphrase of Isaiah 41:10. The Upper Room Devotional for January 27, 2012 brought it to my attention and the song came to be about in about half an hour or so.

‘Do Not Fear’

Do not fear, for I am with you
Don’t be dismayed, I am your God
I have strengthened you and helped you
Down every path that you have trod
I uphold you with my righteousness
You can depend on me
I love you, I created you
My love and grace will be with you throughout eternity

When the storms of life are threatening
I wish you’d turn to me
When your day is going wrong
I wish you’d call
I’m just a prayer away
It doesn’t matter what you say
Confide in me and I will make you strong

Do not fear, for I am with you
Don’t be dismayed, I am your God
I have strengthened you and helped you
Down every path that you have trod
I uphold you with my righteousness
You can depend on me
I love you, I created you
My love and grace will be with you throughout eternity

When the load you bear, overwhelms you
I’ll lift your heart and soul
When your plans all fall apart
I’ll make you whole
A whispered prayer will do
I’ll comfort, heal and stand by you
I will show you that I live in your heart

Do not fear, for I am with you
Don’t be dismayed, I am your God
I have strengthened you and helped you
Down every path that you have trod
I uphold you with my righteousness
You can depend on me
I love you, I created you
My love and grace will be with you throughout eternity

When you lose control, go off the path
My hand will take the reins
When the hurt is just too much
I’ll share your pain
Remember to ask me
If you do, I know that you will be
Changed by the spirit you’ll feel in my touch

Do not fear, for I am with you
Don’t be dismayed, I am your God
I have strengthened you and helped you
Down every path that you have trod
I uphold you with my righteousness
You can depend on me
I love you, I created you
My love and grace will be with you throughout eternity

Copyright February 10, 2012 John Lage, Jr. All rights reserved.

For the celebration of International Women’s Day here in Panajachel, a new T shirt design was introduced.  Written in Spanish on the front and in Kaqchikel (a local Mayan dialect) on the back, the words mean “I do believe you”. These words come from the supporters of three women who have filed charges with the local police against men alleged to be using a date rape drug on their victims. There have been attempts to sideline these cases, pushing them to the bottom of the pile, or — simply losing them.  This is a common occurrence in Guatemala. The women have endured threats, endless interrogations and delays with the hope that they will drop their cases against the seemingly affluent defendants. They are standing strong, but I have seen in their eyes how hard it is.  Two weeks ago, I was part of a group of nearly thirty individuals who stood in support of these women at a court building in Solola that is dedicated solely to women’s violence cases. Only two supporters were allowed in the courtroom because the room is so small. The rest of us stayed outside and quietly expressed our hope that these cases will finally be granted a fair trial.  I never thought this would be part of the mission work I would do here in Guatemala, but it definitely was where God asked me to be. Please pray for these women while they go through this experience, for the other victims that were too afraid to come forward and for all of the women of Guatemala who face violence every day.

Update:  The Lage Family will be visiting during the month of September! We are anxious to meet with as many of you as possible to share our stories and express our gratitude for all of your thoughts and prayers.  Blessings to all as you enjoy the rest of your summer!

Please pray for us.  We are no longer working with Project Salud y Paz at their request.  Please  continue to pray for that organization, they make a difference for the rural Guatemalans they serve.  We want you to know that while our lives have been changed by this decision, we still feel called to serve here in Guatemala. We just don’t know what that looks like right now. We are and will be okay because God walks with us each moment, each step of every day. Just as he walks with you, no matter what you say or do or believe.  That’s God’s choice, not yours and it is one of the most important truths you will ever be told.  You are a child of God and God loves you, no matter what!  How cool is that!

I have an article I want to share.  I read it a couple of weeks ago.  I think the article is very poorly named, probably in an attempt to make it fit the blog’s theme but please look past that if you can, to see the gem that it is. It touched me so deeply that I have read it nearly every day since then thanks to the alarm I set up to remind me to do so.  The article is built around several of my favorite Bible verses including my personal meditation favorite…”Be still and know that I am God”  For those of you who know me well, you will immediately recognize that the first two words contain the hard part for me because I like to talk just a little.  Even when I’m talking with God.

Here’s the article:

The One Thing Your Marriage and Family Can’t Live Without

I think the article is awesome, at least it was for me personally because as I read it, I felt that peace settle around me and envelop me like the warmest, softest Vellux blanket I ever owned.  I need to hear this…maybe everyday!  It happens nearly every time I read it! Maybe you need to know this peace that passes understanding too!

May you feel and recognize God working in your life each and every day!

John

PS I have since read a number of other things from this author, many of which I don’t agree with for various reasons but this still rocks..

I read a lot of theological based material these days.  It makes me think.  This morning I ran across this article that spoke to me.  Please take a few minutes to read it.

Living Boldly in a World of Shame

My wife and I have intentionally and dramatically cut back on gifts (aka things) to friends and family.  The reasons are partly financial as our income dropped like a rock when we answered God’s call to come and serve here in Guatemala, but we do it primarily because the vast majority of people in North America have far more things that they could ever possibly need but they always seem to want more.  Within our own lives, we fight this same battle against the desire for more things even in our greatly simplified life here in Guatemala.

The alternative we offer is the gift of our presence.  In the case of our family and friends, it is our once a year journey home to spend time with all those we love. Here in Guatemala, it could be attending a funeral of someone we never met to show our love and concern for the still living friend or relative who is hurting so badly in this moment.  It might be sending invoices to teams without whose income our Project Salud y Paz ministries around healthcare and education for the economically poor indigenous population of this beautiful country would not exist.  It might be listening to the incredible stories of faith and discipleship from those who have so little.  It’s sad to say but some do not see the value of presence, still desiring things that they can touch and hold.

There are times when what we are doing here seems to be nothing but a drop in an enormous bucket.  It can be overwhelming and it can be demoralizing.  It is then that I try to see that to the Guatemalans we serve and to those we work alongside, our presence may be just what they need and indeed may be God’s face in this world at that moment.  There are also many times when their presence is exactly the same thing for me.

The author of this article correctly understands and says so much more elegantly than me that presence and listening are sometimes so much more important than trying to identify and fix what we think is wrong.

Be “present” for someone today  As I reread what I wrote here, I was struck by the realization that the “presence” concept we’re talking about here is a lot like what God gives each of us through prayer.  We only have to choose to share.

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

John