Catholic Bridge Music - Life is the Only Choice

Hey Jesus, it caught me by surprise
I didn't see the hammer hit me right between the eyes
sometimes a situation takes a strange turn
and when it hits, you know it cuts and it burns

i thought that I was on the right direction
but you know all about my imperfections
you know how to make a change in me
i know you set me up so you can set me free
so go on and

Chorus
break me, break down my defenses
shake me, shake me to my senses
break me, break everything about me
that's not of You

it looked so good as it was coming to me
floating like a butterfly, stung like a bee
hey Jesus, now I understand,
how the pain of life makes a brand new man

i thought that I was on the right direction
but there is sin and there is imperfection…in me
i know that it will always be a fight
but you're there to pick me up, until I get it right
so go on and (repeat Chorus)

every painful situation
every earthly hope I've lost
works for the good of my salvation
teaches me more about the cross
there will come a day when we'll be face to face

i know that I am under your protection
take my sin and all my imperfection
i know it's like a surgery
but when the pain is gone, you're going to sanctify me

take me, take down all my fences
shake me, shake me to my senses
make me, make me more like you

By CatholicBridge.com ©2001 SOCAN

Vocals, flute, guitars, and production by CatholicBridge.com
Bass: Kevin Pryce
Background vocals Kirsten Boivert
Drums by Stephan Ulrich

Preamble:
We live in a culture where you can't say the Lord's Prayer in public schools because people find it offensive. We live in a culture where you can say the "F" word in the secular media
but you can't say the "J" word because people find Jesus offensive. We live in a culture where a baby sucking its thumb waiting to be born isn't a human. We live in a culture that doesn't know right from wrong, love from lust, Heaven from hell, Jesus from the devil. IT'S A CULT! I don't wanna join the CULT-ure

I'm a right-brained man in a left-brained world
Now I understand why my mind is in a whirl
They think I'm spacey but you know it don't phase me
'Cause I won't play the games are driving them crazy

Chorus
It's a cult, don't wanna join the cult-ure (2x)
don't wanna join the cult-ure (2x)
don't wanna join the cult, cult-ure

I'm standing on the outside don't want to look in
Don't want to get a handle on how they win
They think that they're standing on their own two feet
But they're following the devil down easy street

Maybe you could turn around and change your mind
Before the gig is up and we're out of time
You can't close the door when the walls are caving in
And the world is flipping out swimming in sin

Rap
People living in the street, others in mansions
Kids building bombs listening to Marilynn Manson
Video games, kill the soldiers
Do it for real when they get older
Anorexic women on the TV screen
A great role model for a girl thirteen
High school dances cheap romances
HIV no second chances
Shopping malls filled on Sunday mornings,
Empty churches could it be a warning
Fast food, shallow novels, violent movies
Climb the social ladder get a hero medal

by CatholicBridge.com ©2000

On my way a few miles from heaven
Just around the bend from home

When out from nowhere on this road I'm taking
A sudden curve in my life is thrown
Somehow I wand to water it down
I know that if I do I'll drown
In my mind I'm thinking what will I do
But in my heart I hear

Even in the dark
Even in the darkest moments
Your loving arms surround me (REPEAT)

The walls are caving in where I hide my dreams
The cross I carry seems to disappear
The lines are faded where they used to be
Have I mistaken my faith for fear
My friends ask but I don't know what to say
I kneel down just to pray and wait
Some days I feel I'm going nowhere
But I know you're there

There's no telling where we go from here
But I do believe

© 1998 by Dennis Girard

you've become the winner, i've become the loser
but as a begar, i'm a chooser
as a winner, i was a user
i am not afraid
to say i got down on my knees and prayed

i know
the other way to go
on a broadway stage
at an early age
i thought i had the answer
but when i fell, i fell so far
i thought i was a falling star
disappearing deep into the dark

you've become the stronger, i've become the weaker
but i feel i am much deeper
than when my heart was just a sleeper
i am not afraid
to say i got down on my knees and prayed

i know
the other way to go
i played the games
in a world where names
were the measure of the man
but when i fell, i fell so far
i thought i was a falling star
disappearing deep into the dark

now i see the morning light
rising on my darkest night
the world's no longer black and white
but a million different colours, oh
We believe, We believe, Jesus leads, Jesus heals

By CatholicBridge.com ©1998

what you see
is what you get
you know it's gonna turn around
but it hasn't yet
it's not your fault
it's gone so wrong
but you know that doesn't change
what's really going on

i've been there
in a prison in my mind
doing my time
I know where you're going to find
sweet Freedom

freedom from the past
the world is always turning
it doesn't have to last
yesterday is always burning
away…let the Holy Spirit set you free

He will make it make it easy
in a world that's hard
that doesn't really care
about who you are
his Holy Light will make it right
when the dreams wake you up
in the middle of the night

bridge
it don't matter what you've done
where you've been
where you're from
what's been done
to you ….you can be free
there's a Man
who understands
put you're life into his hands
let Jesus set you free
you'll be free from the past
freedom from the past

Music and Lyrics by CatholicBridge.com © 2001

from the mountains and valleys
to the inner city alleys
there is no end to Your reign

from the angels in heaven
to the man in depression
Your love will always remain
Holy of Holies

Lord we come to you empty
asking for mercy
pour out your healing and grace
from the Manhattan skyline
to the Calcutta food line
heal all our hunger and rage
Holy of Holies

in the Holy of Holies
we fall down before thee
there is no end
there is no end
to the One who was and is to come
let Your mighty will be done
there is no end
there is no end

Spoken: Lord we ask that you put your hand on all our leaders infuse them with your Holy Spirit and lead us to the new Jerusalem

for the Hollywood writers
and the Pakistani fighters
we humbly offer this prayer
heal all our nations
lead us all to salvation
Lord heal the hate and despair
Holy of Holies

CatholicBridge.com © 2002

Mary walked into the Son-lit room
Elizabeth's baby leaped inside her womb
for a moment they bowed and prayed
to the Holy One the Light the Way

two thousand years since that glory day
mothers of the world gather in his name (Jesus)
each one is carrying expectant faith
raise your hands everybody and celebrate

chorus

let the eagle fly, let the rocks proclaim ...You
let the heavens ring in your Righteous Name
let the rivers overflow with life
for the King of Creation
and the children of the Light

let all the fathers jump for joy
let the Holy Spirit hit the girls and boys
let all the families raise their hands
we're going to rebuild this mighty land

we're going to follow you, we're going to walk the walk
going to build our lives upon a solid Rock (Jesus)
Lord Jesus author of life
You blow away the darkness with your Holy Light

By CatholicBridge.com ©2002

i was climbing the ladder
i didn't know my morals were shattered
by my ambition
i was looking for glamour
i didn't know I was taking a hammer
to my conscience and everything I should have treasured
i was lost in this world
that knows nothing about love, nothing about life

Chorus
Mother Mary i can hear your prayer
for all the mothers and the fathers out there
who battle for the right to choose
but don't know what they are going to lose
hey Jesus i can hear your voice
"life is the only choice"

turns out what I was chasing
was nothing more than racing
into emptiness, chasing the wind
i lost my mind and everything i owned
i lost my child and i lost my soul
in the mad rush for security,
i didn't know life is precious
from beginning to end
it's something we must defend

i woke up crying
and I felt like dying
the night I realized what I had done
Father forgive me
let your Spirit be with me

i wish i hadn't been so confused
i wish i'd known what i was going to lose
i wish i'd heard my baby cry
"mommy and daddy let me stay alive"
hey Jesus, I can hear your voice
"life is the only choice"

By CatholicBridge.com ©2002 SOCAN
March for Life Theme 2003 and 2004

Love is patient
Love is kind
Living in a union
Of heart and mind
Love is supernatural
Love is individual
Love is freeing
The Power of believing
Love at the centre, Love at the centre

We learned about love
From a snow white dove
We all learned about love, love, love
Love is at the Centre of our lives

Love is balanced
Love is wise
Looking at the world
Through brand new eyes
Love is never boastful
Love is never hurtful
Love is Jesus
Love will never leave us

The time has come for the spirit
No need to run, no need to fear it
It was written on the heart
Ever since the start
Now we're giving up control
To the master of the soul
Son of God, Son of Man

By CatholicBridge.com, Greg Dahl, and Claude Prosser 1998

The Son is falling
On the Antigua sky
María José is closing her eyes
As she prays for her mother and father and friends
she’s got a new life in Jesus, never going to end

There’s a miracle unfolding with every new day
In a little senorita we call María José
I fall on my knees thank God and pray
For life he’s given to María José

Let her love grow
Into your light
Let her life show
All of your might
Let a choir of angels
Surround all her nights
Let your love shine bright

Te Exaltamus Santo Senor
Dios Nuestro Santo Senor

By CatholicBridge.com © 2004 SOCAN
(written in Guatemala for the
6 year old daughter of the host parents)

we come from Sweden, Poland, Austria
Luxembourg and Portugal, And Romania
Egypt, Ethiopia,
Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania
Turkey, Thailand, Bangladesh,
China, Vietnam, North Korea, Cambodia
Burma, Singapore, Japan,
India, Kenya, Pakistan and Mongolia

we are the salt of the earth,
we are the light of the world
a multi-nation
generation
calling out for sweet salvation
a city on a hill, the Light of Jesus,

we come from Israel, Iraq, Iran,
Afghanistan and the Sudan, Bulgaria,
Syria, Congo, Swaziland,
Libya, Zambia, Lebanon, Algeria,
Finland, Iceland, Netherlands
Greenland, Scotland, Ireland
Armenia,
Midway, Guam, Tahiti, Fiji
Cyprus and the Philippines
and New Zealand

Panama Spain and Canada
Tonga, Nicaragua, U. S. of A.,
Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica
Guatemala, Costa Rica
and Paraguay, Venezuela
England, France and Italy
Russia, Denmark and Germany
Australia, Uruguay, Colombia,
Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina

Yesterday, and Christ Today, Christ Forever
Jesus saves (Repeat and Chant)

By CatholicBridge.com © 2001

i know what its like with a ticket to hell
when everybody’s saying “you’re doing real well”
i was making money, i was making a name
i couldn’t understand why i was going insane
i was taking, talking, talking
talking to myself, i wasn’t talking to you
i was walking, walking, walking
walking with the world and i was singing the blues

they can’t measure my peace of mind
they can keep up with jones’s
and tell me i’m behind
but this world can’t measure
my peace of mind

pushing and pushing with all my might
couldn’t understand why i was always in a fight
i made the same mistakes over and over
looking in the desert for a four-leaf clover
i was taking, talking, talking
talking with a crowd that wanted nothing of you
you were knocking, knocking, knocking
and when i opened up you showed me
what you could do

it was the god of money, the god of fame
the god of everything against
your Holy Name
the millennium idol, the god of greed
the god of everything around us that we do not need
it was the god of success, god of excess,
the god of sex
wonder why we’re in a mess

you were talking, talking, talking
talking ‘bout a freedom that i could not refuse
now i’m walking, walking, walking
on water and i don’t need their cement shoes

Music and Lyrics by CatholicBridge
Lead and background vocals, guitars, keyboards,
programming and production by CatholicBridge
Additional vocals by Kirsten Boivert and Beverly Olivestri