- mjlm - Blog http://mjlmmusic.com/blog.html mjlm: Blog Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:46:14 -0700 What difference has Jesus made in your life? http://mjlmmusic.com/blog.html/what_difference_has_jesus_made_in_your_life
Jesus has taught me what love is. It's fierce, it's tender, it's forgiving, it's alligned with reality. Jesus has given me courage to face fears and insecurities, including the fear of flying and the fear of telling someone I love them. Jesus has given me a connection to the Source of my life, which makes for great peace. He has provided me with an international and universal family that, more than any earthly treasure, gives me joy. He has given me assurance that every evil thing I've ever done (or thought) has been completely wiped away in the loving mercy of God. He has freed me from a host of addictions including nicotine, alcohol, drugs and self obsession. He is still working on me! Jesus has also been a source of division. There are people who take me to be an idiot for believing in God. And Jesus' view of life is very different from the "world's" view. Having seen life through these two lenses, I can say enthusiastically "I like Jesus' view better!" These are just a few brief descriptions of what difference Jesus has made in my life...how about you?

]]> http://mjlmmusic.com/blog.html/what_difference_has_jesus_made_in_your_life Sat, 01 May 2010 09:46:14 -0700 - mjlm - Blog Which is better? http://mjlmmusic.com/blog.html/which_is_better Which is better a tender heart or a hardened heart? Well, a tender heart suffers more. A hardened heart goes without knowing itself. A tender heart is vulnerable. A hardened heart has given up vulnerability and seeks comfort in a thousand places except the truth. A tender heart appears weak to the hardened heart, the hardened heart is seen as lacking courage to the tender heart. The tender heart loves. The hardened heart desperately wishes it could but will never ever tell you so. Which is better, the tender heart or the hardened heart?]]> http://mjlmmusic.com/blog.html/which_is_better Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:59:23 -0700 - mjlm - Blog Come Awake! http://mjlmmusic.com/blog.html/come_awake Dear Friends:

Many millions of people in every corner of the earth are preparing to celebrate the greatest feast of the Church - Easter. That's the day that Life triumphed over death - that hope sprung high above despair - that Love took it's rightful place on the throne, and ruled over apathy, wickedness, and hatred.
There is no longer any reason for any human being anywhere in the world to be ruled by these powers of darkness - envy, jealousy, drunkeness, lust, hatred, despair. Instead, provision has been made, through Jesus, for peace, pure love in unlimited measure, and a supernatural joy that cannot be taken away. If you don't see it, ask God to show you. But you say "I don't believe in God."
Well - it's easy then - if you ask a God who doesn't exist to do something for you, of course He won't. He can't because He doesn't exist. But if you ask Him to show you, to give you spiritual sight - He will! And you will see that you were made for greatness - for a purpose - and above all - to love that God - and all of His creation.
So do it - you have nothing to lose and everything good to gain!

"Christ is risen from the dead, trampling over death by death
Come awake! Come awake! Come and rise up from your grave!"
- ancient hymn, reworked by Matt Maher

I pray that you experience God's great love for you this Eastertime, and every day!

Love,

Mark]]> http://mjlmmusic.com/blog.html/come_awake Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:51:20 -0700 - mjlm - Blog For Nina http://mjlmmusic.com/blog.html/for_nina Dear Nina:


Thank you so much for inspiring my first Blog! You asked your dad what "satisfies" means. Well, I hope these few sketches help.


"Satisfies" is when you have a really bad itch in the middle of your back and you're twisting your arm to try to reach it - but you just can't! So you go and rub up against a door frame but... it's just not hitting the right spot. As you're twisting and turning, with your nose crinkled and your mouth all out of shape, your mom walks in and says "Nina, what are you doing?!?" You say "my back itches!!" She asks "where?" and scratches you real good - but too low, so you say "higher." Then she goes higher but she's off to the right and the itch is getting worse! so you skooch over and say "over more!" "This way?" she asks. "Yeah, a little more, a little mo   ahhhhhhhhh! yeah, there!!" you scream. "Right there?!" she says with a laugh as she begins scratching so hard and fast that the itch disappears!!


Your mom's scratching "satisfies!"


Or when you've been outside in the summertime and it's so hot you can see squiggly heat waves coming off the street (hard to imagine, now, I know!) And you've been singing and playing and running - and your mouth gets dusty and dry and your head is so hot you feel a little dizzy and sweat is dripping from the tip of your nose onto your lips and stings a little - so you wipe it away and your tongue starts to stick to the roof of your mouth and all of a sudden daddy walks outside with a Big glass of ice water and asks "Nina, are you thirsty?"


When you drink that cold, clear, clean, wonderfully wet water and hear the ice clinking on the sides as you gulp it down...that water "satisfies!"


Are these examples helping??


Ok, last one:


You're reading a book with a friend and you try to pronounce the word "Poconos" but you say "Pinocchios," "Pokemons" "Pos..onowes?" Then your friend - in a burst of inspiration- takes her finger, pokes your nose and says "it's poke a nose!"  So you say "Poconos!" And she yells "that's it!" as you both fall over giggling.


Learning to say it correctly "satisfies!"


So, Nina, when it comes to love: your friend's love is great, your mom and dad's love is beautiful, and God's love "satisfies!"


If I didn't explain it clearly, well, at least you got me to start the Blog...thanks, Nina!!!


Love,


Mark

]]> http://mjlmmusic.com/blog.html/for_nina Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:29:00 -0800 - mjlm - Blog