Mark Joseph Ministries

Do you love your kids? How much so? What are your dreams or desires for them? What are you willing to do, to sacrifice for them? Why do you love your kids so much? Why is their happiness so important to you?

For most parents, the above are somewhat rhetorical. We all love our kids, significantly so. In writing this blog, I wanted to explore “why” we love them the way we do, really unlike anyone else in our lives other than our spouses.

We All Love Our Kids

This past weekend, we had our three adult children, Danielle (30, married, and a mother), Tricia (27 and getting married this month), and Robert (24 and engaged to be married in August), in town by themselves. It was just the five of us. Although I love the choices our kids have made in their mates, I really pushed for this weekend. We’ve not done this since Danielle was pregnant with Lucy, who is now three.

The weekend was great. We did some laughing and crying. We did some remembering and talking of the future, including Tricia’s wedding in just 2 weeks. It was a weekend of love, like old times.

So why so special…this relationship with our kids? To me, there are two reasons:

1. Living life together for such a long time; investment in one another
2. Kids being born of their parents; really being part of their parents…biologically, emotionally, and spiritually

It’s Not the Same

I enjoy spending time with my parents and brothers…much the same with my kids, we get to share memories from the past and plans for the future. The difference is I’m the son and the brother rather than the parent in that scenario. It’s not the same.

Last week I wrote on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which depicts the closest thing there is to God’s love for all of us as being a parent’s love for his/her child.

As Related to God’s Love

Flipping the above and looking towards Easter this Sunday, I don’t think it was until I was a parent that I began to understand (or had a glimpse of) why God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, love each and everyone one of us, HIS PRECIOUS CHILDREN, so much. God loves you more than you’ll ever know, no matter what you’ve ever done (much like a parent loves his/her child).

In going from Good Friday, where we’ll see the purest form of love there’s ever been (Jesus dying on the Cross), to Easter Sunday, it’s my prayer that all of us experience the love of God and as such, can live lives of Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment. That’s the prayer I say every day for my wife and kids. That’s my prayer for you as well.

Couple questions to ponder:

• How much do you love your kids?
• Do you see a correlation between that and the love God has for you?

Take those questions to prayer and as always, contact me with questions or comments at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Mark Joseph

Do you have a favorite song? A favorite book or verse that you always gravitate towards? How about a favorite prayer or Scripture verse?

For me, because it speaks to God’s unconditional love, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32, is my favorite reading in all of Scripture. It was the Gospel reading at Mass on Sunday, March 31st (I apologize for blogging on it a week late).

Most People Don’t Understand God’s Love

You know, most people don’t understand God’s love and to the extent that they do, they haven’t internalized it. As such, they don’t live it. They can’t comprehend its meaning, nor what it does for them. Most people end up chasing the things the world tells them will make them happy (while never actually being truly happy) instead of saying “yes” to our Lord, living their God-given purpose, maximizing their gifts, and understanding that we’re all made for greatness.

None of the above is possible without first understanding God’s unconditional love….true for me and true for you.

I love the Parable of the Prodigal Son because we can all see ourselves in the story. Chasing what he thought was going to make him happy (we do the same thing), the younger son asked for all of his inheritance and ventured out after his form of fun, glory, and success. I refer to them as the 4 Ps, Prominence, Possessions, Pleasure, and People (using them, not authentic relationship).

We All Experience Tragedy

He then experienced his form of tragedy…not being able to support himself, nor put food on the table. Have you experienced tragedy yet in your life? If not, you will (I guarantee it…we all do). For you, it might not be eating with the pigs, although it could still be personal like the death of a loved one, divorce, addiction, or financial loss. It could be something global as well, like war, terrorism, or a natural disaster.

There is a positive aspect to tragedy. If we allow it, it brings us closer to God, a God like the father in the Parable who is always eagerly waiting on us, no matter what we have done. When the son is approaching from afar, having at one time abandoned his father, the father runs to him (pray on that…God is running towards us (you), with open arms) and in absolute exuberance says, “this son of mine was dead and is now alive; he was lost and is found”.

God is Always There for Us

The above paragraph really expresses the unconditional love of God. We all sin, most of us pretty badly, but no matter what we do God is always looking to welcome us back to Him with open arms. Remember, God loves you more than you’ll ever know, no matter what you’ve ever done. It’s true today just like it was when Jesus shared the Parable of the Prodigal Son in the Gospel of Luke.

The last point I want to make is the contrast between the younger and older brothers, the latter of whom believed that his reward was earned by his behavior. Given the incredible brokenness experienced by the younger, he desperately wanted (and needed) to be in relationship with his father. Likewise, it is “relationship” that God invites us into, based on His unconditional love.

We have a great, glorious God, who loves us unconditionally. We just need to be open to His love. It’s amazing what then can happen.

As always, feel free to reach out to me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Mark Joseph

I’m a huge Seinfeld fan!!! What a great show. One of the hundreds of lines that I remember so vividly is one said by George’s father…”SERENITY NOW!!!”

A brief note below on serenity. Please read on…

The hustle and bustle of life. Commotion, chaos, uncertainty, unrest, turmoil. Do you ever feel any of these emotions? Do you ever feel like you have very little control? I do. I wrote on a similar subject last week and feel compelled to this week. Following is a great prayer, one I say every day. I pray that it speaks to you the way it does to me.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change; 
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; 
Enjoying one moment at a time; 
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; 
Taking, as He did, this sinful world 
As it is, not as I would have it; 
Trusting that He will make all things right 
If I surrender to His Will; 
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life 
And supremely happy with Him 
Forever and ever in the next. 

Amen.

As always, feel free to reach out to me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Mark Joseph

Are you relaxed and at ease? Or are you always on the move, with too much to do and never enough time to do it? Are you pleased with where you are in life? Or feel like you’re always chasing something? And when you achieve it, you’re immediately chasing something else?

I was always on the run, incredibly busy, and to be honest…energized by it. I thrived on the pace while being overwhelmed (unknowingly at the time) by it. It seemed like I could never catch my breath, always striving for the next thing.

Then I discovered prayer, which brought me peace and joy. In regularly conversing with the Lord, I discerned my true purpose, understanding how to leverage my gifts and talents, all leading to being fulfilled in life. Please read on.

Prime Examples from Scripture

We have an example of this in Scripture, where in the Gospel of Luke 10:38-42, Martha is complaining to Jesus that Mary isn’t helping her do the chores of the house, but instead just spending time with Him. Jesus replies, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled over many things. And yet only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the best portion, and it shall not be taken away from her.”

I think we see a similar contrast between the Apostles, Peter and John. Peter, the rock who Jesus built the Church on, after first denying our Lord, always appears to be the first to speak or act in the Gospels. Peter comes across as a real “do-er”. John, on the other hand, is typically, quietly accompanying the Lord, always by His side, not doing, but being.

What God Wants For Us 

Having grown in my faith and on my spiritual journey over the last several years, I’m convinced that what God wants most from us (and for us) is a personal relationship with Him. Nothing else is more important.

That’s not to say that “doing” isn’t important, both as related to the necessities of life as well as the things asked of us by our Lord. But all of it, everything in life, is secondary to having a personal relationship with God our Father and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross for our sins. Born out of their love is the Holy Spirit, third person of the Trinity, given to each of us as our advocate, as our guide who dwells within us and we can rely on through this challenging life.

What Our Friends Can Teach Us

Our good, strong earthly friendships require a consistent dedication of time, not haphazard, infrequent contact. There needs to be vulnerability, a transparency, and willingness to engage for depth to develop in the relationship. All of these same things apply to our relationship with God. And it’s all done through prayer, daily quiet time with Jesus.

Down deep, what we all want in our lives is peace, joy, and fulfillment. Here’s the secret. The ONLY way to accomplish these things is to “be” (with Jesus) first instead of always “doing”. Be with the Lord first, and be amazed by what transpires in your life.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Mark Joseph