Tag: prayer

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Hollywood Star Who Really Loves Jesus

Situation comedies, sitcoms, are part of our American fabric. Originated in the 1940s, the first US sitcom was Mary Kay and Johnny, in 1947, which told the domestic tales of New York newlyweds. Published in October, 2019 a list of most popular sitcoms, over the last several decades, includes:

  1. The Simpsons
  2. All in the Family
  3. I Love Lucy
  4. 30 Rock
  5. Seinfeld
  6. MASH
  7. Family Guy
  8. The Big Bang Theory
  9. Two and a Half Men
  10. Cheers
  11. South Park
  12. The Cosby Show
  13. Will and Grace
  14. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
  15. Friends
  16. Married with Children
  17. The Beverly Hillbillies
  18. The Andy Griffith Show
  19. Modern Family
  20. That 70s Show
  21. Bewitched
  22. Three’s Company
  23. Family Ties
  24. Leave it to Beaver
  25. Sanford and Son
  26. Happy Days

If you’re like me, you’ve watched many of these over the years, having your favorites, with several probably taking you back to a time in your life…which is part of the impact that sitcoms can have. The other impact they make is their tie to reality, at least to some extent, presented in a funny way. Sitcoms give us a window into our humanity, showing us how ridiculous we can sometimes be, hopefully helping us to have a sense of humor and learn some lessons along the way. And of course, the good ones are entertaining.

In referring to the list above, you probably believe that it doesn’t include one or two you think it should. For me, I can’t believe that I Love Raymond isn’t on it. My wife and I still enjoy the occasional reruns. And we certainly appreciate the show’s female star, Patricia Heaton, not only for her talent, but her profession of faith.

Image by by DoloresFreeman on Fanpop

Heaton tells the story, that having struggled in her career for a long time, she went on a mission trip to an orphanage in Mexico. Upon her return, she’s quoted as saying, “I woke up the next day and I had this deep sense of peace I’d never felt before, and it made me realize that up until that point, my entire identity was in my success or lack of success as an actor. That’s when I realized I needed to give that thing over to God and ask Him what He wanted me to do, not what I wanted to do. I said to him literally, pretty much out loud, ‘I will go back to Mexico or to whatever mission field you want to send me to, but I have a few auditions here in LA so I’m going to keep doing those. If you want me to change course I will do it gladly, but you have to open the door really wide in one direction or another.’ That’s when I started getting acting work”.

She is further quoted as saying, “you can’t rely on those things (I refer to them as the 4Ps…prominence, possessions, people, and pleasure) because they don’t last. And you have to know that the purpose of your life is glorifying God with your life, not glorifying yourself with your career”. It would appear that Patricia gets it.

Heaton was raised in a devout Catholic family. However, her faith became her own when she entered adulthood. Very bold about her relationship with Christ, she apparently declares that “Jesus saves” in both her Twitter and Instagram bios. She’s also a very rare pro-life voice in Hollywood, advocating on behalf of the unborn. Praise God!!!

Screenshot of Everybody Loves Raymond Episode 140: “The Breakup Tape” (Aired: 03/04/02)

“There’s a lot of need in this world. There’s always something you can do to help someone else. You’ll find the Holy Spirit; you’ll find Christ; you’d find God. You’ll find love and mercy and forgiveness when you’re helping the poor. That’s really what we’re called to do here, Patricia told Christianity Today.

Although there are others in Hollywood who we can point to, albeit few, Patricia Heaton is one to certainly cheer about….living and sharing her faith, standing for those in need, including the unborn, and not being ashamed to profess any of it. Thank you, Patricia and God Bless you!!!

Who else can you point to in Hollywood who lives their faith? Please share with me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com, additionally asking any questions or stating any comments or challenges.

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

Mark Joseph

 

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Three Things Required to Make Change

Have you ever felt like you’re on the hamster wheel of life? You’re trying to make it go faster and faster, watching the world go by around you (outside the glass cage)…

  • You’re not sure if anyone else knows about the wheel or is on it.
  • You don’t know if anyone knows you’re on the wheel, much less if they will catch you when you fall off.

You’re exhausted, deflated, frustrated.

You’re overwhelmed.

Photo by Inzmam Khan from Pexels

That’s me of late, having an incredibly full plate…the guy who wrote the book, Overwhelming Pursuit: Stop Chasing Your Life and Live. In my blog of October 16th, I state that I’m not overwhelmed because I:

  1. Know my “why”
  2. Have a commitment to peace over pace
  3. Am prayerful

Holding to the above as still true, the hours I’ve been working can’t be sustained. So the question becomes…what to do about it.

A couple weeks ago, I had a breakthrough. It occurred to me that unless I was willing to change, that things weren’t going to change. We’ve all heard “the definition of insanity”….doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. That’s what I was practicing and didn’t even realize it. I needed to be the change. It’s me who needed to change.

In thinking about it, followed by living it over the last several weeks, I believe that change requires three things:

  1. Recognizing that there’s an issue – so often, we can’t see our own stuff. We’re blinded by our reality, needing someone else to identify what’s going on. For me, it was a light bulb going off, over a couple days, given several discussions with teammates. It was also the realization that I was the only one who could fix it. I needed to change.
  2. Making the right decision – once recognizing the problem, I had to determine the right course of action. For me, that was reducing my meeting schedule and relying more on my incredibly talented team, reminding them of the ownership they already had. For you it is probably something totally different. You need to figure it out (with others), followed by making the decision.
  3. Being committed to the change – as creatures of habit, we typically don’t like change. We don’t like it when it’s done to us. And we don’t like making change ourselves. Being committed to change can be very difficult, but typically is incredibly gratifying.

I’m just a couple weeks in…so I’ll keep you posted. Gratified to date, I hope that it’s sustained, by God’s grace.

BTW, praying through all of it is a big plus. From past blogs, “God loves you more than you’ll ever know, no matter what you’ve ever done”. He’s there for you. Rely on Him, God our Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit who dwells within each of us.

As always, feel free to contact me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com with questions, comments, or challenges.

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

Mark Joseph

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Are you Ignoring Your Best Friend, Your Greatest Advocate?

What if you had someone in your life, a family member or a friend, who knew you inside and out? I’m talking about someone who knows you so intimately, that they know all of your specific gifts and talents, even your faults and failings. They know what you’re passionate about, what you’re really good at and what you struggle with. They know you so well and the world so well, given their vast experience, that they know exactly what you ought to be doing with your life….what your purpose is, where your greatness lies.

In addition to the above, what if they loved you so much, cared for your well-being so much, that they could care less whether you succeed or fail. They just want to help you get better. And given their unconditional love, they invest in you endlessly, relentlessly, daily, always helping you to be the very best person you could be.

There’s Not a Human Being that Meets that Criteria

I don’t know about you, but there’s not a human being in my life that meets the above criteria. I’m saying that because I don’t have anyone in my life who can do all of that. In fact, I don’t have anyone who fulfills even parts of it. If there were, I’d want to spend as much time with that person as humanly possible.

Guess what…that someone exists for all of us in the Person of Jesus Christ, as given to us by God our Father, Who lives in each and every one of us in the Holy Spirit. Our God, three in one, loves us that much, knows us that well, and is willing to invest in us as much as we’d like Him to.

It is Truer than True

The above is truer than true. Is it true for you? Do you understand Jesus Christ in the above light? Do you know that the Holy Spirit, as your Advocate, lives inside of you, there to help you every day in being the very best you can be?

If you’re like most, you’ve not thought of God in these terms. That’s ok. Assuming that you’re looking for that person in your life (BTW, that person doesn’t exist here on earth…just sayin’), now can be your time. Just like with those on this earth, i.e. spouses, kids, other family, friends, you can’t be in relationship without conversation, without sharing your true thoughts and feelings. With God, that’s called PRAYER.

In other blogs, I’ve talked about the different ways we can pray. I can answer any questions you have if you want to reach out (BTW, I can help, but I certainly don’t have all the answers). The real intent here is to suggest that the ONE PERSON who can be THAT PERSON for all of us, we have in GOD. Begin treating Him as that person, be in relationship with Him, and you’ll be amazed at what your life becomes.

As always, please feel free to contact me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com with comments, questions, or concerns in your life.

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

Mark Joseph

 

Categories
Weekly Blog

New Years Resolution…The Six Primary Areas of Your Life

One year ago, on January 2, 2019, I wrote a blog titled, “Tired of Not Accomplishing Your New Years’ Resolutions – Follow these Four Steps”. You can find it here. In it, I discussed a goal setting process, suggesting the following categories:

  • Spiritual
  • Intellectual
  • Emotional
  • Physical
  • Financial
  • Professional

This year, I thought I’d suggest what you might want to consider for these categories (if I can be so bold).

Spiritual

There are so many options, like with all of these categories. Still a fan of saying my rote prayers (slowly praying through every word), I’d like to suggest 10-15 minutes a day, where you share your thoughts and feelings with our Lord. Tell Him what’s on your mind and/or heart, the good or bad, opportunities or challenges. Describe the situation and your thoughts on how to address or solve for it. Then sit in silence, allowing God to speak into the situation, speak to your heart. Try it…it works.

Intellectual

Read good books. Watch good shows. Do whatever stimulates you intellectually. My personal preference is faith-based books and movies. There are so many good ones, that feed your heart and your head. In relation to books, I’d suggest reading 15-30 minutes a night. Doing so for years, I can’t begin to quantify how much I’ve learned, how much I’ve grown as a result. I love reading right before I go to sleep. I can set my watch to it. Regardless of the specific topic (assuming it’s healthy and positive), doing the above will stimulate your mind and help you grow.

Emotional

How are your relationships, starting with “you”? How do you feel about yourself? Do you have a positive self-image or are you your own worst enemy? My experience is that the only way we can have a healthy self-love is to understand and internalize the unconditional love of God (check my website and past blogs for more on that).

Are your relationships positive or negative? Can you count on those around you or are they always tearing you down? I strongly believe in the concept of an inner-circle, whose members are only those who have a positive influence on you. Everyone else belongs in your outer-circle.

Physical

It’s all about diet and exercise. What are you putting into your body and how active are you? To be your best and live your longest, as a temple of the Holy Spirit, requires some discipline. That said, it doesn’t have to be torture. My wife and I live a very healthy life style and enjoy life very much at the same time.

Financial

Are you earning enough? Are you saving enough? What about retirement, kids’ education, houses, cars, vacations? I’ve always heard that you ought to pay your “savings account” before paying for anything else. And if you don’t have expertise in this or any of the other areas, solicit advice. Get a mentor. You can’t start planning for your finances too early in your life.

Professional

What are your goals? What are your passions? What are your talents? Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 20 years? Start planning now. There being no reason to reinvent the wheel, get a mentor, someone whose “been there and done that”.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. I strongly believe in and have had success by doing a few things really well. The best way to fail is to try to do too much. So with all of the above, take it slowly and work on it regularly. And take it to prayer. God is on your side. Surrender all to Him and you’ll be amazed by the results.

As always, please feel free to contact me with questions, comments, or challenges at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com.

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

Mark Joseph