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Sunday, April 23, 2017

A Deep Passion



I've been doing displays with the Lego Church Project for eighteen years now. It is an amazing time for me to be able to showcase my talents and my mission. If  the building of the project is the telling of a story. Then the displays themselves is the sharing of that story. 

Their is always a level of excitement any time I have the chance to show my project. I have fans who have followed me over the years and they are always asking me what kind of project I'm working on. They look forward to seeing how I out do myself from the previous years. They know I do this yearly and understand that the project the following year will not be the same. 

When I bring the project to a new location. Their is an extra bit of excitement. For me it is the chance to see and visit another parish community. To visit with them and see how that parish does things. From the lay out of the building to the way the Mass is presented. For the project itself it is the chance show my work to a new audience. People that might have heard about my work but have never seen it in person. 

I have a mild case of cerebral palsy. I also suffer from severe tinnitus and visual snow. Doing these displays allows me to share my messages of disability awareness- that God can and use your talents even you have a challenge or disability. It also allows me to share my faith though the church itself. My love and my passion for what we believe in. 

One of the comments that I always get is "the church is always full of people". Our parishes are struggling a lot these days. Many have stopped going to Mass for various reasons. The Project is full of people because it is a reminder of how important our faith is to us. But it is also a prayer that more people would come home to the faith. That our parishes would be filled again. For me the project is a creative way to reach out to people. I don't see the church as it is. But rather how it *should* be.

I close this blog post with this: The Lego Church Project is a deep passion of mine. I am building faith one brick at a time. I enjoy the building of it. I enjoy sharing it. I am thankful to any place willing to host a display. Along with the people willing to help to make sure that happens. 

-JM

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Miss Donna

Yesterday morning my elderly neighbor Miss Donna returned to Christ at the young age of 78. I knew for for about 9 and a half years. Shortly after I moved into the complex. She was a fiery German who was rather quick to tell you how it was. Even if you did not like the message. Yet if she let you into her world she was your family. You could count on her just as much as she counted on you. From the stories she shared it sounded like she had one heck of an adventure in this life. I'm blessed that she got to see me and Kat together. In fact she took Kat under her wing and really became another Grandmother to us both. Donna was truly a blessing in our lives. While we will both be sad that she is no longer here. Her memory lives on in our hearts. Knowing that she is no longer suffering. I thank God for the time we were friends with her. She was an amazing person. God grant you rest my friend. You earned it.

-JM