JosephBurke.com

John Wallpaper?

// February 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // Joe's Blog

Originally born and raised in Kentucky, it’s no secret that my blood runs blue for the Wildcats. The 2009-2010 Season with star freshman John Wall has made Kentucky excel in college basketball and the NCAA. My love for the game and my favorite team inspired me to create this one of a kind wallpaper. Not all people will like this wallpaper, but you can’t hide talent, especially the star power John Wall possesses. Click Here to download the HD 1920×1080 version of this wallpaper, and rally with the Cats as they go all the way this year in the NCAA!

Valentines Day & The Gift of Love

// February 15th, 2010 // No Comments » // Joe's Blog

It’s incredible to fathom the idea that I’ve spent a second Valentines Day with my lovely sweetheart and soon to be wife. Next year this time, we’ll both be married and living our lives with infinite bands of gold circling our fingers to signify our never-ending love for each other. This Valentines Day was special because it signified so many changes that have taken place in both mine and Alexandra’s life over the past year. Wonderful changes that signify our love and purpose we have for each other. The amazing thing is, our love grows stronger and stronger by the day, and some people are very hesitant to express their private feelings for their companion in public, but I’ve been one to sway a little bit different in opinion. I feel that if you do not know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the woman you’re with, engaged to and set to marry is your true soul mate, and you have reservations about the longevity of a relationship, then chances are it won’t blossom. But there are those rare moments in life, when two souls collide, and you get signs that he/she is “the one.” These signs are different for each and every couple, but their overall purpose is similar to the goal of finding your soul mate. Alexandra and I share this rare intellect with each other, even enough that we often complete each others sentences before one or the other is finished speaking. We’re so synced up that we accept the good, bad and all of the woes life dishes out, but the true deciding factor us is we both hold strongly to our faith in God, Christ and the power of prayer and healing. All couples have their niche in the relationship that draw them closer, and makes one another feel close to something far more powerful than they are. Never give up on your faith, hope and inspirations in life, and more importantly don’t give up on each other. Men, it’s okay to be mushy, cuddly and in touch with your X chromosome, women want to feel that.

My pastor preached an amazing message Sunday morning on “Love & Marriage.” Pastor Paul stated that to be healthy adults, the human body and mind must experience the following: respect, encouragement, comfort, security, support, acceptance, approval, appreciation, attention and affection. This is so true, and we should try to practice and demonstrate all of these morals with our spouses, friends and family. Christ said in John 13:24 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Love carries a much broader meaning than acting out the action of loving. It means loving your enemies when they despise you, loving those that wrong you and loving Christ first above all things. Pretty powerful this four letter word called love. The foundation for staying in love is to make love a verb rather than one time gift. Love goes on and on forever, even when this weary rock we call Earth fades away, love will still remain. Love, love love!

Joe & Alex – Blessed and Lovin’ It

// February 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // Joe's Blog

A collage of photos showing how much Alex and I are truly in love. Special thanks to Oneday Photography of Orlando, FL for the photo shoot. The song used in the background is Phillips, Craig & Dean – Revelation Song.

Layers and Conditions

// January 31st, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Joe's Blog

The human experience is something endured by everyone individual on the face of this blue and green planet we call Earth. Each condition we face in our daily lives appear to come out of nowhere, or we have been battling the issue for a long time. Conditions come in many forms, and test our ability to perform as a person in society, and more importantly strengthen our walk with higher power. Some face health issues, others face a lifetime of battling financial debt, while others are traumatized by the lingering after effects of a scared childhood. Whatever your condition is, facing it can be the most challenging aspect of your life.

To confront your conditions face to face isn’t easy, and it requires help and a little faith from God. You can’t do it alone, which is why it’s important to pray within your heart and search out the true you. We all live our lives clouded in the mystique of persona’s worn at our work place or social groups we belong to. Taking off the mask not only clear the smoke about who you really are as a person, but it sets you aside from everyone else, thus finding your own closure to life and it’s conditions. If you think about it, conditions can be associated with with old metaphor of an onion and it’s layers, “Peeling back each layer one at time to reveal the true core.” As cliche as this sounds, it’s probably the most accurate way to describe the human condition.

Don’t cloud conditions with material goods or “stuff.” Personal possessions is not implications of conditions or results of your personal well being. Conditions are the protocols God sets in place for us to face as humans, the trials of life if you will. Whether you believe in God or any higher power for that matter, conditions in your life are still there, waiting for you to face, and gnawing at you day by day. Until you tackle the conditions that torment you, you can never fully gain true peace and happiness.

I have come to accept my conditions, and even though I may have no immediate resolve to the issues that keep me up at night, I believe God will comfort me in my time of great need and despair. It’s hard for me as a human to humble myself to a level where I as a mortal have to examine my own life, peeling each aspect of it away layer by layer until I found out really what is keeping me up at night. But I rejoice in the fact that I can share the good news that I have faced my demons, I have accepted my conditions and I have gotten to the core of what burdens my heart day by day. I rejoice in knowing that I no longer cloud the moment of despair with my own self righteousness, but I rather become meek and develop a zeal to life, and each day the wonderful blessings it brings me. The gift of life isn’t a condition, it’s God’s miracle. The gift of love isn’t a condition it’s God’s Spirit bearing witness between us or our companion.

Peel back your layers, examine your conditions, shed some tears like I did this morning and you’ll then you’ll see the light that shines so brightly on the horizon ahead. Rejoice, Rejoice REJOICE!

Tonight Belongs to…

// January 28th, 2010 // No Comments » // Joe's Blog

I have never reviewed a true Broadway show before, but I was so inspired tonight after seeing the performance of Phantom at the Bob Carr Center in downtown Orlando, FL that I just had to give it a go. Bob Carr is a small stage compared to other stages I’ve been to, but the seating capacity at just around 2,500 isn’t small either. After seeing the movie and bits and pieces of the footage from the NYC Production of Phantom, I was amazed at how much the staff, and stagehands fit onto the smaller 36ft. stage area. Amazingly, it was pulled off without a single glitch, and the rigs, lighting, effects, dioramas and props all fit perfectly on the stage. But, then again, the original stage in NYC, The Majestic, is only 37ft in depth, so there really isn’t that much of a difference.

For me, having never seen Phantom in full production was a little humbling. I’ve heard so much about this production in the tabloids, but one never thought I’d have the blessed chance to go see it one day. And we had prime seating in row HH, which is only 8 rows back from the main Orchestra area. The show production quality was very sophisticated and elaborate set designs that made the audience sink into the realm of the Phantom. With the towering golden angelic statues that dawned the sides of the stage to the centerpiece of the magnificent chandelier, the opening moments of Phantom was a bit of “WOW” moment. As the chandelier rose above the audience and the stage is revealed, everyone is captivated to center stage.

The vocals, acting and even technical engineering of this production was superb. There wasn’t a single blip, falter or issue with the sound, tech or lighting. Again, hats off to the amazing crew of Phantom and the “Florida Theatrical Association” for bringing such great productions on the road to Orlando. The actors were brilliant, and portrayed their roles with the up-most sincerity, and I felt captivated the entire production. I didn’t feel like I was in the theater for a little over two hours. I found myself fully absorbed in the world of Phantom, and frankly, that’s the way it should be. If you live in the Orlando area, and are curious about this show, please do yourself a favor now and order your tickets. It’s well worth it, and you’ll be as mesmerized as I was, I guarantee it. Keep in mind, opera and theater is not for everyone, but anyone who appreciates talent and entertainment will thoroughly enjoy this Orlando production.

Truly, this night, belonged to Phantom…