Emmaleigh from Maryland writes …
thank you guys so much for putting enLighten on XM Radio … you don’t know how much a blessing it is to me. I have spent many long nights, while in a hard trial, weeping before the Lord while listening to enLighten … it truly has helped me and is a wonderful blessing. Thank you all again! –Emmaleigh
What comes to mind at this moment are two words which are very important to the Lord … Comfort and Joy! The former for Emmaleigh and the latter for Danny and Larry:
Oh, my heavens … I’m in tears, on how inspirational your music is. Bless you, and all your staff, am praying for you! –Danny
I listen on the way to work every day and, when I get there, I can’t stop singing and praising God all day. –Larry from Arkansas
I want to say thank you for the great live recordings show right after Paul Heil. I also like the Gospel Greats, and Daniel Britt and Friends. I have many friends that bought XM just for enLighten… most would not renew if it went off the air.–Wesley from Indiana
Two comments regarding Wesley’s note … first, about not renewing if enLighten34 were to leave the XM lineup … we trust this will not happen, and this is a point XM management recognizes. While XM Radio offers 170 channels of assorted musical and talk programming, most of our nine million or so subscribers listen to no more than about three different channels at most … and, as many of you tell us, never deviate from one channel.
Secondly, our enLighten Weekend Jubilee is coming up on its first anniversary, and has proven to be a very popular feature on enLighten34. Every time I think that I’m about to run out of fresh material for the broadcast, I discover a few more. In fact, by the time you read this, the postman should have delivered to my XM desk at least a half dozen more recordings, which you’ll hear in the weeks ahead.
The idea of featuring these recordings grew out of a column which Danny Jones, the Editor of Singing News, posted on the magazine’s website, inviting readers to tell him their favorite “live concert” album. He then compiled a list of all suggested recordings and included that list in his next column, noting that perhaps yours truly would broadcast the favorites on enLighten34. Never one to shy away from an intriguing idea, we took the concept and presented our first “live recordings” special 14 months ago as the first New Year’s Gospel Jubilee.
Next, this “cute” message from Tim in Erlanger, Kentucky, just had to be shared … although many of you will not understand it without some explanation. If you listen to enLighten34 via a satellite receiver, the signal gets to your radio by way of two of the world’s most powerful satellites, which sit amongst hundreds of others positioned over the equator some 22,000 miles above the earth. For publicity purposes, XM’s first two satellites were given the names of “rock” and “roll” as in music, rather than simply being labeled XM1 and XM2. Thank you, Tim, for sharing your Lord-inspired creativity…
Who would have thought that in 2001 when “Rock” & “Roll” launched into the heavens, we’d be sitting down here having Heaven launched into our hearts. Thanks. –Tim
Our final one to share is from Rodney in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, who writes…
My job requires me to be on the road a lot. I have XM and listen to enLighten34. I love the station, and the songs you play help me so much. I`m not a Christian right now, but I know in my heart that church is where I belong. –Rodney
I’ve included Rodney’s E-mail because I want to dispute one thing he says, and I believe you’ll agree with me. I think he simply chose the wrong word, because I sincerely believe that Rodney’s heart is in the right place, that he does love the Lord. Rodney, don’t you mean you are not “attending church right now?”
Please understand that when we post these messages, it is not done for bragging purposes or out of pride. Every message we receive provides encouragement to my heart… even the occasional critical one, as those give me pause to consider what possibly can we do better or differently.
Dan and I … as I’ve said many times before … rejoice that the Lord has provided this outlet for Southern Gospel and that, through His music, hearts are being strengthened, warmed, touched, comforted. Beyond that, everything else is secondary! Do I hear an “A-men?”
Marlin
