unreal video….

You are so great, dear Father. Thank you for your love. (Ps. 66:4)

click on the link below:

Some random facts about me….

#1 At the age of 9, I had payed more visits to the dentists than there are grains of sand on the beach. Ok, maybe not, but after 17 holes in my mouth where my teeth used to be, I began to wonder if I was going to need dentures while i waited for them to grow back. I have pictures to prove my toothless childhood. (Let me also mention I had braces for 5.5 years after all those teeth grew back in. Yay for the orthodontist and the mercedes he now drives because of my retarded mouth.)

#2 I was a very socially awkward child. This may have been a result of homeschooling, or my love for the comb-over haircut, giant t-shirts, and white tube socks pushed down around my ankles while wearing shorts. You decide.

#3 I have quite a few younger sisters, five to be exact. One time at Sea World (hmmmm Shamu… whatever happened to our killer whale friend?) my sister Amaris and I were in the heat of a foot race and just as she was about to beat me, i lovingly pushed her a bit and won the race as she hit the ground. I know, terrible. And after a trip to the medic station and all Amaris’s tears, I felt terrible. We also lost Amaris at Sea World, but thats another story…..

#4 My favorite drink at starbucks is apple cider, which I recently found out is steamed apple juice. No matter, my favorite drink at everyones favorite coffee shop still is juice.

#5 I’ve shattered the ball of my right shoulder, broken my right wrist, been mauled by a dog on my right arm, and broken my pinky on my right hand 2 times. The warrior in me is my Right Arm. My left arm got a tattoo to try to be cool. But Right Side and me both know that it doesn’t help.

#6 I have a tattoo on my left arm. According to my best friend Cody, my rock’n’roll status has gone up a few points.

#7 I’m a literature major at a school where the skills to build a 200-floor skyscraper are more valued than the ability to teach high school lit. But I love my major and the teachers and students I get to learn with.

#8 I’m going to graduate from college two years after I should have.

#9 I was born in California.

#10 Spring break of my sophomore year was over and I was disappointed. Nothing exciting had happened, and I had spent the week on campus doing homework. So the most spontaneous moment of my life happened: a 5 hour trip to the beach at midnight on Sunday. My friend Tim, Katie, and I slept in an embassy suites parking lot, swam in the ocean, ate breakfast, and then made it back for class on monday. One of the best trips ever.

#11 Smiling is my favorite.

#12 My favorite movies are disney cartoons. The Sword in the Stone and Wall-e are my two faves at the moment.

#13 I’m a big fan of music. I remember when I was 16 I started to make mixed tapes on this big stereo our family owned. I would sneak it into my room after everyone had gone to bed and put my headphones on and sometimes stay up all night surfing the channels to try and record the best songs. I remember listening to those tapes on the long ride to school, wondering how something could be so inspiring. Even before I could play an instrument, I knew I had to make music. So I bought a composition notebook and began to fill it up with thoughts. That was the beginning of God’s calling on my heart to write songs and make music. I can’t tell you how thankful I am that the Creator would call a kid like me to serve Him and other people. He has a purpose for all our lives and His plans are so good. I encourage you to ask Him to lead you, and know He is faithful to lead.

#14 My favorite toy from the ages of 2 until 5 was a rubber snorkel. I’d carry it under my arm wherever I went and make truck noises. Not even kidding. One time i left it a my great aunt’s in Phoenix Arizona, and she overnighted it to me because I couldn’t sleep without it…..

#15 I played baseball for 7 years and swam for 3 years.

#16 My 1st CD was Human Clay by Creed.

#17 I once went to Europe by myself. I flew into venice Italy, met a friend who was studying art there, then after a few days, I went to Florence Italy. Europe is amazing until you realize that you can’t go home. I got stuck because all the flights back to the states we’re over booked, a “delta buddy pass” weakness that I failed to see before I left. So I made some phone calls, packed my things, and made my way by train, plane, and automobile from Florence Italy to Edinburgh Scotland to catch the only available flight in western europe to the USA. I happy to say that I my journey back to America the beautiful ended with a chik-fil-a sandwich.

#18 I’m a procrastinator. I’ve been working on this list for a week already.

#19 I’ve met Tom Cruise before, he is short, and crazy.

#20 I have a clothes dryer in my bedroom.

#21 I’ve been told I look a Jonas brother 5 times in the past 6 days. Jonathan Jonas…… hmmmm……..

#22 When I was 13 I got addicted to wrigleys gum, especially the kind in the maroon package. (which I found out recently that apparently smokers used to chew this gum a lot because its addicting flavor would help them with their nicotine cravings…. interesting….) Anyways, I would buy a pack of this gum every time I saw it at a store, even if I already had gotten some earlier. I would store the extra gum in a little box by my bed. Needless to say, after a few years, a couple hundred dollars, and the discontinuation of that flavor of gum, I recovered from my gum addiction.

#23 I once bought a $70 dollar t-shirt…. i know. And it doesn’t even fit me now. I learned many life lessons from that experience.

#24 My dad was an olympic alternate swimmer 30 years ago.

#25 I like mystery.

now you know me a bit better.

-Jonathan

2am and no rest for me.

So, im finally gonna update this thing. It’s 2AM and I’m up and ready for the day. this is terrible, considering the day doesn’t start for another…. 6 hours! this is what I get for being an adult and going to bed early. Well there is a lot going on in my life recently, some incredibly awesome stuff and some very stressful. Here are some updates in the tiny life of Jonathan:

CD: Well the Wake to Day EP is almost finished. It’s getting mixed by Brandon Swafford and then off to a mastering studio in NY and then to my hands. I’m excited for it to be finished and to share the songs with everyone. I pray that our Father in heaven will use our songs to encourage hearts. The EP will be called “seeking first”. Life is full of worries and anxieties and stress, but God is in control and is faithful to provide. He knows our needs. In light of that, our Saviour calls us to seek first the kingdom of God instead of wallowing in our worries. I have a lot of worries of my own, but I pray that as children of God we can trust our heavenly Father and His goodness to satisfy us. This is hard, for sure. But His goodness and faithfulness is unchanging, even in the darkest times. I think that all the songs on this CD point to this truth; and I pray that maybe in some way, the words that our Father allows me to pen can speak to you and your walk through life. Here is a teaser of the possible album cover:

Out March 2009

School: No fun at all, but I’m finally a senior and will graduate next semester. No real news here besides that I’m finally on my way to graduated life, whatever that means.

Anyways, whoever is reading this, I’m praying for you and hope all is well in your life. Don’t be discouraged under any circumstance. No matter what, cling to our perfect Father and He will lead you. Our lives can be lonely and numb at times, but cling to this truth: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (matt 11:28-30)” Find rest my friend. Know that our Lord is good, even to a messed up bunch like us.

I’ll be more diligent to update this thing in the future!  P.S. if you haven’t seen “Horton Hears a Who”, go watch it as soon as possible. Talk to you lata.

Grace and Peace at 2am,               jonathan.

new seasons and sandwiches.

As the new season rolls in, I feel like im living in constant expectancy. Everything in my life right now sems to be hinting toward the future. Whether it’s coffee with someone, writing new songs, finishing old ones, work at the church, or talking to the Lord, Im struck with constant anticipation of what’s ahead. Who knows what tomorrow holds? I definitely dont. But one thing I know is that life is to short to sit back and not be bold and seek after what I want. The Lord has such an intricate plan for every one of our lives and sometimes following His way means risks and making tough choices. God is good to those who take initiative. One way I’m learning to follow Him wisely is through His word. But sometimes prayer and scripture don’t give us all the answers immediately, so I’ve been learning to step out on faith and hope that the God I love shows me the way. And, I’ve been learning that He always does.

So, I’m not quite sure why I’m writing this blog, because I write non-stop as a literature major, but I felt It’d be good to share with all 1 of you who will come to this blog, the things are going on in my life and thoughts. If you don’t know me, let me share a bit. I love the Lord. He is the Creator of everything and He came to die so that I may know Him and so much more. If you don’t know Him but want to, I just encourage you to seek Him, and He will find you. I’m praying for you. Secondly, I play music a lot. I work at a church in south Georgia as a worship leader of a youth group and I write songs and sing em too. You can check out some of my music at virb.com/waketoday (not meant to be a shameless plug). And lastly but not leastly, I’m a Literature major at GA Tech in Atlanta, a brother to 5 sisters, 6′3, and im a fan of the gummi bears and sandwiches. I think that sums up 21 years of life well.

Anyways, feel free to comment and check back to see when this lazy kid will write another blog, but I’m not making any promises. Peace out players,

JRay