Doves

"Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest..."
-Psalm 55:6

I don't know why, but I just really found that quite lovely
and felt compelled to share it.

I guess it's just because the idea of peace has always sounded really nice to me.

Not saying that I am without peace.
But just the idea of flying away to a distant land and being able to fill my lungs
full of air. Living life.

Benjamin Button teaches that our lives are defined by opportunities taken and missed.

Like, yesterday, Chris and I were going to go to the park to hang out, but instead we hung around outside my house and played music. Two men came and hung out with us. One of them was pretty blown away by the fact we could listen to a song and play along with it.

But that's besides the point.

What I'm saying is that we could have gone to the park and had an okay time, but life thew another opportunity when we chose to go a different path. So we missed one opportunity to go to the park, but gained another to meet new people and enjoy their company. Who knows what we missed by going to the park? Nobody really(God doesn't count because he's God).

Anyways, if this sounds like I'm rambling, it's because I am.
Hope you enjoyed some of my thoughts and are all enjoying your life. :)

Jonathan

Porn

Hey. I've gotten pretty jacked up with porn lately, not gunna lie.

It's just so hard to care, if that makes sense.
But honestly, it's been so long that you forget how degrading it
is of women. This might sound weird but I seriously stopped and wondered
what was really going on here. Where she came from and what brought her
to that place. It breaks my heart, really.
But like I was saying, in the moment, it's hard to care.

I guess I'm just going to have to keep working at it.

In other news BOTH EPs are going pretty well.
I should be wrapping up the very final details and finishing up the South Africa EP by Thursday.
It will have been my first fully completed project, so that's exciting. I wish the whole project could have
been done at my house, though. But it should sound fine.

The Drifts EP(It's not really The Drifts, but I still call it that because I like the name) is coming along more slowly than I was hoping. We are done with two of the songs, so that's progress I guess. We're just going to keep picking away at it until we're done I guess. That's a bigger deal to me than the South Africa EP as far as finishing it. It's way more personal to me because it's music that I've had a part in making it what it is. You should check out our new song: How Long and let me know what you think of it. www.myspace.com/thedrifts4

This whole recording process has been kind of like if Hell suddenly decided to become enjoyable.
As if that makes any sense unless you've done this. :P

And last but not least: Six Flags on Saturday.
Oh, and apparently I'm heading out to Raleigh, North Carolina for the SHIFT mission trip. Weird.

I think that about covers my whole life right now :)

Jonathan

P.S. How are all two of you that read this doing? :P

Becky

Hey! I got back from DC yesterday and it was quite a trip.
I spent ten hours planning next year at ALTAER with Jake.
Then ten hours planning on the way back.

The second day there we went out into the city just to hang out
with different people around town. I took Becky and Kara with me
to go talk to this homeless man named Larry. Really cool guy. He was
having problems getting a shelter because in order to get a shelter you have
to send an address, but he was homeless. Anyways, we ended up praying for him,
and afterwards Becky was saying that was the first time she had prayed out loud for
someone. It really was cool to see her step up.

This happened time and time again with the younger ones in my team.

Some talked to the homeless.

Others to the elder.

A few gathered the guts to ask restaurants for extra food to feed the homeless.

Sure I stepped in and tried to set the pace, but after I stepped back, they took the reigns.

Just the fact that they were once these immature SHIFT kids a few weeks prior and were
now growing into these beautiful women and strong men after God.

Still, when it comes down to it, what they are going with these experiences is up to them.
I have been around Student Life for six years and have seen some people take them and run
with it, and others forget and drift away.

I pray they will choose continue to pursue God.

If you want to hear about all the little details, you can talk to me or borrow my journal or something.
Glad to be back, though :)

Jonathan

Late

Well I'll tell you all the dreams I've had
I'll write them in a song
Feelings from my pens and paper
They ain't right or wrong
Sometimes my heart breaks into pieces
And I ain't where I belong
Out of my tree is what I'm feeling
But that ain't right or wrong

There's just one thing for certain
I promise you will see
It's never too late to be the person
That you were meant to be

Well I traveled all the way to Melbourne
It feels just like my home
Down Chapel Street, no one sees ya
But that ain't right or wrong
Miles away I have this thought
So I wrote it in a song
In a God I'm a true believer
I may be right or wrong

There's just one thing for certian
I promise you will see
It's never too late to be the person
That you were meant to be

While a princess waits for her prince charming
But he may never come
Who says fairy tales can't harm you?
But they ain't right or wrong
And all the friends I've made along the way
And those who are gone
They didn't know how to leave or stay
But that ain't right or wrong

There's just one thing for certian
I promise you will see
It's never too late to be the person
That you were meant to be

I'll tell you all the dreams I've had
Then wake up from my sleep...

Right or Wrong by Gregory Page

Jonathan

Junior

Man.
Junior year sucked.
Big time.

I think the only thing that really went right was that I passed math.
But honestly, I really could care less at this point.

I just feel like everything I poured my heart into were the things that failed.

I mean, good things happened to be sure. It is just that the bad overweighs it so
much more to me.

Still, the thing I have to learn is that no matter what I think, this year was a gift from God.
It was more than I deserved, to be sure.

It is like that hymn:
Whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say it is well with my soul.

It doesn't make make me feel like much is well with my soul, though.

Hopefully this summer will be good.
I have a lot to do...But I lack much inspiration to do it.

I guess I am trying to appreciate the year...but I don't.

I wish I could fix things, but I can't.

Jonathan

Wishes

I wish there was something I could do,
but it always takes two.

Porcupine

For the past five; almost six years now,
You haven't once looked at me with kindness in your eyes;
And you say Judas is a brother of mine?
Oh, but sister in our darkness a light shines!
And all I ever want to say for the rest of my life,
Is how that light is GOD!

And through I've been mistaken on this or that point,
That light is God.

It has been forever since I have listened to Brother, Sister.
But I kind of have felt that way this year.
Like nothing good has really lasted, but nevertheless in darkness
God is light.
And that is all I want to say for the rest of my life...
though I have been severely mistaken at times, that light
has never ceased to be God.

I just sometimes wish my mistakes weren't so costly.
But I suppose sin does have consequence.
Life. What a double edged sword it is.

In other news, the EP is coming along pretty well. We are slowly picking away at it.
I think at this rate we can do one song a practice and be done with it in about 4 or 5 more practices.
The rest will just be up to me finding time to mix and edit everything. I am really excited about it.

Thanks for all being my friends. I know every one of you(reading this) is someone I love dearly. I can honestly say I really appreciate you being in my life.

Much love,

Jonathan