:) SMILES

GUESS WHO I FINALLY GOT TO SMILE?
THE UNCLE JOHNNY CHARM IS STARTING TO REACH RUBY.

The Friend Most Likely.......

To pray for me when I ask: Cornelia Ruff

To be willing to die in my place: Jesus Christ

To make me worry: Bob Lipson

To go to my Cancer Treatments with me: Travis and Adriane Marsh

To Argue with me about what the Bible says: Roland Franklin

To Speak the truth to me in Love: Aaron Ruff

To think the Hokey Pokey is what it's all about: Andy Struck

To Encourage me when I'm down: Shelly Julien

To Know a Bible Reference: Jamie Tedesco

To End up as a guest on a late night talk show: Naazak Taghipour

To Not notice a difference in me: Rick Burke

To be the One I'd feel most comfortable calling in the middle of the night: Mike D

To have more unusual friends more than any of my other friends: Brendan Barry

To be the One I'd talk to about hard, personal things: Autumn Miller

To make faces at the ATM camera: Tracy Shawver and Tawney Hanson

To get me to do something out of Character: Brian McGuirk

heart

Are you happy? Just a question between friends. I for sure know that I am not. Questioning where to head post 30 is killing me. I don't think I've worked this hard in my life. Work all the time and not keeping my head above water. My graduate work, my credentialed work, my life is turning into a disappointment. All I've wanted to prove to myself is am I making a difference... For the students and am I pushing myself to further my life. I'm all over the place right now. I just wish life would turn around. God knew I was heading this way a while ago. I didn't. I need to figure a way to live a semi charmed type of life. And that means a lot more nacho libre outfits and less stressing over failed attempts. I try my best in life. Sometimes I suck as a friend, brother, son, co worker, roommate, etc...... but I'm working toward a better Jonathan. I know that when I paint I feel a new me. Revitalization.

Sadielicious

Loving you my second niece.
Very different, but so happy that you are here with us.
You brighten our lives to no extent.
Happy first Birthday Sadie!
We love you.

poetic

My mind is full of many thoughts
That clutter and confuse.
But standing firm, I will prevail,
In faith that I'll be used.
In a way my life is full of burdens
But in a way You carry them from me
Cause no one understands the way You do
And you know
I don't want to fall away from
YOU

Rain Down on Me

The rain reminds me of sad days within my life that I wish that I could change or do all over again. These days make me sad because in my heart I know that I was the sole generator of certain emotions that struck a chord within my heart and unfortunately a second party. I remember that Sunday a while back when I made my sister Susannah cry. The selfish attitude that I potrayed that morning I will never forget. I remember finding out the news a day before she notified me. I was so upset that my childhood best friend did not let me know before being congratulated by twenty or so church members that morning. However, as we sung "all for you and for your glory" at the now defunct All Nations Church, all that I could think about was myself. As she struggled through the chorus tears started to run down my face as I realized what I had done. My faith clears up rainy days. It's not so much an east coast weather pattern where it has 4 or 5 months of summer and then instant winter, but a west coast pattern that has mostly sunny days, but rain off and on. Because my life is mostly sunny, but I need that reminder where I will have those difficult dreary days where I won't be able to hang with it. So a few days of rain here and there won't hurt you, right?

Brother Time

How do you get brothers with crazy schedules to hang out for
a night? Well, first you catch one off guard by telling them at 7:30 p.m.
to drive 30 minutes and bring some food while he supplies the wine.

In our case, it wasn't going to be wine that we were drinking tonight. It
turned out to be Matt's special concoction with a special addition of absinthe.
While picking out a few pizza crusts at the store, I thought of some toppings that we could add to make our pizza delish. On top of the tasty crust, I added some pesto-basil
cream sauce.

Slivered between the Colby jack and Mozzarella cheeses we snuck in some
prosciutto meat. I joked with Matt that we needed to open our own pizza store because
the final product was utterly amazing.
What better way to share a Cool, wet, dreary Sunday night than
great conversation with brothers (minus mark) and awesome pizza.

It was a bummer this time that the nieces were asleep, however; we were able to have some much needed bonding brother time. I'm not much of a cook, however I will be proud
to say that this pizza looked and tasted Scrumptious!!!!