Perfectly Imperfect … November 30, 2013

Jonathots Daily Blog

(2081)

She was born on October 1st, 1987.

She has graciously selected to refer to me as her “godfather,” minus the Marlon Brando impersonation, mob hits and Academy Awards.

She was an only child, but surrounded by a gang of boys who teased her, bordering on the verge of torment, which some people in our modern day would consider to be bullying, but ended up working out sufficiently (as far as we know).

For after all, we live in an imperfect world, which is perfectly designed for our penchant for imperfection.

Today she is getting married.

She has asked me to officiate at the ceremony. Honored, I am preparing to do my best.

She is romantically joining together with another human being at a time when such relationships are considered to be expendable, if not ridiculous. She is attempting to launch the ship of their future in a harbor infested with the pirates of indecision, infidelity and inadequacy.

I don’t wish to offer her any advice–mainly due to its imperfection–but I would counsel her to pay heed to herself and be true.

1. Have a heart that’s pure. You should never go to sleep with feelings because they always wake up on the wrong side of the bed.
2. Have a soul that’s satisfied–not in yourself, but in the awareness that God has simplified His position, authority and personage into the next human being you run across. Yes, people are God, and every time you forget it, you become an atheist.
3. Renew your mind. Purposefully find one opinion each and every day that has proven to be wrong and set out to change it by challenging its location within your skull.
4. And maintain a healthy body–at least as long as you can. Death is chasing us from the time we’re born. True joy is the combination of ignoring it and punching it in the nose.

They named her Anisa, this god-daughter of mine. She was given this name because it was one of the characters in one of my novels. In this book, the girl named Anisa is a princess, filled with spunk, beauty and intelligence.

How apropos.

Happy wedding day, my dear. Keep an eye on your heart, soul, mind and body, and rejoice that the world created for you … is perfectly imperfect.

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

Click for details on the SpirTed 2014 presentation

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about scheduling SpiriTed in 2014.

click to hear music from Spirited 2014

Hastens and Chastens … November 29, 2013

Jonathots Daily Blog

(2080)

The quickest way to manufacture an agnostic is to allow false doctrines and teachings about God to continue to be propagated without challenge. Religion struggles under the burden of traditions rather than experiencing the power of transition.

This is definitely exemplified in the old-time Thanksgiving hymn, which begins: We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing.

The next line continues: He hastens and chastens, His will to make known.

He hastens?

May I explain to you that God is in no hurry. Being a creative sort, he is fully aware of the gifts and limitations of His creation. Human beings are intolerable when they’re in a hurry. The best advice we ever give to each other is “slow down.”

Speed kills–and not just because it takes away the ability to control direction, but also because it removes the pleasure of scenery along the journey. I will guarantee you that God is not hastening.

If God believes that a day is as a thousand years, then He certainly doesn’t expect you to accomplish everything in one morning. If you want to find God, calm down. For I will tell you–Type A personalities never make it to Z.

He chastens?

For those of you not familiar with the Old English term of “chastening,” it means discipline or correction. I suppose you could consider life, Mother Nature and the way things work as a form of punishment–unless you were just smart enough to learn them and stop resisting what all of us have to live under in order to be part of the family of humankind.

• God doesn’t discipline anyone.
• He doesn’t tempt anyone.
• He doesn’t punish anyone.

Built into the ecological and physiological nature of our planet are the guidelines and systems that rule the roost. Learn them. Then you won’t have to paint a picture of God with a wicked handlebar mustache tying you to the railroad tracks to be hit by the train.

His will to make known?

A true revolution in spirituality will occur when we stop believing that God has a perfect plan for everyone’s life and that He weeps crocodile tears over our inferior efforts.

God has given us a life where we can slow down, learn how things work and then possess the free will to pursue our dreams as we respect others.

So you can understand why people get so overly zealous promoting an angry God–and how those fed up with such an Abominable Snowman have run from the church in search of other comforts.

A quick review:

1. God isn’t in a hurry, so why are we?
2. God doesn’t punish; He instructs through life.
3. God’s will is that nobody perish but that all people learn the power of repentance (change).

It’s so much easier to believe in God when you’re not religious.

He’s the Creator … who just keeps on creating.

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

Click for details on the SpirTed 2014 presentation

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about scheduling SpiriTed in 2014.

click to hear music from Spirited 2014

Thanks for Giving … November 28, 2013

Jonathots Daily Blog

(2080)

First comes the blade

And the stalk with ear

Time brings the heat

As the harvest draws near

The trees with root

Blossom into fruit

We gather in

His bounty again

Thanks for giving

This sweet life we’re living

Hands held unite

Our hearts in joy ignite

Yes, praise with reason

For this blessed season

We gather, Spirit One

To honor Father and Son.

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

Click for details on the SpirTed 2014 presentation

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about scheduling SpiriTed in 2014.

click to hear music from Spirited 2014

He Said It Right Out Loud… November 27, 2013

Jonathots Daily Blog

(2080)

Children’s Sermon.

Honestly, I think the two words contradict each other. No child actually wants to hear a sermon, and no sermon is normally conducive to those under three feet tall. But there are gallant souls who make a valiant effort to communicate very important principles to little ones.

I was sitting in a church listening to one of these brave attempts by a delightful lady as she shared what Thanksgiving meant to her, proffering her ten points of gratitude. She started out by mentioning her home, followed by a house full of food and a warm furnace to keep things toasty. She shared with the kids that there are people in the world–mainly the homeless–who don’t have such blessings. She was about ready to go on to her next point when a young man piped up in a voice as clear as a bell, and obviously, a mind to match.

“Why don’t we let those people who don’t have homes come to our homes and eat our food and stay warm?”

It must have been that all the angels of God silenced the birds, because the room was still–almost afraid to move.

To her credit, she responded, “That’s what we should do.”

She then continued on with her list. Honestly, I don’t remember a single other installment on her array of goodies. My mind was frozen, transfixed on the question from the little boy.

Why don’t we?

I had to ask myself, what would I have answered this young man in the same circumstances. Please understand, I am not being critical of the woman or the job she was doing with these little folk. It’s just that sometimes a truly eternal question enters the room, demanding our attention and requiring that we drop previous plans and veer in the direction of the Spirit instead of clinging to tradition.

Why don’t we invite the homeless into our warm houses with lots of food in the refrigerator?

1. We don’t do that because it’s scary.

We’ve watched episodes of Law and Order in which homeless people are portrayed as possessing deviant behavior and all sorts of mental illnesses, not to mention infectious diseases. It’s that old American philosophy that “the danger outweighs the benefit.” I guess as long as we’re scared of people who are cold and hungry, they should keep their reservation for the park bench.

2. We don’t do that because no one said we could or should.

Most of us don’t have memories of our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles protecting the less fortunate or providing them a night of greater comfort. We never asked; they never told us. It was just understood that some people work, make money and get the fruits of the endeavor … and others don’t.

3. We don’t do that because cool people haven’t made it cool yet.

Our cool people are too busy promoting their own causes, nefarious attitudes and latest projects to take the time to consider something more universal, like brotherly love. Our cool people argue with each other about what’s cool. Our cool folks are overloaded in their schedules, making fashion statements. Our cool people must bring government to a standstill to prove how really cool they are. Like it or not, as humans we have a tendency to mimic the style of those who have more, know more and do more. Our cool people just don’t think it’s cool to bring others in out of the cold.

I suppose no one else ever gave the little boy’s question another thought, but it haunts me to this day. Can I overcome the scary parts of life to do more than I was told to do and make myself cool enough that I could start a new trend?

I don’t know.

But it sure gives me a lot to think about.

 

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

Click for details on the SpirTed 2014 presentation

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about scheduling SpiriTed in 2014.

click to hear music from Spirited 2014

Quatrain of Popcorn… November 26, 2013

Jonathots Daily Blog

(2079)

Oil me up

Burner the heat

Shake it, baby

Butter than ever

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

Click for details on the SpirTed 2014 presentation

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about scheduling SpiriTed in 2014.

click to hear music from Spirited 2014

G-Pop’s Coming — Part 2 … November 25, 2013

Jonathots Daily Blog

(2078)

Learning is what happens when we stop complaining and start believing that what has come our way is usable.

I guess the best way to describe my life is that I have gradually learned how to learn.

In so doing, I have become less critical of others because I understand the aching process involved in transition–but I have also become more motivated to escape the sidelines, nursing my injuries.

When I meet with my family this week and they ask the golden question, “What have you learned?” I’m going to tell them the following six things (of course, one at a time over a space of time, so as not to bore them):

1. People want experience without wrinkles.

Everywhere I go, audiences desire insight, excellence and maturity but because of our culture, they would like to receive it from someone who is young, handsome or pretty. Unfortunately, beauty and youth don’t always coincide well with wisdom and moxie. You have to make up your mind–do you want a beautiful billboard? Or a slightly beat-up but very functional moving truck?

2. The second mile is the new GPS destination.

Sometimes I wonder why people think they can get by doing what everybody else does and still distinguish themselves from the mob. You have to have an edge. You have to have a little extra oom-pah if you’re going to perform in the best polka band.

3. Sophistication is everywhere–and it’s annoying.

Somewhere along the line America has become more demanding than giving. We expect other people to jump through hoops as we feel only the necessity to hold them. We need an innocence in order to create revival–a belief that we haven’t seen everything yet, and what we’re looking for is not necessarily dazzling, just heart-warming and meaningful.

4. Good cheer is the new money.

People are so morose, despondent and out-of-whack that simply coming across with a willingness, a smile and a desire to pursue betterment pushes you to the front of the horde. Good cheer is when you purposely put on the mask of a face you deeply desire to be your own.

5. Indecision is killing us.

I don’t know when we started defining maturity as the act of holding meetings, discussing and deciding nothing. Sooner or later we will need to risk being flawed in order to actually move forward and discover improvement.

6. And the final thing I will tell my family that I learned this year in my journey across this United States is freedom isn’t always right–but it’s never wrong.

Unless you have some sort of belief that the U.S. should be ruled by Christian Sharia law, you have to understand that democracy grants freedom at all costs. This doesn’t mean that the things people select to do are always right, or even moral. It’s just that they’re never wrong–because the freedom exists in this country to do what you deem necessary, as long as you don’t infringe on the rights of others.

I see absolutely nothing in error in a church establishing in its doctrine that certain attitudes or behaviors are appropriate for the message they espouse. But if that same church lobbies for other American citizens to be forbidden to conduct themselves however they deem best, then that church has gone from a personal choice of worship to a position of robbing civil rights from their brothers and sisters.

So there you go. If I were to sum up all six of them, I would say this:

Find yourself, be happy, love people–but leave ’em alone.

That is what G-Pop learned this year as he traveled across this country. I’m in my van, driving to meet those who are willing to be called my kin.

It should be exciting.

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

Click for details on the SpirTed 2014 presentation

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about scheduling SpiriTed in 2014.

click to hear music from Spirited 2014

G-Pop’s Coming … November 24, 2013

Jonathots Daily Blog

(2077)

Three hundred and thirty-three days ago, I checked out of a Red Carpet Inn in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, climbed into my big, black conversion van and set out on my fourteenth crossing of the United States to share my life and heart.

I had just finished a three-week stay with family and friends for Christmas and had completed recording my latest album. The process of being with these lovely folks was exhilarating, enlightening and challenging.

Exhilarating because it’s always a welcome reminder to my soul that I was miraculously a patron and contributor to the formation of what has turned out to be a glorious gathering of geniuses and goofballs.

Enlightening because they continue to surprise me with both their achievements and progress in maturity, which varies in speed from the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars to the common inchworm.

And challenging. Even though I made a promise to all my friends, children and all the folks they have introduced into our conclave, granting them autonomy and individuality, I am a human being and occasionally I will see them take on attitudes or ideas which I find obtuse.

But when you blend exhilarating, enlightening and challenging all together, you get more “yea” than “nay.”

And I have to admit, as I drove across I-75–Alligator Alley–to begin “Tour 2013,” I was a bit wistful and maybe a little melancholy about leaving, to ship off to projects and people quite unknown.

I know my family loves me. I know my friends feel the same. But it isn’t quite like it was when they relied on me for their sustenance and needed my approval to gain permission to use the car keys on Saturday night.

Honestly, it’s much better the way it is now than when our relationship could quickly be tainted by a dust-up or a festering fussiness.

But as I prepare to join my kin in the Nashville, Tennessee, area for Thanksgiving, I know they will want to ask the normal questions:

• How are you feeling, G-Pop?
• Do your knees still hurt?
• How much do you have to use the wheelchair?
• Tell us a story about your trip this year.
• Are you going to go out again?
• Do you ever get tired of it?
• Do you miss us?
• Did you lose any weight?
• Are you getting exercise?

You see, some of the questions are natural and others are based on the fact that as they become more adult, they also view me as getting older and decrepit. So sometimes it’s difficult for me to understand why they anticipate my taking a sharp left turn into “geriatric,” when they know I’m still writing, sharing, singing and performing all across this great country.

But after all, they’re just people. They really need me to be a grandpa–and I’m more suited to be the aging Grand Poobah of a gypsy band.

What will I tell them?  What will I say when they ask me, “G-Pop, what have you learned?”

Well, you see, I learned …

The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this wonderful, inspirational opportunity

Click for details on the SpirTed 2014 presentation

Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about scheduling SpiriTed in 2014.

click to hear music from Spirited 2014