Tomorrow’s Today… May 11, 2013

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I never think too much about tomorrow. I try to stay on my daily bread and focus on the activities set before me in this particular twenty-four-hour period. Yet sometimes tomorrow’s activities are part of today’s thoughts.

For instance, I know that I am going to be at Smithfield United Methodist Church tomorrow morning. I really don’t have any worries about it–after nearly forty years of interacting with folks and sharing my heart, I have discovered that the real secret is to keep it simple and never try to make things appear either bigger or smaller than they actually are.

But I have also learned that there are a few goals which can be pursued when pressing flesh with mankind–and womankind, for that matter–which universally set in motion a pattern for success instead of fostering a climate for dissent.

Communication. It’s the main thing on my mind. I believe it’s very important that people understand what I’m trying to say and comprehend who I am. I don’t hide behind books, philosophies, religious attitudes or my history of experience. What I try to do is share a very simple message in a simple way, tapping as much excellence in my talent as I am able to do in the moment.

I do not think that we will ever achieve fellowship or stimulate an atmosphere for renewal when we’re presenting things to each other that we don’t understand.

Case in point: I don’t talk about heaven very much. It’s not that I don’t believe in it–it’s just that for most of us it’s not the next stop on the bus line. You’ll rarely hear me mention the devil, simply because there is a dark nature in each of us which already wants to believe there are evil reasons why we don’t achieve righteous conclusions.

I chat about human things and how to do them better. In the process of that communication I hope to make connection. That link-up is a simple question: “Can I help?”

I just don’t think we do much to assist our brothers and sisters by giving them more problems, more commandments and more reasons to despair. If you can’t edify folks, then exhort them. If you can’t exhort them, encourage them. If you can’t do any of those three, you might just want to leave ’em alone.

After I’ve made a connection, I am joyously looking forward to a sense of contentment. What is contentment? “I discovered my best and I gave it to you.”

Candidly, without knowing that this is true, we either become grumpy or obnoxiously make excuses for our failure.

And the final part of the process is continue. Yes, I want to continue to do what I’m doing for as long as I’m able to pursue it, while garnering a new idea from every encounter.

I’ve been criticized by friends and family because I listen to every concern or criticism and weigh it in relationship to what I know–even if the words spoken were an attempt to hurt. I don’t think there’s as much danger in our being overly analytical as there is in repelling critique that might just give us a better path.

So when I come to Smithfield tomorrow, I want to communicate. I want to make sure they understand me.

I want to make a connection–to see if I can lighten their load instead of piling up their wagons with useless trash.

Because when I leave, I want to have the contentment that I’ve given my very best to these fine children of God.

And I also would like to know that because I was with them, I can improve the quality of my own presentation.

That’s what I call tomorrow’s today. It’s a quick review in my heart and soul to renew my mind, looking for better ways to use my strength. And because of the beauty of the process, I am often granted the blessing of leaving a town having edified both my audience … and myself.

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

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Please contact Jonathan’s agent, Jackie Barnett, at (615) 481-1474, for information about personal appearances or scheduling an event

Remembering…

February 27, 2013

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I love because it’s important and not easy

I am a father because children came along and needed someone to appear like he knew what he was doing

I am creative because repetition is the wallpaper of hell

I believe in God because sometimes a fruit basket is not enough to comfort my friends

I chase dreams to outrun the nightmares

I welcome strangers because they are related to God

I laugh more than I cry because tears are messy

I limp on ahead because my knees gave up too soon

I challenge others, hoping they will return the favor

I exhort because effort and excellence give me a thrill

I perform because I have not yet been adequately replaced

I keep traveling because the road, and need, never stop

I live and breathe because air is available, hopes are alive and God is patient

I die because the story continues with a new cast

I think, therefore … I’m remarkable

I remember why so I won’t judge this world by the present solitary moment

 

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

Response Ability–October 28, 2011

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I think I have found the button. I’m talking about the “turn off switch” for my mouth.

It has taken me many years to finally comprehend the “manual of human life,” revealing the importance of locking the flap on my trap. Bluntly, sometimes we all just need to shut up. Unfortunately, as Americans we feel that a constant flow of opinion is our patriotic duty, so we weigh in on every issue, even though many of our ideas are light in experience and heavy on the side of stupidity.

 I wish I had found that off switch on my mouth earlier.  I have offended some people unnecessarily because I said things I shouldn’t have and then, when they proved to be wrong, I dug my heels in out of pride and defended what I no longer believed to be true so I wouldn’t appear to be the dreaded “flip-flopper.” Maybe I should be the first one in America to say that I am proud to be a “flip-flopper.” Without flipping, I just end up being a flop.

I think what made me first find the of switch on my mouth was the realization that only two types of communication are valuable to those of us who share mortality in the human form. And here they are: to edify or to exhort.

Preaching, criticizing, probing, intervening, judging or even some forms of teaching are nothing more than static on the radar screen of the human spirit. They often are  counter-productive, causing people to continue less-than-favorable behavior just to avoid complying to our demands.  What does it mean to edify? I’m going to give you my trite definition because it’s simple. You may wish to complicate it, and many of you may write me and say, “No, no.  Edification really means this…” 

I’m sure you’re right. But I am concerned about what is about to spew from my mouth. And in that millisecond I need a really quick understanding of what to do. So I ask myself one simple question: “Is it kind?” If it’s NOT kind, then somewhere in my brain I must have some sort of agenda or holier-than-thou attitude I am trying to maintain in order to please a God who is not presently standing in front of me, while hurting a member of His creation who is.

Yes.  Be kind.

I’m not talking about flattery here–that’s why you really need that off switch on your mouth.  But there ARE moments when kind things are impossible–so silence is preferred. For instance, I think it’s hilarious that people in America are all upset about Chaz Bono changing his sex from female to male, while we see absolutely nothing wrong with abusing people on The Biggest Loser to transform them from their fat bodies into slimmer ones, or women in Hollywood cutting up their forms to become more beautiful.  What a total big sack of stinky hypocrisy.

Be kind.

You will NOT edify people by being mean. And even though I have found the off switch on my mouth, there are times I don’t reach for it soon enough. So I end up being nasty and then find the need to justify it with some sort of spiritual mumbo-jumbo.  Hogwash. 

To edify is to be kind. And when you can’t be kind, you’re not edifying. And when you’re not edifying, you probably should find the off switch and go silent. 

Now, the second function of the human tongue is to exhort. Exhortation is a powerful thing because what it does is grant us the ability to remind people of what they wanted to achieve. For example, in my perpetual quest to lose weight, I can certainly use people to edify me by being kind, but I also desperately need people to remind me that sausage and biscuits are not low in calories. Why? Because if I was able to get into the mess of becoming obese, I might not be the best one qualified to get myself out of it. I need some exhortation. It is valuable for my friends to remind me of my original mission.

Reminding is not complaining. Reminding is not criticizing. Reminding is not treating me like a child that needs discipline. Here’s good reminding: “Boy, I bet those two sausage and biscuits right there have about four hundred calories in them.  That’s going to cut into your day’s intake of food.”  This little simple piece of exhortation is often all I need to remind me of my purpose.  Exhortation is powerful. 

Now you may say, “What if people haven’t made a commitment?” But you know they need to. So is seems that some sort of interference from you may be neccessary to save their lives. Very important point. You can’t save anyone. By the way, God can’t save anyone. Salvation is a miraculous enjoining of God and that individual working together.  What you can do is remind people of  their original quest–what they dreamed of when they were in a better frame of mind.

Can you imagine what would happen if our politicians and ministers would zip their lips long enough to find ways to edify–be kind–or exhort–remind us all of the better angels of our nature? Would it be enough? Whether we think it’s enough or not, it’s what is available.  Because without kindness and reminding, we have a tendency to try to sculpt people into stony images–and all we end up doing is turning them into a chunk of rock–forcing them to bury their faults deeper inside themselves, where they become meaner or nastier.

It is time for us all to get a new response ability. Gain the ability to respond with the only two verbal powerhouses that actually impact the human heart.

• I will edify you by being kind.
• And I will exhort you by reminding you of how much better you will feel if you follow what you set out to do.

Find the button. Learn when to turn off your mouth and give the true soul of your expression a chance to do “better speak.”

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Jonathan sings “Let”

Jonathan Sings “Spent This Time”

Jonathan and his partner, Janet Clazzy, play “The Call”