Trinity Pines, Life, and "other-ness"

So I'm working at Trinity Pines. It's nice, I live out here...it's about 3 miles outside of Trinity, TX. Pay comes in checks and room and board. Internet is sparse out here so that may explain why I may not answer right away online. I only get about a day off a week, so if I don't get to see you this summer, i'm sorry. Anyway, a couple of good friends and even my sister works out here so it's not completely boring. I broke my fear of heights in three days getting certified for high ropes course and earned a sunburn in three days training for lifegaurding. Today officialy begins the third week of camp out of the ten weeks scheduled. For those of you wondering, that's Aug. 17. Fun, fun, fun!

As Far as other things go...I recorded two of my songs with Conrad and Chris two weeks ago. Nothing fancy or polished, just a speedy record for me to send in to the songwriters confrence in Aug. at Mt. Herman, CA. I'm really excited about that. I've also been leading worship at Dacus whenever i get a Sunday off, since the music minister left. There are lots of exciting things going on and ideas being talked about. You never know what God's going to do next...it's one of the best rides in the world.

Well, that's it for now. If you have any questions feel free to drop a comment or shoot me an e-mail. Love to hear from you!

Life Up-to-Date

So, here's an update...I'm at etbu...majoring in music and minoring in religion...met someone very special to me: her name is Marissa...taking 17 credit hours made up of 10 classes (not easy)...currently voluntarily unemployed...performances include Opera Workshop (march 27 & 28) and choir tour (Mar. 29-Apr. 2)...Looking forward to spring break (mar. 17-21)...also looking forward to possibly laying down some tracks for a demo cd this summer...not always sure what the Lord has in store but it's one heck of a ride...missing friends back home...wondering where home really is...whetting my apetite for life...and so on...

so, that's it for now, there's always more but i'm running out of time again. comment! let me know how you're doing and what's going on!

What am I, Jim Eliot?

So I'm letting God write my love story, but sometimes I want to ask Him, "What's goin' on up there? Have You got Your head in the clouds again?" I feel a lot like Reiv Teivia in Fiddler on the Roof, "Sometimes, when it gets too quiet up there, I think You say to Yourself, 'What kind of mischeif can I play on my friend Teivia?'"

So I'm an up-front kind of guy...

I wear my heart on my sleeve. I tell it like it is. I don't beat around the bush. I'm a down-to-earth, cut-to-the-chase man. I'd missed my calling as a commentator or an umpire because I "call 'em like I see 'em."

I'm like Jim Eliot, who told Elizabeth how he felt then spent several years at school and in the mission field risking his life, without even seeing her, before he even asked her to marry him. Good story. If you don't know it, go read it in Elizabeth Eliot's Passion in Purity. Jim didn't know what his future would be, he didn't even know if he had a future, but he did know how he felt, that those feelings weren't wrong, and that he couldn't do anything about them until an indefinite amount of time had past. He just came right out and said it; told it like it was. Only God knows if it was more dificult or not because of it, but it came out alright in the end.

So I'll live by this, and you may quote me:

"Quit playing games, and just come right out and say it." - Jonathan A. Bryce

Now I don't want to encourage any false hopes, but thats how it is.

When You Lose Someone Dear...

Is it shock? Emptiness? Am I sad? Do I rejoice? Do I mourn? I know this: I feel ____.

Today I got the news that a young friend of mine who had been through cancer four times by age twelve died about 2pm September 28, 2007. He had reached his limit of radiation, the tumor was inoperable and growing, and his body didn't respond to chemotherapy. He reached the end of his short life. God called him home to be withHim and his daddy who preceeded him by two years from the same malignant ailment. Connor was simple, he always new what he wanted. He was a kid, a child that played and had fun. so much suffering he endured, yet so much he missed. He bruoght out the child out in me. I strove to be an example, a role model for him, yet he was just as much one to me as I was to him. A "teacher" taught by his "pupil" as the saying goes.

(Right now my computer is playing "Homesick" by Mercy Me. Very appropriate. If you don't know it, find it on itunes or google it.)

Pain's Prayer...God, I don't know even what to feel, I want to cry, and I do; I want to laugh and I do. "So far away from home...I close my eyes and i see Your face, if home's where my heart is then i'm out of place...In Christ there are no goodbyes, and in Christ there is no end...So I'll hold on to Jesus with all that I have...to see you again...I've never been more homesick than now."

Class of 2007

It's Great to be Graduated! As of May 19, 2007 I'm officially out of highschool...yeah! It feels a little weird at first, but I've had my taste of responsibility and there is no turning back, even if I wanted to. Right now I'm working and bracing myself for the hectic summer ahead, as well as preparing for college come August. But to top that all off i hit the coveted 18 mark in just a few days! This is exciting! I guess I'll see ya all later!

Another Assignment

School is easy, but it is stressful. You study for a test then worry about how well you're going to do, and you turn around after taking it and realize it was no sweat, a breeze. Lots of stress about nothing, "much a do about nothing." I relish a chalenge when i want to do it, but if I don't I tend to complain about not having enough time. I think that from now on I will decide that I absolutely love each assignment during school and the remainder of my life for my nerve's sake.

Anyway, this is a word of encouragement to all of you students out there: an assignment is only as hard as you make it. You could probably apply that to life as well but I haven't gotten that far. There will always be another assignment so lets relish in them since we can't get out of them. God Bless!

-Jonathan-<><

Ambling and Rambling

I feel as if I ought to ramble, so here I go...

I recieved a package from Worldview Academy including several brochures and, to my astonishment, the brochures had six pictures of me in them. I believe the photographer was stalking me...

I've recently experienced several things in my life that were confusing at first, but then I slowly made sense of it all...after the fact of course. The lies of your closest friends cut the deepest...but then again my suspicions are not to be considered fact, and I've lied before too. I always attempt to look for the best in people, social optimism if you will, but sometimes it's hard to see past things. I want to be a trusted friend, but I feel as though few of my friends trust me. Maybe--I've always seemed to fight it--I'm a social outcast, since I'm not as "wordly" as most; but then I couldn't possibly feel lonely, for I have friends who agree with me, or rather live like me, though i don't get to see them as much as others...

Looking to buy a guitar currently...considering possibilities of writing and recording at present (for money of course)...opportunities opening...I'm extremely blessed!

I realized recently that my focus on God should take a newer and higher level...[(Creed) Can you take me higher?...]

This has been an ambling ramble with Jon...hope to hear from you!