The only thing left to kill is apathy. INSPIRE THE YOUNG. #USA

Jonathan Smith — Mon, 02 May 2011 05:36:29 +0000

Morgan Spurlocks: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold- Ted Talk

Jonathan Smith — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 02:36:24 +0000

“If you don’t find a reason for living, you won’t truly live at all.”

Jonathan Smith — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 08:00:02 +0000

Actions {create} Results & Results {create} Confidence.

Jonathan Smith — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 20:08:17 +0000

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. -Thomas A. Edison (1847 – 1931)

Jonathan Smith — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 20:15:35 +0000

Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dream.” Paulo Coelho

Jonathan Smith — Mon, 24 May 2010 16:32:15 +0000

“To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.”

Jonathan Smith — Sat, 15 May 2010 16:15:08 +0000

Risk it all today!

Your Biggest Fan!

-Jonathan

Worst-Case Scenario

Jonathan Smith — Thu, 13 May 2010 03:16:21 +0000

I was 17 confused about life and had no plans of ever taking ownership of who I was or who I was meant to be.

Worst-Case Scenario-

I was at a party at a friends house when I got the call. My best friend at the time called to say he had been in an accident and I needed to come pick him up. He seemed calm and in my mind he was just fine, probably just a fender bender. I already had a few and was the least intoxicated out of my friends, so I “borrowed” a car from slew of cars out front and headed towards the direction my friend told me he was.

I was so nervous!

I came around the corner to a road block, flashing lights just ahead. It felt like I was in a dream at that moment. A moment of confusion. What just happened? There were 4 or 5 ladder trucks, a dozen or so cop cars, and 4 0r 5 ambulances. I ran around aimlessly looking through all the chaos. I began to ask the rescue workers where my friend was and they all told me the same story. One confirmed dead and the other being cut out of the car and is in stable condition. All this did not make sense. My friend was with the other guy who was getting cut out. My friend was nowhere to be found.

I ran to the only house I could see. It was off the beaten path, but far enough to where I could see the outside light. I don’t remember knocking, all I remember is walking into this house seeing my friend sitting in a chair. The house was filled with 100 or so porcelan angels throughout the house. It was comforting in that house. It was as if God was showing us everything is going to be okay. My friend was able to kick his way out of the car and ran to the house to call 911. He was confused of where he was and could barely make sense of it all. He had just been hit by a drunk driver at about 65mph head on collision. I finally made it outside with him and he got treatment. What started out as a good night ended with lots of question to be answered.

At about 5am I got back from the hospital and driving home ,I remember that morning being very still. I had a conversation with the Creator during that drive. I began to ask Him those tough questions about life. I didn’t know how to process the emotions I was feeling. Pain, regret, redemption, and if possible,how to make this right.

A lot of times when I’m praying or meditating I remember this story. It reminds me of how good intentions sometimes do not lead to great outcomes. If you’ve ever been apart of something traumatic like this, you understand how fragile life really can be. It forces you to ask those tough questions. For me it caused me to narrow my focus on my life’s goal. During those moments ,the Creator was a pursuer of me, but after many conversations I became a pursuer of the Creator.

-jonathan

The majority of my friends think I’m a hippie

Jonathan Smith — Wed, 12 May 2010 01:04:05 +0000

The majority of my friends think I’m a hippie because I believe that life is all about the journey. Most of my stories have this underlying sense that in some way, we all are connected or have this responsibility to recognize that we are all in this together. I’ve had a chance to see this world through different perspectives and I recognize that usually our perspectives, if not checked are skewed and this is where our disconnect with the Creator happens. This disconnect with the Creator comes not from us, but from what’s happened to us.

For the longest time I was disconnected from the Creator and as much as it hurt, it helped.

Those seasons of my life are still fresh in my memory because I felt like I was lured there. My creator was teaching me, guiding me, and ultimately testing me. I was in a desert.

**********

I think the greatest lesson learned from the bible is when it states that Jesus is asking strangers to be his disciples. It’s an odd paradigm. In those days, the student would ask the Rabbi to be his disciple… If the Rabbi thought that, that student was good enough that they were the best of the best, then he would take him on. If not, the Rabbi would refer them back to learn his father’s trade. The story states that Jesus was talking with Simon, who at the time was about 15 or so. He was learning his father’s trade. He was not the best of the best. Could you imagine the excitement that Peter felt at that moment. A Rabbi, the Rabbi was asking him to take part of his ministry. He was telling him, He thought he could be like the Rabbi. The Rabbi was saying he was good enough. This was a perspective check for Simon. The creator was interacting with the created and the creator was saying “Come follow Me.” Enter into my story, see life through my perspective. You are an important part of my story. You can live life and your life can have significance!

I say all this as a reminder that God the Creator is asking all of us to take off our worldly glasses and in the midst of our mundane, day to day activities to see life through Him. Regardless of our past mistakes or bad habits He is saying to you today, at this very moment, to come follow Him, enter into His story, see life through His perspective, that you are an important part of His story, that you can live life and your life can have significance! He’s saying to you.

YOU-ARE-GOOD-ENOUGH JUST-THE-WAY-YOU-ARE. YOU-ARE-GOOD-ENOUGH JUST-THE-WAY-YOU-ARE.

-jonathan

Influence

Jonathan Smith — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:32:31 +0000

“If you want to expand your influence you will need to increase your investment in people. If not you may just end up with a title that has control without any influence.” -Monty HIpp