Hello Guys and Gals!

Something cool has started happening the last few months. My buddy Mike and some of his friends had this incredible idea to do something extraordinary with their gifts! They birthed a Non-Profit called The Prop. It came out of a place of realizing the world has a ton of people doing some pretty cool stuff. Mike and his buddies came up with this basic but profound idea.  Take someone  doing something great and connect them with someone else doing something great! The result something Totally Awesome, which has potential to change the world!

Something Great + Something Great =Something totally Awesome!

Right now they’re focused on connecting artists to humanitarian organizations. So cool.

So I have the awesome privilege of adding to this discussion by doing a monthly blog post for them! So occasionally I’ll be adding a link here to check out my thoughts at The Prop blog! (click to read my few last post)

And in the meantime click on this link to see and learn more about the heart beat of The Prop!

]]> http://seewhatisay.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/thoughts-elsewhere-the-prop/feed/ 1 jpp1985 23502_379617769397_363180369397_3792972_718148_n http://seewhatisay.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/today-i-choose-to-breathe/ http://seewhatisay.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/today-i-choose-to-breathe/#comments Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:06:26 +0000 jpp1985 http://seewhatisay.wordpress.com/?p=69 ]]>

Stress. Anxious. Running Late. Too much to do. Rushed. Coming. Going. Not enough.

Life.

How come life just naturally gets so busy? I was taking some time this morning playing my guitar, and talking to God a bit. I started thinking about all the people I pass by everyday, how many people I see coming and going, all doing something.

I thought about how so many of us are rushing to get the next thing done. Whether it’s school, or work, or family, friends, working out, planning vacations, etc. We just go go go.

Then I thought about how we all have to breathe. When I was a kid and would get stressed out or worked up about something I remember my parents always telling me to take a deep breath.

To simply stop and BREATHE.

What if there is something HOLY about every breath we take? I mean I’m no theologian so I could be way off on this. But it seems like God chose to breathe life into us.

(Confession) I don’t really have my life figured out.

But today I find comfort in the simplicity of stopping to Breathe.

Today I choose to Breathe.

What happens when we can’t see where we are going? It can be a scary feeling.

Where it seems like every  direction has no clarity to it.

I was in that place once, the best way to describe it for me, was feeling like I was stuck in a dark cave and I had no idea how to get out.

I find comfort in a verse, maybe you’ve heard it before.

“He lets me rest in green meadows, he leads me beside peaceful waters”

If or when you are in a place that feels a bit dark, and a bit lonely, I speak from past experience and want to tell you…

You are not alone!

and

Your green meadows and still waters are coming. It’s a promise!

This past weekend I had the amazing privilege of taking a trip up to Seattle for a wedding! My dear friend Evan and, as of Sunday, his beautiful wife Karen were married in a cute adorable white church in Snohomish, Washington. It was wonderful!

People have been telling me for sometime now, that I would love Seattle, and turns out they were right, I indeed did enjoy Seattle. The green  trees, Mt. Rainier off in the distance, and lot’s and lot’s of coffee shops made the experience a positive one.

One of my highlights of the trip though, was an adorable little chap by the name of Joey! Joey a nephew of the Bride. Was a spit fire little guy, with more energy than he knows what to do with. Like a lot of six year olds Joey has perfected the art of speaking his mind, and speaking it confidently. So I decided I would ask Joey some questions that we as humans have been pondering for years.

3 Thoughts from a six year old!

Jason: “So Joey, How do you know if you love someone?”

Joey: “Duhh, it’s totally how what you feel on the inside of you. You know like inside how you feel.”

Jason: “Joey how should we put an end to poverty.”

(After a quick explanation of poverty)

Joey: “All you have to do to end poverty is you just have to give all the poor people like 130 dollars of video tapes.”

Jason: “Joey, if you had to sit down  and ask the President of the United States one question what would you ask the President?”

Joey: “Pshhhh you don’t ask the President questions dummy.”

Point taken Joey! After having other various discussions. I decided I would try and  impart Joey some of my own wisdom. So I gave it a shot.

Jason: “Joey can I tell you a secret?”

Joey: “Ya, What is it?”

Jason: “If I could tell myself one thing that I know now that I didn’t know when I was your age do you want to know what it would be?

(At this point I got Joey’s attention, I thought this is great, I’m going to impact in this kids life!)

Jason: “Joey here is the secret that I would tell myself at your age! I would…

“Tell my parents thank you more.”

(Joey looked at me with a confused face and then started laughing)

Joey: “You are crazy! You aren’t even making sense right now.

(More laughter as he turns to the people sitting at our table)

“This guy is crazy he doesn’t even know what he’s saying.”

(Joey looked at me pointed his finger and said one last thing!)

Joey: You’re crazy and your shoes are untied! (Which they weren’t)

So all I can say is I did my best. I gained a great deal of wisdom from Joey, and don’t think I imparted him any. Maybe you will take my advice

take time to thank the people around you,

or at least check and make sure your shoes are tied!

]]> http://seewhatisay.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/3-thoughts-and-wisdom-from-a-six-year-old/feed/ 2 jpp1985 IMG_0301 IMG_0293 http://seewhatisay.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/transitions-3x3/ http://seewhatisay.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/transitions-3x3/#comments Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:35:40 +0000 jpp1985 http://seewhatisay.wordpress.com/?p=39 ]]>

Seems like I find myself in a season of transitions. The people I come in contact with regularly are in a some kind of transition as well. Maybe it’s a new house, new job, new family member. Or maybe it’s letting go of something from the past. A few days ago I had to say goodbye to a childhood memory. My parents sold my Grandparents house this past week.

Transition: movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another; change.

I have so many memories of that house. It was filled with all our Danish Traditions, Legos, Christmas, playing catch in the back yard, falling from a tree swing, one of my favorites, sitting out in the sun on a lounge chair eating blueberries straight from the container.

Here is my thoughts on transitions or change. My girlfriend Alex told me on a hike,

” Jason, the only consistent thing in life is change.”

We can’t get around it, or avoid it, it’s always happening. So the question is how will you handle that change? Change can be uncomfortable and hard depending on the situation.  I would recommend 3×3. Taking three deep breaths and realizing that regardless of where you are going or where you have been, you are here. Here in this moment

Take this moment and remember:

3 Memories that make you laugh!

3 Memories that remind you you are loved!

3 Dreams you have for the future!

No one, not even change can steal your memories, your hopes and your dreams! So if you’re in a transition like I am. Take time to take  3 deep breaths and reflect on 3×3!

You know those ideas, or goals, or thoughts we have that run through our head sometimes, the ones that suggest to us that maybe we should start doing something that would be good for us. I have them often. Lately I have two that keep seeming to pop up in my head.

You should floss more Jason.

Jason stand up straight!

I don’t know why but I have never been too good at either one of these things. Flossing is just such a pain in the butt. I even have one of those high tech floss stick things and it’s still a burden to get me to to it.

Standing up straight. Well that’s one that has been around for years. Posture is important, not only physically, but I would argue emotionally, when you  stand up straight you automatically establish confidence.

Here is what I think is interesting though. How come sometimes the things that are good for us or the hardest to be disciplined to do? Be it working out, flossing our teeth, greeting strangers, eating healthy, they all seem to take quite a deal of sacrifice and discipline.

I’m reading a book right now called Free Book. It’s all about Freedom. The biggest thing I’m learning is that we have to really choose freedom! I guess that’s everything in life. We have to Choose to do it!

I believe we have to fight and consciously remind ourselves that we have to choose good things for ourselves. For now, mine is flossing and posture.

What good thing will you choose to work and fight for?

You know that feeling you get when you walk into a room, full of chairs. Maybe it is walking into play, or a wedding, so some sort of graduation ceremony. Have you ever had to do that alone? I don’t know about you, but I always get a small anxious feeling in me. Especially if I’m early and there are only a few people in the room.

“It’s just a seat Jason, just pick one.”

If you’re like me you pick the seat that isn’t really by anyone. I think I do this because I don’t want to bother people. But here is what I’m thinking. If everyone walks into a room with this same lonely pit in their stomach, then maybe just maybe we should sit by someone.

This could be at a coffee shop, on the bus, at a church place, at your next ceremony. I think there is something deep in all of us that desires  to connect with people. Taking a seat can either create a connection or separate one. So the question I ask myself is.

Where will I take a seat?

This is my first blog. It’s a jump for me. I have a deep desire to write, to dream, to put heart beats into sentences. So I decided to start a blog. I found this photo a few days ago on www.ffffound.com. I find myself visiting this website every now and then when I want to tickle an appreciation for CREATIVITY. This kid seems to sum up how I feel about jumping into the blog world. For that matter he sums up the place I feel I’m at in life, ready to leap out of my Fathers arms and go for it! So here is to taking flight!