Mr. Sunshine Smiles

Well, I survived another year of my favorite holiday…Valentine’s Day! This is total sarcasm if you couldn’t sense it.

I’ve never understood why we designate one day to love. Shouldn’t all days be about love? And honestly, I can’t handle all the mushy posts and photos about people being together and blah, blah, blah.

Great. Thank you for rubbing it in our faces and feeling the need to show the world what is viewed as the “picture perfect” life.

Byeeeeee.

Anyhow, let’s get moving to this week’s topic.

For those who may or may not know, I just finished a three week run being Music Director of the recent production of Frozen Jr. at Ephrata Performing Arts Center. And each year, on closing day, it has become tradition of the production staff to give speeches to the kids before going out on stage for the final show. This year, as I read over my speech, I felt like it was relevant to share with all of you, so I hope you enjoy and find something to take away from it.

So, grab your cup of coffee, cuddle up with your blanket, and buckle up those seat belts because we are about ready to leave the station!

“It’s funny because as a Music Director, you would think one of the aspects of a Kids for Kids show that I would dread is teaching music with difficult rhythm or lyrics, but in actuality it is coming up with a closing day “send off speech” for a cast of talented individuals that has captivated my heart once again. 

I know we are limited on time and that Jamie really wants to give you 10, so here are three things I want you to take away today. 

1.      Always be true to yourself and listen to your heart. Some of you might already know who you are which is great and some of you might still be exploring and figuring out what is inside your heart, which is awesome. I knew who I was at a very young age, but I did not become open and honest with myself about it until I was 17 and a Junior in high school. If you are struggling, please ask for help and lean on your support system. No one will think any less of you and if they do, they are not worth it. Even at 32, there are moments when I still struggle with how the way the world treats and views me, but it doesn’t keep me from shining brighter or being vulnerable to ask for guidance and help when I need some extra support. You all have such unique individuality to share with the world, so go out there and do. 

2.      Never let anyone bring you down. I know I mentioned this in an email just a week ago that I wish I could say that we live in a world where there is no hatred, bullying, or judgment, but it simply just isn’t true. It exists and it is probably something that always will, which makes me heart sad. At 32, there are still moments when I get called inappropriate names that I can’t mention in a speech and while it hits home for me personally, it also makes me even thicker in my skin as I live out life. Don’t let the nay-sayers in this world bring you down because they do not matter. Dr. Seuss once said, “those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Your true support system will always follow you wherever you go and be with you whenever you need them most. 

3.      Always be kind to everyone you meet. The late Mr. Rogers once said, “”There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” As you probably already know, love and kindness are the biggest qualities that I advocate for as Mr. Sunshine. Everyone in this world deserves love and kindness regardless of religion, social status, skin color, ethnicity, sexual identity, or whatever the case may be. Please do not ever forget that. It is SO important, especially now. Smile at the stranger. Think twice before you go to judge someone because you never know what that specific individual might be going through. Be kind. Be kind. And be kind. 

In the last song of this show that is sung together as a full cast, the words go “let’s fill this world with light and love.” How appropriate this is for the year 2020 that we are currently living in. I look outside at this world and see war. I see hate. I see bullying. I see people crying for justice. I see darkness. 

And I look at all of you and I see light. I see the future of this world. I see the possibility for change. Do not take it for granted. Find the fire that is inside of you and let it ignite and grow so that you can share it with the world because YOU DO HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE IT.

Thank you for being such a wonderful cast to work with. Thank you for putting up with my blonde moments of not knowing how to count rhythms, say words or realize that I’m playing the wrong track through the CD player. Thank you to Irving, Pontz, Jamie, Carolyn, Julie, Grant, Dave, and the rest of the production crew for making this such a powerful experience and one that I wouldn’t trade for the world even if it did bring about extra stress in my life and ugly breakouts on my face. Thank you to all of the parent volunteers behind the scenes who have done countless tasks too numerous to mention—you are all angels in our eyes. Thank you to all of YOU who have all brought this production to life over the last 3 weeks and brought light and love to not only each individual that has filled the seats of this theater, but also to me. 

So here’s to one last hurrah and snowstorm as we bring this production to life one last time before we let it go.“

Well, that’s all I have for you this week, folks.

Look. Go. Do.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, folks…here we are.

The first official full week of February has been completed.

It is currently Saturday night and I’m wrapped up with a blanket, my laptop, a Truly beverage, and candles burning as I cuddle myself in the corner of the sectional hoping to stay awake while the scent of dryer sheets fills the air in the living room from the load of wash that was just completed a few hours ago.

These are just some of the simple weekend pleasures that I get to enjoy as a single man. Nothing comes close to beating it.

Jealous?

You should be.

Anyhoo, let’s get down to business with the topic of this week’s blog post. Are you ready? Do you have your morning beverage of choice in hand? Have you added the cream and sugar?

Well, good! Because here we go!

Buckle up!

This week has been one full of something that I like to call noise.

That’s right. You read that correctly.

NOISE.

Lots of it.

Have any of you ever experienced weeks full of noise?

And I’m not talking about noise from honking horns, people screaming obscenities outside their windows, or the cars that drive by the window during the evening hours with their music blaring!

I’m talking about a different kind of noise.

Between many hours at both my full time and part time jobs (that included several draining customer interactions), meetings, and finding out that I owe a crap ton in tax money, it’s just been a week that I want to put behind me in the back of my mind wishing it never happened.

That’s why these nights of alone time are so important to me. They are one way that I recharge myself so that I can take on life with the vigor and effervescence of the Mr. Sunshine persona.

While I do view myself as a very outgoing person with many extroverted qualities, there are definite times in my life where I know that I need to just be…

…alone.

Without any noise.

Sometimes, a night of ice cream, The Golden Girls, and a weighted blanket are just what the doctor ordered.

As I come to the first month mark of being away from social media, I have to say that it has definitely been a positive experience thus far. While there are definite moments where it can be challenging, I feel like it has allowed me to slow down slightly in my life, take stock in what I do have in and really appreciate it, focus more on my well-being and health, and helped me to realize I have to be more intentional about reaching out to my friends. I don’t know if it is just me, but it actually makes relationships feel more authentic.

Quite honestly, I would recommend deactivating social media (any given platform) for just a little bit of time…even just disconnecting from it for an hour, a day, a week, or even a month can have a huge impact.

It will be liberating. Trust me.

Too often in life we get caught up in the “noise” of social media that we lose sight of the entities that really matter in life–our family, our friends, our own well-being and mental health.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to continue this journey of being without social media, exploring more about myself, taking time to enjoy some aspects of life that I haven’t enjoyed for the past year, and really just focus on me…

…without any noise.

And now, when I do experience noise, I can identify the red flag that goes up for me to stop, drop, and roll.

So, identify the noise in your life and when you have to stop, drop, and roll yourself to recharge, rejuvenate, and focus on you.

As I close out this week, I share with you one of the quotes from Hoda Kotb’s book, I Really Needed This Today that I’ve been reading this year one day at a time.

“Never assume that loud is strong and quiet is weak.”

That’s all I have for you. Until next week friends.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

 

 

For those who may or may not know, I am the Music Director for the Ephrata Performing Arts Center Kids For Kids’ production of Frozen Jr. which runs through next weekend.

Working with these kids is always a true joy for me and this year has been no exception.

68 kids ages 6-16 have been hard at work for 3 months putting together this piece of Disney magic and have put blood, sweat, and tears into the production…literally.

And on Wednesday after our school day show, I could sense a negative energy amongst the kids stemming from the lack of sleep and long hours of rehearsal during tech week that had occurred just only about 7 day priors to opening weekend.

Being involved with this program is a big time commitment, especially for a BIG show like this. Hours of rehearsal…and we are talking HOURS. Thousands of costume pieces, set pieces, music and light cues, sound effects, technical effects…everything under the sun basically to make this tale of frozen love and adventure magical.

So, this week’s blog post that I share with you is an email message that I sent to the kids and their parents in hopes of them finding some inspiration amongst the sluggish and bogged down ambience that was filling the air.

“To The People Of Arendelle,

I hope that you, too, can find some hope and power in these words as you live out your life on the daily this week.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Hi, folks!

Well, it looks like we made it through another week! Isn’t it crazy how we are already coming to the end of the first month of 2020?!

The time is certainly not showing any signs of slowing down, so you better get ready because we are going to wake up tomorrow and it’s going to be Summer!

KIDDING!

But…not really.

Last week, I took a few moments to enlighten you about the start of my entire casa “purge” which is one of my personal goals for 2020.

And, if you remember from the reading material last week, I ended up with two very full trash bags and I wasn’t even half way done.

Well, this week in Part 2 of the bedroom purge, I came out with another two FULL bags. More photo evidence is below.

The good news?

All the drawers in the bedroom have officially been gone through and organized, which is an amazing feeling!

The bad news?

I’m still not done. I just started removing everything from the actual closet in my bedroom and all of that “stuff” has found its way to the bed. See below for Exhibit B photo evidence.

But don’t worry…one of the fun facts about me is that I don’t like sleeping in my bed, so the fact that it is covered in clothes at the moment is not an issue. Doesn’t really phase me one bit.

I can’ tell you how liberating it feels to go through all the stuff, organize, and just throw it away! It is a GLORIOUS feeling, actually.

And I’m not even done with the first room! There are still 5 more rooms to go through!

I’m like a kind in a candy store with excitement and glee!

EEEEEKKK!

This week was a crazy busy one for sure. The full time job is in full swing, I tried to put in a few part time job hours, and the final rehearsals of Frozen Jr. before we opened on Friday were keeping me at the theater until about 11pm or later.

By the time Saturday rolled around, I was ready to snuggle with my weighted blanket for days.

DAYS I say.

And, by the way, if you haven’t gotten your tickets yet for Frozen Jr, you are out of luck because all the shows are SOLD OUT and it’s not even the end of opening weekend! (Well, once you read this opening weekend will has passed).

These kids are incredible and such a blessing to work with. They have brought my heart such joy and I’m so excited to watch them for the next 3 weeks as they bring the story and magic of Frozen Jr. to life!

Other notable things from this week that I can share?

Finished my first book of 2020…The 5 Dysfunctions Of  A Team by Patrick Lencioni. A pretty enlightening and easy read for sure full of great information. Highly recommended even if you aren’t part of team. The lessons and knowledge are helpful for real-life relationships too.

Next up for reading? To Hell With The Hustle by Jefferson Bethke. This is one I’m excited for an happened to find randomly one night while shipping for Christmas gifts at Target.

Another notable event from this past week?!

MEAL PREPPING!

You all probably thought you would never read that sentence, but you just did. Believe it. This is another one of my personal goals for 2020 that goes along with hitting my ideal weight. And without the distraction of social media, I feel like I’ve had time to devote to things like reading and meal prepping that I never made time for before. Exhibit C is below with the full photo evidence…and I got to use my new tupperware meal prep containers that I got from my parents for Christmas! And my crockpot Christmas present from 2018 too! WOO!

The social media hiatus/cleanse is still going well. It definitely hard at times, but it is wonderful to not be attached to it.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for you this week.

I leave you with this quote from Hoda Kotb’s book, I Really Needed This Today that I’ve been reading and journaling about on the daily this year.

“By being yourself, you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.” ~Edwin Elliot

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, hey there folks and happy Monday!

I hope everyone was able to enjoy some of Mother Nature’s wrath this past weekend–no matter what type of wrath it was. For me personally, I got to enjoy the snow, sleet, and freezing rain…literally every single type of precipitation.

For those who didn’t already know (although I think most of you already do), I started my official hiatus from social media as of January 15th. And while the first couple of days have been a bit of a struggle, I have to admit…it’s been pretty great.

I’ve been able to take the first couple of days to focus on other things in life such as reading on the daily, writing in my journal before bed, being in bed before midnight, and planning out how to achieve some of my biggest goals and challenges for 2020.

Being off social media also forces both me and others to intentionally reach out to one other, which is something I hope to become better with as the year progresses.

I just can’t stress how much positive energy I’m already feeling and it hasn’t even been a week!

This is only the beginning of the 6 month (or more depending on how much I enjoy it) hiatus, so come at me world! WOO!

Anyhoo…let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Are you ready?!

CLEANSING.

With the Winter weather that decided to show its ugly face in Lancaster this weekend, I thought it would be the perfect moment to begin my 2020 casa purge/cleanse.

And, after just a mere 2 hours of cleaning/purging in my bedroom, I found two completely full trash bags by the front door…and I’m not even halfway done!

Please see Exhibit A for official photo evidence…and don’t judge me.

…Well judge me if you want. I don’t care.

And I’m not even close to being done with the bedroom…

…and this is just the first of 6 rooms (including the basement)!

SAY WHAT?!

I’m feeling pretty great about organizing my life finally and getting rid of items that no longer bring joy to me…and to just be a minimalist!

A MINIMALIST!

I can’t wait to continue sharing with you all the progress over the coming weeks!

Well, folks. That’s about all I have for you this week.

But, before I close out this post…I have just a few final things to share.

-Frozen Jr. opens this Thursday at the Ephrata Performing Arts Center. As the Music Director of this production, I couldn’t be more proud of all the kids and their hard work! They fill my heart with such joy and energy! You definitely do not want to miss out on this one, so please hurry to ephrataperformingartscenter.com and get tickets because they are going fast!

-One of the Mr. Sunshine surprises that I have up my sleeve for this year is officially in the works! If all goes well, I’m hoping to have the official reveal for this in a future blog post ideally in April. That means…stay tuned!

-Also, if you need a church family that is welcoming and loving, please visit St. Paul Lutheran in Penryn! We worship at 9:15am on Sunday mornings and would love to have you! We accept all and welcome all no matter what your past, present, or future. We would love to see you there, so make the step to walk through our doors and know you are loved.

And one final thought before I leave you until next week.

I’ve been reading Hoda Kotb’s I Really Needed This Today and the quote from yesterday, Sunday, January 19th really struck me, especially with my hiatus from social media. I encourage you to really think about this quote as you live on your daily life over the next week.

“One of the best feelings in the world is knowing your presence and absence both mean something to someone.”

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

 

Well, hello there folks!

It’s my first official blog post of 2020, so hope you are excited for another year of sunshine and smiles!

I hope everyone was able to enjoy their New Year with family and friends whilst eating all those left over Christmas cookies, candies, and other treats that we are always forced to consume between December 25th and January 1st when we all seem to decide that “healthy eating” is the way to go.

I don’t know about you; however, I feel like I need several weeks to officially slide into the New Year. It always seems to just creep up on us and no matter how much I think I am ready, I’m just never fully prepared for it.

I still feel like I’m trying to get my life organized…along with my Christmas presents.

Anyone else? Am I in the minority on this?

One positive side note from the first 12 days of the year is that I got a new 2020 planner bought and organized…color coded and all! See below for visual evidence.

For those who know me, my planner is literally like my Bible. I would be lost without it. Call me old fashioned and crazy, but there is just something about having a planner full of events to carry around.

This week, I begin one of my 2020 goals–what will probably be one of the most challenging ones–deactivating social media for 6 months.

This is definitely going to be a hard challenge for me; however, it is one that I’m super excited to delve into.

I’m a jealous person. Insert shocked emoji face. I become jealous and waste time comparing myself when I scroll through the aspects of social media.

And frankly, I’m sick of it and have a million better things to do with my time. If you need a reminder, here are some of the aspects of my life that I plan to work on during my hiatus. Also, side note: I will still be blogging on a weekly basis, so that isn’t changing!

-Reach ideal weight
-Get a tattoo
-Read at least 10 books (any titles you might have are welcome)
-Organize and purge every and all rooms in my house along with all my “stuff”
-Make family night more regular
-Get to bed by midnight
-Do push-ups and squats every morning and evening
-Try vegan dieting for 30 days
-Journal everyday
-Color more regularly
-Work on tithing and contributing to the church
-Save at least $3,000 in my savings account
-Do meal prepping
-Work on talking to co-workers more regularly
-Take a regular lunch

Well, there you have it folks. What the days and nights of Mr. Sunshine will be filled with for the next 6 months.

Will it be challenging?

Yes.

Will it give me a new perspective?

Yes.

Am I excited?

Yes.

If there’s one thing that I can say about myself, it is this.

I’m as real as they come. What you see is what you get. There is no fine print with me. No bull poo Mr. Sunshine.

I’m someone who has always put the needs of others first and focused on kindness and love for all. And I will continue to do that while I’ll take my social media break, but it will also be a time for me to take some time for myself.

To take time for focusing on resting the rays of sunshine for a bit.

But don’t worry. When I come back in August, I’ll be ready to change the world again, so get ready. Because I’ll have some exciting stuff up my sleeve…well…hopefully, if all works out.

I hope you will continue to follow me on my journey, especially as I work through self reflection, self discovery, and self care in this next 6 months.

In my absence, I ask you to continue spreading love and kindness to everyone you meet. Smile at the stranger. Hug a friend. Be appreciative. Be a light for someone in the world around you.

We need it.

And another side note…

This below song is my current jam and will be my jam as I work on myself. I find the lyrics motivating and encouraging.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, everyone. He we are. Another year almost over. Isn’t it crazy to think how fast the time has gone?! Like, seriously.

I hope you and your families were able to enjoy whatever holiday you celebrate and got to have moments of fun, laughter, food, joy, and happiness…

…And mashed potatoes. Gotta love those mashed potatoes.

ANYHOO…

As someone who is very against doing the “Top 9” on Instagram, I decided it would be fun to make my last blog post of 2019 one of reminiscing with some of my favorite moments from the past twelve months.

So, grab your coffee, tea, or whatever beverage you might enjoy while reading some entertaining words, and join me on a stroll down memory lane of this past year.

These, are of course in no particular order.

Kicking off my 1K For 10K Campaign on January 2nd. 

It’s hard to believe that this was something I started almost 365 days ago. It feels like just yesterday that I was brainstorming this campaign and getting my friend, Drew to help me with creating a website. But alas, my dream came true and what a dream it was. I never thought it would be so difficult to hit 1000 miles; however, it was much more of a challenge than I anticipated. But it is one that I’m ever so thankful for taking on.

Hitting the initial $10,000 goal at the end of July. 

This is something that I still don’t believe that I’m writing about. Hitting the initial goal in my running campaign at the end of the seventh month was something I never thought would happen. The amount of support, love, and donations that I received from numerous individuals (much like you reading this right now) was insane and I will never be able to repay the generosity that was shown by all. I’m incredibly blessed, thankful, and humble for everyone who joined me on this journey and I can’t wait to reveal next week how much money has been raised for the Four Diamonds Fund and pediatric cancer research, so stay tuned!

Becoming CFSP certified. 

This was a goal that I wrote down in my old school planner at the beginning of the year and it feels SO good to be able to cross it off my list. Ever since high school, I have been a terrible test taker, so going into this made me nervous because of…well…you know…taking a test. But it happened and I passed! What a huge weight lifted off my shoulders getting that passing score notification the minute after submitting the test. WOO! Now, I can use this knowledge to help both my colleagues and customers as I continue to grow in my career at WebstaurantStore over the course of the coming years.

Becoming an uncle. 

After my brother and sister-in-law had some trouble conceiving in past years and many prayers, it happened! And what a beautiful blessing it was! It has been quite an exciting time getting to watch Mackenzie grow in the past couple of months and I look forward to the years to come as she continues to grace us with her million dollar smile and blue eyes…and crazy hair!

Meeting my favorite Instagram celebrity, James Oblak 

I was over the moon when I had the opportunity to not only see James in Mamma Mia at the Fulton this Summer (4 times might I add), but also meet him in person AND get a chance to take our Carrie legs for a run around Lancaster on July 4th. He is such a handsome hunk and sweetheart. I can only hope that he comes back to the Fulton for more shows in the future because I will be front row and center cheering him on!

Running my 1000th mile.

This just happened yesterday! Ahhh! So crazy! Literally a year of running and finally hitting the 1000th mile…in weather that was worthy of the Spring. Go figure. My legs are READY for a break. Don’t forget…January 6th. I will reveal the total amount of money raised. GET EXCITED for the BIG REVEAL!

Traveling to Jackson Hole. 

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not a traveler, so getting on a plane and basically going to the other side of the United States was a big deal for me! But with the help of Ashlea and Bailey, we made it through and what a beautiful trip it was! While we might have missed the wedding of our dear friend, Johannah due to flight issues (it seemed like everything went wrong, but we got a kick out of it), we were able to enjoy the reception and celebrate the happy couple. Jackson Hole Round 2 might be something I would consider in the future, but only if I take a Xanax for those plane rides. BYEEEEE.

Annual family beach trip to North Wildwood. 

Family vacation is always something that I look forward to and this year was no different. Getting the opportunity to remove myself from the work life and Lancaster for a week is always a much-needed respite that I enjoy thoroughly. And those extra rays of sunshine that I get to catch during that time period is an added plus too!

Renovating Sunshine Cottage.

It was a big year for Sunshine Cottage with some cosmetic facelifts. I know that I made a blog post about this many moons ago and never really posted any after pictures, so here are just a few to enjoy. A HUGE thank you to Aaron and Campbell Cubs Construction for making this happen and doing it so incredibly well. Aaron is a master of his craft. I’m already putting together some plans for a few minor renovations in the new year.

St. Paul Penryn becoming an RIC congregation. 

While this only happened about a month ago on December 8th, it is still one that gets me filled with such raw emotion. This was such a HUGE step for our congregation and hopefully one for other congregations in the surrounding area to follow. Being the first Lutheran Church in Lancaster County to make this public affirmation of being all-inclusive is…how should I say this…kind of a big deal. And while I know that church is not for everyone, I would encourage all of you to come check out our small (yet mighty) and loving congregation in the town of Penryn some Sunday for worship. You’ll be glad you did. We welcome ALL.

Well, there you have it.

Of course, amongst these entities that I have listed above, there were so many other moments between friends and family that will get cherished in a special spot of my heart for years to come.

2019 has been a great year. It has been one that challenged me and allowed me to discover new things about myself that I didn’t know before. It helped me to grow personally, physically, and emotionally.

But there is still room for growth and while I close out this year with many beautiful moments of sunshine, I look to 2020 with a new energy that involves taking time away from social media and focusing on me.

So, cheers to a new year and cheers to all the love, support and kindness that has been shown this year and all that is yet to come.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!