Mr. Sunshine Smiles

Hi folks!

And welcome to another blog post by yours truly!

Blog post number 237 to be exact!

WOO!

October has easily become the busiest month of 2023 on record for me.

Welcome to the life of Mr. Sunshine.

But like, honestly…I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Well, then…let’s get down to business shall we?

This week’s blog post!

Do you have your favorite beverage with you?!

Not going to lie–peppermint mocha season is right around the corner and I CAN’T WAIT to indulge.

And, side note, I’m still trying to finalize tunes and music for the Christmas Eve service.

But we’re getting closer.

So we shall take that as a win.

The other day, I was reading a few pays of the book Joyful by Ingrid Fetell.

It is a beautiful and rejuvenating read so if you need any type of good read, I highly recommend it.

100% guaranteed or your money back.

Anyhoo…one of the chapters in the book talks about the entity of “play.”

What is play?

In the book, play is described as the following:

“Play can put us in a powerful state, which allows us to let go of everyday worries and be absorbed in the joy of the moment.”

Read.

That.

Again.

“Play can put us in a powerful state, which allows us to let go of everyday worries and be absorbed in the joy of the moment.”

How many times do we go through our lives allowing the darkness of our world to suck the joy from all the wonderful things around us?

To be frank, it is too often.

The war is Israel.

Shootings in cities across the Country.

A world on the brink of a recession.

Hatred, bigotry, and prejudice against multiple people.

Darkness and negativity around every corner.

And, I thought back to what I had read earlier in the week and play.

So, I stopped, stepped back, and thought about the entity of play and what ultimately makes up the secret sauce of sunshine.

So…here a just a few things that I was able to find some play with this past week.

1. The golden sunsets that fill the sky with cotton candy colors.
2. The relaxing smell of pumpkin scented candles.
3. The warmth and comfort from my fleece blankets.
4. Jokes from episodes of The Golden Girls…especially those delivered by Betty White.
5. The vibrant colors that surround Sunshine Studio in the artwork, the pillows, and the clothes hanging in the closet.
6. The changing colors of leaves on the trees around us in Mother Nature.
7. My annual work party at Spooky Nook with bestie Devin that included food, fun, laughs, and dancing.
8. My first time at Terrain Cafe with girlfriends that involved good conversations and lots of giggling.
9. Family dinner time that involved Guess Who games with Mackenzie.
10. Seeing audiences cheer and enjoy the current production of Jesus Christ Superstar at Ephrata Performing Arts Center.
11. Workouts in the gym and having the opportunity to experience the results of hard work.
12. Laughs and conversations in the cubicle with coworkers.
13. Watching episodes of The Price is Right and literally jumping in my seat as people win, especially in the game Plinko.
14. Watching Noelle on Disney+ and smiling from ear to ear because it captures the magic of the Christmas season.
15. A video call with my fitness trainer, Ryan that was full of insight, laughs, and everything in between.

I hope this week that you take time to enjoy the PLAY around you in our world and use it to create moments of joy that will shine bright amidst the moments of darkness that get thrown in our faces constantly.

I often have people ask how I remain so positive and happy in life.

The secret sauce?

It’s simple.

I always make intentional time (even with a hectic life) to recount the moments of joy I have experienced.

I appreciate the time that I get with family.

I appreciate the time I get with friends.

And I equally appreciate the time that I make for myself.

You will never be able to find the happy in life if you don’t take an extra moment to step back, find the color, joy, and play with it.

Don’t let the shit of this world ruin your colorful moments of play.

The secret sauce of sunshine is just that simple.

Find the sunshine.

Bask in it.

Spread it.

Appreciate it.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Happy Monday and start of a new week, folks!

It’s hard to believe that we are already at the middle of October! That means that Thanksgiving and Christmas are tomorrow. I mean I’m always ready to eat some cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes, but I’m not even close to being ready for Christmas. I still need to pick music for Christmas Eve. I feel behind.

Anyhoo, I digress. On to the serious topic at hand with this week’s post.

This past week we celebrated National Coming Out Day.

While there seems to be more positive discussion of this as a hot topic in today’s society, it is also one that still seems to bring about a lot of negative feelings of hostility that makes it hard for us to move forward to a day without seclusion, bullying, and hate crimes.

This week, I reshare a blog post from 2020 that still feels incredibly important to share.

This is an open letter to those out there who are struggling with their sexuality and identity. The ones who feel lost in what seems to be a cruel, cold world.

I know not everyone’s coming out story is positive…or even possible for some.

I’m here to tell you it will be OK. I promise.

Dear Friend,

I see you, I’m here for you, and I love you.

I know there are days when the world around you feels cold, cruel, and dark. But it will get better. I promise. There are days of light and sunshine ahead. I know it.

I know there are days when you might not feel like getting out of bed at all, but trust me, there is always something out there worth living for, so never give up trying to find what that certain something is…because it exists for all of us. And that is the truth.

I know that you are struggling and that’s OK. Coming out of the closet to express your true colors is not easy…I will not sugar coat it for you. Be prepared to fight battles with friends, family, and the world. Be prepared to stand tall amongst the passion of true love and kindness that exist inside your heart. Be prepared to lose those who you might thought were once your friends and close to you.

Never back down and never give up.

Will there be moments when you are scared to walk in public?

Yes.

Will there be moments when others will stare at you, bully you, and ostracize you?

Yes.

Will there be moments where you will tremble with fear to share your true, inner voice?

Yes.

Don’t let those moments win and overcome you. Don’t let them waiver the true colors that you were created to express and share with the world.

They are beautiful and they are you.

It won’t be an easy journey. There are people that will cross your paths who will think that homosexuality is wrong and will try to do everything in their power to make you believe it is wrong.

Listen with patience and an open heart and show them you are human. Show them the true colors that God created in you for expression. Help them to understand. Help them join in the foundation of love you support.

Find your support system. Trust them. Hug them. Love them. They will be the ones who show you the light when the world seems like it is closing in with darkness. They are the ones that will wrap you in warmth of love and support.

Above all, never let the flame of true colors in your heart fade away to nothing. Keep it alive.

I see you.

I’m here for you.

I love you.

Sincerely,
Mr. Sunshine

I came out 18 years ago during my Junior year of high school. While incredibly emotional, rocky, and dark at various times, it has been the best decision of my 36 years of living on this Earth that I look back at with no regrets.

As a single gay man in society who works four jobs to support himself, I will admit that there are days tougher than others. There are days where I have awful, reactive roller coaster emotions because I feel that society tells me I need a partner beside me in life to be happy.

Well, guess what.

You don’t.

I don’t.

I work four jobs, volunteer when and where I can, find joy in the simple things, and try to always come up with new methods of how to make those around me happier through facets of love and kindness…and maybe a bit of laughter.

And if that means that I continue living life in the single lane with close friends and family I love beside me, so be it.

If that means I keep myself busy and neglect the dust of the furniture in my apartment and cleaning the car, so be it.

I’m not perfect, but my true colors are. And I embrace them 100%.

I want anyone out there who is struggling with their sexuality to know that it will be ok.

I’m here to listen to you.

To support you.

To hug you.

To love you.

I pray that one day we will be able to live without that feeling of fear that invades the back of our minds on the daily.

The fear that creeps up as we lock the front door because we know that targets are on our back constantly because of who we love.

I pray that one day all people will be able to understand that we are humans too who are ready to love with open hearts, minds, and hands.

In the meantime, give yourself grace. Always pour yourself another cup of self love.

Dear friend,

I see you.

I’m here for you.

I love you.

And together, we are the rainbow connection of love that our world needs to shatter the darkness.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, hey folks!

It is time to wish you another happy Monday!

And a cold, brisk Fall one too!

It seems that we have finally gotten some of that sweatshirt-wearing weather this past week that Mother Nature has been hiding from us since Fall officially started.

Well, I guess it is time to get down to business with this week’s post, huh?

I promise I won’t keep you long.

I trust that most of you have heard the phrase or term ‘outside the box.’

To me, outside the box means being unique and doing something outside your comfort zone.

Living outside the bubble and being loud and proud as you do it.

As I start to think back on the year of 2023, I have started to think about moments where I was embracing moment of being outside the box.

And here were just a few time in 2023 where I feel like I was embracing that outside the box energy.

-Deciding to take the plunge of selling my Lancaster home and moving back to Lititz.

-Embracing the gym and taking time to get my body in shape and become more confident with how I look.

-Leading conversations at work about Quality Assurance.

-Getting on a plane and traveling outside the Country for the first time in more than a decade.

-Putting myself back on dating apps after having some really terrible experiences within the past year.

-Reading recipes and actually attempting some cooking in The Sunshine Studio.

Well, that’s all I’ve got.

I hope each and every one of you who is reading this week’s post will embrace being outside the box in your life.

Get out of the bubble.

Do something you normally don’t.

Make it count.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Hi folks and happy Monday!

And…

Happy October too!

How is it October 2nd already?!

This week’s post with be short, sweet, simple.

All about the alliteration.

Are you ready?

Grab that side-kick beverage and let’s get going!

On Friday night, I was working one of my part-time side hustles at Lititz Apothecary.

The evening was quite crazy and created the perfect storm of patients waiting to get checked out, the phone ringing, and trying to get people in and out for scheduled flu shots. Toward the end of the night, two patients were complaining about waiting and one even cared to say that “back in the day, you would never wait.” And because I was a worker from “back in the day,” I almost lost my cool and snapped because I was at my wits end.

Just remember that be kind to everyone, especially those who are in positions to try and help others. We are working hard to be efficient (sometimes overworked) and trying to do it with a smile on our face.

And if that means that you might have to do some extra waiting, so be it.

BE KIND.

The end.

BYEEE.

I left the pharmacy that evening feeling defeated and really upset. It has been a long time since I’ve let someone get under my skin, but Friday night ended that streak.

And when I got home, the on-brand moment to go with the shitty feeling I was having was the fact that I broke a graham cracker crust trying to make a cheesecake pie for Saturday evening dinner.

Well, Saturday was a new day and the interactions that I got to have during my shift made up TEN-FOLD for the crappy evening the night before.

And, it helped remind me that at times of extreme stress, it is important to step back, breathe, and remember the short, sweet and simple moments of life that bring the greatest of joys.

Here are moments from this past week that brought me that feeling of great joy.

1. Getting to spend some quiet time with a faith community member that was at the end of her life with Pastor Angie. It was a beautiful moment that brought so much into perspective about what to be thankful for.
2. Learning about new team members at work that will be providing renewed energy, spark, and creativity for our Platinum customers and driving force as we continue to grow.
3. Speaking with my first grade teacher, Mrs. Morrell on the phone at the pharmacy and sharing some quick laughs with each other.
4. Seeing my ninth grade algebra teacher, Mr. Dietrich and talking about how much I enjoyed his class, especially the fact that he got me to run the Red Rose Run during that year in his class. He made algebra SO fun.
5. Getting time to worship outside in our church grove with our friends from St. Luke AND our furry friends during the pet blessing service on Sunday. It was so fun and hearing the barking of dogs and energy of children and the wind in the trees was just wonderful.
6. Having dinner with my Aunt Mary and getting a chance to talk about life, Christmas Eve, and church Council President things.
7. Seeing my former roommate, James Oblak and having the opportunity to show him around The Sunshine Studio.
8. Spending an evening with my bestie cooking dinner (mainly me mashing potatoes), playing sequence, and enjoying some Fall sangria.
9. An evening with Pastor Angie enjoying pizza and catching up on each other’s lives and talking about the positive energy and exciting things happening at Penryn and St. Luke. The fuure is looking super bright and exciting!
10. Having the chance to spend quality time with some friends and enjoying each other’s company.
11. Having a video call with my fitness coach, Ryan and laughing and relishing in all the beautiful moments that have occurred in 2023 since my journey with him began.

Short.

Sweet.

Simple.

I hope this week when you experience a moment (or moments) of stress, that you will stop, breathe, and think of a simple moment of short sweetness that brought you the greatest joy.

It can change your whole world, perspective, and bring a negative attitude back down to Earth.

Short.

Sweet.

Simple.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Well, hello there folks!

A very good Monday morning to you!

I sincerely hope that those of you on the East Coast that are reading this were able to stay dry amongst all of the rain that we got these past 2 days.

I feel like I could’ve captained a boat down the streets because of all the water there was!

And welcome to official blog post #233!

Well, time for this week’s words!

Cuddle up and get those eyes ready to read.

We are all a work in progress.

It’s the truth.

No one is perfect.

As the Hannah Montana song goes, “Nobody’s perfect, I gotta work it, again and again til’ I get it right.”

And I’m tired of the social media images trying to tell us that we need to be 100% every day, every minute, every second.

I call bullshit.

Because that ain’t realistic.

Like MMMBYEEE.

And it’s what gets us each in trouble because we forget how to be human, vulnerable, and honest with ourselves.

We forget to put ourselves first.

Instead, we constantly think about which filter on the social media app will make us like as perfect as possible to the world to get that extra like.

Will showing some extra skin bring another 100 followers to make me more popular?

When was the last time you scrolled on social media and compared yourself to someone else’s pictures of perfection?

When was the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror and let the negative talk take over?

When was the last time you had thoughts of not being perfect enough?

If you’re like me, you’ve answered “yes” to all of these questions at some point in life.

And it’s very possible that you might have answered “yes” to all of these questions as recently as just moments ago…social media is all around us.

It’s time to take charge.

It’s time to stop the negative talk.

It’s time to start being honest with ourselves.

It’s time to enjoy another cup of self-love.

What exactly is self-love?

The dictionary defines it as:

-(Noun)-regard for one’s own well-being and happiness (chiefly considered as a desirable rather than narcissistic characteristic).

And this is only just a little taste of practices that can help us embrace self-love.

Find your favorites and practice them daily.

Here are just a few of my favorites to get the creative juices in your brain thinking.

1. Watching something every night that makes me laugh.
2. Eating ice cream straight from the carton.
3. Turning the lights off in my bedroom and meditating and saying prayers before officially turning in for the night.
4. Writing 8 affirmations in my journal everyday when I wake up.
5. Cuddling up with a blanket.
6. Turning my phone on DND to limit the buzzing that I hear constantly.
7. Sitting down at the piano bench to play some tunes.
8. Lighting a candle to fill the house with a relaxing scent.
9. Working out to feel good about the body and strength it has.
10. Watching a Disney movie.
11. Putting on your favorite song and shouting out the lyrics.
12. Shopping to find a new outfit that rocks your beautiful body.

Make it a ritual with yourself.

And share your rituals with those around you.

In a world that will continue to be draining, exhausting, and defeating at times, it is even more important than ever to be honest with ourselves, open our hearts, and be vulnerable with our souls as to what we need.

Don’t sell yourself short.

You are enough.

We could all use another cup of self-love.

Have another cup.

Really.

You deserve it.

We all do.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Happy Monday, folks!

We are just a few days away from the official beginning of Fall.

Are you ready?

Have you gotten out your sweatshirts and sweaters yet for those cold, brisk mornings?

I finally got to enjoy my first pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks this past Thursday and it was glorious.

Also, as a side note, I enjoyed a vanilla frosty cream cold brew from Wendy’s on Friday, and it was SO tasty.

That is def something I will be experiencing again in the near future.

Well, grab your favorite accessory that keeps you warm and let’s get on with this week’s official words of wisdom.

Well, I wouldn’t necessarily call them wisdom; however, I do at least hope they give you some type of inspiration and motivation.

Yesterday, at church, I played Adele’s “Remedy” for the prelude.

It is always one of those songs that allows me to feel such emotion when it is played. And it always seems to be one of those songs that everyone falls silent during that you can hear a pin drop.

Literally.

A pin drop.

And even though no lyrics were sung during the playing of the song, I wanted to share them with you:

I remember all of the things that I thought I wanted to be
So desperate to find a way out of my world and finally breathe
Right before my eyes I saw, my heart it came to life
This ain’t easy, it’s not meant to be
Every story has it’s scars

But when the pain cuts you deep
And when the night keeps you from sleeping
Just look and you will see
That I will be your remedy
When the world seems so cruel
And your heart makes you feel like a fool
I promise you will see
That I will be, I will be your remedy

No river is too wide or too deep for me to swim to you
Come whenever, I’ll be the shelter that won’t let the rain come through
Your love, it is my truth
And I will always love you
Love you, oh

Here’s a link to the music video in case you’ve never heard the song or just want something soothing to listen to:

After listening to the video for what feels like a few hundred times, I decided to look up the official definition of the word.

Dictionary.com defines the word ‘remedy’ as:

NOUN

1. A medicine or treatment for a disease or injury

The Dayquil and breathe right strips that I was using a few weeks ago was a very welcome remedy for the cold and congested nasal passage had.

So, using the above definition here are just a few things that I use in my life as “remedies” to make sure that I’m staying at my best, recharging my battery, and keeping myself full of sunshine and happiness.

1. Watching “The Golden Girls” to give me comfort and laughs.
2. Opening the door for a fresh breeze and hearing the rain fall and ducks quack.
3. Cuddling with a blanket for warmth and comfort.
4. Lighting a candle and sitting in the dark.
5. Writing 8 daily affirmations in my journal every morning.
6. Working out at the gym with fun music jams playing in my ears.
7. Listening to “Firework” in the car and belting out with no cares in the world.
8. Putting an extra splash of creamer in my morning coffee.
9. Making the ice cream sundae and adding that extra dollop of Cool Whip to the top.
10. Taking a hot shower to cleanse away the negative energy.

I’ve witnessed multiple people throughout the last couple of weeks talk about personal struggles, strains that are taking away joy from their life, or talk about the dark cloud hanging over them that is causing stress and thoughts of exhaustion.

It is important now more than ever for us to really listen to our souls to find the remedy that we need in life to keep going.

What is your remedy?

Take time to find it.

Take time to enjoy it.

Take time to relish it.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Good morning and happy Monday greetings to all of you!

It feels good to be writing words for y’all again after taking the past four weeks off from blogging. Welcome to post number 231!

And before I forget and move on, I was just like to say that I hope each and every one of you takes a moment today to have a moment of silence in memory of the horrific events that happened this day back in 2001 when so many lives were lost, and the landscape of our Country changed forever.

Well, let’s get down to business.

For those of you enjoy pumpkin spice, I am ashamed to admit that I still have yet to have my first PSL (pumpkin spice latte) of the season.

Please don’t judge me.

This past week, I got to enjoy my annual September vacation with my parents in the North Wildwoods! I was also thankful for the fact that my bestie Devin was able to join us as well.

It was a beautiful week full of sunshine, fun, laughs, good food, seltzers, and lots of love.

It’s amazing what a week away from reality can do for you, especially when you are by the sound of waves and sensation of sand in between your toes.

Your mind seems to become so much clearer.

Kind of like the feeling your nostrils get when your stuffy noise experiences the smell of menthol.

Here are just a few things I learned and experienced from this past week in the North Wildwoods.

-Post vacation depression is REAL. Like, no matter how many vacations I go on, the feelings after it is all over are always the same.

-Hot dogs taste 1000% times better when your toes are in the sand.

-Waves crashing is a sound I could listen to 24/7, but white noise is something that I don’t need to sleep.

–Think Like A Monk by Jay Shetty was an excellent read. Honestly, a 10/10 that I highly recommend.

-I didn’t burn like a lobster this year. I had SPF 30 and 50 lotions and sprays!

-I have yet to enjoy my first PSL (pumpkin spice latte for you non abbreviated peeps) of the season. What is your favorite place to get one? I would LOVE to hear your favorite pumpkin coffee creations and recipes.

-While Halloween is not a holiday I enjoy, I could use some costume suggestions for my work party. That means send those details my way for consideration! Please and thank you.

-The search for Christmas Eve music for this year’s church service has officially begun. This means I could use YOUR help. How? I would LOVE to have some additional voices for either solos or small group ensembles with this year’s service. Or instrument playing. So…if you would be interested, please reach out. I am fun to work with…like, I play Lady Gaga in church and our church is pretty forward-thinking and awesome.

-I need to stop chasing and giving energy, compliments, and praise to others who don’t deserve it. It is draining and stupid. It is exhausting. It’s a hard trap of a habit I find myself getting caught in that can be oh so difficult to break and not continue repeating.

-I am worthy.

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

So, go get a PSL, send me your Halloween work party costume suggestions, help me out with this year’s Christmas Eve service, and make sure you are giving energy to people in your life who deserve it. STOP CHASING.

Until next week.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Happy Monday, folks!

We have officially made it to August, which basically means the last month of Summer and that Thanksgiving and Christmas are literally…like…tomorrow.

Buckle your seat belts.

Now until the end of 2023 is going to FLY by!

And because the end of Summer is going to be here before we blink our eyes, I have two things that I highly encourage you to check out before the end of August to help bring some positive and fun energy to your life before we officially get into pumpkin spice everything season.

First and foremost, you must make plans and buy tickets to come see The Prom at the Ephrata Performing Arts Center. The show closes this week and has performances on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. You can purchase tickets online at the below link.

Ticketing Information

The show has been met with insanely amazing reviews and I promise it make you cry, laugh, and tap your feet to the beat.

It is not to be missed.

In addition, Jamie and I will be ready serve you a “prom posal punch”–the specialty cocktail for this production that includes rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, and a splash of grenadine.

This show has an extremely important message–especially right now with shit in the world against the LQTBQ+ community.

The actors are INSANE, the costumes are absolutely beautiful, the music is catchy, the sets are gorgeous, and the whole production is just worthy of your eyes and attention.

Please don’t miss it.

Did you click the link above yet to buy your ticket?

Hope to see you this week at The Prom!

Secondly, I would kindly ask you to mark your calendars for Saturday, August 19th from 6-8pm.

That night, my church (St. Paul Penryn) will host “A Summer Evening With The Malta Band” at the Penryn Picnic Grove.

While this event is usually a picnic, this year we decided to take a bit of a different change to adapt to the needs of not having as many volunteers, but still allowing for an event that the whole community can enjoy.

There will be ice cream and drinks available for purchase along with a traditional cake walk. (No food will be sold this year, which is why the timing for the event is later). We encourage you to eat before coming!

Please bring your own chairs and blankets to enjoy the music, weather, sounds of the Malta Band, and the community of everyone!

T minus 20 days until I turn 36.

YIKES.

Anyhoo, hope to see you at one or both of these events to help celebrate some final fun moments of Summer before we bid goodbye to the heat of the hot sun.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!

Hi folks!

We wish you a very happy Monday AND last day of the July month!

That means August is right around the corner.

Literally.

Right.

Around.

The.

Corner.

My eyes are getting heavy and I have dozed off on the couch a few times already trying to write this.

That means…

SHORT and SWEET.

Grab your favorite sidekick beverage and snack and read on!

This week’s post will be quicker than reading a chapter of a Harry Potter book.

And yes, I did just fall asleep…

AGAIN.

Buckle up because here we go!

I have been moved into The Sunshine Studio for just over a week right now and I can’t even begin to say how happy I am.

It is insanely incredible to witness how much joy I am experiencing with this huge life transition.

It is so rewarding to feel those feelings of light and life again in my soul.

And might I add that this joy has trickled over into all aspects of life.

If you have a change that you are looking to make in your life…

DO. IT.

It is 1000% worth it.

Speaking of The Sunshine Studio, I must give a HUGE shout out again to my bestie, Devin.

He is responsible for getting everything hung on the walls, offering his interior designer professional and creative opinion, and moral support for this big change I experienced.

If you need any interior designer guidance, please give him a call at the Colombia Avenue Interiors Home.

Next up on the list of the things to write about is The Prom at Ephrata Performing Arts Center.

The show opened this past Thursday and what a beautiful, heartfelt, energetic, and glitter-filled production it is.

I don’t want to ruin it at all, so please do yourself a favor and BUY tickets.

It runs through August 12th and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

It will make you laugh.

It will make you cry.

It will make you tap your foot to the beat of catchy tunes.

The former Sunshine Cottage officially gets sold to its new buyer this coming Thursday.

This is the last hurdle of this huge transition in my life.

Then…home free.

Well, folks.

My eyes won’t let me write anymore.

That’s all I have for you this week.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!