Listening to the Voice of God While Battling Restlessness in This Season - A Candid Conversation with Jonathan McReynolds.

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Speaker 1: Calling all my sweeties to the forefront. I'm your host, christ Rhine and Hazel and this is the Keep It Positive, Sweetish Show. Well, welcome to the Keep It Positive, Sweetish Show, the place where we hell grow and learn together.

00:00:15
Speaker 2: Today's guest is.

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Speaker 1: Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, worship leader Jonathan McReynolds. Jonathan McReynolds music has long created a space for reflection of faith and real time conversation with God. Today's conversation goes beyond the songs, touching on faith, vulnerability, growth, and what it really means to walk with God in real time. Kid saying, please give a very warm welcome to Jonathan mc reynolds. Jonathan, thank you so much.

00:00:42
Speaker 2: Thank you.

00:00:43
Speaker 1: Yes, I've been wanting you to come on. You were in town promoting your new album. So excited to have you on. You are a man of mini gifts. You're a singer, a songwriter, an author, an actor, a musician, all the things. But before we get into the work that you've done, what I want to do and I want to get into the habit of doing this when people sit down because we're carrying so much.

00:01:03
Speaker 2: How are you, oh man?

00:01:05
Speaker 1: Because I think we don't think we go right into it. You know, how are you well?

00:01:09
Speaker 2: How much time you got? Got thirty eight minutes? Now? I'm good. I think that recently, with a lot of what's going on in the world, it's been a little heavy, you know. You know, I think that, you know, a daily dose of society is a little overwhelming. After a while, it starts to accumulate that plus your own personal stuff that you're carrying. Right, So I think that there is while I feel good and God has been really blessing, I have a lot of things to look forward to, I do feel a little heaviness in this season. As you know, I try to hear God on what I should be doing, how I should be responding or not responding, and to whom you know. And so I think that in these times there's some restlessness, like I should be doing something. We already feel like that about career and love and everything else. We should be doing something right now. But then the world gives you another reason to try to figure that out quickly as well. And I think I have been a little heavier, still happy, but a little heavy.

00:02:24
Speaker 1: Same, I feel the same thing that has been my prayer lately, like God what am I supposed to be doing? What voys do you want me to be or not in this season? Because there's so much going on and oftentimes I feel like a lot of it is distractions. So I also pray for like, what is it that I'm missing or that I may not be seeing while all this is going on because it's so much noise.

00:02:43
Speaker 2: Yeah, and sometimes we have to be okay with not doing much at all, right now, you know what I'm saying. I think as people with platforms, we recognize some level of social responsibility that we we all feel like our number one responsibility and priority is the world that watches us and our following that cares and the fans that consume. Sometimes the number one priority is one you too, just your people, your family, your friends. I've had incredible private conversations that I can't figure out how to put on threads for life of me, And by the time I think about what to post, something else has happened.

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Speaker 1: Seriously, sometimes I have to log off. It's like this is too much.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, So just just allowing allowing God to help you process for yourself, give you opportunities to process with people privately and individually, and then maybe there's something to be shared to the greater world out there.

00:03:52
Speaker 1: And I feel like he'll put that on your heart. He'll let you know, like share this. Yeah, because there's some times I've been ready to go off on threads. Oh this is just so much going on, and God, it's a quiet wist. He's like, I'm in control of this. I got it, y'all. Need you say nothing? Let me handle it. And I'm like, you know what, I find peace now, Like he does have the final say in everything. As much as I want to be like you're gonna get what's coming to you.

00:04:15
Speaker 2: Yeah, we want to. We want to be the we wanna. We want to see justice like we wanna. It's just human to want to see what the seeds that you plant grow up to be. You know, it's hard to you know, as they say, like, uh, you'll never get to sit in the shade of the tree that you plant it. You know, it's way far down the line. There's generations that are gonna be watching this or we're gonna be. Yeah, you know, we're consuming stuff from people who never would have even thought that this would be the context for their art. And so I think that we definitely have to trust that we're not just living out our plan. We are part of a very long, great agenda and plan and narrative, and we got to play our parts even if we don't see all of the ends that we want to see.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, that's so true.

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Speaker 2: That is good.

00:05:14
Speaker 1: You are known for making music feel like a conversation, not a performance. I want to know, at what point did your relationship with God come about actually being up living it versus just acting it out when it came to your music.

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Speaker 2: Oh, man, I think that's that's a fight every day, you know, I don't think you know, I think they. I think people might get a lot of us Jesus folks wrong, okay, like like we like we get somewhere and then we've graduated. No, most of the time, you have to pick up across every day.

00:05:49
Speaker 1: Every day.

00:05:50
Speaker 2: You have to get daily bread, like you know, I wish, I mean. And there are some things that I just don't have to worry about anymore that I've just completely mature passed. But then there's some things that it'll just be coming right back, and I gotta I gotta put it, you know, I gotta put the dog back in the closet. Again. You know, he somehow got his way up found his way out. And so I think that in this season, you know, I'm accepting not just how well I'm doing, but I'm accepting who I am in Christ. That's different. That's different because that doesn't go up and down with your whims and your feelings. It doesn't go up and down with how everybody else feels. That's your status. That's your status, your son. You're a daughter of God. And from that place I do things or not do things. From that place, I make maybe hopefully less mistakes. From that place, I can come somewhere confidently as opposed to I'm on a good streak, you know what I'm saying. That's how we be thinking, Like, you know, I'm doing good this you know, this summer's been great. And the truth is, when you were doing terribly, you would know less of a son, and when you're doing amazing, you know more of a son. You know, you are just maybe imbiding a little bit more and accessing a little more of something you already had.

00:07:19
Speaker 1: Yeah, I love that something that we both do. We live our life out loud and in the public eye as a follower Christ and a believer sometimes that can be tough because they're watching everything in real time, the falls, the triumphs, they're seeing it all. Has there ever been a moment in your career where you like, like I wish that didn't happen, or where you felt like you know, I just I won't take a step back.

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Speaker 2: This is too much every day like you, I mean, yeah, no, I mean the first half where what was the first half?

00:07:54
Speaker 1: The first living your life out in public and.

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Speaker 2: As a believer, Yeah, I think I think I would say this has been my biggest lesson because when you first start, and at various places in your career, God and people will sound the same. They'll all be clapping or they'll all be booing, you know, and you'll be like, man, people are enjoying this, they're being blessed by it. Therefore God must be in it, he must be happy. And then there are other times where they're still being blessed by it and God is not that impressed, or people don't like it, and God is smiling, And so I think every day That's why I never want to I can never buy the idea that I figured anything out or mastered anything, because it is kind of a moving target. It is kind of a pursuit all the time. I'm always trying to figure out where God is and where He isn't well, I'm supposed to be where I'm not supposed to be. And maybe I was supposed to be in this room for a season and not in this season. You know, maybe people were supposed to clap in this season, but not in this season, And so I think trying to figure that out in front of people. Our biggest pitfall is thinking that the people's happiness and approval is God. Is the voice of God, is the approval of God, and having to unlearned that in this day, in this age for me, because I've never been I've never been an adult without also being a career musician. I've never been a musician without also being a Christian. And honestly, when I was beginning my Christian journey, I started writing music, and so people put me on a platform of being a minister as well of it. So I've never even been a Christian without having to tell the world about it, you know what I'm saying. And so when you have all those things put together, you gotta unravel them and say, Okay, but who am I yes, skip the fact that I'm you know, they are expecting a minister out of me or expecting a song out of me. What's my actual prayer and condition and status. And I think that's the hardest part for us is knowing that they'll never fully know yes, and they'll never fully tell us that part. Yeah, Clockett, that's so good.

00:10:35
Speaker 1: That is so good in your life and your journey. Has there ever been a moment where you felt like, and we can be honest, like where sometimes you be like, dang, my god, I really wanted that you felt let down or felt like he was being silent in a moment, And how did you navigate that keeping your faith aligned with what you really believed?

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Speaker 2: H I think there are a lot of things I thought of when you said that, there's a lot You'd be asking these questions that have like ten answers, and I'll be catching even each one. The first thing I'll think about is keep doing what you were doing a lot of times, you know, we're looking for a fresh instruction when we just need to continue what we were doing, even in this new season, even in this new place. If you were if you were writing and praying and studying in this season, and God ain't told you to do nothing something different and keep doing it even if you're status with other people that's changed. And on the other level, I do believe that we don't do often. I have gone through seasons where I've wanted God to be a lot more plainer, a lot more like, just a lot more playing, a lot more. Just God, just whisper in my ear and tell me what I'm supposed to do. Tell me if that girl is the one, she's gonna make everybody mad. You know what I'm saying. Just just say it. You just say no. And sometimes he does, and I oftentimes have the time. When he does, I still disobey anyway, and so so it really, Oh no, you wouldn't have been that obvious. That's just me. But He's right, and we still don't even listen to the clear stuff. So truly, the I think that what people have to understand is one a journey here, and we have to work out our salvation and fear and trembling. We have to constantly pursue. Like he hides himself on purpose, it's not so that he will never be known. It's so that we reach to find them, and so that he can reveal stuff. And so please understand that if if there is a moment of silence, if there's a moment about I'm not really sure half the time, ninety five percent of the time, it's so you can reach, so you can do try something different, so you can pray a little bit more, so you can wake up a little earlier and really try to find him. And in that process you normally find out a whole bunch of other stuff about you and your world. And I think that's just I think we're so kind of in minded that we forget the journey in between that is normally pretty uncertain for sure.

00:13:30
Speaker 1: For sure, in that you just talked about how like you'll ask God, it needs to be clear. Are there any lessons? And I'm sure there are because we all For me, for sure, there's been lessons that I've had to learn more than once. What is something that you'd be like God, like, I know you told me not to do this, or I know I've learned the lesson, but I keep the cycles, we keep repeating it.

00:13:50
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean that's about to say, that's saying here. I don't be scared now because the camera's on. She gave a great eat. It was a very see I told you she'd be holding back. Yeah, like of course, of course, Like I'm meant it when I said, you know, the devil learns from your mistakes even if you don't. And again, a lot of times we realize our mistakes when stuff starts hitting a fan. But one of the greatest things, one of the most brilliant things the devil does, is makes he makes the wrong thing feel comfortable a lot more often than not, doing the wrong thing don't feel that bad. It takes a while for it to blow up in your face. And therefore, our decisions to follow God or to live in a certain way can't be connected just to the drama or a lack of drama, the outcome or lack of outcome. It's all about who you want. You want this or you want me? Who you want? You know what I'm saying, That's the whole thing, is who you want. It's not even what feels better, It's just who you want. And our whole process is trying to figure out who we want, who we want. And for me, a lot of my recurring mistakes came from right now, I'm lonely. I want company more than I want Jesus. Come, I want you know, somebody. I want companionship more than Jesus. I want somebody to see me more than Jesus. You know what I'm saying. And these are not like things that sound terrible. I ain't say I want it evil. I didn't want bad, but I did want those things, and I chose sometimes the quick fix of those rather than the long term idea of a relationship with my father in heaven. And so I think that, of course there's been a lot of those, a lot of recurring mistakes because my immediate needs and my immediate ways that I know I can get to those needs being kind of met temporarily whatever they normally are in the opposite direction of where God actually wanted me to go. And so, yeah, I'm I'm admitting in front of your audience that when I wrote cycles, I wasn't writing it about y'all. I was writing it about.

00:16:33
Speaker 1: Meestimony that was me and I.

00:16:36
Speaker 2: And and to certain things, certain cycles, I've gotten better and some I still have to figure that thing out.

00:16:43
Speaker 1: And you are not alone in that, y'all do. And I feel like anybody asks like they got it all together, they're a liar.

00:16:49
Speaker 2: They probably don't.

00:16:50
Speaker 1: They do not because nobody has it all together. Everybody struggles with something. I'm a firm believer of that. Last year, you wrote a book before You Climb any Higher and if on character, humility, spiritual alignment, before success. Let's talk about that, because so many people want the fame, they want the light, they want the success. But these the things that you focus on in this book are things that people really need to have intact before they get the success or you will not withstand everything that comes with it. Let's talk about that and unpack what prompted you to write this book and what are some of the things that you went through where you're like, this is something we need to put on paper.

00:17:27
Speaker 2: Oh for sure, Like, I mean, all right, So, if you look at mountains, they're beautiful, they're incredible, they're noble. Wow, I would love to be on top of that mountain. But if you really look at them, there's trees, grass green on the bottom and there's snow, ice, thin air on the top. Right. What people don't realize is while mountains look amazing from back here, to be on a mountain is hell. To be on the mountain frightening looks to be on the mountain. There's you know, less oxygen, nothing to eat. You know, you start, you know, you start making mistakes. I don't know if you like an arts buff. Did you see have you seen Hamilton? Yes?

00:18:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, And I listened to the soundtrack.

00:18:10
Speaker 2: That's what I'm talking about it. I listened to that thing for about five months like that, and I never I'm not even a big musical theater person, but I really enjoyed that. And there was one line when Hamilton was about to make his big mistake you know what I'm saying, that would haunt him for the rest of his life. It said, you've never seen a bastard or for more in need of a break. He was tired. Yes, we didn't talk it. We didn't say his character was bad. We didn't say he was a ridiculous person. We said he was tired. A lot of our mistakes happened because we're tired. We're on this mountain, this lifeless mountain, and we keep climbing because I don't I don't want mediocrity to catch me. I don't want I want to win one more award, and maybe my father would love me or let me get this, and maybe my ex would be jealous. We keep doing a whole bunch of climbing higher and higher and higher, and the truth is we're up there tired, and so mistakes start to happen. You know, loss of identity starts to happen. You know, the proverbial selling your soul starts to happen when you're tired and you want. You think something up there is going to give you rest, and really the rest was down there. The rest is humbling. The rest is going back before you were a CEO, before you were star, before you had a blue check, and you were just son or daughter. That's what the rest is. And so yeah, I'm not just encouraging people who haven't climbed to get some more of that life. But I'm really encouraging us who are climbing that we can step down too. I know it's scary. People might see us without makeup and you know, haircut and I got a hoodie whatever it is. But man, nah, like we gotta step down or we'll die there.

00:20:00
Speaker 1: That's so true. I love that. I love that you just talk about loneliness and in your music you've been very vocal about what you really go through, Like even with cycles, you talk about loneliness, longing, and self reflection. I want to know what parts of you have you had to make peace with as you've been on this journey of navigating the loneliness and the self reflection. Oh man, Because when I feel like when you're lonely and sitting by yourself, it's so much that you like really have to be like, oh, I see me now, you know before you like you're not distracted by anybody else.

00:20:35
Speaker 2: I think that's the that's the best answer right there. You have to learn to see you again. We'd be one and everybody see us. Yes, Yeah, And I if I really got honest all those times where I was hoping somebody saw me, I don't know that I really saw myself. You know what I'm saying. Like me, we want everybody else to kind of like initiate the understanding of ourselves, Like y'all if y'all applaud for the right stuff, and y'all tell me that I'm good, and you tell me that I'm wanted, You tell me that I'm desirable, you tell me that I'm beautiful or handsome. If you tell me, then I'll know about myself what you know about yourself first, that's good, and so I would say that my biggest answer to that is normally I need other people to do for me stuff that I was supposed to do for myself. And the loneliness, of course, man, I still I still walk with the idea that you know, I'm not supposed to be alone. No no, no no, it's still is still a place I need to be. But on the part of it that makes it real ugly is when you feel like nobody sees you in it. But I need you, you incredible, wise person that's always able to see other people. I need you to turn your eye back on yourself and for a day or two see you, and I bet you a lot of that boredom and loneliness will go away when you realize just how interesting and amazing you are. So true without them telling you first.

00:22:20
Speaker 1: That is so true. And I think also when we are in industries where our lives lie in the collapse and the applause and the approval, you get lost in that, and when people aren't saying, no, you're great, this is amazing, it's like you're waiting for that, and it turns into like I need to hear that in everything, you know, And it's so people don't understand how like when that is what your life lies on. It's like wow, like I kind of need that for everything.

00:22:46
Speaker 2: Right, and I need it constantly, you know what I'm saying. It's like why nobody gotting?

00:22:50
Speaker 1: Why aren't you guys? Goy you sleeping?

00:22:53
Speaker 2: Wow? He was up, he was just texting somebody. Let's look at who up? Yeah? Right? But uh, the way you looked at you like it looked like you did something though, look like got But.

00:23:12
Speaker 1: No, man, what you do you look for that approve of like the nodes and the audience everybody?

00:23:17
Speaker 2: Sure, and now you need it every single time you needed every single time everything, and uh yeah, we can add that's that's how you get lost in it. People think that it's like way more like uh intentional or like quick like we literally just decide I'm going to lose myself and it's no, it's subtle, like it is just over time you start. Man, there was literally a moment. And I know I'm a gospartist, so this is maybe a different you know, something that other artists may don't have to worry about. But but God really had to distinguish in the moment, whether I was leading, following him or following people like as far as like working the room and stage presence and keeping everybody in it, Like, was I really like doing this because of you know, I'm aiming at him, or doing this because I'm trying to keep them engaged? You know what I'm saying. Like, it's literally sometimes a distinction that we always have to make. And again, it's all just about pursuit. It's about finding where God is today and aiming there exactly.

00:24:32
Speaker 1: You know that's so true. And that how have you, Like do you do therapy or do you talk to someone to kind of help you manage those feelings of it?

00:24:41
Speaker 2: Yeah? So I have, First of all, I have I have my therapist turned coach because because we actually started to hoop and became friends after way, so he can't be my therapist no more, but maybe a life coach. But yeah, no, I'm saying he's still my life coach, big brother. And and here's what I did this year. I May I found like this company that makes these coins, and I made a coin and sent it out to what I call my counsel I dubbed all these you know people like people that you would know, like a Jason Nelson or William McDowell, but then other people that you might not know, like the dean at my school or the you know, uh this passed over there, this older guy over here, my uncle, and I wanted to empower them to hm me up when necessary. I want to let them know that you guys are my counsel. I'm not doing anything unless I run something by y'all. Bible says that they're safety in a multitude of council and I need y'all because I want to be safe. I don't want to make a whole bunch of risky, crazy decisions like I'm so. Not only is there like a straight up licensed therapist within that council, but there are people who have lived this life and people that I respect highly, people that kind of see the end before I do. They're on the other side of a lot of these changes and stuff I'm going through, so they know what They know how my knees are gonna hurt. They know what arthritis is, you know what I'm saying. They know how it feels to take two pills a day, and so I need that perspective sometimes to be like, hey, look yo, like my doctor said I need to you know, I need to drop my cholesterolt here. Yeah, He's like, yeah, you better do that because because I was coming out you know what I'm saying, or we just be living without any perspective. And so what I'm really proud of this year is that I kind of really codify my own little counsel too. It's like ten guys that have the permission to yank me off stage if necessary.

00:26:53
Speaker 1: Wow, let's talk about that, because I feel like a lot of men they one. We are like everyone, we are a result or a sum of the five people that we're around the most. And a lot of times we don't realize the people that we're around are either hindering us or they're promoting us to like higher levels or holding us back. And what was it in you that said I need wise counsel. I need these men because I feel like men need to hear that it's okay to have people that can like that you can talk to and run things by, that'll hold you accountable, just to make them just better men and like even grow wiser. But what was it in you that said, hey, like this is what I need right now.

00:27:36
Speaker 2: The first thing I thought of. Look, I'm a weirdo. So sometimes you ask the questions and I have these visuals. It reminded me of when we were young bowling, and for if you were young enough or terrible enough, somebody would come up and put the little guardrails. Yes, okay, because when you have guardrails, even if you are terrible the bowling, even if you just bowled a terrible ball, somehow it works out. Somehow it stays in the lane. Sometimes you get a strike when you didn't deserve that. I would have been a gutter ball. And I promise you if it weren't for guys grace, if it wasn't for some of the people around me, I would have had a lot more gutter balls in front of everybody that turn out to be spares and strikes and turned out to be very decent. And so for me, like and for all men, I think that we are so convinced that everything has to be in our own strength, you know, with ladies, you know, y'all can kind of chill around us, and we take that rise to the occasion. Yeah, you don't even have to think about nothing. I got I'm going to navigate, I know where we're going. I'll drive blah blah. Y'all just chill over there, turn your brain off. Oh of course. And and honestly, I take pride in being able to provide that, and most men do. The problem is if you are always the source of your own strength, if you are always the strength of your own life, you are going to run out. You're just gonna run out. I mean, there's a difference between you know, one of these light bulbs that are not connected to electricity and other ones that are connected to electricity. Can you connect yourself to a larger resource that will actually kind of keep you where you need to go? And for men like we gotta know, you still gonna be the one bowling, but like get some guardriels. You're still gonna be the one shining. But plug into something, you know what I'm saying, Like it's still going to it's still gonna come down to you. You still gonna get the credit that you need. She's still gonna love you, she just might not realize You're only able to shine this long because you're plugged up to something. And so like that little moment of humility that allows you to plug into something greater than you. It's normally all that you need for this next season.

00:30:06
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's good. The fella said, I heard that. That's thank you for sharing, because I feel like more men need to hear that it's okay to have your tribe and it's okay to step outside of Like, if you realize your core group isn't really taking you where you want to go, step outside of that and find the right.

00:30:24
Speaker 2: People, good group chat is gonna say listen, mankind, I'm telling you, man, like I started a group chat maybe like last October, and we still hanging in there like still you know, talking about anything that comes up, because sometimes you just need to let it out. You know what I'm saying, Man, we hold a lot. And I'm telling you because if because we know that if we say it the way we feel it, it's gonna come off violent, it's gonna come off aggressive, it's gonna hurt somebody. So you just sometimes need just to outlet even just for that, just to get the bad out that you know, and it's not gonna hur anybody. And so, like you know, I definitely am part of the movement that says men we need some more help, We need some other connections. It can't just be her like that can't be the only connection we got. Because she got ten friends, she can go on vacation with just them. We be like, we ain't got nobody to talk to you for real. And so I just believe that this generation, maybe through the group chat is today's men are becoming more communical, communal, and that's going to be a great thing for everybody.

00:31:39
Speaker 1: I love that. I want to talk about your latest album, live recorded album in your hometown Chicago. Tell me about that.

00:31:48
Speaker 2: Man, it was a movie. So we did it in July last summer, and man, I had such a good time. I want my little leather jacket, the snake skin, whatever that thing is, and we had a really amazing time. Hopefully people have already heard the first single that came out still it was nominated for Grammy this past past February, and we had a great time doing it and I really came wait for everybody here. It's a lot of new vibes, a lot of different vibes. It's you know, it's upbeat. I know people are used to meet on the guitar artist, you know what I'm saying, but like, you know, just imagine the ease, but just even bigger. I have let your guitar, you know what I'm saying. I got a little solo and everything. So I'm really man, it was fun and I think that it's appropriate for this.

00:32:38
Speaker 1: Season absolutely, So can you give us, like the backstory to the album, the creative process and what made you say I want to do this and I want to do it live? Yeah?

00:32:47
Speaker 2: Man, well, you know I think that one. Like lyrically, I was just at a place where, you know, I tell everybody, we are always striving for bigger and better. You know what I'm saying. We always want to do as an artist. You don't never want to go smaller than the last album. You never want less success than the last album. You always look in the bigger And if you're anybody like me, like you're always trying to improve, you know you're trying you asking your ex, hey, so what did I do wrong so you can go fix that? You know what I'm saying, what you're asking your boss how did I do that? So you can fix that? But always trying to be better as well. But in this season, God, I feel like was really just calling me closer, like so you can hear me, so you can know the real me, you know what I'm saying, The real the real Jesus, the real Father, not just the one, not the not the fake one that you hear all over the place. And you know has a weird that that that guy's weird. I don't know, he changes with whoever's talking, but the real me and really find the confidence and the status. Remember I keep talking about status, you know, finding the status somebody who did not have the most robust relationship with their father. It's hard for me to know how to operate like a son. But in this moment, man, I feel more like, yo, dad says, I can go in refrigerator whenever I need it. I can go to the pantry, so I don't have to pray for peace and pray for joy. I have access to it. If that's your dad. And so like learning how to just accept that status and that relationship and like really believe it more than he's just like this big, terrible, far away god. No, he's like you can get close and so on. That's the whole point. And so yeah, that's lyrically kind of where we were going now as far as the sound. I legit just woke up one day and was like line Richie. I don't know but one line of two line of Richie songs. But I just woke up with a desire to study the eighties MJ LI know, you know, early with all that stuff and so and yeah what came out. I really had a good time. So I think you'll enjoy it.

00:35:09
Speaker 1: I'm excited.

00:35:09
Speaker 2: I'm excited.

00:35:10
Speaker 1: Do you ever wrestle with the pressure from being inspirational and also just being honest, because I know as a gospel artist, everything is inspirational, but sometimes, like I feel like in cycles you were just like I'm just about to put it out there.

00:35:23
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I got a few songs, and I'm like, man, y'all love me, y'all let me put this out.

00:35:30
Speaker 1: They let me get away with this.

00:35:32
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know what, I'll say this, A lot of honesty is inspirational by myself.

00:35:39
Speaker 1: That's true because I think it lets us know, like, wait, you feel the same way, yeah, because a lot of us feel the same way.

00:35:44
Speaker 2: We're just scared to say for sure. Yeah, you know, I tell everybody, Man, if you google like the weirdest symptom, like my my my my pinky.

00:35:56
Speaker 1: Toe is turning blue, like right now, that's why.

00:35:59
Speaker 2: That's how you know my knee the left part of my right knee is it feels tingling whatever. When you type that into Google, not only will Google finish it out, but you'll have thousands of search results from all these people that also felt the same way. So I've always gone that way when it comes to songwriters. Even the most specific thing about you is going to free somebody else. Your honesty is inspiring, and then of course I'm going to point to the real big answer at the end that this is all for God's glory. The relationship will help with all of this. Man, I, to me, I don't have to choose between inspiring and honesty because to me, only honest things are inspiring.

00:36:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, I love that. That's amazing. In closing, I want to ask you, can you share a word or a prayer or a reminder because we talked about being seen for someone who feels unseen or unheard today.

00:37:01
Speaker 2: Mm hm as a as a God's as I'm supposed to just be having these things off the top of my head.

00:37:08
Speaker 1: But yeah, okay, say for your own truth, and.

00:37:11
Speaker 2: Like, yeah, I think I would want everybody to know that God has a lot of capacity for us. I think capacity is the word that keeps popping in my head. I remember when I was young, I would be real smart a look to people. I'd be like, I'll be telling them stuff you don't you don't know that, you don't know what you're talking about. You know what I'm saying. And that's my third grade teacher. I gotta I gotta d that year in behavior. Uh, not from fighting nobody, just being smart at yah, but you know, like, but I realized I was really just testing to see which one of these adults around me had capacity enough for me. Because I knew I was smart. I knew had a lot of thoughts. Which one of y'all is smart enough that I can relax, that I can rest. Which one of y'all is smart enough? Fellas were always thinking about which situation is strong enough that I could actually take off my cape at the end of the day. I want you to know that right now, God has the capacity for you, all of you. You don't have matter of fact, you can be smarter like with God right now if you like, go ahead, give him your best shot. Even if Church did not have enough capacity for you. The way you are, the way you express yourself, the way you look, the way you come off, the way you think God does. And I'm not saying that he loves you. Know he's gonna leave it as is, but I will say the way that you are, you can go to him with the raw stuff, with the messed up stuff, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and he can take it. He ain't afraid of you, right, and please exercise that right, that access to go to him boldly, come boldly before the throne and let him know who you are, where you are. You'll find out he already knew anyway.

00:39:26
Speaker 1: Listen, every single time. That is so good. I needed that, so thank you. Okay, So our theme this season is unapologetic. What is one thing that you are unapologetic for in this season?

00:39:38
Speaker 2: All right? So you gotta know my context. You gotta know that sometimes my self confidence ain't as hoigh it should be, really, but this year I'm unapologetically good. Come on, come on, man, I'm unapologetically competent. I'm unapologetically ready for every stage, every room. I'm unapologetically good. I love that, and uh, I ain't gonna keep second with my second guests, with myself period.

00:40:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, I know that's right.

00:40:05
Speaker 2: Thank you.

00:40:06
Speaker 1: I love that. That's good. Thank you so much, Jonathan. I appreciate you for coming by. Let the fans and where I can follow you and if there's anything else that we miss that we can support you on. I'm telling you the kids, family, they're ride adized, they're gonna jump behind you, We're gonna push you on. But yeah, there's anything else that you want to let us know that you have going on so we can support sure.

00:40:26
Speaker 2: No, I appreciate y'all. I appreciate you. I'm a big fan of you, how you care yourself, how you represent the you know, all the different communities that you represent, including of course the faith community. So I thank you, and it's an honor, thank you. This is a big day to meet you in real life.

00:40:43
Speaker 1: Oh, thank you. So yeah.

00:40:45
Speaker 2: But you can always go to my website Jonath mcgonnold's dot com. I'm on Instagram like every other millennium in the world, like at j O N. McReynolds. That's the hub for real TikTok, at John mcgrenold's talk, Facebook all that stuff, and so look out for my new albums coming out three twenty seven. It's called Closer. It'll be everywhere that you listen to music. There's a couple of videos already up on youtubes. Go check that out. Yes, and if you are about a year late, but check out my book before you climb any higher as well. I think that it has something to say to a lot of people, no matter where you are in your client.

00:41:23
Speaker 1: I love it. We'll add that to my unofficial book club. I love it.

00:41:26
Speaker 2: That's what's up.

00:41:27
Speaker 1: We need to make that official. But I'm always posting what I'm reading and then the girls to go by it. So yeah, we'll do that.

00:41:34
Speaker 2: Thank you so much, Thank you. I appreciate it absolutely. This is awesome.

00:41:43
Speaker 1: This conversation is a reminder that faith doesn't have to be perfect to be real. It just has to be honest. Thank you guys so much for tuning into another episode of the Keep It Positive Sweetish Show. Don't forget to download the season ten Kit's Reflection Guide to store all the gems that were dropped today for free at www dot chrisorne Haslet dot com. Be sure to subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs it, and if you need advice, positivity or a question with something you're going through. Please email us at Keep it Positive Outcomes at gmail dot com. As always, stay blessed, staying curves, and keep it positive. Sweety, I'll see you all next time.