My Story

About Me:

Welcome!  I am glad you found this blog.  If you haven’t figured it our already my name is Jonathan.  I am a Christian husband, father, and Associate Pastor (of Students) in the Pensacola area.  You can find out more information about me and my spiritual journey by following the links I have posted below.  But here is the abridged version if you don’t want to take the time to check all of that out…

My father was a pastor. When I was fourteen my dad had a stroke and his church fired him. I hated God and the Church. I rebelled and was getting drunk on regular basis by the time I was sixteen. My dad confronted my alcohol abuse and I got sober. I tried to be good enough to make up for the bad things I had done, I even became a student pastor.  I still felt guilty. When I was twenty-four I finally trusted in Jesus Christ to remove my sin and my shame. Knowing Jesus has changed me and I want others to know about Him. He is indeed the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I am married to my wonderful wife Avia! We have a beautiful and intelligent daughter Rebekah and a new born son Nathan.

Why the address http://followjonathan.wordpress.com?

Simply put… all the other names I could think of were already taken on WordPress.  The original purpose of this blog was to keep ministry friends and family who were interested in what I was doing up-to-date on what I was reading, thinking and where I was going.  I also wanted to provide a free resource where I could offer links and comments on pressing issues that others were asking me about.

Why the name Hill House?

My last name is Hill and we call our house the Hill House.  Over the years my wife and I have enjoyed having a variety of people in our home to fellowship and discuss life and ministry.  It is my hope and desire that this blog becomes an extension of the discussions that take place in our home with our guests.  Please feel free to post and add to the discussion.  I welcome your input.

My Spiritual Journey

• My Story (Introduction)
• My Story: A Godly Heritage (Part 1)
• My Story: A Trial that Proves a Faulty Faith (Part 2)
• My Story: Lost in a Religious World (Part 3)
• My Story: Waking up from a Dream (Part 4)
• My Story: Living with Passion and Purpose (Part 5)
• How I Learned that God was Faithful

How I Courted My Wife

• Choosing to Date Differently
• It helps to be Mr. Right when looking for Miss Right: otherwise it’s all wrong
• What I saw at Picklefish changed my life
• 21 Days of Bond(ing)
• Grandpa’s Secret Strategy for Successful Dating: and Why it Worked
• Why Asking Her Dad Was Easy

Thoughts on Being a Dad

• Tell Me The Story
• A Few Thoughts on Fatherhood
• 3 Things I’d Tell My Teenage Daughter After Watching New Moon
• Balancing Ministry And Family