Meet  Jon Stephen

The Journey

I was born and raised in Uptown New Orleans two blocks from the streetcar line. A round trip fare from Uptown to Downtown cost 10 cents; that included a transfer so you could go nearly anywhere. Some of my favorite childhood memories were spent riding the streetcars up and down the line. Oftentimes with one of the books from Jim Metcalfe’s poetry series, The Sunday Journal. Jim read his poetry on television every Sunday at 6pm on WWL channel 4. Times were very different then.

The love of reading was instilled before I attended school. Shortly after my father came home from work, we all shared our day, and dinner, at the dining room table. Afterwards, we’d go to the living room, before we watched television, we took turns reading aloud to each other. The choices were, articles from Readers Digest, or National Geographic, or Britannica Encyclopedias, or The Holy Bible. I am grateful.  

Back to the streetcar, getting off at various stops and walking everywhere held the promise of adventure. Audubon Park and the French Quarter were among my repeated favorites. Some trees in the park along the lagoon spread over the water. I would sit on their roots above the lagoon and read in the shade of the trees. Sublime best characterizes those memories.
Royal Street in the French Quarter was filled with antique stores that were like an open museum. And the reward for walking far enough was Cafe Du Monde’s wonderful beignets and cafe au lait with the French Market entrance just a block further filled with countless delights and delicious aromas. I cannot imagine a better time or way to spend my youthful years.
I am grateful.

One day when I was around 7 years old while walking on Carrollton Ave something happened that profoundly changed the very core of how I am and who I’ve come to be. Everything made of biological life, the grass, the trees, all the fauna, and people began to sparkle in a brilliance of bright pure light. A streetcar went by, the stark contrast of the metal and wood against the sparkling light emitting from the people emphasized the awe of the moment. I believed then as I do now, God chose to reveal His Awesome Presence in our lives to me on this day in this unforgettable way.
I Am Grateful.

It astounds me how often, the cumulative moments throughout the days and nights I do forget, His glorious presence remains with us. I hope this insight will help myself and others to remember, God never forgets us.
I Am Grateful

We are personally known and loved by our Almighty Creator. Being His creation, He knows we could never comprehend the vastness of His eternal greatness, nor should we think we ever could. And yet He loves us, forgives us, nourishes us, fully personally knows us, in spite of our shortcomings.
I Am Grateful

Through HIS Divine Will and Holy Perfection, Jesus’ first sacrifice, was leaving the presence of His Holy Father,,,Leaving Heaven…
He chose to become human through a virgin birth, fulfilling all the prophecies from the prophets. He lived amongst us. Joining us in suffering the same human frailties and humiliations that we all do. And yet so very much more than any human could comprehend the magnitude nor could endure.

God’s Holy Son Jesus became The Christ. He Taught us how to live, how to love, how to pray. Through His Holy Life, His Sacrificial Death and His Fulfilled Promise of Resurrection He closed the great divide between God and mankind so that all humanity can choose to believe and know Him, choose to love Him, follow Him in the path of redeeming glorious salvation.    

Let’s work together sharing the value of professional live entertainment! 
Musically Yours,
Jon Stephen