My Dad is Kenneth Reed "Bo" Jones. He was born in Tyler, TX on December 16, 1960. He graduated from John Tyler high school in Tyler and went to the Army from 1979-1982. He was an E-3 mechanic. My parents had my brother Travis in 1988 and me in 1991. He worked for Mason Machinery for 7 years, Tyler Pipe for 7 years, Brunswick Industrial, Inc. for 7 years, and then for RJB Piping & Construction, later RJB Fabrication, under friend and boss Bobby Bridges, for 8 years, until His death.
Monday, January 11, 2010, was my second semester of my senior year at Christian Heritage School; Tyler, TX. I was woken up at 6:28am by my mom to find out my Dad was having chest pains and looked out the window to see Him being loaded onto an ETMC ambulance.
My Brother called me at school at around 9:30am and told me I need to get to the hospital. When I got there, my entire life and family dynamic changed forever. My Father was dead from a sudden heart attack, and had flatlined at 7:31am and could not be revived.
Bo Jones taught me everything good. He taught me hard work from a young age, respect, honor, keeping your word, how to treat women, to go after a woman with a heart for the Lord, and everything a guy must know to be a good man and father. He gave everything for us and He fixed everything for us. He was real, genuine, honest, practical, smart, frugal, and honorable. He was my idol even before His death, which I call lIfe's End, because I cannot speak the words "when my Dad died", and because it was the end of life as I knew it.
I Live every day to honor Him, to emulate Him, and to be the man that He raised me to be. I'm flawed, I've messed up a lot and I have enemies, but that is my fault, and no reflection on Him.
From October 1010-January 2012, I made these tribute videos and realized in hindsight that they were my grieving process. I spent August 2011-January 2012 making Tribute V, which took me into a really dark place I'd never experienced then or since. But I came out on top. Tribute V is my masterpiece, and the most essential in the series.
For the sake of time, Tribute II and III can be totally skipped. In a way, they are non-canonical. Tribute II is basically the same pictures as I, but shorter, a different song, and has a voice clip of my Dad at the end, and Tribute III is more focused on me and my struggle with coping. I recommend, in order, Tribute V, Tribute I, and Tribute IV. IV features pictures and footage from the actual funeral service never-before seen.
Welcome to my life, my testimony, and the most pinnacle character and event in my life story, which is my ultimate driving force. I wish you could have met Him.
Tribute V: The End
(Wednesday, January 11, 2012)
This is the fifth and final (for the forseeable future) Tribute video I have made in Honor of my Dad. This is my masterpiece.
Today is the second anniversary of Life's End.
This video encapsulates everything: the entire life of my Dad, Life's End, the Aftermath, our Lives two years since - what we've done, how it's affected us, what is left of our family.
The words in white in the black background are from my mom's diary of the morning of Life's End. I got her permission to do so. It might seem morbid, but it is just for the sake of clairvoyance; I don't want to hold back pulling on your heartstrings, filling you in on what actually happened as much as I can.
This video takes you through my Dad's entire life, then our life with Him, the last Christmas we had with Him, and the morning of Life's End, the funeral, the aftermath.
MAKING OF:
I began working on this video in late August 2011. I got the inspiration for it at the visitation for my great grandad 'Papa' Earl Nelson at Lloyd James funeral home - the same place as my Dad' visitation and funeral. I gathered and scanned and scouted for pictures and video for 5 months. Including going to ETMC - to where He was taken and pronounced Dead - a place I swore I'd never set foot in again. Making this video really screwed with my mind. In October, there were a few nights where I actually daydreamed about committing suicide. I couldn't stand not having my Dad. But no worries. I'm past all of that. I'll be around. And it was all worth it to pay Him a good tribute. And it is done.
I can't wait to go Home, to see Him again after so dang long. I am living to honor Him, to see Him again.
My Dad was the best man and father ever.
Thank you for watching.
MUSIC:
Song 1: Keep on the Sunny Side, The Whites.
Song 2: My Hope is in You, Aaron Shust.
Song 3: Draw Me Close, Kutless
Song 4: Cry of the Heart, Michael W. Smith
Song 5: The Offering, Michael W. Smith
Song 6: Love Has Come, Mark Schultz
This is the fifth and final (for the forseeable future) Tribute video I have made in Honor of my Dad. This is my masterpiece.
Today is the second anniversary of Life's End.
This video encapsulates everything: the entire life of my Dad, Life's End, the Aftermath, our Lives two years since - what we've done, how it's affected us, what is left of our family.
The words in white in the black background are from my mom's diary of the morning of Life's End. I got her permission to do so. It might seem morbid, but it is just for the sake of clairvoyance; I don't want to hold back pulling on your heartstrings, filling you in on what actually happened as much as I can.
This video takes you through my Dad's entire life, then our life with Him, the last Christmas we had with Him, and the morning of Life's End, the funeral, the aftermath.
MAKING OF:
I began working on this video in late August 2011. I got the inspiration for it at the visitation for my great grandad 'Papa' Earl Nelson at Lloyd James funeral home - the same place as my Dad' visitation and funeral. I gathered and scanned and scouted for pictures and video for 5 months. Including going to ETMC - to where He was taken and pronounced Dead - a place I swore I'd never set foot in again. Making this video really screwed with my mind. In October, there were a few nights where I actually daydreamed about committing suicide. I couldn't stand not having my Dad. But no worries. I'm past all of that. I'll be around. And it was all worth it to pay Him a good tribute. And it is done.
I can't wait to go Home, to see Him again after so dang long. I am living to honor Him, to see Him again.
My Dad was the best man and father ever.
Thank you for watching.
MUSIC:
Song 1: Keep on the Sunny Side, The Whites.
Song 2: My Hope is in You, Aaron Shust.
Song 3: Draw Me Close, Kutless
Song 4: Cry of the Heart, Michael W. Smith
Song 5: The Offering, Michael W. Smith
Song 6: Love Has Come, Mark Schultz
Tribute
(October 2, 2010)
Kenneth Reed "Bo" Jones. December 16th, 1960-January 11th, 2010, 7:31am.
Every second was Pain making this.
It is absolutely the Least I can do to even begin to Honor my Father.
Kenneth Reed "Bo" Jones. December 16th, 1960-January 11th, 2010, 7:31am.
Every second was Pain making this.
It is absolutely the Least I can do to even begin to Honor my Father.
Tribute II
(October 29, 2010)
This is a shorter, more uplifting Tribute. The song is "Am I Losin'" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Travis and I grew up listening to Skynyrd; in Dad's office at Brunswick, in his truck.
4:37 - The ending is my Dad's voice, His voicemail, "Please leave a number and I'll return your call. Thank you." Bobby Bridges, owner of RJB Construction, co-owner of RedSky Construction, Inc., Dad's boss and Friend, and Family Friend for 8 years, paid for Dad's phone plan, and has left Dad's phone unchanged just so that we can still hear His voice. For that, I'm grateful beyond possible expression.
Kenneth Reed "Bo" Jones - December 16th, 1960 - 7:31am, January 11th, 2010.
This is a shorter, more uplifting Tribute. The song is "Am I Losin'" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Travis and I grew up listening to Skynyrd; in Dad's office at Brunswick, in his truck.
4:37 - The ending is my Dad's voice, His voicemail, "Please leave a number and I'll return your call. Thank you." Bobby Bridges, owner of RJB Construction, co-owner of RedSky Construction, Inc., Dad's boss and Friend, and Family Friend for 8 years, paid for Dad's phone plan, and has left Dad's phone unchanged just so that we can still hear His voice. For that, I'm grateful beyond possible expression.
Kenneth Reed "Bo" Jones - December 16th, 1960 - 7:31am, January 11th, 2010.
Tribute III
(January 14, 2011)
"367 Days ago, my life and my Family's Lives would change forever. on January 11th, 2010, my Father, my Dad, my Daddy, my Idol, died. For future reference, I refer to this event as life's End. A preventable heart attack took Him away from us. Since then, I've hit a bad habit kinda hard. One way I cope, I guess. But I am trying to quit; and have made progress. This video is a story. It conveys what I've been going through since life's End up to now. It is my Struggle - my Struggle with an addicting, unhealthy habit, with my Beliefs, and with coping with life's End - trying to Truly figure out what I Believe and Who I am, and finally, beginning to get back to where I was in my Faith around this Time last Year; before I lost the Man I Love and Admire more than anything, and before my atheist Friend dumped his atheism all over me. It is also a message to my Heavenly Father as much as my biological Father; that I need to get back to God, as I said, and that I am, still, wanting to feel my biological Father's presence. In this video, I am shown how few have seen me. I am showing my weakness, my character flaws, my Struggle. I only wish that nobody thinks of me as a hypocrite. I'm still Nick, I'm still exactly who I have been. Family, I'm still your Blood. I still care, and Love, and try to do the best I can to be there for y'all, and for everyone I care about, I just don't have it together as well as anybody may think I do."
The song is Drifter, by DecembeRadio, which fits this journey perfectly. I heard this song for the first time on the radio one night, driving home, and I instantly thought to make this video.
"367 Days ago, my life and my Family's Lives would change forever. on January 11th, 2010, my Father, my Dad, my Daddy, my Idol, died. For future reference, I refer to this event as life's End. A preventable heart attack took Him away from us. Since then, I've hit a bad habit kinda hard. One way I cope, I guess. But I am trying to quit; and have made progress. This video is a story. It conveys what I've been going through since life's End up to now. It is my Struggle - my Struggle with an addicting, unhealthy habit, with my Beliefs, and with coping with life's End - trying to Truly figure out what I Believe and Who I am, and finally, beginning to get back to where I was in my Faith around this Time last Year; before I lost the Man I Love and Admire more than anything, and before my atheist Friend dumped his atheism all over me. It is also a message to my Heavenly Father as much as my biological Father; that I need to get back to God, as I said, and that I am, still, wanting to feel my biological Father's presence. In this video, I am shown how few have seen me. I am showing my weakness, my character flaws, my Struggle. I only wish that nobody thinks of me as a hypocrite. I'm still Nick, I'm still exactly who I have been. Family, I'm still your Blood. I still care, and Love, and try to do the best I can to be there for y'all, and for everyone I care about, I just don't have it together as well as anybody may think I do."
The song is Drifter, by DecembeRadio, which fits this journey perfectly. I heard this song for the first time on the radio one night, driving home, and I instantly thought to make this video.
Tribute IV: Funeral
(Thursday, July 28, 2011)
This is the fourth slideshow I have made in honor of my Dad. This one is around 90% never-before-seen pictures and 3 video clips that have literally never been seen before by anybody but me, and I hadn't ever watched them until I made this video. They are 3 video clips from my Dad's funeral. The first clip is Brother Pat from Friendly Baptist Church, and the second and third are Brother Robert from my Church, Colonial Hills Baptist Church. I have no idea who's manning the camera.
It never gets better. Time heals nothing. Things have been bottling up over time, I guess. Here is my outlet, my vent.
The first song is Here With Me, by Mercy Me, which fades into the second song, Strong Tower by Kutless. Both songs are speaking to God, but I am using them as talking to my Dad. Obviously.
Kenneth Reed "Bo" Jones - December 16th, 1960 - 7:31am, January 11th, 2010.
This is the fourth slideshow I have made in honor of my Dad. This one is around 90% never-before-seen pictures and 3 video clips that have literally never been seen before by anybody but me, and I hadn't ever watched them until I made this video. They are 3 video clips from my Dad's funeral. The first clip is Brother Pat from Friendly Baptist Church, and the second and third are Brother Robert from my Church, Colonial Hills Baptist Church. I have no idea who's manning the camera.
It never gets better. Time heals nothing. Things have been bottling up over time, I guess. Here is my outlet, my vent.
The first song is Here With Me, by Mercy Me, which fades into the second song, Strong Tower by Kutless. Both songs are speaking to God, but I am using them as talking to my Dad. Obviously.
Kenneth Reed "Bo" Jones - December 16th, 1960 - 7:31am, January 11th, 2010.