The name is Jeffrey Gilbert, most everybody either calls me Jeff or Gilberto, except my ma, because she’s not into the whole "Jeff" thing, so if you are my mom, don’t call me Jeff, but you can totally call me Gilberto if you approve. Let's have me answer some questions right off the bat. The music that I am listening to would be a man named Artie Shaw and the song that happens to be playing is called Stardust, it’s a great track, my color is blue, my number is 3 and my favorite food is Authentic Mexican, and Sushi, and coffee, because coffee is food.

Now here’s my story: I was born in Long Beach California. My mom and dad came to know the Lord in their mid-twenties and met at a church soon after their new directions in life. Married soon after meeting, they started a family, which is where my brother, sister, and myself came to be. My family grew up in the Lord together which is such a blessing to me. So when it came time for me to ask the Lord as my Savior, I was three years old and taking a bath, my dad was by my side making sure I was washing the junk between my toes and most importantly sharing the love of Jesus to his youngest son. I have tried my hardest to stay on a path of righteousness ever since, thank the Lord for His grace.

When I was nine, my parents were finally at the point of exhaustion from trying to get me to quit banging on everything in sight, so they were able to get me a drum set. It was a maroon CMC drum set, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. A close family friend offered to help me learn some beats and rudiments that I practiced into the ground, my dad still jokes about the stuff I was practicing then, I burned those beats into our memories forever (sorry guys).

I went through high school playing in a handful of different bands with my brother, that’s where I really realized my calling in life, it’s what I strived to do, dreamed to do, and most importantly what God was calling me to do. Fresh out of high school, my band was signed to Tooth and Nail Records where we jumped right into the studio to cut a record with Aaron Sprinkle, who happened to be one of my heroes and still is. After a couple years of constant touring (over 500 shows in 2 years) my brother who was the Lead Singer decided to step down and go back to be a pastor at the church we grew up at. It was a crucial decision, but he was listening to the Lord and I can’t respect him more for doing what he did.

After hanging our hats, four grueling weeks went by where I thought everything that I had worked for was wiped away and washed out to sea. The Lord stretched me and was patient with me as I was crying out for having a void in my heart, a void to play, a void from being out on the road ministering. I received a phone call from one of my closest friends, Jon Micah, just seeing where I was in life, where I wanted to go in life, and my answers were honest and blunt with him. A couple days later I was asked to join the band, after I hung up with the guys I just cried. Seeing that I was so freaked out about my situation and being unsure of the Lord’s faithfulness. It’s another great example of being a flawed human and having a perfect savior. It has been a year and a half in the making of what has been the most fruitful and exciting time of my young twenty-two year old life.

Yes, there are some huge things that have happened in my life that are not in this story, I moved to Portland where I have wanted to live for most of my life, I got some tattoos, and some amazing photographs of where I have been along the way. But there is also so much more to come and see, so lets just call this "the Gilberto in a nutshell". Until next time...

Read Psalm 150
Malachi 3:3
John 15
Philippians 4
James 1:12