Iridescent...

"The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us." — C.S. Lewis

I'm not sure what I'm going for tonight. I had this whole great idea to come on and talk about triumph, but I'm guessing I'll just skip that part. See, I feel like I've been lying to myself for quite a while. I told myself months ago that I didn't have any baggage. My relationships (& I don't mean just romantic) have been very defensive on my part. I always felt I had to defend myself before it was too late. I usually walk away to cool off when someone yells at me or makes it a point to call me out rather than calmly discuss something. It's something I've always done. I probably inherited the trait from one of my parents. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, because a person needs to be calm to discuss something logically. So many nasty things can be said in the heat of an argument.

The truth is, I think everyone has baggage of some sort. There's hurt from before you carry in your heart that you've convinced yourself isn't there anymore. You've prayed your heart out asking for it to be taken away, and yet you think about it the next day, and even the day after that. So does it ever go away? I've often wondered that. I can think of quite a few things I was hot over years ago, and I let that anger burn inside me while the other person probably had no idea they had upset me. At one point, I didn't even want to go to the same church as this individual, because seeing them reminded me of that anger I held against them. I prayed constantly, and finally, let go of the issue it seemed. About 2 years ago, I happened to run into this individual as I was crossing the street. We said, "Hello" to each other. In fact, I even initiated the "hello". It was no longer there. I think about it now, and I feel so foolish for being so upset over what the contempt was for.

Baggage comes in a lot of different forms. There's stuff people blame on their parents, who let's face it, are human beings themselves. To be honest, I don't think I ever rebelled against my parents. I didn't always agree with them, but for the most part, I always tried to be respectful. The things parents do affect us for the rest of our lives, whether good or bad.

Some people blame their problems on God. Which I think is the biggest crock. If you wanna blame God for anything, anything at all, blame Him for loving you enough to give you a choice to either love Him or hate Him. Where I am spiritually is so iridescent right now. There's times I feel like I'm shining and on fire, while there's other times it doesn't seem to show.

The world has programmed everyone into thinking that only the "good" people get to go to Heaven, but that's definitely not true! Look at Christianity for a minute. When you hear the word, so many mixed emotions seem to come to you, don't they? There's been so many people who wore the label of "Christian" on their shoulder like it was a Boyscout merit badge they earned. There's been so many who blatantly seemed to give the word a black eye just for how they carried themselves or how they treated someone in an unloving way. I can say I'm not perfect. I've been very rude to certain individuals. I've done things that have hurt people, and even to the point where it becomes numbing, so much so that right & wrong became shades of grey, and it didn't seem so bad. It's when you have to come clean and accept that destiny without the help of a Higher Power is merely a flash in the pan.

I'm speaking from the heart right now to say that I don't have all the answers. I have baggage just like everyone else. But each new day brings a new, yet the same challenge. That challenge is to let go of all the circumstances, allow yourself to be vulnerable to what miracles God can work in your life, and take no steps backward.

I'm sorry to any individuals who I lead away from the truth, and ask for your forgiveness. How does this apply to me losing weight? Well, baggage is a good way to stuff your face. That much is for sure. So the idea of triumph happens when you give the situation over to God...

Adios & Vaya Con Dios...

Rich Jones
www.richjonescomedy.com

Proverbs 22:6 - “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

What a long but short Summer!!!

"All our offerings, whether of music or martyrdom, are like the intrinsically worthless present of a child, which a Father values indeed, but values only for the intention..." - C.S. Lewis

Been a while since I've done this, but a lot has happened over the course of that time. I had a wonderful opportunity to perform at HopeFest 2011 in Willard, OH, where I shared the stage with such bands as The Undeserving (formerly signed to Warner Bros. Records), Remembering Venice, Waymark, Judgement Call, and House of Heroes (who are currently signed to Gotee Records). It was awesome to hang out with them & the Green Room was pretty sweet!

For those who are unaware, I recently started my own reality show on youtube. The very first "Reality" show was famously the Real World. My show is titled the Rich World. There's a lot of crazy things on there that I do, & I have no idea each day what's going to be on the next. I figure this will be a good outlet though for you to view my progress as far as spiritual growth & living more healthy. I'm happy to report I had my blood pressure checked at a recent vender setup, and I was 116/81, which they said was really good.

I've been singing a lot of karaoke lately, which is really fun! I never would've dreamed of doing it a year ago! Out of my shell, I've arrived, so to speak. Still waiting on my DVD release, which I heard is currently in the first run duplication. Hopefully, I have it by October for a big show I have, which would be nice to introduce it at. Other than that, not much else to report. Carrots, Apples & Tuna have been my friends lately!

Adios & Vaya Con Dios!!!

Rich Jones
www.richjonescomedy.com

Ephesians 2:19 - “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household,”

Giving up...

"I order the club sandwich all the time, but I'm not even a member, man. I don't know how I get away with it..." - Mitch Hedberg

It's amazing what opportunities present them self once you give up trying... Sounds a little far-fetched, I'm sure but that seems to be the story of my life. There comes a point when you try so hard for something that you lose yourself, and it's no longer fun. What's the point of doing anything if it's not fun? Granted not all work is going to seem fun, but there should be a payoff that's worth it in the end, whether it's a warm feeling, happiness for someone else, especially bringing glory to God, or whatever the case might be. I've reached that point, the point of giving up because where I end, Christ begins.

What a great day yesterday was! I'm following a principle one of my friends shared with me. Eat whole foods & nothing processed. If you saw my current diet compared to what I would've eaten a year ago, you'd shreke. I'm still eating cut-pealed carrots like candy. Funny advice I got from him was how to look at pizza. Of course I love pizza. I'm not as fond of the chain pizza places like Domino's or Pizza Hut, but I go for more of the gourmet style & local outfits. I'm sure I'll eat it again at some point, but he said to view pizza as "a slice of bread with a bunch of fat on it..." I'd never thought of it that way, but yeah pretty much! The last doctor's visit I had, he seemed pleased with my weight-loss, so it's going... literally.

I have a few wonderful comedy opportunities coming up, which I'm looking forward to. Other than that, nothing much else to report. I hope everyone is having a blessed week! Thank you for your continued support!

Forever In Christ,

Rich Jones
www.richjonescomedy.com

Luke 12:6-7 - “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Greatest Sharpshooter Ever...

UPDATE TIME!! Life is going, that's for sure. No complaints here. I've had some great shows recently, which got great laughs, but that's not why I define them as great. The measuring stick for me considering they were great is the mere fact that I had fun doing them! It's important to enjoy what you do, and for a while it seems like I've been on auto-pilot with some of my shows. There's a point where you worry, especially when you know there's industry people watching you, which makes it hard to cut loose and enjoy the moment. Believe it or not the show I had the most fun at was an open mic! The reason I enjoyed it so much is because I got to work the audience a little and even poke fun at someone I've known since kindergarten, (all clean of course...)

Eating wise, I no longer stress eat, and getting a better grasp of managing my time. I enjoy singing karaoke now, which I probably wouldn't have done a year ago. Exercise keeps coming, especially in the form of walking. I find it funny when people complain about how far I park from the entrance in store parking lots. For me personally, I like it because it helps me avoid accidents, it's easier to get out, and good exercise to walk.

In case you're wondering why I posted the above picture, it's a representation of what I feel I've accomplished. Yeah, sounds weird, but this picture is of my ALL-TIME favorite wrestler, Bret "The Hitman" Hart applying his finishing move on "Mr.Perfect" Curt Hennig which was when he defeated him to win his first major singles' title, the WWF Intercontinental Championship. This was from Summerslam 1991, and is actually my favorite match of all-time, and in my opinion, the greatest sharpshooter Bret Hart ever applied. From this victory, it catapulted him from being a tag team wrestler to a great singles' competitor, and eventually set it up for him to win the World Heavyweight Championship 7 times. For me, it's a matter of reaching the first pinnacle of my comedy career (short as it's been...) When I first started, I was determined to work with Thor Ramsey. I thought it would only take me a few months, but that turned into almost 4 years, but God blessed me with that opportunity, and even to do a DVD with him! It doesn't end there as with your own hopes and dreams. You shoot higher! That's what I'm doing!

Not much else going on... Thank you for your continued support!

Forever In Christ,

Rich Jones
www.richjonescomedy.com

Psalm 37:4 - "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."