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."

Been Singing A Lot Lately...

Thank goodness it's the weekend, which really doesn't matter for me, because most shows I do are on weekends. I got my substitute teaching license renewed this week, cause I really need the material. It's actually fun for me to sub for the most part anyway. It has its days.

What a week, indeed it was. My sister came into town and I got to go out to eat with her. Honestly, I didn't go crazy as much as I would've before. I don't even feel food driven anymore. Even had a discussion with one of the cashiers at Trader Joe's yesterday about my purchase, which was two bags of peeled carrots, which I now eat like candy. They fill me up too! I don't exclusively eat them, but it's definitely a better alternative than eating a bag of potato chips. I haven't weighed myself since last Friday, which was at the doctor's office where he said I'd lost 12 pounds since my last visit a month before.

A long with eating better, I'm getting out much more. My social life, if you want to call it that is much better. It's amazing the friends and acquaintances that God places in your life, especially at that particular phase of your life. I have several big shows coming up, which I'm most looking forward to. I've even been singing a lot of karaoke lately, which a year ago, I would've never done. Occasionally, I'll try to sing a song that's serious, or insightful, but I love to sing songs that make people laugh just to see me singing them, which explains my recent serenades of New Kids On The Block & The Backstreet Boys. I also recently sang Trashy Women by Confederate Railroad, which was hilarious.

Not much else to report at this time, except I'm alive and doing well. Be sure to check out my sponsor, Mioshe Apparel. www.miosheapparel.com Peace out jabronies...

Forever In Christ,

Rich Jones
www.richjonescomedy.com

Colossians 2:9-10 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”

Chasing The Dream... Enjoying The Journey...

Last week I had to go into the doctor's office for a check-up based on some new medication I've been taking. While it has nothing to do with the story, I give my doctor serious kudos for not charging me a fee for missing my appointment July 5th (as my brain wasn't functioning properly due to the mix-up with the holiday weekend.) Anywho, so I go in and of course do the regular weigh-in they always do as soon as they call you back. I made certain to set my notebook & clipboard down, so that doesn't get included in my weight, which normally I don't think of till after they take my weight. I don't usually keep track of my weight during my doctor visits.

To my surprise, he told me I'd lost 12 pounds since my last visit, which was about a month ago. Apparently, I'm more motivated and he was pleased. I've been walking a lot more, and certainly eating much better. Of course it's also a plus when you surround yourself with positive people who are willing to encourage you, and share your burdens as much as you should do the same for them.

On another positive note, I recently performed my first comedy show ata Womens' Retreat. It went super well! I got tons of great laughs! They say that women tend to laugh at comedy shows a lot more than men do. A big reason for this is men are afraid to laugh in front of the women they came with for fear of them not liking the joke resulting in a later argument. So it's important to make jokes that are appealing to women, if you're smart anyway.

At this time, I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce one of my sponsors for my weight loss journey. Mioshe Apparel has graciously offered to sponsor my journey. They support a great cause that is dear to my heart, and I would like to encourage everyone to check them out at www.miosheapparel.com

Human trafficking is one of the worst crimes today, and they seek to help put an end to it. When you get a chance be sure to check them out.

So what does the future hold? One can be sure it won't be anything left to chance...
God bless & thank you for your continued support!

Forever In Christ,

Rich Jones
www.richjonescomedy.com

Ecclesiastes 8:7 - "Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come?"

Still Going Strong & That My Friends... That's Cool!!!

Happy to report the Independence continues!! I'm even doing a Womens' Retreat this weekend... Wow, that should be nothing short of amazing! I bet I'll find plenty of them will respond, I go up & say, "Excuse Me..." by telling me I'm fine...

Lots of great things are happening. It's funny when you find out the people you hang around build you up rather than tear you down, which is why it's important to do the same for them, as you would have them do for you. I've been receiving a lot of encouragement. God has placed a number of wonderful people in my life within the past year. Several of which I had been praying for that type of friendship/relationship.

The life-style modification is holding. The biggest challenge for me this week, will be the arrival of my sister into town. Usually, the family wants to go out to eat, which I will probably be too busy anyway, but will make certain to spend quality time with my sis...

Been having a lot of fun lately, especially getting out of my comfort zone & even singing some karaoke!! I even sang a New Kids' song the other day! Love making people laugh, which is what it's all about. Got to meet some great pro wrestlers the other day, Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Carlito, both of which did intros for my comedy videos!!! How awesome is that???

Anywho, thanks for tuning in to this edition. Love that you guys still care about my progress thanks for the prayers!

Forever In Christ,

Rich Jones
www.richjonescomedy.com

Matthew 24:35 - “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

Independence Day 2011

For many who know this day, it's either associated with the birth of a great nation, or a sleeper movie hit from the 90's about aliens who try to enslave the human race and just happen to be defeated on July 4th. Whatever you remember it as, it has new meaning for me today. As life is all about re-commitments, this too is my re-commitment day. The past is the past, and it cannot be changed, but the future has yet to happen, and we can make a difference for the day we are guaranteed.

I encourage any of you who haven't yet, to follow me on twitter. twitter.com/richjonescomedy

My life is often an open book, and one that I seldom ever thought even I could get through. Great things are happening. I have a potential sponsor for this journey to be healthy. More on that as it comes. Also, I just started a comedy tour with some really great comedians. We are known as the Comedy Odyssey.

As well as the tour, I've been working on my first novel, as well as my first Indie Film, Ehahamony, which now includes involvement from a number of great comedians!! On board, we have Thor Ramsey, Kenn Kington, Jeffrey Jena, Derrick Tennant, Rik Roberts, Ken Groves, Dave & Brian, & more to come! I'm really excited about the response from my peers to be apart of this project.

Many would consider me a hypocrite for constantly struggling with the issue to maintain this challenge. Some people might even say I'm all talk. I will reiterate that life is full of re-commitments. Each day is a new challenge. Apart from Jesus Christ, I can do nothing.

I want to thank you for sticking it out with me, and stay tuned for more news regarding this challenge. God bless!! Happy Independence Day!!

Forever In Christ,

Rich Jones
www.richjonescomedy.com

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;"