Did Your Life Turn Out How You Wanted It To???

To all the weary, and all the brokenhearted, you thought your life would turn out differently, didn't you? When they were getting people ready rehearsing the graduation walk for your high school as you were preparing to get your diploma, you had big dreams didn't you? You were going to go out and do something big! You were going to go out and change the world! You had it in your mind that your plans would work out because they were your plans. Maybe some of you didn't have plans. Maybe you had more opportunities than you could choose from. 

I certainly didn't know what I was going to do until the last week of high school. I wasn't sure what career path I was going to pursue. Something drew me to pursue Youth Ministry. It took me a few years before I found the right school that I could afford and that offered a decent program that was specific to the field I was interested in. I had pretty much wasted two years at community college, all of which only 15 credit hours transferred to my college, Boyce College. I pretty much had all my electives out of the way. 
I kinda kept my mouth shut the first semester as relating to theology, because there were a lot of individuals who had creepy backgrounds, whose motives for going into ministry was questionable, but only God can judge them. So many of them seemed exclusive, and I felt as though if they put have the effort they exerted in debating theology, ministering and evangelizing to the lost, there's no telling what they could have done!

Calvinism was the main issue that came up. While there's 5 points to Calvinism, there's one I disagree with. Limited Atonement. There is nothing limited about God, and what Jesus did on the cross. God desires that all men be saved. Will they all be saved? Total separation from God is nothing for anyone to brag about someone not having. Recently, I unfriended and blocked a certain "pastor" because he made the statement that Muhammad Ali is now in Hell. Who made him judge, jury and executioner? I would like to hope Ali somehow came to Christ before his passing, but even still as Christian that is something horrid to say about anyone. ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE! YOUR JOB IS TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT HIS GOOD NEWS, HELPING THOSE COME TO A SAVING KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST (LEAVE THE RESULTS TO GOD), AND HELP DISCIPLE THOSE WHO DO, WHILE LOVING THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL, STRENGTH AND MIND, AND LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF!!

So I'm off in many directions right now. The one thing I picked up at Boyce College that got me through the sleepless nights of wondering if the extreme "theologians" who sought to destroy my hope of being apart of following God's call, was knowing and understanding that behind all the theological doctrines, and teachings Jesus spoke out against the pharisees, many of which I was still learning about... Behind all of that is a Loving God Who created the cosmos, and everything in it. He is bigger than anyone or anything, and He still desires to have a relationship with me. 

Many in college said they were getting milk instead of meat when it came to God's word. If you don't know how to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you might not even have milk. I'm not the judge, but you may need to get right with the Lord, or in some cases speak with a pastor or Christian friend to find out if you really are saved by Jesus Christ.

God blessed me with the opportunity to work with Tim Hawkins my 2nd & 3rd years in comedy.

So back to where I started, did life not turn out the way you planned? There's always the rest of the day for you to seize the opportunity and make a difference. Do something kind for someone. Show them compassion. Don't worry about what this world has to offer. Discover your gifts and what you're talented at. Everyone is talented at something! I never expected to get on stage and make thousands of people laugh. In fact early on I thought my act was funnier than it was, but it turned out, practice is everything, and performing in front of crowds is the only way to get the real experience. Do what you do and help others. Be yourself, and be real. Let people into your life (cautiously) and get involved with friends who will be able to keep you accountable.

I enjoy writing about my experiences. My podcast will be launching soon, and I'm hoping you all will take a listen!

Adios & Vaya Con Dios

Rich Jones
www.RichJonesComedy.com

Isaiah 41:13 - "For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.'

Remember That Time When...

That's a line I've always been made fun of for because I can remember so much. My response when people ask how I remember whatever it is they forgot is, "I never killed any brain cells..." I've always been straight-edge. That doesn't make me better than anyone though because I've had so many moments in my life that I'm not proud of. I've been looking back a lot more lately and forgiving those who've wronged me, as well as feeling remorse for wronging others.
I've been told quite a few times that I'm too nice. I beg to differ, but I usually try to see the good in everyone. That's come back to bite me quite a few times. There's a few people I tried to help, and they ended up hating me for some reason. I hope someday they can look back and reflect as I've been doing.

People ask me if I get nervous going on stage for a comedy show. I used to quite a bit. The only thing I really get concerned about is trying out new material, and remembering not to forget to add it in. The stage is often where I'm most comfortable. I also can be a little fearful to make sure I don't go over my stage time if I'm working with another act. Heckling rarely ever happens to me, but I don't ask for it either. If you ask the audience questions it's more likely to happen. I seem to have the audience convinced I'm going to bury them if they respond to me, which isn't the case, although it's important to think on your feet. I've responded before when someone did something, such as an uncontrollable laugh (on my Lassie Joke), which I just responded that I loved the guy's laugh and was glad I was recording it. The crowd instantly erupted with more laughter, just because I pointed it out. Sometimes that's all you need to do. One time I didn't get a response to a Peanuts' joke and tried to cover it up with, "There's a reason I still live with my parents..." This little kids shouted out, "Why?", and I said, "I just told you..." The crowd loved it, and it was great! Sometimes the spontaneous comments are more funny than the actual routine. I've even added them into the act. For some jokes I have a response for whether or not they laugh at them to ensure they will laugh at my next line.

It's amazing to have all this knowledge of comedy 10 years later that I would've (figuratively) killed for when I was first starting out. My life keeps going on, and I'm still here for a reason. I'm not sure what, but I'm going to use the talent God has given me to glorify Him. When people hear I'm a comedian, the most common saying usually comes right after... "Say something funny!!!" There's quite a few comedians who refuse to do it. I've heard some insist they will have to buy a ticket to hear them! I'm not that dramatic about it. I will think of one of my better jokes and tell it. Why deprive others of your gifts? That's selfish! If you feel that way, get over yourself...

I remember so many crazy things from my life so far. Come back soon to read more...

Forever In Christ,
Rich Jones
www.richjonescomedy.com

The First Post...

The first post is always difficult. You're trying to identify who you are and the purpose you have for sharing your thoughts to the world. I have many thoughts. I'm a lunatic. As the great prophet Dr. Seuss said though, "Why fit in when you were born to stand out?" I apply that a lot to my life.

The Jester King is a domain I've owned forever. I visualize that is the best two words to describe me. Jester because I enjoy making people laugh, and King, because I'm an heir of Christ. I use a lot of professional wrestling terms in my life, mainly because I'm a big fan of it, and also I've worked behind the scenes at the matches, ring announcing, and doing video, as well as designing the program, etc. One of the terms I use a lot is "getting over..." That means the wrestler was popular with the fans. They had a natural charisma that each fan could get behind and cheer. Recently I did a comedy show where I got over. It was interesting because the crowd wasn't my normal crowd, but at the same time I was happy because not only is making strangers laugh the ultimate high, but I chose to be professional about it, and knew my audience. That's probably the biggest flaw that a lot of comedians overlook. You have to know your audience!

I did a show with a guy at the same venue last year and he demanded to be introduced with a credential, "you might have seen this guy on America's Got Talent..." Then again you might not have! That was my response. I hate being introduced with credentials. It sets the audience up to be let down, or they will hold you to a higher standard and if you can't deliver they will realize you're not as good as you depicted yourself to be. I prefer to be introduced casually, or with a joke. It sets me right up to go into my act. There are no bad audiences. Those who insist that aren't professionals.

There are tricks to making yourself look bigger than you are, but the key ingredient is just making the people laugh. One thing that bothers me is "Shock Comedy". There's a whole group of "comedians" out there trying their hardest at this. Basically they say something so offensive the audience will notice others in the crowd being offended and laugh at their reactions rather than an actual punchline. I don't like it because it alienates half the crowd, and also there's no reasoning in being edgy just for the sake of being edgy. I rarely get edgy, but if I do the joke has to be funny enough that the pay off  is worth the risk.

Comedy has been my passion for the last 10 years, and it grows more each year. If you are considering trying your hand at comedy, remember to never base your success on that of others. I've opened for Tim Hawkins 5 times. The guy kills it every time he's on stage! He's also been doing it a lot longer than I have, and has a totally different style of comedy than I do. I'm happy for him to be where he is today and he's definitely the best clean comedian out there today. I'm honored that he allowed me to share the stage with him, and gave me some of my first big breaks opening in front of large crowds.

So be happy for those who have success. Don't wish them any harm and be a professional. You never know who will give you your next big break. This is always fun for me to share my thoughts and views about my experiences. I wish you nothing but the best!!

Forever In Christ,
Rich Jones

I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going, and hook up with them later... - Mitch Hedberg