Depeche Mode at FC...Brooks & Dunn... A new endeavor

This Monday was an awesome time for me, I was able to meet Brooks and Dunn, they came into my bar, and got it on with some tequilllllaaa. Very down to earth, really chilled country boys. Every time I see famous people on TV, they just seem so different in real life. After they left, I asked my GM if she knew who was just in and she said, "NO, why." When she found out she was so pissed that I did not tell her. Brooks and Dunn is her favorite.

Well, I have been approached from a pastor who I work with to help start a church, more of an approach to somewhat mirror FC. We have had a couple of meetings over breakfast, and he's taking me to walk thru the building that they purchased, and wants me to work hand in hand with the architect. I am taking him and his staff to first Wednesday tonight and the 9:30am service on Sunday. The journey has begun, please pray for me, I will need it.

This weekend was a great message by Ed on dealing with the good side of anger, but before the message, they had a great video of two people going threw life issues where they had to confront anger head on. The video ended and Derrik Bennot began to sing "People are People by the Depeche Mode. It was one of the 3rd most intense light shows/to go along with the existing video I have ever seen anywhere, including church. The new sound system was so intense it was making you rumble in your seat as well, it rocked right before the message.

living for an audience of ONE...

Paul Mitchell, Ricky Martin, Matthew McConaughey, and the road

***** This post is dedicated to RED, you have gone the distance, keep going!!! I forgot to mention that last weekend, I waited on tons of dancers that were flying to Paris to perform with the one and only Ricky Martin, one of the guys just got off tour with Madonna, it was very interesting to talk to them. Also I waited on Paul Mitchell and Matthew McConaughey who sure likes Patron Tequila. Here is something to think on, I don't want you all to think that I am some special spiritual someone going somewhere. That is far from the case, I have just begun to move. I am slowly making the up hill climb on the roller coaster. Here is what gets me to sleep at night. For what ever reason God chooses to keep people here long on the earth or not. I am been blessed with friendship and to still be here. I know that for all the stupid attempts of me trying to take my life, God holds me close, as well as my friends and family, and I just love loving life right now. What would you do for a dying mans last wish, I know what I do each and every day, as if it was my last. I wake up, count my blessing, spend some time reflecting with God in his love story to me. Kick the door wide open to smell nature. I TRY to be nice, uplifting, wholesome, positive, and share my faith if it is in good comfortable timing, say one nice thing to someone, do one nice thing for someone, and always count your blessing that God still keep us here on earth to try and reflect His faith through love in random acts of kindness. My last post, I needed that, I was not bragging, I needed that, and RED I am glad I still have you in my life!!!

living for an audience of ONE...

What to do for a dying mans last wish...ColdPlay once again... Winter weather

I recently got a good encouraging email from a very good friend from long ago. I have asked for your prayers for this person, and it is time she recieves some more. I was only going to include the 2nd paragraph, but this person illustrated it to a tee, what I am about, and what I live life for.
Hi Randy,
Just a quick note to say hello!!! I want you to know ... you inspire me. I'm at a crossroads in my life and I'm afraid... then I read your blog and realize how far you have come since 1992. You have taken many risks in life and seem to refuse to accept middle ground. That makes me proud of you and smile a lot. You are a friend that captures life and the urgency for tomorrow.

It's been two years after my divorce. I am now at a new church with new opportunities and a hope for a new life. I'm still contemplating going back to school or at least some new workshops etc. I still have no clue where I'm going or how I'm getting there but I want something different. I've been involved with a guy for about 2 years. In these two years he has fought colon cancer and cancer has now moved into his brain. Although, the tumor is stable it will eventually kill him. He is a great guy but has shut out God for over 25 years. He was raised in a Christian home and accepted Christ when he was young but never really wanted to do anything about it. I've struggled staying with him because we don't share the same love for spiritual things. Yet at this point can I really leave a dying man whom I love tremendously and so much want a future with?
I hope you are doing well. When are you coming back to Omaha???? Among all your running around... if you have time for an old friend... look me up! Keep living life!
Love you Kid!
I share that with you all, one to let some of the "nay"sayers know that I do get emails daily. Red, I would say that you already know what to do, if not read my Valentine that I sent to all of my friends and family. I am sitting here thinking and crying to myself, as I go to bathroom to wipe my tears. As a man sometimes sick, not to healthy, and if I could pass on some good advice from one dying man to another. Red, he just wants to be loved, when it is time for him to come back to Christ, you will know it. The biggest thing that you can do is, let go of the past, count each day as a blessing that you get to share with him. Don't go to bed mad, keep communicating to him, your love for Christ first, and yourself 2nd, and him 3rd. You still need healing-RED. When it is time for God to reveal the path He wants you to go down, you will know. With all my love to you always I say this, NO, at this point you CAN'T leave a dying man whom you love tremendously and so much want this relationship to keep going into the future.

I hope you are not mad that I included this, but I think this part of you life, maybe someone else needs to hear it, for encouragment. love you RED!!!!!

Well, the cold air is slowly leaving. I have gotten my taxes done, and can't wait to go shopping. I was walking the other day, and just laughing that I am still here, breathing, living life, and trying to stay healthy in this unclean world. I have talked with a lot of people visiting Dallas, and they have been sharing with me that they have not enjoyed their experience, and they can sure tell that a good majority of the people are fake, money hungry, and really don't care about you, but just themselves. Sure is not the Midwest that is for sure.

Weekend worship services this past weekend were a little down on the numbers of people but, I recently re-connected with my old workout partner and his wife. It was good to see them, and catch up on old times. The last song was "God put a smile upon your face", and Eric Orsen did an awesome job of singing song by the band ColdPlay.

living for an audience of ONE...

Valentines spent well...Addicted to what? Icy roads in Texas.. Ikea ready...

This Valentines Day was relaxed for me, this year I worked during the day, and then took dinner and dessert to my girl at TGIFridays at the DFW airport. It was a total surprise to her and me, when she came running and screaming through the restaurant to give me a kiss hello and said, "what are you doing?", she was definitely surprised. Well today was the season kick off to Nascar, yes I am getting more addicted to watching Nascar. This weekend they celebrated with new "bumping bars" on the race cars for the first time at the Daytona 500 and to honor the late Dale Earnhart Sr. on his anniversary, this weekend. Another fav past time for me is to watch professional bull riding. I had my first PBR experience when I lived in Vegas. I love watching the PBR. My favorite bull is Pandora's Box, and my favorite cowboy is a tie between Justin McBride, Chris Shivers, Cody Hart, and a good young buck of a rider-Travis Brisco, what I like about him is he starts big, rides hard and has a "Get-r Done" mind set to the finish of a good 8 second ride. This week has been a whirlwind of weather, Tues, Wed, Thurs-80' each day, this weekend however a high of 35'-40', with lows of 20'-25'. Just this Sat, and Sunday we had over 250 wrecks, sure glad I am little bit better driver since I grew up in Omaha. I am getting ready for another big Ikea experience. I will have my apartment finally finished this Easter weekend, and I think I might be getting some help?!?!

living for an audience of ONE...

Who has been feeding me?? Ed Young TV?? Looking for the One?

For the first year and half, all of my involvement with FC has led me to get some great food from volunteering through a great restaurant, the one I now work for. My two bosses who I work for at Blue Mesa use to work for BM in SouthLake, but transferred by one of the owners to work at the airport BM. After I started, my 2 all time favorite bosses were getting to know me, and they found out that I moved here for Fellowship Church, and we both were surprised that they had been supplying all of the outreach events with meals for the volunteers. Angie, goes well I sure can see eating our food worked, you sure got plumped up. Well I asked since we are friends, and you know a little bit about FC, "have you ever been to a service?, and they said "no". Well, of course if you know me, they decided they did want to come and visit, Angie came last week, and she really did like it, she said, "Randall it is so wired that we were just at church, it felt like a rock concert with a message." yea, that is what we want, for you NOT to realize your in church, and that you will want to return to great Godly worshipful experience. A lot of my friends have been emailing me, wondering where Ed Young TV has moved to, you can find Ed in a area near you- RIGHT HERE. If you have been paying attention, God has brought many new friends into my life since I have been here at FC in DFW. This guy is just one of those people that has a great personality, a heart of gold, an ora about him that people are just drawn to, and spiritually moving forward at a pace that is a God-sent- speed. Check out a really close friend of mine here, and read his article on finding the right mate.

living for an audience of ONE...

Love is...

**THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO MY GRANDMA MARGE SNYDER who passed away on Valentines Day****
This is my year of rejuvenation, I have been able to let go of a lot of stuff in my life materialistic and internally, but one thing that I have been learning is how to love God first, then love myself second, and now you. Take a long good look at yourself inside, and really ask yourself if this is the type of "LOVE" you posses, or need to adopt into your own life.

Love is patient, Love is kind, Love does not envy, Love does not brag, Love is not proud, Love is not rude, Love is not self seeking, Love is not easily angered, Love does not keep a record of wrong, Love lets go of hurt, Love does not delight in evil, Love does not hurt people.

Let's go deeper shall we...

Love always protects - love covers the wrongs of the other person.

Love always trust - and believes the best in someone else.

Love always gives people the benefit of the doubt.

Love always says, "I believe in people".

Love is to risk being burned over, over, over, and over again.

Love always believes and trust in people too much.

You will believe the best out of the people you trust the most.

Love always hopes.

Love is hopelessly optimistic - Love NEVER stops hoping.

Love is not about me, but you.

Love refuses to take as failure as final.

When you love somebody, you are hoping for the best in them.

Love always goes the distance.

To Love is to risk getting burned.

When you stop loving, you have lost.

Love never dies, Love never says, "I quit", Love never says, "Im finished", Love never says, "im through", Love never says, "no more", Love never says, "I give up"

Love will never give up, it will die trying.

Without this Love, we have nothing.

The only thing that counts is Faith expressing itself in Love.

I have been burned, and burned again, but I have come to the conclusion that I don't really know how to love my God, my self, and my friends and family like I should. I desire, and deserve a heart of love. I don't want to protect myself anymore, that is selfish. I have learned without love nothing else matters. I hope this Valentines Day, your love is like the one I am longing for in my own life.

LOVING you through faith expressing itself in love. randall paul thompson

living for an audience of ONE...

God has blessed me... Check out the new Fellowshipchurch.com

A few weeks ago, I decided to take a very quick get a way, from Texas. I surprised my dad, and his best friends Herb and Ester. I wanted to just clear my mind, and rejuvenate my soul a little. A friend of mine that I did know was not supposed to be in town was, and we had a great time. My other friend of mine, went to the same place I did in Mozambique Africa in 2002(I believe). God wanted me to hangout with these two people and my dad.

The one I was planning on hanging out with, I met and spent the night with him and his roommates Thursday night, in which we had a really good in depth talk. I learned a lot about myself through God using him. I learned threw him, that it is ok to open up and share your past, and the deepest darkest secrets need to be revealed so you do not have to live in their shadows. My friend shared with me that he was molested at age 4 and on from his own so called "friends" that were ages 10,11,12 years of age. He was so young that he really didn't even realize that it was a bad thing until he got older. As a young teenager growing up and going threw puberty, he started acting out these aggressions on any girl that he could find.

He is now in the realization stage of admitting to being a sex addict and his strong addiction to pornography that he is getting help for, and trying to gain freedom from. He is struggling to find and hold on to God as he is attending a 9 month Christian type college with the Master's Commission under James River Assembly church where my dad goes. From last September until now, this is not the same kid I hung out with over 5 months ago, he has done a complete 360' turn around. He gave me a book that changed his life and said, "Randall, I don't know you that well, but it will change your life as well, you put into it as much as want out of it." The book that was given to me is "At the altar of SEXUAL IDOLATRY by Steve Gallagher. It is slowly chipping away the hard shell I have built up around my heart. We talk probably every 3 days and encourage each other on. We both can't wait to continue on with our own roads of recovery together. We know that God has crossed each others paths as we both struggle to get freedom from this vice that binds us. Slowly, I can see shadows of the light at the end of my tunnel, I am heading toward the home stretch. ****Please pray for me and my friend JJ****

We come face-to-face with anger as often as any other feeling. And yet, anger is one of the most misunderstood and distorted of all human emotions. We all get angry, but do we really understand what anger is? Over the next few weeks, we will tackle this subject head-on to show us not only where anger originates, but how to handle it. And we will learn that when we do deal with anger God's way, it can actually help us discover a fulfilling life. taken from fc web page

Check out the new and improved web page of Fellowshipchurch.com. Check it out here

A first for the Dallas Stars, time to move on

Well, this past Monday was not a typical, but a good one. At 915am I found myself answering a very strange question from a guy I don't even know. To make a long story short, some guy gave me 2 free tickets to go see the Stars hockey game. It was a very nice gesture. I was trying to figure out who I was going to take, and if finally came to mind. So, one of my friends who I work with at Blue Mesa is an avid hockey lover. So nick and I were off to getting on the 413pm train to downtown Dallas. We had a great steak dinner in the West End district and jumped back on the train to the front door of AA center for 7pm drop of the puck. The game was really cool, and lots of fun and with a great win of 4 to 2, I would have to say that was the best first time to the stars on ice. When you know it is time to say goodbye, you just know. I am slowly trying to break off from a friendship that I just don't need to be in anymore. It is really hard, because I feel like I am breaking up with someone. It is sad that we can't continue on, but the negativity is just so overwhelming to me, and I know I can and will move on to something much better.

Ready for Chapter 3...You bet I am

My life has had some ups and certainly downs, but right now I am on to a good change for my life. For the first chapter, was my childhood growing up in a small Lutheran/catholic background until age 9, then changing to the Baptist faith from age 10 to the thanksgiving/Christmas of 98. Then began my chapter 2 journey of my new found faith and dealing with the passing of my mom. Now Feb. of 2006, I am looking at life with new eyes for a great start to a new chapter of my life. This weekend was an exceptional life changing event for me. God met me at church, but this weekend I was ready for Him. I have been looking at my life, and wondering when God was going to begin knocking at my door, these last 4 months, I have realized that I have not been wanting to answer, and my life needs to go on, but with Him apart of it in a fresh way.

This weekend was a mystery guest speaker, no one knew/ or could not say who was speaking. It was the new and improved Laura Strickland, who has done a complete life make-over with a detailed weight loss transformation. The service opener' for this message was the stage lighting up on fire, with a very loud roar of music for about 30 seconds, and then Laura appeared and talked about the bible story of the fiery furnace. The service got out early, and I decided to take a friend up on his offer, and went and checked out a new church called "The Met", pretty much like FC, but just smaller like 19,000 smaller. It was definitely what God had for me. I loved it

Are you Fire Proof ?? Matt Revell turns 25ish?

From its ability to annihilate to its potential to purify, fire fascinates us. It can even attract us . But the flames we experience in life often hold us at bay. This weekend, God will show us how He wants to use those flames, not to hinder your growth, but to help you discover the most out of life. taken from fc web page This weekend I will be going to a FC social, a birthday party at Cool River Cafe, for a friend of mine from FC, and Omaha that I met here 3 years ago. I am kind of nervous, cause I have not hung with FC people for over a year and half. What will I say?, What will we do?, Do I share my new freedom with Matt?. We will just have to wait and see. Tonight I have been on the phone a lot, I just got off the phone with my GM, who wants to sit and talk, "cause no one listens like you do Randall." She has told me that she has tried to talk to her friends, and family and no one really cares, she knows I do. You have to talk, I can listen.