Welcome
Barefoot Boy with Shoes On
A Memoir of a Misfit Country Kid
About Rev.Dr.Gary Thompson
Experience and Expertise
How to Live a Joy-Filled and Meaningful Life
How to Live a Joy-Filled and Meaningful Life
Rev. Dr. Gary Thompson grew up in a large farm family in Mississippi with deep roots in the community and in the Christian church. He has served almost forty years as a pastor in the United Methodist Church. He has traveled to forty-nine states and almost forty countries exploring God's grand creation and sharing God's love with a brok
Rev. Dr. Gary Thompson grew up in a large farm family in Mississippi with deep roots in the community and in the Christian church. He has served almost forty years as a pastor in the United Methodist Church. He has traveled to forty-nine states and almost forty countries exploring God's grand creation and sharing God's love with a broken and hurting world.
Gary has written Adult Curriculum, Bible Studies, articles, and devotionals for the United Publishing House for over twenty years. The summary of his life's work is found in his theological memoir Barefoot Boy with Shoes on: The Memoir of a Misfit Country Kid Who Discovers the Key to a Joy-filled and Meaningful Life. He received a Master of Religious Education degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with additional religious studies at Memphis Theological Seminary. He has also completed academic work in Music, Archaeology, Sociology, Social Work, and Political Science, did doctoral work in clinical psychology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.
How to Live a Joy-Filled and Meaningful Life
How to Live a Joy-Filled and Meaningful Life
How to Live a Joy-Filled and Meaningful Life
Being a Christian is about more than pie in the sky by and by, our eternal fire insurance to protect us from everlasting punishment. In fact, only a tiny, tiny, tiny portion of the Bible talks about life after death. The scripture reveals much more about our present existence in this world. It teaches us how to live in a joyful, fulfilli
Being a Christian is about more than pie in the sky by and by, our eternal fire insurance to protect us from everlasting punishment. In fact, only a tiny, tiny, tiny portion of the Bible talks about life after death. The scripture reveals much more about our present existence in this world. It teaches us how to live in a joyful, fulfilling relationship with our neighbors and all of God's creation.
We all have hurts, hangups, and destructive habits that are caused by our failure to live by these essential biblical principles. Moreover, the Bible teaches that the same precepts that bring lasting joy and peace in life are the same ones that restore broken relationships, patch up our hang-ups, and help us defeat our destructive habits.
The serenity we all seek is found in putting God's principles, as taught by Jesus Christ, into actual practice.
But therein lies the problem. We are just like the Apostle Paul. I do not understand what I do, for what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
People who think of themselves as Christians want to do the right thing. However, even Paul, who must surely have been profoundly empowered by the Holy Spirit, found that doing the right thing is sometimes extremely difficult. The church has been much better at judging people for their failures than for helping hurting people who are addicted to their destructive behavior. We have too often been guilty of the sin the book of James warns us about. We say to those hurting around us "Go in peace. Be warmed and filled," but fail to help them either spiritually or physically. James also encouraged his readers to "be doers of the word, not hearers only" who deceive themselves.
Over the many years of my pastoral ministry I discovered some practical tools that can help all of us better practice the biblical principles that lead to a happy life, lived with meaning, purpose, and peace. I include a detailed explanation of these tools in my theological memoir entitled Barefoot Boy with Shoes On.
Barefoot Boy with Shoes On
How to Live a Joy-Filled and Meaningful Life
Barefoot Boy with Shoes On
A memoir of a Misfit Country Kid Who Discovers the Key to a Joy-Filled and Meaningful Life.
Have you ever wondered why you were put here on this earth? Are you frustrated with the direction of your life? Are you failing to accomplish your goals? Are you doing O.K. but know you could do better? If you can identify with any of these, you wi
A memoir of a Misfit Country Kid Who Discovers the Key to a Joy-Filled and Meaningful Life.
Have you ever wondered why you were put here on this earth? Are you frustrated with the direction of your life? Are you failing to accomplish your goals? Are you doing O.K. but know you could do better? If you can identify with any of these, you will want to read Barefoot Boy with Shoes On. This is a revealing and empowering story of a shy, introverted farm boy who felt like he didn’t fit in but who dreamed of changing the world.
This memoir is an evocative account of how he discovered the key to a joy-filled and meaningful life and how he learned to help others make that same life-changing journey. Even better he shows you how you can do it too! His greatest professional regret is that he discovered the final key that opens the door to mental and spiritual wholeness near the end of his fulltime pastoral ministry.
As you take this journey you will be given concrete tools to learn:
· How to discover your life’s purpose and experience a happy and fulfilled life.
· How to touch lives and make the world a better place for all.
· Why success comes not from getting all you can but by giving all you can.
· Why developing an intentional Personal Live Plan is a crucial key to success and how to do it.
· Why money can buy happiness but is very unlikely to do so for you.
