Guest: Johnny Thompson
Johnny takes us through his journey where he describes the difficulties in growing up without a father and the impact it caused to hunger for acceptance in all other facets of his life. Johnny elaborates on his journey, speaking about the lessons he learned from the absence of a father figure and how he drew from his own difficult experience and committed to giving his children fully what he was deprived of growing up. Johnny talks about feeling emotional emptiness, which led him down a path of drugs and alcohol, feeling abandoned and not evening knowing it at times, and battling through narratives stemming from questioning his own worth and questioning his abilities and capabilities. Johnny relied heavily on external validation, struggled with his own identity, and even contemplated suicide at some point. He shared that no one knew about the inner turmoil he experienced, expressing that he had a yearning for missing and wanting a ‘dad’ in his life. Johnny shared his new identity naturally developed when he finally was able to meet his self, he was stable, found a way to be his own self and claim who he was with the support of who is his wife today. When he truly felt accepted and safe, he was able to choose himself and understood the importance of caring for himself. His big moment was when his first son was born, that moment in the hospital, connected for Johnny missing ingredients in his life and what was most important for him. His key message to the listeners is that: learn your value, otherwise others will get you at a discount – they will devalue you and you will too; learn who you are and surround yourself with mentors that can guide you to do things better; learn healthy boundaries; get counsel and therapy; you are more than what you’ve become.
Guest Bio: Johnny is a husband of 43 years, father of 3 and grandfather of 4. He loves life, family and is devoted to serving in leadership ministry and community as a caring Pastor and mentor to men. Johnny serves as an associate Pastor at Sanctuary Church, in Costa Mesa, CA. He serves as the Men’s Ministry Pastor and Care Pastor. Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. where at the age of 13, he began to experience a lifestyle of drugs and alcohol, filled with shame, rejection, abandonment, and thoughts of suicide. He turned his life completely around when he decided as a teenaged father to become the father that he never had and made a commitment to pursue the journey of finding effective purpose through family and faith.
Johnny also serves in support, alongside his 15-year-old granddaughter whose non-profit organization extends aid and support to the homeless community throughout local communities and as far as Ghana, South Africa, and cities around the world. This has been an 8-year journey that has been a hope for thousands of people. 2023 marks his 40th year in leadership service and he remains committed to a life of serving to encourage and empower the lives of others.
Passionate about:
Supporting his teenage granddaughter who from the age of 8 has established her own charity for homeless people on the street, some with mental health challenges.
Khloe Thompson URL: https://www.instagram.com/khloekares/?hl=en
Website: www.Khloekares.com
