#bob woodruff

[back-and-totheleft]

"It takes time"

Q: You were shot in the neck, or you were shot in the back of your shoulder?

A: I was shot in the neck, then I was blown up about two months later. I was in the 25th Infantry, which was right on the Cambodian border, pretty much like in Platoon. Then I actually went back to the field in the 1st Cavalry in the north. I was in three different combat units and I saw quite a bit of that '67-68 period, which was pretty heavy.

What I saw was disturbing because of the villages in the north, especially, and the way we treated the Vietnamese. What happened was I wasn't radicalized over there. I was disgusted and turned off and numbed. [...] You get so fucking tense [in combat] and you don't have any sleep for a year and a half - fifteen months in my case - that you really want to go out and hurt somebody sometimes. It's no good. And I noticed that difference [between Black and white soldiers] and I put it into Platoon. Those [Black] guys never fucked with people in the villages. There's a bad ass element when you put a weapon into a young man's hands. It's a very dangerous thing, especially if he has no moral training. And believe me, most of these people don't have moral training, or they forget it under conditions where it is easy to forget. Because it's easy to hate the enemy because he's a different color.

Q: Did it have a mental effect on you?

A: Oh yeah.

Q: Now we talk about PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder. Was yours just a change in attitude based on the facts that you saw - or was it any kind of damage to the brain, on account of explosions or stress?

A: Oh, that I wouldn't know, because in those days most of us died in the field. Because they didn't have the [advanced medical] training. Now they save everybody. But definitely there was a lot of bombs going off. So my hearing did get impaired, you know that. And I have tinnitus. I cannot stand it, but it's been many years. I got used to it.

Anyway, the point is it took a little time to come back. The earth was very hard. It takes time for the rain to soften the earth.

-Bob Woodruff interviews Oliver Stone at the University of Michigan Penny Stamps School of Art & Design, Nov 26 2012 [x]

[fuckyeahlegionm]

My Dead Friend Zoe wins Narrative Spotlight Audience Award at SXSW 2024!!!

[rodspurethoughts]

The Bob Woodruff Foundation Announces Third Annual Veterans Classic To Support Mental Health Initiatives

WESTHAMPTON, N.Y. /PRNewswire/ –The Bob Woodruff Foundation is thrilled to announce the third annual Veterans Classic will take place at the Westhampton Country Club on Monday, May 20 beginning at 10:30 am. In addition to the golf tournament, guests will have the opportunity to participate in a pickleball clinic as part of the afternoon’s events. The Veterans Classic also includes brunch, dinner,…

[sinceileftyoublog]

TORRES, My Brightest Diamond, & Aisha Burns Live Show Review: 1/18, Lincoln Hall, Chicago

TORRES' Mackenzie Scott

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Many times throughout TORRES' set Thursday night at Lincoln Hall, Mackenzie Scott remarked how polite the audience was. While we're from the Midwest and are certainly very nice, I think we were just enraptured. First and foremost, Scott is an intense songwriter whose lyrics are diaristic, who puts her whole body into her guitar playing. Live, she demands attention. You never know when she's going to scream--she chose a good moment on "Helen in the Woods"--or show vulnerability with a creaky falsetto, like on love devotional "Gracious Day". Meanwhile, her scraggly guitars followed her vocal delivery on "Skim", as she shredded, leaning towards the crowd. Her atonal laying on "Sprinter" provided a sharp contrast to J.R. Bohannon's shimmery pedal steel. Over 10 years into playing as TORRES, traversing aesthetics and soundscapes, Scott has developed the stage presence to match the ferocity of the songs themselves.

From left to right: J.R. Bohannon, Rosie Slater, Scott, & Erin Manning

But then there was another reason we wanted to remain silent and soak it all in: the new TORRES songs from What an enormous room, out this Friday via Merge. For many in the crowd, this past Thursday was the first time hearing tunes bound to become new favorites in the catalog. I watched smiles form on the faces of folks realizing the plucky "Jerk into joy" will become an anthem, as Scott sang, "What an enormous room / Look at all the dancing I can do!" As as it was the band's second night playing these songs on tour, each member relished their opportunities to stand out, from Rosie Slater's driving drums on "Forever home" to Erin Manning's fried synths on "Happy man's shoes". Towards the end of the set, someone yelled, "Play 'Honey'!," referring to the song that made many of us fall in love with TORRES' music in the first place. They never played it. Had this been the last time TORRES played Lincoln Hall, I might have walked away disappointed. But years later, 6 records in, Scott's catalog runs deep enough that the supposed enormity of "Honey" is a small hike compared to the canyon sounds of her most recent material.

My Brightest Diamond

Jake Woodruff (left) & Aisha Burns (right)

Opening for TORRES was two artists who haven't released full-length albums since 2018 but are experimenting live with new material: My Brightest Diamond, the long-running chamber folk project of singer-songwriter Shara Nova, and multi-instrumentalist/former Balmorhea member Aisha Burns. Nova played solo, using percussion backing tracks and samples, walking out to the audio clip of the late, great Sinead O'Connor saying, "Fight the real enemy" on Saturday Night Live after tearing a picture of Pope John Paul II following her a capella rendition of Bob Marley & The Wailers' "War". Many of Nova's songs, both new and old, responded to O'Connor's fearless spirit. Nova's vocals were show-stopping on "Fight the Real Terror (for Sinead)", controlled over the harmonics of the recorded drums on "Imaginary Lover". Finger-snapping new single "Black Sheep" expanded on themes of ostracization and its oft-permanence even when the court of public opinion changes its mind, pertinent to O'Connor's story. In context, All Things Will Unwind standout "Be Brave", too, acted in spirit with Nova's newer material. "Imagine all the flutes and bass clarinets," Nova quipped to old-school My Brightest Diamond fans, but she didn't need to ask us; lines like, "Shara, this is going to hurt," tugged at our emotions more than any instrumentation could.

Woodruff & Burns

Really, it was up to Aisha Burns to yield happy tears from instruments. Accompanied by guitarist Jake Woodruff, she graced us with atmospheric loops, violin, guitar, and falsetto vocals. Songs from 2018's Argonauta (Western Vinyl) hypnotized the crowd, the dual guitar sway of "I Thought I Knew You Well" and impassionedly picked and sung "We Were Worn". And yes, she performed her great cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game", her vibrato and vocal harmonies with Woodruff standing tall against the sensuousness of the original. The performance got me excited for whatever comes next for Burns, whether original material or more clever covers.

Woodruff & Burns

[collincountymagazine]

Storm knocks over historic Plano tree estimated to be 400-plus years old

The historic 90-foot tall Bur Oak at Bob Woodruff Park in east Plano fell during a storm this week. Arborists have estimated the tree could be older than 400 years old.

[wutbju]

Leonard H. Reece, Jr. 93, of Taylors, SC, died Saturday, January 22, 2022 at Terra Bella Summit of Greenville, SC. born September 26, 1928 in Spartanburg County, SC, he was the son of the late Leonard Harrison Reece, Sr. and Elizabeth Shigley Reece.

A graduate of Spartanburg High School and Bob Jones University, Leonard was retired from Liberty Life Insurance Company after 45 years of service. He was a member of Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include his loving wife of 65 years, Betty Ruth Deaton Reece, his sons, L. Harrison Reece, III (Julie) and Jonathan Reece, granddaughters, Blake Reece Vargas and Madelyne Reece, and three great grandchildren, Ronen, Jane, and Margaret Vargas.

A Graveside service will be 1:00 PM Tuesday, February 1, 2022 in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, 1300 Fernwood-Glendale Road, Spartanburg, SC 29307, conducted by The Rev. Dan Dodds. Visitation will be at the graveside.

Memorials may be made to Miracle Hill Ministries, P.O. Box 2456, Greenville, SC 29602.

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Sumichrast's Wren

Photo: Michael Woodruff

"Very local in humid evergreen forest of limestone (karst) lowlands and foothills in northern Oaxaca and adjacent Veracruz; endemic. Stays on or near the ground, moving quickly among limestone boulders, popping in and out of caves and crevices. Like most wrens, heard more often than seen, but can be curious; sometimes appears at close range, bobbing and holding its tail cocked."

- eBird

[savvylittlecoxswain]

Memoirs and oral histories from participants in the 1936 Olympics reveal generally apolitical attitudes among the athletes. "The controversy about boycotting the Games didn't make much of an impression on me or most of the athletes striving to make our Olympic team," one U.S. team member recalled.

"There never was any question in my mind about going to Germany." According to gold medalist John Woodruff, the boycott "was never discussed amongst team members. We heard something about it, but we never discussed it. We weren't interested in the politics you see, at all, we were only interested in going to Germany and winning." The oarsmen agreed. "We were not politically-minded," Joe Rantz recalled. "We were not aware there was a contrast in the [kind of] government, that Hitler was any different than anyone else who was head of a state." "We, as athletes, or at least on my part, didn't think much about the political aspects," Gordon Adam agreed. "I didn't give a damn about Hitler," Bob Moch explained:

“We didn't care whether he existed or not. We were there to do a job. That was all. At that level, with the determination and the intensity, if you are going to be good, it is something, just intangible.. you realize... that the determination and intensity is terrific. It is not just in rowing. At that level it has got to be every competitor that really wants to medal. If he really wants to medal, and get that gold, or silver, or bronze medal in the Olympics, he has to focus, he has to be determined, and the intensity has to be all-consuming.”

— an excerpt from Six Minutes in Berlin: Broadcast Spectacle and Rowing Gold at the Nazi Olympics by Michael J. Socolow

[theiconicmeghanmarkle]

Prince Harry “showed off his sense of humour in a video filmed at his Montecito home for the 17th Annual Stand Up for Heroes on Monday.” It’s his 2nd appearance at the Bob Woodruff Foundation event hosted as a tribute to wounded, ill & injured veterans & their loved ones.

"Obviously I was deeply honored when Bob asked me to debut my stand-up act with you all tonight…Due to the shockingly low representation of gingers last year, & out of respect for my fellow endangered species, here I am, reporting for duty."

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Scobie's chapter on race in Endgame made me see that he does genuinely care about the firm needing to look like the people it serves and he isn't only doing it for the headlines or because he's in Meghan's pocket - and if that makes me a sucker, so be it.

I too see the world across the spectrum - black and white thinking is a monstrous problem in our world right now. I do think OS has a piece of humanity in him. However, I don't think he is driven by any kind of humanity or conviction. I think he is just as much a narcissist as his partners are. I don't think they are friends. I don't think any of them know how to be or to have a friend. I think they each help the other fulfill their narcissistic fantasies. I don't think OS really gives a ff about racism. Look what he's done to himself. He just wants to be important. He wants to take down W because W saw right through him and wouldn't give him the time of day. He wants to be Valentine Low (or whoever the journalists are who really do have the inside story).

The problem with anything OS writes or does is that he puts himself out there as a true, serious, Columbia-educated journalist who goes to war zones to get the true story. He hides behind that facade. So he is dangerous. Nothing he writes, even if it is true, can be taken seriously.

As for Charles, I've been watching him since he was a young man. He has ALWAYS been arrogant, sad, spoiled, neglected by his parents, weasly, self-involved to the extreme, soft, petulant, entitled, and spineless. Nothing he does surprises me in the least. Well, if he actually did something other than promote himself and his wife/mistress, I'd be shocked. Because he never has in the 50 years I've been watching him.

You also make good points about Scobie.

I disagree slightly with thinking he doesn't give a single f about racism. I think he does care, even if it's only in the context of being something he can needle the royal family with for attention. It may be disengenuous but in order to even care to needle the royal family over it, he has to care about himself, personally, in even the tiniest way.

And you're absolutely right. Scobie presents himself like an Anderson Cooper / Bob Woodruff in-the-trenches kind of a reporter. I was always bothered by how seriously he took himself but now that you've named it, that's exactly what it is.

I didn't actually know a whole lot about Charles before I read Sally's book. (And to be honest, I only picked up Sally's book in the first place because she was speaking in a lecture series near me about the book and you needed to have read the book to go to the lecture.) I knew the Diana version of Charles and what Sally's book opened my eyes to was how difficult it was for him to be "stuck" behind a lot of people even though he was #1 in the lineup. So I have some sympathy for that but it's offset by how spoiled he was by being #1 and his expectation that the world should revolve around him. Likewise, I have sympathy for him being bullied at school and having a hard time at Gordonstoun, but that's offset by my disgust that he tolerated a toxic workplace by giving Michael Fawcett (who was a bully) a pass.

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 8.18

Beer Birthdays

Don Feinberg (1955)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Roberto Clemente; Pittsburgh Pirates RF (1934)

Denis Leary; comedian, actor (1958)

Meriwether Lewis; explorer (1774)

Enoch Light; bandleader (1905)

Robert Redford; actor (1937)

Famous Birthdays

Brian Michael Bendis; author/illustrator (1967)

Elayne Boosler; comedian (1952)

Vincent Bugliosi; attorney (1934)

Rosalynn Carter; 41st US First Lady (1927)

Nathan Clifford; U.S. Supreme Court justice (1803)

Virginia Dare; 1st child of English parents born in America (1587)

Max Factor; cosmetics manufacturer (1904)

Marshall Field; department store founder (1834)

Gail Fisher; actress (1935)

Marvin Isley; R&B bass player and songwriter (1953)

Rafer Johnston; olympic decathlon athlete (1935)

Curtis Jones; blues pianist and singer (1906)

Nicole Krauss; novelist (1974)

Marko Marulić; Croatian poet (1450)

Luc Montagnier; French virologist (1932)

Martin Mull; comedian, actor (1943)

Edward Norton; actor (1969)

Nettie Palmer; Australian poet (1885)

Roman Polanski; film director, rapist (1933)

Carl Rungius; German-American painter (1869)

Antonio Salieri; classical composer (1750)

Andy Samberg; comedian, actor (1978)

Christian Slater; actor (1969)

Madeleine Stowe; actor (1958)

Patrick Swayze; actor (1952)

Brook Taylor; English mathematician (1685)

Sonny Til; R&B singer (1928)

Alfred Wallis; English painter (1855)

Malcolm-Jamal Warner; actor (1970)

Caspar Weinberger; politician (1917)

Grant Williams; actor (1931)

Shelley Winters; actor (1922)

Bob Woodruff; journalist (1961)

[oldfacesnewdawnoffical]

Rose / Maple / Mapletail

Tactician (formerly a pursuer) of the Woodruff Faction (as of: the start of A Dream of Destiny)

A thickset gray-and-ginger tortoiseshell marbled tabby molly with a bobbed tail, yellow-green eyes, somewhat curled, nicked ears, a scarred muzzle, and a scarred hind right leg.

Wears bits of antlers pierced through her ears. Wears a necklace of yellow dyed clay beads and fox teeth around her neck. Wears deer hide and sheep’s wool cuffs around her forelegs. Braids a small section of her fur beneath the right side of her jaw with a jay’s feather, a small purple dahlia petal, and bramble twine.

•─────⋅ᓚᘏᗢ⋅─────•

Daughter of Nettlewhisper and Scorchflight†. Littermate of Thistleclaw† and Pear†. Younger adopted sibling of Dappledfur. Adopted mother of Aroges Mottledtail and Sors Spottedleaf. Grandmother of Sand via Mottledtail. Aunt of Laurelstorm via Thistleclaw†.

Trained Privetnose. Trained Mousesnap.

107 moons old (equivalent to a 51 year old)

Jovial, Patient, Insightful | ENFJ-A

Transgender Female // Lesbian // (She/Her/Hers)

Kathryn Janeway - Star Trek - Kate Mulgrew

Name implies a red-furred cat who is well-rounded, graceful and agile.

[ear-worthy]

Blue Sky Podcast: When Optimism Leads To Inspiration

At the beginning of every Blue Sky podcast, host Bill Burke reminds listeners, "There is always a blue sky above. Sometimes, you just have to get your head above the clouds to see it."

Despite the opening bouncy, happy music and the buoyancy of that quote, this podcast does not pretend to offer listeners a rose-colored, overly optimistic, and utopian view of our world. It is certainly not an exercise in toxic positivity, which is a dysfunctional way of managing emotions that involves denying or invalidating negative emotions, especially anger and sadness.

Instead, Blue Sky uncovers and underscores inspirational stories in the midst of political division and global uncertainty.

I reviewed this podcast in March and found that it offered many energizing episodes where host Bill Burke talks with people who have a "get-it-done" mentality instead of a "what's the use" mindset.

I am reviewing it again because Blue Sky has released a special three-episode miniseries, in which Burke highlights how optimism isn’t just a feel-good attitude—it’s a powerful tool for tackling today’s most pressing issues, from race and identity to national unity. And as the country approaches one of the most heated presidential elections in its history, Blue Sky offers a much-needed dose of hope and solutions for the future.

“Optimism is more than just a state of mind, it’s a creative force that leads to action and positive outcomes, even in the most challenging of times,” Bill Burke says. “On Blue Sky, we feature guests who embody this spirit and inspire these same qualities in our listeners.”

In this miniseries, Blue Sky features guests whose stories aren’t just inspiring, but also incredibly timely. I listened to the three episodes and found that my ears were captivated, and my brain fully engaged.

The miniseries includes: ● Lee Woodruff: Shares her journey with husband Bob Woodruff, the ABC journalist who survived a near-fatal injury in Iraq, and how they turned personal hardship into advocacy for injured veterans. Listen to the part where Lee Woodruff finds out that her husband has been injured in Iraq and has suffered a traumatic brain injury. ● Theodore Johnson: Washington Post opinion columnist and former Obama administration speechwriter discusses his book If We Are Brave, which explores the intersection of race and democracy in America and how we can move forward, even in challenging times.

In this episode, I marveled at how Johnson lived two lives as a child. At school, enrolled in an all-white school, but also attending an all-Black church several times a week. That unique experience provides Johnson with the intellectual and emotional altitude to discuss racism in the U.S.

● Lee Ellis: Vietnam War veteran and former POW reflects on his five years of captivity with John McCain, explaining how optimism became his anchor during the darkest moments.

Blue Sky is hosted by former media exec (President of TBS, CEO of Weather Channels) and founder of The Optimism Institute, Bill Burke. The show is all about showing how optimism isn’t just about feeling good—it’s a real, practical tool for facing today's issues, from issues of race and identity to national unity, with hope and kindness for the future.

Not only has Burke served as president of TBS and CEO of the Weather Channel Companies, but he also co-authored media mogul Ted Turner’s autobiography Call Me Ted.

Burke is an eloquent podcast host and an acutely effective interviewer.

I liked the use of segments in these interviews, where Burke summarizes the previous section of the interview before proceeding to the next section. The use of segments is underused by podcasters. Joe Casabona of Podcast Overflows has been an advocate of such a narrative device, and I agree.

Through Blue Sky, Burke brings his mission to life, inspiring meaningful conversations and encouraging listeners to adopt a hopeful, proactive outlook—even when the world feels heavy.

An American study of 2,564 men and women who were 65 and older also found that optimism is good for blood pressure. Researchers used a four-item positive-emotion summary scale to evaluate each participant during a home visit. They also measured blood pressure, height, and weight and collected information about age, marital status, alcohol use, diabetes, and medication. Even after taking these other factors into account, people with positive emotions had lower blood pressure than those with a negative outlook. On average, the people with the most positive emotions had the lowest blood pressure.

The results of this research show that compared to optimists, pessimists nurtured little hope for the future and were more at risk for depressive and anxiety disorders, with subsequent impairment of social functioning and quality of life.

One of my favorite episodes is with Kathryn Goetzke in August 2023. Following a challenging childhood and the tragic death of her father, Goetzke decided that the best way to tackle depression and despair is to create reasons for hope. After studying the issue deeply with experts in psychology, she determined that hope was both teachable and measurable, and has made it her life’s work to spread this message.

In 2022, she published The Biggest Little Book About Hope and continues to be a global mental health ambassador. She was appointed to represent the World Federation for Mental Health at the United Nations, and in that Blue Sky episode, she described how she became so passionate about this work and why she remains so committed to spreading the good news about the powerful effects of maintaining a hopeful attitude.

Check out this recent three-part miniseries on Blue Sky.

I will remind people of what the Dalai Lama once said: “Optimism doesn’t mean that you are blind to the reality of the situation. It means you remain motivated to seek a solution to whatever problems arise.”

[cheltee]

9.18.2024

In Partnership with the Bob Woodruff Foundation in Celebration of Sebastian Maniscalco's Record Breaking Madison Square Garden Tour Dates

[ulkaralakbarova]

A couple, cheated by a vile businessman, kidnap his wife in retaliation—without knowing that their enemy is delighted they did. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Sam Stone: Danny DeVito Barbara Stone: Bette Midler Ken Kessler: Judge Reinhold Sandy Kessler: Helen Slater Carol Dodsworth: Anita Morris Earl James Mott: Bill Pullman Chief Henry Benton: William G. Schilling Lt. Bender: Art Evans Lt. Walters: Clarence Felder Bedroom Killer: J.E. Freeman Heavy Metal Kid: Gary Riley The Mugger: Frank Sivero Loan Officer: Phyllis Applegate Hooker in Car: Jeannine Bisignano Technician: J.P. Bumstead Stereo Store Customer: Jon Cutler Stereo Store Customer: Susan Marie Snyder Cop at Sam’s House: Jim Doughan Cop at Jail: Christopher J. Keene Coroner: Henry Noguchi Cop with Killer Picture: Arnold F. Turner Sam’s Attorney: Bob Tzudiker Arresting Cop: Charles A. Vanegas Social Worker: Louise Yaffe Secretary to Chief of Police: Janet Rotblatt Judge: Charlotte Zucker Waiter: Art Bonilla Newscaster: Rick DeReyes Newscaster: Mie Hunt Newscaster: Ron Tank Aerobic Instructor: Susan Stadner Aerobic Instructor: Beth R. Johnson Model: Twyla Littleton Elderly Woman: Mary Elizabeth Thompson Newsreader (voice) (uncredited): Phil Hartman Film Crew: Director: Jim Abrahams Director: David Zucker Director: Jerry Zucker Screenplay: Dale Launer Executive Producer: Joanna Lancaster Executive Producer: Walter Yetnikoff Director of Photography: Jan de Bont Editor: Gib Jaffe Producer: Michael Peyser Editor: Arthur Schmidt Casting: Ellen Chenoweth Costume Designer: Rosanna Norton Unit Production Manager: Jeffrey Chernov First Assistant Director: William S. Beasley Second Assistant Director: Bruce Humphrey Art Direction: Donald B. Woodruff Music Supervisor: Tommy Mottola Set Decoration: Anne D. McCulley Supervising Sound Editor: Charles L. Campbell Supervising Sound Editor: Louis L. Edemann Sound Editor: Larry Carow Sound Editor: Samuel C. Crutcher Sound Editor: Mike Dobie Sound Editor: Chuck Neely Makeup Artist: Brad Wilder Key Hair Stylist: Barbara Lorenz Costume Supervisor: Eric H. Sandberg Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Donald O. Mitchell Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Rick Kline Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Kevin O’Connell Executive Producer: Richard Wagner Stunts: Loren Janes Stunts: Faith Minton Stunt Coordinator: Walter Scott Stunts: Charles Croughwell Stunts: Gregory J. Barnett Opening Title Sequence: Sally Cruikshank Stunts: Pat Romano Songs: Billy Joel Songs: Mick Jagger Stunts: Ralph Garrett Stunts: Gene Hartline Stunts: Diamond Farnsworth Stunts: Vince Deadrick Sr. Stunts: Richard Drown Stunts: Brad Bovee Stunts: Ray Bickel Stunts: Danny Costa Stunts: Phil Adams Stunts: Wayne King Sr. Stunts: Sasha Jenson Stunts: Carol Neilson Stunts: Max Kleven Stunts: Kathleen O’Haco Stunts: Tracy Keehn-Dashnaw Stunts: Ben Scott Stunts: John-Clay Scott Stunts: Carol Rees Stunts: Ted White Stunts: Brian Smrz Stunts: Mike Watson Original Music Composer: Michel Colombier Movie Reviews:

[wutbju]

Rev. Willie A. Thompson (April 8, 1951 – May 29, 2022)

Willie Albert Thompson was born in Woodruff, South Carolina, and attended public high schools there after rising early to milk cows at Gaston Dairy.  After graduating from Woodruff High in 1969, he spent four years on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps. He married Tracy Floyd in 1971, and they had two children.  He attended Greenville Technical College for two years, but believing God had called him “to do His work,” he applied to Bob Jones University. In 1979, he graduated from BJU with a B.A. in Bible; and in 1999, he earned an M.A. in Pastoral Studies.

While still a BJU undergraduate, Thompson began working full-time as an announcer for radio station WMUU. He served as chief announcer from 1979 to 1995, and then Operations Manager from 1995 to 2002. During his radio career, he produced the daily radio programs, Morning Devotions and Light for the Pathway and hosted Powerline, a call-in program. He also taught Bible in the BJU School of Applied Studies. Thompson received the BJU Alumni Appreciation Award in 1998 and the Staff Appreciation Award of the BJU student body in 2007. He became assistant pastor of Paramount Park Baptist Church in 1989, acting pastor in 2001, and pastor in 2003. He served on the boards of Sacred Literature Ministries, the Greenville Rescue Mission, and the South Carolina Adoption Agency. In 1994, he became a member of the board of the Greenville Housing Authority, and in 2003, Governor Jim Edwards appointed him a member of the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission.