Phoning it in...

Well, it's been a full day since my computer flashed the "blue screen of death" and closed its Windows for the last time.

I've been adjusting to using my phone for basically everything...including making calls!!!

Yes I am getting a new computer...it is sitting in the Layaway room at Kmart as I speak. So I will be back to normal in a few months.

Until then...there will probably be a few more "phone in" blog posts between now and when I am back on a computer.

As we like to say in broadcasting, "stay tuned"...

We Are, but We Aren't...

I know I should try to write more, but I usually write something as they come to me.  This one stuck out in my mind this morning...

As most of you know, I am a big radio and TV fan -- as evidenced by my pics and me "geeking out" over seeing the news choppers and meeting Linda Cavanaugh, Kevin Ogle et al last Saturday at Penn Square Mall and me meeting and getting a pic with Jenn Derrick from The House FM at Winter Jam but something also stuck with me.  As Russ Lee from NewSong was intro'ing Jenn and Adam from The House FM and reps from Air 1 and K-Love, the thought occurred to me "They are competitors, but they aren't." 

Allow me to explain...obviously Nielsen doesn't measure ratings for non-commercial stations (that includes the NPR's, community stations, etc) so stations of that type can't brag on who has the most listeners and so on.  But if you look at it this way, stations like Air 1, The House/My Praise FM, K-Love, to a certain extent AFR (the music side of it, not the talk part), Way-FM, etc...even though they are reaching certain audiences, certain demographics and what not...ultimately they are presenting the Gospel in a way that some people might understand it.  Sure it's one thing to teach about God's Love, but when you hear a song like "Proof of Your Love" by for King and Country and worship songs like "Oceans" or "Holy Spirit" it opens a whole lot more doors than a church ever would.  And Russ alluded to it Saturday night...there were many denominations represented at Chesapeake Energy Arena, but we were all there to worship and sing praises to God and got to rock out too!!!

So yeah, those stations I mentioned may be competing for your ears, for your support...but what it all boils down to is outreach and bringing people to Jesus, even if it means using a 50,000 or 100,000 watt blowtorch of a transmitter.

We got a real Jam going now...

I promised I would do a blog post on my great day in Oklahoma City yesterday (Saturday). And here it is...

I got to go with a group of our youth and a couple of other adults.  We left sometime after 8am and arrived in OKC about 9:30a.  Our first stop to kill some time was Penn Square Mall.  They had a Severe Weather Awareness Expo going on (It was supposed to start at 12Noon but some people were there early) and all of the local news stations had their helicopters and everybody out (see my Instagram for the pics I took).  To say I was a kid in the candy store seeing the choppers and getting to meet the people that bring you the news and weather everyday...that would give the candy store too much credit.  I was geeking out!!! But not to the point that some people would get meeting their favorite Internet reviewers though. 

After lunch there at the Penn Square Food Court...it was on to Chesapeake Energy Arena or as we like to sometimes call it, "ThunderDome". Since our church got tickets that allowed us to gain early entry, We didn't have to wait as long as most people...only 3 1/2 hours.  What does one do when standing in line for that long?  Well, my "dogs" were barking...they would bark even more as the evening progressed.

They opened the doors for us at 3:30p...and if you've seen the video I posted on my Facebook page, it felt like cattle going into the sale barn.  Somewhere in that video, you did hear me moo.

Now on to the bands that played...they were awesome!!! Everyone played their hearts out.  There were moments of worship, like when NewSong did their classic "Arise My Love" and went into the newer song "Oceans".  To hear 18-19,000 sing "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders"...words do not do it justice.  A little later, Francesca Battistelli sang another newer worship song "Holy Spirit You are welcome here...".  We had just sang that last Sunday at church so I know how powerful the song is.  Again, add 18-19,000 other brothers and sisters to the mix...Words escape.

I wished my phone had more power than it had, I would have taken a few more pictures...but the pics I did get turned out pretty good.  I think next year I am going to invest in a little portable phone charger.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience....one I will definitely do again.  I just hope next year it won't be the night before the time change. 

Lent 2015 Thoughts

This is going to be kind of a surreal post, being that today is Ash Wednesday and the start of the Lenten season as we approach the commemoration of the death, burial and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus...and at the same time as I write this we are mourning the loss of a great man in Jerry Waltrip yet celebrating his life as he is now Home with Jesus.

As we start the Lenten season, you see posts on Facebook and Twitter of people announcing what they are giving up.  I say this every year...is it our business what you are announcing you are giving up?  Not really...it's really between you and the Lord.  And it doesn't always have to be anything physical (if that makes sense) like meat, sodas, sweets, etc.  It could be something like giving up an hour of TV or computer time or whatever is hindering your walk with God.

I always hearken back to Hebrews 12:1,2 (New Living Translation)

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

We don't all have to walk around like modern-day Pharisees and proclaim what we are giving up for 40 days. Pray that during this season God will strengthen your walk with Him...and if it means going without a Dr. Pepper or a Braum's hamburger, so be it!!!

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to continue to strip off the weight that slows me down ;) ...

Oh, What a Year...

As is my custom every year, I participate in my own "tradition unlike any other":  My own version of the "Christmas letter".

This year has been a terrific year for me.  First, I got my SSI in March, which in turn led me to finally be able to file for and get divorced.  Trust me folks...that was one of the best things I have done for me this year.

The other best thing I've done this year is getting myself back on a healthy track.  From the weekly visits to see the wound care doc in OKC that would take up most of the day (and that's just the wait to get back home) to now the weekly visits at my nurse prac Kristy's office to go over my meals and such and encouraging me to keep dropping the lbs.

I'm excited to see what 2015 brings...as they say on the news, stay tuned.

To all my friends and family:  I love y'all very much and may y'all have a very Merry Christmas and may your 2015 be better than this year!!!

Robert

If It Sounds Too Good To Be True...

Forgive me if all of a sudden I channel my inner Admiral Ackbar (if you're a fan of Star Wars, you'll get the reference)...

The news today that after 50+ years of not doing business with Cuba because Fidel Castro may supposedly have missiles trained at us ready to go off at any minute, now we want to talk trade and reopen diplomatic relations with them sounds kinda fishy to me. 

Sure, it may mean we can legally get Cuban cigars, coffee, etc.; more of their baseball players can come over without defecting and seeking asylum somewhere and in return we can do what we can in the way of humanitarian aid and, probably to a certain extent, open up an avenue to preach the Gospel to the Cuban people...I'm still a little skeptical.

It's like that one kid in school that picked on you and was a bully and now so many years later wants to "play nice" after seeing the error of his/her ways because they had accepted Jesus and gotten married and having kids of their own and so forth.  You still have that thought in the back of your head, "Should I give them the benefit of the doubt and see where this goes or are they going to go back to their old bag of tricks?"

I'm glad we got people like Alan Gross back, but at what cost though?  Is it like one of those trades you see in the Major Leagues...who is the "player to be named later"?

It's going to be interesting to see what develops in these last two years of our current presidency.  Let's hope the GOP majority get around to doing more of calling out President Obama's bluff, otherwise we may be adding more grease to the slippery slope...

Note:  I'll do my annual Christmas post sometime before next Thursday...stay tuned.) 

Continually Giving Thanks...

Woo hoo!!! We've made it to November!!! One month closer to the end of another year, which means all the things associated with it. -- the weather getting chillier, we (hopefully) elect new people to replace ones we think aren't doing their job while keeping the ones that we know they are (and that's another entire post), I'll be one day closer to celebrating the day of my birth, we'll be celebrating and thanking our veterans, and remembering what we are thankful for.  And while we know we should be thankful everyday, there are still going to be posts where people will pick a different thing to be thankful for one day all this month. 

I may not remember to do it everyday, so I'm going to post what I am thankful for on one post (I may not have 30, but I'll work with what I got).

1.  I am thankful that God so loved the world -- that He so loved me -- that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our salvation. I am also thankful for the Holy Spirit and the work that He's doing in people's lives today.

2.  I am thankful for my family -- my parents, my brother Jeremy, my sister Stephenie and semi-brother-in-law Josh -- for showing me the unconditional love and for putting up with my mistakes and not holding them up over my head.  I am thankful for 4 beautiful blessings in my nieces (Kaitlin and Kensie) and my nephews (Charley and Jaxson).  I'm also thankful for my extended family -- those that I see often here in Western Oklahoma and my extended family in Burneyville, OK and in the DFW Metroplex.

3.  My First Christian Church family and my pastor Jeff McDowell for being Godly examples and being my church home for a couple of years now.

4.  My friends all over the country, whether we went to school together or church or from being involved in the community or whatever...I am thankful for all of you.

5.  I am thankful for my hometown.  Yes, Clinton has its qualms (very well publicized, I might add) but compared to other cities I have been in, there is nothing like being proud of being from Clinton, OK.

6. I am thankful for living in the greatest nation on Earth and the greatest State in the nation.

7.  I am thankful for my nurse prac and friend Kristy Baker and the work we are doing to getting me back healthy again.

I think that encompasses everything...right now anyway.