Ottawa Shootings

For the most part, radio is full of fun.  I get to play great songs, give away cool prizes, and share what's on my mind and heart.  But every once in awhile, all of the "planned" elements of the show get thrown out.  That was the case on Wednesday October 22 when a man with a gun shot and killed a Canadian soldier at the War Memorial in Ottawa.  He then ran into the Parliament buildings before he was finally shot and killed.

I was also doing a radio show on the day the planes hit the Twin Tower in New York City on 9/11.

In both situations, we as a country were shocked and probably a little bit scared wondering if and what would happen next.  The simple answer in both situations is, we don't know.

You say, Steve, that certainly wasn't very encouraging.  You are supposed to be the guy to bring peace and hope to the listeners.  Truth be told, I tried to do that on 9/11.  I was working at an "oldies" radio station at the time playing the best of the 50's, 60's, and 70's.  No one really listened to the music for hope and encouragement.  Instead, we looked to our government to step up our security to make sure something like this would never happen again.

But the book of James 1 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

So...we know that our lives will have scary moments.  Worst of all, there will be situations we can't control.  But the four verses in James are not only about the trials.  It says, "your faith produces perseverance."

We are just like Peter walking on the water to Jesus in the storm.  As long as we keep our eyes on Him, we don't sink.

When the shootings happened in Ottawa, I was on the air at LIFE 1003.  Honestly, I was shocked and concerned for the well being of everyone involved.  My heart broke for the soldier who was shot.  I thought of his family and friends and how October 22 would never be the same for them.

But the biggest difference for me from then to now, was the music.  On 9/11, the music did not provide any hope or encouragement.  In that moment, it was just empty lyrics.  But on LIFE, every song brought hope and encouragement.  Here is a list of the songs that played when the news of the shooting first broke:

Mandisa - Stronger - "God's right there, even if you can't see Him, I promise you that he still cares."
Tenth Avenue North - No Man Is An Island - "I can see fear in your eyes, There's No safety here.  Oh My Friend, let me in.  I will share your tears."

And...

After 11 years, I am so honoured to be able to play such a small part in what God is doing in Central Ontario.

Take Your Time

I have conceded that my Grade 1 teacher took me off the big red pencil too early.  I should have stayed with it for another grade and maybe, just maybe my penmanship would have been a little bit better.  

I have heard all of the jokes too.  Are those real words?  Did anyone ever say, you should have been a doctor?  

Every problem can usually be traced back to one thing.  In the case of my penmanship, I think it was impatience.  If I just slowed down and took my time, we might be able to understand my hand-writing.  Yes, I said we, because I can't even understand it most of the time.

I always think of Romans 5:4 when I think of patience.  It says, "And endurance produces character, and character produces hope."  Who knew that eight words could contain so much wisdom.

Take anything in life and apply this verse.  It works every time.

• Kids are not listening...endurance produces character, and character produces hope
• Can't find that special someone...endurance produces character, and character produces hope
• Never get the promotion at work...endurance produces character, and character produces hope
• Prayers are not being answered...endurance produces character, and character produces hope

Commit Romans 5:4 to memory and think about it often.  The next time we talk about it, your character will have developed greatly and the hope you have will be enormous.
 

NHL Hockey Is Back

The NHL regular season kicked off on Wednesday night.  Honestly, it is tough to get into the hockey mood when the grass is still green and some light rain is falling outside...but that was the case.

So, here we are into another season with the Toronto Maple Leafs trying to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967.  What do the experts say?

According to NHL.com, the Maple Leafs are not projected to be anywhere close to the Stanley Cup Finals, never mind winning the cup!

I guess there are two options, the Leafs could prove everybody wrong, overcome the odds, and win the trophy.  Or, it is back to the drawing board for another year.

The only thing worse for a Leaf fan than not winning the cup is if the Montreal Canadians win it instead.  One thing we know for sure, the rivalry will live on forever!

Mechanical Devotion

My pastor used to say, "savings is what you have just before your car breaks down."  Do you believe that to be true?

As frustrating as it can be to take your car in to get fixed, there are a few things I have learned from the process.

1) Regular maintenance can prevent breakdown

2) No matter how many tune ups and oil changes you have done, they are never a guarantee that your car will not break down.

3) Ignoring a problem will not make it go away.

Sure, it's embarrassing to say that I have had to learn all three of those points the hard way.  But did you notice that those three points can apply to our spiritual life too?  

1) If we are not spending time reading the Bible and in prayer, it is almost a guaranteed breakdown.  

2) The Bible never promises a problem free life.  Believe me, I looked...it's not there.

3) If God is speaking to us about something, either through prayer, something in the Bible, or another person.  We should listen and try and fix it.  If we don't, the issue will only get worse and drag us down.

I bet you never thought a car that wouldn't start would lead to a blog like this.  I guess God really can use anything to teach us something.

P.S.  When was the last time you changed your oil?

Why You Were Born

I have a confession to make.  When I was in high school, I did not like reading.  In fact, when we were given the assignment to read a book, I would usually just skim it to get the overview and then close it up with the intention to never open it again.  I know, what a terrible thing to do.  Kids, stay in school and read all of the books your teacher asks you to read. 

The main reason I didn't like reading was because it felt like a chore.  If someone told me you have to read, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I did everything I could to do read as little as possible.

It wasn't until I grew up a little that I discovered the benefits of reading.  I learned that even in fiction, the author would often use the story as an illustration that led to a deeper meaning.  For instance, In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain used the lives of a couple of kids to dive deep into the issues of racism and slavery.  As I look back, I wished I had paid more attention in English class.  Sure, I might have received a better grade, but would have learned a lot more about myself and the world too.

A few months ago I read a quote from Mark Twain that has stuck with me ever since.  He said, "The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you understand why." 

Isn't that great?  And so true.  We spend so much of our lives working hard to get better grades. Then, we can get into a great school, get a high paying job, buy a nice house, a nice car, and save for an early retirement.  As we read through that list, it all looks great.  But where is the, "why" in your life?

What is it that God really wants you to do?  I heard a sermon by Steven Furtick.  He is the lead pastor at Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.  He said something that caught my attention, and I am paraphrasing, but this is the basic idea.   We all want to find our purpose in life.  But most of the time we think it is a bigger, better job.  Or maybe we have to move far away to Africa as a missionary or wait for a huge opportunity to drop in our lap.  But in reality, we just need to be ready when opportunities do come.  And those opportunities are all around us all the time.  Look for opportunities to meet a need in your family, neighborhood, job, or church.  Get involved and watch God do something amazing.  Those are the moments when your, "why" will become clear.

  

Danny Gokey

There are only a few tv shows that my wife and I look forward to each year.  American Idol is one of them.  As a guy who works in Christian radio, I am amazed at how much talent has been discovered for "us" because of American Idol (Mandisa, Jeremy Rosado, Kris Allen, Jason Castro, Chris Sligh, Jordin Sparks, Chris Daughtry).  

Danny Gokey left Idol to pursue a career in mainstream country.  He tried it for a couple of years, but in June of this year he changed directions and released an album to Christian radio.  Like so many of the artists we play, Danny started singing in church and later became the music director.  Obviously music was always his passion.  

Here are a couple of things you probably didn't know about Danny:

• He was a church music director while also driving a semi truck (18 wheeler) for a local logistics company for two years.
• He was known for his many pairs of eyeglasses that he often wore on the show.  Danny always said he might start an eyewear line to help raise funds for his foundation (http://www.sophiasheart.org/) and Match Eyewear teamed with him for the Danny Gokey Eyewear collection.  Launched in March 2012, the collection has exceeded sales projections with over 1.7 million in net retail sales.
• Gokey married his high school sweetheart, Sophia Martinez, on May 15, 2004.  The two had been together since 1997.  On July 9, 2008, four weeks before he auditioned for American Idol, Gokey's wife died from complications of a routine surgery for congenital heart disease.

The last point makes this song even more special.  If you have experienced some sort of tragedy in your life, now you know that this is more than a song for Danny too.

Whoah....Francesca

I remember listening to Katy Perry before she was Katy Perry.  I remember when she was played on Christian radio as Katy Hudson.  Later on in life she changed her music is is now one of the biggest pop stars in the world.  I honestly don't pay attention to her career that much but because she is such a big deal I often hear/see her songs on tv, videos, and in stores.

One Katy Perry song in particular caught my attention the other day, Roar.  Not because of anything she did,but because of a line in a Francesca Battistelli song, He Knows My Name.  

I'll roar beyond a song

With every moment that I've got

True to who You are

You saw my heart

and made

Something out of nothing

Wait a second...did Francesca just call out Katy Perry (I'll roar beyond a song)?  One day I would like to ask Francesca about the line...and maybe Katy too.  Roar, by Katy has a great message.  But it is like Francesca, as a Christian, is challenging her to do more than just sing a motivational song.  Maybe she is challenging her to take it a little bit deeper.