We had a wonderful time with Mandisa co-hosting this morning.  She is such an outstanding outgoing young lady of faith.

I was surprised to learn that the reason she wrote the Good Morning Song is not because she is a morning person but as a way to help her embrace morning because she is not a morning girl!

I hope you enjoy mornings-it's a fresh start to a day full of God's promises!

Mandisa is welcome anytime in our studio!

Pray that many would tune in to J103 or log onto the website and hear the Holy Spirit speaking directly to them.

JFEST was incredible!  God blessed us with the largest confirmed crowd ever!  Close to 9,000 people gathered June 1st to worship and celebrate all that God is doing in our lives.  The fireworks were awesome but the hundreds that made decisions for Christ is where the real excitement is!

Our outreach at Riverbend continues this week.  We are down at the City's largest gathering every night sharing God's love in a practical way.  Pray for the J103 staff as we do this-right after JFEST we are pretty tired!  But it is so cool to be in the center of God's will! There is no safer place.

Speaking of safer place-please pray for our summer intern from Shorter College Haylee.  She and some of her friends from church are right now in Hondurous on a mission trip.  I really miss her....she updates the morning show page for me!  LOL!

Then Carman took the stage. He was a showman with a radical love for Jesus and there was no mistaking that!  He sang one giant hit song after another….from Sunday’s on the Way, to The Champion, to Radically Saved and on and on.  When you attend a Carman show you realize how many hit songs he has had over the years.

He’s sold over 10 million records to be exact, with 15 gold and platinum albums and videos.

He holds the world record for the largest solo Christian concert in history with 80,000 attendees.  That’s not a typo. Eighty Thousand!  For a solo Christian act.  It’s a feat never accomplished by anyone else since.

We aren’t expecting 80,000 at the upcoming Dalton concert….good thing cause they wouldn’t all fit!  But this is your opportunity to be up close and personal in the intimate setting of the Wink Theater in Dalton with a true legend of Contemporary Christian Music.

Rock Bridge Community Church is presenting Carman, Saturday, June 22^nd at 6pm at the Wink Theater in Dalton.  Click this link for your tickets http://www.eventbrite.com/event/6550836729#   and we’ll see you there!

I am heading out to Camp Jordan right now to meet the producer of our first ever JFEST Fireworks Finale!  I have wanted to end JFEST in this way for a number of years.

Why Fireworks?  Everyone loves fireworks!  We hope that the word gets out through our promotion and people who wouldn't come to JFEST or aren't planning on it this year will because everyone loves fireworks!  When they come....they will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  That's what I'm talking about!

If you haven't already-would you join with us in praying for a beautiful day June 1?

Hi everyone! Haylee here, I am a senior Communication major at Shorter University in Rome GA.  I am a brand new intern here at J103 and I must say, I am thankful that God has placed me at this amazing station for the summer. This internship could not have come at a better time in my life. You see, everyone has academic years that are tougher than others; well for me this past semester was the most challenging for sure from the difficult workload to my spiritual life. I was faced with hard decisions that had to be made fast. I knew I wanted to intern at a non-profit somewhere and maybe do a special event or events but that’s all I really knew. I've worked places before where all I did was answer the phones and file paperwork but I’m the type of person who is always on the go and has to be doing something. I am going on day four of my internship at J103 and I can tell you one thing, this atmosphere is the furthest thing from dull and I absolutely love it! On my very first day I was able to sit in on the teams "more meeting Mondays" or their worship staff meeting. For the first hour of my day we sat around the conference table as a "family" and worshiped the Lord, it was incredible! I knew then I was in the perfect internship! I can't wait to see what The Lord has in store for me this summer as He unfolds His great plan and this breath of fresh air!

Last week the National Cornbread Festival was really wet.  Because of the rain it greatly effected their crowd.  People don't like to get out in the rain!  This week it appears the TN Strawberry Festival in Dayton is facing the same thing.

Please join with me in praying and asking God to provide beautiful weather for JFEST on June 1!!!  Last year was the best weather ever!  God is always good!

Gone are his teen-age years.  That makes two of our three kids who are no longer teenagers and are 21 and 20. (One more to go-he's almost 17).

Do I feel old?  Not really.  I thank God for each and every day of life on earth that He gives me.  I am so amused at people who call in friends and family members birthdays on the morning show and they act as if they are afraid for their life if they reveal how old the Birthday person is.

Be thankful for your life-each and every day God gives you.

It doesn't help that my wife looks like she is still in her twenty's either!  LOL!

Because of my history with iPhones (swimming pools, dropped on asphalt etc) everyone kept telling me "You need to get a case for your phone."

I finally had a little Birthday cash left over and ordered a Lifecase.  While waiting for the case to arrive we left for our J103 staff retreat at Winshape in Rome GA.

My wife, Amy, called me to say I received the case in the mail.  I was to return home the next day.  Someone said, Ted-wouldn't it be awful if you dropped and broke your phone today before you can get it into the water-proof case?

Thanks a lot!  I was now paranoid about my phone, but happy to say, I arrived home with my phone intact and it is now protected.

Of course.....I hope I don't lose it AND the new case!!!!!

We had a good weekend with Chipper going to his first prom.  He looked great in his brown tux that matched his date's dress perfectly.  When he went to pick up his date ( a friend from church) her dad met him at the door with his shotgun!  Hilarious!  (Her dad is one of our church deacons!)  Great family.

They had a great time.  Chipper shared with me at one point that his date asked him if he wouldn't mind dancing with one of her friends who came to the prom without a date.  Chipper said "sure" and went and asked her to dance.  He told me that when the song was over she looked at Chipper and said, "thanks a lot."  He said, "Dad, when whe walked away she was smiling and had a tear in her eyes.  It really made me feel good that I danced with her."

That's my boy!

Thanks you God for great kids!

My family was unscathed in the incliment weather that passed through yesterday afternooon and evening, well except for a "freaked out" chihauha.  Amy's "Tia" does not like storms one bit.  When we got home last night from my free birthday dinner at Provinos-Tia wouldn't stop following me panting very heavy.  She gets really nervous during storms.

This morning when I went outside to make my way to the radio station I noticed that there was no more yellow tint to my Durango and because of the heavy rain there wasn't even that yellow 'sludge' that is usually left after the first rainfall during high pollen days!

So I guess I am grateful for the Thunderstorms we had yesterday.

Our prayers are with those in the country who had real damage.

My son Trevor, a student at UofL (my alma mater), was able to get student tickets along with some of his friends and they got to see Saturdays and last nights games.  They camped out at our house in between games.

The game against Michigan last night for the Championship really was an exciting game.  My only regret is that it didn't tip off until 9:23pm.  Why?  Don't they know what that does to morning radio guys?

I managed to get to bed by 1am and back up at 4am.  I made it to the studio by 5am and stayed awake for the entire morning show.

Our program director, Justin, came into the studio after the show and asked how I was doing.  My response?  "I am dragging tail, but I'm not complaining-it was all my fault!"

I could have gone to bed on time.........nah.....who am I kidding!

Tonight the Louisville Lady Cardinals are playing in the National Championship too.  They will be playing powerhouse (UCONN).

Fortunately the game starts about an hour sooner.

Might be a good time to start drinking coffee!  They don't call it March Madness for nothing.

How are you new years resolutions going? either they are a forgotten reality or if you're like me your chugging right along... or in my case crawling along... about two weeks ago I told you that 

in my quest to lose weight, I gave up my mid morning snack of a kaski bar 150 calories and moved over to a hard boiled egg which is 70 calories..so this morning i stepped on the scale and... it read 1 8 7... which means no change... and so you like you I’m not giving up... I am now going to be having spinach for dinner twice a week... in the form of a milkshake... i’ve tried it, it taste good and if you want to try it for your self I posted the recipe on my scholar brad at j103.com

I hope to install a "butterfly garden" for my wife, repair and pressure wash our privacy fence, and do some various other yard work.

I'm praying for good weather!  I'll be "on the air" with you next week during the evening show.  Where's Brett going?  He will be filling in for Brad on the "ride home."

It's all my fault!  LOL!

Have a great Easter Weekend!

It was the week of Shareathon and the enemey decided to throw the flu at me.  Awful.  God managed to pull me through the shareathon and then forced me to rest up for a couple of days.

I woke up on Saturday morning (after moving to the couch earlier) and I recognized the healing.  I just felt a ton better.  I remember thanking God for the healing, and then closing my eyes and drifted back off to sleep.

I spent more time laying around this weekend than I can remember (fortunately there was a lot of NCAA Basketball on!)

Thank you for your prayers.

Ted

I have such fond memories of going to Freedom Hall in my hometown of Louisville and seeing the spectacle that has always been the Three Rings of the biggest circus in the world.

UTC Mackenzie arena is much smaller than Freedom Hall or other venues within 2 hours of us so I have been a little disapointed in the "size" of the circus performances I have seen in recent years.  Of course it is so unfair to compare the wide-eyed affection of a young boy for the circus than an almost 46 year old father of three.  Things just appear smaller.  I know because of the venue size it can't be as huge as I remember and has to be scaled back.

Now don't get me wrong!  I am looking forward to going and the circus performers won't disapoint-they are phenomenal.  I especially love watching all of the kids pointing, staring and shocked at what they are seeing.  It is great!

I don't remember the vendors irritating me at all while a child either.  No a days I look at them and instead of thinking "That rainbow snowcone in the souvenier cup looks delicious-Dad can I have one?"  I now think "Wow-they have maybe $1.50 in the whole product and they think I am going to spend $10.00?"

But.......that's circus life and as PT Barnum is famous for saying....."Ther's a sucker born every minute!"

Bring on the Big Top!  (I've always said I would be a great RingMaster!)

Sleep experts say we can never "make up" sleep loss.

I combated the upcoming Loss of sleep by grabbing an hour nap on Saturday-(to get ready for Daylight Savings Time), and just incase that didn't do the trick-I took another 2 hour nap yesterday!!!

I am wide-eyed and bushy tailed and enjoying the extra daylight and longer day!!!!!  Come on Spring (just over a week away!)

In the Fall I forgot to move my clocks back and I got to church an hour early and wondered if I had missed the rapture.

Then, the very next Spring, I got up on Sunday morning, was getting the family up and ready and I got a phone call from one of my volunteer youth staff.......I could tell he was laughing, and soon learned that the entire student ministry was laughing with him at me.....I was late!!!!

I learned two things that year....

1.  I hate being late more than anything!

2.  It is very important to always know when the Time Change is going to occur and set an alarm on your calendar to remind you about it!

Don't forget......this Saturday-Spring Forward......I hate losing an hour of sleep......but I am going to love the longer days!!!!

I wish I could take the entire tax return and pay off Chipper and my mission trip balance (coming this July) and take the family on a cruise.

But you know what?   God is in control!  We trust Him.  We are paying off debt-so we can experience that Financial Freedom!  That is not a good thing......it is a great thing!

Maybe next year we can take that family vacation, or replace the deck, paint the house, etc.  LOL!

I just got back from reading to a 5th grade class at East Ridge Elementary School.  I had a blast, and it appears the kids did too, (even though the book I read they had heard last week!)

Knowing that they had already heard the book made me "spice it up a little."  Come to think of it-that's pretty appropriate for the book I read.

My favorite Dr. Seuss book is "And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street."  It is a story of a little boy who's father challenges him to look for and remember all of the exciting things he sees as he is walking to and from school.

The little boy tries to see everything he can and the only thing he sees is a horse and cart-definitely not as exciting as it should be he thinks.  He decideds to embellish "a little," and comes up with Zebras pulling sleds, elephants pulling band wagons, police motorcycle escorts, a man with a 3 foot beard and the mayor and elected officials celebraing this parade while an airplane dumps confetti from above.

But once he gets home and his dad sits him down-all he can come up with is "I saw a horse and a cart on Mulberry Street."

God has always gifted me with a good sense of imagination and a sense of wonder.

This weekend-read to your kids!  I can't help but think that I captured the students attention so much because they don't often (if ever) have parents reading to them.  They love it!

As I get up and head into work every morning before daybreak I get to see the day dawn every day.  On days it is cloudy and during Daylight Savings Time many times when I leave work it is dark and gloomy.

God really blesses me with a blast of sunshine each day.  I love watching the East Ridge Post Office begin to come into the light each morning (outside the J103 studio window).

Get out and enjoy it!  Spring and Summer are coming.

I normally wait until after February before I am clean-shaven, but with a Bridal Fair I was at and potential Brides and Grooms I met-it had to go.

Feels good too.  And-an added bonus!-My wife looked at me (after taking a full day to realize it was gone) and said "You shaved!  But it does make you look younger!

So there you go!

(Now if I can just do something with this gray hair!)

It is so cool to see all of the students enjoying some time out of class and checking out all of the colleges and careers that are displayed.

I ask the kids "So what do you want to be when you grow up" and it is funny that how quick they are to respond with what their future holds.

Chances are and studies show that most people from childhood to adulthood will change their career paths or choices 5-6 times.

When I was little I wanted to be a zoologist, and then a firefighter, and then a youth pastor and now here I am in Christian radio.

I can't wait to get to Heaven and look down at the road map God led me through life.  It is quite curvy I'm sure.

I started asking the students "What does God want you to do when you grow up...."

We have whittled it down, cut all of our credit cards and are real close to finding that financial freedom and peace.

Once our tax return comes back our goal is to pay off the family car which will free up a large chunk of change each month to pay off the few remaining smaller bills.  Once that is done-double-up on our house payments, and put together our emergency fund.

We will even be able to save!

And then......Chipper's 1997 truck breaks down!  Bummer.  Looks like a new motor in his future.  Small setback.

But I will not let it get us down-I will not let it twart our plans.

We are praying that God will protect us from "the devourer."

I was a groomsman/usher/scripture reader and right before it was time for us to "make our entrance" in the front of the beautiful church the bells in the steeple of this over 200 year old church began to toll.

14 times-one for each year our father has been in Heaven.

It was a great memorial.

It really touched all those in attendance-and especially for Dad's namesake-me.  I don't know if God allows those who have gone to Heaven to look and see what goes on in our loved one's lives, but it He does-I know my dad was so proud of his family.

For a one time gift of $68 we can rescue an orphan off the streets and put them into a good Christian home and forever free them from an inevitable death of malnutrition, violence or worse.

Call 888-997-6277 today and rescue one of these hostages!

We rotated between being victims and "bad guys," and actually got to use real weapons with "simunition" (simulated ammunition-think paint balls but in bullet form.)

It was really an exciting day, and we both left amazed at the skill of these brave men and women, not to mention the technical tactics and toys they have.

First scenario, I was a bad guy and I was the first person they encountered on entering the building.  Needless to say, before I know it I was unarmed and in custody!

Those guys and gals are awesome.  

From what I understand, Brett (our evening guy here at J103) and I will be transported, along with several volunteer "hostages", to an undiscolosed building somewhere in Chattanooga.  Once we are briefed and staged the SWAT team will be alerted and they will have to repond to the "hostage situation."

We were told to dress in old clothes and preferably a little thicker (rubber bullets?)

The complete story (with hopefully pictures) will be online later today or tomorrow morning.

This should be fun!

Today I learned that Cloudland Canyon State Park has erected 10 new Yurts for people to stay in.  They are not as rough as a tent, but not as modern as a cottage.  They are basically big tents with hard wood floors, furnished with bedding, chairs and a table.  They are heated with a space heater.  The bathrooms are a short walk away and they have a wooden deck and a fire pit for cooking.

Sounds like a spring weekend outing for me and the Mrs.  Hiking, reading, just spending time together-in a Yurt!

Will let you know how it goes!

"Work-week" Monday-Friday.  For me I think Thursday is what I look forward to, even more than Fridays most weeks.  On Thursday morning at some point in time the thought usually passes through my mind, "You are almost there!  You have made it through the week!  Friday is fun-we like Friday-only one more day and you are there!"

Most workplaces participate in Casual Friday.  I am a "casual" kind of guy!  Bring it on.  If you can make it through Thursday you have made it!

Have a good "Thursday Eve!"

If you are like me....you just feel better when the sun is shining.  I can take cold weather-when it's sunny!

I've caught myself singing that old John Denver song-"Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy!"

Counting down the days till Spring!

With Valentines Day coming to receive the best prices on roses and other items you have to place your order to the wholesalers early.

This involves paying forward and hoping that the business you project does come in so you can put the start up capital back into the family budget.

Then, once you know your raw costs you have to decide what is a fair profit for your product.  You want a price that is going to attract customers but yet one that makes it worth your while to stay in business.

This and many other decisions takes a lot of faith.

Amy and I have had a lot of conversations needless to say every day and night, and some of them we have had to share a bit of frustration with each other.

We just have to keep reminding ourselves that:  God initiated this, and He will provide-we just have to follow His leading.

That's good advice for all of us.

I am ready for some sunshine and more warm weather.....
Together would be nice!

But always trying to be the optomist and finding the good in anything-I know that for dreary days there is nothing better than a bowl of soup.....today I tried a new soup.  One I'd never had before and to be honest had never even thought about it.....Golllywhoppers is where the Air Team at J103 went for lunch today and I saw on their menu board.....Meatloaf Soup!  Always wanting to try new things.....I did....and it was delicious!  It tasted just like meatloaf in a creamy soup.

Try it-you'll like it!

She has admitted on a number of occasions how nervous she is, and that there have been times she was tempted to give up on her dream.

How many times have you been guilty of giving up or in?

Don't do it.  If God guides-He will provide!

Your dream may be just about to Bloom!

Things have changed......for me the most eye-opening experience at UofL was the red tape you had to go through to get registered for classes, pay your tuition, get your parking pass etc.  For Trevor, I am grateful to say, everything has been a breeze.

As I said, he called yesterday to share with me how his first classes went.  They are going well.

I thank God that He has given Trevor a great head on his shoulder and I know is watching out for Him.

God has blessed me and my wife Amy with three awesome kids!  I am so proud of all three of them and can't wait to see all that God does in and through their lives.

I was blessed to have two weeks off over the holidays.

We had a blast, besides all of the Christmas and New Year's activities we were surprised by a Facebook friend with four tickets to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.  Normally we wouldn't pick up and drive to NOLA but it was my alma mater The University of Louisville Cardinals that were playing the Florida Gators.....and my Cardinals upset the SEC heavyweights and won!!!!  Talk about the memories.

Also on our break Trevor left for the Univeristy of Louisville.  He will be living with my mom this semester while he competes for the ROTC scholarship.  I am so proud of him but at the same time I really do miss him, (even though he wasn't home much anyway).

After being off two weeks I was excited to get up at 4am this morning to make my way into the studio to be back with you.

Time away from work is good-but so is routine.  Hope you had a great break!

Second-look at what you did last week......The Be One of a Thousand Campaign was a huge hit!  Thank you for helping us exceed the budget deficit left after our Fall Friendraiser.

Together, you and J103 we are reaching the world for Christ!

Thank you!

I would like to share some wisdom I picked up from my pastor , Frank Friedmann, of Grace Life Fellowship in Baton Rouge Louisiana...

When you come across someone who has had a tragedy and they are wounded and mourning:

DON"T TRY TO FIX THEM

DON"T GIVE THEM SOME CHRISTIAN CLICHE

(God is in control, God will bring good out of this, It's going to be ok etc.)

You have a good motive. Everything inside you wants to help them feel better, to lift their pain... so you feel like you have to say something, but the problem is you don't know what to say, so all too often you will end up saying the wrong thing, something that hurts instead of helps...

So, may I help you in your desire to minister to those in pain?

Just tell them:

"I love you and I am praying for you"

That is enough...

Today we had the Mark Harris and Friends Christmas Carol Tour at lunchtime at Hamilton Place Mall.

It was great.  It was so nice to see all of the smiling J103 listeners faces and the new people who were introduced to Mark and the new artists.

There was a good crowd, but not to over-bearing.  You could walk and not have 4 other people in your "personal space."

It didn't take that long at Chikfila to get my meal.

And did I mention that music was fantastic!

Now do you think the outlet malls in Pigeon Forge will be that nice next Thursday and Friday?  Probably not.

After church we went to Fazzolis and I had the Robusto Sampler.  It is a lot of food and I did have several bread sticks but haven't eaten anything since then.

I am a little bit hungry but it is 9:30 and since I am getting back to the morning show early tomorrow morning I am debating whether to eat of skip it.

How late is too late for supper?

This afternoon a High School Senior and her mom met us at in downtown Chickamauga to take her senior pics.

I am just the grip.  I carry the step ladder, the camera bag and any props.

I noticed today while Amy was shooting the pictures she had a smile a mile wide.

It is so refreshing to see someone enjoy their hobby and especially my wife.

I'll nevrer forget that smile!  Sent from Heaven.

I guess it is the pride that swells up inside of me when I know the person we are honoring stood up and fought for our country.

Please make sure you vote tomorrow in our Presidential election.  If you have not early voted-please do not let anything get in the way of exercising your God-given right.

I can't believe my baby girl is only one year away from graduating college.

I also thought while sitting there how fast this year has flown by.  it is already November.  Tomorrow we will be in the Hamilton Place Christmas Parade!  Unreal how fast time flies.

Speaking of Christmas.....I am expecting a phone call Monday morning that will change the way you celebrate Christmas this year!

Make sure you are listenig at 7:50.

Normally that wouldn't be a problem for me-except I have a delivery I need to make for some friends at a downtown hotel.

It has messed up my entire planned schedule (and I haven't even been in my vehicle yet).

I learned years ago that traffic backups are a perfect time to sit and worship the Lord.  If you do that I can feel the pressure of being late leaving.

Remember that the next time you are in traffic.  God just may be saying to you..."Slow down-spend this time with me."

I was able to go to the Ketner's Mill Arts Fair with my beautiful wife Amy.  I entertained the crowds from the stage at 2:30 and then we shopped around.  Saw lots of really cool crafts and had some homemade cream soda and rootbeer.  It was a beautiful weather weekend.  God is so good.  Another week or two and the leaves will be at their peak.  It will really be a time God will show off!

Tomorrow morning beginning at 7am.  The fantastic group Calling Glory is going to be with us in studio.  Let's see what kind of trouble we can get into tomorrow.

You may have a variety of talents-several things you can do.  God has gifted me in that way.  I can speak, sing, preach, lead games, DJ weddings, officiate weddings, and the list goes on.

If I were to allow, I could be busy every day of the week and then some doing something somewhere.  You know what that would leave me?  Tired and not really doing anything well.

If the Devil can't make you bad-he'll make you busy!

Focus on what you can do for God and do it well.

we also were able to visit the big, giant boat of a museum after passing it so many times. the Titanic museum! we spent quite a while there learning the many stories behind the most famous ship sinking ever! we saw actual tickets to board the Titanic, one ladies life jacket from the actual sinking and even a key from the ship that a waiter used to open every door in the first class section. one thing that was pretty neat was we were there while a professional Captain Smith actor was also there and heard a great story about the Titanic's "last hero." i won't ruin it for you if you have the chance to hear him yourself, but it involves a preacher that was headed to the Moody Institute in Chicago but never made it.

if you get the chance to check out the museum, it's definitely worth it. you can feel the cold temperature of the water they sank in (it was below freezing!) and everyone that enters is handed a card with a person on it. you can find out at the end if you made it off the Titanic alive or not.

i didn't. Becca did. :P

It reminded me of a great pastor/speaker Wellington Boone.  At the height of the Promise Keeper Days I heard him speak at a convention.  He asked are you a worm or a snake?

Let me explain:  When you step on a snake what does it do?  It bites back.  When you step on a worm it doesn't make a sound.

As Christians how should we respond to those that "step on us?"  We shouldn't bite back like a snake, we need to be like a worm.  Worms get stepped on.  You know what else gets stepped on?  A Bridge.  You see the way we respond to others needs to be like a bridge-bridging the gap and leading people to a relationship with Jesus.

That's what I got to do yesterday afternoon.  We had a large limb split out of one of our Bradford Pear Trees.  Loved the feeling of cutting wood with that saw!

Today.....I'm feeling it!  Back stiff!  LOL!

Oh Well!  It was fun!

I wanted to share a verse with you today.  I have it pinned above the phone and computer in my office.  "This is the confidence we have in approaching God:  that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of Him."  1 John 5:14-15.

all this Best of the Best stuff really got me thinking though on some of my favorite places here in the Chattanooga area, so I present to you without further adieu...

Best Sweet Tea Not Too Far From The Radio Station

There are a lot of places to choose from that offer sweet tea in our area of Ringgold Road. A LOT! Unfortunately, a lot of places (especially when you go through the drive-thru) put WAY too much ice in your cup that the tea is watered down even by the time i get back to the station. All that said, on most days, McDonalds seems to have the healthiest balance of ice and sweet, sweet tea in our area. plus, it's only a $1! McDonalds at East Ridge

Best Place to See A Chattanooga Sunset

Now this is my opinion, Sunset Rock is awesome, but not the best place. I love the view from right down on the water from Coolidge Park just to the east of the Walnut Street Bridge. On a great, clear day the sky AND water are blazing a brilliant, Tennesse orange that would make any Vols fan proud to live in the TN Valley. Chattanooga Parks and Rec

Best Disc Golf Course

The Sinks! Hands down this place has everything: a tough wooded course, concrete tee-pads for pros and amateurs, multiple pin placements, driving range and putting area! The Sinks Disc Golf Course

Best Place at the J103 Studios to Get Away

Most places for some alone time you sneak away to the bathroom, but not at the J103 studios. Here, the best place to get away from people and get work done is in Ted's office after he leaves for the day. Since he comes in so early, he's gone usually by 2:00 which leaves his office at the end of the building very empty! He even has a door to close out everyone else AND a door to the outside balcony area! Someone must be living right! Ted's Blog

Best Co-worker to Antagonize

I love pushing buttons, it's why I'm quite good at video games. Here at the radio station, there's buttons you can push to get people going: Steve (station manager) with classic radio, Joel (sales rep) with classic Christian music artists, etc. The best reactions come from Fatima (sales coordinator) though. You get one of two reactions, the whiny "quit picking on me" one or the death stare "I'm going to KILL you" look. Both of which are even better when her husband Manuel is around to egg it on. Fatima's Twitter

Best Artist to Hang Out With

This one was really close between Rhett Walker and the Sidewalk Prophets, but the guys of Sidewalk Prophets win out just because I've got to hang out with them more often and there's more of them. They just so happen to be some of the most genuinely honest, genuinely funny guys I've been around. You wonder why we seem to have them in concert here so often? It's cause they're amazing guys! Sidewalk Prophets Website

Until.....I woke up Monday morning....the pain is not in the center of my heel anymore.......it is now on the back of my achiles......Every step is a pain!

Please pray that it would go away soon.  I don't ever claim to be like the Apostle Paul-but I am beginning to understand what he meant about a thorn in his flesh.

I'll let you know how it goes.  Wonder if I need a headlamp?

That really means a lot to us!  Our prayer is that now you will be excited and share with all your family and friends that "Your favorite radio station is now #1."  Then we hope they tune in to "see what all the fuss is about" and they will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

If you don't have a J103 window decal just give us a call at 423-892-1200 and we would be glad to put a couple in the mail for you.  The more people see those the more tempted they will be to give us a try!

God is going to do great things with this recognition!

Thank you!

You are The Best of the Best!!!

The first year I served as Heritage's announcer was really exciting even though we didn't win a game.  It was the first year.  My oldest two children were students there and we had a lot of fun.

Since then we have seen the football team improve as all new schools do.

As I think about tonight I think about how two of my three kids have graduated from HHS and how Chipper is half way through.  I get a little sad.

I love Friday night Football!

Chipper ran tonight, a week later, and he followed his big brother's advice.  It paid off-he looked a lot better.

Proverbs 11:3 says, "The Intregrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them."

Let that challenge us to live our life upright and not crooked.  Run to get the prize!

Chipper, my youngest son, has passed his driving test-on the first try with a 92!

My wife and I have now successfully taught all three of our kids how to drive-and I have the gray hair to prove it.

If you have older kids you know the sense of accomplishment I am feeling.  If your kids are younger-hold on!

You will make it!

He takes his driving test today at 2:30.

Pray for him......and all of us!

I'll update you tomorrow.

Where's my helmet?

As I walked into one of the rooms with my big bag full of backpacks, the teacher had me count them out and put them to the side so she could give them out at the end of the day.

While I was counting them out I felt two small arms try to wrap around me from behind and gave me a big hug.

I turned around and this little Hispanic kindergardener with the cutest eyes looked up at me and said "thank you."

I wish you could have been there-he would have given you a hug too.  You deserve it!  Thanks for donating the crayons, paper and money to purchase 3,600 backpacks and the additional school supplies.  You are making a huge difference in kids lives-especially the little hugger!

How difficult is it for you to keep a secret?  Is it easier when it is good news or bad news.

Sometimes I do have a real problem not letting someone in on a secret.

I really do have a secret, some news we received yesterday that is really exciting!!!!

Can you keep a secret?

So Can I!

(I'll let you know soon)

But, I do have to admit-there are some redeeming values in cooler weather.  I do find it a little romantic when the leaves begin to fall, and the colors are so vibrant.

But, then again, the start of Fall means one thing to me-the end of summer.  I used to joke that I suffered from Seasonal Attitude Disorder or SAD during the winter and I may (a little).  But being married to a "Fall-aholic" I have learned to appreciate the Autumn season.

Even with Fall and then winter coming-we all know that here in the TN Valley it is going to be hot for some time!

(One year I wore shorts outside on the back deck to fry the turkey!  That's the best of both worlds-no grass to mow!)

One of those is tomorrow night.  Scholar Brad from the afternoon show is going to take the reigns of the morning show tomorrow so Amy, Chipper and I can head to Gatlinburg.  I have been asked to come and speak to the regional Kiwanis Convention.

We will get to walk the fun streets of Gatlinburg-watch them make taffy and other sweets, see the artisans at work, but mostly reminesce about all those summer trips I went on with my family there.

Amy is looking forward to the outlet malls and getting Chipper's Back to School shopping done and some more Christmas Shopping.

I am looking forward also to sleeping in a couple days in a row.

Pray for us and for Amy's dogs-our son Trevor is hanging out taking care of them for us!

Have a great weekend!

You see, most days I am in jeans or khakis and a J103 golf shirt.  If I could get away with it I'd have shorts on every day!

But I have to admit, wearing a suit and tie does make me feel more professional and the comments definitely make me feel like a "sharp dressed man."

Now if I could just breathe!

He shook my hand and said "You can call me Walker."  Then it hit me!  He looked just like Walker Texas Ranger (as played by Chuck Norris.)

On my Facebook page there is a debate going on whether or not I officiated Chuck Norris' daughter's wedding.  I may have led people to think one way (ha ha), but I've never said it was Chuck Norris.  I simply said he told me I could call him "Walker."

It was a great wedding.  Sweet young couple and the fun dream that this could be Chuck Norris standing beside me.

You are the only ones, faithful readers of my blog, that I have shared the "whole story" with.  Have fun with it.

If there is one thing I have learned in 22 years of marriage and 20 years of having a daughter-when a woman goes to have her hair done-watch out.  Tread lightly.  Sometimes they come back and everything is wonderful!  They love their hair and the new style.  All is right with the world!

But......there are other times......those times when "too much has been cut off," or things are uneven, or the color is not exactly right.  During those times.....keep quiet, be supportive, and look for ways to make life easier for your females.

Fortunately, this time, all is good.  She loves it, (after tweaking it for a little while).  That's another thing I have noticed.  Women will go and get their hair done by a professional and then come back and "fix it."

Wow!  We men have it so easy.  Jump in the shower, shampoo, jump out, dry, maybe a little gel, and I'm out the door.

Then again-my wife is so beautiful!  She has gorgeous hair!

We are working on an email requesting additional grant money that would make it possible for him to enter UofL this semester.  Once he gets a semester under his belt at UofL he has been practically promised a full scholarship which would lead to a military career as an Army officer.  If the money doesn't come through he will sit out this semester and save all he can from his THREE jobs.

To say I am proud of my son, is an understatement.

Thank you God for three great kids and their beautiful mom/my wife!

It was the woman's turn last night and I saw the dominant team in the world-our very own Misty May Trammel and Kerrie Walsh.  These two haven't lose a single set, yet alone match in all of the Olympics they have competed in.  Great job!

I also got to watch the Olympic platform syncronized divers-that scares me to death!  I remember as a teenage lifeguard watching a young teen split his head open on a diving board.  I also saw American Greg Louganis several Olympics ago do the same thing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND CONGRATULATIONS TO MISSY BREWER, 16 YEARS OLD IN CLEVELAND.  She is the winner of the DQ Birthday Cake.

Also Happy Birthday to:  Shannon May, 45 in Flat Rock AL, Joe Montgomery, 52 in Rock Spring, Lauren Clowers 18 in Rossville, Kathy Amos, 58 in Rossville, Kelsey Kirk, 21 in Dalton, Shelly Tipton, 26 in Evensville, and Jared Wilson, 16 in Dayton.

Alabama new law against Texting and Driving begins tomorrow.  If a police officer notices you talking on your cell phone while driving-you can be pulled over and given a ticket.

Tax Holidays for Back to School coming:  Tennessee tax-free weekend begins this weekend.  Georgia is August 10-11.

The New Dancing with the Stars cast has been announced:  It will be an All-Star caste featuring past winners and contestants:  kirstie Alley, Pamela Anderson, Helio Castroneves, Joey Fatone, Shawn Johnson, Drew Lachey, Gilles Marini, Apolo Anton Ohno, Kelly Monaco, Bristol Palin, Melissa Rycroft and Emmitt Smith.  The 13th contestant will be up to you-you can go to abc.com and vote for either Carson Kressley, Sabrina Bryan or Kyle Massey.

Here's some of the info covered on the morning show today:

Happy Birthday and Congratulations to Meredith Scott, 15 in Appison-she won the DQ Birthday Cake.

Also celebrating today:  Laura Montgomery, 14 in Ringgold, Nathaniel Jarrell, 15 in Cleveland, Al Scarbrough, 55 in Chattanooga, riley Allman, 9 in Madisonville, Laura Jones, 50 in Chickamauga, Elijah Ainley, 5 in Spring City.  Happy Birthday gang!

INCREDIBLE RECIPE:  REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP MINI CHEESECAKES.  Check it out at www.momontimeout.com   I made these for Amy for our Anniversary Saturday.  Delicious!

TOMORROW IS ELECTION DAY-DON'T FORGET TO PLAN TO VOTE!

ALSO ANOTHER OLYMPIC UPDATE TOMORROW MORNING.  As of this morning Team USA was in second place in the medal count with 11.  Japan was one ahead of us with 12.  GO TEAM USA!

Click on the link at www.j103.com and give a $22 donation to feed a child for a year and/or $88 to provide an education for that child.

Happy Birthday and congratulations to:  Christian Hardy, 16 of Decatur TN-he is the winner of the DQ Grill and Chill Birthday Cake.

Also Congratulations to David Lane, 54 in Tunnell Hill, Helen Skiles, 58 in Soddy Daisy, Caleb Ferguson, 8 (Tuesday) in Hixson, Lance Estus, 16 in LaFayette, Chasity Gibson, 18 in Stevenson AL, Kody Brewer, 34 in Niota, Tori, 15 in Harrison, and Terry Bolden, 51 in Hixson.

Happy Birthday Monday to  Nolan Kyle Sanders, 22 in Hixson-Nolan won the DQ Grill and Chill Birthday Cake.

Also celebrating birthdays Monday-Miriam Butler, 33 in Ringgold, Chris Butler, 39 in Ringgold, Noah Wallace, 13 in Cleveland, Brannon Siler, 5 in Cleveland, Noah Culberson, 2 in Ooltewah (Sunday), Christine Updike, 35 in Fort Oglethorpe, Haleigh Ellis, 13 in Chattanooga, and Kyle Sanders, 21 in Hixson.

Barbecue Masters in Cleveland:  Thursday Fifty-five Kansas City Barbecue Societ Teams, along with 16 amateur teams will compete in a KCBS-sanctioned Backyard BBQ Bash as a part of the ninth annual Foothills Country Fair at the Tri-State Exhibition Center in Cleveland TN.  The grounds will be open at 9am on Thursday.  Carnival Rides and games, a beauty pageant for ages 5-20 and lots of entertainment and food.  The Fair goes through July 29. There is a charge for admission.

Happy Birthday Today to:  Mark Knox, 43 in Tunnell Hill GA-Mark is the winner of today's DQ Grill and Chill Birthday Cake.

Also celebrating birthdays today are:  Amy Oaks, 25 in Jasper, Dylan Walker, 16 in East Ridge, Susan Farley, 40 in Chattanooga, Stacey Smith, 39 in Chattanooga, and Lilly Anne Parrish, 4 in Red Bank.

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
~NIV

Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment.
~ The Message

Matt. 7:1...one of the most overused, misunderstood verses in the Bible IMO. "Judge Not/Don't judge" is not where the period stops, after that simple yet overblown statement the justification of expecting that same judgement if you do judge follows! And what about the next couple of verses? I like how poetically the New King James puts it:

For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Does this mean that our friends and family are allowed to continue in some sort of behaviour or actions that don't line up to God's Biblical instructions? Not in the least bit, 1 Thessalonians 5:14 tells us to admonish and encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ that are unruly, fainthearted and weak all with extreme patience on our end.

It's not easy telling someone you love they're out of line or wrong (and we're called to love all our brothers and sisters in Christ), but it's always worse to hear that you, yourself are the one out of line or living in sin. So yes, admonishment ("to caution, advise, or counsel against something especially in a mild and good-willed manner") among believers is something we're called to do but I can't stress enough how important the attitude of love is when it comes to correcting a friend. The heart really does have to be in the right place when approaching a friend with a reprimand.

So does this mean non-Christians are just getting a free pass to do whatever and we can't do anything to stop them? No, but it's definitely not our place to call them out on something that they don't adhere to. Think about it this way, you go out to eat with a friend that's a vegetarian and order a steak. They then sit there and scold you on the evils of red meat, how awful it is for you and how bad a person you are for eating a defenseless cow. You'd come away from that dinner thinking they were a self-righteous, pretentious, pushy JERK! It's the same when we correct a non-Christian that way, we come across as jerks!

Through example, communication and love people will see that we are different if we claim Christ and live it out (John 13:35). Never does it say they will accept the love and grace we owe our lives to by our reprimands and chastisement on their wrongdoings.

Autumn and Alexandra have not only completely taken care of the JFEST guest survey and resulting report, but they have kept my morning show page updated and looking great. (you will probably notice a big difference when it is back in my lap next week!)

I thank God for these two young ladies and the gifts and talents He has given them.  They have such bright futures wherever God leads them.

If you are a college or highschool intern and looking for an intern position with J103 and the Morning Show just email me and let me know.

Ted@j103.com

I'm going to miss you Autumn and Alexandra!  Thank you for all you have done and how you did it with excellence!

Ted

I had kind of dreaded trying it not sure how it would be (just like you are thinking), but it was actually a pleasant surprise!  Think Salty-Sweet.  The taste of the softserve icecream, caramel and hot fudge overpowered most of what you tasted, but every so subtle you could taste the salty pieces of bacon.

Would I eat it again?  Sure.  At 510 calories-you can also add on an hour on the eliptical!  (That's what I did when I got home yesterday!)

Thanks to Brad, Brett and intern Alexandra for trying it with me.

we then spent 10 days in the dominican republic thanks to Becca's parents securing a place for us and loved the country. we went ziplining, horseback riding, rode dune buggies and jumped off waterfalls! we of course stayed indoors a bit too, but duh, it was our honeymoon. it was a beautiful country though (they filmed Jurassic Park there!) and it was amazing how you could drive from beatiful beaches and resorts to fairly extreme poverty in a couple of minutes. we saw beautiful restaraunts on the beach one place and an actual cock-fighting ring with bleachers and ticket takers not too far away. it was definitely interesting seeing these two extremes and definitely gave us thought on our blessings and a lesson on contentment (a good lesson for a radio DJ and a school teacher).

we pulled back into Chattanooga around 4am this past Thursday and crashed for a while (had to go get some fried chicken and sweet tea though) but Becca started getting some pains in her stomach Thursday and Friday. of course, we were already thinking she's pregnant which is not yet what we're really trying for, but after a weekend of cold sweats, high temperatures and unpleasant activities, we spend 6 hours in the Emergency Room to find out she had got a bacterial infection while we had been in the Dominican!

we knew we said "in sickness and in health", we just thought it would be a while before we had to put that into practice! that said, after a lot of fluids and some prescriptions, she's doing better but please keep Becca in your prayers. sickness is never fun, but i know it's driving her crazy on top of all of the sickness to know we still have thank you cards to write, a house to organize and a brother's wedding this weekend!

haha, life goes on after a wedding and honeymoon doesn't it! i look forward to sharing some wedding pictures though eventually when we get them in and thanks for all your prayers and for your continued prayers as well!

She saw a need, prayed about how to meet that need, and with God's help and direction has gotten it done!

We could all learn a lesson from this little girl.

Join us Wednesday morning at 8am and be ready to be inspired.

Mine appears to be isolated to my heel.  In the mornings or after sitting still for a short period of time-it aches and throbs when I stand to walk on it.

After standing for long periods of time it begins to throb and hurt.  It is not a stabbing pain-just an irritating throb.

It is reported to affect two million Americans in a year and 10% of the U.S. population over a lifetime.

Have you suffered through it?  How did you treat it?

I am trying to stretch it every chance I can, and believe it or not-trying to not over-exert it.  (You would not believe how difficult this is for me to do-to try to stay off of it!)

Please pray for me that God heals me quickly.

But on this Day of Independence we need to realize we are so utterly dependent on God.....or we should be.  Jesus Christ gave up His life in the ultimate sacrifice so that we could have eternal life with God.

If you have never given your heart and life to Jesus and cried out your dependence on Him-become free from the life of sin and captivity today and cry out in dependance on Him!

Happy 4th!

"How did this stuff get in the bottom of the refrigerator and how long has it been here?" (While cleaning out the refrigerator-Day one of Vacation).

"So that's what you want me to do first huh Lord?"  (When walking out on front porch on Day one of vacation to see huge branch that had fallen out of Bradford Pear tree)

"God you are soo good" (When my neighbor texted to say he would help me clean up the limb)

"Didn't I just cut this yesterday?"  (While mowing the grass)

"Its actually a little chilly" (When pressure washing the covered porch and feeling the mist from the washer).

"Where did that mist go?"  (When setting up for a wedding reception).

"Holy Heck!  That Hurt!"  (When the little Asian lady pulled the first strip of cloth off when I got talked into getting my eyebrows waxed)

"Aw they are beautiful!"  (When looking at Brett and Becca braiding the cords during their wedding ceremony.)

"My God how you have blessed me." (When seeing my family all eating together the last night of vacation and knowing that all three of my kids would be sleeping under my roof for another night).

They are really cute and being housed in an acryllic "playpen" on the "Penguin Rock" exhibit.

When it starts to get hot outside-head in and chill out with the penguins.

Just another example of a possible "J103 Staycation" activity.

I have nodded off more than once sitting on our porch swing in the afternoons at home, and I have been sleeping really good!

I have come down with what many tell me is plantar fasciatis-an ongoing ache in my left heel.  I looked it up on the internet and it describes my pain exactly.  There is really nothing you can do for it except try to stay off of it as much as possible.

So that's my strategy.  I am going to take a week off next week and enjoy a little "staycation" but I'm sure it will involve some "honey-do" things at home, (which to be honest-I look forward to).

I hope you get some rest when you need it.

Chris Tomlin, an incredible worship leader, did a fantastic job of bringing us to the throne of Jesus.  I saw people of all ages raising hands and praising our God and King.

I wonder why Faith and Family Night and JFEST are two of my favorite days of the year?

Let's worship like that every day!

Welcome to Jfest! You walk in, buy your Jbucks, take a seat,
enjoy the music and meander around checking out the booths, food, or Kidsworld.
It’s a magical land of funnel cakes, shaved ice, music, and fellowship. That is
what the public gets the chance to experience. On the other side we (the staff)
get to see everyone enjoy the hard work. This is the reason I enjoy event
management. You get to watch your dream of making people happy a reality, even
if it is only for a day. It is seeing all of the puzzle pieces coming together
to form one beautiful picture of completion.

One of the pieces to the puzzle is putting up all the orange
fencing that keeps people from going where they shouldn’t. This task involves
pounding metal bars into the ground and zip tying on the fencing. Sounds easy
enough right? It is as long as you don’t loose control of the pounder. Well,
Justin lost control and the 20 or so pound pounder came and hit him right in
the head sending him to the ER to get his skin glued back together.

Puzzle piece number two is putting up all the signs and
banners around the camp. Two other people and I were put in charge of putting
the J103 banner all the way down the fence. Also a pretty straightforward task
except when all the fire ants decide that is where they want to build their
homes. Needless to say we got a few bites before we learned our lesson to look
where we stepped.

It might sound like it was all work, some injury and no
play, but that is not how the J103 staff operates. We always have a little fun
at the end of the day. During set up week our fun was in the form of a golf
cart race. We lined up in the parking lot and took off. The first five seconds
was the most exciting part because all of our cars had different rates at which
they sped up. Once we all topped out at a certain speed the race wasn’t really
much of race anymore, but it was still fun because we got so competitive about
it.

Once all the set up was complete I was stationed at the main
entrance for ticket sales and will call. This was probably my favorite piece of
the puzzle because the team at the desk is the first impression people get of
Jfest and I think all of us were striving to get everyone’s day started off
right. I got to meet a ton of people and wish them a happy day.

I was then put in the position to pass out surveys to
festivalgoers to get their opinion on Jfest. That was also a lot of fun because
I got to fellowship with some of them and find out their opinion about the
festival.

What I have learned from this whole experience is that it
takes tremendous amount of work to put together a festival of this magnitude
and the aftermath of evaluations and clean up is a tedious process. Surveys had
to be evaluated, tickets had to be counted, vendors had to be paid, and cost-profit
analysis had to be evaluated. Finishing all that work was very rewarding because
I was able to see the impact Jfest has on others along with the impact it has
on the mission of J103. 

What Dad Wants For Father’s Day

Dad’s day is coming up and since I’m not a dad , I really can’t tell you what dads want … but I took a small poll down at the riverfront yesterday and I found that what women want to give the man in their life may not necessarily be what he really wants. The No. 1 present tn valley women think men want for Father’s Day is a day with the home boys. However, the No. 1 gift  TN valley dads actually want is a tablet or smartphone!

We will know some firm numbers in the next couple of days, but for now a good estimate is between 7,000-8,000 people were at Camp Jordan Saturday.

The Best news is that over two dozen decisions for Christ were made public.  We are confident there were hundreds more that "connected" with God.

Our Volunteer army led by Dani and Debbi Hix were phenomenal.  So many people took on lead roles to make JFEST run smooth.

Each one of you is responsible for those people connecting with God.

You are awesome!

And how about the weather!  Wow!  God is so Good!

Everything at Camp Jordan is packed away and cleaned up, now the paperwork, evaluation meetings and planning for next year begins.

Next up?  Pray for us as we man a booth at Riverbend all week long.

Ted

Set up is going great out at Camp Jordan.

The artists are excited and did you see the weather forcast?  It looks like the weather this year may be the best ever!

If you haven't yet-please begin praying for a large harvest of souls.

God is good and He is going to move at JFEST!

See you there!

Ted

If you love treats, especially FREE treats, here’s an event you’ll enjoy. For National Donut Day–or National Doughnut Day as some spell it–some of our favorite doughnut shops are offering freebies or deals. National Donut Day is the first Friday in June, making it June 1 this year. Here’s a round-up of doughnut deals.

• Participating Dunkin Donuts shops are offering a FREE donut with purchase of a Dunkin’ beverage. Offer is valid at participating shops June 1, while supplies are available. Browse local shops.


• Participating Krispy Kreme Doughnut shops are offering a FREE doughnut June 1, with no purchase required. Browse for local shops on the Krispy Kreme website.


• FREE contest–Entenmann’s and The Salvation Army are featuring a Donut Day Sweepstakes for lots of free donuts and other prizes. Enter online for FREE, no purchase necessary.

--Autumn

hmmm...if it is the latter...that guy must be a hilarious genius.

According to the 10 day forecast from The Weather Channel....We are looking good for JFEST-Sunny and 86!!!

Keep praying for beautiful weather.  We want to make sure that no one has an excuse to not come and worship and hear the Gospel of Christ!

I was somewhat unsure about what to expect in an office
environment before I started my internship. Like Alexandra I am a server
therefore I am used to a physically fast paced environment where there is
little time to stop and get to know your co-workers. I have only been here for
a week or two now and yes the week or two before J-fest so things are somewhat
chaotic (which I like). In the few weeks that I have been here I may not have
gotten to know the staff at J103 that well, but I have come to see that the
staff is more like a family than a crew. My first day I had lunch with Ted,
Justin, Brad and Brett and just watching them chat I could see that they know each
other and know what is going on in each others lives.

So I guess what has surprised me the most about my
internship is the vibe. I expected it to be more uptight (for lack of a better
word). Everyone here is more down to earth than I expected, in my mind I guess
I’ve connected professionalism with detached co-worker relations.

--Autumn :)

My brother nearest to me in age, Shawn, celebrated his birthday yesterday.  He is 40, (five years younger than me).

I sent him a text early yesterday morning, posted a Happy Birthday greeting on his Facebook page and then called him yesterday afternoon when I got home.

While I was sitting on my front porch swing and he was driving back to his home in Louisville from somewhere in Indiana, (he drives a flatbed delivery truck for UPS), we had a good 30 minute conversation.  A really good one.  It was two brothers who haven't seen each other in over a year but take every advantage to chat whenever possible.  We caught up, and it was cool.

After I told him I loved him and "Happy Birthday" one last time, I went inside and Amy said she figured I was talking to Shawn.  She and Chipper had already eaten dinner and she had saved me a plate.  She said I looked like I was having a really good time talking to my little brother, and she didn't want to disturb me.  (I have an incredible wife!)

One day when we get to Heaven-we are going to be able to have talks like that and then some with all of our family that knows the Lord!  It is going to be sweet!

I Hope you have the assurance that you are going to spend eternity in Heaven and that your family does too!

Ted

a lady in her flashy suburban combat utility vehicle cuts me off and immediately i jump at the chance of writing her off as a snobby, money-grubbing golddigger in a loveless marriage. the overweight man with an oxygen tank zipping around walmart on an electric scooter is just an out-of-control redneck that probably spends his welfare checks on snack cakes, porn and cigarettes. the young asian man in a collared polo and khakis was probably adopted by white parents, is super smart and works at TVA.

those are just some of the snap-judgements i'll think through in my head sometimes. brutal honesty 'eh? i'm really attempting this week to pull back from those prejudices, and i feel that most of us if we're honest experience these type of rash opinions, but Jesus was a guy that even the pharisees (ya know, the ones that HATED him and wanted him dead) said he loved all people. the only ones Jesus really had a problem with were the overly-religious hypocrites that said one thing at church, did another thing with their lifestyle and critisized the exact thing they were doing that came from others.

this week, i'm going to strive to be more like Jesus when it comes to how i view people, and less like someone that makes snap-judgements and lives like a pharisee.

Hi there! My name is Autumn Johnson. I began my internship with J103 this May. I have a pretty quirky personality
when you get to know me but until them I am fairly quiet. I love music and art
of all kinds. I am from Winter Haven, Florida. I moved to Tennessee after
graduating from Polk State College in 2010 to attend Lee University. I am
currently a senior there; I plan to graduate this July. I am majoring in
communication with emphasis in telecommunications and a minor in advertising. I
love photography! I hope to incorporate photography into my career once I
graduate. I am not really sure what it is I will be doing for a living when I
graduate but I know that God will open the doors for whatever it is he has in
store for my future. I am looking
forward to the experiences and experience this internship holds!
 --Autumn

these days, the USDA estimates that 20% of all food grown in this country is wasted. that doesn't mean packaged and thrown away, i'm talking right from the harvest about 20% isn't even collected or is thrown away, right away! with over 47 million families regularly going without food in this country, the food can be there for them with a little old fashioned "gleaning."

that's where you can come in, coming up May19 (this Saturday) and May 24 you can help bag and separate 42,000 POUNDS (that's 21 TONS) of sweet potatoes here in Chattanooga to be given to those families in need! if this sounds like something you'd be interested in, check out the contact information below or the End Hunger website!

http://www.endhunger.org/

May 19th
Chattanooga Food Bank
off Amnicola Highway at Curtain Pole Road
Contact: Becky Hall, (423) 892-9363

May 24th
Dallas Bay Baptist Hixson Campus
Next to Chuck E Cheese's at Northgate Mall
Contact: Bruce Shoots, (423) 842-9299

Red Light Interpretation? by Scholar Brad!

You can imagine, (or maybe you have experienced) what it is like when the dryer goes out.  You have a couple of options-hang everything out on the back deck and pray for warm sunny weather, (like our grandparents used to do), or pack the clothes up and head to the inlaws to borrow their dryer.  Either way-it put a major damper on the laundry at our house recently.

Thank God for good neighbors.  One of our neighbors down the street works on dryers/washing machines in his spare time.  He even buys damaged ones, fixes them up and resells them.  (We have one of his washers we bought several years ago-runs like new!)

"Chris" came down and checked out our dryer the other night-and sent us to a parts store to get a new fuse.  We got it, and he then found that our heating element was broke, he patched it, changed the fuse and got us up and running again.

When I tried to pay him for his time and expertise, he refused, so I snuck it in his tool bag.  He found it and said, "Ted, I'm not charging you."  I said, "I know you are not charging me, you are blessing me and I want to bless you."  He left our house with cash, and we now have dry clothes!

He could use the cash and we needed an affordable fix to our dryer.  Those are the blessings orchaestrated from Heaven.

The sad reality is that there are a lot of kids who's dad is the only mother they have ever known.

I know of some great men that are providing both roles in their kids lives.  I pray for them.

I don't know how I would have handled our three all by myself.  My wife Amy is an incredible mother and her job is (a lot of times) thankless.

So to all you mom's (and dad's who are mom's) Happy Mother's Day!

This afternoon I am honored to perform a ceremony of a wonderful couple who live on Lookout Mountain.  The wedding is going to be a real intimate one with just the two of them and two other family members.  It is going to be held in their backyard that has a stunning view of the TN Valley.

I feel God is really shining down on this couple-the weather is gorgeous!

This weekend as we honor our mothers, husbands make sure the mother of your children feel special and loved.

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Timothy Hamby I would say he wanted his children to look like him

Tonya Parker Hammontree He
already had servants-his angels. He wanted family. Children who would
take after their Father! He is amazing! I hope I look like my Daddy! I
love You, my dear Abba, Father!

Carla Hixson Hayward God
is love. He created people who can love and reason as He can. Expecting
and wanting us to just show His kind of love to each other and to love
Him back.

Christy Jones God
is perfect, we r perfect in his eyes! So we look like him, so the pic
of him that we associate with him can not b accurate because we r all
different in our own way but yet we r all the same hmmm!?

i love all of these responses and the others that were posted in reply to the FB update. the reason i asked that though, and what got me thinking on it was a part in a book I'm reading called "Is God A Moral Monster" by Paul Copan, a great book to read if you've ever thought about the old testament God as different form the new.

in the book though, Paul talks about how many people call God a self-conceited, full of himself diety for making us in His image, but Paul points out that that's not the case. think about it, if we truly believe that God is indeed perfect in every way and that he loves us more than anything, why would he not want the best for us? especially in our basic design as humans!

God designed human-beings to look like him, not because he's a snob in the sky, but because he's the ultimate perfect being and loves us so much that he wants us to be like Him. it's just a little bit from the book, but something i had never thought about for and loved the realization of! thought I had to share some, but you can check out the book for more!

Check out the video.....Only 25 more days till JFEST!

http://www.highonleconte.com/index.html

When I first began my internship at J103, I was immediately
surprised by how laid back the station was. I guess that I always just assumed
that a radio station would be strict and extremely business-like. While there
is plenty of business going on, it is also an environment where people can have
a good time and enjoy their jobs. It was refreshing to be around that kind of
atmosphere.

Another thing that I didn’t expect was how close everyone was. When
I first noticed this, it was the first “birthday lunch” that I went to. This is
when everyone gathers for lunch once a month to celebrate all of the birthdays
in that month. As I looked around the table at everyone eating their lunches
and making casual conversation, it looked as if I was eating with one, big
family. It was such an amazing sight.

The best part was that I felt like a part
of this family. This was evident when something would happen that would upset
me and everyone (including ALL of the DJs) would talk to me and tell me that
they were there for me if I needed anything. It was so thoughtful of them and so
nice to feel like they were there for me.

I never would have expected to come
here for an internship and leave knowing that I have created relationships with
these people that I will never forget.

Oh and some other things that I didn’t expect:
Ted’s participation in a body building contest, Brett’s obsession with Frisbees,
and the fun, yet extensive and sometimes random projects that I was given to by
Justin.

-Khrista

On Friday I surprised Chipper when I picked him up from school and took him to see The Avengers!  Great movie!  We both loved it!

Spent the entire day Saturday with Amy.  Went to lunch (Welcome to Moes!  $4 burrito day for Cinco de Mayo), found Amy a pair of sandals she was looking for, enjoyed some Sweet Frogs Premium Yogurt! (You have to try some of that!) and then spread mulch in a couple of flower beds!

Sunday had a great Sunday School class, worship service, BBQ lunch for our church's summer mission trip and then just hung out in the yard!

Thank you God for great weekends like this one!

Chris August at JFEST update.......Nothing new-he is still recupperating and planning on being at JFEST.  I will keep you informed right here in the blog if there are any changes or updates!

You may not be aware that in addition to hanging out with you on your ride into work on the morning show, one of my responsibilities here at J103 is Festival Director of JFEST.

I love almost every part of my job-especially this part.

Most people who come to JFEST have no idea of the amount of hours and effort that goes into making sure everyone has an awesome time and that people are able to be exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

My "To Do" list right now is longer than most people's entire year.  But please know I am not complaining in the least bit.  God has given me a passion for events like this and being busy is just a part of it.

We are deciding on J-Merch designs, Volunteer shirt colors, best pricing on generators, Gofl cars, volunteer training, counselors for the Prayer and Counseling tent, just to name a few.

Can I ask you to add me to your daily prayer list?  Pray for God's wisdom, strength, endurance, vision, and health.

Also keep Chris August in your prayer.  No new news yet-as far as we know he will be fully recovered from his head injury and be here singing all your favorite Chris August tunes.

Thanks and keep coming back for a daily update on the progress of JFEST!

He is improving and yet has had to cancel some of his concert appearances (mostly opening for Mercy Me) the first two weeks of May.  His management said they haven't been informed by his doctors if he should cancel any future events, so we are still on a wait and see game.

As far as right now, yes, Chris August will be at JFEST singing your favorites.

Keep him in your prayers.  Pray for compete healing......and a helmet!!

You may or may not have heard my name from Ted, Brett, or even my own
personal one time experience on the radio, but I am Khrista, the intern
for J103. I began my internship with J103 in July, when I searched for a
Journalism business that I could go to every day after school as a part
of my Youth Apprenticeship Program.

While I am graduating from high school in less than a month, I will
soon be on my way to the University of Georgia to major in Journalism.
Unfortunately, my voice will not be heard on the radio in Athens, for I
am terrified of talking on the radio. And that fear is the reason why I
have decided to write my blogs. Plus, I absolutely love to write, which
makes it a surprise that this is my first blog. 

I have always thought that I will end up writing many books, but
never once thought about attempting any type of blog, until I came to
J103. The guys here thought that it would be a neat idea to get the
interns' perspective of working at the radio station, and I agreed to
this idea.

As I said, I am graduating soon, so I sadly will not be with J103 for
much longer, but while I am still interning here, I will continue to
blog. So don't worry, you will hear all of my honest and certainly
entertaining stories and experiences that I have had at J103.

-Khrista

I don't know what's going to happen if they begin to let women in
baseball. Of course, they will never make good. Why? Because they are
too delicate. It would kill them to play ball every day.

a few days after Jackie Mitchell struck out the Yanks, baseball commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis (yes, thats his name!) voided her contract and declared women unfit to play baseball as the game was "too strenuous for women."

i posted this on my Facebook wall just the other day and someone even found a video on the legend of Jackie Mitchell that tells the story much better than i could!

The Jackie Mitchell Story on Vimeo.

As a JFEST artist (in a month) I will be making a call today to his booking agency to see if he is still planning on coming to our festival June 2, or if they are going to provide an alternate artist.

Check back in to my blog here tomorrow and I will keep you upated.

Ted

There are so many loose ends that have to be tied up before thousands can come and enjoy the great artists at Camp Jordan.

Will you please pray for me and our staff as we make the last month's decisions?

If you haven't gotten your tickets get them today-we still have some of the wristbands for Faith and Family Night to give you!

What does that mean to you?  Love to hear your comments.

Wow.  I’m so thankful for the gift of pets. God gives us animals to bring comfort, joy, laughter, peace and love to our lives.  But it sure is hard to say goodbye.  In 1995, Shelly and I had been married only 4 years when Boots came into our life.  A beautiful black and white long-haired cat with a completely loveable personality. She was just sweet.  17 years is a long time to have a pet.  But we had to say goodbye to her last night.

She developed a problem with seizures back in the summer.  We thought we lost her around labor day, then again at Christmas, then again last week.  Each time, I could tell the toll it was taking on her. Then it happened again this week.  She got sick Friday and never recovered. 

What I’ll miss the most, is coming home from work.  She would hop up from her nap and eagerly follow me to the closet, where I always changed clothes. She’d rub her favorite boxes and wait patiently for me to finish changing.  I’d pick her up and hold her like a baby.  It was an every day routine for as long as I can remember. 

Please pray for Shelly and Luke. Boots, or “booty” or “boo” as we sometimes called her has always been part of Luke’s life.  He’s only 10, she had just turned 17.

Booty….we’ll miss you!

It is "do or die" time with only 4 weeks left to go.  He is taking every free minute he can to study, (weekends, evenings, lunch time, etc).  He is really striving to pass this class.

Do we do the same thing in life?  When faced with tough obstacles or trials do we, through God's help and strength, strive and push forward to win the prize?

If Chipper can pass Biology then surely I can face the tough times that are coming my way.

Go Chipper!  That's my boy!

so without any more verbage, here's my superlative list when it comes to the JFest artists:

Best band to play putt-putt with: Sidewalk Prophets - these guys are just too goofy and fun to not enjoy an ultra-competitive/cutthroat game of mini-golf with!

Best band to go hunting/fishing with: Dara Maclean - the lady grew up in Texas. she must know how to hunt!

Best band to go shopping with: Building 429 - you thought i was going to say Dara didn't you? but have you seen the amount of eyeliner and hair product B429 uses??? not to mention their fashionably hipster grunge rock attire!

Best band to play pickup basketball with: Kutless - not because they're exceptionaly tall or athletic looking, but because their lead singer is bald. bald on the court is intimidating.

Best band to go out to eat with: Chris August - the guy wrote a whole song about candy! need i say more!

haha, sounds bad i know, i always sang along, but never read into them. the band's name is Shaimus, and they're not a Christian band, but you can see who this song is calling out. it's calling out us Christians for making claims and professions with our mouths but living a completely different life through our actions. people know that love is it. they realize that love is why we're all here. they know that we as Christians claim love and grace. we need to strive to truly show the love we so proudly claim in our daily lives to EVERYONE we're around, cause as proof here, everyone is watching for that love!

Shaimus - "Interview"

I woke up this morning to the


interview on the radio.

It was this bitter old lady preaching 'bout

how much she hated the world.


And it hit me like whiplash, oh but I


couldn't get up to turn it off. It was

Like watching a car crash.

Your mouth is open but you can't find a word.

In our lives, how do we perceive?

Do we know whats right or do we just believe?

We can name when it's black or white.

It won't look the same when it's shades of light.

Attacking the people


With the book she molested in the palm of her hand.

How can you take what is based on love

To hate those you don't understand?


And it hit me like whiplash, oh but I


couldn't get up to turn it off. It was

Like watching a car crash.

Your mouth is open but you can't find a word.

In our lives, how do we perceive?

Do we know whats right or do we just believe?

We can name when it's black or white.

It won't look the same when it's shades of light.

Sometimes our lives are a lot like this.   Are you in the midst of the storm right now? Is it one of those “sad” days?  The devil wants you to worry worry worry. He wants you to think of the worst possible outcome.  But here’s the good news: Things usually do not turn out nearly as bad as we are able to imagine they will.  And by God’s grace, the storm usually passes sooner that we expect.

So be encouraged today!  Your “3 days” will be over sooner that you think!

On the other side-I am asking a favor......pray for marriages!  I have two couples that I know that are really struggling keeping their marriage vows.

One couple was on the brink of a divorce after some unfaithfullness.  They were ready to throw in the towel thinking it was to late and to far gone.  But God interceeded and thanks to some good marital counseling and a lot of prayers they are on the road to strengthening their marriage.

Don't take your own marriage for granted either.  Invest time daily to make sure your spouse knows without a shadow of a doubt that you love them just as much now, if not more than the day you said, "I do!"

Kind of a short post tonight but I'm dead dog tired and suffering from a sore throat! This is the worst thing that could happen to a person who makes a living talking on the radio. 

haha, it always seems like when i convince her it won't take long and not to worry about changing or drying her hair or whatever we run into somebody we know and i get berated for the next 48 hours on how it was my fault she didn't look good when we ran into somebody we knew. it was pretty cool last night though, we went grocery shopping and happened across two of our friends in seperate parts of the store who had just come from working out. here we were fresh from dinner and lookin pretty spiffy if i might say so myself. did i get any thanks? not this time. when we look good, i've learned by now i had nothing to do with it. :)

• WBCO/WQEL- Bucyrus, Ohio


• WDIF - Marion, Ohio


• Hit Radio 100 - The Island of Guam


• WFMF- Baton Rouge, Louisiana


• Star 102.1- Little Rock, Arkansas


• KJ-103 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma


• 1075 KZL - Greensboro, North Carolina


• Y-107 Columbia, Missouri


• Island 106 - Panama City, Florida


• 1079 PFM - 
   Panama City, Florida


• Spirit 93.3 Little Rock, Arkansas


• Alice 107.7 Little Rock, Arkansas


• V-103 Atlanta, Georgia
  
  But let me tell ya, I'm done wanderin! I have found the perfect station to call home! 

 

Would you believe that I entered the swinging world of radio at the age of two?

My mom always tells the story on how I wandered away from home in Lompoc California and ended up at the radio station about a mile down the road. When she finally found me I was happliy on top of the radio console telling the disc jockey what record should be played next.

Since then I always pursued being a disc jockey, which actually was a family thing since my mom was a DJ in Morocco and my next door neighbor and CCD sponsor was a disc jockey at the local station.

When most guys were going on dates in high school I and my wacky band of friends would sit out on the driveway and listen to the radio to hear the most distant stations. Being on the coast of California is was a really big deal to hear Ohio stations.

More radio cornicopia in my next rambling!

The Micro Bus Bed and Playhouse

(fixed the above link!)

Celebraing this weekend:

Friday:  Rhonda Killian, 52 in Ringgold

James Sims, 2 in Ringgold

Colin Sapienza, 6 in Dayton

Drew Mullins, 40 in Cleveland

Jr Sitzlar, 45 in Ten Mile

Duane Hope, 40 in Cleveland

Saturday:  Lydia Terrazas. 67 in Dalton

Cheryl Ashworth, 29+ in Valley Head

Sunday:  Lynda Hughes, 47 in Chattanooga

Nathan Sunder, 5 Flintstone

Rebecca Walden, 15 Niota

Ava Robbins, 4 in Chattanooga

Nathan, 5 Flintstone

Herb Landwer, 39 in Ooltewah

Happy Easter Everyone!

She is a local High School student who has (since September) been keeping up with the morning show page among other duties around the station.

With that said, she is on spring break, and I forgot to post yesterdays birthdays.  Sorry.

Congratulations Madison Collier, 13 in Rock Spring-she won the DQ Birthday Cake.

Also celebrating yesterday:

Ashlyn Melton, 15 in Cleveland

Taelor Cash, 12 in Charleston

Courtney Lillian Patterson, 15 in Pikeville

and Nathan Hales, 37 in Dunlap.

Today's Birthday winner was Austin Vandergriff, 16 in Cleveland.  Enjoy that DQ icecream cake Austin!

Happy Birthday to:  Spencer Earls, 16 in Cleveland

Rhyan Dishroom, 28 in Ringgold

Christian Moser, 5 in Cleveland

Mike Mcintyre, 44 in Ringgold

and Brandi Patterson 35 in Epworth!

Can't wait for Khrista to get back Monday!!!

Chris August joins the Morning Show with Ted 4-5-12 by The Morning Show with Ted

Happy B-Day to Hannah Williams who is 12 years old today in Chatsworth Georgia.  She won the DQ Grill and Chill Birthday Cake.

Others having birthdays today are:

Judy Walker, 63 in Soddy Daisy

Ronnie Vandergriff, 55 in Cleveland

Marty McCarver 64 in Ringgold

Mildred Green, 71 in Dalton

and Pastor Lee Ingram, 67 from Fairview Baptist Church in Benton TN.

Hurry Back Khrista!!!!!!

Happy Birthday and Congratulations to today's DQ Grill and Chill B-Day cake:  Constance Ensley, 7 from Ooltewah.

Also Happy B-Day to:

katy kennedy 10 in Ringgold

Ashley Ingram 25 (Sat) in Ider Al

Lance is 9 in Chatsworth

Mark Ware, 50's in Calhoun.

How Much is $540 Million?

if you walked down the street and found a dollar bill on the ground every 10 feet, you'd have to walk the circumference of the Earth 41 times to pick up all 540 million of those bills.

it's yoru salary for 5,400 years if you earn $100,000 a year.

You could buy a thousand $500,000 homes

You could buy over 98 million $5-plus drinks at Starbucks-or one for everyone in the state of California, New York and TExas and still have enough to buy two of them for all your friends in Washington state plus if you were feeling generous, one for everyone in Oregon too.

In fact, you could buy 1.3% of Starbucks, the company.

Here is this mornings Monday Morning Chuckle-Christian Comediane Anita Renfroe talks about how difficult it is to get the entire family to sit down for dinner.

Wendy Steele: "does this call for a new bumper sticker?"

Dave Poe: "lol ... only in America is Haz-mat eco friendly!! .. smh"

Melissa Shelton: "April Fools? That is ugly."

Perk Evans: "I just threw up in my mouth... A little."

Robin Swanson: "The light bulb is ok but the j103 part is way "60-70"s not so crazy about that part. But it you change it I would still sport proudly on my car so get ready to send two my way."

Jessica Churches: "Love it!! Made me laugh!!!"

Rebekah Staats: "Hey guys, they posted this a
while back, then confirmed it's a JOKE. They aren't really changing the
logo. Remember: today is April Fool's Day.... so don't worry!!"

This morning we talked about Christina Verrelli's Pillsbury Bake-Off award winning recipe.  She created a Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream from Pillsbury Crescent dough sheets, canned pumpkin and cream cheese.  Sounds delicious!

Apparently the judges thought it was and they awarded her $1 million and a $10,000 kitchen makeover with GE kitchen appliances.

Here is the recipe:

Create a sweet new twist on pumpkin ravioli with flaky crescent dough, cream cheese and caramel sauce.  Mmmmm.

Prep Time:  1 Hr 10 Min

Total time: 1 Hr 10 Min

Makes 12 (2 ravioli each) servings

Ingredients:

4 Tbls LAND O LAKES Butter, melted

2 pkgs (3 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 LAND O LAKES Egg Yolk

1/2 tsp McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup sugar

5 tbls Pillsbury Best All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/3 cup Fisher Chef's Naturals Chopped Pecans, finelly chopped

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated seamless dough sheets

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/8 tsp sale

5 tbls Hershey's caramel syrup

4 tlbs McCormick Cinnamon Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat oven to 375.  Brush 2 large cookie sheets with 2 tbls of the melted butter.  In large bowl, beat cream cheese and pumpkin with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth.  Add egg yolk, vanilla, sugar, 3 tbls of the flour and pumpkin pie spice; beat on low speed until blended.  Reserve 4 tsps of the pecans; set aside.  Stir remaining pecans into pumpkin mixture.

2.  Lightly sprinkle work surface with 1 tbls of the flour.  Unroll 1 can of the dough on floured surface with 1 short side facing you.  Press dough into 14x12-inch rectangle.  With paring knife, lightly score the dough in half horizontally.  Lightly score bottom half of dough into 12 squares (3x2 1/4-inch each).  Spoon heaping tablespoon of the pumpkin filling onto center of each square.  Gently lift and position unscored half of dough over filling. Starting at the top folded edge, press handle of wooden spoon firmly between mounds and along edges of pumpkin filling to seal.  Using toothpick poke small hole in top of each raviolli.  Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut between each ravioli; place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets.  Repeat with reamining 1 tbls flour, dough sheet and filling.  Brush ravioli with remaining 2 tbls melted butter.

3.  Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

4.  Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat whipping cream and salt with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.  Beat in 2 tbls of the caramel syrup until stiff peaks form.  Transfer to serving bowl, cover and refrigerate.

5.  Remove ravioli from overn.  Sprinkle ravioli with 2 tbls cinnamon sugar; turn.  Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.

6.  To serve, place 2 ravioli on each of 12 dessert plates.  Drizzle each serving with scant tsp of the caramel syrup; sprinkle with reserved chopped pecans.  With spoon, swirl remaining 1 tbls caramel syrup into bowl of whipped cream.  SErve warm ravioli with whipped cream.

At lunch today we were talking and he mentioned at how bad our gang problem must be here in Chattanooga.  That struck me.  I know we have some unruly teens and young adults, and yes there is some gang activity, but knowing the size of the city and the gang problems there I spoke up and reassured him that Chattanooga and Atlanta are far different in that regard.

It is easy to talk negatively about our city.  We see things in the newspaper, see on TV and hear about it on the radio, but because only the negative things take the forefront all of the positive things seem to go ignored.

Chattanooga and our surrounding areas is a great place to live.  We do have our issues, but by far I feel safe allowing my family to call this home.

Kentucky basketball is known world-wide because of two rivals-The University of Louisville and The University of Kentucky.

These two teams meet once a year during the season for the Dream Game.  Louisville (my almamater) is mostly an urban school.  Kentucky just 60 miles away in Lexington is not.  In the city of Louisville there are probably just as many KY Wildcat fans as Lousiville Cardinals.

Saturday the two teams will face off in NCAA's Final Four.  The winner will advance to the Championship game!  This game means a lot more than bragging rights!

I will be on pins and needles Saturday watching my Cardinals, the underdogs, take on the #1 ranked KY Wildcats.

This week being from KY (mostly Louisville) makes me proud!!!!

He is 15 and a sophomore.  He will not get his drivers license until after the end of May, so any job he gets-guess who gets to transport?  Yup!  Mom and Dad.

I can remember the nights my mom and dad would have to come pick me up at Druthers (formerly Burger Queen), when I was flipping burgers.

I am so old!!!!

Everytime I would get into my truck I would pray, "God, please protect me as I drive and allow these tires to last until we can afford new ones."

God protected and provided.  I drove down to Summerville GA, to Reese tires and purchased a full set of tires.  They took the best of the old tires to use as my spare, and I am now ready to go.

God will protect and provide for you too!  Have you asked Him to?

When I get up in the morning, feed Oakley the dog outside and then make my way to the radio station (4-5am) sometimes it is warmer than it is when I get off the air and out of the studio (10am.)

We need to always remember to take what comes our way and be thankful.  Don't like cold weather?  Look at some of the cities facing record snowfall.  I am a "summer boy" but I can appreciate the cold weather (especially this winter) because it makes the spring and summer that much more nice.

Of course with the warm winter they say we will see a lot more bugs and people are going to be fighting a lot more pollen and allergies.

But......it could be worse!

Thank God for whatever you are dealing with today.  Consider the alternatives.

My day in court came this morning.  I took off early from the morning show and appeared in front of Judge Patty.  She saw my current proof of insurance and saw where I have always been insured, and after hearing my account of the accident she dismissed both charges pending a 6 month driving probation and pay of court costs.

I paid my 65.25 and came back to the radio station.

You know, one day I am going to stand before the Ultimate Judge in Heaven, He is going to look at the Lambs Book of Life and Jesus is going to step in and say "Father, I have already paid the penalty for Ted's sin."  God is going to look at me and, because of Jesus, say All Charges Dismissed.

I just hope I am not in another "court room" until then!!!

Oh!  By the way!  Tickets for our J103 Birthday Bash with Big Daddy Weave, Mike's Chair and Kerrie Roberts are on sale now at the J103 studios and online at J103.com.  Only $10.00 in advance!

First WinterJam rolls into the UTC Mackenzie Arena on Sunday, Feb. 12.  Ten artists for only $10 at the door.  Fantastic!

We also have the J103 Birthday Bash at Ridgedale Baptist Church, Thursday March 1 with Big Daddy Weave, Mike's Chair and Kerrie Roberts!  Crazy Good!  Tickets?  $10.00 in advance!

Then there is FFH, Sidewalk Prophets, Casting Crowns with Matthew West, Kutless and Hawk Nelson all appearing in the area before we get to the month of May.

May brings us MooFest is Athens TN with Steven Curtis Chapman.

The Big Kahuna!   JFEST!  Saturday June 2 with Kutless, Building 429, Chris August, Sidewalk Prophets and Dara Maclean is shaping up to be the best JFEST line up yet.....But I'm not done....

Riverbend's Faith and Family Night with Chris Tomlin and The Museum on Tuesday night June 12.

Wow!  Call all your out of town friends and family and tell them to pack up the rental truck and move here because this the place for Christian Concerts!!!  Who will make them all?

You have successfully gone over our 500 child goal!!!!

Over 500 orphans in Mozambique Africa will now be off the streets, in a Christian home, and will be receiving the food, clothing, shelter, education, medical attention and most important the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

You have, once again changed the face of eternity.

I can't wait to get to Heaven and see all those smiling faces!

1.  We are going to be announcing the JFEST line up, (heads up-it will actually be announced on the JFEST Facebook page Thursday).  From the few that know they think this is the best line up ever!

2.  We are going to be talking with Dixie Fuller from the Riverbend Festival about this year's Faith and Family Night Headliner and some of the support acts.  (We are going to give you a sneak peak on the J103 Facebook page.

3.  With the Super Bowl on Sunday we are going to be talking favorite Super Bowl Snacks, go over some of your recipes (check out the Morning show page here at J103.com) and award two listeners a J103 prize pack for their recipes.

4.  Ever wanted to make Chicken Wings for your family but didn't want to spend hours in front of a fryer?  A good friend of mine Todd Hartman (from Grillin Thyme Catering) is going to come in and share with us how to make easy, delicious chicken wings that will make you the talk of the family.  He brought some sweet and hot ones in for us to sample today.......I love "hot/spicy" foods but the ones he brought in for me to try today?     Wow!  That's Hot!

He came in when the ministry was facing a pretty tough financial time and volunteered his incredible talent for our afternoon show.

Mike is going back to truck-driving, a love he has.  He loves the potential of ministering to other truckers, those he comes into contact with at the stops, and anyone he will encounter.

Join me in praying for Mike and God's working in his ministry as he is on the road.  Also pray for his family as they adjust to periods of seperation.

Mike-keep it between the lines, out of the ditches, and under the speed limit!!!

Know that every time I see a big red truck-I'm praying for you and your family!

Love you bro!

Big 10-4!!!

After her parents went home, and we had everything cleaned up, we sat down and began to look at the instruction manuel to see all of the really neat features this new camera had.

To our horror we learned that the first thing you had to do was "format the memory disc."  What that means in "non-computer talk" is that all of the pictures she had taken could not be retrieved.

After we got over the disappointment that all of those images were now lost she began shooting again...(after we formatted the disc!)

It reminds me of many people's lives.  We get so busy doing so many things that we fail to make sure the most important things are taken care of.

The most important thing for anyone is our Salvation in Jesus Christ.  We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this time of year because He had to be born so He could die for our sins.  We must make sure that we have accepted Jesus into our hearts and lives before anything else.  That acceptance of the gift God gave us is the most important thing.  Just like pictures on an unformatted disc if you don't have Jesus Christ in your heart-nothing else will matter.

Format your heart-give it to Jesus!   Then......smile and say "Cheese!"

I loved it when Snoopy and Woodstock would decorate his doghouse and then win the decorating contest.

I loved it when all of the needles would fall off the tree Charlie Brown bought.

But the part I loved the most is when Linus shared the true meaning of Christmas and recited Luke's account of the Birth of Jesus.

I never thought it was odd that they suddenly turned off the lights and cast the spotlight of the auditorium on him as he shared.  Because, you see, as a child, to me Christmas was all about a lot of things-presents, decorations, fun with family and the story of the Birth of Jesus.

Once I gave my life to Jesus, suddenly I knew why the spotlight was shown on Linus.....because that is what the spotlight should shine on each Christmas-the Birth of Jesus Christ.

We have one week left until Christmas Day.  Will you join me in shining the spotlight on the Birth of Jesus?

Twice this week already, my wife and I have looked at each other and said, "Wow, it feels like it is 10 o'clock" when really it was only 5:30 or 6:00.

Oh well......in another couple of weeks the days will begin to get longer again.   Bring on the Spring!!!!

Salvation, my wife-Amy, my three kids-Lauren, Trevor and Chipper, my ministry here at J103, all of the luxuries God provides-a nice house, vehicles to drive, clothes to wear, food to eat, great friends and coworkers, my church family, our pets, (yes-I am thankful for our menagire of animals-just don't tell my wife!), good health, great memories of fun times, a great Christian heritage that was left for me and I am trying to pass on to my kids....I could go on for ever.

Tomorrow before you dive into the turkey and dressing, and before you head out to face the Black Friday/Thursday sales-stop and be thankful.  Write a list-I think you will be surprised at how much you really do have to be thankful and once you begin to be thankful-you will often forget what you don't have.

Happy Thanks-giving!

Ted

Our J103 listeners bless us each and every year and we always hope to surpass the 1000 mark.  We always start off trying to keep an accuate count so we know how many we are taking, but it never ends up that way.

We pull into the LifeCare Center drop off and the volunteers unload and carefully count how many we brought.

This year YOU gave 1,248 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child!!!  You are so awesome.

Keep praying for each one of the over 42,000 kids that will receive a shoebox from the TN Valley.  Pray that God will speak to each of them and they will accept the ultimate gift-Jesus!

Thank you for once again being the best listeners in the world!!!

Everyone was excited and there were several underclassmen playing for RHS (because the football team is still playing in the playoffs and several of the varsity players play both sports.)  The referee brought the two centers in to midcourt for the opening tip-off.

The ball went up, one of the players tipped the ball to their teammate who dribbled down court, around a couple of the opposing players, layed it up (beautifully I might add), and scored two points just like that in less than 5 seconds..........the only problem..........it was in the wrong basket.    Great shot!  Wrong Goal!  The opposing team started with 2 unearned points.

Watching my kids play soccer for years I have seen several "own goals" where inadvertently you score in your own goal for the other team.  It is embarrassing when it happens.

In the gym, everyone laughed (including the player who made the shot).

In life-I have ran the wrong way on the court and then managed to stop and look back to realize I was doing something good, just not what I was supposed to be doing.

A youth ministry friend of mine once said, "If the Devil can't make you bad-he will make you busy."  I have been, to many times, to busy to see what God wanted me to accomplish.

Great Shot!  Wrong Goal!

Since I turned 18 I have missed very few opportunities to vote.  When you look at countries where the public opinion is not respected yet alone allowed to be shared it humbles me to think God has given us these freedoms.

Then there are those who have stood up and given their lives so I can have the freedoms we have because of our democracy.

Yesterday afternoon, after leaving the station and getting home, Amy and I went to vote.   Our polling place was closed.  We went to the downtown Ringgold Courthouse Annex and learned that we had nothing to vote on.  It was only the city of Ringgold and the city of Fort Oglethorpe and not Catoosa County that had an election yesterday.  Since we don't live in either of those cities limits we had nothing to vote on.

If you don't vote.....then you shouldn't criticize the decisions that are made.

This story is really cool for me becasue.....Yuri plays soccer with my daughter Lauren at Bryan College.  She is a little in size but has an incredible smile and heart.

Get your boxes for Operation Christmas Child from us here at J103, take your family and pack them, and then return them to us here at the studio no later than 12 noon on November 21.  There is a Yuri waiting on you!

The way we both feel right now, I believe we are well on our way.  I can barely lift my arms above my shoulders.  I am having a hard time reaching around and grabbing the ink pen out of my back pocket.

After training for and competing in the Body Building Contest 3 years ago, I am familiar with this pain, but it still aches and constantly reminds you that you are crazy for putting your body through that.

Even though we are sore-we don't stop.  Anything that is worth something will always cost you something.  If that means the two of us reaching our fitness goals-bring on the pain.......and the tylenol!

I parked the vehicle, and got out.  Amy took Oakley for a little potty break and I put my iphone in my sweatshirt pocket and hooked my headphones up.

Amy walked back over after Oakley was "finished," and we started walking, with me holding the dogs leash.  Before I could reach into my pocket and turn my music on-Amy reached over and grabbed my hand.  There we were walking along hand in hand, both of us with our earbuds in our ears, only I wasn't listening to any music!

It felt so good holding my wifes hand that I didn't want to let go and turn on my music.  So I just walked for about a mile and a half with my earbuds on and no music....well.....except the music in my heart!

Between the four of them they have over 85 Number One Songs!  Collectively they’ve recorded over 100 albums, have over 30 Grammy’s and 30 Dove awards and between the four of them have sold millions of albums!

We’ll be broadcasting The Weekend Rewind, live from Abba’s House this Sunday from 4 to 7pm, just prior to the concert.  We’d love to have you stop by and say hello.  But MORE importantly….DON’T MISS THIS EVENING!

Get your tickets now at Abba’s House bookstore or online at www.christianclassictour.com.

last night did it though! finishing up a game before i had to leave for basketball, i dove after a disc for a score and while i caught it, my hand came up purple/blue and "funny feeling". still today, there's a post-bruise redness surrounding my right hand ring finger, but no pain at least. i'll find out Monday (the doctor couldn't see me until then) if it's broken for sure, but this would make the second time, in this exact location, that ultimate frisbee has broken this hand.

haha, and yet i still haven't learned my lesson. go figure!

i'd agree.

the man can craft a song, and his mix of rapstyle flow and smooth singing vocals are unique to Christian music. here are a few of his music videos below, but you can always check out his website for more information as well. thanks for listening, and hope you enjoy B. Reith's music.

so continuing my self-proclaimed "encouragement week" on the blog here (basically had to continue it after seeing this awesome picture above!), when was the last time you told somebody you appreciate them or how much they meant to you? people say sticks and stones, but not words, hurt, but that's not really true at all. words can hurt, and hurt deep. they can also have the exact opposite effect as well!

personal anecdote: my dad and granddad have both told me before that they are proud of me. not just that, but they went on to explain why they were proud of me. i know without a shadow of a doubt that they love me, cause not only do they tell me but they show it in their actions. to hear why they are proud of me, is something thats difficult to convey in actions and something i appreciated hearing more than they will ever know.

when was the last time you told someone you were proud of them, or even that you loved them. is there someone you know that needs to know you care? maybe a disciplinarian of a parent that has softened with time, but maintains their gruff exterior? how about the young lady at church who's husband left her and their kids last month? the daughter who struggles with image and body issues, the boy that isn't sure if he measures up to his dad's expectations of a son? there are people everywhere that need to hear that they are loved and cared for, find one today if you can! remember though that words without actions are empty, so be true in your expression of love, care or concern, and be prepared to back those words up with follow-throughs.

hugs are awesome. no really! take a moment and think about the last one you had, and fully take in the awesomeosity (new word!) of it!

why is it that hugs are as awesome as they are? it's got to be all in the embrace! the act of encircline your loved one with your arms, and them reciprocating, really brings two people together doesn't it? why is it then that we've become so stingy with our hugs as Christians? i mean, there have been entire blogs that have exploded onto the scene over the Christian-awkwardness when it comes to hugging.

i'm not just criticizing myself and others that struggle doling out the hugs and are quite reserved, but also those who struggle with hugs being awkward and/or "wrong". allow yourself to be loved, embraced or held once in awhile. i heard a doctor one time say that she prescribes "four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintainance and twelve for growth." hugs can relieve pain and depression, make the healthy healthier, the
happy happier and the most secure among us even more so. hugging feels
good, overcomes fear, eases tension, provides a stretching exercise if
you’re short and a stooping exercise if you’re tall. hugging does not
upset the environment, saves heat and requires no special equipment. it
makes happy days happier and impossible days possible. why wouldn't you want a hug or want to give one?

if you're still not convinced hugging is appropriate, you may be right...in certain circumstances. Jesus always seemed to know what kind of touch to give people. a warm embrace, a hand around the back of the head in a friendly eye to eye stance or even when no touch was necessary. use your discretion of course, but with all the health benefits of a hug (hugs have been shown to reduce heart rates, improve overall moods, lower
blood pressure, increase nerve activity, and a host of other beneficial
effects), it's too good a thing to worry about being turned down when asking to give one! 

so today, i want to challenge you in overcoming your fear of hugs. whether giving or recieving them, it could be a blessing waiting to happen.

how much longer will i be having these birthdays? where did time go? wasn't i just 16 yesterday? am i doing something with my life? am i happy? am i where God wants me?

so many questions, and not all answered, but the questionable bumper sticker of the 80's and 90's got it wrong. "time happens". and there's nothing you can do about it.

so if growing older is inevitable, how do you be happy with the impending mortality and the years that flash by more quickly every 365 days? well in my 26 years of living on this earth, i've found 3 things that keep me happy and content. i don't know if i'd call it wisdom, but it's kept me a happy and contented young man so far.

rule #1) it's out of control!: well, my control that is. if i thought everything bad that happened around me was my fault, or everything that was good was my doing, i'd be one messed up depressed ego-maniac. God knows what he's doing. so why i don't i do my best to live by the example Jesus left, and let God take care of the rest.

rule #32) enjoy the little things.: ever watched your friends carry on a conversation and feel blessed? even though they were talking about stupid stuff, just to know them and be in their company made you happy? i sipped on a mountain dew today after being dry and sober from that fantastic drink for over a month...it was the sweetest nectar to pass these lips ever.

rule #3) know people.: talked with my granddad
tonight, who's birthday i was born on. we agreed. it's the people and
relationships we make in this life that truly mean the most when it
comes to happiness and contentment. God has truly blessed me with some
great friends.

peace and love!

I Am Living: Aaron Gillespie from Come&Live! on Vimeo.

it's still amazing to me that i've held on to this dream for as long as i have. it's one of those that haven't died out with the pro basketball or power ranger dreams of the past. it's still going strong. what dreams have you grown out of, and what ones do you still cling to tighter than a foreigner's speedo at Dolly's Splash Country (true story...scary, but true). hopefully you have the "VW van" dream of your own that hasn't gone away, and that one day when i get mine, let me know if you want a ride.

like the story said, make sure sleep is at least happening sometimes. free hours and less structure than living at home and high school can definitely lead to some awesome impromptu frisbee tossing or Krystal runs (haha, pun not intended), it can also lead to sleeping through those 8 and 9 AM classes. been there, done that. try to keep it in check somewhat if possible.

one thing to make sure you buy that probably isn't high on your list right now bit should be, is a combination fan/heater. there's nothing that can ruin a night's sleep or study session like a roommate controlling the thermostat. grab a fan/heater combo and you'll be prepared for the blazing hot air they pump through those college dorms during the winter (they must pipe those things in from the nearest hospital incenerator cause it smells awful too), or the cold nights when the heaters die in the dorm, your roommates insist on leaving the windows open and your on call RA isn't answering their door or phone.

two bags. you have your book bag for those dead weights...i mean textbooks, but you also can use a smaller bag or gym bag for various stuff. only have one class on Thursday? through a notebook and class material in the small one. gonna run to the student center to grab some food for the dorm, a smaller backpack could help. meeting some friends at to play some raquetball or work out, through your towel, shoes and equipment in the small one.

those are some of my suggestions, and maybe if you've been to college recently you'd have some others. feel free to share your ideas to help those going to school at a college or university this fall. and lastly, remember, you should change your major at least 5 times before settling on something. it makes parents happy. :)

that's not how a vocal minority of the commenters on Relient K's facebook page see it though. many of these Christians feel disapointed, let down, mad or even disgusted that Relient K would associate themselves with a band called The Gay Blades, let alone share the stage with them, just because the word gay is mentioned.

so here's my thing, we hear people often quote Paul in his words to the Christian church about refraining from eating meat, if eating that meat would cause a weaker Christian brother to, in layman's terms, "freak out". we also see Jesus continuously hang out with prostitutes, diseased people, the homeless and dirty old tax collectors (back in the day they were the "lawyers" and "politicians" of their time), but with the purpose of loving them and sharing the hope found in his grace (aka, evangelizing).

so which is it here? love the bands they play with that may or may not be Christians as well as play in a venue that may or may not be a "Christian" venue? OR...play only "Christian" venues and minister only to Christians so as not to offend Christians who are weak in their faith? what do you think?

it's like that outside of fun-run challenges sometimes too. we're all moving toward a finish line, and there are a lot of things that are thrown in the way that hamper us. sometimes, those things stick with you long after you overcome them. maybe the loss of a loved one? maybe an addiction to alcohol, drugs or pornography? not everything can be as easily overcome as a bad hair day, but just as i had becca as my running partner, we don't have to face these obstacles alone.

God has already promised us victory (1 Cor 15:57), that we can overcome whatever is thrown in our way (Dan 6:16) and that his ultimate grace is there for us (2 Cor 12:9) when we need it. that should definitely cool your nerves and pump you up for the next leg of the race. i hate borrowing from paul so explicitly like i have, but he pretty much nailed it when he compared living to a race. i don't think paul had in mind some of the obstacles in his race like tires, a rope wall, flaming hills and cargo nets, but then again, i don't think he imagined some of the trials we face in our day to day business either. feel better about your struggles though knowing that God loves you and wants to help. his promises are clear, and he's just waiting to hear from you that you need him to make it to the finish line.

"a cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones!"

Proverbs 15:30

being about 2 hours away from Nashville, most of us probably know someone who was affected or near the flooding this past weekend. a website i visit had a link to this video below showing just some of the mess and damage left from this past weekend's storm. if you'd like to get involved at all, the Nashville Red Cross can be reached at their website.

whatever it is, there's nothing like discovering new music in my opinion. the band below is my current favorite for the moment. it's a nice reminder to calm ourselves and recollect, and to recognize that we're not in control, God is. they used to be called Something Like Silas, but now go by Future of Forestry (unusual name isn't it?). love their relaxing music, and this video of them in the studio rehearsing for their tour is pretty chill.

china right now is hosting a worlds fair of sorts, and i've always thought a trip there or to Japan would be amazing. their ancient architecture and stoic culture has always fascinated me. i had a buddy in the marines in Japan, and some of the videos he sent us from over there were just breathtaking. a cool place to say the least.

maybe it's just the realization of life catching up on me and responsibilities growing that has me itching to globetrot while i can. either way, if you don't hear my voice just after 10:00am come this Monday morning, you'll know i've caught the last train to Clarksville...or Tokyo, Sidney or Bangkok.

so while i don't see my 6'2" frame riding a pony like this anytime ever, it would be the coolest thing to walk this little guy on a leash around coolidge park!

i was pretty geeked to hear that George Lucas is re-releasing all six movies to theatres, and IN 3D! cash grab? sure it is! but that doesn't mean i won't enjoy it! the only thing i'm disapointed in is it's going to be that almost "fake" kind of 3D you know? since it wasn't shot in 3D, they're basically just faking different parts of it. oh well, as long as i've got at least lightsaber sparks and a death-star explosion blasting out at me, i'm good.

basically, Phelps and Phamily have taken it upon themselves to call to everyone's attention how much God hates Americans and our abominable ways. they protest everything from fallen American soldiers memorial services to holocaust museums. they're particularly known for their staunch anti-homosexual stance, and their inflammatory language toward that community.

as Christians, we know that there are things going on in this world that God doesn't like or care for. for instance, i can drive down the street right here in East Ridge and pass an "adult" bookstore not three lights from the station that sells all kinds of stuff that God is none to pleased about. do i feel it is my Christian duty to head down there and picket the place and call anyone stepping into the building a "dirty old man" or "sexual deviant" or what have you?

no, no i don't at all.

as Christians, Jesus himself tells us not to judge others and to leave that to the God. Billy Graham once said,

"it's the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge, and it's my
job to love."

what better picture of how to be a Christian than what Billy Graham said.

picture this with me if you will, you drink alcohol. a LOT of alcohol. you get drunk on a regular basis. i don't know you, but i come up to you as you're drunk one night and say, "hey, you know, over drinking like this is really a sin. God said so in his Bible, and you need to quit doing this. now!"

you'd probably punch me in the face and tell me to mind my own business. and you know what, i'd say you're right. how can we expect to minister to someone when we're pointing out all their flaws to them left and right? i wouldn't listen to you if you told me how bad a person i am, and then tell me YOU were the one who had this awesome guy you knew that could make me so much better like you had become. i'd think you were a stuck-up, snobby know-it-all.

it's only through building relationships in love, and those close friendships that we earn the privilidge of helping our brothers and sisters through the struggles they have in their own life. that's what friends are for. so as Christians, we need to approach everyone in love, God's love! rather than carrying signs and calling out people on their sins, we need to love them and let the Holy Spirit do the convicting, and God do the judging. we, as Christians, need to be addicted to love.

i grew up playing sports of all kinds. played baseball and soccer every year (Hixson little league and Middle Valley soccer shout out!) until i was in middle school when basketball took over. i played high school soccer in 7th and 8th, but basketball became my passion those last 6 years of school. i had the oppurtunity to play college basketball, but chose UTC and the engineering department over sports (then found out i hated math, but that's another story).

i started playing ultimate frisbee though that second week of school at UTC and my life has been forever changed. i met my beautiful girlfriends becca at a UTC frisbee practice, and have connected with hundred of people i now call friends thanks to this wonderful sport. if you'd like to play in a league this summer, i've included the link to more information below. the fee covers a shirt, a new disc, an end of season tournament and a social gatherings after every league games.

the games happen on Tuesday nights, and while i can't promise you'll be on my team, i will be captaining one of the teams and will try to get you if you let me know you're a J103 listener. these leagues here in Chattanooga though are a great way to meet some people (99% of which are fun to be around), enjoy the summer time and stay in shape. please let me know if you have any questions cause i'd love to hear from you, and you can also check out the link in the picture below.

also, this past Sunday at church, the pastor talked about relationships. he mainly focused on the relationship of a husband and wife in particular, but relationships nonetheless. i was just really reminded though over the past three days how important it is to have friends and other Godly relationships. not only the casual, hang-out-with-in-certain-situations, but the best friend you call when exciting things (engagements, promotions, etc) or even bad things (health, wrecks, etc) happen in life.

don't take for granted those friendships that you have, and if those relationships have gone sour or faded over time, like Mike Dubs (Michael W. Smith) said, "Friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them." call/email/facebook/skype/whatever them. cause everybody needs a friend!

Proverbs 17:17, "A friend loves at all time, and a brother is born for adversity!"

Proverbs 27:5-6, "A truly good friend will openly correct you. You can trust a friend who corrects you, but kisses from an enemy are nothing but lies."

one last thing though...stay away from the J103 studios if you can tomorrow. i haven't washed my feet in two weeks in preparation for tomorrow. :)

http://www.toms.com/

not to say that spring is not welcome, cause it is! i love throwing frisbee outside in 80 degree weather or riding my bike to get groceries. folks, it is time to transition out of those baggy jeans and long sleeved button-ups, into shorts and t-shirts to fully embrace the new season...just wish some men would transition a little slower.

...and maybe start wearing those shorts exclusively in their own private backyards before taking them out in public where people can be blinded.

that is, unless you have set up your privacy settings to keep me (and others) from seeing your personal information. check out the video below to see a "how to" on protecting your personal information from those pesky Googlers! sure it's meant for parents of kids, but anyone could use this to limit their information to just their friends list.

fo' real, fo' real.

how is it that i claim to be trying to love well, and yet i
point, prick and jab with everyone else when i know i shouldn't. first
of all, it's been a habit for way too long, and old habits like that die
hard. ask anyone that knows me well and they'll tell you i'm a very
sarcastic person. sarcasm in and of itself is mocking, scornful and many
times hurtful (especially if conveyed in the wrong company). does that
mean i believe sarcasm is completely uncalled for and should be done
away with? no. but i should learn to curb-stomp my tongue next time
before i speak or say something out of place in sarcasm.

secondly, SHOCKING REVELATION TIME...people have feelings!

*GASP!*

nobody likes being the brunt of everyone's cruelty, even if it's meant in "jest" and "fun". you may say that some people see being the group jester or whipping post as at least some attention compared to the no attention they'd be getting otherwise, but we humans aren't dumb. we know that attention like that is still empty, even if we're okay with it. so at least if i have trouble holding my tongue just to do nothing more than stifle my sarcastic remarks, i should at least be thinking about the other person and their feelings.

both allowing yourself to be the brunt of people's jests, as well as hurling the insults and poking fun at someone are both signs of insecurities. we as Christians should take comfort in our faith, as well as our grace-giver, Jesus, and know that the love we have recieved is useless without sharing it with others. to see the perfect example of how God's love should represent itself in us, 1 John chapter 4 is a great chapter to read in the Bible.

1 John 4 from Biblos.com

but don't you know we're beautifully and wonderfully made in God's image? and by wonderfully, i mean awe-inspiring! we are an amazing collection of cells so masterfully crafted together by the King of the Universe with billions of inter-dependent pieces and parts all working together harmoniously! it truly is awe-inspiring!

you see though, we as Christians, or the body of Christ, together must work just like that. dependent on each other. working together harmoniously...

loving one another!

Jesus summed up the entire code of Christian living with love. "love God, love others". it is with this love that value is recognized! seriously think about some times you've felt love from another person. did God not allow a sneak peak of completeness into your life during those moments, or when you're with that person? our love for one another can, and should, change lives! every single day we should be asking ourselves how we are loving others. buying a meal, sparing some change, loaning a shoulder to cry on or sharing the ultimate love, God's love, with someone. whatever you do, love well.

• 
  
  When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he
  checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them
  down until he gets the information he wants.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of
  creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on
  the same planet with Chuck Norris.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law
  and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard.
  There is only another fist.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn't lifting
  himself up, he's pushing the Earth down.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris is so fast, he can run around the
  world and punch himself in the back of the head.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris' hand is the only hand that can beat
  a Royal Flush.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make
  it drink.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch. HE decides
  what time it is.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris
  bites frost.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit
  after watching a DeltaForce marathon on Satellite TV.
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  Contrary to popular belief, America is not a
  democracy, it is a Chucktatorship.
  
  
  

it's called Warrior Dash and it's coming to the Southeast for the first time. there's barbed-wire you have to crawl under, flames you have to jump over, logs in bogs to swim under and over and plenty of other obstacles as well!

why would i do this you ask? well first of all, you get a super sweet warrior headgear, but also for the challenge! i can justifiably say after a finish this race, that i am a WARRIOR. how cool is that?

um...where are you going with this brett?

thank you, i'm glad you asked! this is something i really started to
think about while watching this movie. is it ok to lie sometimes?

gasp!

i know right! i'm just thinking out loud here but this movie really
provoked some spiritual thought out of me (weird i know, especially for a
movie that depicts God and the belief in him as nothing more than a lie
to make people happy). we are brought up our entire lives being told
not to lie, that fibbing is wrong, and i do believe that...i think.

but what about the husband that asks his wife, "am i really
replaceable?" after losing his job to an automated machine or an
overseas worker? clearly the man was replaced, but doesn't the wife need
to overstate the value of her husband in other areas of his life as a
mate, father, spiritual leader and man of God rather than openly
admitting the truthful answer to his question?

in the Bible we find many places where God tells us not to lie, but
we also see cases where lying is condoned and even praised! in the old
testament, Rahab lies to soldiers to protect the spies that Joshua has
sent into Canaan. later we hear that she is justified by her works and
praised for her faith in God for what she did in hiding the spies.

in first Samuel 16, God tells Samuel to take a calf offering into
Bethlehem so as to hide from King Saul his true reason for going
there...to annoint the new king, David. i honestly am openly confused
about this! is God endorsing, encouraging and even helping Samuel here
in a lie?

this is the great thing i'm finding as i read more into things about
the nature of God. he's really not so black and white as we often make
him out to be. personally, i believe the line between sinning and not
sinning when it comes to lies has a lot to do with the heart. God sees
the heart of every human being, and knows everyone's intentions and
processes. i don't believe lying is something to be practiced at all,
especially when motives are to decieve, but i'm also thinking that God
has supplied us with tact and common sense enough to be able to discern
for ourselves in various situations what is best left unsaid, or covered
up in layers of word distractions.

ha, if anyone is left reading after this ridiculously long text, i would love to hear your thoughts on this subject and what you believe God says to you and in his word. these words i've written are just my own thoughts, and i'm hoping discussion could possibly spring from this. you can leave a comment below, or email me at brett@j103.com. in love, thanks!