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!

Here’s how you can help:

To Donate to the Red Cross

The Red Cross offers a number of different ways people can make financial donations. They include:

• Online – Just visit redcross.org


• By phone – Call 1-800-733-2767


• By text – Text Redcross to 90999 to donate $10, which will be charged to your cell phone account


• By mail – Send checks made out to the American Red Cross to P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013.

To Donate to the Salvation Army

The Salvation Army also provides donors a number of ways to help:

• Online – salvationarmyusa.org


• By phone – 1-800-725-2769


• By text – Text the word Storm to 80888 to make a donation


• By mail – Send checks made out to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief, PO BOX 1959 Atlanta, GA 30301. Designate “2011 Hurricane Season” on all checks.     

Well, today as I was going in the oncologists office I noticed this same lady with a bandana covering her now bald head. Gulp! She's undergoing chemo for cancer...suffering silently right next to me...and I didn't even know it.

How many silent sufferers do we encounter every day of our lives? People who God has put there to encourage us throught difficult times. They are walking the same rough road. Climbing the same jagged cliff we are and in some instances one that is even tougher and yet they are there with words of encouragement and grace.

If you have been praying for me, please pray for my friend (who I don't feel right about naming in this blog) who this entire time has been my encouragement when her own road is a rougher one to travel.

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.

Well, I did and then I had to rush to a place where I could be on my own for four days as to not radiate anyone else. Before I left however, they took an actual Geiger counter so they could read my radiation levels. I have to tell you, I’m not feeling ANY better about this whole procedure as all this is going on. However, it was necessary. Necessary to achieve a label I’ve been praying for since this ordeal began after my January 18^th surgery where I got the news that I had thyroid cancer. The label: Cancer free. Over the next two weeks I will undergo x-rays and ct scans in order to determine if any cancer remains and I am confident through the radiation treatment and your many prayers, I will hear that good news.

I’ll keep you up to date, in the meantime, if you have a Geiger counter, I bet I can still light it up a bit!

A cancer diagnosis will change the lens in which you see things. It really does affect you in so many more ways than you are ready for. From first hearing the dreaded “c” word, to walking into a cancer treatment center as a patient, to hoping and praying that you finally get the “all clear” signal after treatment. It’s a trying and difficult path to walk.

That being said, I can tell you it’s also a place where the rubber of your “faith” hits the road. You find out pretty quickly if your peace is in God or was it in your performance? You find out if your trust was in the Cross or your ability to pick yourself up by your own bootstraps. You also find out who your friends are pretty quickly, too. All of this part of the journey is one I would not trade for all the chocolate in Hershey, PA. It’s been a growing process for me. An assuring process for me.

I am sure there will be many other things I’ll find myself saying in my life that I didn’t think I’d say in a thousand years but so far the radiation one takes the cake. I’m so happy it came down to me being able to say it with a thankful heart and one not overridden with anger or self pity. God is good at reassuring us of our growth in Him even when we’re not expecting him to.

Well wouldn’t you know it…I guess my systems only ability to produce small amounts of something is the one that produces this TCH. Heaven knows I have no issues at all producing fat cells, punch lines, sarcastic comebacks and most importantly a good word in season to help you when you are down. TCH levels though? Hey…body…get with it. We need them in order to get the radiation over and done with.

I can tell you this. The toughest thing to deal with so far in my journey fighting thyroid cancer is a total lack of energy. Even for a big guy I’ve always had a smile on my face and a skip in my step. Now it’s more of a goofy grin and lugging myself around. I can sleep ten hours and be tired all day. It’s really a mental hurdle. God however, through His grace and you, His kids, is and has been there for me every step of the way.

Please pray that my levels shoot above 50 so I can move on in the process. As always your prayers and comments are appreciated.

In part of his email, Matt said, “With thyroid cancer, I believe that God has put you in a very unique position, one that not many people I know in our sort of ministry have been privileged with. You sharing on the air about your surgery and treatment was the beginning of this journey. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable about what you’re living through will give you a powerful platform to minister people who are hurting, often in the same way you are, and to share the Hope of Glory no matter how things turn out.” Isn’t that cool? I knew from some calls I had received that there are other folks listening who are on their own journey with cancer or have already fought it and survived. Either way, if God can use me in this, I am so ready.

The state of the thyroid: Not ready for radiation yet. Hopefully soon, though. I will keep you updated here. Your comments, prayers and such are a blessing and I welcome them.

On January 18^th, during the surgery they discovered the “growth” was actually a tumor about the size of a small spring roll (for those of you familiar with Chinese food). Turns out it was cancerous and  so was the right half of my thyroid. When I came to after surgery, the doctor shared the news that I would have to undergo radiation treatments. I have to tell you, anything and everything he said after that…fell on deaf ears. I was stunned. Cancer? Radiation? Me? No way. Not me. Yes! Me.

Over the next few weeks and months I plan to share with you here on my blog a wide range of thoughts, emotions and feelings that have become part of my life since being diagnosed with cancer. I am fully aware that you or someone you love may have already been affected by cancer, or some other “scary” disease. Maybe you got the diagnosis like I did and you are dealing with it. I hope that by sharing my journey with you here that our loving Heavenly Father will show you that you aren’t alone. We labor together even when the task at hand can seem like too much to bear. He is with us. He will strengthen us. He will comfort us.

Walk with me on my journey. I don’t know how it’s going to end for me but the GREAT news is…I know how it’s going to end for me. I have that assurance because of a loving God who sent Jesus to make things right for me…and you.

There's a song out that says, "If we are the body, why aren't His hands reaching?" Are we part of the body of Christ? Did Jesus ever pass by someone in need and not stop to meet that need? We are so used to calling the church "the body" that we sometimes forget what that means. It means body of believers? Yes, but Paul goes beyond that. (1Corinthians 6, 12, Ephesians 1, 3, 4, 5, Colossians 1 and others. Way too many to ignore.)

Sure we are happy to give to the poor in other nations. What about in your backyard? Yes, you might actually have to do something besides writing a check. You may be asked to cook a meal, or help someone get to a doctor's appointment. You might have to go to someone's home and pray with/for them. The Holy Spirit might even ask you to do the unthinkable. You might have to give up something that you value so that you can be Jesus to someone in your community.

Did you know that 36 percent of homeless people are in a family with children? Seven percent are unaccompanied children. That's 49,000 children, without a parent or guardian, homeless on the streets of America. If we are the body, why aren't His hands reaching?

Take some time to find out what God wants you to do. We have let the state and the federal governments do our job for too long. The apostle Paul quoted the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 49.8) "At the right time I heard you. On the day of salvation I helped you." Listen, now is God's acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!" (2 Corinthians 6:2) There are people in this country who are dying and it is our job to see that they receive the physical help they need so that they can be brought into the Kingdom of God. Today is God's acceptable time.

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!

forgiveness and trust don't come together as a package you know? when
Peter asks Jesus "How
many times should I forgive my brother? Seven times?", Jesus answers
saying "not
seven times, but seventy times seven!" that's 490 times! now Jesus isn't
saying here to keep track and count every single time you have to
forgive someone, and that on their 491st time you say, HA!, can't
forgive you anymore, Jesus said only 490 times! he's saying that
when someone asks forgiveness, we aren't to rub their noses in what
they've done to us from then on, and that this is something we must
continually do, forgive people. Jesus doesn't say however, to
immediately place your trust in that person again.

trust
comes in time. it is the forgiveness that sets the stage for trust to
grow once more where it used to be. while the hurt and pain may rear
it's ugly head again and again even after forgiveness, there has to be a
healing of the heart and mind for trust to come back, which could take
awhile. if you'd like, read the story of Joseph in Genesis. it
starts in chapter 37 and goes to around 50, but is an epic account of
betrayal, forgiveness and trust.

remember
though, just because forgiveness is granted doesn't mean everything is
back to normal. to paraphrase one of bryan duncan's songs: love (trust)
takes time. and while it's not blind to the wrongs made against it, it's
a choice made by both to either  sacrifice the right to remember the
wrong-doings or to sacrifice their pride and endure the time/pain it
takes to stand firm in regaining the trust that was lost.

Three things in life that may never be lost - Peace, Hope & Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable - Love, Faith & Prayer

Three things in life that are never certain - Dreams, Success & Fortune

Three things that make a man - Hard work, Sincerity & Commitment

Three things in life that can destroy a man - Lust, Pride & Anger

Three things that will never pass awa- Faith, Hope & Love

Three things that are truly constant - Father, Son & Holy Spirit

it's so easy to trust in something that i have some sort of control over (like myself), and to know that i won't cave in and share something i'm not supposed to. it's in that same vein that makes it so hard to give up control and trust someone else to do the right thing with my secrets.

it's like that a lot with God sometimes too. it scares me sometime to give up control and let God take over cause then i don't know what's going to happen. it's out of my hands. when we've got our best laid plans in motion and God comes in and says "actually, i'd like you to do this instead", it can send you reeling, shake you up a little bit and yes, sometimes even piss you off.

but who better to surrender to than the creator of all things? the God that loves you more than anything! i know if i'm going to trust someone, why not go straight to the top and put my faith in the one that strengthens me? to abandon myself to his will? sure that can be scary, but it's also terribly exciting as well.

(PS: LTB means "Like The Beatles"...the title is from one of their songs coincidentally and that's all i could think of after writing it out)

well today i just had more brownies inexplicably show up on my desk area while i was in a meeting? how awesome is that! magical brownies that appear on my desk! can't beat that! but seriously though, did i miss something about brownies being the new fruit cake or something? trust me, i'd pick the brownies over fruit cake any day, i just didn't know that they were all the rage these days.

(by the way, the station address is 5512 Ringgold Road in East Ridge TN if you'd like to send any more brownies to me. haha.)

"Anything that has to do with food" i said. (weird, i know) i waited a couple of seconds, nothing, so i smiled and shook my head, 'what am i doing asking God to prove himself to me?' i questioned in my head, but as soon as i thought that thought that i thought :), a pizza delivery car drove by right in front of me. coincidence you might say? maybe. but i did ask for anything having to do with food, and that was something.

pretty cool if you ask me.

Psalm 46: 10. Be still, and know that I am God…

That's a difficult thing to do, don't you think? Be still, and know that I am God…
After you have done everything to equip yourself, "Stand firm." Perseverance is much more than endurance. Perseverance carries with it the assurance and certainty that what we are praying for will happen.
You might be saying, "But I prayed and prayed for my loved one, and they passed on anyway." And the thoughts always comes back, "What didn't I do, Lord?" "Did I not have the faith to believe?" And a hundred other questions seem to plague your heart with doubt.
Like Job, your friends will surround you and offer their condolences and help, but your answers must come from God. Your peace must come in the arms of a loving Lord. No friend, however close, can possibly answer your questions. Then one day, in an instant, the Lord gives that peace. The peace that assures that your loved one is truly in a better place.
These aren't "be warm and filled" words that haven't been lived out. Losing my mother 4 years ago and my dad just January 2 of 2010 grief has been a frequent companion. Dear friend, God can give you peace even when the storm doesn't go away the very first time you pray "peace, be still."
Be still. . .wait on the Lord. . .stand firm. . .and persevere.

now i thought nothing beat a cold shower when you're still hot and sweaty after a good long exercise, but i was wrong. nothing beats a good, cold shower after being hot and sweaty when you use that mint body wash from a certain hygiene company. seriously! it was like a tv commercial. i felt refreshed, rejuvenated and reinvigorated...wow, ok, that all sounds pretty pansy-like when i type it out like that, but the experience was worth sounding sissy for. ha, no regrets here.

A new missionary recruit went to Venezuela for the first time. He was struggling with the language and didn't understand a whole lot of what was going on. Intending to visit one of the local churches, he got lost, but eventually got back on track and found the place.
Having arrived late, the church was already packed. The only pew left was the one on the front row. So as not to make a fool of himself, he decided to pick someone out of the crowd to imitate. He chose to follow the man sitting next to him on the front pew. As they sang, the man clapped his hands, so the missionary recruit clapped too.
When the man stood up to pray, the missionary recruit stood up too. When the man sat down, he sat down. When the man held the cup and bread for the Lord's Supper, he held the cup and bread. During the preaching, the recruit didn't understand a thing. He just sat there and tried to look just like that man in the front pew.
Then he perceived that the preacher was giving announcements. People clapped, so he looked to see if the man was clapping. He was, and so the recruit clapped too.
Then the preacher said some words that he didn't understand and he saw the man next to him stand up. So he stood up too. Suddenly a hush fell over the entire congregation. A few people gasped. He looked around and saw that nobody else was standing. So he sat down.
After the service ended, the preacher stood at the door shaking the hands of those who were leaving. When the missionary recruit stretched out his hand to greet the preacher, the preacher said, in English, "I take it you don't speak Spanish."
The missionary recruit replied, "No, I don't. It's that obvious?"
"Well yes," said the preacher, "I announced that the Acosta family had a newborn baby boy and would the proud father please stand up."

the truth comes out.

i love seeing what people are up to! i don't comment too frequently on things directly on facebook, but i've called people and reconnected with old friends over some of the most trivial things that get posted to my feed through facebook. i'm a social person. i love people. i love to make connections, and isn't that what facebook is all about? so yeah, i'd love to be your friend on the social network giant that is Facebook!

will you be my friend? please?

Brett Ritchey | Create Your Badge

Me setting the middle section of the snowman up on his bottom.

Becca holding our snowman's head.

Our finished snowman. He had a soccer cone hat, carrot nose, almond mouth and yes...beenie weenie eyes and buttons. may he rest in peace.

1) To Save a Life: a movie with a message i wish i had seen ten years ago. how often do we as people, especially we as Christians, judge those around us? from the man standing with a cardboard sign at the on ramp from I-75, to the woman driving down the road in her Mercedes with the sticker to her gated community on the bumper of her SUV and head held high...maybe slightly higher than we think it should be. people need to be loved, and we as Christians should be the biggest bunch of beatles-esque, love-hippies out there.

2) The Book of Eli: a movie for discerning adults indeed, but touches on such a profound truth. God's Word is beautiful and valuable! God's Word is filled with so much heavenly wisdom, and on top of that is quite poetic, that it is really something we should cherish and allow it's words to influence us daily.

3) When In Rome: i could write romantic comedies for a living. seriously! i'm not afraid to admit Failure To Launch is one of my favorite movies, or that i even liked Sweet Home Alabama, but i could have told you the entire plot to this movie 10 minutes into the thing. come on now...really.

there's just something about that CD in your hands. the way the case slightly sticks to your hands when you take the cellophane wrapping off, the trick of unhinging the CD to get those pesky stickers off the edges and of course the pop of the CD as you pull it from it's holder and then looking through the booklet insert while reading the lyrics as you listen along.

this is the kind of stuff digital copies can never reproduce, the "unboxing" if you will. i've also started my vinyl collection in the past year...talk about a listening experience! you have to set aside time to listen to music then. you can't just pop in a CD or hook up your MP3 player. you've got to sit down, set it on the turntable just right and then be near the record player just in case it skips or anything. i love it. music should be experienced every now and then. not always just coldly downloaded and then listened to in the background of your day to day.

From L to R: Ted, Steve, Mike

we have been assured of our eternal salvation, as well as our
forever-home in heaven! not only that, but we'll be hanging out with
the coolest guy to ever walk the face of this earth, the one and only
God-man Jesus!...THE ORIGINATOR AND FACE OF LOVE!

Matthew 6:25-34 is a great part of the Bible to read if you struggle
with depression, anxiety or worry. sure, it doesn't specifically
address every situation that could cause someone to feel or grow
depressed, but there are over 150 BILLION adult birds on this planet at any one time and God provides for each of them every day! why wouldn't God spend time to provide for us in every way when we're his favorite creation? we, the same people who he sent his only son to pay the price for all of our sin, stupidity and evil.

God loves you. He loves me. this is something to be happy about!
it's when we recognize his love for us that we get so excited we can't
keep it in and have to share it. when we share God's love with others,
we're too busy to think about anything going on that could drag us down or depress us. every day is a gift of God's love, so never give up hope, daylight is coming!

(see what i did there? transitioning to the YouTube video below?)

“let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.”  A Puritan prayer

Every human being experiences valleys at one time or another during his or her life.  Even though as Christians we know God cares about our suffering, many of us wonder at times why He allows it.  I’m not very fond of valleys of suffering.  I’d rather spend my life in mountain top experiences.  And often, when I’ve gone through a season of suffering, it has been accompanied by many tears and questioning.

Sometimes my valleys are valleys of discouragement and loneliness.  Sometimes they are valleys that I’ve created as a result of my sin against God.  Other times they are valleys that I’ve been thrown into (losing my Dad, health issues, unexpected expenses, etc).  What matters most is not what type of valley we find ourselves in, but rather, what we do when we’re in the valley.  Do we complain, groan, and allow bitterness to enter our hearts?  Certainly, these are natural feelings.  But God can help us past these places.  He can restore our souls in the valleys of life.

The Puritan writer of the prayer above knew that God’s glory often shines the brightest in the valleys of darkness.  I think the reason for this is that as we stumble through valleys, we learn more of our own weakness.  We realize in a tangible way that we are unable to save ourselves or muster up the strength to fix our situations.  In the valleys of life, we learn that we need a Savior.  So, our response is to look up.  Look up to the One who planned your steps through this valley.  Look up to the One whose glory is shining through your weakness.  Look up to the Savior whose grace is greater than your sins, whose riches are infinitely more than your need, and who will never leave you hopeless in the valleys of life.  As we look up to Him, our hearts will grow in gratefulness for His goodness to us.

You restore my soul. You guide me in the path of righteousness for your name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.  Psalm 23:3-4

from drumming on overturned laundry baskets and bean bag chairs to Phil Collins, holding hands with my high school girlfriend to a Jars of Clay song or playing Rock Band with my college roommates to any number of songs, certain tunes are irreversibly woven into particular memories. i honestly don't think it can be helped!

it just goes to show me the power of music. how certain chords, intros or drumbeats can spark a memory i had long since forgotten about and bring it to mind so vividly. i find it amazing that God has allowed human beings to manipulate sounds into something that at times, is so divinely beautiful. it definitely reaffirms my belief daily in what J103 is doing. the power of music is evident not only in my life with the memories and emotions it evokes or brings back to mind, but also in the lives changed and souls saved that i get to hear about everyday at work.

i love my job!

...and boy do i love music.

TOP TEN BEST TRUE-LIFE NEWSPAPER HEADLINES
10. Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
9. British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
8. Eye Drops Off Shelf
7. Enraged Cow Injures Farmer With Ax
6. Stolen Painting Found by Tree
5. Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years in Checkout Counter
4. Deer Kill 17,000
3. Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
2. Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge
1. Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

the Sidewalk Prophets honestly were the biggest surprise for me. i did NOT expect them to rock as hard as they did. loved it! the Newsboys sounded great with Tait on lead vocals, and really enjoyed hearing him do an old school medley of past Newsboys hits. Fireflight filled the arena with their rock music and impressed me with their new single For Those Who Wait, and what i did get to hear of Third Day was like going back to that favorite childhood restaraunt and ordering your usual...it just 'felt' right.

now that WinterJam has come and gone, JFest will be the next big thing for us concert-wise at J103. one of the bands we're trying to get is one of my all time favorites too! not Jars of Clay (i wish!), but one of my other favorites. i'm definitely looking forward to it!

you've seen them swallow adult humans whole...

they now even have begun to absorb our four-legged pals...

SNUGGIES. they latch on to the front of people the world over, and now they have invaded the J103 office!!! i snapped this picture of our sales associate Joel Spivey mere seconds before this leopard Snuggie finished him off.

Honorable Mentions

Owl
City's Ocean Eyes has been my guilty pleasure of the year. catchy beats
and clever pop hooks drive Adam Young's infectious electronica, and
it's really no surprise the man of Owl City has seen so much mainstream
success this year. As well, the marriage of Jon Foreman from Switchfoot
and Sean Watkins from Nickel Creek produced one of my favorite albums
this year with Fiction Family's self-titled debut. Acoustic indie rock
with pop sensabilities, one can only hope the two men of Fiction Family
opt to recapture the sound of this album in it's follow-up someday.

STAND-OUTS: Owl City - Vanilla Twighlight, Fiction Family - When She's Near

5) Mat Kearney - City of Black and White

Gone are Mat Kearney's rap-laced indie rock songs, and in their
place, with the release of City of Black and White, are solid rock
songs with a folk twist. Touring from the success of Nothing Left To
Lose brought perspective and world music influences into a solid
musical follow up for the man from Nashville.

STAND-OUTS: Closer To Love, Lifeline

4) Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane

Their first album in what seems like forever, Switchfoot's
self-released Hello Hurricane packs a punch while maintaining their
sensitive side as well. Using the freedom that comes from putting the
album out themselves, they took their time with Hello Hurricane, and
the TLC that went into it is very apparent.

STAND-OUTS: Mess of Me, Your Love Is A Song

3) Jars of Clay - The Long Fall Back to Earth

My number 3 and number 2 are pretty interchangable, but i had to make a decision, and Jars of Clay's 8th full-length studio album landed at the #3 position. Capitilizing on their newfound independence and mixing in some 80's nostalgia, Jars of Clay produced The Long Fall with new perspective, and it really shines through on what has become one of my top 3 albums from one of my top 3 bands of all time.

STAND-OUTS: Boys (Lesson One), The Scenic Route

2) NEEDTOBREATHE - The Outsiders

Having been made aware of NEEDTOBREATHE after their album The Heat and the hit single Washed by The Water, the anticipation for their follow-up, The Outsiders, was huge. NEEDTOBREATHE exceeded those expectations and delivered an amazing album of what i like to call "back roads" rock (mixture between southern rock and that indie folk rock sound)! The duet with Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek (one of my all-time favorite bands) further cemented this album as one of my favorites of the year.

STAND-OUTS: Prisoner, The Outsiders

1) Relient K - Forget and Not Slow Down

Relient K's seventh full-length studio album is by far one of their best yet. Challenging MmHmm as my favorite of theirs', the entire CD carries the belief, that like the title of the album, there are things in life you can't do anything about, so you might as well accept that God is in control and move on with your life (lead singer Matt Theissen wrote most of the album after his fiance broke their engagement). This deeply personal collection of songs varies in emotions from tragic heartbreak to faithbound optimism, and was by far my favorite from 2009.

STAND-OUTS: Therapy, Sahara, Candlelight

Well there are my top 5 favorite albums of the year 2009. This is very much a personal list, and i'm sure yours is not the same at all. Feel free to let me know what CD's i should give a listen to from 2009 with your favorites from this year. i'd love to know what else i should be listening to before we start 2010!

We went to see my 88 year old Dad, my siblings and their children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren. What an amazing blessing it was.

Ironically the temperatures in Phoenix weren't much different that here in Chattanooga on Christmas week. Highs were in the upper 50's to low 60's and the overnight lows got down to near freezing. However, there was plenty of warmth. The warmth that can only come from a family sharing laughter, fond memories, a wealth of smiles and tears as well.

What I found is that the Arizona temperatures had nothing to do with the warmth that I experienced. It had everything to do with spending time with family. As we worshiped together celebrating the Incarnation I laid hold of what a great heritage I come from, and even more-so, how wonderful it is to know that as believers we have the entire family of God to call our family as well.

Linus does...

Merry Christmas! i hope your Christmas has been amazing, and please don't forget what it's all about.

talk about a white Christmas! we shut down schools, work and roadways at the first flake of snow down here, but those crazy New Yorkers were going about their daily business as foot after foot of snow fell. it was awesome! so now we had our family together for Christmas, all that was missing was the tree and decorations!

for our tree, we had to go with a real one since it didn't make sense to purchase a fake tree for this unusual Christmas in Syracuse, so we packed in the car and headed to the local tree farm. me and my brother threw snowballs at each other, and we ran through the thousands of trees at the farm searching for just the right one. after coming to a consensus on a quality tree, my dad had been given a saw from the tree-farmer and we cut the evergreen down there on the spot, and drug it through the snow as a family to be wrapped and placed on top of the car.

getting back to the apartment my dad was staying at, we unloaded the tree and set it up in a corner of the living room. here was the thing though. we didn't have any Christmas decorations to go on this beautiful, great-smelling Christmas tree! what to do??? well it just so happened that this was the Christmas that McDonalds was giving away 101 Dalmation happy meal toys to coincide with the release of the new live-action movie. do you know that all of those toys could double as a ornanment? i don't think my mom did either.

after much begging and pleading, my mom allowed me and my brother to 'decorate' the tree in black and white. the little puppies covered the tree from head to toe with the collection me and my brother had put together of these spotted dogs from the fast food giant. the theme was definitely different than what my mom was used to, but she was happy to have the family together...even if it was 800 miles away from home and with plastic dalmation puppies on our beautiful Christmas tree.

it wasn't so much the actual gift, which was awesome mind you, but the story leading up to it. a Super Nintendo cost $200 when it first came out, and me and my brother had been saving up for awhile only to have probably $30-40 between the two of us. we were told by our parents that it was too expensive of a gift for Santa to bring it to us on Christmas morning, so me and my brother determined it would take us 5 years, but we would eventually save up the money to get it ourselves.

that Christmas Eve, me and my brother had gone to bed even through the excitement of the anticipation of Christmas morning. for some reason, i woke up during the night and walked into our family room. there on our tv was the most glorious thing i'd ever seen. the 16-bit, colorful world of Super Mario Brothers as my dad sat in the floor 'testing the system out'. i sat down cross-legged next to my dad and watched him try a few levels, then felt my little heart about jump out of my chest as he let me take a turn at the controller for a little bit.

making me promise not to tell mom or my brother Daniel, i then had to go back to sleep knowing that there was a Super Nintendo wrapped up under the tree waiting for me. talk about not being able to relax and fall asleep!

i really to this day don't know if it was a big sacrifice for my parents to get that video game system for their 5 and 7 year old boys, but at the same time, what loving parents don't sacrifice for their kids all year round, but specifically this time of year. i will never forget though hanging out with my dad that Christmas Eve night playing that video game [probably because i think he's only played video games with me once since then :) ], but it's little bits of Christmas memories like that which really make me smile.

i challenge you this Christmas to give love and time rather than gaudy sweaters and fad-like toys. personally, i know there's a few people on my Christmas list now that will be getting something priceless and/or truly heartfelt rather than stuff they may or may not like/use/need/want.

StuffChristiansLike.net - #205. Frisbee - God's Favorite Sport

I can’t prove this, but I think Christians might be better at
frisbee than non-Christians. I know that doesn’t sound very scientific,
but it feels right. Roughly 94% of the Christians I know can really
throw the Frisbee well. They’re good at ultimate frisbee, can play disc
golf, and can even throw a pretty accurate flick or sidearm if you
will. The Christians that can’t throw the frisbee? Probably
backsliding.

I like to imagine Jesus and the disciples out on the shores of the
Galilee playing a game of ultimate frisbee. Robes would be flying,
beards flapping in the wind majestically as they all laughed and played
like that volleyball scene from the movie Top Gun. Of course, Jesus had
to play using “human rules.” He couldn’t have his throws go farther
using the holy spirit or walk on water to catch an errant pass. As the
“Sons of Thunder,” James and Jon would probably be body checking
everyone and of course Judas would be calling hand fouls left and right.

You’ve had that same thought too right? I’m not the only one am I? Maybe I’m weird.

there's plenty of other great posts on his blog, definitely check out the posts on 'side-hugs', 'always sitting in the same seat at church' and 'giving open flames to kids on Christmas eve'. good stuff!

i'm thankful for a wonderful lady which God has brought into my life, my beautiful girlfriend Becca. though i've not always been a pleasure to be around i'm sure, the young lady has stuck around and loves me unconditionally, and i know in her heart she wants to please God more than anything...an excellent quality for a future wife.

my friends are also worth praising. God has placed great Christian brothers in my life that i know pray for me, and would be by my side at a moment's notice were i to need them. friends like these are hard to come by, and i only hope that someday we'll be able to sit on the front porch of one of our houses and have a 'cutest grandbaby' competition in our old age.

lastly, but not 'leastly', i'm thankful for my J103 family. my coworkers are wonderful people who are in ministry for all the right reasons. though we're all human, i'm amazed at the group God has put together here at the station. the J103 listeners also amaze me on a day to day basis. financial support is definitely a large part of my gratitude to our listeners cause i know we wouldn't be here without you responding to God's prompting, but you have no idea the impact your testimonies have had on me. when i answer the phone to hear a story on how God used a song to change someone's life, that uplifts and encourages me so much. just as God uses a Casting Crowns song to bring someone through a rough patch in their life, God also uses the testimony of that person to minister to me as well. i love it!

so i'm very thankful for people. without family, friends, coworkers and J103 listeners, my life would be VERY Different than what it is today. i thank God for all of you daily, and hope you have an AMAZING Thanksgiving.

TOLD YA THEY WERE AFTER ME!

i killed him though. killed him good.

this Saturday i get to play ultimate frisbee with some of those friends of mine in a 'Turkey Tournament' as it's called. it's a great time for us to get out and run around together and just have fun, plus there's a killer dinner that night that rocks my socks off.

these are some of the times i look forward to most, hanging out with friends and loved ones and just relaxing...whether that's running around all day long throwing a frisbee, or watching movies by the fire...to quote Julie Andrews, 'These are a few of my favorite things!'