The Morning Show with Mike & Susan

So this week I went with my daughter and two of our friends to the Nutcracker Market at the Reliant Arena…it’s shopping on steroids!   But, while we were looking through all of the booths and stopping to taste everything that had a crowd in front of it!  We were having a blast!

While we were walking aisle after aisle we found ourselves singing (and dancing) along with the traditional Christmas music that was being piped in - before you know it our quartet was singing out to the smiles and stares of the people around us. 

It felt like Christmas…all of the decorations that were up and then the music!  It reminded me of the way you feel as a little child when the season is beginning.  I FELT Christmas!  The anticipation, and the fun and childlike sense of excitement….it was the music!

I know that the girls that were with me were feeling it too…because we were all singing out like we didn’t care who heard or saw us having fun!  We laughed and we danced and we acted like kids! I loved it.  Traditional Christmas songs were blasting away like White Christmas, Let it Snow Let it Snow….Holly Jolly Christmas. 

It made me think about the music that KSBJ will begin playing the day after Thanksgiving.  It makes you feel in the Christmas spirit…reminds you of Christmases when you were a child.  It sticks with you…and you stick with it!  That’s the whole reason why we play the music we play from Thanksgiving through Christmas…it attracts people and they stay because it FEELS like Christmas and because of that they STAY…and when they stay we get the chance to tell them exactly WHO Christmas is all about. 

I’m praying that the people who come to KSBJ for the Christmas music will stay for the More CHRISTmas we can offer…because we know Jesus is the Reason for the Season.  When you know not just that he’s the reason for the season…but when you KNOW HIM!  Oh! what a feeling!!

daddy n Ryan

Tigger!

My grandkids are just the cutest…..Baby Ryan is 3 months and the cutest Tigger ever

I love to walk past piles of pumpkins! Whether they are in a field, on a pallet at my grocery store or sitting on the neighbor’s front steps! It makes me feel like Fall - like the holidays are coming!  It makes me think that it’s cooler even when it’s still hot! The look of Fall is enough for  me to make me FEEL Autumn!

I grew up in the North - about this time of year the fields were filled with drying corn and corn stalks! The wind would blow across a field and there would be a sound of the leaves clicking together - I can’t describe the sound to you now but it was what I would fall asleep to on an Autumn night….it heralded harvest! Now, just walking by the pumpkins and displays with the dried maze trigger my memories - I can almost smell the smells and feel the cool of it all. I love this season!

I love Christmas, so don’t misunderstand when I say I don’t like it when people jump right past the pumpkins and fall  decorations and leap straight into Christmas!  I want the seasons…I want to enjoy this Autumn Harvest season and what it means.  It means that the planting, the wait and the tending of the crops has proven to be faithful and it’s time now to gather in! I love that! I don’t want to jump past it!  It’s important for us all to understand what the harvest represents! 

We don’t live in an agronomist society like we used to.  We used to depend on the seasons for what determined what our work was, what our food was and what our focus became!  In the spring…it was about planting….and then tending and over the summer it was the waiting, tending and watering…then in the Fall - Harvest!  It taught us about so much of life by following the seasons…we learned that what you plant doesn’t immediately give you a result…that you have to be willing to tend it even when it isn’t yielding fruit for months…we learned that you have to fertilize and water it over and over again even while you are not allowed to reap the good of it yet.  We learned that even at harvest there is a time to pluck up…but if you try to take it too early it will not be ripe enough and wait too long and it’s ruined in the field…You learn that without careful tending bugs can move in and destroy what you’ve planted…birds will try and take away your harvest if you don’t protect it.  This season of Harvest is so important as a lesson that God even used it for us in Ecclesastes.

Our seasons are sometimes long-sometimes short - in life too…but if we work at jumping over the seasons, short changing them so to speak,  we will miss the lessons to be learned in them.  I know that there have been seasons in my life that I have wanted to be over with ASAP! But looking back on those seasons I’ve discovered if I had rushed through or jumped over that season, I would have missed what I had to learn in that place of my life!

Seasons! there are reasons that we have them in our life…we need to experience them!  Not rush through them or ignore them to jump into the next season - You know what I mean?!

BONUS PICTURES OF BABY RYAN!!!

Here are the Bonus Baby photos of my grandson Ryan…he’s a little over two months old now and growing way too fast!!  The picture of him “wired up” was taken when he had to go to the Pediatric Cardiologist for his heart murmer….great news is doctor says he’s fine! 

The other pictures were taken the weekend Nana got to go hang with him after he turned 2 — months!

The Baby has a heart murmer - and this is a picture of him and his daddy at the cardiologist getting some tests down…all of the wires are hard from Nana to look at…but look how sweet he is - and look at how good daddy is with Baby Ryan!  How precious is that!

I got a letter recently, it was from a listener who was unhappy with me about the way I handle certain things on the show.  I answered her back and we actually had a nice exchange. 

But, that letter got me thinking…are we aware of how we appear to other people? I never would have thought someone thought of me as she and (she said) her husband thought of me.  I believed that I came off as fun loving but caring and encouraging.  Believed I was talking about my life to encourage others and that everyone knew I meant well. 

So, I began first to wonder, how do other people see me - and then I started thinking about how other people see US as Christians.

I was reading some comments that were on a news story on the web recently  - people commenting on a story that had to do with Christians getting together to do something for our city.  What could possibly be negative in their comments - right!?  Wrong!  It was so disheartening to read what they thought of us as Christians.  Now, they are people that don’t believe what we believe - but that wasn’t what they were talking about - it was about us as people! How we act and interact with others.  According to a number of people, we don’t work and play well with others….

We were described as angry, judgemental people.  I was hurt to read it…but began to wonder, is there some reason that they are getting that picture of us?  Are we walking in our daily life as representatives of Jesus?

I read an article about restaurants that talked about wait staff not wanting to wait on people dressed up after church on Sunday because they are the most demanding, hard to please and worst tippers!  OUCH!  I’ve witnessed and heard  even in the parking lot at church before and after Bible Studies and services that people are rude to each other - won’t let people in and act like it’s a competition to get out first!  We’re still in the church parking lot! 

Are we treating the wait staff at the restaurant after church with respect and like people that just came from the presence of the Lord?  Are we bullying our way through the parking lot or traffic?  When we discuss issues in news and politics are we speaking with grace?  Even as passionate on issues and beliefs that we may be - we’re still supposed to be compassionate, caring, and giving. 

I’m aware  sometimes you can do your best and people still assume what they will - that’s not what I’m talking about…I’m wondering how much of the fact that people see us (Christians) as judgemental and hard to please is something we’re earning.  We’re supposed to be the only Bible some people read - the representative of Jesus (The Light of the World) how are we doing?

I love the chance to go to other areas and work with Christian radio.  I was a little North of here working with a station for their Sharathon last week when I was off the air here.

It’s always an experience to go somewhere else - and to meet different people who do what we do, but slightly differently.  To see audiences that are not KSBJ audiences and how they love their stations too, reminds me that Christian radio is a great ministry across the country!

But, I also admit, I missed KSBJ’s audience.  I missed getting up in the morning and hanging with you.  I love the inner-action with those of you who call.  I get a kick out of reading the emails that come into the studio.  You all are so smart!  Funny too!  While I always enjoy the chance to stretch and learn at another station - I also look forward to coming back home. 

It’s like going to visit family that you love.  People that you truly enjoy spending time with and that are a big part of your life….but, then when you head back…it’s that feeling of coming home!  You know, sleeping in your own bed (in this case - working in our own studios) - eating your own food (in this case it’s coffee and popcorn in the morning) and having the immediate family around you! 

Please be praying for the stations I worked with, they are still hoping to get the rest of their needed operating monies and money to replace two very old and outdated transmitters that can keep them on the air. 

That said, I’m happy to be back home.

I’m going to head a little North this week - I’m going to be working with another station on their Sharathon.  I’m going to miss KSBJ but am honored to have the chance to help other stations with their ministry. 

Although I’m going to be gone I couldn’t resist leaving you with a new picture of my baby Ryan and me (Nana) …we went to an Astros game!

  His first and my favorite!

 This is my “adopted” granddaughter Corrie and her daddy (cousin IT) and we’re at her first Astros game!  We had a blast…the last game of the season for the Strohs but the first game of a life for Corrie Grace.

Baby Ryan is growing up so fast - a month early and not quite 6 pounds - he’s making up for it now up to over ten pounds….but it’s ten pounds of precious!

We’ve been talking about wearing a name tag - and someone said it’s sort of like putting a fish on the back of your car, you have to drive like a Christian after that.  She even told us her husband won’t put the fish on his truck because he has road rage!  Someone else mentioned wearing Christian slogan shirts.  It got me thinking!

This week I wore my KSBJ staff shirts every day during our seminars in Orlando.  They have the God listens emblazoned on them….you can’t miss the logo.  We even joked about the fact that we had to be extra good since we were wearing the KSBJ shirts - okay, we were kidding (sort of) but I got to thinking….I am thinking about how careful we have to be if we have the fish on our car or  we are wearing Christian t-shirts, WWJD bracelets and then it hit me!

I am supposed to put on Christ every day.  I am supposed to wear HIM where ever I go.  Am I the only one that forgets it sometimes?  When I’m waiting in a line and someone jumps ahead, do I forget I am supposed to be wearing Christ (even if I don’t have on a sloganed shirt) and I react.  Sometimes when I’m in a traffic situation and it’s not pretty - I don’t think about the fact that even though there is no fish attached to my bumper - I am supposed to be riding with Christ and representing Him even in Houston traffic.  But, Maybe I am the only one.

I sat at the table where we had talked about our shirts representing the station and found myself feeling guilty that I sometimes care more about my Christian actions when I’m representing my ministry in the clothing with the logo than when I’m just dressed in “civilian clothes”.  Shouldn’t I always be wearing Christ (Galatians 3:27).   I don’t always wear Him well.  I’m sure sometimes it would be better if I were wearing someone else’s logo….but as a Christian I have His grace to get a start over. 

So, I’m starting over with this whole thing.  Whether I’m wearing a KSBJ shirt, a christian sloganed t-shirt or just standing there in jeans and a shirt - I’m going to do a better job of knowing I am wearing Christ - and I may be the only earthly image of Him that the people around me will meet up with today…so, I need to do it better!  Am I the only one?

I want to tell you what I brought back from Florida that I want to use all of the time…..but first…couldn’t resist… Here’s the best picture of my little baby grandson, Ryan.

It

I got it while I was in Florida - at Disney - they call it a Fast Pass.  For us, it was a pink arm band that meant that while we were in the park if we wanted to go on a ride that had a long line we could show the band and there was a special line that zipped right through and we were in it! Now it didn’t mean that we could jump in front of other people - it was a totally different line that took you right to the front! I have refused to take mine off my arm!

Now, I know that I’m not in the park any more but I’m hoping that we can get people to recognize the idea of a fast pass in other areas of life!  Can you imagine using a Fast Pass at the grocery store on a Saturday or the Post Office (pretty much any day!) Maybe for seating at a restaurant on a Friday night or Sunday after church? There’s a huge line - you hold up your pink arm band and Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip! you are in the front! 

Now, in the Disney park, people don’t get mad about the Fast Pass people getting ahead because they know that they have paid for the privilege to Fast Pass….so, it’s not like you’re leaving angry people in the wake of your Fast Pass through.  See!? I love this.

I’m not taking my Fast Pass band off - I’m thinking it could make life a lot easier!!

I will be in Orlando, Florida this week for a national seminar.  I am excited about the work to be done - but also excited that it’s right in the middle of Mickey land - the hotel where the seminars are being held is a Disney hotel.  I haven’t been there since I was a kid.  I grew up going to Disneyland in California about every other year as we would visit my aunt who lived so close to the place that we stood in her yard every night for fireworks! But, I’ve never been at Disney World for more than four hours. 

Seriously! I was traveling in a singing group for the college I attended and they promised us that after a week of living in the back of a bus and eating bologna sandwiches two meals a day - that we would stop at Disney on the way home…we did - but we only had four hours - mmmm I remember alot of running and getting to go to two rides. 

We’re attending the Night of Joy - this weekend - it’s a christian band night with all kinds of KSBJ artists and lots of radio people from around the country.  I’m thinking it sounds like the concerts we used to have when AstroWorld was still here! 

I guess the thing that surprises me the most about this trip - is just how excited I am about being at Disney!  I’m like a kid! I don’t know what I think will happen - but I’m excited that something really cool will happen…like we will get off of the plane and Goofy and Minnie Mouse will be there to greet us…take our hands and skip off across the airport toward a bus with big ears  with music playing and flowers flying through the air….we get to the bus, and when the door opens - Mickey Mouse is the driver!!  The whole bus is filled with Pirates and characters from Disney movies I grew up with as a child…the small world kids are dancing in the aisles and Donald duck and his nephews are carrying our luggage to the hotel…and when we get there - we’ll have a bed up in the trees like the Swiss family Robison! 

Okay…..probably not…but it’s fun to dream.  ….See ya Monday!