The Morning Show with Mike & Susan

I love Sharathons.  KSBJ’s Sharathon is an amazing time of seeing God working in the daily work of this station every single day…and especially during those three days when we look to you to get the money it takes to make the ministry here work on the air and in our community.  I don’t know that most of us think of it, but God is doing the same sort of thing for stations all around the country. 

This last week I got to help out with the Sharathon for KSWP and KAVX in Lufkin.  These two little stations were look for 115,000 dollars to run both of the stations for the next year.  Doesn’t sound like much, but when you look at the way people have been looking at the current economic climate - or at least the climate forecast anyway- you can imagine some people were a little concerned about letting go of their money to promise for the station.  But I have to tell you…God Showed Up!  Just like He does for us here at KSBJ.  I was concerned about the financial side of things for a couple of days…wondering and concerned about the numbers that I didn’t think were going up as fast as I thought they should.  I thought they should…God wasn’t concerned at all.  He knew all along that He was working in the middle of all of what we were working to do..and He knew how it would all end.  And what an ending it was…that last day the calls came in steadily not like some huge phone blitz like we sometimes experience at KSBJ on the last day.  This was a steady call after call when people were able to do 10 to 30 to 100 dollars a month and that added up until we found ourselves seeing the end in site.  We also found ourselves seeing God working.  Sometimes we expect it all to be the big whirlwinds or fires of life - the last minute saves that have the crowd on it’s feet that are so spectacularly obviously God’s work.  But this week…I saw a still small voice whispering over and over in the beautiful voice of God…I’m here, I’m working, I’m going to give the victory and I’m going to be glorified!  WOW!  Whirlwind, fire or still small voice…it’s so fun when God shows up! He’s always so faithful, but somehow I feel the joy of surprise every time He does!

Twitter is a great networking tool and a fun, quick way to keep your friends updated on your day. However, can Twitter actually help you become a better person? Tony Hsieh is CEO of Zappos.com, the largest online shoe store - which grossed an astounding $1 BILLION last year. Hsieh is an avid Twitterer – his company uses the site for building more personal connections between employees and with customers. In fact, Zappos recently debuted on Fortune magazine’s annual “100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR” list. The article began and ended by talking about Zappos’s innovative use of Twitter and while Hsieh says this networking tool has huge business benefits, it’s also helped him grow personally. Here’s how:

• Transparency & values. Twitter begs the question, “What would you do differently if you were always being watched?” Hsieh has more than 200,000 people reading his tweets, so he is always being watched. If you were being constantly monitored, would you be friendlier and less judgmental? Hsieh says he’s constantly reminded of who he wants to be, and what he wants his company to stand for. He puts forth that image and message in his Twitter interactions.
• Reframing reality. Hsieh says he’s found that almost every “bad” situation is really an opportunity to entertain his followers with a clever post, which also forces him to view reality in a funnier, more constructive way. For example, when he got locked out of his hotel room on a business trip, he posted this message via his phone: “Went 2 my room after my speech, came out 2 balcony. Balcony door somehow locked behind me so now I am trapped outside.” He says the experience ended up being an enjoyable 45 minutes because of his followers’ responses to the situation.
• Gratitude. Hsieh says that anytime he notices something that would normally be inconsequential, the very act of tweeting forces him to spend some time appreciating what would have otherwise been ignored or forgotten. Because of that, he’s learned that every day, there are many opportunities to notice and appreciates the little things in life.

When it comes to love, the nuggets of wisdom you may have heard over the years aren’t always true – look at what we found  at Real Simple magazine.

• When you meet The One, it’ll be love at first sight.  NOPE not too likely…it takes time for love to develop… For some people, physical chemistry plays such a big role at the outset, that it’s mistaken for love at first sight. But genuine emotion develops gradually. You can’t truly love someone unless you know them – and that takes time.  And lots of prayers too!
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• Belief #2: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.  MAYBE - a little absence can help you appreciate your partner, but too much is dangerous. You need a steady stream of face-to-face intimacy to remember why you’re in the relationship.
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• Belief #3: Play hard to get.  According to Greg Behrendt, the co-author of He’s Just Not That Into You, says it’s not about playing hard to get – you should truly be hard to get, by having a life that’s already busy and fulfilling. Behrendt calls it being a MOD – a Moving Object of Desire. Pretending you’re hard to get starts the romance off on a deceptive foot, and if you want a relationship to be based on trust, honesty and communication – this isn’t the way to get it.  

My five and a half month old Boxer puppy, Budreaux (Boo) took his first puppy class this past weekend.  The class concentrated on the first thing we needed to teach our pups.  “Watch me!”  At the command, the puppy is supposed to stop or leave whatever they are doing and turn their eyes to the eyes of their master.

We’re still working on it with Boo because like many young boxer pups he is very excitable…hopping all over the place and getting into anything and everything he can.  But he’s getting better at responding to “Boo, Watch me!!” 

Working on that with Boo I realized that God must feel that way about me fairly often.  He probably wants to just shout “Susie, Watch me!”  I know when Peter walked on the water as long as he had his eyes on Jesus he was fine…but when he turned his eyes to the waves he began to sink…I can hear it..”Peter, Watch me!”  Keeping our eyes on Christ is the way we’re supposed to be able to stay out of trouble…to be making progress and making our life along the path God has for us.  Do you hear it sometimes too…that sound of His voice…”watch me!”

New research shows that the color of your clothing may be more important than you think. The right color could help you land a job, make more friends, or even improve your relationship! Consider this intel from color expert Dewey Sadka and Woman’s World magazine.

• To boost your odds of landing a job: Wear green. Surveys show that most people associate the color green with confidence, wealth and money! Green also makes people feel comfortable. In fact, studies show that the greens that are found in nature lower blood pressure and heart rate, and whenever your heart rate slows down, so do your brain waves – which instantly shifts you into a more relaxed frame of mind. So take advantage of this science by wearing green to a job interview, or while applying for a loan.
• To feel more empowered: Wear purple. Throughout history, purple’s been the color most people associate with royalty. However, new research shows that it’s also the rarest color to appear in nature and it stimulates an area of our brain associated with imagination! That’s why people who wear purple are often viewed as being more mysterious and interesting.
• To get more respect: Wear navy blue. There’s a reason navy is the chosen color for authority figures – like police officers, airline pilots, and military officials. It’s the color people most often associate with dependability and loyalty! So wearing navy blue will give people the impression that you’re trustworthy.
• However, if you’d rather comfort people: Wear powder blue. Brain scans show that this specific shade of blue triggers the production of melatonin – the brain chemical that regulates sleep and relaxation. So someone who sees you wearing powder blue will instantly feel more at ease around you.
• Finally, to boost your relationship: Wear red. Research shows that seeing the color red triggers excitement hormones, which can speed up your heart rate and raise your body temperature. Recent studies found that people who wear red are perceived as more attractive. So, on your next date, go ahead and wear that red sweater.

If you want to look younger, all you’ve got to do is go grocery shopping. Here are foods that can help you look younger – no operation required, courtesy of MSN.

• If you want younger looking skin, eat more cherries and blueberries. They’re full of antioxidants, which decrease aging and disease by lowering inflammation. Antioxidants also increase collagen production and thicken the skin – making you look younger and healthier. Other foods that contain antioxidants include blackberries, raspberries, plums, pomegranates, cranberries, kiwis, and blood oranges.
• The next foods to add to your grocery list if you want younger looking hair: Meat and cheese. As you age, your hair and skin cells become damaged, making you look older. The protein in foods like meat, low-fat cheese, and cottage cheese promotes cell growth and repair – which’ll help you have younger-looking skin and fewer wrinkles. It’ll also help your hair – you’ll lose less of it and it’ll be shinier. You can also try lentils and soybeans – they contain more protein than any other legume.
• The next anti-aging food is for your teeth: Crunchy vegetables. Like celery, carrots, string beans, and cauliflower. They contain cellulose – a compound which helps scrub stains from your teeth. Crunchy vegetables are especially helpful when it comes to recent stains. So if your meal contained blueberries, coffee, red wine - or something else that could stain your teeth – follow it up with something crunchy. Like an apple or cucumber slices.
• One more food that’ll help you look younger with fewer wrinkles: Egg yolks. They contain vitamin A – which is especially important for skin repair. In fact, a lack of Vitamin A may cause your skin to heal poorly and wrinkle easily. Other Vitamin A sources include whole-milk dairy products, and – if you’re up for it – liver. Also, eat more broccoli. It contains beta-carotene, which your body converts to Vitamin A as needed. Other good sources of beta-carotene are carrots, apricots, plums, cantaloupe, and nectarines.

Bruce Matthews - Hall of Famer and former Houston Oiler was on the show  to talk about his big Golf Tournament to help out the FCA - Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  We’re giving away autographed footballs too!  If you want to hear the interview with Bruce, check out the audio on our Media Gallery this page.

There’s a road near the radio station.  I take it as a shortcut to get to Kingwood fairly often.  about a half mile down that road on the right side is a little barn like building and in front of that old barn is an old (very old) tractor.  I’m not even sure that tractor works any more…but sitting on that tractor is a stuffed mannequin.  He looks like an old man sitting on the tractor. Now here’s the weird part that means so much to me…..every holiday or time of year someone dresses that mannequin in holiday gear…like for St Patrick’s day he was dressed in the green with shamrock headset. At Christmas he was riding a snowmobile and dressed like Santa…for Valentine’s  Day - hearts and flowers back on the tractor.

Okay, now here’s the thing…as weird as that seems to others, I’ve noticed that I love that little old man mannequin and I look forward to what the someone who dresses him will do with him.  It’s a random act of kindness to do this weird little thing!  They don’t know what that little bit of humor and fun does for the people that pass it yet, they are faithful to do it!    It’s weird to some but it means so much to some of us that sometimes drive by it just needed a smile . Thank you SOMEONE who performs this random act of weird kindness.

The President held his second news conference during prime time last night and he says the nation is making progress in our economy and although he says it’s a long and rough road ahead, we’re moving in the right direction.

He’s been a cop in Conroe for more than 20 years but this week, he’s facing that long in prison.  A Veteran cop in Conroe has been charged with bank robbery.  He allegedly robbed the bank where he worked as a Security Guard on his off days.  Co-workers recognized him.

the shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station are separating this afternoon after 8 days of being docked as astronauts build new solar power arrays on the station and they even did some plumbing – repairing the wastewater system.

The Red light cameras have been clicking away and there is more than 40 million dollars that has come in over the past two years…Houston is leading the way for all of the cities with the cameras…BUT that money was supposed to help regional trauma centers and it’s still not been spent.  There’s some red tape at the legislative level that has held up the transfer of the money to the hospitals.

The Art of Harmony — Eco Project is looking for Houston and Southwestern Texas high school artists and the deadline to enter is next Tuesday.  High schools have already received entry applications.  The competition is for ninth through 12th graders and will offer prizes of savings bonds and money.  A dozen winning entries will go on public display including at malls, museums and libraries.  Wal-Mart stores have more information or call 1-800-556-6754. 

The Texas Board of Education will vote this week on new science curriculum standards that could change how evolution is taught in schools.  The school board will hear from the public today on amendments passed in January that would require teachers and textbooks in the Lone Star State to teach the “weaknesses” or “insufficiency” of the theory of evolution.  A final vote is expected Friday.

It may help some high school students get into the University of Texas..there’s a new bill that would help those students NOT in the top 10 percent of their graduating class…the senate voted to let universities limit admissions under the top ten percent law to just 60 percent of their incoming freshman class…that way they’d have more control over the other 40 percent of the incoming class.

You’ve heard there is an Iphone ap for anything…this proves it!!

IPhone users everywhere can now enjoy famed US Airways pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger on their phone.  According to The Unofficial Apple Weblog or, www.tuaw.com, Apple’s iPhone has added an application that will allow users to reenact “Sully’s” heroic plane landing after the plane’s engine malfunctioned when it struck a flock of birds.  Just like that memorable day in January, the app will allow iPhone owners to “land a plane” in New York’s Hudson River with simulated conditions.  The simulation even features the actual audio communication between US Airways Flight 1549 and air traffic control.  The “Sully” application can be purchased for just 99-cents.