Spirit-FM's Fred Young (Weekdays, 2:00pm - 5:30pm)

Family in Need...

2008-10-08T14:07:00.003-06:00

There have been so many times that our Spirit-FM family has risen up to care for those with immediate needs. This is one of those times when I pray you will be able to help out. I received an email about a family with immediate needs following a house fire. Here is a list of things they could use to get back on their feet:

A Couch
A Dinner table (Hopefully to fit a family of 7)
2 single beds (for girls if it makes a difference)
Bedding (single size beds, one queen size)
Bathroom items
Small kitchen appliances, like a toaster, coffee maker, can opener,
etc. (major appliances are taken care of)
Clothes Hangers
Shelves
Any storage type containers for the kitchen
6 interior doors

And if anyone is willing to help donate for paint products or flooring
products, it would be a MAJOR blessing!

The family told me that they do not need fancy things - they would appreciate any and all offers!!

If you can help out in any way, please email me: fred@spiritfm.org or call me at the Spirit-FM Studio...800-606-3299. Thank you so much for your help, my Spirit-FM family!!!

His,

-Fredly.

Expiration Checkup...

2008-10-08T11:03:00.002-06:00

Certain items in your house practically scream “toss me” when their prime has passed. That mysterious extra white layer on the Cheddar? A sure sign it needs to be put out of its misery. Chunky milk? Down the drain it goes - the following are expiration dates of everyday items:

Brown sugar - Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moisture proof container in a cool, dry place.

Chocolate (Hershey bar) - 1 year from production date

Coffee, canned ground - Unopened: 2 years Opened: 1 month refrigerated

Coffee, gourmet - Beans: 3 weeks in paper bag, longer in vacuum-seal bag (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Ground: 1 week in sealed container

Coffee, instant - Unopened: Up to 2 years Opened: Up to 1 month

Diet soda (and soft drinks in plastic bottles) - Unopened: 3 months from "best by" date. Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected.

Dried pasta - 12 months

Frozen dinners - Unopened: 12 to 18 months

Frozen vegetables - Unopened: 18 to 24 months Opened: 1 month

Honey - Indefinite shelf life

Juice, bottled (apple or cranberry) - Unopened: 8 months from production date
Opened: 7 to 10 days

Ketchup - Unopened: 1 year (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.) Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Maple syrup, real or imitation - 1 year

Maraschino cherries - Unopened: 3 to 4 years Opened: 2 weeks at room temperature; 6 months refrigerated

Marshmallows - Unopened: 40 weeks Opened: 3 months

Mayonnaise - Unopened: Indefinitely Opened: 2 to 3 months from “purchase by” date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Mustard - 2 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Olives, jarred (green with pimento) - Unopened: 3 years Opened: 3 months

Olive oil - 2 years from manufacture date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Peanuts - Unopened: 1 to 2 years unless frozen or refrigerated Opened: 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container

Peanut butter, natural - 9 months

Peanut butter, processed (Jif) - Unopened: 2 years Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months

Pickles - Unopened: 18 months Opened: No conclusive data. Discard if slippery or excessively soft.
Protein bars (PowerBars) - Unopened: 10 to 12 months. Check "best by" date on the package.

Rice, white - 2 years from date on box or date of purchase

Salad dressing, bottled - Unopened: 12 months after "best by" date Opened: 9 months refrigerated

Soda, regular - Unopened: In cans or glass bottles, 9 months from "best by" date
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected

Steak sauce - 33 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Tabasco - 5 years, stored in a cool, dry place

Tea bags (Lipton) - Use within 2 years of opening the package

Tuna, canned - Unopened: 1 year from purchase date Opened: 3 to 4 days, not stored in can

Soy sauce, bottled - Unopened: 2 years Opened: 3 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

Vinegar 42 months - Wine (red, white) Unopened: 3 years from vintage date; 20 to 100 years for fine wines Opened: 1 week refrigerated and corked

Worcestershire sauce - Unopened: 5 to 10 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.) Opened: 2 years

This was just TOO funny not to share!

2008-07-07T12:35:00.001-06:00

How To Know When You Are Ready For Parenthood…

MESS TEST: Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Now rub your hands in the wet flower bed and rub on the walls. Cover the stains with crayons. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.

TOY TEST: Obtain a 55-gallon box of LEGOs. (If LEGOs are not available, you may substitute roofing tacks or broken bottles.) Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream (this could wake a child at night).

GROCERY STORE TEST: Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop at the grocery store. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.

DRESSING TEST: Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff it into a small net bag making sure that all arms stay inside.

FEEDING TEST: Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill it halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a stout cord. Get the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal (such as Fruit Loops or Cheerios) into the mouth of the jug while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.

NIGHT TEST: Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8 to 12 pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 8 PM begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9 PM. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 PM. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing them until 4:00 AM. Set alarm for 5:00 AM. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.

PHYSICAL TEST (WOMEN): Obtain a large beanbag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 mo. Now remove 10% of the beans.

PHYSICAL TEST (MEN): Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.

FINAL ASSIGNMENT: Find a couple who already has a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their child's discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training, and table manners. Suggest many things they can improve as well. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run riot. Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you'll have all the answers.

Just because it doesn't make the show, doesn't mean it's not funny...

2008-07-01T11:03:00.002-06:00

Thought I'd share some things today that might not make the show, but they sure have put a smile on my face - and you might even be able to relate a little bit. I sure love you, and am glad that you have allowed my family to be a part of yours! Have a truly blessed day!

-Fredly.

(And now - on to the silliness!)

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"Bath Note"

Dear Kids,

Don't be alarmed, the world isn't coming to an end. I am simply taking a bath. It will take about thirty minutes and will involve soap and water. Yes, I know how to swim. Even if I didn't, forcing myself to drown in a half-inch of lukewarm water is more work than I've got energy for. (Which reminds me, I'm all for science projects, but the next time you want to see if Play-Doh floats, use cold water.)

Don't panic if I'm not out right on time. I've heard that people don't dissolve in water and I'd like to test the theory. While I'm in the tub, I'd like you to remember a few things. The large slab of wood between us is called a door. Do not bang to hear my voice. I promise that even though you can't see me, I *am* on the other side. I'm not digging an escape tunnel and running for the border, no matter what I said a while ago. I didn't mean it. Honest. There will be plenty of time later to tell me about your day.

"Later" means at a time when I am no longer naked, wet, and contemplating bubble gum in the blow dryer. I know you have important things to tell me. Please let one of them be that you have invented a new way to blow bubbles, not a new way to add gum to your hair.

Believe it or not, shouting, "TELEPHONE!" through the closed bathroom door will *not* make the phone stop ringing. Answer it and take a message. Since Amazing Mind-Reading Mom has the day off, you'll need to write that message down. Use paper and a pencil. Do not use your brother and the laundry marker. We can't send him to school with telephone number tattoos.

Water makes me wet, not deaf. I can still tell the difference between the sound of "nothing" and the sound of a child playing the piano with a basketball. I can also hear you tattling at the top of your lungs. I'm *choosing* NOT to answer you.

Don't call your dad at work and tell him I am unconscious in the bathroom. He didn't appreciate it last time. He won't appreciate it more this time. Trust me.

No matter how much I would like it, water does not make me forgetful. I remember who you are and why you are grounded. No, you can't go to Shelby's house to play. No, you can't go to Shelby's house to use the bathroom. If someone is in our other bathroom, you will just have to think dry thoughts and wait. Unless you have four feet and a tail, do not think of going outside to "water" the lawn. I know the dog does it. The neighbors don't feel the need to call me when the dog does it.

Unless the house catches on fire, stay inside and keep the doors locked. Do not go outside and throw rocks at the bathroom window to get my attention. I know it works in the movies. This is reality, the place where people don't like to sit in a tub while rocks and broken glass rain in on them. Do not set the house on fire. Call me if there is an emergency.

Emergencies ARE:

1. Dad has fallen off the roof.
2. Your brother and/or sister is bleeding.
3. There's a red fire truck in front of our house.

Emergencies are NOT:

1. Dad has fallen asleep.
2. Someone on TV is bleeding.
3. There's a red pickup truck in front of our house.

One other thing: Being forced to use the last roll of toilet paper for a towel does not make me happy. It makes me sticky with little white polka dots. In the future, when the tub overflows, use a mop to clean up the water instead of every towel in the house. For my sanity's sake, let's pretend it was the tub, Okay? No, I don't want to hear the real story. Ever. Especially not while I'm standing in the pool of water you missed.

By the way, all Play-Doh experiments are hereby canceled.

Be good. Entertain yourselves. Yes, you can do both at the same time. Try coloring, playing a game, or paying that stack of bills on the coffee table.

I'll be out soon. Maybe.

Love,

Your Mom

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”Flying Star”

It seems that a young man volunteered for military service during World War II.

He had such a high aptitude for aviation that he was sent right to Pensacola skipping boot camp. The very first day at Pensacola he solos and is the best flier on the base. All they could do was give him his gold wings and assign him immediately to an aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

On his first day aboard he took off and single-handedly shot down 6 Japanese Zeroes. Then climbing up to 20,000 ft. he found 9 more Japanese planes and shot them all down, too. Noting that his fuel was getting low, he descended, circled the carrier and came in for a perfect landing on the deck. He threw back the canopy, climbed out and jogged over to the captain.

Saluting smartly he said, "Well sir, how did I do on my very first day?"

The captain turned around, bowed, and replied, "Ahh soo, you only make one velly impoltant mistake!"

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Okay - I can't make them ALL funny - read this, and think on it a little bit!

In the Old Testament book of Malachi 3:3 we read: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith,
'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?'

He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Pass this on right now. This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over him or her; and, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end.

'Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once.'

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Have a blessed day, and catch you next time!

-Fredly.

Happy Wednesday! Welcome to the Summer heat!

2008-06-25T11:26:00.002-06:00

Whew! I'm glad that I'm shedding pounds - it's hot out there! I know - I'm whining, and we haven't gotten anywhere NEAR the hottest part of the summer. I guess I still have enough Colorado blood in my veins that I thrive in the Winter!

Today I thought I'd just kinda give you a couple of funny family stories. You're actually getting these before the air audience, because I won't be sharing these on the air until later today!

Have a very blessed day, and I'll catch you on the radio later!

-Fredly..

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Today’s “Logan” Story…

Dinner time can be a real adventure when you have small children. Between trying to get one to eat her vegetables or the other one from trying to store macaroni in his nose – you’ve got to be on guard.

Last night we all just stopped and had to laugh. Logan was drinking some iced tea from a sippy, and he spilled a drop on the table. It must have been some great tea, because our son proceeded to bend down and SUCK the tea off of the table top!

It was the funniest thing I’ve seen in I don’t know how long.

I’m gonna have to start calling him “slurpee” or something…

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Today’s “Ashleigh” Story…

We had another surprise from Ashleigh last night. She was riding bicycles with one of her little friends, and decided to try something new. Ash still has the training wheels on her little bike, but her friend doesn’t. Ashleigh comes bursting through the front door with a mile-wide grin and her little eyes just all lit up, saying, “Mommy! Daddy! I rode a bike on two wheels!”

Julie and I looked at each other and followed our daughter out the door, and sure enough – she had taught herself how to ride on two wheels with only a little help from her friend.

She’s not sure she’s ready to let go of the training wheels on her own bike, but I’m sure it’s going to be soon…

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Today’s “Julie” Story…

My wife works hard. All day, every day – she’s hard at it, just to keep up with our children.

Today she got up, scrubbed out and re-inflated their little swimming pool, filled it – one bucket at a time from the kitchen sink, and got it all clean and ready for them to go swimming. She tracked down the kids, wrestled them into their swimsuits and got their pool toys together, and set them outside for a little splish-splashing.

And after about forty-five seconds in the water, both kids decided to so play in the dirt and rocks…soaking wet.

Yeah – my kids are the ones that will look at $100 in toys at Christmas and play with the cardboard boxes, too…

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OH - ONE MORE VERY IMPORTANT NOTE - PLEASE READ THE STORY BELOW, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR LITTLE ONES ARE STILL SLEEPING IN A CRIB!

Maker Recalls About 320,000 Cribs

About 320,000 cribs sold at Toys R Us, Babies R Us, KidsWorld and Geoffrey Stores may not be safe.

The maker, Jardine Enterprises, recalled them because wooden crib slats and spindles can break, creating a gap, which can pose an entrapment and strangulation hazard to infants.

Many different styles and finishes are included in the recall, and a full list can be found at JardineCribRecall.com.

The cribs were sold January 2002 through May 2008 for between $150 and $300. One model, the Mahogany Positano Lifetime Crib, sold for $450.

A news release said consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cribs and contact Jardine to receive a full credit toward the purchase of a new crib.

Owners can call Jardine at (800) 646-4106 or visit the Web site for more information.

2008-06-24T09:39:00.002-06:00

Today’s Tip for Spouses…

How many of us really have involved our spouse in our prayer life? I mean, how many of us really take or MAKE the time to pray together with our spouse? I know that’s something that my wife and I do, but we need to be more consistent about it.

Take the time…even make the time if you need to – to pray with your spouse!

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Today’s “Logan” Story…

Sunday night after supper, we gave Logan a couple of sandwich cookies. He’s already got the routine down with those. He takes them apart, and goes straight for that yummy icing. After he had all the icing gone, he was left with two little chocolate cookies, and two little vanilla cookies. So Logan did what any imaginative little boy would do – he built a stack of cookies, and proceeded to cram them into his mouth. I looked over at him and just had to laugh! Here’s my son, with his little glucose Big Mac, and he’s just chomping and swinging his little feet in the high chair – a picture of contentment.

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Today’s “Daddy” Story…

My wife had a retreat for her Mothers of Preschoolers group this past weekend, so I had the kids by myself Friday night and all day Saturday. As always – it was an adventure. It started out with chasing Logan all over creation and explaining to my daughter that it was wrong to pick the neighbor’s flowers when they weren’t home. Then we let Logan play in his room while Ashleigh and I cleaned HER room (which looked like a twister had been through). Naturally, while we cleaned Ashleigh’s room, Logan demolished his. *sigh* Corndogs and Macaroni, chasing my son and telling him “no, we don’t climb on that,” and keeping an eye on Ashleigh while she played outside with her friends – I had to come back to work to get a break!

All I can say is, my wife is one amazing woman to be able to keep up with our children the way she does. I mean, she does this every day, and I’m pooped after a day and a half!

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Today’s “Ashleigh” Story…

I’m sure that if you have preschoolers in your home, you’ve had them do things that just make you shake your head and wonder, “What could they POSSIBLY have been thinking?” Okay – maybe that’s just kids in general. Well, this weekend I had one of those moments with my daughter, Ashleigh. It’s the first time I’ve had to deal with the issue, and naturally – it was when my wife was gone on a MOPS retreat. Ashleigh was playing outside, and her friends all had to go inside for supper. So, being the creative little four-year-old, she decided she would make a pretend cake, and so she set out to find the proper decorations. Her final decision – a bouquet of pretty yellow daisies. And so she picked a bunch of them. The problem – they weren’t from our flower bed. No, she had plucked the flowers from our neighbor’s flower bed, and to make it worse – they weren’t even home. Sooooo, I had to do the whole, “explaining why it’s not right to take things without asking” speal, and had to play the hard-nosed Daddy for a while. And girls when they do something wrong – did you know that? Yeah – they feel bad, and so they cry, which makes big, mean old Daddy feel awful. *sigh* Well, I know I did the right thing in correcting her, and she later repented to her friends, so all’s well.

Kids – What an adventure, huh?

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Just a quick update on my fitness program progress - As of today, I've dropped another 6 pounds! For those of you keeping score...that's 19 pounds total. God's really blessing me on this! I want to sincerely thank all of you who have called or emailed in your support! It truly means a lot to me! I thank you for your prayers, and certainly ask you to continue to pray for me. I know that God has brought me to this place, and I can see His blessings flow, so I'm really motiviated! Thanks again!

Have a blessed day!

-Fredly.

Heavy and Light Today...

2008-06-20T11:41:00.001-06:00

First - THE HEAVY.

How are you doing with the "kindness factor"? Are you aware of your tone of voice when you speak to your spouse? Are you thinking about how they’re doing before you speak to them? We need to be appreciative of our spouse and the things that may or may not be going on with them, and be sure to be kind when we speak.

Today think about what you can do or say that would encourage your spouse and just generally be seen as a gesture of kindness!

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 NIV

AND NOW - the light!

Lame Excuses for Not Going to the Gym

I'm trapped in my recliner.

I didn't want to increase my carbon footprint by driving to the gym.

I can't leave the TV without knowing if Gilligan and the rest ever get off that island.

The parking is so bad, I have to walk over 15 feet to get to the door.

It doesn’t work for me. The chicks just aren't interested in a fat guy sitting on the bench press eating pies.

Buon Apetito!

-Fredly.

Random Thoughts...

2008-06-18T11:57:00.002-06:00

As I got ready to read the Word last night before bed, I prayed that God would give me wisdom through His Word, and that I would be able to understand the things I was about to read. I opened to my bookmark, and here’s what I read:

¹Watch your step when you enter God’s house. Enter to learn. That’s far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice, doing more harm than good. ²Don’t shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think. Don’t be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear. God’s in charge, not you—the less you speak, the better. – Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

Thank you, God – for showing us the things we need to hear. And as we prepare to enter your house tonight to offer our praise and worship, I pray that we are entering with presence of mind and heart, and that we are entering to learn. In Jesus’ name…Amen.

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Last night my wife and I were sitting on the back porch while the kids played, and I commented, “You sure look cute, honey.” Julie smiled at me and said, “Wow – haven’t heard that in a while. Thank you!”

And it hit me – I haven’t been as attentive as I should be. It’s my job as a husband to keep my wife built up, and one of the ways I can do that is to offer the more-than-occasional praise or comment that tells her how much I love her, and how beautiful she is to me. I’m not telling YOU what to do, but I’m telling you what I think I need to be doing a little better…maybe you’ll agree.

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Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11.28 NRSV)

I read that verse today and something welled up inside me, and I knew I needed to share it with you today. I don’t know if you’re tired because the kids have been running you a little ragged today, or if the funds are a tight this month. What I DO know is this – God tells us that if we COME TO HIM, he will give us rest. I pray that gives you some peace today, and that you WILL go to our heavenly Father, and let Him give you the rest and refreshing that you need.

Love you all! Catch you later!

-Fredly.

Where have I been?

2008-06-12T12:37:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry that I haven't been doing well with posting lately. It's been a very busy season in my life and in the lives of my family, and I've allowed this to slip. My apologies. I'm working hard at getting back into a routine, though - so please keep checking!

Please keep my younger brother in your prayers. He has been dealing with some pretty hefty health issues here as of late, and it has affected not just his life, but the lives of everyone around him. Pray for a swift restoration and a quick manifestation of his complete healing!

Also, if you would - please keep Julie and I in your prayers. Together we have begun a comprehensive lifestyle program that includes completely changing our dietary intake, our schedule and fitness programs. We've only just begun, but we can already feel the results, so it's very exciting for us! Please pray that we will have the strength and commitment to continue with the program and turn it into our everyday lifestyle, and that I will finally be able to lose the weight that I have carried for so long. This week, for the first time in 2 1/2 years - I stepped on a scale and weighed myself. I have to admit - I had a little breakdown over it. I've known that I was overweight, and I've known that I feel awful, and I know that I need to DO something about it - but I had no idea to what extent my weight has affected me. I literally have to lose 194 pounds to get to my target weight, which is actually several pounds higher than the 'ideal weight' suggested by my doctor. 194 pounds! That's like carrying FOUR 50 lb. bags of feed on my shoulders everywhere I go! Praise God that He has kept me in good health despite my weight - so many have it worse than I do. But - with God's help - we will get through this, and I will be changed on the OUTSIDE as much as I have changed on the INSIDE! Yeah!

We're all looking forward to Crossover Christian Music Festival this weekend - drink lots of water, 'cuz it's gonna be toasty! We'll see you there - make sure you drop by the Spirit-FM tent to register for FREE GASOLINE! Love you guys! See you this weekend!

-Fredly.

From today's Morning Show Blog...

2008-05-22T14:46:00.000-06:00

Today we pray

Today we grieve

Today we love

Today we are grieving together as a Spirit FM family for the Chapman family.

Maria Sue Chapman

Maria Sue Chapman, adopted and youngest daughter to Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, was killed Wednesday night in a tragic accident in the family driveway on Wednesday evening. She was LifeFlighted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital but for only reasons God can explain she went home to Him… not to Franklin as we all so desperately wanted.

Your prayers are needed for all in the Chapman family. This is a family who has so generously loved and given to so many. Just hours before this close knit family was celebrating the engagement of the oldest daughter Emily Chapman, and were just hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman’s completion of high school. Now, they are preparing to bury a child who blew out 5 candles on a birthday cake less than 10 days ago. These words are unthinkable to type. - Jim Houser (Manager)

If you’d like to meet Maria and express your condolences click here

http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/inmemoryofmaria/

By mail, send to PO Box 150156 Nashville, TN 37215.

In lieu of flowers, the Chapmans request any gifts be directed to Shaohannah’s Hope.

Send to Shaohannah’s Hope, c/o The Maria Fund, PO Box 647, Franklin TN, 37065.

Thanks for your love and thanks for your prayers.

To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal …
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance …
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to lose and a time to seek;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.

ecclesiastes 3:1-8

“‘Good-bye’ is a word the heart doesn’t know.”
- Holley Gerth

“Grief is a form of validation; It says the wound mattered.”
- John Eldredge

www.stevencurtischapman.com

Prayer Warriors, Unite - Our Family Needs You!

2008-05-22T11:02:00.002-06:00

Today has been a pretty heavy day for us here at Spirit-FM, as it has for many people across our nation. By now, most of you have heard of the tragic accident that claimed the life of the youngest daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman.

I just want to use this space today to ask you to take a moment - however long or short you can - and pray for the family. It's not that "all we can do is pray," or "prayer is all we have left," no - our prayers are the MOST POWERFUL weapon we have in our spiritual arsenal, and we can use our prayers to lift up Steven and his whole family in what has to be a time when they need the light of Christ the most.

Please keep them lifted up, and pray that the peace of God which surpasses all understanding might fall on them, covering them and keeping them in the days to come.

Thank you for your prayers, and for your love. We all love you!

In Christ,

-Fredly.

I pray this blesses you as much as it did me...

2008-05-20T11:44:00.001-06:00

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. - Philippians 2:3

I saw an ESPN story today that brought tears to my eyes. A young softball player hit an out-of-the-park home run for the first and only time in her career, but as she rounded first, she fell down. When she pivoted on her foot, it didn’t pivot with her, and she had injured her knee. The player dragged herself back to first base and lay there in pain, hugging the base.

The ruling on the field was if a substitute runner was named, the home run would be ruled a double. If one of her own teammates touched her to help, she would be called out. So her only home run was about to be taken away.

That’s when two players from the opposing team asked if THEY could help her around the bases. The umpire said that while unheard of, it was not against the rules. The two players picked up their opponent and carried her around the bases and into the waiting arms of her teammates – preserving her home run.

In the process – they had also given up the game, which they lost by a score of 4-2.

Here’s the link so you can see the story yourself:

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3380875

*Have your Kleenex handy!

Too good not to share...

2008-05-13T09:29:00.000-06:00

At a fund-raising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'

Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball ... The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!'

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

'That day,' said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.'

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

These Men and Women Deserve Our Gratitude And Our Understanding!

2008-04-25T12:38:00.001-06:00

When a soldier comes home, he finds it hard....

...to listen to his son whine about being bored.

...to keep a straight face when people complain about potholes.

…to be tolerant of people who complain about the hassle of getting ready for work.

...to be understanding when a co-worker complains about a bad night's sleep.

...to control his panic when his wife tells him he needs to drive slower.

...to keep keep his tongue around someone who complains about hot weather.

...to control his frustration when a colleague gripes about his coffee being cold.

...to just walk away when someone says they only get two weeks of vacation a year.

Chew CAREFULLY in Nashville...

2008-04-24T12:29:00.002-06:00

Hey gang! I don't quite know WHERE to start to share about our trip to GMA Music Week in Nashville! God REALLY blessed us in SO many ways, it's hard to decide where to begin! Suffice it to say that we were able to soak up a whole bunch of great information and ideas that will help us to serve you even better as a radio station, and more specifically as an air staff. We're very excited about the future of Spirit-FM, and of Christian Radio Broadcasting in general!

We knew that God had His hand on us right away in Nashville. We arrived Friday evening, and went to one of the downtown eateries for some dinner. Jim, Darren and I sat and talked about things that we were about to see and do. Our food arrived, and the conversation continued - until Darren took a bite of black beans, stopped chewing, and pulled a piece of PLASTIC from his mouth. Now, we're not talking about Saran Wrap here - we're talking about a corner of a PLATE. Darren was so calm, and informed the waitress that we had a small problem. The waitress FREAKED OUT, and immediately offered to clear our bill and make Darren a fresh plate of food. The manager of the restaurant followed close behind, offering her profuse apologies. We had a delicious meal as it turned out, dessert included - and God took care of the bill. We praised Him for keeping Darren safe, because that piece of plastic could have done some pretty serious damage had Darren attempted to swallow.

On Saturday, we spent the day in seminars, learning lots of great things to help us to grow as broadcasters. By days' end, we were famished, and looked forward to our annual foray to Joe's Crab Shack. The Joe's trip has become sort of a Spirit-FM tradition, and we always enjoy the meal. We had to wait for a while to get our table, but once we were seated, the waitress quickly came to take our order. We resumed conversation, recapping the days' teachings and generally laughing it up. Apparently we had been there much longer than we thought, because the manager of the restaurant appeared to tell us that our appetizers had taken WAY too long to arrive, apologized, and took them off our bill. MAN! We're BLESSED!

We related the story of the blessing to our waitress, and told her about the previous night's near miss and blessing. She was amazed at our story, and agreed that we were blessed.

Now - if this had not happened to me - I NEVER would have believe it. Nearly finished with our meal, I took a bite of a little jalapeno/crab bite, which felt like it had a little bone in it. I pulled the bone from my mouth, only to realize that it was a 3/4 inch piece of METAL. Yeah. It was IN the crab bite. At this point, I tell the fellas that I don't know what to do, because SURELY the waitress is going to think we're some kind of scam artists! But, she was very kind, and got the manager, who recognized the piece of metal as a wire from one of their fry baskets in the kitchen. (Apparently, I'm not the first to experience this.) Soooo...another night - and another free meal. Yeah - they took MY meal off the bill, too! So General Jim only had to pay for his and Darren's plates. WOW! God's so cool! He protected me, and bought supper again!

Believe it or not - we have MORE great stories to share about our Nashville trip. Stories about the artists, the broadcasters we spoke with, and the Community Praise & Worship led by Michael W. Smith - WHOA! Nothing short of AMAZING!

I'll look forward to seeing you at Crossover Christian Music Festival, and sharing more great stories! Thank you for being a part of our lives, and therefore a part of our adventures!

In Christ,

-Fredly.

Some Nuggets from Today's Afternoon Drive...

2008-04-16T11:38:00.002-06:00

Here are a couple of tidbits from today's show - enjoy! I'm hoping to have some neat pics and stories next week when we return from GMA Radio Week in Nashville. I think I'm most excited about Sunday night worship, led my Michael W. Smith. That man is annointed by God! Every time in my life that God was calling on me, Michael W's music was there. His music and his ministry have been such a HUGE part of my life, to be able to be led in worship by him in person is going to be extraordinary! *sigh* I know - I'm rambling. Here's today's nuggets:

“Blue Roses”

by Pastor Hal Steenson

It was time for me to do my 'Dollar Store' run, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags and Clorox. So off I go. I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies, and headed for the checkout counter only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man that appeared to be about sixteen-years-old.

I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, 'Mommy, I'm over here.' It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged, and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, 'Hey Buddy, what's your name?'

'My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother,' he responded proudly.

'Wow,' I said, 'that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Hal. How old are you Denny?’

'How old am I now Mommy?' he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle. 'You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by.'

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.

Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him. I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow and pink roses in God's garden, however, 'Blue Roses' are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a 'Blue Rose' and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.

She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, 'Who are you?'

Without thinking I said, 'Oh, I'm probably just a 'daffodil or maybe even a dandelion,' but I sure love living in God's garden.

************************************************************************************

Today’s “Ashleigh” Story…

Yesterday, my wife was buckling the kids into the car after her MOPS meeting. Julie decided to play with our four-year-old daughter, Ashleigh – and she leaned down and gave Ash a quick smooch. Julie smiled and said, “I can steal a kiss from you!” And that just set Ashleigh OFF.

Ashleigh got upset, and said, “Mommy – you’re not supposed to steal, because God doesn’t WANT you to steal!”

Julie started to try to explain that she wasn’t REALLY stealing – Ashleigh just didn’t GIVE Mommy a kiss, so Mommy TOOK one.

Next thing you know, Ash is on the verge of tears, and she manages to choke out “Yeah, but that was Daddy’s kiss, and I was going to give it to him when we got home, but now I can’t because you TOOK it!”

Julie tried to explain that Ashleigh had PLENTY of kisses to give Daddy, but Ash was convinced that she was supposed to give me THAT kiss.

So Julie resolved the matter by convincing Ashleigh that she would give the kiss BACK, and then Ash would be able to give it to Daddy.

This is so good, I couldn't WAIT to share it with you!

2008-04-11T13:42:00.003-06:00

We are a blessed people - Americans. And we are blessed to be served by an amazing group of American men and women who don their uniform every day to protect our United States from enemies who would threaten the freedom and civil liberties that we hold dear. The American serviceman and servicewoman swear an oath to protect not only our nation, but her friends - and as so many currently serve in harm's way overseas - I believe with all my heart that we owe them a debt of gratitude.

While most of us are indeed thankful and supportive of our American servicemen and servicewomen, there are some who don't know how to show their appreciation. I received the following web link in my email this morning, which leads you to a very powerful video presentation that will show you how to say, 'Thank You.'

I pray this blesses you as much as it did me. I also pray that we ALL take it to heart, and make the effort to give and SHOW our thanks to the many men and women who serve in the finest fighting force that this world has ever seen!

I love you all!

-Fredly.

Ever wonder how to say thank you when you see a military person in uniform? See a simple way to do it from across a room or as you are passing by.

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php

I was thinking about you today...

2008-04-09T11:53:00.002-06:00

I received this in my email this morning, and while I was thinking about you - I decided to share it. Thank you so much for being a part of my life and of the lives of my family - and thank you for allowing us to be a part of yours!

Enjoy!

-Fredly.

Faith Sees the Savior

Be strong in the Lord and His great power. Ephesians 6:10

I stand a few feet from a mirror and see the face of a man who failed… who failed his maker. Again, I promised I wouldn’t, but I did. I was quiet when I should have been bold. I took a seat when I should have taken a stand.

If this were the first time, it would be different. But it isn’t. How many times can one fall and expect to be caught?

Your eyes look in the mirror and see a sinner, a failure, a promise-breaker. But by faith you look in the mirror and see a robed prodigal bearing the ring of grace on your finger and the kiss of your Father on your face…

Your eyes see your faults, your faith sees your Savior. Your eyes see your guilt, your faith sees His blood.

Max Lucado

When God Whispers Your Name

I don't know if it's true...but it sure is FUNNY!

2008-04-08T12:25:00.000-06:00

The Dillard's Shopping Bag

(I don’t know if it really happened, but either way it’s too funny not to share!)

Clutching their Dillard's shopping bags, Ellen and Kay woefully gazed down at a dead cat in the mall parking lot. Obviously a recent hit---no flies, no smell. What business could that poor kitty have had here?" murmured Ellen.

"Come on, Ellen, let's just go..."

But Ellen had already grabbed her shopping bag and was explaining, "I'll just put my things in your bag, and then I'll take the tissue." She dumped her purchases into Kay's bag and then used the tissue paper to cradle and lower the former feline into her own Dillard's bag and cover it.

They continued the short trek to the car in silence, stashing their goods in the trunk. But it occurred to both of them that if they left Ellen's burial bag in the trunk, warmed by the TEXAS sunshine while they ate, Kay's Lumina would soon lose that new-car smell. They decided to leave the bag on top of the trunk, and they headed over to Luby's Cafeteria. After they cleared the serving line and sat down at a window table, they had a view of Kay's Chevy with the Dillard's bag still on the trunk. BUT not for long! As they ate, they noticed a black-haired woman in a red gingham shirt stroll by their car, look quickly this way and that, and then hook the Dillard's bag without breaking stride. She quickly walked out of their line of vision. Kay and Ellen shot each other a wide-eyed look of amazement.

It all happened so fast that neither of them could think how to respond. "Can you imagine?" finally sputtered Ellen, "The nerve of that woman!" Kay sympathized with Ellen, but inwardly a laugh was building as she thought about the grand surprise awaiting the red-gingham thief. Just when she thought she'd have to giggle into her napkin, she noticed Ellen's eyes freeze in the direction of the serving line. Following her gaze, Kay recognized with a shock the black-haired woman with THE Dillard's bag, hanging from her arm, brazenly pushing her tray toward the cashier. Helplessly they watched the scene unfold: After clearing the register, the woman settled at a table across from theirs, put the bag on an empty chair and began to eat. After a few bites of baked whitefish and green beans, she casually lifted the bag into her lap to survey her treasure. Looking from side to side, but not far enough to notice her rapt audience three tables over, she pulled out the tissue paper and peered into the bag. Her eyes widened, and she began to make a sort of gasping noise. The noise grew. The bag slid from her lap as she sank to the floor, wheezing and clutching her upper chest. The beverage cart attendant quickly recognized a customer in trouble and sent the busboy to call 911, while she administered the Heimlich maneuver. A crowd quickly gathered that did not include Ellen and Kay, who remained riveted to their chairs for seven whole minutes until the ambulance arrived.

In a matter of minutes the curly-haired woman emerged from the crowd, still gasping, strapped securely on a gurney. Two well-trained EMS volunteers steered her to the waiting ambulance, while a third scooped up her belongings. The last they saw of the distressed cat-burglar, she disappeared behind the ambulance doors, the Dillard's bag perched on her stomach!!

Sometimes, God does take care of those who do bad things! (AND once in awhile, He allows us to witness it!)

Thoughts for the End of the Week...

2008-04-04T11:44:00.002-06:00

As I prepare for this afternoon's show, I find myself thinking about things that are of major concern, as well as things that are trivial by comparison. So many prayers are needed in the Richland community. Adults and youth alike are hurting very deeply as they grieve the loss of two young women. Words can't express what the family must be feeling at this moment, and only God will be able to bring peace to them right now. Pray for that peace which surpasses all understanding, for the community, the students, friends, and family to find strength in walking this out together, and that hearts will be open to receive not only God's peace, but His love, mercy, and grace as well.

People are still cleaning up the mess left in the wake of the recent storms in communities across the state. Some have to just pick up debris in their yard - for some, the debris is all that is left. It must be such a mix of emotion right now...thankful and happy to have their lives spared, yet broken and grieved as they survey the scene of where a home once stood. More prayer is definitely needed on their behalf. I can't empathize with them, as I've never endured that kind of damage. But as the hair on the back of my neck still stands up when the sirens begin to wail and the house vibrates from the wind in a mere 'close call,' I can only image the intensity of what someone would feel after having to literally run for cover to escape the destruction of a tornado.
May the peace of God and His amazing provision cover all their needs - spiritually AND physically.

I love Fridays - for the first time in my broadcast career. Used to be Friday only meant that I had to work another weekend, but life at Spirit-FM is blessed for me. I get to spend most weekends with my family, and I love that so much. My daughter Ashleigh gets excited at bedtime every Friday night, because she has come to realize that tomorrow is Saturday, which means "Daddy gets to stay home and play!" And now that Logan is old enough that he comes running when I hit the front door after work - I really get to cherish those occasional lazy Saturday mornings where we all just loaf around for a while, playing in Mommy & Daddy's bed. We wrestle, bounce, and tickle until we're all just about ready for a nap even before we get out of bed, and that's a picture I pray that I can carry in my mind for the rest of my life.

I pray that you will be able to take or MAKE some time to make a memory this weekend. I know I'm going to do my best. Thanks for reading my ramblings. And thank you for listening to Spirit-FM. It is such an honor for ALL of us to be a part of your lives. What a treasure God has gifted us with, that we can spend some time every weekday coming into your home, or your office, your car - proclaiming God's goodness, and just trying to lift you up and make you smile as much as you do for us.

May God bless you beyond imagination!

In Christ,

-Fredly.

Today's "Logan" Story...

2008-04-02T12:15:00.000-06:00

Our children, Ashleigh and Logan are growing so fast. Ash is four years old, and Logan is almost a year and a half old already. They’re constantly in motion. I mean they can’t seem to sit still.

When Logan was in bed late last night, he was fighting a cough, which was making it tough for him to sleep. So Julie and I put him in the bed between us, and he just snuggled in a relaxed.

It brought back this flood of memories – even though wasn’t so long ago that we cuddled him to sleep every night – it seems like it was forever ago sometimes.

So there we were – Mommy, Daddy, and their little baby boy…with his little teddy bear, his cute little snore, and his little baby morning breath.

That’s MY kind of memory!

Faith Declaration to Hang on the Wall...

2008-03-27T14:15:00.002-06:00

I have this declaration hanging in my office in such a way that I can look right above the screen on my notebook, and there it is. Since I've started the study on changing my thinking, this has really been a great faith declaration for me, and so I now share it with you:

THINK IT & SAY IT:

I will never again settle for a mediocre, average existence.

I will not settle for things the way they are. There is more to this life that God has for me, and I expect Him to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that I can ask or think.

I will think big, and ask big. Then I will experience BIG.

I desire to improve, to get better and to make something great of my life. I am NOT an excuse maker. I am always improving; always adding value to my life and the lives of others.

Jesus came to give me life—abundant in quantity and superior in quality; life to the full; life that overflows.

Stop, or I'll say, 'Stop!' again...

2008-03-25T13:54:00.003-06:00

I am STILL laughing at this one. I've heard of law enforcement agencies using seized vehicles for law enforcement, but I'm not so sure I would have done this...

MARYVILLE, Tenn. - The newest police cruiser in Tennessee has been turning heads, but whether it could keep up in a high-speed chase seems unlikely.

A 1973 Volkswagen Beetle has been retrofitted to add to the sheriff's fleet of police interceptors in Blount County. But with a top-end speed of about 112 kilometres an hour, it's not likely deputies will be writing a lot of speeding tickets.

The "bug-erceptor" was seized in a drunk-driving case.

It boasts a new paint job, sheriff's decals and tags, a siren, radio, barred rear side windows, a side-mounted spotlight and police lights.

The car even has the same number, 53, as Herbie the Volkswagen race car in the movie "The Love Bug."

The car will be used mostly as a public relations tool for the county's police department, making appearances in parades and at school events.

Here’s my big question – how much trouble would an officer have to be in to get sentenced to patrol in a VW bug? I mean, you KNOW that when he tries to pull someone over, they’re going to think it’s some kind of joke!

I am SO getting in trouble for this...

2008-03-24T12:51:00.003-06:00

Okay, so here we go...Friday was my wife's birthday. I have told her and anyone else who would listen REPEATEDLY that I'm pretty good with remembering DATES, but not AGES. I have trouble remembering how old I am (which actually works to my benefit from time to time).

Sooo, my sweet, loving, innocent little wife Julie TOOK ADVANTAGE of my amnesia, and had me believing ALL WEEK LONG that this was to be her 30th birthday. Which would have been fine - had it not been her THIRTY-FIRST birthday.

So I messed with her a little bit on the radio. Just a little. But more than she probably wanted me to. And then at home later that night, just as the little family sat down to dinner, Julie asked me to snap a picture of her so she could send pictures of all of us to the families in Illinois and Texas.

I might have gotten a little carried away. Nice thing about digital cameras - you can click away, and erase what you don't want to keep. So I did - I snapped away...right up to the point that I crossed the line from cute to borderline annoying. That's when I got this little gem here:

Yep! I'm toast. Love you, honey!

A Story That Hits Deep...

2008-03-20T11:30:00.002-06:00

I've seen the following story many times, but as we reflect on the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ, this story seems to take on even deeper meaning. So many things for us to consider are brought before us in a story about a boy named Jeremy:

The Empty Egg

Jeremy was born with a twisted body and a slow mind. At the age of 12 he was still in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool, and make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time, however, Jeremy just irritated his teacher.

One day she called his parents and asked them to come in for a consultation. As the Forresters entered the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five year gap between his age and that of the other students."

Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue, while her husband spoke. "Miss Miller," he said, "there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here." Doris sat for a long time after they had left, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only child had a terminal illness.

But it wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach, and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read and write. Why waste any more time trying?

As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her. Here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared to that poor family, she thought. Lord, please help me to be more patient with Jeremy.

From that day on, she tried hard to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stares. Then one day, he limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him.

"I love you, Miss Miller," he exclaimed, loud enough for the whole class to hear. The other students snickered, and Doris' face turned red. She stammered, "Wh-why that's very nice, Jeremy. N-now please take your seat."

Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Miss Miller," the children responded enthusiastically - all except for Jeremy. He listened intently; his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus' death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the project to them.

That evening, Doris' kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had to shop for groceries, iron a blouse, and prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy's parents.

The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said. "When plants peek through the ground, we know that spring is here." A small girl in the first row waved her arm. "That's my egg, Miss Miller," she called out.

The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which looked very real. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes, that's new life, too." Little Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine."

Next, Doris found a rock with moss on it. She explained that moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom, "My daddy helped me," he beamed.

Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty. Surely it must be Jeremy's she thought, and of course, he did not understand her instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another. Suddenly, Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?"

Flustered, Doris replied, "But Jeremy, your egg is empty." He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty, too."

Time stopped. When she could speak again, Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh, yes," Jeremy said, "Jesus was killed and put in there. Then His Father raised Him up."

The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the schoolyard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away.

Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who paid there respects at the mortuary were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of his casket, all of them empty.

What are we saying?

2008-03-19T11:57:00.001-06:00

He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. —Isaiah 53:5

I was talking with Kerry from the front office the other day, and we were reflecting on the movie, “The Passion of the Christ.” This week is where we all really reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. But it’s so easy to actually let ourselves become almost numb to the fact that our savior was so brutally beaten that his face must have been unrecognizable. His clothes had to be soaked in his own blood. He was so weak that he had to have physical help to drag the cross to the place of the skull. And THEN they hammered spikes through his arms and feet, and the entire weight of his exhausted body was hoisted off the ground, and hung from those four points.

Jesus Christ died a brutal death to cover our sins. Are we living a life that says, “thank you, Father?”

This was on my heart today, and so I pass it on to you. Thank you for reading, for being a part of my life, and for allowing me to be a part of yours!

In Christ,

-Fredly.

I Just Called To Say I Love You...

2008-03-14T12:06:00.002-06:00

Here we are - finally Friday! I had a half-dozen different ideas about what to post today - recipes, jokes, a rant or two - but in the end, I felt led to just say, 'Thank you.'

Thank you for listening to Spirit-FM, and thank you for letting me be a part of your life! Each and every day, we receive emails, letters, phone calls, or combinations thereof - all thanking Spirit-FM for the ministry. Truth is, Spirit-FM doesn't exist without you! I am so humbled to be able to do something that I love so passionately - radio broadcasting - to further the kingdom of God!

I got a call from someone who told me that they had been touched by something I said (the words were God's - not mine), and I felt a gambet of emotion from touched to humbled to excited to thankful. The truth is, I'm a busted vessel - just like you. I think that's why I'm so passionate about what I do here at Spirit-FM...I'm not some super-Christian with his cape flappin' in the wind. If you knew me even five years ago - TOTALLY different man. But when God gets ahold of you - everything changes. And it has for me.

That's what I want to share with you every time I get behind the microphone. Some people will say that we 'preach' too much at Spirit-FM. But we don't have a choice. God has taken our happy little band of misfits and messups - and He's put us in this place for a purpose.

But everyone knows that a message doesn't matter without someone to hear it, and that's where we come back to YOU. Because YOU tune in every day...because YOU tell your friends about the station...because YOU financially support this ministry - OUR lives have been changed, too.

So when we say, "Life-Changing Radio," know this - the lives that are changed aren't just those on the receiving end of the radio speakers. The crew 'on the other side of the radio' is changing, growing, and experiencing the love, healing, and sometimes the correction of God - same as you.

I mean it with all my heart when I say that I would like to just give you ALL a great big hug! I'm grateful for each day that I'm able to spend a few hours with you on the radio. I just wanted to take a few moments today to share that with you. I love each and every one of you, and if you EVER have a prayer need, PLEASE give me a call or drop me an email - we live to serve and lift your prayers to our Heavenly Father!

I pray a happy, restful, and safe weekend for you!

In Christ,

-Fredly.

Eat Hearty, Me Hearties!

2008-03-11T13:16:00.002-06:00

Sorry. Couldn't resist the 'pirate' thing. So check it out - my wife...my sweet, wonderful, creative, ingenious wife...has made an incredible discovery! She has found culinary GOLD in the form of FREE RECIPES of some of our favorites!

Seriously, one of the things that I love to do is cook. I love to find 'copy-cat' recipes of some of my restaurant favorites, and then try to re-create them at home on my own!

Today, my wife Julie found a link that is going to be REALLY fun to explore! I wanted to make sure to share it with you!

http://bestcopycatrestaurantrecipes.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

-Fredly.

One of Those Days...

2008-03-06T15:19:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was a weird day for me. Have you ever had one of those days where God speaks to you through other people? I mean, not just one person – but MULTIPLE people come to you with the same message? Yesterday, I had FOUR different people approach me because God had laid it on their heart to talk to me about my weight. I’m not one of those people who gets offended about it, and I was happy that they were obedient to God’s call on THEIR lives to talk with me – because, let’s face it – coming up to someone and talking to them about being overweight – that’s GOTTA be tough!

It was so funny, though. I got home, and I just felt like saying, “Okay God – I get it! I’m too fat! Okay?!? I’ll lose weight, okay?!? You made your point!”

Which brings me to some dietary tips for all of us today…Those Hungry Girls have come up with a great list of “Appetite Squashers,” and I thought that I’d share the knowledge with you!

1. Water – drink a full glass before a meal, and you’ll eat less.

2. Spicy Stuff – dulls your taste buds, so you eat less, plus there’s some metabolism-boosting effects!

3. Broth-Based Soups – Hot foods make you eat slower, which gives your stomach time to signal that it’s full.

4. Apples – just a great food. High fiber, so you feel full…tastes great…and fairly low in calories!

5. Pickles – if you watch your sodium intake, their crunch, flavor, and low caloric-content make them a great snack food.

6. Low-Fat / Fat-Free Yogurt – some containers contain as little as 100 calories, and you’ll be surprised at how filling they can be!

7. Leafy Green Vegetables – a great way to fill out a meal without adding too many calories! Steamed or raw – great fiber content!

Love you guys! Have a blessed day!

-Fredly.

Hungry Girl Treats to Drool Over...

2008-03-04T15:18:00.003-06:00

Okay - the staff at HungryGirl has done it again. If anyone needs me - I'll be floating on a chocolate cloud over the land of frozen confectionary bliss...

Take a look at this recipe!




	HG's Frozen Fudge Chip Freeze
	HERE COMES THE FUDGE
	There's only one way to put this -- WE ROCK. Our super-chocolately Frozen Fudge Chip Freeze is phenomenal. Not only because it has WAY less than half the calories and 2/3rd less fat than Starbucks' Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino Blended Crème, but also because it actually tastes BETTER. We're not even gonna waste time blabbing about it. Here's the recipe. Try it out for yourself. Ingredients: One 25-calorie packet diet hot cocoa mix, dissolved in 4 oz. warm water 1 tbsp. sugar-free chocolate syrup 2 oz. light vanilla soymilk 3 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Splenda) 1 tbsp. semi-sweet mini chocolate chips 7 - 8 ice cubes OR 1 cup crushed ice 2 tbsp. Fat Free Reddi-wip Directions: Place cocoa mixture, chocolate syrup, sweetener, chocolate chips, soymilk and ice in a blender. Blend on high speed for 30 - 45 seconds. Pour into an attractive cup, and to p with a little Fat Free Reddi-wip. Enjoy! MAKES 1 SERVING
	Serving Size: entire recipe (12 oz.) with whipped cream Calories: 142 Fat: 4.5g Sodium: 194mg Carbs: 23g Fiber: 1.5g Sugars: 13g Protein: 4g POINTS® value 3*

Fun Kid Stuff...

2008-03-03T16:38:00.002-06:00

Last week I told you a story about how my little girl wants to be a butterfly farmer. Well, Cindy found a really cute site that might make my daughter's dream a reality! Check this out!

www.kidboxes.com

Just search for 'butterfly,' and on page 3 - there's the 'butterfly pavilion,' which will let the kids actually GROW their own butterflies from catterpillar to full-developed winged beauties!

Oh - and just so you know...I told you we got our booties kicked by Ashleigh at 'Candyland' this weekend...for the record - I won the first game. hahahah.

Here's some fun 'Candyland' stuff I stumbled onto this morning - if you little ones enjoy the game as much as mine, this will be fun for them!

http://www.hasbro.com/games/preschool-games/candyland/

Hope everyone has a great night! Stay warm!

-Fredly.

Dessert is Served!

2008-02-28T10:55:00.002-06:00

Okay - I've talked about it on the air, and I've given you the 'master grocery list.' I promised you recipes, so take a big bite out of these lip-smackin' ideas for dessert tonight! I'm gonna be drooling all afternoon!

Love you guys!

-Fredly.

From www.hungrygirl.com: Here are THREE insanely awesome dessert recipes... NONE of which require the use of an oven (or a blender or food processor for that matter!). The only hard part is deciding which one to make first.

Mini Microwave Triple Chocolate Cake

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 123 calories, 1g fat, 201mg sodium, 28g carbs, 0.75g fiber, 12g sugars, 2g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

Yes, this is as good as it sounds. And no, we don't consider using a microwave "baking"!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. Pillsbury Moist Supreme Reduced Sugar Cake Mix, Devil's Food
2 tbsp. Cool Whip Free, thawed
1 tbsp. fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp. Hershey's Lite chocolate syrup, divided

Directions:
Stir together the whipped topping and half of the syrup, and then place mixture in the freezer to firm up while you prep the rest of your dessert. Next, in a very small microwave-safe dish (like a ramekin), combine cake mix and yogurt. (Don't worry if it seems like a small amount. Your cake will puff up -- we promise!) Stir until smooth and blended. Microwave for 1 minute, and then allow to cool for 5 minutes. Once cake has cooled, remove chocolate topping from freezer, and spoon it over your cake. Finally, drizzle the remaining chocolate syrup on top. Enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Tiramisu Pudding

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 166 calories, 1g fat, 297mg sodium, 24g carbs, 0g fiber, 7g sugars, 14g protein -- POINTS® value 3*

Face it -- ladyfingers are overrated. Here's a creamy, cocoa-dusted dream come true!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1/2 container Jell-O Sugar Free Vanilla Pudding Snack
1/4 cup Cool Whip Free, thawed
2 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:
Combine the ricotta cheese, pudding, Cool Whip, Splenda, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Dig in!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Quickie Caramel Custard

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 88 calories, 0g fat, 61mg sodium, 8g carbs, <0.5g>POINTS® value 2*

Flan-flavored Fage? AMAZING!

Ingredients:
One 5.3-oz. container Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1 1/2 tsp. Torani Sugar Free Caramel Syrup
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and serve with your favorite spoon!

MAKES 1 SERVING

For Mom - You are the glue that holds the family together!

2008-02-27T13:06:00.001-06:00

Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, 'I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed'

She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches.

Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning.

She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button.

She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer.

She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry.

She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair.

She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse.

Mom then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night solution & age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails. Dad called out, 'I thought you were going to bed.'

'I'm on my way,' she said.

She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on.

She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and TV's, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework.

In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals.

About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. 'I'm going to bed.' And he did...without another thought.

Take some time to tell your wife how much you appreciate her hard work – she needs it, and more than that – she DESERVES it.

-Fredly.

Power of Our Words...

2008-02-26T14:46:00.002-06:00

My wife forwarded me a great post today, and I wanted to share a portion of it with you! I often talk about the power of our words, and I truly desire that you (if you don't already) focus on speaking words of LIFE in your daily lives!

THINK IT & SAY IT:

I will never again settle for a mediocre, average existence.

I will not settle for things the way they are. There is more to this life that God has for me, and I expect Him to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that I can ask or think.

I will think big, and ask big. Then I will experience BIG.

I desire to improve, to get better and to make something great of my life. I am NOT an excuse maker. I am always improving; always adding value to my life and the lives of others.

Jesus came to give me life—abundant in quantity and superior in quality; life to the full; life that overflows.

I pray that this word blesses you as much as it did me - I've actually printed it out in big, bold letters, and taped it on the wall in front of my computer, so that it's right in front of me as I work every day!

Have a great afternoon!

-Fredly.

Your Birth Verse!

2008-02-25T15:16:00.000-06:00

Here’s a really cool website that I was shown this morning. There’s a scripture verse to correlate with each day of the year—and every day is someone’s birthday.

http://www.birthverse.com/mybirthverse.cfm

You put in your birthday, and it gives you a scripture.

Mine is:

2 Peter 1:11 NIV
and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Hope you all have a blessed day!

-Fredly.

2008-02-22T16:50:00.001-06:00

CLOSURES AND CANCELATIONS

2/22/08

· Eldon Upward Games scheduled for tomorrow have been canceled.

· School of the Osage basketball game for tonight has been canceled and rescheduled for tomorrow at 2pm. Also, there will be court-warming activities during the game, but no dance.

· Eldon First Assembly of God’s Kingdom Kids Movie Night has been canceled for tonight.

· First Family Church’s Women’s Rally scheduled for tonight has been postponed until tomorrow…doors will open at 6pm…rally begins at 7pm.

· The Adult IV Luncheon at First Baptist Church of Richland scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed, and will be rescheduled at a later date.

· Opened Door Christian Fellowship’s End-time Joseph Food Giveaway will be Monday night, February 25^th from 5pm – 8pm.

· Knights of Columbus Counsel #10381 has canceled the Fish Fry in Laurie for tonight.

· W.M.U. Book Study at First Baptist Church of Richland scheduled for tonight has been canceled, and will be rescheduled at a later date.

Healthy Living Info...

2008-02-22T13:44:00.002-06:00

Okay. Let's face it. Most of us want to shed at LEAST a couple of pounds. Personally, I'd like to drop the equivalent weight of a Volvo wagon. That said - there are really a lot of things that we can do that don't just scream, "DIET!" I'm learning that I will take in fewer calories just by buying the right types of food. Most times - I get a healthy alternative to something I want, and I don't really have to sacrifice much in the ole' taste department.

One of the coolest places I've seen recently to give a lot of good nutritional advice is a website:

www.hungrygirl.com

That site can give you a lot of great ideas, recipes, and ways to curb your caloric intake. And it's NOT all a bunch of tofu and bean sprouts! (although you can find it if you're into that sort of stuff)

Today Hungry Girl posted a grocery list, and it's HUGE! I'm gonna share it with you, so you can think about your next trip to stock the pantry!

Love you guys! Talk with you soon!

-Fredly.

Hungry Girl's 2008 Supermarket List

Dairy, Dairy Alternatives and Eggs

Kraft Fat Free Cheeses (slices and shreds)
Lifetime Fat Free Cheeses (shreds and blocks)
The Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges
Galaxy Veggie Slices & Shreds (soy-based cheeses low in fat)
Light string cheese
Fat-free liquid egg substitute (Egg Beaters, Better'n Eggs, Nulaid ReddiEgg)
Fat-free or low-fat yogurt (Yoplait Light, Dannon Light & Fit, Weight Watchers, Yoplait Fiber One)
Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt
Fage Total 2% Greek Yogurt with Fruit
Fat-free yogurt smoothies (Dannon Light & Fit, Weight Watchers)
Light vanilla soymilk (8th Continent Light Vanilla Soymilk, Silk Light Vanilla Soymilk -- refrigerated)
Almond Breeze in Unsweetened Vanilla, Unsweetened Original and
Unsweetened Chocolate (located with the non-refrigerated soymilks)
Fat Free Reddi-wip
Cool Whip Free (in the freezer aisle)
Coffee-mate Original Fat Free liquid creamer
Coffee-mate Fat Free French Vanilla powdered creamer
Fat-free half & half
Fat-free cream cheese
Fat-free sour cream
Fat-free cottage cheese
Fat-free mayonnaise
Reduced-fat parmesan-style grated topping (usually found in the pasta aisle)

Cereal

Puffed stuff (puffed wheat, puffed rice, puffed corn, shredded wheat, Kashi 7
Whole Grain Puffs)
Fiber One Bran Cereal (original)
Kashi Vive
Barbara's Bakery Puffins
Special K Cinnamon Pecan
Kix
Quaker Instant Oatmeal packets
Quaker Simple Harvest Instant Multigrain Hot Cereal

Meat & Seafood

99% fat-free turkey slices
Applegate Farms sliced ham (or the freshest sliced ham from the deli counter)
Lean, skinless, boneless chicken breast (Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Perdue Fit & Easy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts)
Extra-lean ground turkey breast (Jennie-O Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast,
Butterball Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast)
Fat-free or nearly fat-free hot dogs (Hebrew National 97% Fat Free Beef Franks, Yves Meatless Hot Dogs or Tofu Dogs, Ball Park Fat Free Franks or Bun Size Smoked White Turkey Franks)
Canned/pouched tuna in water
Canned/pouched salmon in water
Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Albacore Steak Entrées
Real or imitation crabmeat
Shrimp
Hormel Turkey Pepperoni or Yves Meatless Pepperoni
Jennie-O Lean Turkey Burger Patties
Jennie-O Extra Lean Turkey Bacon

Veggies

Giant romaine lettuce leaves and cabbage (great for wraps!)
Salad greens
Frozen veggies (steamable ones!)
Butternut squash (for HG's special fries)
Onions (for our ROCKIN' onion rings)
Baby carrots
Pickles
Jicama (the vegetable that tastes like an apple!)
Spaghetti squash
Red bell peppers (cut into strips for a crunchy snack!)
More fresh vegetables (your choice)

Fruit

Fresh fruit (we love red seedless grapes, Fuji apples, navel oranges, melons, bananas, peaches, and Ruby Red grapefruit!)
Canned fruit in juice or water (like pineapple, mandarin oranges,
peaches, etc.)
Frozen fruit with no added sugar (strawberries, mixed berries, peach slices, etc.)
No-sugar-added applesauce (Mott's Healthy Harvest comes in a bunch of fruity flavors!)

Soups & Other Canned Goods

Low-calorie canned soups (Campbell's Soup at Hand, Campbell's Select Gold Label Soups, Progresso 99% Fat Free Soups)
Progresso Light Soups (60 calories and 0 POINTS® value per serving -- endorsed by Weight Watchers!)
Amy's Light in Sodium Organic Soups (especially the Chunky Tomato Bisque!)
Fat-free chicken, beef, or vegetable broth (look for ones low in sodium)
Canned low-fat turkey or veggie chili (Hormel Chili in Turkey or Vegetarian,
Health Valley Chilis)
Tabatchnick Soups (located in the freezer)
Mishima instant soups (the Miso and Edamame ones are the best!)
Canned pure pumpkin (Libby's is the best!)
Canned hearts of palm
Canned sweet corn kernels (Green Giant's Mexicorn has peppers in it!)
Canned beans (S&W has some awesome varieties)
Canned tomato sauce (or low-calorie, low-fat jarred ones)

Packaged Snacks, Bars, Cookies, Crackers, Chips & Popcorn

Quaker Rice Cakes
Quaker Quakes Multigrain Minis
Quaker Mini Delights (now in new flavors!)
Sugar-free or no-sugar-added pudding cups (Jell-O Sugar Free Pudding Snacks, Sugar Free Handi-Snacks, Hunt's No Sugar Added Snack Packs)
Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Rice Pudding and Tapioca Pudding
Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs (any variety -- check out the new Candy Bites)
Keebler 100 Calorie Right Bites
Hostess 100 Calorie Packs (look for the new Streusel Muffins!)
Special K Snack Bites
100 Calorie Packs Blue Diamond Almonds
Hershey's, Reese's, and York 100 Calorie Bars
Entenmann's Little Bites 100 Calorie Packs
Weight Watchers Snack Cakes
VitaMuffins (freezer aisle!)
South Beach Diet/Living Snack Bar Delights
Fiber One Chewy Bars (new Caramel flavor out NOW!)
Kashi GoLean Bars
Curves Bars
Quaker Sweet & Salty Crunch Granola Bars
Special K Cereal Bars and Bliss Bars
Guiltless Gourmet Potato Crisps and Tortilla Chips
Kettle Bakes Potato, Pretzel, and Pita Chips (look for the new 100-calorie packs of potato chips!)
Popchips
Baked! Lay's Potato Crisps
Soy Crisps (Quaker, Genisoy, Glenny's)
94% fat-free mini microwave popcorn bags (Jolly Time Healthy Pop Mini Bags, Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop! Mini Bags, Pop Secret 94% Fat Free Snack Size)
Freeze Dried Fruits (Gerber Mini Fruits, Just Tomatoes, Trader Joe's, Sensible Foods Crunch Dried Snacks, Funky Monkey)
Gerber Fruit Puffs and Veggie Puffs
Everybody's Nuts! California Pistachios
Jell-O Sugar Free Gelatin Snacks

Breads

Light english muffins (Weight Watchers, Thomas' Light Multi Grain or 100 Calorie Original, Western Bagel Alternative)
Low-fat flour tortillas with around 110 calories each and high in fiber (La Tortilla Factory Low-Carb Tortillas, Mission Carb Balance, Tumaro’s Tortillas)
Light bread, low in calories and high in fiber (Wonder Light, Weight Watchers, Nature's Own Light, Nature's Own Double Fiber, Arnold's Bakery Light, Pepperidge Farm in Light Style, Very Thin, and Classic
Whole Grain, Sara Lee Delightful Bread)
Light buns (Wonder Light Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns,
Nature's Own Double Fiber Buns, Pepperidge Farm Classic Whole Grain White Hamburger Buns and Hot Dog Buns)
Low-calorie bagels (Western Bagel Alternative, Weight Watchers, Kim's Light Bagels)
High-fiber pita bread (Western Bagel Alternative, Weight Watchers)

Ice Cream & Frozen Novelties

Fat-free or low-fat ice cream (Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice
Creams, Dreyer's/Edy's Loaded, Breyers Double Churn FREE)
Low-fat ice cream sandwiches (The Skinny Cow, Weight Watchers, Klondike Slim-a-Bear 100 Calorie Sandwiches)
Portion-controlled ice cream cups (Weight Watchers, Breyers Double Churn 100 Calorie Cups)
The Skinny Cow Bars
Weight Watchers GIANT Bars (Fudge, Cookies & Cream, Chocolate
Cookies & Cream, and more)
Healthy Choice Premium Fudge Bars, Sugar Free Fudgsicles
Sugar Free Popsicles
Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom Bars (look for the ones with "Lites" in the title)
Starbucks Frappuccino Bars

Sauces, Dressings & Spreads

Low-calorie salad dressings (Girard's Fat Free Dressings, Kraft Free Italian Fat Free Dressing, Hidden Valley The Original Ranch Fat Free, Wish-Bone Light! salad dressings, Newman's Lightened Up Salad Dressings)
Litehouse Vinaigrettes (check labels for the low-cal ones)
Spray dressings (Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers, Ken's Steak House Lite Accents, Newman's Own Natural Salad Mist)
Light buttery spread or light whipped butter (Brummel & Brown, Land
O'Lakes Whipped Light Butter, Smart Balance 37%
Light Buttery Spread)
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray
Sugar-free maple syrup (Cary's Sugar Free, Mrs. Butterworth’s Sugar Free,
Log Cabin Sugar Free, Joseph’s Sugar Free)
Salsa
Smucker's Sugar Free Preserves
Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
Hellmann's/Best Foods Dijonnaise
Vivi's Original Sauce Carnival Mustards
Reduced sodium or light soy sauce

Frozen Foods & Meals

Veggie Burgers (Boca Original Meatless Burgers, Gardenburger Veggie Burgers, Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie Patties, Dr. Praeger’s Veggie Burgers, Amy’s Veggie Burgers)
Ground-beef-style soy crumbles (Boca Meatless Ground Burger, Morningstar
Farms Meal Starters Grillers Recipe Crumbles)
Breaded-chicken-style soy patties (Boca Meatless Chik’n Patties Original, Morningstar Farms Chik Patties Original)
Boca Meatless Breakfast Wraps
South Beach Diet/Living Breakfast Wraps
Amy's Burritos
Cedarlane Low Fat Garden Vegetable Enchiladas
Lean Cuisine Panini Sandwiches
Healthy Choice Panini Sandwiches
SoLean Breakfast English Muffin Sandwich
SoLean Cheeseburgers
Jimmy Dean Jimmy Dean D-Lights
Amy's Spinach Pizza in a Pocket Sandwich
South Beach Diet/Living Pizza
Amy's Cheese Pizza Toaster Pops
Lean Cuisine Brick Oven Style Pizzas
Kashi All Natural Frozen Pizzas (the new Thin Crust ones are SO
GOOD!)
Boca Meatless Lasagna
Boca Meatless Chili
Morningstar Farms Corn Dogs (meatless)
Amy's Mexican Tamale Pie
Kashi All Natural Entrees
Healthy Choice Café Steamers
Kellogg's Eggo Special K 99% Fat Free Waffles

Beverages

Diet soda (Coke Zero, Coke Cherry Zero, Sprite Zero, Diet Coke Plus, Diet Rite Pure Zero, Fresca)
Coffee (Millstone, Dunkin' Donuts)
Sugar-free powdered drink mixes (Crystal Light, Wyler’s Light, Market
Pantry, Disney Magic Selections)
SoBe Adrenaline Rush, Sugar Free
SoBe Lean
Swiss Miss Diet Hot Cocoa Mix
Dasani Water, Aquafina Water
Hint Water
Minute Maid Fruit Falls

Baking Goods, Spices, & More

No-calorie sweetener packets (Splenda, Sweet'N Low, Equal, stevia)
Nonstick cooking spray (Pam No-Stick Cooking Spray, Pam Professional High Heat)
Vanilla extract
Cinnamon
Garlic powder
Taco seasoning mix
Low-calorie marinades (Mrs. Dash, Lawry's, Newman's Own)
Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated (comes loose in the box, not in packets)
Splenda Flavors for Coffee
Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blends
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Torani Sugar Free Syrups
Sippah Milk Flavoring Straws

And Of Course...

House Foods Tofu Shirataki noodles (look for the new and awesome Angel Hair shape!)

39th Annual GMA Dove Award Nominees

2008-02-18T14:49:00.002-06:00

Naturally, we all get a little giddy this time of the year - the annual event that recognizes the biggest achievements in Christian music is coming, and this year's nominees have just been announced! You can see the full list at the link below - download it or print it out on your computer, and make your own picks, and then see how they line up for the big show!

http://www.doveawards.com/categories/39th_DoveAwards_Nominations_List.pdf

Kid Stuff...

2008-02-15T10:15:00.002-06:00

Being parents of young children has taught my wife and I that we must CONSTANTLY come up with new and inventive ways to keep our children creatively occupied. For instance, our daughter LOVES to color. But she can motor through an entire coloring book in a day.

We can't spend a fortune on coloring books, so what do we do?

We have found that there are a number of great websites on the internet that provide you with FREE printable coloring pages! It's the cat's pajamas - we can find pages that correspond with daily lessons or activities, and Ashleigh just loves them.

Here are a couple of sites to get you started:

http://www.bozthebear.com/fun/activities.asp

http://www.coloring-book.info/coloring/coloring_page.php?id=155

It's pretty simple stuff - just click and print for the most part! You will need to have the Adobe Reader installed on your computer for many sites, including the 'Boz' site.

I hope that you get as much enjoyment as we have from this simple, cost-effective option to coloring books! I know one thing's for sure - our house and my office have been COMPLETELY redecorated time and again from our daughter's colorful creations!

Have a blessed day! Love you guys!

-Fredly.

Man, Time Flies!

2008-01-30T14:37:00.000-06:00

Omigosh! I can hardly believe that it's the end of JANUARY, and I haven't posted since Christmas Eve!

Not a whole lot has changed during the course of the past month. I did hit another birthday, so now it's 37 rings in this ole' trunk! And please, no "pushing 40" jokes. Hahahah...

I'm really excited about what God holds for His children in 2008! Already we have seen some pretty wonderful things, and caught some very tantalizing glimpses of blessings to come! It's going to be exciting to walk it out, and see where the Spirit of God leads!

Don't forget about Spirit-FM's 'Fishers of Men' opportunity for this Resurrection season! In case you haven't heard, we sent out paper "fish" in this month's newsletter. What we are asking you to do is write someone's name on that fish - someone that you know needs salvation. Send it back to us, and we will put it on our studio wall, so that we can pray for that salvation every day! This is a great chance for us to quicken the Spirit of God to soften hearts, open minds, and bring people we know and love to know Christ!

If you don't receive our newsletter, please feel free to email me the names (fred@spirit-fm.org) or call 800-606-3299.

I love you, and I'll look forward to hearing from you!

Keep checking this crazy blog regularly - I'll be here!

-Fredly.

The 12 Days of - Look! A Bird!

2007-12-24T13:13:00.000-06:00

I have to be honest. I don't like ALL Christmas songs. In fact, there are a couple that really kind of get on my nerves. If it weren't for the beauty of the hidden meanings of the tune, I wouldn't be able to STAND listening to "The 12 Days of Christmas." I'm just being real. Actually, now that I think about it - Relient K did a rendition this year that I actually like. Never mind. Forget what I said. Hahahah.

Seriously, check out THIS version of the familiar song, and get ready for a little chuckle...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8

Merry Christmas, and we'll talk with you in a couple of days!

In Christ,

-Fredly.

A Little Christmas Gift...

2007-12-21T15:20:00.000-06:00

Hey, gang! I just wanted to let you all know that my wife, our children and I all love you so much! You, our Spirit-FM family, have become a huge part of our lives, and we get a lot of joy from just knowing you're there! Your prayers over the past couple of years have really kept us going, and we are truly grateful. Many of you have been asking for some updated pictures of the kiddos, so I thought I'd put together kind-of a mini Christmas photo album for you here:

Ashleigh's First Gingerbread House

Logan's First Snowy Play Day

Daddy's Little Angels

Logan actually sat STILL for a minute...

...but only for a minute.

Daddy's Pretty Girl

DEFINITELY Daddy's Pretty Girl - Mommy wouldn't teach her this face...

This picture is only going to get funnier over the years!

We love you guys, and pray a VERY merry Christmas to you all! Be good - because there's more than ONE jolly fat man lookin' out for you!

Hahahahaha.....

-Fredly.

God's Yellow Pages

2007-12-18T14:25:00.000-06:00

I don't know who put this together, but it had to be a lot of work! It's a great little resource, I think! Enjoy!

Have a blessed afternoon, gang. I love ya!

-Fredly.

http://web2.airmail.net/dpelc/yellow/

Shakin' Things Up for Christmas!

2007-12-17T15:37:00.001-06:00

I love Christmas time, and I love the goofy little stuff we can find on the 'web to keep us occupied when we should be doing something else. That said, have you ever wondered what it was like for those people INSIDE the snow globe? My wife and I watched a movie on Hallmark Channel this weekend that made me think about it. I mean, we get to see all the beautiful snow, and the serene little scene depicted inside the glass. But do you ever wonder if those poor little people INSIDE the snow globe have a different experience when we shake it? Here's proof:

http://ww12.e-tractions.com/snowglobe/globe.htm

I know. It's just wrong, but I still can't stop shaking the globe!!!!

Have a good laugh, and a great afternoon!

Love you guys!

-Fredly.

Christmas can be so hectic...but we HAVE to keep our LOVE!

2007-12-14T15:30:00.000-06:00

Here is a version of the love chapter (1 Corinthians 13) that I read today, and I wanted to share it with all of you:

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime: but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity; but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return; but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost; golf clubs will rust; but giving the gift of love will endure.

*This TOTALLY spoke to me today - it's so easy to get wrapped up (forgive the pun) in all of our Christmas activities, and allow ourselves if only for a moment to take our eyes off the REASON that we celebrate. It's so vital that we keep our eyes on our savior, and keep the rest of the festivities in their proper perspective, and it's so important to make sure that even we we're dragging our tail feathers after yet another long day - we need to walk...in...love.

I love you all, and hope you have a great weekend! Be BLESSED!

(I'm a winner, I got more than enough peanut-butter, you can't put the bad stuff on me!)

Today's Water-Cooler Quiz...

2007-12-13T16:21:00.000-06:00

Already lots of people calling asking about the '12 Days of Christmas!' Here's the basic information as we read today:

The Twelve Days of Christmas is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.

What in the world do Leaping Lords, French Hens, Swimming Swans, and
especially the partridge that won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? Today I found out.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol
as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of
their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

The partridge in a Pear Tree was Jesus Christ.

Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit; Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution,
Leadership and Mercy. (Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, Fear of the Lord)

The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.

The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.

The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
(Apostles' Creed
1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:
5. The third day he rose again from the dead:
6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:
9. I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints:
10. The forgiveness of sins:
1l. The resurrection of the body:
12. And the life everlasting. Amen.)

Virtual Christmas Puzzle...

2007-12-12T15:12:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! If you're looking for something silly to do with the kiddos on these chilly winter days, try a little Christmas puzzle!

Make up some hot cocoa (extra marshmallows for mine), put on some Christmas tunes (compliments of Spirit-FM), and go to this link:

http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/52055D54E8C4?z=1

HAVE FUN!

(I'm a wimp - my first time was 12 minutes!)

Now THIS is a light display!

2007-12-03T14:09:00.000-06:00

Wow! If you're looking for some spectacular Christmas lighting ideas...check out what this family did - talk about having a little too much time on your hands...

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/video/14736853/index.html

Merry Christmas!

-Fredly.

Liberty Counsel's "Naughty or Nice" list:

2007-11-28T13:27:00.000-06:00

I know that there are many of you who take Christmas very seriously as the celebration of our Savior's birth. Yes, we love to exchange gifts, and that means shopping - but many of us like to make sure our shopping dollars aren't going to a company that has taken CHRIST out of the holiday. It's like the song says - "It's called Christmas!"

Here is the link for the Liberty Counsel's "Naughty or Nice" list for 2007:

http://www.lc.org/media/9980/attachments/2007_Naughty-Nice.pdf

If the link doesn't work, just highlight it, copy and paste it into your browser's address bar!

A day for celebration and reflection...

2007-11-19T13:44:00.000-06:00

Today is special.

It was a year ago today that my family's world turned upside-down. We were to bring our newborn son, Logan home from the hospital. My family was going to bring Julie and the baby home, and I was going back to work. On my way to the studios, I stopped by the hospital to see Julie and Logan. The nurses had Logan in the nursery, checking him over and getting him ready to head home. I hadn't been in the room with Julie for long when our nurse, who was a wonderful woman of God, came in and said, "Kids - your baby has a fever, and that's not good."
The day spiraled away from that point forward, and before the day was over - we were with Logan at the neonatal ICU in Springfield for what was to be the most difficult 10 days of our lives.

That's the background. Now, the continuation of the story - Logan is a year old! Healthy, happy, and INTO EVERYTHING! We just had a ball celebrating his first birthday, and I thought I'd share a couple of snapshots with you.

Before I get to that, I want to say, "Thank You, and May God Bless You" to everyone who stood with us a year ago. We all prayed and prayed and prayed some more, and God blessed us so very much! Thank you for being part of our extended family! Julie, Ashleigh, Logan and I all love you very much!

Now the pictures:

Fred's Favorite Pasta Recipe...

2007-09-10T14:07:00.000-06:00

Okay - Fall weather is here this week, so here's one of my absolute favorite comfort meals. Serve this with some nice Italian bread and a side salad - you can't miss!

Rigatoni al Zucchini (Zucchini Pasta)

You need:

1 box Rigatoni noodles (Penne & Moustaccioli work, too)

3 Medium-sized zucchini

1 Pint heavy whipping cream

1 Bag (12 oz) shredded parmesan cheese

2 Sticks salted butter (you may not need it all)

1 Package (16 oz) cubed ham

To prepare:

In pasta pot, heat water (with a few drops of oil) to a boil; begin to cook pasta.

While water is heating, slice zucchini in half lengthwise, and then crosscut into thin slices. While pasta is cooking, sauté zucchini in butter over medium heat until tender, but DO NOT BROWN. It is best to do in small handfuls. As each handful is cooked, place in large mixing bowl and cover to keep warm.

After last batch of zucchini is cooked, place ham in skillet to warm. Again, DO NOT BROWN. When ham is warm, add to zucchini and mix well.

When pasta is cooked to desired tenderness, drain very well, and add to mixing bowl. Mix well with other ingredients. Add heavy cream, and mix well.

Finally, add parmesan cheese, and mix well.

Serve!

Buon Appetito!

A Word of Encouragement Today...

2007-08-29T16:10:00.000-06:00

"That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." - Romans 8:28 MSG

As I was on my way into work this morning, I had the chance to speak with an old friend on the phone. We used to work together, and this man helped me in many ways to return to Christ and get my life on the path I'm on today. My friend has had to endure some very difficult trials during the course of the past couple of years, and I noticed that he was tired. You know - even the STRONGEST people...get tired. As we talked this morning, I offered my friend some encouragement that my pastor taught me. he said to think of our walk through struggles and hard times as if you're walking up an escalator the wrong way. Remember doing that as kids? You have to work much harder to make headway. By the time you fight to the top, you're tired. But if you can muster your strength and take those last couple of steps - BAM! You break through. You're off the escalator, and moving forward much easier. It's like that with our trials. The enemy throws everything he's got at you to wear you out, and you get the worst of it right before your breakthrough.

Today I want to encourage you to keep taking those steps, even if the enemy is throwing everything he's got at you. I truly believe that if you will press on, press in, and keep moving - you will have your breakthrough, and God will bless you in many beautiful ways.

I hope this has been an encouragement to you today. God bless, and I'll write again soon.

In Christ,

-Fredly.

Be Encouraged Today!

2007-08-23T11:24:00.000-06:00

I just feel like there's a heaviness out there today. I may not be right (wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong), but I just feel like there's something going on. My prayer for you today is that you will be encouraged to rise up, and to walk in the victory and joy promised us by Christ!

I read a great word from Bill Burns, and I'm going to share it with you today - it really encouraged me, and my prayer is that you will find what you need in there, too.

From "The Trumpet" by Bill Burns:

Rise up and regain your joy. Refuse to allow the enemy to bring destruction and heartache. Rejoice! Again, I say, rejoice! Dare to believe again. If I am for you, who can be against you? Who can have victory over you? Who can have victory over your circumstances? I say, no one, no person, no devil, no power can defeat you. Walk over all the power of the enemy. Come and walk on the water with Me. Come and dance with Me. Come and rejoice with Me, for surely as you regain your joy, victory is assured. I am the God of love and peace, but I am also the God of victory, says the Lord.

Psalms 98:1 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.

Fred's Giddy Today!

2007-08-17T12:11:00.001-06:00

I'm all wound up. My wife and kids are returning home, even as I write this post. I miss my family. I thank God for their safety, and for the joy of reunion. I'm just a happy boy. Check out these pictures that Julie sent me yesterday - you'll be able to see why I miss them so much.

Can't wait to see them. Hope you all have a blessed day!

-Fredly.

My name is Fred, and I'm a dufus...

2007-08-16T14:58:00.000-06:00

I know, I know. It's been like forever since I've done a post. Big no-no in radio world. I do sincerely apologize for my lack of blogging - I get phone calls all the time asking about updates and stuff, and it always seems to get bumped to the bottom of the totem-pole. I'm not going to say that I'm going to try to do better, 'cuz every time I do that - it's like a year before I post again.

I promised some pictures of one of our listeners' 1-year old's birthday party...these are TOO cute! Can't wait to let our Logan dive into a chocolate cake of his own! Get a load of these...

Thank you for sharing these with me! I would love to share the cute photos of YOUR little ones! Just email them to me: fred@spiritfm.org Maybe I need to come up with some kind of cute photo contest or something. We'll see how this goes right now. Drop me a line!

Here are a couple of shots of my own little ones:

I'm looking forward to seeing your photos! Don't forget the email address:

fred@spiritfm.org

Talk with you soon!

-Fredly.

Thank you for your response to our service men and women!

2007-06-13T10:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I shared an email that I had received, and since then I have sent countless emails with the script attached. I wanted to post it here, so that you would have easy access to the copy. It blessed me tremendously, and I hope that it blesses you as well! Please keep our American servicemen and servicewomen in your prayers constantly!

THE FINEST STATEMENT PRINTED TODAY

A mother asked President Bush, "Why did my son have to die in

Iraq

?"

Another mother asked President Kennedy, "Why did my son have to die in

Viet Nam

?"

Another mother asked President Truman, "Why did my son have to die in

Korea

?

Another mother asked President F.D. Roosevelt, "Why did my son have to die at Iwo Jima?"

Another mother asked President W. Wilson, "Why did my son have to die on the battlefield of

France

?"

Yet another mother asked President Lincoln, "Why did my son have to die at Gettysburg?"

And yet another mother asked President George Washington, "Why did my son have to die near Valley Forge?"

Then long, long ago, a mother asked..."Heavenly Father, why did my Son have to die on a cross outside of Jerusalem?"

The answers to all these are similar -- "So that others may have life and dwell in peace,
happiness and freedom."

This was emailed to me with no author, and I thought the magnitude and the simplicity were awesome.

Blessings Are By Choice!

2007-05-23T10:06:00.000-06:00

I hope you're having a great week so far! It's been a good one for us - Logan is feeling better after an ear infection has been bugging him. All is well, and he's doing fine. We're still waiting for those teeth to start popping out - maybe that will help the 'fussy' attitude a little bit, too. Poor guy. He's chomping on everything he can. Sure likes that wet washcloth!

This has been a week of revelation on the subject of blessings for me. I have known for a long time about sowing and reaping, blessing and cursing. But this week in particular, God has shown me some really neat things. I just want to encourage you - if you see a need in someone...no matter what it is - and you feel like, "Hey, maybe I should help out here." - THAT'S THE HOLY SPIRIT! Listen! Even if your natural mind is telling you that there's no way you can possible help - God will show you the way! All we have to do is BE AVAILABLE - God will do the rest! He just wants us to be WILLING and OBEDIENT to His call. I have a word to share with you today - you'll hear it on the show this afternoon at about 2:20.

I’ve talked a lot here lately about rejoicing in God’s blessing, and about making sure that we take the time – MAKE the time to give thanks. This is so important! We have to take God’s word seriously, and knock off the complaining and grumbling! It’s a choice WE make, and our decision takes us down one of two paths: We can obey God’s word by rejoicing and giving Him our thanks and praise, which leads us down the path to more blessings…or we can disobey by constant griping and complaining, which takes us down the road to being cursed. Black and white. Only two ways we can go here, folks. I pray that we all choose wisely.

Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."

I love you all, and I truly hope and pray for blessings in your life! Until next time, be blessed and favored!

In Christ,

-Fredly.

Happy Monday!

2007-05-21T10:07:00.000-06:00

I hope that everyone had a great weekend! Ours was truly blessed! So many great things, I don't know where to begin. How about if I start with our daughter?

Children are a blessing from God. I love our kids. Kids can say and do things that will make your head spin. Saturday morning, my wife Julie took our three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Ashleigh out to run errands. And as it happens on a beautiful Saturday morning, the gravitational pull of a yard sale is too great for the girls to escape. While milling around at one sale, Ashleigh came upon some children’s bracelets. One was a giant ring, filled with a purple glittery stuff. It was faded and obviously well-played with. But Ashleigh was insistent that she needed that bracelet. Since it was only ten cents, and it seemed to be something that Ashleigh was so adamant about, Julie conceded and bought it for our daughter. As they were getting into the car, Ashleigh offered the bracelet to Julie and said, “Here, Mommy – I got this for you to bless you since I broke your other bracelet.” The whole time Ashleigh was bugging Julie for this faded old ten-cent piece of plastic, she had wanted it to give to her Mommy. See, about three weeks ago, my wife’s ‘Secret Sister’ had given her a bracelet, and Ashleigh, being a curious child, tried to check it out. While Ashleigh was trying to get the bracelet out of the box, she managed to break it, and it wasn’t repairable. It broke Ashleigh’s heart to realize that she had ruined her Mommy’s pretty bracelet, and Mommy never even got to wear it. So, on Saturday, Ashleigh gave her Mommy something to say, “I remember that I broke yours, and I want you to have mine as a replacement”

Like I said – kids can say and do things that will make your head spin.

Well, for those of you who may be wondering, my wife Julie and I went out on our first real “date” in about a year-and-a-half this past Saturday night. We had a wonderful time. I took the kids to our friends’ house for the evening while Julie finished getting ready to go out, and while I was out of the house, I picked up a dozen roses, which I gave to my wife right before we went out. We then headed for Springfield, where we had a reservation at Nakato’s. We love that place. It’s like this great dinner and a show all-in-one! Dinner was perfect, and we topped it off with a cappuccino before heading home. But here’s the cool part, and it’s a testimony to how great our God is –

Things were a little tight for us this month, and we were probably pushing it pretty close by going out to dinner. But through three random blessings that we weren’t even expecting, God paid for our date! God blessed us with what we needed, and He threw in something that was of our heart’s desire, just because He’s a giving God!

And as if that's not enough, our church family, Lebanon Family Church, celebrated the 10th anniversary of LFC yesterday. We had two amazing services that took us through the journey of Pastor Matt and Aimee Flanders, the humble beginnings of our church, all the way up to the present, where we are praising God for the beginning of construction on a much needed new building! We met last night as a church at our property, worshiped, prayed, and cheered as Pastor Matt broke ground. No ceremonial golden shovels, though. No - Pastor Matt broke ground with a giant EXCAVATOR! It was awesome!

Like I said - it was a great weekend! Thank you for letting me share with you about it! I hope you've enjoyed the post! I pray blessings for all of you today, and I will look forward to sharing more with you later!

In Christ,

Fred.

Hey! I'm Baaaaaaack!

2007-05-17T11:46:00.000-06:00

For all of you who have written, called, and stopped me at Wal-Mart and said, "Hey Fred - what's up with your blog?" Well...long story. I'll put it in terms that I can understand. It was busted. But now we have a new one! Life's good.

Lots of things happening now at Spirit-FM. I mean, God is rockin' in this place, and we're working on some HUGE ways to connect with you all better, as well as some really fun things for the not-too-distant future! I'm excited! I'm pretty much always that way now - God's just so good, I don't know how else to be!

Julie, Ashleigh and Logan are all doing really great. Logan's growing like we're fertilizing him or something - that kid eats more than I do! Well, maybe not quite that much, but pretty close! Ashleigh is always coming up with new and creative ways to astound us. Yesterday, she put two and two together and figured out that "when we give somebody something, that's a bwessing!" And now she's ALL ABOUT blessing others! It's the coolest. I look at our kids, and I just praise God, knowing that they're going to grow up and learn about Him all their lives, and I know that I know that I KNOW that they're going to be so much better off than Julie and I, and that's just another reason to jump up and be joyful!

Anyway, I'll try really hard to be consistent on this thing, and I hope that you will be able to consistently read it! Thank you for taking the time to drop by, and I'll catch you again later!

Be blessed, and be a blessing!

-Fredly.