Ramblings from the Ol' Broadcaster

A few years back I was asked what my favorite passage about Christmas was.  I think when I said Galatians 4:4-7 people listening were shocked.  I am sure they were expecting Matthew 1 or Luke 2 or maybe even Isaiah 7.  I could see their heads almost spinning trying to figure what Paul said about Christmas in Galatians 4. So you don’t have to look it up, here it is: But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.  (NLT) The reason I love this passage when it comes to Christmas is that it plainly spells out what Christmas is all about.  God was in complete control, when He saw th...

This past summer I took up a new hobby to help with my Parkinson’s Disease. I have wanted to make fishing lures, so I decided to get a cheap airbrush, watch some YouTube videos and see what I could do. One thing I found out quickly was that it takes a lot of practice and you will ruin a lot of stuff. I also found out after ruining several lures that part of my problem after painting was the need for a rotating drying wheel so the lures could the clear coat over the paint could “cure” evenly. Those things are expensive and I didn’t have the funds to buy one. Then I remembered something my Pa Rube (my grandfather) told me one time. He had little education, but was the wisest man I ever knew. He said one day, “Son, never buy something until you try to make it. Store bought don’t mean it’s better, just probably looks it.” So I went out to our shed and found an old microwave that was pretty much shot. But in it was a motor that turned the plate around as things cooked. I quickly to...

For years I have started and ended my day with scripture. Many times it has had a great effect on how my day has gone. It has also caused many sleepless nights. Invariably when I want to sleep and grab a bible or open an app to read a little before bed, God grabs me, shakes me and forces me to think. Such is the case tonight. I Peter 3 is an amazing chapter that many people want to skip over because it begins with that pesky stuff about how God wants a marriage to work. You know, wives submitting and being called the weaker partner. Nevermind that these verses are often misinterpreted, I want to talk about something else. Beginning in verse 8, Peter throws out a challenge that is difficult. It is very counterintuitive to today’s culture, even in the church. He says that ALL of us are to be like-minded and sympathetic. He says that we must love one another, be compassionate and humble. AND we are not to repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, we are repay...

I have never been one to support openly one candidate or another. How you vote is your business. I write this BEFORE the election results are in so that it won’t be seen as “sour grapes” or “nanny nanny  boo boo.” With that being said, I voted for Donald Trump today.  Why? Yes, he is arrogant.  Yes, he has a dim view of women.  Yes, he is brash.  Yes, his economic plan will probably not work.  No, I am not comfortable with him having a finger on the button.  And there are countless other reasons that I don’t particularly care for him. BUT, my main reason for voting for Donald Trump is the Supreme Court. I look at how much different our country is from when I was a kid.  Yes, a long time ago I know but for those of you who can think back. We had prayer before class. The PA guy prayed before ball games. We had CHRISTMAS BREAK and CHRISTMAS PLAYS at school No one was offended when I said “Merry Christmas” We didn’t have to be careful of...

I am sure if you look in some people's pockets you will find some interesting things.  Gum, mints, a pocket knife, finger nail clippers, the list could go on and on.  I recently found out that the Mayor of Huntington Steve Williams carries 11 pennies in his pocket to remind him that he needs to help 11 people each day.  I think that is awesome. I too carry an object in my pocket and have for the last 20+ years.  It's a divot repair tool used in golf.  I also used to golf quite a bit before Parkinson's.   I carry this around to remind me that sometimes I hurt people, either with words or actions.  I create a divot in their life.  That divot needs to be repaired and since I caused it I need to ask for forgiveness and rectify the situation.  But also, when golfers come to a green and there are divots that they didn't cause, they go ahead and repair them anyway.  So each day I try to make sure I repair the divots I caused and ...

It's been a month now and I am ready to, sadly, make an announcement. Below you will find a diagnosis from KDMC Neurology's Dr Megan Rudinsky dated September 13, 2016 of Dementia Due to Parkinson's Disease.  I had wanted to kind of keep this private for a while so that my family had time to learn more about the disease and answer questions.  I am now ready to make this public and announce my retirement from Sports Broadcasting.  I love sports and I already miss it greatly.  I began in 1999 with GoRadio and then in 2015 moved on to Kool Hits 105.7.  I am very grateful for people like Francis Nash and Jim Forrest who allowed me to do my job the way I wanted to do it.  I will miss my guys at Kool Hits very much.  We were able to assemble what I feel to be the best broadcast crew around, bar none. Parkinson's induced Dementia was explained to me as   brain changes caused by Parkinson's disease begin in a region that plays a key r...

Why is it that some people find it so easy to condemn the actions of others? It is human nature, I suppose, however why? It is because by condemning others we can deflect attention away from the sins in our lives. If I gossip, spread rumors (whether true or not) I can make sure everyone else knows how awful “they” are and how good I am. Jesus had something to say about that while teaching his followers: “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5 {NLT}) We all have logs in our eyes. W...

Today I noticed a difference in my generation and the one behind me. I was entering a store, it was raining, a couple who looked to be about my age was behind me and I held the door open for them, which is what I was taught to do. Both were very appreciative and both said, "Thank You" On the way out of the store there were 2 young men, in their early 20's coming into the store, it was still raining, so I held the door open for them, they never broke stride, never took their eyes off their phones and never acknowledged my presence. I didn't hold the door for them to thank me, but if I hadn't held it open, I think they may each have a concussion right now. My take is this "millennial" generation will cease to have personal, face to face communication at some point, they will be less appreciative of what they have and the means they have to provide it and therefore the compassion for others will cease to exist for the most part some day. I ce...

I love all kinds of music.  If you were to look at what I have on my tablet to listen to you would find Casting Crowns, George Jones,  Kansas, Chicago, the Eagles, Mercy Me, the Cathedrals, the Statler Brothers, Don Rigsby, the Grascals and plenty of Garth Brooks (just to name a few).  I like Garth, but there is one of his songs that I take exception to.  The song is called “Unanswered Prayers” and the reoccurring line says, “Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers” I want you to know that God ALWAYS answers prayers!  It’s just that sometimes God says either “Wait” or a flat out “NO.”  We have trouble accepting those answers and assume God either didn’t hear them or He doesn’t care.  Now, the premise of the song being God’s gift of unanswered prayer might be flawed, but when God does say “Wait” or “No” that can be a great gift.  You see, we see this moment in time.  But God sees the big picture, FAR down the road.  I...

As I lay down for the night I am still reminded of something that happened today that is keeping me from sleeping. I was in Walmart getting some items for the house. As I was walking around I noticed this older lady with her granddaughter. I know this was the case because I heard the youngster call her grandma. Apparently the young girl found her job of the day to speed her grandmother up through the store and roll her eyes every time grandma was trying to tell her something. Grandma was trying to teach her granddaughter a few things about shopping. The granddaughter was too busy texting her friends, snapchatting and listening to what sounded like 8 cats fighting in a broom closet. This got me to thinking about my Pa Rube. My mom’s dad. He was a mountain of a man. His hands are still the biggest hands I ever saw. I loved my Pa Rube and wanted to spend as much time with him as I could. Because Pa Rube liked to teach me things. And when Pa Rube told me to do something, he tol...

As I lay down after a long drive back from NYC I have a few thoughts I want to jot down before I sleep.  Our family just experienced a wonderful and well needed vacation.  We spent time in Philadelphia, Atlantic City and New York City.  I am firmly convinced time spent with family is the most important investment we can make on earth.  The time I got to spend individually and collectively with Tina, Tori, Tucker and Mason are times I will fondly cherish. I was reminded during this vacation just how incredible my family is.  My wife is an amazingly patient and loving woman.  I know she probably didn’t want to drive 45 minutes out of the way to watch an independent minor league baseball game or take the subway in New York as much as we did, but she didn’t complain.  She is a born organizer knowing where everything was in each piece of luggage we packed.   My wife exemplifies what Peter wrote when speaking about wives he said, “Don’t be concerned...

Feeling a little “soap boxy” today for my blog. So you have been forewarned. Moses – Murderer David – Adulterer and Murderer Peter – Denier of Christ Paul – Killer and Imprisoner of Christians Would any of these men, as described be welcome in your church? Before you just jump up and say “YES!” What if their names were Joe, Jim, Bob and Tom? Would Tom the murderer be welcomed with open arms into your worship service? He should be. But honestly, would he be? Or would there be a group over here and a group over there staring and pointing and talking about Tom? Would anybody in your church, including the Pastor, go up to Tom and welcome him and tell him how awesome it was for him to be in God’s house and you are honored he chose to worship with you? Or would Tom have to awkwardly make his way to a seat and feel like a leper in your service? How would people react if Jim the adulterer walked in? Would they look to the rafters to make sure the roof would fall in? Or how about thi...

Authors Note:  This blog post is written as a general observation concerning ALL Youth Baseball Leagues.  If you feel  this was written about a particular coach, you probably need to read it again, because you fall within the category of coach I am talking about. Ah, Youth Baseball season.  That wonderful time of year when the kids hit the diamond, mom and dad get their team gear and coaches yell at player and umpires like every game was game 7 of the MLB World Series.  I was a little league umpire for 30 years.  I was also an umpire at the American Legion, High school and even college levels.  I can say without a doubt the coaches who caused more problems happened at the most fundamental level, when the focus should have been spent on the fundamentals, learning and having fun.  Sadly, many of these coaches wanted to pretend they had a shot of managing the Reds someday and wanted to show off their yelling and arguing skills instead of showing th...

I was doing prep work for the Boys Sweet 16 a bit ago.  I was working on my scoresheets.  They are pretty common among broadcasters.  Some just buy a commercially produced scorebook.  I like making my own.  Like most it has players information (name, number, height, grade, averages, percentages etc) and a place to mark scores and fouls.  As I was working on my prep this evening, something hit me like a ton of bricks. In life, I think many (if not all) people keep a scorebook.  You do something nice and you get a tally in points column.  Do something wrong and you get a foul.  Say something nice to me and I give you a point!  Hurt my feelings and I give you a foul.  Be cruel to my friend, FOUL!  Gossip about me, FOUL!  Do anything that I think you shouldn't do, FOUL!!!! There are a couple of problems with this mentality.  First of all, we are told countless times in scripture to love each other.  In John 15 Je...

Sometimes I hate getting emails.  I got 2 today that made me kinda sad.  The first from Anna Chaffin the principal at Russell High School.  It read as follows: Upon a mutual agreement, Jason Strader will not be returning as Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Russell High School for the 2016-17 school year.  This decision was made at the year-end evaluation meeting with Mr. Strader.  Coach Strader was always a great role model for our student-athletes here at Russell High School and an impressionable ambassador for the Russell Independent School District.  We wish him and his wonderful family nothing but the best. Then I got another just a bit later from Coach Strader: I would like to thank Mr. Horne, Mrs. Chaffin and Mr. Sparks for the opportunity to lead the RHS boy’s basketball program this past season.  My family and I have the upmost respect for the RISD administration and the community, and we truly appreciate the support they have given us this...

Yes, there is a song about it. I have read countless articles and blogs about it. I have heard and preached sermons on it and even read books about it. Respect. So why another blog on a dull topic? Because somewhere our society has dropped the ball. Somehow, somewhere, a generation has danced through life without knowing how to show respect or what it even means. A couple of examples. I have taught my son, and I practice it as well, to hold the door open for people in a public place if they were entering or leaving behind you. Especially older people or mom's with children, etc. To me that is respect and mannerly. This past week I was walking toward a store and I saw an elderly man with a cane headed to the door as well. I sped up a little (I don't have high gear) so that I could open the door and hold it open for the gentleman. Just before I got to the door, 2 teenagers just about knocked that man down and ran into me so that they could beat the "old dude and ...

I am so excited for this year's 16th Region Tournament.  For years I have really wanted to do something very different but never had the opportunity because I was broadcasting games and had nobody to really do what I envisioned.  This year, I am in a position to try out an innovative concept for Kool Hits and the Schoolboy Radio Network that I think will be amazing. Each night of the 16th Region Tournament we will begin at 5:20 with our Game Changer PreGame Show.  In that show we will set the stage for the upcoming night of 16th Region Tournament basketball.  We will be switching back and forth from our studio to Johnson Arena with broadcasters and coaches.  We have added some VERY special features that I am very proud of during our Game Changer PreGane Show. "Rules of the Game"  Each night we will be joined by KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett to explain some of the more common yet misunderstood rules in basketball. "Blast from the Past" ...

Today was an extremely difficult day.  On my way to join my "teammates" on The Breakfast Club, I was told of the passing of the ring leader of that exclusive club, Mark Justice.  His passing was sudden and unexpected.  It has been a bad day. After most difficult days, I find myself in the solitude of my paint studio.  Today was such a day.  As I stood gazing at the blank canvas, I felt a peace and comfort come over me.  At that moment these thoughts came to me.  I would shared them with my amazing radio family and it was suggested I blog them for you his fans. I am convinced that there is a place deep in the recesses of our hearts, a place where only you and God have a key.  Deep in that cavern of the heart, is where we lock away memories; the good memories of our lives.  I firmly believe God designed us in such a way that when we feel like we cannot go on, our memories can help sustain us.  Of course, God’s grace, love an...

BOYS Rank-School              FPV     Rcd   TP  Pvs 1. Mercer Co.            (11)   23-0   137  1 2. Christian Co.         (3)    17-2   123  2 3. Lex. Paul Dunbar        -     19-4  111  3 4. Scott Co.               -     22-2  95   5 5. Bowling Green           -     18-2  74   6 6. Cov. Catholic           -     15-6  53   9 7. Lou. Male               -  ...

Part of my Parkinson's therapy has been painting over the past few months.  I like painting.  Oils are very forgiving and I need that.  I am not very good and I know that.  But I want to help myself and others through this hobby. So, I have decided to once again begin my "Painting for Parkinson's" campaign.  I will post a few of my paintings here in the blog and if you see something you like, or would like me to paint something more specific I would love to give it to you for a donation.  When I sell a painting I take just the cost of my materials out and the rest goes to the Michael J Fox Foundation. I will say I am not very good at reproducing an actual scene.  I paint from my imagination.  I also don't frame my paintings.  I am doing a more modern method called "gallery wrap" in which the edges of the canvas are painted a complementary color.  I will show you this method in some of the pictures. Here is what I would like to d...

If I offered you a $100 bill I am sure you’d take it. Even if I crumpled it up, threw it on the ground and stomped on it, dragged it through mud, you’d still take it. Right? It’s a 100 bucks! The value hasn’t changed.   Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make, the decisions others make, words by some, gossip by others, bullying, or just the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we’re worthless.  I learned a long time ago, that what others think, say or do has no bearing on my life. Let them say what they want, think what they want, do what they want. I am not on this earth to please them or let them degrade me. I am on this earth to do one thing, please God. Do I always do that? No, I do not. There are mistakes I have made, decisions I have made, things I have said or done that have been far from pleasing to God. The great attribute of God is His love, grace and mercy. Even when I do th...