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...