Thumbs Up! to A Chelsea Morning

Do you want to be a part of the positive? You can post a thank you to someone, a list of reasons you're thankful this week, or highlight people doing something worthwhile in your community. You don't have to post every week but it'd be wonderful if you're prepared to make the effort to write a positive post most weeks.--Rodney Olsen, The Journey

My Thumbs Up! Goes to Barb of A Chelsea Morning



I'm not sure how I discovered A Chelsea Morning, but it has become a regular stop for me. With her warm and gracious way of spreading light throughout what she calls "Bloggityville," I can think of no one more deserving of a Thumbs Up! recognition than Barb.

Whether it's sharing delicious recipes or crafts with detailed, step-by-step photos; talking about and showing us pictures of her adorable grandson Cameron; letting us in on big and small events like her daughter's wedding or prayer requests for her husband's job situation; or simply sharing her faith through her thoughtful devotionals-- Barb has a humorous, friendly and charming way of making you feel like you're a dear friend.

It's hard to click out of A Chelsea Morning without a smile on your face or a tug to your heartstrings.

Barb, thanks for your lovely blog...and Thumbs Up!

You can become part of Thumbs Up! and help "accentuate the positive" throughout the blogosphere; go here to find out more.

Have a wonderful and blessed weekend, everyone!

13 things about my radio career

1. I got my first radio job when I was 19 years old.

2. The station was KWFC in Springfield, Missouri. I worked there for about three years.

3. I got married while working at KWFC, and insisted on using my married name on the air, even though my program director, Larry Alford, wanted me to keep using my maiden name. Come to think of it, "Cindy Garrett" is easier to say than "Cindy Swanson."

4. My news director at KWFC, Floyd Gilzow, was one of the best newsmen I've ever known. My on-the-job training under his tutelage has been invaluable to me.

5. One of the Greene County elected officials I interviewed on a daily basis while at KWFC was County Clerk Roy Blunt, who is now a congressman.

6. I worked at KWFC with Malcom and Carol Feistel, who later became missionaries to Taiwan. Sadly, Malcom passed away over a year ago. Carol has a wonderful blog called And I Shall Yet Praise Him..

7. I was out of radio from June 1979 to March of 1981, when I went to work for the station I still work for, 101QFL.

8. My first news director here at 101QFL was Wes Bleed, who is now news director at WGN Radio in Chicago.

9. I was 24 when I started working at 101QFL. My oldest child, Jonathan, was one year old. He is now 27. You do the math.

10. One of my favorite news colleagues ever is Joel Griffith, who was the news director at 101QFL for five years. I still miss him, but fortunately he isn't too far away, as he is now with the Slavic Gospel Association. His excellent blog is called The Seventh Sola.

11. I was in a Winnebago County Courtroom on April 27, 1982, covering one of his murder trials, when convicted killer Ray Lee Stewart escaped while being escorted to the courtroom. (He was on the loose for two hours before being captured.)

Me with Mike Schlote, circa 2003

12. If you've been wondering about my former colleague,the beloved Mike "The SchloMan" Schlote--I got an e-mail from him recently:

"I’m the Director of Programming and Music along with host of 'Mike at the Mic in the Morning at KZZQ-Des Moines... we can be heard on the web at KZZQ.com. We are also listed on Windows Media Player’s radio station list)...I will be letting TheSchloMan.com go away in about a month. It won’t be long and I’ll be launching a different site designed around Voice Work called VoiceHangar.com. I REALLY look forward to that."

Certainly working with "The SchloMan" was one of the great joys of my radio career.

13. I reminisce about my radio career, all the changes that have taken place in the industry, and some of the wonderful people I've worked with, in this anniversary post.

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D. James Kennedy Passes Away

Dr. D. James Kennedy, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida and founder of the Truths that Transform Radio Ministry, died this morning at the age of 76.

This is a quote from a website devoted to Kennedy:

“Now, I know that someday I am going to come to what some people will say is the end of this life. They will probably put me in a box and roll me right down here in front of the church, and some people will gather around, and a few people will cry. But I have told them not to do that because I don’t want them to cry. I want them to begin the service with the Doxology and end with the Hallelujah chorus, because I am not going to be there, and I am not going to be dead. I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying and have not yet joined me in the land of the living. And I will be alive forevermore, in greater health and vitality and joy than ever, ever, I or anyone has known before.”

Wordless Wednesday

My grandson, Payton, looks like he's ready to seriously tuck in to some good Tex Mex!

A weekend of old movies

It's rare for me to get a long weekend, so I thoroughly enjoyed this past Labor Day weekend! One of the pleasures was watching some old movies with my daughter.

Our movie-a-thon actually started late last week, with Casablanca. Despite the fact that this movie is on myriads of "best films ever" lists, I had never seen it (my daughter had.)



Although the acting is a bit melodramatic at times, (after all, the movie is 65 years old!!!) I really liked it. Humphrey Bogart is so cool; Claude Rains is amusing; and Ingrid Bergman is simply luminous.

Next: An American in Paris. I had seen this once, years and years ago, and remembered very little about it, except that it was short on story-line and long on singing and dancing.

Gene Kelly is simply amazing in this movie. His dancing is incredible. There was a bit more of a story-line than I remembered, but to be honest, the 13-minute fantasy sequence dragged on a bit for me (apparently I belong more to the short-attention-span age than I thought I did!) But it was still a visual feast. (According to imdb.com, that sequence took a month to film, and cost a half a million dollars...a lot of money in 1951!)

Next on the list: Mr. Mom. Liz had never seen it, and even though it is slightly dated, it still holds up pretty well. Michael Keaton and Teri Garr are both funny and cute--there's something very endearing about the young Keaton--and Martin Mull is great as Garr's smarmy boss.

One of the funniest things in the movie is how Keaton, as Jack, goes from disdaining soap operas ("Who watches that stuff?") to being a "The Young and the Restless" addict ("Can't talk now! Nikki's supposed to get her blood test today!")

We started watching Notorious, with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, but had to stop watching just as it seemed to really be getting interesting. Cary Grant is the epitome of debonair, and again, Ingrid Bergman is gorgeous--and black-and-white film has never been put to better use. We'll have to finish that one.

Bittersweet Labor Day...

Labor Day has always been a bittersweet holiday for me. Summer is my favorite season, and although it really doesn't end with August, it marks the end of summer for me. When my kids were little, it meant back to school--which was also a little sad for me.

This Labor Day week marks another change. My middle child, Justin, is leaving for Texas to start a new job. He will be surrounded by my loved ones who already live there--my son and his wife and my baby grandson; my mom; my sister and her family, and my brother and her family...but I will miss him SO much.

However, even though it's hard to let go of Justin and of the summer, I know that change can be good. And I must admit I enjoy the beautiful autumn leaves, crisp days and pumpkins as much as anyone. So, here we go!

Friday Stuff

...including an update interview with pastor Don Elbourne

As I blogged earlier this week, I was able to do an update interview with Pastor Don Elbourne, whose Lakeshore, Mississippi church was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

You can listen to the entire 15-minute interview here.

I was again struck with the spirit of Pastor Don Elbourne. Although Katrina has literally turned his life around--and there's still no end in sight in dealing with the aftermath--he still has a positive, faith-filled attitude.

OK, you'll find this interesting only if you're a "Lost" fan:

It looks like Gilligan's Island and the Lost island have quite a bit in common! (Hat tip to the Evangelical Outpost.)




Everyone go out and have a blessed weekend!

Thirteen Places I Want to Go

(Is this terrible? I'm re-posting a TT from the archives. This was originally posted in June of 2006).

Some of these places I HAVE been to, and I just want to go back. Other places I've yet to see. Here we go:

1) Ireland --it's been my dream since childhood.

2) Scotland--it's been my dream since Braveheart.

3) England--while I'm at it, why not a tour of the United Kingdom? I would love to visit London.

4) Vermont--Friends tell me it's gorgeous, especially in the fall

5) Steamboat Springs, Colorado--I was there once, on my way somewhere else, and I immediately fell in love with it. It was so beautiful, and I LOVE the Colorado Rockies.

6) Savannah, Georgia--My parents went there for a convention once, and my mom has never forgotten how beautiful it was, especially the old houses.

7) The Maine Coast--Have heard, and read, that this is gorgeous.

8) Boise, Idaho--My daughter-in-law's hometown. I was there in the winter, for the wedding, but I would love to see it in the summer.

9) San Diego, California--Specifically, the Del Coronado Hotel in Coronado. Been there once, will never forget it, would love to go again.

10) Paris, France--I know, people tell me it's dirty and the residents have bad hygiene and bad manners, but I'd love to go anyway!

11) Provence, France--Everything I've read about it makes it sound idyllic and lovely.

12) Greece, the Greek Isles--I'm one quarter Greek, and would love to see the place where some of my heritage is rooted. I've also heard and read that the islands are beautiful.

13) Branson, Missouri--Had my honeymoon here, have been back a couple of times. I just love the spirit of this little resort town!
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Two years past Katrina

a church continues to rebuild


Pastor Don Elbourne

A year ago, I blogged about an interview with Don Elbourne, pastor of the Lakeshore Baptist Church in Lakeshore, Mississippi. A year after the devastating hurricane, Lakeshore Baptist was still struggling to rebuild.

Pastor Elbourne blogs an update today.
He writes:

Two years later and we still find ourselves picking up the pieces, digging out from under the rubble and seeing God Glorify himself in ways we never could have imagined. For 730 days now God has poured out his mercy and sustained us with his grace.

Katrina completely destroyed our church buildings and left everyone in our community homeless. Through the hard work of God-sent volunteers we have physically helped over 100 families in Lakeshore rebuild their homes by rehabbing the remains of their flooded skeleton structure or rebuilding from the ground up. Donations from across the country have provided assistance to literally hundreds more.

Read more here.

I'm trying to contact Don now, to hopefully put together an update interview with him. It's clear that there is still much to be done.

As Don writes today:

I know two years is a long time, but the job is far from complete. Please do not forget about us. Remember us in prayer, tell others of the work God continues to accomplish here, and plan a trip to come participate in this mission of mercy as we rebuild Lakeshore for the glory of God.

Allison Bottke's "One Little Secret"

My interview with Allison Bottke

All you have to do to realize that Allison Bottke is a remarkable lady is to take a look at her website. Allison is a one-woman cottage industry--or to quote Superchick, she's a "one-girl revolution."

The creative force behind God Allows U-Turns, Boomer Babes Rock and Set Boundaries Now, she is a dynamic speaker and writer.

So it's no surprise that when Allison turned her hand to fiction (something she's wanted to do all her life), it was going to be good.



One Little Secret

My first encounter with Allison's fiction writing was A Stitch in Time. The fascinating story of a career woman who is dealing with the effects of Weight Loss Surgery, that book contained a lot of Allison's story as someone who has lost 120 pounds as the result of WLS. It's a wonderful read, and one I highly recommend.

In this sound clip, Allison talks about how her story was woven into "A Stitch in Time":



One Little Secret is no less absorbing and entertaining. The story is about a "boomer babe," married to a highly successful and extremely busy attorney, who is facing an empty nest. She has one dream, which she has shelved during her children's growing-up years: to sing professionally. How this dream is realized, and all the complications along the way, makes for a terrific read.

In this sound clip, Allison talks about the premise behind One Little Secret:



One of the messages of the book is that it's never too late to achieve your dreams--an idea that's welcome to Allison's "boomer babe" audience. Many women, like Ursula in "One Little Secret," have set aside their dreams to raise children who have now gone off to live their own lives. In this sound clip, Allison has some encouraging words:



You can listen to the interview

Click here to listen to my entire interview with the delightful Allison Bottke:

My interview with Allison Bottke

Cindy's FYI 8/27/07

--Prominent Christian leader and broadcaster D. James Kennedy has retired from the pastorate.

--Billy Graham continues to improve after suffering intestinal bleeding.

--China continues to crack down on underground churches.

--Dunkin' Donuts is hopping on the zero grams transfat bandwagon.

What I did on my summer vacation

...and I do the Friday Feast meme

Finally, (if you're interested!), some photo's from my trip to Texas!

Friday Feast Time!

Appetizer
Say there’s a book written about your life. Who would you want to narrate the audio version?--Well...me! I'm a professional voice-over artist, after all. I'd get paid for doing it, right? :)

Soup
Take the letters from your favorite kind of nut and write a sentence. (Example: Perhaps every avenue needs understanding today.)--I'm not going to be able to beat Linda of 2nd Cup of Coffee on this one, (we share the same favorite),but I'll give it a shot:

Cindy Always Savors Her Extraordinarily Wonderful Soups

Salad
If you could go back in time and spend one week in another decade, which decade would you choose?--Wow...I know it was a really cheesey time, but maybe the 70's? If I could have the wisdom and expertise I have now, along with the looks I had then...that would be cool.

Main Course
Name a song that brings back memories for you.--"How Deep is Your Love," by the Bee Gees. Popular when hubby and I were dating!

Dessert
Do you prefer to wash your hands in cold water or warm water? --Warm, definitely.

Everyone go out and have a wonderful and blessed weekend!

Thirteen Random Things About Me

Since I'm having a very busy day today, this is actually expanded from a list of Eight Random Things About Me that I was tagged for a while back. Happy TT, everyone!

1. I spent two years in Beirut, Lebanon, when I was a child (my parents were missionaries.) As a litte girl I was immediately enchanted by the beauty of the place, which was not yet marred by war.

2. In the fifth grade, while in Lebanon, I got to help interview astronaut John Glenn. (I've blogged about the experience here.)

3. My favorite book of all time, not including the Bible which goes without saying, is Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte.

4. I had all three of my children by Cesarean section, and all of my children were born in the 80's.

5. I used to collect Coca-Cola stuff; I still have quite a lot of it, but I'm not currently displaying it in my home, and I'm even thinking about selling it on E-bay.

6. I am quite good at calligraphy.

7. I can do a very good impression of Dolly Parton singing "Jolene."

8. I am a voice-over artist, and my voice can be heard on tutorials for several computer programs, including Windows Vista Media Center.

9. I don't like circuses, and never have. I don't know why...it's not a fear thing; they just bore me.

10. Mountains and bodies of water are my favorite things in nature.

11. I have naturally curly hair that has driven me crazy all my life...except during the 80's, when I was envied for having really big hair and never having to have a perm.

12. I love to sing and I enjoy public speaking, and am available to speak to women's groups.

13. I enjoy blogging, and I'm nearing my 4th blogiversary!

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Women in Film

...and what do "Lost" and Dickens have in common?

Although standards of beauty change with the passage of time, there are still some amazingly lovely ladies in this video. (Hat tip to Angela Hunt of A Life in Pages.)



*(The actresses pictured are listed at the bottom of this post, if you're curious.)

"Our Mutual Friend" and "Lost"...

Of particular interest if you're a "Lost" fan: Sherry of Semicolon is taking part in a reading project made up of books referenced in the show.

Sherry says of Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend":

"...I would suggest that Desmond read it sooner rather than later. Wanting a certain book to be the last one you read before your death is all poetic and romantic-sounding, but the plan has some practical difficulties. How do you decide when death is imminent but far enough away to give you time to finish a Dickens tome before it’s too late?"

Sherry's review of "Our Mutual Friend" is here.


*Women in Film Video:
Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Gloria Swanson, Marlene Dietrich, Norma Shearer, Ruth Chatterton, Jean Harlow, Katharine Hepburn, Carole Lombard, Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, Barbara Stanwyck, Vivien Leigh, Greer Garson, Hedy Lamarr, Rita Hayworth, Gene Tierney, Olivia de Havilland, Ingrid Bergman, Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, Loretta Young, Deborah Kerr, Judy Garland, Anne Baxter, Lauren Bacall, Susan Hayward, Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Lana Turner, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Audrey Hepburn, Dorothy Dandridge, Shirley MacLaine, Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, Janet Leigh, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Ann Margret, Julie Andrews, Raquel Welch, Tuesday Weld, Jane Fonda, Julie Christie, Faye Dunaway, Catherine Deneuve, Jacqueline Bisset, Candice Bergen, Isabella Rossellini, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sigourney Weaver, Kathleen Turner, Holly Hunter, Jodie Foster, Angela Bassett, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, Salma Hayek, Sandra Bullock, Julianne Moore, Diane Lane, Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon, Halle Berry

Around the blogosphere...

Just some things to point out to you:

--What do you with your fat clothes when you're losing weight? Mel of The Amazing Shrinking Mom has some thoughts.

--Good news for fans of author BJ Hoff: Harvest House is re-releasing two of her novels that have been out of print, Cloth of Heaven and Ashes and Lace. I really like both books. No one writes about Irish Americans better than BJ!

--Stop the presses! Siegfried and Roy have outed themselves. (Hat tip to Good Brownie.)

--I just finished Allison Botke's new novel, One Little Secret, and thoroughly enjoyed it...what a fun read! I look forward to interviewing Allison later this week, and being part of her blog tour.

--Movies that contain nasty grossness leave me cold--I have a hard time getting past the nastiness to enjoy the humor. So I just avoid that kind of movie. I have this firm belief that humor doesn't have to be dirty to be hilarious.

But apparently I'm in the minority--Judd Apatow is making a killing off of movies like "Superbad" and "Knocked Up." My friend Joel Griffith of The Seventh Sola has some succinct comments on this issue. He quotes Apatow:

I'm just trying to make movies about how people really are . . . Most of my life is R-rated. I'm just glad it's working for people so I can keep making filthy little films.

More from Joel here.

--The Top 15 Great Science Fiction Books (not being a big sci-fi fan, I will admit that I haven't read any of them! Have you?) Hat tip to Evangelical Outpost.

Thumbs Up! Accentuating the Positive

Rodney Olsen of The Journey has come up with a great idea. He's calling it "Thumbs Up!"...and it's all aimed at highlighting positive things in the blogosphere:

"The blogosphere can sometimes be a pretty negative place so I reckon it's great to make a habit of accentuating the positive.

"I want to link to a number of bloggers who are writing positive posts each week.

"Do you want to be a part of the positive? You can post a thank you to someone, a list of reasons you're thankful this week, or highlight people doing something worthwhile in your community. You don't have to post every week but it'd be wonderful if you're prepared to make the effort to write a positive post most weeks."

I'm pleased and honored to find that Rodney's "Thumbs Up" for this week was awarded to me! Rodney, thank you so much.


My Thumbs Up! for this week goes to:

Grams of Talk...to...Grams!



Grams has given me a few blogging awards, and it's true that I want to return the favor. But aside from that, she's very deserving of this award.

A relative newcomer to blogging, Grams has already managed to infuze her blog with a homey, welcoming cheerfulness. I love how self-effacing, but determined she is about learning the various technical aspects of blogging. I enjoy her pictures of family occasions and cute pets.

Grams' faith is evident throughout her blog, and she really is an encourager. After all, her tagline is "a blog about my faith, my family, and my favorite blogs." She spends a lot of time highlighting her favorite blogs--what an encouragement!

There's no way you can go away from Grams' blog without a positive feeling, so I feel she's richly deserving of this "Thumbs Up!"

(Grams, you can go here to get your Thumbs Up! badge to put on your sidebar--I used the smaller version on my sidebar.) That link also explains how anyone can get involved in Thumbs Up!

Friday Stuff

-- Christian Newswire reports that speaker and "supermodel" Kim Alexis will headline this year's "Becoming a Captivating Speaker" Conference at Landmark Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sept. 13-15, 2007. Other speakers include Laurie Beth Jones and Florence Littauer. More here.

According to the site, "Kim will share about her Christian faith and will teach the professional tips she has learned to become an expert communicator; on stage, on television, and as a spokesperson."

--Could a Bible really stop a bullet? It did in the case of 22-year-old Army Private First Class Brendan Schweigart...and this article speculates on how that could happen. (Hat tip to Barbara of Tidbits and Treasures.)

--I'm delighted to say Catez of allthings2all is blogging again after an absence of several months. This New Zealand Christian has a lot of great things to say, and I've missed her voice in the blogosphere.

--A disturbing study from LifeWay Research. The study finds that 70 per cent of young adults who regularly attended a Protestant church while they were in high school stop going to church between the ages of 18 and 22.

The director of LifeWay Research, Ed Stetzer, believes (and I agree) that the findings "highlight the importance of youth ministry in discipling teens to love God and recognize the importance of being in church fellowship." Stetzer says the study found that about a third of church dropouts resume church attendance later in life, often after they marry and have children.

--A 35-year-old Canadian woman has given birth to rare identical quadruplets. Pretty names: Autumn, Brooke, Calissa and Dahlia.

--A big THANK YOU to everyone who responded to my Comment Challenge! What a way to brighten my day!

Everyone go out and have a wonderful and blessed weekend!

13 Elvis-related Quotes

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. In memory of that, here are 13 Elvis-related quotes:

Quotes about Elvis:

1) Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn't been an Elvis, there wouldn't have been the Beatles. John Lennon

2) None of us could have made it without Elvis. Buddy Holly

3) I learned music listening to Elvis' records. His measurable effect on culture and music was even greater in England than in the States. Mick Fleetwood

4) He was white, but he sang black. It wasn't socially acceptable for white kids to buy black records at the time. Elvis filled a void. Chet Atkins

5) His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac. It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people. Frank Sinatra

Quotes by Elvis:

6) Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away.

7) Rhythm is something you either have or don't have, but when you have it, you have it all over.

8) The first time that I appeared on stage, it scared me to death. I really didn't know what all the yelling was about. I didn't realize that my body was moving. It's a natural thing to me. So to the manager backstage I said 'What'd I do? What'd I do?' And he said 'Whatever it is, go back and do it again.'

9) On becoming famous: I just fell into it really. My daddy and I were laughing about it the other day. He looked at me and said, 'What happened E? The last thing I remember is I was working in a can factory and you were driving a truck.'

10) On performing: I wiggle my shoulders, I shake my legs, I walk up and down the stage, I hop around on one foot. But I never bump and grind. Why, that's vulgar. I'd never do anything vulgar before an audience. My mother would never allow it!

11) Some people tap their feet, some people snap their fingers, and some people sway back and forth. I just sorta do 'em all together, I guess.

12) I ain't no saint, but I've tried never to do anything that would hurt my family or offend God...I figure all any kid needs is hope and the feeling he or she belongs. If I could do or say anything that would give some kid that feeling, I would believe I had contributed something to the world.

13) We do two shows a night for five weeks. A lotta times we’ll go upstairs and sing until daylight - gospel songs. We grew up with it...It more or less puts your mind at ease. It does mine.

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A Comment Challenge!

Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier by Paul Cézanne

...and some other stuff

OK, I'll admit it...I need some encouragement!

I've noticed that my blog readership has been down considerably during the past several weeks. Something that would really cheer me up would be some comments!

If you normally just lurk, or if you haven't commented lately, would you please do so today?

There are two ways to comment on my blog. You can either click on "Comments" or click on "Notes from You."

Please, just de-lurk and either tell me something about yourself, what brings you to my blog, or even ask me a question. Feel free to tell me about your own blog if you have one, and give readers a link to it.

You don't want me to be depressed, do you? So, go ahead...COMMENT! :)

Other stuff...

--Hat tip to Angela Hunt of A Life in Pages: The Rapture Song. (You'll only find this amusing if you grew up being taught the Biblical belief of the rapture!)

--The Top Ten Most Expensive Paintings of All Time (hat tip to The Evangelical Outpost). (One of them is pictured above.)

--Are you burning up? DK Raymer's A Flyover Blog has been providing some relief from the summer heat.

--Author Deborah Raney just let me know about a very cool author-blog called The Plot Thickens. It's all about writers and their garden spots!

And now... PLEASE COMMENT! :)

It's good to be nice

and, it's Husbands in Love Day

Wow...Grams of Talk...to...Grams has a way of making my day! This time, she's awarded me the Nice Matters award. Grams, thanks so much for the honor. I've always said, "It's better to be nice...than to not." (Very big grin)

More about the award: "This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world." Again, thanks so much!

On another topic, 101QFL morning show host Darren Marlar informed me that today is Husbands in Love Day...a concept I like very much (provided, of course, that it is their wives that the husbands are in love with!)

In the spirit of marital bliss, go here to hear comedian Tim Hawkins sing "Things You Don't Say to Your Wife."

A sample (to the tune of Green Day's "Time of Your Life":

Hey honey, have you gained some weight in your rear end?
The dress you wear reminds me of my old girlfriend
And where'd you get those shoes, I think they're pretty lame
Would you stop talking, cuz I'm trying to watch the game
If you're a man who wants to live a long and happy life,
These are the things you don't say to your wife

The classic line, though, is "Happy anniversary, I bought you a treadmill." :)

Unable to upload vacation pics!

Due to technical problems, I've been unable to put the vacation pics I took in Texas on my computer. Hopefully I'll be able to do so in the not-too-distant future, but until then, here's one courtesy of my lovely daughter-in-law. That's me with my sleeping six-month-old grandson. The look you see on my face is that of pure love!

My interview with Randy Alcorn

“Messin’ with me’s like wearin’ cheese underwear down rat alley.”
-Police Detective Ollie Chandler, the main character in Deception

Several years ago, I read a very unusual book. It was Deadline, and the author was Randy Alcorn. The story wasn't so unusual, although it grabbed me immediately. What was unique about Deadline was that when a character died, his story didn't end there....he went to heaven, and I, as the reader, got to go there with him.

Randy Alcorn doesn't pretend to be able to describe heaven, but he believes we know some definite facts about it--and those facts don't include winged, haloed Christians sitting around on puffy clouds strumming the harp.

He explains in this sound clip:



In this sound clip from my interview with Randy, he talks about the writing of Deadline.



Dominion



Not too long ago, I read a "spinoff" of Deadline, titled Dominion. Dominion--although it too has a compelling story--could never be classified as easy reading. The protagonist is a black man, and along with the story, the book includes a great deal of the history and background and baggage being a black man in America entails.

Reading Dominion was an incredible eye-opener for me. I thought I had a fairly good understanding of black people. Turns out I didn't, at all. I really had no inkling, but after reading Dominion, I believe I have a much greater understanding of the black experience in America.


...and that brings me to Deception

Randy departed a bit from his usual fiction-writing style in the writing of Deception, which is yet another spinoff of Deadline (Randy doesn't call them sequels or a series.) He wrote Deception from the first person--from the point of view of hardened, cynical police detective Ollie Chandler.

The story begins grippingly, as Ollie arrives on the scene of a murder that portends a lot of troubling questions for him personally.

From that point on, the story doesn't let you go. As a reviewer once said about a book, and I'm paraphrasing, "Don't plan on doing much else while you're reading this book."

It's to Randy Alcorn's credit that we ended up liking the character of Ollie Chandler very much. Randy admits he took pains to make the hardbitten, skeptical, world-weary cop a lovable character...and most of that had to do with giving him a terrific sense of humor.

I did labor to make Ollie likable...and part of that is his sense of humor. I think that's so important, because if you're going to spend an entire book inside of someone's head, so to speak...it's important that they have flaws, that's part of what makes the conflict that makes the story work...BUT, they've got to be, in some respects, likable.

Thanks to Randy spending many hours hanging out with, and picking the brains of, real-life police detectives, Deception has the unmistakable ring of authenticity.

Deception does have the occasional glimpses into heaven, and there are conversations among Ollie and his two Christian friends that delve into issues like atheism and apologetics. But unlike Deadline and Dominion, the book doesn't often depart from the main story--the mystery that's propelling the plot forward.

And the best news for people who love the character of Ollie? Randy Alcorn is probably not done with him. Randy told me,

"After each of my previous six novels, I have had no inclination whatsoever to repeat someone in the role of the viewpoint character. Now, in a couple of cases I've done a spinoff, where Dominion is a spinoff of Deadline. Jake Woods, the main character in Deadline appears in Dominion, but he's in a secondary role--the main character is Clarence Abernathy, who was in a minor role in Deadline. Ollie was in both of those. This was kind of Ollie's turn, and Clarence and Jake are in support roles to him...but when I fnished the book this time, for the first time I thought, 'You know, I'm not done with this character.'"

Eternal Perspectives Ministries

Randy Alcorn has written several books about heaven, and he heads Eternal Perspectives Ministries, which is aimed at teaching God's Word from an eternal viewpoint.

You can find out about all of Randy's books at that website, and you can also check out Randy Alcorn's blog.