Not Biking - Boating!

9am Saturday. My cell phone rattles across the kitchen counter as a text message comes in. “Ah, a friend is inviting me for boat ride….”

We had talked about it, but I didn’t think he’d actually do it because he lives out of town. My friend launched at Leroy and at 11:30am, I was waiting by the dock of Barrie’s Southshore Centre and my ride arrived!

Off we bounced across Kempenfelt Bay, into Lake Simcoe, cruising at 50mph in his Searay Pachanga powered with a 350 Magnum.

In no time we arrived in Orillia at the Narrows, skipped around the bay, to a slip in the marina. I’m not sure whose slip we used, but there were a lot of empty ones.

After lunch in the sun on the restaurant patio it was off to the middle of Lake Couchiching to idle and listen to the unreleased, freshly mastered CD by Hello Kelly. Francois' songwriting is a step more mature and his vocals just keep getting better! The vocals are built to sound BIG. After all, it was recorded in Nashville. Nothing leaves Nashville until it is sonically BIG!

After the sneak music preview, we got in line with the parade of boats to coast thru the Narrows and then give 'er full-tilt bashing through the wake of the Simcoe waves.

Sun, friends, boating, lunch, new music.

A perfect afternoon.

I Like It But I Don't Read It - Anymore

My email inbox is exploding with great junk.

Over the years I subscribed to newsletters that I thought would enrich me. Daily short devos to start my day, newsflashes from my favourite bands, my favourite ministry sites, my favourite bike sites, personality blogs, specials on cruise ships, haircut coupons, news from Lance Armstrong, broadcasting headlines, newsbreaking headlines, weather bulletins - and so on.

I get about 5 or more a day. And I have no time to read it. Who's got time to read all this stuff? I barely have time to blog.

I bet you're not even reading this - even though it's incredibly interesting.

The world is spinning too fast and technology is to blame.

Do you subscribe and skip reading it?

UCB Visit

Back from Belleville. Man those radio guys at UCB have amazing scenery, in Quinte. Bay Bridge going over to Sandbanks Park. (The bridges throughout the city remind me of Saskatoon.)

Today was More Radio training seminar for my friends at 102.3 UCB Canada in Belleville. I brought along my story book of radio stuff and shared some of the good, the bad and the ugly. And they fed me. My buddy Malcolm Hunt who works for UCB in Chatham was spying via skype and also he could see me, I couldn't see him. (Very unfair situation!)

Always great to connect with radio friends, especially those you only know thru email.

In the photo on the left is James Hunt - Station Manager/President/Captain/Host and another fancy title with some initials, in the middle is Elmo Johnstone (PD) and me.

Thanks for the fun day!

You Will Never Be Healed

I try not to blog about this but it’s weighing on me, so by sharing, it clears my head (a bit) and maybe you might have a comment.

Depression. This is a mental disease. Huh? I have a mental disease? As a creative person, and someone who likes to conceptualize projects (like LIFE 100.3), having a mental disease makes me feel like the best years are behind me.

I’m tired of taking drugs with side effects. The side effects are sometimes worse than the depression. I told my psychiatrist, my psychologist and my GP that I just want to be healed.

All three told me – “You will never be healed. You may go into remission but depression comes back to 80% of the people.”

Swell.

When I’m having a good day, I can’t even remember the horrible feeling of depression. I actually believe I’m healed because I feel so good – positive, strong, alive and happy.

When I’m having an average day, I don’t really care much about anything – biking, food, love, anything. But I push thru.

When I’m having a depression day (once every three weeks), I honestly feel that I will never be happy again.

Again - YOU WILL NEVER BE HEALED.

I know all of this is common for depressed people. I'm not unique.

Even after finishing a blessed 13-week sabbatical, I feel like I’ve lost my summer. I didn’t feel like being active all summer. I wasted time. Fewer bike rides, fewer visits to see friends, fewer concerts.

I kinda rate my days. Today is an average day (so far), but I’m motivated enough to blog my feelings.

I know God can do anything. With the snap of his finger I could be healed. But I'm not. And those words YOU WILL NEVER BE HEALED make me feel defeated.

Ya.

This Blog Has No Title...just the words and the tune.

Today was a scrambled, mixed up day.

I woke up early and did devotions as usual. Today the devo was Matthew 6 – pretty popular.

Jesus talked about “giving” – so when you give money or stuff to help someone, you do it without wanting to be noticed. He talked about “praying” – not to show off with glamorous prayers, and not to go on and on – just say what’s on your mind, in your own language. Then it quickly moved into worship without eating – as in “fasting”, and not making a big deal about it, like “excuuuuuse me, but I’m fasting today!”.

Lastly, I read about storing up treasures in heaven, not here on earth where they rot. I looked around the room at the souvenirs of cool stuff I've come to love and our new patio.

I said to God, “I don’t live up to any of this.”

Over the next 20 minutes my mind went from alert and energetic to the pits. What made me feel worse was that it happened during my time with God. Aren’t those quiet moments in the Word, in prayer, supposed to lift me up?

I returned to verse 33 – one of my favourites – “Seek first the Kingdom of Righteousness….”. I thought I was doing that but today it didn’t bless me. It didn’t take me to a higher place.

Any speck of holiness quickly melted away. During that dying moment, I thought of a worship song, just randomly - “Jesus, lover of my soul. Jesus I will never let you go”. I kept thinking about it over and over – and fell back to sleep.

Before dinner I went for a short ride to Shanty Bay, stopped for 20 minutes and laid in the grass wearing my iPod and watched the clouds move slowly across the sky.

God gave me a sunny day to enjoy – and my response was – blah.

I Think I'll Write A Book

The mail’s here! Loooook! My book arrived! Oh, did I tell you that during my sabbatical I wrote a book? It’s about the only thing I know – radio. It is not a biography of Scott Jackson – I’m expecting Larry King to invite me on his show as a guest to discuss that. Actually, I’m waiting for the call. (joking)

“Good To Great – The Radio Version” is 121 pages of recycled ideas, gasps from the past and random, ridiculous tales - the stuff that makes me love radio.

Today I received the first actual softcover copy – ready for the final edit.

Through my company More Radio, one copy will be sent to every Christian station in Canada at no charge. You and your boss can fight over it. Or you can buy it yourself through Lulu – whatever that is.

Wanna work in radio? Read this book!
Getting bored of radio? Read this book!
Love radio stories that blur with time? You will LOVE this book!
Radio, ministry, Jesus.

It was either this or a book about a bicycle and I think Lance has that one covered!

Release date: sometime after Labour Day!

Choosing To See

You probably know the story of the tragic death of Steven Curtis Chapman’s daughter.

Steven’s wife, Mary Beth Chapman has written a book called “Choosing To See”. Jen Melanson loaded me her copy. Apparently Mary Beth talks about their emotional recovery to their daughter’s death, the adoption process, and their good friends Geoff Moore and his family.

To me Steven Curtis is not only an anchor of talent for Christian music but after losing a family member, he is living out his faith, speaking openly on Larry King Live - even when it hurts - and that gives me great encouragement, even though my troubles are nothing compared to his tragedy.

Well I can’t comment more because I haven’t read it but I’m excited about it. When I finish, I’ll post a review.

An Early Morning

During my sabbatical I changed my routines in a major way.

Getting up earlier. For 35 years I’ve been a night owl. I’m at my most creative between midnight and four, but at 8am, I’m looking like a bag of dirt. That’s where sleeping pills and other aids entered my life.

Now, during the sabbatical, I have made a conscious effort to be in bed between 9:30 and 11pm, almost routinely. And, I’ve been waking up BEFORE my alarm goes off. It’s crazy!

So my mornings, consist of devotions and the gym, or a bike ride.

Daily devotions - never worked at night. TV gets in the way. My mind has melted from the day’s work, Bible Study, movies, etc. God gets squeezed out. For me, it’s working in the morning and I never would have expected that to happen.

The gym. Previously I went at night when the punks have cleared out and the equipment was more accessible, but now with the routine of getting up early, I have more energy. Today, this morning was amazing. Maybe it was my attitude, or a good night’s sleep, or no pizza in the middle of the night. Not sure.

Today on my iPod here’s what kept me moving in the gym:

Morning Air - The Wedding
Dare You To Move - Switchfoot
Before The Morning - Josh Wilson
Everybody’s Broken - Bon Jovi
All Things Are Possible - Hillsong
How He Loves - David Crowder
This Is Me - Demi Lavato and the Jonas Boys

I am amazed, that at this stage in life, when my routines are set and I am supposed to be stuck in my ways, I am getting up early and making great use of the time.

The one thing that suffers is "my creative time". Without the late nights, I don't seem to be "finding the stuff" that I had before. And, I miss that.

You?

Jojo Bye Bye

JoJo McKnight, our part-time DJ has spun his last disc, well, played his "last music file"! He's moving on for worship studies at Liberty University in Virginia, following in the footsteps of many friends and our own Jen Melanson.

Here's Jojo on the air during his last show!

The City Is Named "Intercourse"

I'm sorting my photos from my recent visit to Woodstock and Philly.

In PA we traveled through Lancaster, which is a small rural farming area and very much Amish country. Horses and buggies share the road with the tourists.

This is very different country. The grassy hills were rolling, the roads were curvy, the farms and houses didn't look all the same. And there was a peace in the air. It felt different. Like the kinda of place you would go to get away and hide, read a book, walk and smell the air. If it wasn't in the middle of nowhere I'd love to go back for a weekend.

Well between Lancaster there is a small town named, ahem, Intercourse. Believe it or not it, the town changed their name to Intercourse from something else. (I'd hate to think of what they used to be named!)

After a quick photo op, we strolled through a market that was really quaint - real girly stuff, like ceramics, rug hooking, trinkets and 1,000 calorie treats.

After I hurried my wife to 'hurry up and let's go', I noticed a photo op - with a cow. And I couldn't resist to snap this picture.

Wear It - Don't Wash It

Us guys, we get in the comfortable groove of wearing a t-shirt and it feels so good that changing it is an act of injustice!

I mean, wear it, wear it to bed, wear it on day 2, repeat on day 3, repeat on day 4, then it's day 5 - ok, maybe, if absolutely necessary, it goes in the wash hamper.

It isn't any one particular t-shirt. For the last week, I've worn this COKE t-shirt. I love it. It's loose and sloppy. Easy to pull off for the shower and slide back on even before I towel off. So what if the water soaks in?

My wife knows NOT to touch "the t-shirt of the week", which by the way is not folded. Are you kidding? When I get dressed for work, "the t-shirt" just lies on the floor, waiting to be worn.

Tell you a secret - shhhh! Sometimes, but not often, I come home from work, put on the t-shirt of the week, wear it all evening, to bed, do that for a week, and then on the last day of the week, I'll wear it to work!

Normally I wouldn't have shared this story because it sounds rather Neanderthal but I was telling my friend and he does the same thing! Right Rob?! Hey, oh no, I don't mean he wears my t-shirts - he has his own!

Hahaha.

Have a great week!