Awakening Crazy Faith

I've always felt that having a high level of faith is one of my best assets. But a big faith is not the same as a crazy faith! 

After hearing John Waller's story, maybe you and I will be inspired to stretch our faith, to awaken crazy faith within ourselves!  

Here's the interview in case you missed it:




I enjoyed speaking with him about his song that I've enjoyed playing on Hope FM, and learning more about Crazy Faith Coffee.  It's more than just selling java, it's sharing the crazy faith stories of people who dared to step out and do something big.  And it's helping to raise money to accomplish great things.

Here's a super fun video of the song.



Plus! He'll be coming to Palatka for a concert on Sunday August 20th at 6pm at Grace Fellowship. We'll have a chance to check out his coffee and his music.  Hope you'll join us! 

Mother of the Year

You may not be up for any awards, but you do need to be reminded that you're doing a great job!!  Kendra Smiley is an incredible encourager. Her devotional book reminds you that motherhood is a gift from God, and will help fill your mothering journey with purpose, guidance, inspiration and encouragement. 

Check out her book here and if you didn't get a chance to listen to the chat I had with her on the air, listen here for the entire interview:

An Interview With Randy Stonehill

When I heard Randy Stonehill was coming to Murray Hill Theatre I was super excited to help promote the show, and glad to hear he's still sharing his music. Though well before my time in getting to know Christian music, I do know that he's one of the few that helped pave the way for many artists and for stations like ours.

I thought it would be kind of cool to talk to one of "the greats" in contemporary Christian music, but it was actually one of my favorite interviews ever. Just to hear his heart, his stories, and his passion really made my day! I think you'll enjoy hearing from him as well.


About 7 minutes into the conversation, I asked him about one of his songs, which I'm sure you'll want to listen to!
 

Be An Informed Voter!

Between all the ads, the signs everywhere, and (please make it stop!) the opinions on Facebook, it's hard to know who to vote for.

Decide what to do about the presidency on your own...I want to talk about our local representatives.

A couple of BIG races that affect a vast amount of people here in Putnam as well as several surrounding counties, are the ones for State Senate and Congress.

So I wanted to be sure everyone got to listen to the heart behind the people with their names on the ballots.  These forums were recorded to air on Hope FM, but I want the people in the rest of the district to get to hear them as well.

The districts were redrawn during this last year so it's all new territory. Listen and decide for yourself!

U.S. Representative District 3 candidates Ted Yoho, Ken McGurn and Tom Wells:

State Senate District 8 candidates Keith Perry and Rod Smith:

Behind the Song: Eye of the Storm

Hurricane Matthew was barreling towards our community and it seemed like fear was rising by the minute. It was supposed to be the worst storm to hit our county in over 100 years. We were expecting the worst! At Hope FM it's our goal to offer hope and peace in the midst of life's storms, whether they have anything to do with the weather or not. We were on the air doing that, and boarding up the windows at the same time.

Me with Ryan at the Christian Music Broadcasters
Momentum conference, September 2016

As we got closer to the storm's impact, then during the hurricane and it's aftermath, one thing I noticed as I scrolled Facebook (what else do you do when the power is out and you still have a charge on your phone?) People were sharing the video and the lyrics of the song Eye of the Storm by Ryan Stevenson. Over and over again!

Shortly after the storm, I played the song one morning and received a call from a listener. She said her niece, Laney, wanted to know if Ryan Stevenson had actually lost a child like the lyrics of the song stated. I told her I didn't know, but I do know the songs we play are by artists who are living the life, not just talking about it...but I'd find out for sure.

Having met Ryan a couple months ago, I do know that he's a very humble and sincere guy.  When I got him on the phone and asked Laney's question, I wasn't exactly ready for such a personal and transparent answer. You can hear it for yourself:


He was also quite humbled when I asked what he thought about people quoting his song and being so encouraged by it during the storms of their lives:

I so enjoyed my conversation with Ryan and can't wait to hear other songs from him! He is truly grateful to know his music is a help and encouragement to others, and his sincere appreciation was refreshing to me!  



He and his family are in the process of moving to Nashville from the Pacific Northwest.  A big transition, so keep them in your prayers.

Hurricane Relief

If you had damage from Hurricane Matthew, assistance is available!  I've been trying to help get the word out on Hope FM, so here's the details on what to do if you had damage, from the experts themselves.  This is for anyone in any of the counties that have been declared as disaster areas that qualify for assistance. 

First: Start with your own insurance. File a claim.  

Then contact FEMA. There are things they can help with, such as my neighbors that had to rent a place while their home is being repaired. There's 2 months of rent that will be paid, what a huge help to a family that's overwhelmed by being displaced, to at least not have to worry about that. Call 800-621-3362.


Then there's the Small Business Administration.  Not just for businesses! Among other things, they offer loans to homeowners that need to make repairs. Call 800-659-2955.

Even if you don't end up needing their services, having signed up with them for disaster assistance will help you later if you do need it.

And please! Be alert and aware that disasters bring out scam artists.  If someone says they are from FEMA and need to verify any information, don't give out anything other than your claim number. Never give out your social security or banking information!  There are impostors out there trying to pose as FEMA inspectors.  Also good to know that FEMA does not charge anything for their inspections. If someone tries to charge you a fee, they're not really with FEMA.

Check out my interview with the representatives from FEMA and SBA and share it with others that may need to know how to get the help they need and how to avoid any scam artists.

A Coach with Passion and Purpose

Zach Duke is a Job Coach, helping high school students with special needs. He finds volunteer opportunities that sometimes lead to employment opportunities for his students. Some of them wouldn't otherwise be given these opportunities and it's opened doors for some amazing experience for the students as well as the businesses.

In case you missed it, here's our recent conversation:

I hope you'll contact Zach to let him know if you have something available to encourage these fantastic students. He brought several of them to Hope FM for a field trip and they were just wonderful, such a blessing to meet them!

Zach Duke
386-329-0588 ext 237
zduke@my.putnamschools.org

Zach in the studio at Hope FM