My Christmas task…how it went….

I now finally have a moment to stop and reflect on how my Christmas radio assignment came out.

In a word, it was wonderful.

Sure, I had done the very same show exactly a year ago...but for some reason, this particular year, it was much more meaningful for me to do.

Like many of you, it has been a year of challenges for me. And I'm still in the midst of a number of them....but I was determined that I would cast all of that aside, and concentrate on presenting three hours of well-crafted and inspiring music to be a Christmas companion for any and all who wanted to celebrate the day for what it is...a celebration of the arrival of the Saviour of the world into that very world...to show us the way of true hope and to achieve a relationship with the true and living God of the universe, which would enable us to fulfill our destinies as beings made by Him in His image.

Christmas can be a very lonely time of year if you're alone. I wanted to use music to be that companion to anyone who wanted or needed one during this Christmas season...if one had nothing else, one could have the Christmas spirit and a friend in their home by way of a song. Very often, a song can go where nothing else can go, and soothe the spirit of someone in need. My earnest prayer was for the songs I chose to reach the hearts and souls of whoever chose to tune in, for whatever reason.

And because my natural desire is to do the very best job I can at any task I'm entrusted with, I admit I was a bit nervous at the outset. In 25+ years of radio, I have seldom been nervous about being on the air, but my desire to get everything perfect(the way I figure God likes it)caused me to be a bit self-conscious at the outset.

But as the morning went on, a lot of the skills I'd developed over the years that had become a little rusty due to lack of use over the past seven years gradually started to come back, and as I relaxed, it became easier to do what I'd prayed God would allow me to do.

And from my standpoint, it came off pretty well.. All the formatic elements of my presentation were executed as planned, and with few exceptions, I was able to get the songs I wanted to play on.

But as is always the case with a radio show, it was the audience that would ultimately determine whether my goals were reached, and my prayers were positively answered. But have any of you ever had that feeling of satisfaction after doing something you thought was important, that feeling of feeling good because you know you'd done the best you could, and there was nothing more you could do? I had that feeling once the show was over, and it felt good.

It really didn't take long to find out how the audience felt. During the show, I counted 22 calls from appreciative listeners who wanted to express everything from gratitude for the songs to requests of their own, some of which I even fulfilled. It is nice to know that people were up, present. listening, and appreciative.

After the show, my program director phoned me to tell me he'd already received five complimentary e-mails about the show, and wanted to forward them to me so I could see what they had to say. When I saw them, I was moved to a point of simultaneous humility, satisfaction, and gratitude. I now knew how a lot of my favorite singers feel when they get a brace of responses like that from their appreciative fans(like me).

I heard from the former longtime Fresno State golf coach, whom I'd known in years gone by but never imagined he'd be tuning in, much less express such warm thanks for a simple program of music. The topper of all those letters, though, was one that expressed thanks that "...the birth of Jesus Christ was so boldly proclaimed on a secular radio station..." and that I "...had an outstanding selection(and variety)of songs...". That was the whole point...to turn the focus of Christmas back on the one the day is named for, and established to honor. And to make each listener's Christmas just that much more meaningful.

Was it me? No, not really...not at all. But I was honored to be chosen as the one to execute God's desire for the KMJ radio audience on Christmas morning, 2009. It was part of the reason I felt led to be on the radio many years ago. After four days, I'm still thanking God for allowing me to use my gifts for doing radio in such a way.

I know I'll be coming down soon...but it sure feels nice up here in the clouds!

My Christmas task

...is pretty much the same as it was last year.

Some of you may recall that last year, I was given the task of hosting a three-hour program of Christmas music on Christmas morning on my longtime radio station, KMJ-AM in Fresno. I selected the songs myself, and did so with the idea that they would communicate a true Christmas message to our many listeners, and in so doing offer inspiration and Christmas cheer to those seeking or in need of receiving it who might not be able to obtain it elsewhere. Very few things can communicate such thoughts the way music can.

For me personally, it is a great opportunity. Since my stroke seven and a half years ago, I get very few opportunities to present live programming to our large Central California audience outside of our Sunday morning gospel music show, and I always look forward to the chance to reconnect with people I've come to know and enjoy via the special calling I feel God gave me many years ago.

But I assure you all that I don't look upon this assignment as a "gig" or any kind of career-building assignment. At this point in my life, I doubt if such an isolated assignment would lead to any kind of job or career enhancement of any sort. No, such a notion is the furthest thing from my mind when I do this sort of thing.

What this assigment DOES give me the opportunity to do is to share a small bit of myself with our audience. For the whole meaning of Christmas to me is absolutely intertwined with the thing that means the most to me in the world, namely, Jesus Christ, and His story. And it's not often I get the chance to communicate that story to a large audience on a large secular radio station, as mine is.

Yet I am proud to be chosen to communicate that story through songs written to celebrate His birth, despite objections that may be raised in this day and age that doing such a thing might be construed as forcing a particular set of values down the ears of our listeners. Well, Christmas has traditionally been about telling that story, not merely to sell toys or cars or other trinkets.

And my sole aim on the radio this Christmas morning will be to present the best songs in the world about the best message in the world, to all who choose to drop in and listen to what we're doing. I would love to make someone or many blessed and happy to celebrate Christmas Day with us at KMJ.

To that end, if you'd like to hear accomplished and uplifting music to celebrate you Christmas with, you're invited to join me Christmas morning on KMJ-AM(580 on the AM dial if you're within listening range)or online at kmjnow.com if you'd like to listen to our streaming online this Christmas day morning from 6-9A Pacific Time. I welcome all of you, and want you to know that you always have a place at my radio Christmas gathering.

Hope to catch you there.

Wha-a-a?

For thoae of you who may have missed me during the past week, I hope you don't mind that the first thing I feel led to post about in that time is a college football matter.

But why, oh why, after posting 12-0 records respectively OUTSIDE Bowl Championship Series(BCS)conferences in hopes of playing one of the "anointed" conferences to prove their worth(and maybe get some champiohship consideration themselves), did the BCS powers that be make one of the most cowardly bowl pairings they could have made...unbeatens Boise State and TCU(both with perfect seasons)in the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe?

Simple...they don't want to face the prospect of either the Broncos or the Horned Frogs knocking off one of the schools they consistently shove in our faces(Florida, Ohio State, Alabama, or Oregon)as being the "elite" programs in the country, thus tightening their grip on all the INSANE amounts of money and prestige that's out there these days.

Wait a minute...didn't Boise State BEAT Oregon in both schools' season opener? I know, shut up, John! You know how to upset that applecart, don't you?

I'm more convinced than ever that the BCS system doesn't want a true champion, because it just might be one of those "non-glamour" schools that aren't part of the BCS "club".

So let's just have the two best "BCS busters" battle it out(as they did just last year)...that way our Floridas and Alabamas and Texases can be spared the threat of embarrassment.

But Florida 's not out of the woods just yet...they're slated to face a very tough(and hungry)University of Cincinnati team, itself unbeaten and although they ARE in a BCS conference(the Big East), they've been "under the radar" all year.

Now there's an OUTSIDE chance that the Boise-TCU winner could have a shot at the national title...but by matching Alabama against Texas(who looked VERY beatable against Nebraska), another pair of hand-picked unbeatens, the BCS powers that be are clearly implying that the winner of the latter game should be called the "best team in the nation"....effectively keeping it "in the family".

And my friends wonder why my enthusiasm for college football(formerly one of my favorite sports)has waned so noticeably.

It's not about colleges playing football anymore...it's about glorified NFL farm teams playing for a pot of gold created artificially by some very greedy people.

As much as I've enjoyed ESPN in its' 30 years of existence, they are SQUARELY to blame for the demise of true college sports in the United States. Without them, there IS no BCS.

Oh, for the days of just 10 bowl games again, instead of half of Division 1-A being invited to postseason competition.

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