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An ‘Unbroken’ reflection

I did something this past weekend that I haven’t done in a while- read a  400 page book in just over two days.  And for this to happen, the book has to be a gripping read.  This one is.

The book is Unbroken, written by Kenyon alum Laura Hillenbrand, the author of Seabiscuit.  I heard about this book several months ago, but never got around to purchasing it.  I made my way into Paragraphs downtown Saturday looking for something else and ended up walking out with Unbroken.  The book tells, in vivid detail, the story of former Olympic runner and WWII POW Louis Zamperini…and what a story it is.

It covers his quest to win an Olympic medal in the 1936 Berlin games, his disappointment at having the 1940 games cancelled, his enlistment in the US Army, his WWII experience in training, running bomber and rescue missions in the South Pacific, the crash of his plane, his 37 days lost at sea, and his two brutal years in Japanese POW camps.  The book is filled with incredible historical detail and fascinating anecdotes as we walk alongside Louie and his journey.  We then find him post-WWII, trying to recover his life that was, finding love and loss, the battle with his war demons, and finally, redemption.

Reading this book I have found a renewed appreciation for the men and women who serve our country, and for those who never made it back.  The conditions of being lost at sea and of war are described in such detail that you literally feel like you are there.  I understand more about PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and how it can consume lives.  I feel the frustration of being thirsty and seeing nothing around you but water, knowing that drinking it will kill you (and Hillenbrand explains why in clear physiological detail).

Perhaps most importantly, I have a renewed knowledge that the love of Jesus Christ knows no limitations…and Louie’s redemptive transformation near the end of Unbroken underlies that once more.  I won’t go into more detail because I don’t want to spoil the story, but make no mistake- God shows up in a big way.

Universal Pictures has owned the rights to Louie’s story since the late 1950’s…yet no film has been made.  Universal and Walden Media, on the heels of Hillenbrand’s book, are looking to produce Unbroken, but no details have emerged.  I almost hope they don’t make the movie, or if they do, they do it in a mini-series.  There’s no way you can pack that much into two hours.  It wouldn’t do the story justice.

By the way, Louie is still alive and kicking at 94 years of age.  Find out more about him at www.louiezamperini.com

-Joe

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How I Walked Away from FaceBook (And Lived to Talk About It)

There are a lot of people who don’t believe me when I say it or who give me a funny look. “What, you mean you don’t have a facebook?!” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had that conversation in the last eight months. Yes, I’ve been facebook free for eight months and I couldn’t be happier.

Now, let me start by saying that I’m not against social networking sites. I think that they can and often prove to be effective tools in communication. I don’t shun people who do use facebook or look down on them. I’m not one of those people who is a techno-phobe or someone who will go out of my way to make sure people think facebook is evil. I don’t do that because I don’t think it is.

So why did I walk away from facebook, you ask? There are a lot of reasons, really. For starters, it’s too easy to be impersonal. One thing that I’ve been learning recently is that God intended us to be with people. FaceBook makes it almost too easy to do that and I started to question the kind of relationship I was creating with my 256 “friends”. How many of them did I really care to let know whatever was going on in my life? How many of them cared? I started tailoring what I was writing to appease others, putting up a face on facebook that wasn’t my own.

Reason number 2: facebook is a major time-waster for me. I was spending about two to three hours a DAY checking, writing on, and looking through facebook pages. That’s two to three hours I could have been doing my homework or spending time making lasting relationships with the people I care about.

And the third and biggest reason I walked away from the popular social networking site? It came before God.

God tells us in Exodus “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3). I was living in direct violation of this command. I ran to facebook before I ran to God. When I had something I was dealing with: status update and then later, if I remembered, I’d pray about it. When I was looking for answers to questions, I’d ask my facebook friends before I even considered asking God or reading His word. Toward the end of December 2010, I was getting tired. I felt like I kept asking the big questions and I was getting nothing in response. I was expecting facebook to fill me, I was being left empty and I was blaming God.

Over Christmas break I had a lot of time to think about it and I felt like God was calling me to just let facebook go for a week or two. I did and spent that time seeking hard after Him and reading His word. At the end of the two weeks I got back on my facebook and discovered that I wasn’t quite as enthralled with it as I had been. It seemed tedious to sit there and scroll through update after update about people who were desperately searching for something that they couldn’t find there. I suddenly felt sad for them. If that was what it was about, I didn’t want any part of it.

I prayed about it hard for a few more days, telling God that if I did what He asked of me, people would think I was weird. People would think that I didn’t fit in, like I was behind the times, and like I was just… odd. And the answer I got was quite simple: isn’t that what we’re called to do?

John 15:19 says “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” If we’re really called to be different from the world, I think it’s time we start being different. And that comes with a promise: people will hate you for it.

When was the last time someone disliked what you were doing because you were doing it for Christ? When was the last time you did something different from what the world was doing because it made your walk with Christ closer? 

There are definitely people who are not happy with me because I don’t have a facebook. I hear it all the time from most of my friends. They say it makes me weird. They say that it makes it harder to be friends with me: they have to make more of an effort and that’s uncomfortable for some of them. A lot of people said that to me at first. They were given a choice: put forth the effort and still be my friend, or slouch back into comfort and not be. There are people I know and care about on both sides of that line.

The point is this: God calls us to do the right thing and the hard thing. He calls us apart from the world. We’re supposed to look different. People are supposed to see us and say “There’s something about him/her that is right… I want that.”

So I suppose the question is this: do you look any different from the world or do you blend in? If you don’t look any different, you might want to look into that.

Christa

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One crazy summer

Yea, I realize I stole the name of an 80’s movie for this post, but it works…

We just finished up our long week at the Knox County Fair, and even though there were some extremely hot days, it sure was great to get to see and talk to so many of you.  There were some new things this year, like the amazing community support of the Smith family on sale day, the very entertaining EuroBungy ride right behind our tent, and our first-ever broadcast from the Jr. Fair Sale of Champions.  Then there’s the stuff that you just expect- Porkette sandwiches, sitting in traffic after the Rough Truck contest, battling to keep ants out of the tent, Figure 8 school bus smash-ups, etc.

I also love seeing so many hard-working kids in our 4-H programs that restore my faith in the leaders of tomorrow.  Getting to talk to some of them Thursday during the sale made me realize that great families are alive and well in Knox County, and we at WNZR need to stay the course-  providing a radio station that encourages and supports them in their marriages, parent-child relationships, and most importantly, their relationship to God.

I can’t say thanks enough to the many folks who make the Knox County Fair special.  The Sr. and Jr. Fair Board do a great job.  Special thanks this year to Jim Shipley, Linda Lahmon, Rochelle Adam, Larry Hall and Byron Rock for their direct impact on our broadcasts this year.  John Curtis and Rod Atherton were amazing in getting our sputtering golf cart up and running. 

To Kim Bradley and her helpers  from Mount Vernon First Naz- the snacks were awesome!  Thanks for being salt and light to our community.  And our staff- great job!  I have a great team in DJ, Jayme, Derek, Sam, Christa, Nikki, Marcy and Rachel.

Now we move into August, and the schedule just keeps on moving…tomorrow we’ll join the MVNU Alumni Association for Faith Day at the Reds-Giants game (with Mercy Me concert to follow), Monday it’s David Crowder Band at the Ohio State Fair, and then before you know it, First Friday, the Dan Emmett Music and Arts Festival and Veggie Tales.

I hope to see you before the summer ends on our GREAT ADVENTURE!

– Joe

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Support Upward Basketball this summer!

When I think about Upward Basketball, I think about cold Saturday mornings cheering Rachel and her team on…but in just a few weeks, Upward Basketball will be all about sunshine, green, and golf.

You can make a difference in the lives of Knox County young people by taking part in the first ever Upward Basketball Golf Scramble on Saturday, June 16 at Irish Hills Golf Course in Mount Vernon.  Dan Stevens and Mike Dapprich from First Church of the Nazarene are working to put this event together and we visited with them this week on the show.  First Church and Faith Baptist host the games each winter and the many volunteers involved do an outstanding job.

The whole point of the event is to raise scholarship money for kids who may not be able to afford the costs of Upward.  It starts at 1:30…the cost is $20 to walk, or $30 with a cart, and Irish Hills members get a discount, too.  Our local Mortellaro McDonald’s restaurants are also sponsoring some special events during the tournament.  WNZR will be there to broadcast during the event.

The registration deadline is Saturday, July 9, so don’t delay.  You can contact Dan at 740-501-1539 to get more information.

-Joe

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The OSU mess

As the events surrounding the Ohio State football program and Jim Tressel have amplified this week, it’s been tough to watch and listen.  Maybe you’ve felt the same way.  None of us ever want to see a program and/or a person we root for and admire fall from their position.

What happened at OSU goes on in pretty much every big-time college sports program in the country.  People want to associate themselves with success and winning, so they look for ways to feel like part of the team.  Many times, that leads to an ethical crossroads involving money or other material goods that college students aren’t prepared to navigate…especially in a society where we entitle talented athletes. 

As someone who supervises and employs college students, I can tell you first-hand that even if you have a close, mentoring relationship with the students, they will make mistakes.  Thinking you can control all of that is foolish.  You’ve got to border your leadership in prayer, and even then, problems may arise.  Holding them accountable for those mistakes is not easy, but necessary. 

My biggest disappointment in this whole OSU mess is that Coach Tressel wasn’t given the chance to make things right…to go through the punishment handed down and build the program back to respectability.  From an imaging perspective, that apparently was too much for Ohio State to endure.  In my mind, all the good things Jim Tressel has done beyond just coaching earned him that opportunity.  Former Buckeye All-American Chris Spielman made a very insightful comment Monday when he wondered aloud why the university didn’t allow their coach to do this very thing.  Letting Coach Tressel demonstrate accountability to his young men might have been one of the greatest learning experiences they would have received.  But now we’ll never know.  Hopefully Coach Fickell can do his part to see that through.

This situation has reminded me once again that while I love watching and being a fan of OSU football, big-time college and professional sports are still a form of entertainment, and something that I can’t allow to become a “false God”…something that distracts or keeps me from things more important in my life, like my relationship with Christ and my family.

“…Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” -I Corinthians 8:6 (NIV)

-Joe

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Rhino Romance

If you missed our story about rhino romance today…it is definitely in the air at the Oregon Zoo in Portland.

A black rhino named Pete has been alone since his last mate died in 2005. A female rhino named Zuri arrived last month from the Cleveland zoo on a breeding loan. Keepers have been slowly letting them see one another in separate cages.

The Oregonian reports Zuri went on public display Thursday, and the two rhinos touched horns between the bars.

Soon they’ll be allowed together. Keepers hope the result will be an addition to the endangered species.

Zuri is 3-year-old and hasn’t bred before. Pete is 24-year-old grandfather described as ‘spry.’

Click here for the link to the official story!

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Reflection and celebration

The range of emotions during Holy Week is something I’ve grown to embrace…the solemn reflection of Good Friday combined with the celebration of Easter Sunday.  I hope that as you experience these coming days, you also take time to ponder the immense importance of what Christ did for us on the cross, and then did from the tomb.

You may be like me, increasingly aware that we live in a world that tries every day to diminish sin…and sometimes glorify sin through making it comical, entertaining, or just commonplace.

Let me clear about this.  I truly believe that each and every time we diminish the impact of sin in our lives, try to justify it, or participate in the acceptance of it, we demean what Christ did for us on the cross.  I’m not saying we do it intentionally…sometimes we just don’t think about it.  But we still can fall into the trap of making the cross and the resurrection meaningless.  Let’s challenge ourselves to think deeper about the implications of trying to feel better about the sin in our lives by dismissing it as “no big deal.”

A devotional sidebar in my bible calls Jesus’ statement, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34, NIV) the true picture of His work on this cross for all of us- asking the Father to forgive those who did not deserve it.

Jesus’ death was the greatest act of love in human history.  Thank Jesus for paying the ultimate price, and honor that payment by confessing your sin and working to remove it from your life.  Then celebrate the fact that Jesus overcame sin and death by leaving the tomb.

And if you need anymore inspiration, then just listen to Matt Maher’s song, “Christ is Risen”.  Believe me, it will get you into the celebration spirit.  There’s a cool lyrics video on YouTube if you click here.

-Joe

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The Goal Has Been Met!

Thanks so much for your support of WNZR! We have just met our goal of 60,000 dollars! It is such a blessing to see this community help us grow and reach more people for Christ. We had over 250 families or individuals give to WNZR during Lifeline this year and 80 new donors to the station as well. The number of new people giving to WNZR is the biggest encouragement to me. It means that we are still actively reaching more people in our listening area and that the power increase really has had an impact.

In the upcoming weeks and months WNZR wants to live out our theme for Lifeline. We want to Live Out Loud in Knox County and speak Biblical truth to help you (and us) grow spiritually everyday. WNZR exists because of your support, and because of your generous gifts we can continue to be at many events throughout the year. We can use these oppurtunities to “Live Out Loud” and give others a positive message they need to hear. That’s why we do what we do, and that’s why we need your help. Your support this year to Lifeline has blessed our ministry and we pray that our little radio station in Knox County, Ohio can not only bless you and your family, but bring the gospel to the world. Thank you very much and God bless!

-Jayme

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Lifeline 2011

I cannot thank you enough for your support of WNZR through Lifeline 2011.  When I see that over 70 new and over 150 past supporters have pledged to financially support this radio station, I am humbled and also energized to glorify God and serve you through our airwaves.

The fact that you would pledge your hard-earned money with WNZR in a continuing time of economic uncertainty has not gone unnoticed.  I cannot say thank you enough for the investment you are making in the future of Christian media and in the lives of our MVNU students.

I thought I would share a response I gave to our student newspaper editor when she asked about the inspiration for this year’s “Live Out Loud” theme:

The leadership team used a book called “Radical” by Pastor David Platt this summer at our retreat.  Platt cautions us not to let our faith be hijacked by the “me-first” culture that is so prevalent in the U.S.  Christ called us to a higher standard, focused on others and working diligently to redeem what is broken.  This happens both through actions and words.  The world needs to see that it’s the promise of the gospel that fuels us to live a life that shines differently.  We also know that you can’t have a positive witness if you’re ashamed of the gospel.  So when Paul tells the Roman church “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes,” that is a good starting point (Romans 1:16).  He sets the table for the whole letter with that statement.  We have to believe, deny ourselves, and embrace the good news before we can ever hope to have the ability to live out loud.

Have a great week!

-Joe

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