Infrequent Inspiration and Introspection

Download this.....

Sun, 13 May 2012 17:03:50 GMT

....or, stream it.

http://soundcloud.com/couchman/sets/couchmixepisode1/

If you like positive vibes, remixes, house music. If you like to dance, if you need some new beats for your workout, etc.

Name my baby

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:39:23 GMT

IRL, everyone knows my wife, Jennifer, and I are expecting our THIRD boy this August.

Our oldest is Hezekiah. He's 5.
The soon-to-be middle kid is Ephraim. He's 3.

They're both Hebrew names. We settled on them pretty quickly.

Now, we feel like we boxed ourselves into an obscure Hebrew name corner. The problem with that is that none of the many strange names from that culture still available to us have the same "ring" that those two did.

We have it boiled down to three:

Ezra (Jennifer's favorite....mine too, except that it's kind of common...)
Elijah
Josiah

His middle name will be Thomas, named after my recently deceased dad.

Of the three I listed, which do YOU like best?

I QUILT!

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 22:00:17 GMT

Is it tough clocking in and clocking out these days?

Then quilt your job. Look carefully. I didn't say "quit." There's an extra letter in there. Quilt.

I now turn you over to one of my favorite writers, Seth Godin, to explain:

"I quilt"

When you've had enough, can't tolerate your job any longer and are ready to quit, perhaps you could try one last thing.

Quilt instead.

You've got nothing to lose, right? I mean, you're going to quit anyway, so what's the worst that could happen to you?

So quilt. Spend hours every day integrating the people you work with into a cohesive group. Weave in your customers as well. Take every scrap, even the people you don't like, and sew them together. Spend far less time than you should on the 'real' work and instead focus on creating genuine connections with the people you work with. Including your boss. After all, once you quit, you're never going to see them again anyway, right? Might as well give it a try.

Careful... it might change everything.

(From http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/04/i-quilt.html)

FREE Family Fun

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:24:38 GMT

It's National Park Week, which means you have access to some amazing places for zero cash down, and no monthly payments EVER! (Well, aside from the taxes you'll pay and have already paid to keep these awesome parks going. : - )

Seriously, say what you want about the bad stuff in the U.S.A., but you can't deny how breathtaking some of our land is. Find the time to enjoy it, especially since you have free access!

Head to the following link to find a park close to you:

http://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm

I picked up a hitch-hiker this morning

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:57:21 GMT

Yes, I let a random, strange man into my GMC this morning. I was on the way to work, inching forward in traffic ever-so-slowly, when the old man planted himself in front of my truck. At first, I thought he was just trying to cross the street.

But then he made eye contact, and bee lined for my passenger-side window.

I rolled it down. He awkwardly tried finding his voice, and then struggled for the right words. I'm very used to panhandlers, and quickly did a mental assessment of what cash was in my wallet and whether or not I'd need it. The old man wasn't asking for money, though.

I told him, "Sorry, I didn't hear you." He repeated: "Can you drive me to the food stamp place? It's off of Eastern."

I sized him up. Or to put it more accurately: sized up his threat potential. His limping walk, wrinkled skin, crouched back, and slow movements suggested I could take him in a fight. I didn't sense he was packing heat or blades anywhere that he could easily reach. Looking around, I didn't see anyone lurking nearby...using the old man as bait to mug me or carjack me.

So I unlocked the door, and he climbed in. This was no small task for him. I felt so bad for him. I laughed at myself for wondering if he was a threat. Then I wondered if he was ME in a few decades. My rough guess placed him around 80 years old.

As we drove and made small talk, I couldn't help being upset that somebody in his age and condition had to rely on random rides from strangers, and food stamps. Maybe this guy didn't prepare for his retirement, and had it coming. Perhaps he gambled his retirement away on the Las Vegas Strip. Who knows? Does it matter? In my eyes, he could be somebody's grandfather. Somebody's husband. Someone's daddy.

If he was MY grandfather, and even if MY grandfather "had it coming," there's no way in a million years I'd call that fair, or say he deserved such a challenging existence at the end of his life.

That's why the very least I could do this morning was give him a 3 mile lift to the food stamp place.

"God bless you," he said as he got out of my truck. I told him the same.

Jesus' words came to mind about my chance encounter this morning: "When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me." As I pondered whether to keep this to myself, or share my experience, another quote floated through my mind: "When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing...Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

As you can see, I decided to risk my "reward" and tell you about the old man who rode shotgun this morning. If only to encourage you to show compassion, and feel compassion, for the millions just like him who we stare right through every day.

I'm not saying that you should put your life at risk and give every hitch-hiker you see a ride. Just asking you to do for anyone in need you'd want done for you, your grandpa, dad, etc.

It's only by God's grace that ALL of us aren't struggling like this old man, or much worse. Let that truth power your decisions each day.

Start eating more carrots

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:48:53 GMT

As somebody who guzzles drinks ALL DAY LONG, only to wake up at 3 AM every morning to rid myself of them, this is pretty scary:

Your middle-of-the-night trips to the restroom could cause your own early demise!

Cancer danger of that night-time trip to the toilet

"Researchers in the UK and Israel found that when a light is turned on at night, it triggers an 'over-expression' of cells linked to the formation of cancer...

"Dr Rachel Ben-Shlomo, of the University of Haifa, said in the journal Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics that people waking at night would be best advised not to turn on the light.

"She said: 'We believe that any turning on of artificial light in the night has an impact on the body clock. It's a very sensitive mechanism.

"'If you want to get up to go to the toilet, you should avoid reaching for the light switch. There are some plug-in lights that just glow, that are safe and you could use them as an alternative.'"

Happy Good Friday, Easter, etc. : - )

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:21:50 GMT

They say "God is Love," right? This video my church did fleshes that out. Enjoy!

Time is ticking away...

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:38:40 GMT

Do you ever stop for a second and wonder how you would structure your time if there was no such thing as the Internet, or cell phones?

Seriously. I love them, but for the life of me, I can barely fathom how I would do what I get paid to do without them. And yet, I've been around just long enough to have actually worked in radio before computers took over.

Things took longer to get done, but somehow, we got it all done.

Just about NOBODY in my line of work gets to a Friday in the year 2010 and feels like they "got it all done." Unless they're unambitious slackers. ;-P Of course, this is not unique to radio.

Whatever your gig, chances are, you can relate to the demands of time.

Here's how to FIGHT BACK: Learn what to ignore. Learn when to lock yourself up. Call it "Time Blocking." Spend a few minutes at this link, (http://www.fastcompany.com/article/work-smart-avoid-office-distractions-with-time-blocking?nav=inform-rl) and free up more minutes from every day in your future.

You can thank me by figuring out how to make time travel work.

The long, dark valley

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:25:19 GMT

This week, one of my best friends began the most painful journey of their lives so far. Well, technically it began long ago, but just the other day, they went from the peak of the mountain to a deep hole in the valley.

Sunlight on their situation seems like a fleeting fantasy at the moment, at least from our human view of time. Thankfully, us humans aren't the ones in control.

From some stuff I read this morning, and an e-mail sent by another friend, here are a couple of brief thoughts I cobbled together for anyone walking through the valley of the shadow of death these days...

1. "Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low...the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain."

"EVERY valley shall be raised up." You can't avoid them; you can't escape them. Try to go around one, and you'll face another.
All you can do is press forward where you are, knowing in your gut that you're pursuing God's path. And that after this valley, plus maybe even more, you'll be on top of a new mountain, viewing a world and a life you never imagined.

2. "For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

The "it" in your life will seem slow to you, and not attainable on your own. Knowing that YOU can't attain it is key. This will never be about just you. It's about God getting the glory through you. It's about Him taking what a very real devil tried destroying you with, and bringing redemption through it.

And, the "it" that feels too slow actually isn't. "It," whatever "it" is, will come in God's perfect time. Quiet the emotions you can't trust anyways, and focus on doing your part to bring about the "it" God wants. Deep inside, you know it's what He wants. And you know it's all that matters.

Go Green

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:31:32 GMT

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Whether or not you're Irish, and whether or not you choose to wear green, I found some green FOODS you might find yummy and healthy.

How to make yourself some scrumptious Smoothies, pitas, rolls, soups, and more...

at

http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2010/03/are-you-eating-something-green/

For the Star Wars lovers in your life

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:41:23 GMT

Ever wonder what a Storm Trooper does on his or her day off? Sure you have!

Wonder no more, my friend...

From http://wildammo.com/2009/08/09/what-stormtroopers-do-on-their-day-off/:

Plenty more where those came from, at http://wildammo.com/2009/08/09/what-stormtroopers-do-on-their-da-off/.

You weren't made for isolation

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:41:07 GMT

One of my favorite thought-provokers stumbled on a deep truth in one of his latest blogs. His name is Bob Lefsetz. FYI for my fellow Christians, he doesn't likely share your faith. He writes with colorful language. Read him at your own risk.

It's actually the chance that he's NOT a Jesus freak that makes something he said that much more interesting:

"We're in the midst of a cultural shift...We've been living in a Tower of Babel society. Sure, we all speak English, but that's just about our only common bond...The right watches Fox News, the left MSNBC. Even online...The right's got Drudge, the left's got the Huffington Post.

"And when it comes to popular culture, it's worse. 'The Hurt Locker' won Best Picture and almost no one had seen it. But still, the Oscar ratings went up. They're the best they've been in five years.

"Suddenly, the ratings for all these awards shows have gone up. Does this mean everyone tuned into the Grammys was a Taylor Swift fan? Did everybody watch the Olympics because they favored Lindsey Vonn? No, everybody watched because they wanted to be a member of the group.

"Call it Long Tail backlash. After diving incredibly deep into our own niches, we're now resurfacing. We want a community feel.

"In other words, we may be on the brink of an explosion of mass culture. We might be ready for the next Beatles. Something that isn't calculated like 'American Idol' that blows up overnight because of the ease of spreading the story online...

"It appears to be human nature. We want to belong."

There's more to what Bob wrote, and the points he made are different from the point I'm going to try making.

Simply said: your existence isn't intended to be something you muddle through alone, in solitude.

Does that mean you should endeavor to get married if you're single? Nope.
Should you accumulate as many shallow relationships as possible, to mask the pain of loneliness? Not at all.

Just know that if God intended us to all live on separate emotional islands, He would have never created Eve for Adam. He wouldn't have made a big deal out of crowning Abraham the father of a nation. Jesus wouldn't have bothered rounding up 12 best friends that he called disciples.

Yet sometimes, we have to go through solo seasons (read books like Job, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes for context). We can mistake these difficult, temporary times as being the prelude to a false permanence that God never meant for us to experience.

It's why one of the most quoted lines of the Bible is "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another..."

Yeah, that can be taken as a command to go to church regularly. But it's about much more than that. Church attendance alone doesn't fill that void of wanting to belong. It's a step. It's a big piece of God's communal puzzle.

When you seclude yourself, you're missing out on an important part of your purpose. And my friend, the world is worse off for it.

Please open your heart to the concept that you were created to contribute. Be it in a church, by volunteering with a charity, or even by just not seeming like the most isolated and miserable person at your job or school.

Looking forward to seeing you "out there..."

Barlow Girl

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:02:25 GMT

The youngest of the three-sister rock band called me last week to catch up, and hype up their current concert tour of course.

Here's a free download for the Barlow Girl fans in yo life!

http://soundcloud.com/couchman/barlowgirl-catchingupwithbecca

How to peel a potato

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:42:22 GMT

(Gilligan's Island style I guess...)

Seventh Day Slumber

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:36:06 GMT

He got hooked on cocaine as a teen, and had been in and out of rehab 14 times by the time he was 22.

That's for starters.

Please allow me to introduce you to Joseph Rojas, lead singer for Seventh Day Slumber:

You're only hurting yourself

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:00:43 GMT

A couple of weeks ago, I got a Facebook Friend-Request from this dude I haven't seen since elementary school in Niles, Michigan. I recognized his name, but couldn't clearly remember much about our relationship from two decades ago.

For the rest of this note, you'll know him as "Homeboy."

Once I approved the request, Homeboy sent me a long note. Homeboy used to beat me up in the 1980's. He bullied me. Constantly. I had mostly forgotten about it since then.

But Homeboy remembered a lot about his mistreatment of me. He named specific beat-downs he still feels bad about today.

I told him all was forgiven, and that I truly hardly remembered that stuff. (Maybe I repressed it all, who knows?)

Monday, I shared Homeboy's story with a coworker. It reminded my work friend about a girlfriend of his from Middle School.

Let's call her "Homegirl." Long story short, he kissed somebody other than "Homegirl." Their young relationship ended.

Two decades later, he stumbles on her Facebook profile. With his wife's blessing, my coworker friend reached out to Homegirl and apologized for how he treated her.

She, just like me, had totally moved on. As far as Homegirl was concerned, all was forgiven.

After I heard her story, and thought about mine, this concept hit me over the head:

*****Our sin against others often does more damage to US than it does to them.*****

That's something to think about the next time you're tempted to wrong somebody. You may end up more damaged than the party you seek to damage.

No wonder Jesus spent so much time on that "do unto others" vibe. He knew better than anyone the self-destructive potential of living life any other way.

The Genesis Code

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:25:02 GMT

I like thought provoking movies and books. Especially ones that challenge my assumptions and beliefs. The result is that I either dig deeper into the "why" of those things, becoming more confident in them, or have my mind opened to new angles of God.

If that describes you too, you might wanna check this "Genesis Code" movie out. Although from the trailer below, the film snob in me worries that it comes off as a bit low budget, despite some semi-big names in the credits.

A little info, from http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctmovies/2010/02/film-explores-link-between-fai.html

Film Explores Link Between Faith & Science

Indie flick to open in Grand Rapids, MI, and go wider in the weeks ahead

by Mark Moring

With Academy Award winners Louise Fletcher and Ernest Borgnine playing small roles, a new film shot in Grand Rapids, Michigan, allegedly explores the relationship between faith and science. (Also noticed Fred Thompson of "Law & Order" fame in the trailer.)

The Genesis Code, opening in Grand Rapids, asks, "Is the six day story of Genesis true or is what science teaches us about creation true? The Genesis Code explores the idea that perhaps they are both true and science has 'caught up with' the truth of the Bible."

Welcome to the future

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:12:41 GMT

My favorite 1980's movie, hands down, is this bad boy:

Little did we know 20+ years ago how right Marty McFly and the Doc were about what the future held.

Check out "Things Back To The Future Guessed Correctly" by Lucas Sparda:

1. B2tF said fingerprint access and ID would be commonly used in the 21st century. We're clearly heading that way.

2. B2tF said we'd trade in making phone calls for video calls. We aren't there yet, but with Skype, web-cams, and related services, it's not hard to imagine.

3. B2tF showed huge, flat screen TV's that played multiple channels at once. I feel like I'm one of the few that doesn't own one of these already!

4. B2tF imagined popular stuff from the 1980's would be today's antiques. Hence, all the lava lamps at garage sales, right?

There's more where this came from, such as the prediction of movies like "Avatar." And there are a few things McFly did not nail. At least not yet. Go to http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/418488/7_things_back_to_the_future_guessed_correctly.html for the rest.

Two bucks vs. $25,000

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:52:40 GMT

You may or may not be aware that the radio stations I work for are "listener supported." As-in, we don't pay the bills or salaries by selling time to advertisers. We don't get government or corporate grants. We have no sugar daddy with a fat wallet backing us up. We aren't running some kind of shady operation behind the building and laundering those profits into what you hear on your radio.

It's just humble, generous people from all walks of life that give what they feel compelled to share.

Our leadership and staff accomplish more with our small budgets than the big, commercial companies do with their huge ones. In my line of work, where a significant number of strangers care about what we say, it's not hard to develop an over-sized ego. But I'll tell you what, when you recognize that it's people just like yourself that help you do your job, it ideally brings you back to earth. (If not, you need serious prayer. ;-)

A couple of noteworthy checks came to one of the stations I work for this week. One person cut us a check for $25,000. Another, for $2.

Somebody on the team felt compelled to call the lady who sent in her two bucks and thank her (we try thanking every listener if possible). She explained that she'd love to give more, but between her medical expenses (she has MS) and her lack of work, it was the best she could do.

Two. Dollars.

We were just as thrilled that she gave it as we were for the much larger check. To this lady, a couple of George Washington's might as well be 25-grand.

After sharing that, I can't help but think of the story told 2,000-ish years ago about the "Widow's Mite:" ("Mite' was slang for money back then if I remember correctly.)

"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on'."

Lord, may we all be as eager to share as everyone mentioned here, regardless of our personal challenges.

free Switchfoot download

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:36:13 GMT

Switchfoot's Jon and Tim Foreman hung out on my show Friday afternoon.

By popular demand, here's the visit. :-) Feel free to share it around and boost my ratings!

True Love...the real Valentine's story

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:46:10 GMT

So, I boosted this from my friends at Relevant Magazine. And, this is only part of the piece. Follow this link for the whole thang.

Valentine was a physician and a priest (or just a physician … or just a priest. Depends who's telling the story.) living in the latter part of the third century.

At the time, it was against the law for young couples to marry, because Claudius II wanted the men to be constantly ready for battle, and not worried about a family back home. Valentine went against orders and secretly provided marriage ceremonies for young lovers.

He was put into prison, where he befriended a jailer. The jailer had a daughter who was blind and he asked Valentine to help. Valentine, through a miracle or medicine (depending on the storyteller), was able to restore the sight of the jailer's daughter. In most accounts, the jailer was converted to Christianity through Valentine's actions. Valentine was executed on February 14 for his faith, but before he died, he sent a note to the jailer's daughter and signed it, "From Your Valentine."

His death day and his association with lovers and notes were convenient for the Christians in Rome, who were probably already looking for a way to absorb the feast of Lupercalia into Christian culture. Lupercalia took place on February 15. During Lupercalia, the young, single women would write their names on slips of paper, which were then placed in an urn. The young, single men would then each draw a name, and court that woman (at least until they could get a new name next year). I suppose this was an early prototype for internet dating sites.

Another fun (and by “fun,” I mean “slightly disturbing”) activity during Lupercalia was the act of “februatio.” Februatio, which means “to purify,” was a lashing of the young women in the town, by the young noblemen. Apparently, being hit with some sort of leather whip, called a “februa,” increased a girl’s chances of child-bearing. Lupercalia wasn’t the only romantic tie to February 14. In Europe, people believed birds found their mates around that time each year. Chaucer took note of it, citing February 14 as the specific date in one of his writings.

So, yes, Valentine’s Day really is about love, finding love, and sending cards. But we can’t blame Hallmark. They’re only capitalizing on an incredible money-making opportunity.

But what if, instead of blaming card stores, dwelling in the thought of loneliness or succumbing to materialism, we celebrated the origins of the holiday this year? Valentine’s Day began because one man showed Christ’s love, not with delicious candy hearts, red roses or a winged baby, but with his actions despite opposition. Maybe this February 14th, we could try to do the same.

-- Elizabeth Hyndman

FREE FOOD ALERT!

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:27:10 GMT

Find your nearest participating Denny's this TUESDAY to snag a Grand Slam breakfast. :-)

The scoop, and catch (if there is one), plus more free food from Denny's, is at http://www.dennys.com/superbowl/splash2.html

This guy is why Iove music

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:48:32 GMT

Toby Mac dialed up my show yesterday. I've loved his music since the late 1980's, when he started the group "DC Talk." They were light years ahead of music then, and Toby continues to do his own thing today. (Call him the original Eminem...he was spitting dope rhymes as a white boy before Eminem was close to puberty. ;-)

Easily my favorite interview of the year so far. Lots of ear-candy in this for ya, and SOS Radio's most requested remix of the year is buried in this file too. Enjoy!

FEE's lead singer rings me up

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:41:21 GMT

By popular demand, and because my boss told me to, here's Steve Fee's appearance on my show from last Friday. Enjoy!

Toothbrushes = SICK, GROSS, NASTY!!!

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:22:40 GMT

I put that picture up at my Facebook page earlier this morning, with this caption:

"I like kissing my hot wife, but I gotta tell ya, seeing our toothbrushes this close to intimacy grossed me out a bit."

A lot of hilarious comments came in, and one truly frightening one:

The TV show "Mythbusters" proved that most of our toothbrushes are SUPER dirty before they even get to our mouths.

A few of my Facebook friends now go so far as to store their toothbrushes in that blue sanitizer liquid all the time, or keep them far away from the bathroom (like, in a kitchen cupboard).

After seeing this video, you might feel that way too. The whole thing is interesting, but if you're short on time, start at the six-minute mark: