Don't Dodge Doctrine

I just returned to my desk from the studio.

Can I just say "Thank you Lord" for the conversation I had with pastor/author Joshua Harris?

We were chatting about his new book "Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I believe and Why It Matters".

This is a must read!

We have to be grounded in the truths of Scripture.. who God REALLY is... what Jesus has done.. what it means to follow Christ.. God's sovereignty... His love.

The fancy word for it is doctrine.

I know.

Scary word.

Dry word.

But God is bigger than the word.

It leads us to worship the God who is.. not the God we create in our minds.

I'll be sharing portions of my interview with Josh on the FLN afternoon show soon.

Stay tunned.

Even better: Buy the book and read it.

Slowly.

And then read it again.

It'll do your life good.

It Really IS An Adventure!!

Hey Stranger..... how have you been?

It feels so good to sit down and write this blog entry!

The past few months have been such fun. Between the move and the new radio show.. it's been crazy. But what a privilege!

God has been so good to us all. Serving at the Family Life Network is a blast! And meaningful!

The afternoon show launched in mid-October and from the very first day the FLN listeners embraced us with open arms. God is at work big time in this part of the United States!

Thank you Lord for such kindness.. and thank you FLN Family!!

We've been using Facebook a ton for "Afternoons with Kurt & Jean".

Here's the link: http://www.fln.org/about-us/facebook-directory/

Just click on the afternoons page.

This is the verse that God impressed on me many times as we made the decision to move to New York:

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. "

As God's wonderful plan unfolds I can tell you from personal experience God is faithful!

When you feel lost.

When you feel like giving up.

When the heat is on.

When you're confused.

When the money is running low.

Or running out.

When you're trying to be faithful on the job and things get worse.

When you're out of answers.

Out of hope.

He walks with you through it.

Then he carries you.

And when he brings you out it'll be so swift and so overwhelming you'll barely be able to catch your breath.

I know.

I'm still trying to catch mine.

A New Adventure!

Change is in the air.

I guess you could say change is on the air too!

After 8 and-a-half awesome years at the SOS Radio Network in Las Vegas, I'm moving on to a new assignment: Co-Hosting the Afternoon Show on The Family Life Network.

FLN is a non-commercial Christian radio network based in beautiful Upstate New York.

Right now the network has about 70 broadcast outlets throughout New York and Pennsylvania.

They're growing by leaps and bounds!

God is doing some amazing things through this group of godly people.

There are so many new and exciting things going on at the ministry that I can't list them all.

So.....click on this video to see what I mean:

Discover: Family Life Network (full resolution) from Family Life on Vimeo.

You can't have a beginning without an ending though.

Sigh.

How can I put it into words?

SOS listeners thank you!

Thank you for listening.

Thank you for making me smile.

Thank you for your calls and thoughts on the show.

Thank you for your many kind words.

Thank you for your prayers. For me and my family.

Thank you for being such good friends.

Some of you in Southern Nevada remember my days on TV.

Has it really been that long ago?!

Some of you I've met face to face.

Others on the phone.

Still others through email.

I have always walked away from these encounters thanking God for the honor of serving Him by serving you.

I don't deserve to serve such an awesome God.

Even on my best days I fall way short.

But because of His grace, I can embrace the role He has for me.

And you can too. Believe it!

I hope you'll keep checking in with the blog.

And you can listen to the new show online at http://www.fln.org/

Looks like I'll be starting there on Monday, October 12th.

See ya on the Internet.... or.....

See ya on the radio!

Is Mom Always Right?

She always seemed so confident when she said things like....

"Don't sit so close to the TV. You'll ruin your eyes!"

"Don't frown, you'll get wrinkles!"

"Put on a coat, you'll catch cold!"

You remember those don't you?

Maybe if you're a mom you've said some of the same things.

Well...the researchers put mom to the test.

Was she... is she... right about some of this stuff?

Click on the link to find out.

Is Mom Always Right? http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/11/parenting.rules.mom/index.html

Feeling Sleepy

There's one thing that absolutely drives me nuts.

Waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep.

Do you deal with the same problem?

Here are some tips that make a lot of sense:

Keep the room dark when you wake up. Keep a small book light or mini flashlight next to your bed and use it to navigate your way to the bathroom, or put a dim night-light in the bathroom and leave the door cracked, so you can find your way there. Whatever you do, don't turn on the overhead light in the bathroom once you're there.

Don't turn on the TV or computer. Nope, not even for a few minutes—the light from the screen "resets" your internal clock, stimulating your central nervous system and making it harder for you to fall back asleep.

Don't eat unless you're truly hungry. Getting your digestive system revved up can keep you awake, so avoid snacking unless a growling stomach is going to keep you awake. Better yet, learn the foods that help you sleep as well as the foods that interfere with sleeping.
Keep a pen and paper next to your bed.

If you're often kept awake by racing thoughts and worries and you tend to make to-do lists in your head, keep a pen or pencil and a small pad of paper handy and write them down. As you put each item down on paper, imagine yourself setting aside that concern. (Again, use a book light; don't turn on the overhead or a bright bedside light to write.)

Do a simple isolation and relaxation exercise. Relax methodically, starting with your feet: Tense the muscles as hard as you can, then relax each area completely. Do the same with your calves, thighs, buttocks, hands, arms and on up. By the time you get to your neck and head, you should have banished much of the tension."-Courtesy of Caring.com

All of that is good and practical advice.

But for the Christ follower, prayer can make a big difference.

Use the opportunity to pray for others.. and yourself.

End your prayer with a request: "Lord, will you help me get back to sleep?"

Remember this verse as you drift off:

Psalm 127:2 (NIV) "..... He grants sleep to those he loves."

Don't you feel sleepy already?

Stop Child Trafficking Now

Maybe you've seen the news stories about the tragedy of child trafficking for the sex trade.

Your blood boils... and you've asked yourself.."What can I do to help stop this?"

There's a national organization you need to know about.

It's called Stop Child Trafficking Now: http://www.sctnow.org/

While other organizations work on rescuing the kids, this group focuses on the predators.

For the details click and listen to my recent conversation with Joseph South from the Las Vegas office:

Stop Child Trafficking Now-Las Vegas: http://www.box.net/shared/3gfok50c8u

One of the things we talk about is the walk to raise awareness coming up on Saturday, September 26th in downtown Las Vegas.

Here's a link to register and get more details: http://sctnow.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventDetails&eventID=570&destination=E

Thanks for caring about the kids!

Nick Scores Again!

When I first interviewed Nick Vujicic, he had just appeared on ABC's 20/20.

I knew he was something special.

But I was floored when I had the chance to speak with him.

I can't recall a more powerful and inspiring conversation in my 8+ years here.

You see, Nick was born without arms or legs.

As a child he tried to commit suicide.

"Why am I like this?" he cried to God.

God doesn't always answer the "Why Question".

But this time He did.

Nick picked up his Bible and read these words:

John 9:1-3 (ESV) "As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him."

"I was born this way for the glory of God."

"To point others to Him."

Nick accepted Christ and began to grow in the faith.

And God has given him opportunities to share the good news of Jesus in places other people would never be able go.

Sunday night he was given the opportunity to speak a huge audience at the Salt Lake Mormon Tabernacle.

Amazing!!!!

He's only the third evangelical Christian to do that in the past 100 years.

Here are some articles from the local Salt Lake City News Media

Click here for Deseret News Article

Click here for KSL-TV News link

Click here for Salt Lake Tribune link

Here's his website: http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/

You'll find all kinds of great videos there.

Here's one I like a lot.

Nick visits with Greg Laurie: