Which Picture to blog...oh me, a family decision!

Really glad to see my sister, nieces, husbands and babies at the fair Saturday. I know this is a little indulgent but I wanted to show off my family a little and get a good picture of them on the blog.

(Click on each picture for the Seemore Warts version... bigger picture... better detail...)

After all, my sister "E" (Elaine not Elvis ) remembers when I was born many years ago at our home 10 miles south of Mayberry ...so I want to be nice to her...she knows way to much about me.

Anyway...we had a little trouble getting the perfect pose. "E" in her shades looks pretty cool in the first picture...but my mouth was open like ready to catch a fly so not cool.

Angela and husband Mark (left), Alison (middle), little William in Papa Jim's lap (far right) held their own in both pictures. Colton was trying to staredown that wasp on my microphone, and Madeline was trying to figure this all out.



Second pose corrected most of the problems except I have this dumb look on my face and little William looks like he was tired of that man saying "cheese" so he decided it was time to move on.

Now before you go away think this is all silly...and you've wasted 60 seconds of our time reading this, just think back to the time you and the 9 members of your family spent a whole evening deciding which picture to put on your Family Photo Christmas Card. Don't say it's not so!

Anyway...I'm proud of my family from Mayberry...they really look pretty good in both pictures...and now you've met them!

(photos courtesy of F. Patterson...credit where credit is due..thanks, Fred!)

"His voice cracking...her hand trembling ..."

You heard it live on WBFJ....Friday night at the fair...

Jai Lee thought Darryl had brought her over to the mic to get a song request...but Darryl had a larger request in mind...

Looking Jai Lee square in the eyes and on live radio said,

"Jai (jay) Lee, I love you and it's time to take our relationship to a higher level"...

Darryl dropped to one knee, pulled a ring out of his pocket, his voice cracking, said "Jai Lee will you marry me."

Jai Lee's hand shaking ...lips quivering ever so slightly (and in shock I guess) belted out a big "YES!"

The WBFJ Gazebo crowd erupted with a hearty round of applause...

And if you caught it live... you'll remember the special song I played for them...
Newsong and Natalie Grant's..."When God Made You".

Hopefully Darryl and Jai Lee will have a happy marriage...lots of happy kids and get some of that Nationwide insurance Coverage from Brent J. and Associates! LOL.

(photos courtesy s.richey)

"PAPA Noahjohn" YES LORD...your servant heareth...

Wally called me and told me to head for cover, THE storm is heading right over you. I grabbed the giant 12 foot black "garbage bag" and started making a shelter and before I could say "skat" (southern for SHEZAMMM) the heavens were opening up!
Forty days and nights..no way! I barely made it through the 40 minutes. It was thundering, lightning and hailing...my adrenalin level went sky high! If you were listening on air you know it was amusing.
Picture this little puppy under the big garbage bag having a blast on the radio...the pictures just don't tell the story but no one was around during the thick of it to get it in print.

See you this weekend at the fair! (10 days of cool sunshine would be nice)

Ezekiel saw the wheel....missing a spoke?????

Don't worry...the Ferris Wheel will be complete by the time you get to the fair this weekend...just thought you'd like to see it going up.


Yeh....PLINKO from RAM FABRICATION arrived today...in a BIG truck...not this little one

Randy is CEO of RAM (the "R" in RAM) so I caught him next to his creation. These PROS do great work as you see allover the WBFJ GAZEBO...so if you need pro banners, signage, you church bus wrapped (LOL) or whatever just give them a call and tell them Papa john sent you.

All this was before the NOAH Event...stay with me!

Tuesday before Fair Friday...

Things are coming together out at the fairgrounds. Fred P. hard at work! There's activity all around us as vendors are getting their stands clean and ready to go.



Good to see Pastor Tony Brown and Missionary Charlie from Griffith Baptist Church passing out brown bag lunch/supper to fair workers. That included me...thanks brothers for the PNBNjelly sandwich and the other goodies.

Looking up the midway is a little desolate but that will change dramatically Friday!
That's a wrap for tonight. The set-up is all wrapped up and I'm back to the station to check my email and TCB. Things will continue to get busy but I'll still be reporting back to you as time permits. Don't forget to come by and say hi when you come to the fair.

PS...thanks to Lana for covering on the air for me this week!

PSS...PLEASE go back to my last "SOCK DILEMA" blog as the final chapter has been added. BLOGGER got consti-you-know-what and I just couldn't get my last picture to move through the system until now. I was so frustrated but I got over it. LOL.

Like pushing jello through a keyhole...

It all started with a simple statement just before midnight Sunday. Judy was mateing socks before retiring for the evening...she commented

"There's always one sock left over with no match after every load of clothes"

We'll I should have said..."Cool Baby" or "Really, that's odd" and let it go.

No, NOT ME...I gotta figure it all out, even if it takes all night!

Now where could those odd socks be hiding...





Well, I figured they must be caught in the dryer so I start easing my way in with a flashlight...



Couldn't see well so kept easing in slowly...



A little more and I was IN...my tummy plopped in like jello through a keyhole. I thought for a second I was stuck...

I was able to get out but I'm convinced they are making these dryers with smaller openings than they used to. I'm not that fat.

And the sad story...it was all in vain...no socks hiding in there. (I did clean the lint filter while I was at it...looks like you ought to be able to recycle that stuff. With a years collection you should be able to make an outfit from it).

Stumped I decided to do a google search... "mates for socks"... that was futile...all the sites required long questinaires before they would even deal with you.

When the qustions were starting to get a little personal...I just threw up my hands, "What does that qustion have to do with finding my socks!"

I decided I was getting nowhere so I just decided to sleep on it...

After a good nights rest and< back in my right mind I came up with the perfect solution. Pretty cool, huh?


Now wasn't that
SIMPLE...DUH.

Blogger note:

I thought I dreamed
this whole thing but
since I found the pictures
in my camera
I guess it really happened.
Reckon????

WBFJ Staff Wear a lot of "Hats"... but

THIS

IS Ridiculous!

PLASTIC...maybe...

PAPER!

NO WAY!

Actually I just got out of the rain and it
served its prurpose well.

Don't look so smug...you've had a bag on your head before...
you just never got caught by the camera.

Bag on head beats a bad hair day anyday!
(no comments on the shirt, please...lol)

Boys and Girls..Today's Letter is...the letter "B"

"Little blast...

from the past"...

this one goes back a few years...

It all started

with a real inspirational staff meeting

that apparently got "B" (Bev) on a roll.

We all came back into our cubicles and they were plastered with positive, inspirational signs...

They were everywhere!

Darren, Chef Scott, and I just displayed a few of them.

Blogger's note: Chef Scott is no longer with us but is still a good friend of the ministry...

The cubicles are also no longer with us... we donated them to the Salvation Army in Hickory which was in real need of them...

The "B" posters... probably still around somewhere in my files as I find it hard to throw much of anything away.

In Honor of Mayberry Days..."Barney"...

...pulls over Singer STACI ORICO driving the WBFJ Station Van!

At least three questions come to mind. (1)What is a then 15 year old doing driving your van (2) Why does Staci's head look so big and (3)Why are you J. dressed up like Barney?

ANS: (1) It turned out to be a cardboard standup of Staci (2) Cardboard Standup...big head, no problem (3)I was the only one that could fit into the Barney Suit at the time and probaly the only one crazy enough to do it...

Blogger Notes: The whole thing was a record promotion...a few years back. The promoters sent us a standup and a disposable camera and a challege to make the most creative picture with the standup.

Well we went to all that trouble and didn't even get past "honorable mention"! I wouldn't have felt so bad until I saw the winning entry. The did a bunch of PhotoShop stuff and didn't even use the disposable camera or anything. So all we got out of the deal was a wrinkled cardboard standup and this silly picture!

(No cardboard standups were harmed during this photo shoot and was approved by the NAFTPOVTCS (National Association For The prevention Of Violence To Cardboard Standups) Also did not get arrested for wearing Barney uniform...the pants were 8 inches short and I wasn't wearing any socks..it was kinda obvious I was a Mayberry phoney.

That's my story and I am sticking too it!

Prayer Update from a listener

Concerning the 4-year old girl with a brain tumor on the prayer list from this morning. Please keep praying for her....


Please continue your prayers for H'Hang Kpa.
She is still alive this morning but her lungs are filling and things are horrible for her even with oxygen and medication. At this time, her parents are desperately in need of prayer for comfort and guidance. They are deeply suffering.
Please, Please pray for them.

Email your prayer requests to Tami...

By the way..Tami compiles your prayer requests and distributes the list in house to all of us by email. It's the same list they use for the morning prayertime at about 9:20.

So remember to share your requests. Just email them to Tami@wbfj.fm .

Here is a recap of today's requests from the morning prayertime...

Pray for a woman going for a diagnostic mammogram today. Pray for a good result and for God’s will to be done.

Pray for a 4 year old girl in Brenner’s Hospital with a malignant brain tumor. Doctors say there is nothing else they can do for her and she is under hospice care. The parents are Vietnamese and communication is an issue as well. Pray for God’s intervention and healing.

Pray for a woman who recently discovered she is diabetic and needs strength as she tries to follow her new diet. She also asks for prayer as she searches for a new roommate. In addition she is facing some legal issues that will require both time and money…both of which are in very limited supply for her.

From the news…pray for a woman who gave birth 4 months prematurely to a stillborn baby boy on August 31. She just found out that, due to a mistake at the hospital, she was given the wrong baby to bury. Today she will bury her child, having to go through all of the pain one more time…May the peace of God which transcends all understanding guard her heart and mind in Christ.

Oh NO! MORE PRE...fair pictures! Verne Overloaded!

Verne and I got the speakers up today..fair is just over a week away!

WBFJ OFF Air Tonight starting about 7 Important Repair

Hopefully we'll just be down about an hour

but I just wanted you to know upfront so

if you come out of church and we're gone

it's not permanent! We have a transmitter

related issue that requires us to be off the air

for an hour or so

and hopefully what we do tonight will fix it!

Thanks for your patience.

TRAFFIC=STRESS?

Somedays that's true...

but today...

all is basically clear...

so far.

PS. Wally thinks I'm hooked
on watching the traffic cameras.
Maybe a little, but I just want to do a good job for you...
and the cameras help a lot.

Thanks for all the traffic calls...you ARE the WBFJ Traffic Team!

STRESS and DISCOURAGEMENT...the devil's big two

I keep meaning to talk about these "two" since I, like you, deal with them quite often. Since the devil can't steal your salvation he uses these two to neutralize your productivity. If he can't take you out of the game, he will still try to keep you on the "bench" with your head bowed into your hands.

Many mornings I wake up half awake and totally discouraged from the git-go. If I'm tired or stressed from the day before, the discouragement is usually worse because I'm too tired to fight the feelings.

BUT when my mind is in gear, I fight those feelings and it really works fast...

At the first discouraging thought, even if I am still half asleep, I begin to recite God's promises in my mind..."trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not unto your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge HIm, and He will direct your path...I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world...faithful is he who call me who will do it..."

I recite these in my mind and any others I can from memory and it's amazing how the discouraging feelings and thoughts start to melt away.

For me stress and discouragement usually comes in pairs... one seems to aid the other. When I see one, I get on my guard since the other is usually not too far away.

As believers we don't need to get under the power of either but I'm sure even the Apostle Paul's discouraging and stressful times were at the heart of many of these wonderful promises I recite in my heart for encouragement. We are comforted to be comforters.

PS. "Stress" deserves another blog all it's own but it's 3:58 pm and I go on the air in a few minutes...so let's save stress for later or else I'll get REAL stressed!

A little bear hug...

Today's FAIR Meeting at the Fair...Fresh Air and...

Really great prep meeting for the Dixie Classic Fair...just over a week away and we'll be back there in this same Gazeebo with our studio and all the fun.

By the way...

Everything was going great with our meeting until a gust of wind blew Wally's water bottle over dousing Darren with La Bleu.

Darren was quick on his feet and managed to do damage control... he apparently has gotten plenty of practice with Tami during the mornings... don't know for a fact...just guessing...LOL.

Anywho, it was a great meeting in the great outdoors... I highly recommend more outdoor staff meetings.

You might want to try it at your place...

PS...don't foget the...you know...

WBFJ "Listen Live" Back Up! Yea!

We're up!

Thanks for your patience!

If you are still having problems

just email me john@wbfj.fm

Thanks!

WBFJ "Listen Live" is DOWN! Working on it!

Hopefully back up soon!

Thanks for prayers

any your patience...

Life Comes at You Fast... stop and reflect .

The last week or so has brought all kinds of things our way...that's just the way life is.

We're Losing one

Just a few days back at Camp Hanes at a family outing for WBFJ staff Bev told me the news she was leving WBFJ to go fulltime school, family, and whatever ministry she was led to in beetween. Bev is responsible for many of the crazy pictures that show up in my blog...me in the space suit and all the others... She once morphed a picture of me and Albert Einstein...LOL. We'll miss her though we feel she'll never venture too far away from us.

911 Five Years After

Then there was 911 revisited. It was still hard to look back at all the pictures and video but it did happen and we still live in a dangerous world. It is good to remind ourselves we are not to be too involved in this world system as it is not our final home. There will always be conflict and danger till Christ comes again. Still emotional to think about.

Had a Hard Time with THIS one

Early this past week...the two little White brothers from Danbury were found and laid to rest. I know children have a special place in God's heart but things like this are just emotionally hard for me to deal with. I know the brothers are in God's presence but I think about all the grief and loss of the parents, grandparents and others around them. I really had a hard time talking about it when I first heard the news they were found dead. I passed by the Am control room and I could tell Eric was also bummed out with the news.

Look What God is Doing!

Friday was a very special day...Bonnie, Bev, Tami, Kurt and I from the station joined a few hundred pastors and others for a pastor appreciation luncheon with a "spotlight" on the work of Forsyth Jail and Prison Ministry. Rodney Stillwell has been at the forefront of this ministry for several years and is still "pumped up".... It's good to be reminded about what the Lord is doing in others places of life. I sometimes forget just how big and how needy the world really is... and what a great work God is doing.

And then Tony Spoke!

Stu Epperson, Sr. then introduced the speaker for the afternoon...Dr. Tony Evans. I can't begin to tell you all that Dr. Evans said but it was powerful. In less than an hour he covered the Angelic conflict in heaven and the results of it here on earth, the mission of the church to build the kingdom and not our own little version of it, race relations and everything in between. I just wanted to go to a corner in private and weep.

Thanks G.C.

Golden Corral provided the lunch and it was great as usual. I just want to commend Dave Griswold and all the folks at Golden Corral for being so willing to support community efforts.(And thanks for underwriting the WBFJ Office Party Luncheon at Golden Corral every Friday.)

Friday Surprise!

Friday, I was on the air talking traffic as usual and at about four thirty our "College Girl" from Gardner-Webb University surprised us with her first visit back to WBFJ. It was a pleasant surprise and was I pleased to get a good report from her. Steph was our faithful intern at WBFJ and is still part of the family. I think living in Decker Hall (did they name this after Wally's grandpa or what?)at GWU has been good for her!

Monday again...so what's next?

So another week starts in a few hours...

might be a little hectic

Maybe a little overwhelming

even a little surprising...

But...

God is so good

I know it will be good week!

PS. welcome back to Verne (on vacation all last week) and Wally who took a little business trip to Nashville Thursday and Friday).

And welcome back my friend Paula who is back at home now with Brandi and Taylor!

Friday's Mystery Guest from Decker Hall?

Juan Martin Lomo...Shame on you!

(Note: It should be "Juan Lomo...Shame OFF You"

...you did read Pastor Wright's book, right?)

Wally..Hurry back...there's 2 loafers on your couch!

<

Juan...what are you up to?

I can't keep a straight face...

Wally's heading to Nashville
for a couple of days...

Been waiting to try out
his new office "lounge"

(check a few blogs back on 8/17...it's nice!)

S-I-E-S-T-A Time is coming!

(Blogger comment: pic taken at the Master's Loft... that's Christian stuff in those bottles there in the background)

God may have bigger things in mind for you. This morning as I was reading Oswald Chambers (My Utmost) I was struck anew by his insight on prayer. So many times things don't make sense at the time but I've found it's always safe to trust Him.

If God doesn't answer "your way", could it be He has a bigger, better answer?

or as Oswald Chambers puts it:

"Ye know not what ye ask." Matthew 20:22

There are times in spiritual life when there is confusion, and it is no way out to say that there ought not to be confusion. It is not a question of right and wrong, but a question of God taking you by a way which in the meantime you do not understand, and it is only by going through the confusion that you will get at what God wants.

The Shrouding of His Friendship. Luke 11:5-8. Jesus gave the illustration of the man who looked as if he did not care for his friend, and He said that that is how the Heavenly Father will appear to you at times. You will think He is an unkind friend, but remember He is not; the time will come when everything will be explained. There is a cloud on the friendship of the heart, and often even love itself has to wait in pain and tears for the blessing of fuller communion. When God looks completely shrouded, will you hang on in confidence in Him?

The Shadow on His Fatherhood. Luke 11:11-13. Jesus says there are times when your Father will appear as if He were an unnatural father, as if He were callous and indifferent, but remember He is not; I have told you - "Everyone that asketh receiveth." If there is a shadow on the face of the Father just now, hang onto it that He will ultimately give His clear revealing and justify Himself in all that He permitted.

The Strangeness of His Faithfulness. Luke 18:1-8. "When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" Will He find the faith which banks on Him in spite of the confusion? Stand off in faith believing that what Jesus said is true, though in the meantime you do not under stand what God is doing. He has bigger issues at stake than the particular things you ask.

So Long, Bev...we'll miss you!

Bev broke the news during our Monday prayertime that the Lord was calling her back to school and family fulltime.

The WBFJ family is so tight so it's really hard to let go of any member even if they are not going far away...

but we know Bev's graphic arts gifts and talents will go with her and always be used for the Father's glory... so in that we rejoice.

Bev will be helping out at the fair and will be with us here for a few weeks more... if you want to email her it's bev@wbfj.fm .

Thanks B for all you've done to put a new face on our website WBFJ.fm and all the thousands of pictures you've taken of staff, events, listeners and me in the space suit (lol). We love you and hope to see you and your work often!

PS...for the full story in her own words, click on Bev's blog link: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=48501515&blogID=166711087&MyToken=75aa70d5-7ce4-472f-b0e1-b9634b38fb94

THREE THINGS I heard today...things to think about.

Number 1...Sin makes you stupid.

(Think about all the dumb thoughts, rationalizations,and dumb things you do when you get off the "straight and narrow")

Blogger note: Hyper-blogging can make you a little stupid ,too. You have to let it rest every now and then.

Number 2...God comforts you to make you a comforter...not to make you comfortable.

Number 3...God is a parent , too.

SELAH

The DIXIE CLASSIC FAIR is coming...and WBFJ is going...
Fair time is one of our favorite events of the year but it does take a lot of planning.

We actually start planning for next year after the current fair year ends.

MY fair badge has my 2001 picture (PTL)

And of course about now we are tweaking our plans and trying to cover all our bases. We have our fair ID badges, fair schedule and all so we are really in the fair mood already.

Wally bought our lunch

Verne Hill, Wally, Fred Patterson and I had our yearly fair planning meeting earlier this week at the Mexican restaurant.

JARS OF CLAY

This year Jars of Clay will join us in the Grandstand at 7:30 pm.

Cans for JARS

It's a Lowe's Can Food Wednesday so you'll be able to get into the fair and see Jars for your donation of 5 cans of Lowe's Foods.

Volunteers get free t-shirt

Bonnie (volunteer coordinator) is looking for volunteers... if interested just email her bonnie@wbfj.fm .

OK...
Who's next
for
The WBFJ
"Security Blankie?"

PS...Bonnie is looking for Fair Volunteers!

Email her Bonnie@wbfj.fm

HELP!

DEKE's got
"THE WBFJ BLANKIE"...

He might need a hug
but I think he
is just downright
cold!

That AM Control Room
can get temperaturely
erattic!

REMEMBER "The WBFJ Blankie" that our intern Steph made for us before she left for Garner Webb U ? (Blog down a few weeks if you forgot...also this pic may help you figure who is who...Bonnie-volunteer coordinator on top, Steph intern- carrying the load, lol)).


The WBFJ Blankie was made to serve a dual purpose...to serve as a hug reminder from Steph and to keep the user warm when the WBFJ studio gets too cold (we can't get it at just the right tempt!)Don't know which use Bev is putting it to but she seems to be all wrapped up in it and in what's she is doing. LOL! I think she is doing the WBFJ newsletter which sometimes can be a battle with the WBFJ printer.

Either way, she looks like she needs a hug. Bev and Deke maintain WBFJ.FM among other things. If you want to send Bev a hug it's bev@wbfj.fm .

AUGUST Love Handles Winners...

Congratulations:

Matt (Snuggle) and Amy (Princess) Stockdale

of Pleasant Garden...

Married 8/12/00.

Hope you all enjoy that overnight romantic getaway
to the Luxurious Embassy Suites, Downtown, Winston-Salem!

Thanks To Hartley's Florist for adding flowers and Snipes Photography
for the free photo session.

Matt and Amy... let us know how you liked it!

(Don't forget...another free getaway at the end of September...
sign up at www.wbfj.fm )

It's called Labor Day...
So what do we do?

We rest and vacation!

Totally fits though...

We drive on the parkway
and park on the driveway...


and unfortunately

we sometimes sleep on the job
and work in our sleep...

We just can't get it right can we!

Anyway.... HAPPY LABOR DAY

(especially all those away from family and friends over the holiday)