Hit The Pause Button

Today I found myself walking down through a maze of switchbacks at the KCBQ, KPRZ 1210 studios on my way to find something hot to drink in the break room. I stopped at the corner on KCBQ's studio door while navigating my way through one studio after another. Down the hall past board operators and rooms filled to overflowing with electronic gear stacked floor to ceiling. I stopped and looked into the studio doorway and there inside sitting in front of a mixing board was Noah Dingley. Noah produces The Mark Larson Show and is an on air talent most evenings. Noah was talking with someone via headphones but I was able to hear a faint voice from the mysterious beyond spilling out of Noah's headset. The voice sounded both forceful and familiar. As I am standing there in the doorway eavesdropping on their conversation I hear the voice say "hey looks like "Crocodile Dun De" is standing behind you Noah" The mysterious voice was none other than Mark Larson.

I guess because I was donning my uncrushable, brown felt, Stetson cowboy hat I could have resembled the slender Aussie "Walkabout Man". But the truth of the matter is that my physique more resembles a bloated,giant python after swallowing a small deer whole. As I was watching Mark Larson prepare and record his daily show on KPRZ I could only imagine what it would be like to fill his shoes? Mark is a very tall man I'd say 6' 4" or 6' 5" so filling his shows would be quite an endeavor. Here is a little history as to how I got into the studio.

On my first trip down to the studio, Tom Le Vine, the man with the golden voice, a voice that could charm an angry cobra or calm a famished lioness, gave me a complete tour of the radio station. Here is what I remember about my very first visit. After existing the glass, high speed elevator onto the 23rd floor I was funneled through an MRI imaging machine. After a sharp right turn, across the hallway I was required to pass through the kiosk booth that attaches to the front desk. The security guard asks me for my ID card and to state my name and business. Then I was asked to remove all metal objects from my pockets and made to pass through a metal detector. Then my eyes were scanned to record my unique retinal pattern. After fingerprinting I was given a handy wipe that smelled of fresh crushed lemons. I was then ushered into a small cubical. Now comes the toughest part passing the security check.

So as Tom Le Vine opens the studio door and greets me with his usual wonderful smile. Tom has a smile the Cheshire Cat would be envious of. Can you remember the "Adventures of Alice" and the allusive Cheshire Cat whose grin was literally ear to ear? Mr. Le Vine continues my tour through a maze of walls and twisting corridors. As we navigate another sharp right turn into the operations department we find ourselves face to face with the station's radio transmitter. Standing tall before us with all of its blinking lights, each colored with a different hue from the rainbow is the main transmitter. It is actually consists of two giant rack mounted units complete with an over abundance of dials, meters and knobs. I look in both directions to see if anyone is watching me as the knobs and dials beckon me to randomly touch and turn them. I feel a little like a kid who wants to sample the candy in the candy store! But I resist the temptation. The two units while measuring about 3 feet wide and towering floor to ceiling seems rather small to me to be sending out a radio signal to all of Southern California? But what do I know?

My studio tour now took another turn and continued through many cubicals and other office spaces. Did you know you can tell who is at the top of the pecking order and who has seniority in any given office situation simply by observing who occupies the corner offices. Now the station consumes the entire 23rd floor of the UTC "Golden Yellow Bricked" granite office tower. From their perch high above the Interstate 805 modern transit freeway you can see for miles. The view affords all KPRZ employees a most inspiring view complete with snow capped mountain peaks and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Looking around I spotted two very large and spacious corner offices. Heather Lloyd, the programing director, has made her home in one of them and the station manager Dave Armstrong has taken ownership of the other! Now you know you can tell allot about a person by the appearance of their office space.The way room is laid out, all objects as well as their placement in the office space can shed light and leaves clues about the employee who works there.

I have never stepped foot into Heather Lloyd's office, I value my life too much and I am not a risk taker. It is immaculate. A King, Queen or any other person of nobility would feel very comfortable living there. The walls are lined with racks and racks of compact disks covers. The air is fresh and clean smelling of fresh cut lavender. Hung completely level on one wall is a poster of Aslund, the great Lion, from the "Chronicles of Narnia". Every carpet fiber is clean, upright and standing at attention as if awaiting the queen's orders. If you were going to write a book on the art of organization you would want to spend many long hours observing the perfection in Heather's office. God Himself would be proud to make claim to it.

Dave Armstrong is the station manager who commands his warriors with a firm but soft voice. Dave wields his power and authority like that of the sorcerer's apprentice. But I think it best for any possible future I might have to avoid disclosing any details about Dave's office. Now on to the other end of the 23rd floor. Tom and I retrace our steps back to the beginning and once there we find a small cubical with walls without windows nestled in a darkened corner. In this dimly lit space we can vaguely make out a tiny office cubical. This postage stamp sized space resembles a humble Hobbits hole. A very comfortable but small closet of a space where the chair bangs against the wall with every visitor.The chair makes another dent in the wall as Tom's guests squeeze into the small space between the desk and the wall. Its like history is recording with each dent in the drywall just how many lives God has touched through Mr. Le Vine's efforts.

This is Tom's humble abode where if you were sitting in his chair you would be looking at one of the most beautiful pictures you had ever seen. This magnificently framed picture complete with a picturesque view of mountains, trees and a stream reminds me of my time spent in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Tom is a friend of mine. He has many talents and gifts that could have only been gifts from a Higher Power. I don't know for sure but I would put Tom high up in the chain of command at KPRZ. I came to this conclusion not from the appearance or size of his office but rather from the size of his heart. Folks, Tom was not made to take this office space I think he chose it! He let others have the better spaces from which to work from while he was content with this one. So the next time you are in someone's office, stop and hit the pause button. Take the time to look around you and observe. Then ask yourself the following questions. How big is the space? How clean is the floor and what images cling to its walls? You can learn allot about the insides of people by looking at the outsides of their offices.

The Smoking Catapillar

Whats in a name? My sister's name is Karen. She is really super smart almost too smart for her own good. In fact she has to order extra large hats. We were both born in the 1950's in Southern California. Our parents fought constantly which was no bed of roses. I remember the early 1960's it seemed like someone was being assassinated every couple of months. The music on AM radio was great! Three Dog Night, The Beatles, Bread and all the rockers that sold out to the Devil himself.

Karen was very smart like I said before but she was also so beautiful too! Our mother Pauline was a homecoming Queen at San Diego City College so she inherited the gene. My daughter Emma is looking more and more like my sister Karen. She introduced me to Jimi Hendrix, Woodstock and Three Dog Night. We are 5 years apart in age but closer than you might think.

We grew up on Merritt Drive in El Cajon, California where the hills are covered with avocado trees. We watched the Adam's Family and Night Gallery on a used black and white TV. Car rides with our parents were always with the windows rolled up and both parents smoking an extra long cigarette.

Corkey McMillin built our 1960's ranch house himself for $25,000 complete with a flat roof that leaked only when it rained. The Cloverleaf dairy was situated at the bottom of our hill. And for Sunday morning breakfast the Dutch family who owned the dairy would slaughter a cow in the front of our breakfast room window. I think That is why I am a "closet vegetarian".

I got unfairly kicked off the school bus at the age of 5 yrs and so the rest of the kids on my block and my very own sister walked with me to school for the entire year. i later saw that bus driver when he was very old but did not seek my revenge on him.

My dad had planted a fruit orchard and a pine tree perimeter around his little ranch. Karen had several horses which she would ride all over hill and dale. On day she put me on her pony and gave the pony a stiff kick in the belly and all I could do was hang on for dear life! My sister really did love me.

I remember too when those leather coats with all the frills were in style thanks to Crosby , Stills and Nash. One day while sitting in the car near 7-11 I accidentally grabbed a handful of her frills and ripped them off her jacket I saw stars. Just like Lucy giving Linus five good reasons Karen belted me in the eye with her fist of fury and stopped just in time as mother was returning to the car.

If you have ever played the game "Clue" and were going to relate it to my family life it would be Karen in the living room with the lead pipe. The problem wasn't that Karen was so smart it was that I was so dumb. Gullible, I was flat out gullible and Karen exploited that one flaw for most of my pre-teen life.

My sister was related to Eddie Haskel from "Leave it to Beaver". And because she did not like me she decided to torture me. Luckily for me she got married at a very young age and that is probably what saved my life from an accidental drowning.

Karen also like to watch William F Buckley. She was really smart so that makes some sense I guess. She got an aquarium for getting her appendix out, while I had my tonsils taken out and all I got was an old screaming recovery nurse. My sister could have been the President of the United States. That's why I love my big sister!

The Radio Show

So here I sit on the top of Mt Helix. One of the most beautiful days in any month of January I have ever seen. I’m sitting in the cool breeze under the shade of an very ancient eucalyptus tree. Above me and behind me is the giant white cross that stands as a monument to a past loved one. I wonder how many people have enjoyed the view from up here? Below the great expanse sprawls out like maple syrup or oil from a spilt can. Why is life so hard for most of us when we live in such proximity of such colossus beauty?

I can see the ocean today and the Coronado Islands. And I am wondering just how large is this Pacific Ocean of ours? The freeways below me look like matchbox car tracks as they  weave back and forth like human arteries masterfully laid out in an arm or leg. The houses up here are incredible the trend these days is Tuscany and the million dollar villas complete with their red tile roofs dot the steep slopes of this beautiful  place.

Today Greg and I recorded our third complete week of Refuge radio. We have been working hard to study for each week of shows, promote a new church plant called “Refuge”, put together a sermon, prepare for the Men’s Tuesday Night Bible study at Calvary Chapel la Mesa, attempt to keep our houses clean, pick up and take our kids to various social functions, shop for groceries and look for employment.

I just realized today that if I want to be a minister of God’s word that I need to take a vow of poverty. Greg and I have been using the Starbucks at the La Mesa Trolley platform for our church office. The other day we met yet another pastor doing the exact same thing, his name is TC Porter. Why shouldn’t I get paid to do a radio show or prepare a sermon? Greg is even more dire straights than I am. His unemployment ran out and now it feels as if there is a giant pink elephant on his back.

Today's show was great we are studying Galatians about being zealous about good things. I like passion and when I see it it makes me want to know more about the person who displays it. Jesus was a passionate guy. I think he would have been here with me today sitting in the sunshine up here on the mount. Humble, meek and Divine He is one man who left his mark on this world. As I look around at all this urban sprawl I cant help think that it was through His hands that all this came to be in the first place.

Hands that felt the iron nails pierce His hands and His feet. Splinters from a cross made from the wood of a tree that he planted in His garden, the garden of God. But He also made the hands of the men who cut the tree down that made the cross, mined the iron that was smelted into metal that fashioned the spikes.

It seems strange to me that we as the human race were able to take this man, falsely accuse him, beat Him bloody, humiliate Him, spit at Him, compel Him to carry His own cross up a hill and crucify the Son of God.