89.5 KTSY Manager's Memo

It just amazing what we can do together.

Thursday afternoon, I had the privilege of being at the Egyptian Theater in downtown Boise with most of the KTSY staff for the Governor’s Brightest Stars event to celebrate volunteerism and community service in Idaho. KTSY was nominated in the Small Business category and was a finalist for the award.

We were just pleased that someone had noticed what the KTSY Family has been doing in the past year to help out. We thought your efforts with the Christmas Wish program, with the Boise Rescue Mission, with Project Patch, with your food drive for the Duck Valley Indian Reservation and the Compassion project in Honduras were all worthy of notice and appreciation. Never mind the almost half million people fed by the KTSY Family last year around the world.

It would appear Governor Butch Otter, First Lady Lori Otter and their Serve Idaho task force agree and awarded the KTSY Family their Brightest Star Award for Community Service.

From all of us at KTSY, thank you for being part of the Family, for allowing us into your hearts and homes and for helping us make a difference for God’s Kingdom.

I mowed my lawn for the first time this spring yesterday afternoon. I’ve also put down fertilizer and pre-emergent weed killer. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but this is a big deal for me. I haven’t had a real yard since I was twelve years old, living in a nice house with step-dad number three.

I’ve spent most of the last year and a half renovating my yard, after a low-point of three dead stumps, piles of three dead pine trees and a two foot high valley of weeds. I’m sure it made my neighbors very happy. Now after lots of hard work, sweat and lots of help, I have grass, flowers beds and lots of sprinkler heads.

I was amazed yesterday afternoon after I gave it a close trim with the mower, how green it was already. Then it occurred to me the green could only shine through because I had trimmed off the winter brown.

How often has my life reflected the same? Only after low-points of burning off stumps and dead brush, regular doses of life-giving water, and a good trimming has my life shown for God like it should. “For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, even as a father, the son in whom he delights.” Prov. 3:12

I guess I should look forward to those trimmings.

My favorite movie, ever, is Mr Holland’s Opus. It’s a story of a music teacher who wanted to compose original music and found his life ending differently than he had envisioned as a young man.

I celebrated, quietly and without much fanfare, my 49th birthday this week. My staff allowed me to take them to lunch Tuesday and informed me preparations were already underway for fifty. My wife bought me a new section to add to my roll-around tool box in the garage. My firstborn checked in early in the day to prove, at his proclamation, that he was the best son. Little brother checked in late in the day, saying he had been very busy. Finals are next week. And to tell me he didn’t care who was the best son. He loved me more.

I tell you all of this only to tell you, of course, I’ve been reflective of the past eighteen years in Idaho. Especially in light of the glaring fact I have less than that remaining. I look back at my life sometimes and wonder how I got here. The early steps of my life were not headed to Idaho to run a Christian radio station.

Yet, I’m finding like Mr. Holland, that the Bible is trustworthy when it says a life spent on others is never spent in vain. I wonder what the next eighteen will bring?

You and God just never cease to amaze me. When we last spoke in late January about budget and money and those uncomfortable subjects, our reserves were at less than thirty days and cash coming in had slowed to a trickle.

Let me say first, though, thank you for caring and for praying and for sharing your scarce resources with us. Your support and love for KTSY and it’s ministry is incredible! Miraculous! And I believe and pray daily, God honoring.

January, we ended the month a couple of thousand dollars less than we needed to pay bills that month, which was a terrific turn-around from the beginning of the month and the last couple of months in 2007. February was the best February the station has ever had.

The year is still new, with many months to go. We are still day to day, just like many of you. But we’re comfortable there, with you and God beside us. With your support, with your involvement and with your prayers, this may very well be the best year of ministry in our history. I’m up for that, if you are.