Evan is Bonkers for Barney

As soon I got Evan home from daycare yesterday, he grabbed his new Barney book that a friend gave us and starts saying "Ba! Ba!" He wanted me to read the book to him. I was cool with that, but after reading it one time, he started a sad little whine. In other words, read it again daddy! It's hard to say no to that, but after reading it for the third time I couldn't take anymore! Amy read the book to him 14 times in one morning! She is much more tolerant of Barney.

Bo called this morning to tell us that his son was obsessed with Barney when he was younger. They decided it might come in handy when it came time to potty train. So the deal was that if his son learned how to use the potty, they would visit Barneyworld at Universal Studios. Turns out his son mastered potty training in two weeks because he was ready to go visit Barney! So, I am encouraged that something positive might come out of Evan's Barney phase, that is if I don't go crazy first.

Aiken on Top Three List for Police Car Plant

Aiken is still in the running for a plant that makes futuristic police cars. This could mean thousands of jobs for our area. Read more

More Jobs for Augustans

Augusta beat other locations around the country for the site of a new Knology call center. We can expect 120 new jobs for the area. Read more

NASA Erases Apollo 11 Tapes

As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of man landing on the moon, NASA reveals that it must have taped over the original video transmissions of that historic moment. Thankfully, Hollywood has a copy. Read more

Harry Potter Discussion

In one midnight showing alone, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince brought in $22 million. Somebody's watching it, including many Christians. This morning we wanted your thoughts on the Harry Potter phenomenon. There were some good opinions including "it's full of witchcraft and the Bible speaks against that" to "it's fantasy and you have to decide if your child is grounded enough to know the difference" to "if you tell a teenager they can't see it, they're going to find a way to see it, because, well...that's teenagers for ya." There has also been some good discussion on my Facebook page today.

I was surprised by one listener's comment that "most Christian families don't know how to be Christlike" in reference to Christian families who don't have problems with Harry Potter. Learning to be Christlike is a daily process that goes on until the day we die, and I think statements like that come across as "holier than thou." Who are we to point the finger when none of us has achieved perfection? I think the bigger picture should be focusing on being grounded in God's word and understanding why we believe what we believe.

Bob from Focus on the Family's Plugged In Movie Reviews will be with us tomorrow morning at 7:10 to give us his perspective on the new Harry Potter film. Knowing Bob, he'll have some interesting thoughts to share.

VBS Express at Windsor Spring Baptist

Thursday morning at 6:10 and 7:40, we'll be sharing some highlights from our recent VBS Express stop at Windsor Spring Baptist Church in Augusta. They have a neat ministry going on there that is multicultural and also reaching out to soldiers at Fort Gordon.

Harry Potter

On Thursday's show around 7:10, we're going to talk about Harry Potter. The latest movie in that series is out this week, and we want to talk about how a Christian should react to it. Cleve and I have heard perspectives on both sides of the issue and think this could be a great conversation piece.

Christmas in July

Christmas in July was interesting this morning. Cleve was the big cheerleader for playing Christmas music in July, and I was not too crazy about it. God had a bigger plan. A listener donated an artificial Christmas tree for us to give away. We opened the phones to listeners telling us what they would do with the tree if we gave it to them. Jessica's call touched our hearts enough that we gave her the tree. Her family is having a rough time financially, has other family living with them, has a husband who was disabled in Iraq while serving our country and the only Christmas tree they have is a small table topper. Her kids desparately wanted a nice Christmas tree like everyone else. Now, they have one. Plus, three different ministries called wanting to provide Christmas gifts for the family. That's God's people in action!

Chris Lockwood from 33Miles

Chris Lockwood from 33Miles joined us on the show this morning. His band, along with Building 429, will be at Summerfest on July 28th at FBC North Augusta. You can listen to the conversation with Windows Media Player.
Part 1 - John and Chris reminisce about the Music Boat
Part 2 - Chris talks about Barney and Elmo
Part 3 - Story behind "Jesus Calling"
Part 4 - Upcoming Christmas CD

Augusta Road Construction

I missed my exit yesterday on I-20 West at Riverwatch because of a lane shift. As the road construction winds down on that route, we'll probably see more of these shifts. One of the new flyovers is open and Susan called to tell us that her 3 year-old granddaughter thinks it is a roller coaster. Everytime they drive on the flyover, she says "Mimi, put your hands in the air!"

2 Year Old Boy Attacked By Dogs

Two year-old Damien Chavous of Augusta was attacked by four dogs in his neighbors backyard after he climbed the fence. He remains in critical condition but is showing some encouraging signs. Please pray for him and his family. This situation is an opportunity for us as parents to talk to our kids about safety with dogs. Read more about it in the Augusta Chronicle

Cats In Control

Cleve has been trying for the longest time to get rid of the cat that his daughter adopted. A new study from England explains why Cleve and the cat don't get along - it's a control issue. Read more Does your cat do the same thing? Leave a comment and tell us your story.

Chris from 33Miles on Tuesday's Show

Chris Lockwood from 33Miles will join us on Tuesday morning at 7:10 and 8:40. They're coming to First Baptist Church of North Augusta for Summerfest on Tuesday, July 28th.

Christmas in July on Wednesday

Because Cleve wants to celebrate Christmas all year long, we're having Christmas in July this Wednesday during the morning show. We'll mix in some Christmas songs with the regular music. You'll have a chance to win a Summerfest prize pack that includes music from Building 429 and 33Miles, free admission to the concert and a backstage meet and greet pass. We're also giving away an artificial Christmas tree.

Evan Gets His Own Water

This morning we talked about stuff your kids have done when you weren't looking. I was home with Evan on Sunday while Amy was working. He kept coming from the kitchen to the living room saying what I thought was "Laura." That's his aunt's name and he's always saying it. Actually, he was saying "water," but I didn't realize it until I went into the kitchen and saw what he had done. He had tried to fill up two cups with water from the water dispenser on the front of the fridge. However, very little made it into the cups. Most of the water was all over him and on the floor. I learned that you can't keep your eyes off an 18 month old for one second! Have your kids done something funny when you weren't looking? Share your story by leaving a comment.

Cheapie of the Week

Jacqueline Kohlenberg of Augusta guessed that the Cheapie of the Week is Sobe Lifewater. It is on sale for $.99 per bottle at Kroger until Saturday (7/18). Use the printable Buy 1, Get 1 Free coupon to get two bottles for the price of one. Also, if you buy 10 of these or other items on a special list, you get $5 off your grocery bill.