Posts from — December 2009

I’ve had the privilage of working with many great men and women in the Christian world – Pat Robertson, Luis Palau, Kay Arthur, Rod Parsley, Leighton Ford, Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, Thomas Zimmerman… really, it’s a long list.   But I put Billy Graham and Oral Roberts in a completely different category, and I’m humbled to have worked with both of them.

Less than a month before the Lord called him home, I had the immense honor of producing what would be the final television interview with Oral Roberts.  We did it in the living room of his home in Newport Beach. This is not a room made for TV, it’s long and narrow.  One wall is all glass windows looking out on the golf course, the other wall is all mirrors – you who know television production are feeling my pain. We had a very limited time to set up the 3 cameras, lighting and sound.  Somehow we did it, and it looked good.

Rod Parsley did the interview, which was more of a conversation and a time of prayer.  Here were two men, friends, who both knew the anointing and power of God, from two generations, and both had the sense that this could be their last time together.  The atmosphere in the room was charged, and when Oral looked at the camera and said “something good is going to happen to you” – I believed it.  And later during prayer when he again looked up into the camera and said “be healed” – I knew people were being healed.

We can tell stories some other time… but today, as his funeral is taking place, I wanted to recall the man who told millions to “expect a miracle” – and who today is hearing his Savior say “well done”.

Sometimes, maybe once a week, I find myself at Waffle House enjoying their steak and eggs (medium, over medium, wheat, scattered and well done).  I admit, this is not where you go for a great steak, and the atmosphere is passable at best – but sometimes, good enough is well, good enough.

That’s why I was shocked recently when a employee came in while I was waiting for my order.  As soon as he hung up his coat, he went to work. He first washed all of the tables, then swept and washed the floor. All the while he was telling the other employees that a clean restaurant is a good restaurant.  That it’s good for business and they would all make more money if the place was clean and neat.  By now, my food had come and he was filling ketchup bottles.  Finally someone asked him why he was there so early. You wouldn’t believe it…

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You know the routine… meet someone new, and one of the first questions is: “So, what do you do?”  My answer, “I’m a television producer” is usually followed by their quissical response, “And what does a television producer do?”  It’s a good question!  On any given day I could be doing any one of a great variety of things… negotiating, formatting, editing, flying, shooting, invoicing… the list is endless.

One thing I find myself doing every single day is writing… and writing on a deadline. Or, as I like to say, writing with a shotgun held to my head.

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I’m no stranger to travel. After having spent the majority of my career covering stories in more than 65 nations of the world, travel is second nature. I know the layout of the major airports of the world like many people know their neighborhoods.  But no matter how much time I spend on the road, being away from my family for holidays and special events always hurts.

There have been some good times… [Read more →]