"WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!"

"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." (Philippians 4:4)

Two weeks ago tomorrow, I was introduced to a very unique radio talk show: The David Stein Show, better known as "Celebration of Life". Most mornings (now) I'm getting up around 4:15 a.m. That day, I turned on "Boston Talks 96.6 WTKK" a little after 4 and heard an unfamiliar voice asking listeners to give his show a chance. As he described his program, it sounded very sappy, and syrupy, and mushy, and touchy-feely. "Yuch!" I thought! I don't think I'm going to like this program at all. Boy was I wrong! After listening for one hour, I concluded this was one of the most meaningful and inspirational programs I had ever hard.

I had never heard of David Stein, but if you do an on-line search, you'll learn that he was a sports talk show host for a number of years. His relatively new show, celebration of life has very little to do with sports or politics or the stuff usually heard on call-in talk radio. Stein has a very open (and even vulnerable) manner. He's a fantastic story teller. He will freely talk about his own problems and issues, and what he's learned from life experience and from others. It's obvious that David Stein is a highly committed Christian. He casually drops Bible verses and Christian references, but in a mostly subtle non-threatening manner. There's NONE of the "fundamentalist jamming a Bible down your throat" stuff. It's a lot more like Delilah who does her nationally syndicated soft rock evening show.

David Stein broadcasts from the Atlanta, Georgia area. His show is on from 1 to 5 in the morning Eastern time. On that first broadcast he told the story of going to a Srarbucks in late September of last year. David mentioned that he HATES Starbucks coffee. That brought a smile to my face, because I do, too! But he was at Starbucks for a chance to sit in one of their relaxing chairs and use their WI-FI. A woman sat down in the chair next to him. David mentioned that he was tempted to try to start up a conversation...one of those, "How YOU doin'?!" kind of things. He added that he had not been on a date in over two years and had not spoken to any women he didn't know during that period of time. Three weeks later, David Stein was in line at that same Starbucks. He happened to turn around in the line, and standing directly behind him was that same woman who'd sat next to him three weeks earlier.

"I HATE this coffee!" he jovially exclaimed to her and she smiled. They began a friendship which led to a romance. David Stein married that woman at that Starbucks this past February!

Stein urges listeners to practice random acts of kindness...to do things like send real handwritten letters to people...to practice an attitude of thanking people, and of being grateful and not complaining. Again, he's NOT sappy and phony, though. He's very masculine, and very real. After listening for a couple of days, you feel like you've known this guy for years.

Forty years ago, if I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep, I'd often turn on Larry Glick on WBZ and listen for an hour or so. There has not been a radio broadcaster who would motivate me to tune in to him in the middle of the night since Larry Glick- until NOW! This morning, for instance, I awoke at 1:15, turned in David Stein for 45 minutes and fell back asleep. When you listen, there's a sense of peace and serenity. I fell into a dream, and woke at 4 refreshed.

David Stein has this expression he uses when he's really happy about something: "Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!"

That's my feeling about this new "Celebration of Life" program: "Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!"

I hope you'll check it out sometime. Incidentally, you don't HAVE to listen to it in the middle of the night. You can tap into previous broadcasts on-line anytime.