Old Media, Old Maids and Bring the Rain: Episode 54

After more than two years of darkness, I've started watching TV again. My television is 13" with a built-in VCR, so the pull to sit in front of it isn't overly strong. In fact, when I do watch something, I have to slide a chair up right in front of the set in order to see the screen clearly.

Now when I say I'm "watching TV," I mean I've watched a few of the American Idol auditions. Since American Idol is now on basically every night of the week (I would hate to be all the other ugly-stepchild Fox shows that are shelved during AI), I realize I will not be able to keep up with this pace for long. I have several nights per week dedicated to church activities, mentoring, Bible studies and other schedule stuffers designed to legitimize my works-based faith (kidding...grace all the way, baby). But I've caught a few AI episodes now, and am pleased that there are less of the patently fake and over-the-top auditions featured this season. And I like that new judge, Kara.

Last night, however, I OD'd on TV. I went to my coworker's house and sat mesmerized in front of her 908" HD-whatever-flatscreen and ingested some Gospel Music Channel, HBO (the Ted Haggard special...whoa) and Larry King Live (more Ted Haggard...whoa). Then came the main attraction: Monday's DVR'd episode of The Bachelor. As host of The Boundless Show, this is necessary research for me. I need to know how a seemingly competent and handsome single dad will find true love in a sea of tanned, coiffed and ready-to-burst-into-tears-if-Molly-gets-another-one-on-one-date-with-him females. Surely he's read our Guys' Guide to Marrying Well, and is referencing it prior to each rose ceremony. I'll let you know if he calls me for advice. I'm sure he will.

The Death of Old Media -- 00:00

There used to be this stuff called paper. And it was made into books, newspapers and magazines. In this week's roundtable, we talk about the tension between old and new media. Is old media on its last legs? How do we get our news these days, and is it enough? Is new media making us dumb and dumber, or is having access to every bit of info in the world a good thing?

Bring the Rain -- 16:53

Candice hosts Todd and Angie Smith for a frank discussion of love and loss. Todd is a founding member of the hugely popular CCM group Selah, and Angie writes and manages Bring the Rain, a blog originally created to celebrate their daughter Audrey, who died shortly after birth. The Smiths talk about this past year and their discovery of joy through pain, and how God's love and the power of community get us through when life scripts itself apart from our neatly laid out plans. There's some funny stuff here, too. Angie's a funny girl. Love that.

Too Late for Love? -- 51:46

She's 33 and single, and is starting to despair. We know that women marry in their 30s and beyond, but surely those three women found mates only after two or three religious pilgrimages and an extensive series of anointings and laying-on-of-hands, right? Not so, says Candice. God is still in the business of making good matches, and there's encouragement for the over-30 single girl in this. So turn up your hearing aids, ladies, and listen in. Guys, listen too. You're an important part of the marriage equation, remember?

Because I was too busy watching GMC, HBO, CNN and ABC last night, I missed American Idol. I guess I'll survive. I'll squeeze in AI's "Hollywood Week" somewhere between the Bible studies and checking out new blogs like Bring the Rain. I need a personal assistant to help me keep track of all of these important commitments. And to maybe get me Milk Duds whenever I want them. Anyone want to apply?

iTunes | RSS

The Death of Old Media -- 00:00

Bring the Rain -- 16:53

Too Late for Love? -- 51:46

Comments

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1. Lisa Anderson said the following at 4:32 PM on Jan 30:

I gave Candice that amazing scarf for Christmas, btw. I want credit for that. :)

2. Samantha said the following at 5:58 PM on Jan 30:

Thank you so much for the Boundless podcast, it's amazing! I'm glad I can hear Christian perspectives on my iPhone every week. :D

3. Anna said the following at 6:31 PM on Jan 30:

I've been reading Angies blog since last February. She's such a great writer and encourager. She's so transparent about her struggles and how she's gotten through them with the help of God. She and Todd are such a testimony.

4. ginger said the following at 10:09 PM on Jan 30:

I found Angie's blog a couple of months ago & stayed up all night reading her story about Audrey Caroline. Truly compelling. I appreciate Angie & Todd being so honest in this interview about how hard this has been on their marriage & how they are choosing to go through the difficult times. Also their perspective on wanting Audrey back regardless of how God has used this time--such honesty.

5. Janice said the following at 10:17 PM on Jan 30:

I really appreciated hearing from Todd and Angie. I've read her blog for some time now and hearing her talk is great! God has used her blog to encourage me even though my life is in a totally different stage of life. Dealing with grief is hard. Oh and GREAT choice on the scarf, Lisa.

6. kara starr said the following at 1:05 AM on Jan 31:

thank you for having todd and angie on your show. i'm a Sunday and have been so blessed by angie for several months now, this interview was no exception.

7. BDB said the following at 1:21 AM on Jan 31:

Personal assistant? Sounds like you need a DVR...

8. Susan said the following at 7:08 AM on Jan 31:

Thanks for introducing us to Todd and Angie. I was touched by their honesty and how they are celebrating their daughter's life. And another blog to check out...

9. erin said the following at 8:04 AM on Jan 31:

Angie's blog is amazing and heartfelt, and I am so glad she's on the podcast! I can't wait to listen!

Nice scarf taste, Lisa. :)

10. Rachael said the following at 12:00 PM on Jan 31:

Lisa you're funny :). I didn't listen to the podcast, but you're writing style explodes with humor, and I like that you can 'laugh' (in a writing tone sort of way, at least) at yourself...

11. Jessica said the following at 2:41 PM on Jan 31:

I found Bring the Rain last semester. I ended up spending the day on my futon reading her story from the beginning, and yes occasionally crying. I've been so blessed as Angie shares her story, and finds God in the midst of her pain. I've also discovered Selah as a fabulous musical group
I'm one of the 20 something single women, who follows the blog. Thanks for sharing their story and perspective on marriage with us.

12. BDB said the following at 3:54 PM on Jan 31:

Candice is a contractor? It seemed like she was in charge...

13. Marie said the following at 9:18 PM on Jan 31:

I'll apply. It sounds pretty low-key to me. Though I'm not sure what my parents would say about my career path then.

14. Betsy said the following at 10:43 PM on Jan 31:

If you'd like to see Angie's slide show tribute to Audrey Caroline, including beautiful photos in the hospital with their daughters, and hear the song that Todd sang part of on the podcast (I Will Carry You) you can watch it here: http://www.heartlink.org/beavoice/A000000694.cfm

15. BDB said the following at 11:06 PM on Feb 1:

The last good news for the newspaper industry is that I still can't get the Comics.com web page to work.

I stopped getting the paper version of The Wall Street Journal years ago. Their online version costs far less, and doesn't stack up around the office.

This last political season, it's clear that my local paper, part of an L.A.-based conglomerate, has adopted leftist editorial policies, so it might be time to drop them, too. I quit reading the LA Times in protest of their censoring the BC comic strip, which had holiday versions they refused to print. One of their telemarketers was really disrespectful to me once when I mentioned that concern - basically told me they would NEVER publish the strip on holiday weekends. Not a good way to sell something...

Since everyone is merely linking to AP stories these days, there is nothing much worth buying. The WSJ is the exception. They still do investigative journalism - for years they were warning about this present financial mess based on mortgage-backed securities. And they were right. It's definitely worth paying for their stuff.

16. BDB said the following at 11:47 PM on Feb 1:

Great interview, too. You managed to fit in blogging, a political debate, marriage...seriously though, I think there's lots of single people who don't take seriously the likelihood that they will face crisis in their life, so they don't look for that in potential spouses. Rising to the occasion isn't something that just "happens," it's something that is helped by disciplined preparation. Which, unfortunately, looks boring from the outside.

17. Susan said the following at 6:03 PM on Feb 2:

Thank you for interviewing Todd and Angie. I'm a Sunday who has followed Angie's blog since August, and have grown closer to the Lord through her story. I am also married to an unbeliever, and was so glad to hear Todd and Angie talk about how important it is to choose a spouse that loves the Lord. Made me cry. People, it's so true! I chose the hard way, and... well, it's truly heartbreaking at times.

18. Mike said the following at 1:46 PM on Feb 3:

For anyone interested in exploring the effects of old media vs. new media as well as society's growing dependance on technology, I'd like to share a book I examined in my History of Technology class, "Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology" by Neil Postman. It's a thought-provoking, fairly quick read (although I did have to re-read a few sections to fully understand his arguments) that will likely challenge your views on the topics discussed, whether or not you agree with his views. Check it out!

Love the show, by the way! And scarfs are hot.

19. Chrissy said the following at 8:24 PM on Feb 3:

Enjoyed this week's Boundless Show. I really liked the transparency of the couple. I also liked the hope and practical advice given to the older single woman.

20. BDB said the following at 8:57 PM on Feb 3:

Mike (#18) - can you just post a link to the PDF file? Thanks!

21. Casey (The Student Nurse) said the following at 8:00 PM on Feb 7:

Man, Todd and Angie's story, coupled with the song at the end = powerful stuff. Definite tear jerker and encourager.

22. Mike said the following at 11:06 AM on Feb 8:

BDB (#20) - My bad for not clarifying, I just wanted to throw the title of the book out there, I don't actually have any kind of electronic copy of it. It's not overly expensive to purchase, or you could always check at a public library to see if they've got a copy. Sorry about that!