Now I See Podcast

Kit McCarty welcomes Krisit Arrington, a Christmas Gift Drive coordinator for foster children at a central Texas Home for Children

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

I’m the person you can count on. If I say I'm going to do it, I’m going to do it. Whatever it takes, I’m going to get it done.

How do you say, “We’re only going to help these kids, but not those other kids?” We couldn’t. We took them all.

God just puts you in the right place sometimes.

I believe, if they asked for it, we need to get it. These kids are not in a good situation, and these kids need to get everything on their Christmas list.

Think about what goes into toy drive bins. Nothing goes into the bins for 13, 14, 15, 16 year olds. In general, those kids just get overlooked at Christmas.

The first thank you notes I got were sent to me at work. I’m bawling like a baby. I asked the other women in the office to read these so they can cry with me, because I'm not crying alone. That's not happening.

People need to realize how many of these kids there really are, and they’re right in our backyard. When you pick up your kids from school, and you see them all coming out, I promise you there’s a handful of kids in the foster system. You just don't know who they are.

I hope that someday they don’t need us. I love to help, but I want them to call and say, “We don’t need your help because we don’t have any kids that need your help.” That's what I want to happen.

REFERENCES

Texas Baptist Home for Children

CONTACT

Email Kristi Arrington

Text Kristi Arrington : Use Code TBH to get info about how you can help

Get in touch on Facebook.: Use Code TBH.

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Kit McCarty welcomes octogenarian Dick Woodward to talk about his life and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Hear about his experiences as a business owner, his family and friends, his interests, and his dreams for the future on this episode of Now I See.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

I don’t understand why people don’t hug more. Some of the best friends I have, I want to give them a hug every time I see them.

My mother once told me, ‘Dick, I hope you never get in the food business.’ She knew how difficult it was.

The most rewarding thing about the restaurant business is to see people walk through your door, and leave with a smile on their face.

Working with my wife has been--for the most part--very, very good. She ran the office; I ran the operations. There were times we crossed over. We’d get mad and butt heads, but we didn’t take it home with us. We worked well together. Without her support, we never would have made it.

If you're going to get ahead in life, you have to take some chances.

Just because your wife is a good cook doesn't mean you will have a successful restaurant.

My wife and I want to help the people who work for us. They are the people who made us successful. We've always treated our people good. We've gotten loyalty in return.

Do what you have to do.

I see people today who have nothing in their life to do in their retirement. Take up a hobby. Learn something new. Work a jigsaw puzzle. Read. Listen to music. There is always something you can find to do.

Children mean more to me than anything in my life. I hope I live another 10-20 years so I can see them grow up. I just love children! They are the  greatest. I like old people too. I am one myself, but I don’t feel old. I still think young.

I love keeping in touch with friends. That's just something I want to do. My friends mean so much to me.

REFERENCES

Dicks Uptown Cafe

CONTACT

Dick Woodward

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SHOW NOTES

In the first segment of our Where Are They Now series, Kit McCarty invites Now I See’s very first guest, Linda Whitman, Educational Advocate to talk about advancements for students with learning differences in Texas public schools.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

Teachers are saying, ‘We’re trying hard. Just give me the kids, get out of my way, give me extra training, give me extra resources, and I'm going to do everything I can to help that child.”

I don't think it is fair to tell a child, ‘You have worked hard all year in every subject, but if you miss one question, you fail.’

Being in special education no longer carries the negative connotation that I grew up with.

Kids can teach each other, kids can help each other learn.

We rely on teachers’ strengths and skills. They really want to know the very best way for kids to learn to read because it affects every course they take.

I want [parents] to feel empowered. They have rights. They have a voice. There are voices to represent them. Go for it!

As a nation and a society, we have to empower the individual teachers. We have to give them resources, we also have to give them a whole lot of latitude and patience.

REFERENCES

HR Bill 4545 Texas

Texas Education Agency

Disability Rights Texas

CONTACT

Linda Whitman

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Kit McCarty and Now I See’s technical director Jim Wilson of Headset Radio, talk about start-ups and starting over, success and failure, and the rewards of giving and getting help.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

I accept the fact that I'm a nerd. I have a different point of view in the world than most other people.

I have a long list of things that I’ve broken. From tinkering with toys, to computer parts, to operating systems and the technical side of everything, to servers; there's a long list of things that I have tinkered with, broken and fixed.

You’re fixing things that are broken. You realize it's broken and no one is going to fix it. You are the only one who has the interest to fix it.

I love doing this kind of stuff. It's fun because I get to do stuff and teach people things. It's fulfilling to teach someone something and to see them learning. Every client I've worked with, I’ve taught them something new.

If you fail, it’s OK. If you break something, it's OK. If something goes wrong, it’s OK. It’s not the end of the world, and you can bounce back from it. You're OK, and everything is going to work out. Failure is an option.

I know a handful of people who lost their jobs during covid, and they took the opportunity to work on themselves. They took the time to figure out what and who they are, and how they want to be in life. For them, it was a blessing in disguise.

Make a space for you that makes you happy and lets you be you. Do what you like, what works for you, something that brings you joy.

The hardest part is getting yourself out there and getting started.

It’s OK to not be OK. If you're having issues, reach out. There are so many resources for people who need help. If you have an inkling that a friend is having issues, reach out to them.

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Kit McCarty welcomes Ted Vanlandeghem, the US Spokesperson for Maoz Israel, to talk about being a Messianic Jew in international outreach, and what it means to journey in the land of the unexpected.

HIGHLIGHTS

God has been at the forefront of my journey from the very beginning, guiding me in a supernatural way, to bring His Good News to people around the world, including the people in Israel.

When you look back you can see how God was moving.

I am a Jewish believer in Jesus, and I have a responsibility to share His message with my people.

“You are no longer to toil in things of no eternal consequence. Your hands have been set apart for a holy occupation.”

Muslims need to hear the message of Jesus, but they need compassion too. It blows their mind that Jewish Christians not only want to tell them about Jesus, but want to know them, and show them love, and protect them and help them.

God does little things, which are to me the big things. God has taken me on this journey of the unexpected.

The Lord spoke in my heart, “Ted I brought you this way to show you I'm the God of the 50¢. Everything you need I have provided or will provide for you. You just need to trust me, and let go, and release it all to me. Even when it doesn't make sense, completely and utterly put all of your trust in me.”

We didn’t ask anybody for help, but God knew the need. Before we spoke or prayed, He put it on somebody’s heart in a crazy way. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it is true.

Let go of control, and let the Lord steer your ship. Don't try to orchestrate it yourself.

Uncertainty is an opportunity to reach out and minister to others who don’t have hope and are hurting and afraid, to give them help and to show them the hope that we have.”

REFERENCES

Jews for Jesus 

The Christian and Missionary Alliance 

Maoz Israel 

Facebook.com/MaozIsrael

I Stand With Israel (humanitarian site) 

CONTACT INFO

To find out more about the organization, to give, to sign up for the free monthly newsletter to receive insight form the middle east and receive prayer points and updates, or to request a speaker, visit the websites or call:

800-856-7060

Email Ted V.

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Kit McCarty welcomes Stuart Matthews to tell the story of his musical career and why story-telling through music has the power to move us all.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

My kids give me a hard time for being known as the funeral singer. I just tell them, “People are dying to hear me.”

Music is always a wonderful outlet.

The destiny that we have as Christians is we can go through temporary afflictions knowing that on the other side there's joy unspeakable and glory. That's a wonderful thought to move us forward.

The beautiful thing about music, whether it's instrumental or vocal, is that it can touch the ears, touch the heart, and touch the mind. It can either help return us to a happier time, a happier memory, or it can give us hope for the future.

That's the beautiful part about sharing the gospel. You look at all the gifts God has given, the Word to be preached, the prayers to be prayed, and worship in song. Music is the only one we can do together. If everyone preached at the same time, it would be chaos; if everyone prayed out loud, even the Lord’s Prayer, you hope the ‘Amen’ ends with us all together. Singing is the only thing we can do together at the same time.

People may have lost the ability to remember family member’s names or past history, but a hymn that is a memory in their heart will bring them back to life, and they will sing right along with it, every word, with a smile on their face, and it recaptures the joy that may have escaped them.

If somebody looked at my playlist, they would think I have a mental illness! I love the Blues, country, good old rock and roll, symphony, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, AC/DC and DC Talk.

A good song is just story-telling with rhythm and notes. The songs that have lasted throughout our lifetimes are basically telling a story, putting our hearts into it, knowing that the song is going to touch the heart and mind, and creating a sensory experience. I just want to be a good story-teller.

REFERENCES

• Boomer Sooner

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Kit McCarty welcomes Angela Giessner, business leader and community builder, to talk about LifeLine for Families, an organization that is working to end homelessness in her city, and is changing lives one family at a time.

SHOW QUOTES

You can only help the ones that you can help. You can't carry the whole burden of the world on your shoulders.

It’s our job while we're here to help and serve.

The most important part is God and His direction in anything we do. I sure don't want to tell Him no!

We always want to be innovative and moving forward. What's going to help them best to get them on their feet? What’s going to help them on to their goals and get that happy family back together?

I just couldn't walk away from the problem. I couldn't walk away from the kids.

We couldn't ignore [homeless children]. Our city wouldn't be proud of itself if it didn’t do something about this.

People want to help. Everybody does their little part that they can do, and it just works out beautifully.

It gives me chills. What if LifeLine had not been there? What would those people have done?

REFERENCES

LifeLine for Families, Inc.

CONTACT INFO

LifeLine for Families, Inc.

https://lifelineforfamilies.org/

Angela Giessner 

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Kelley Walker, health coach and founder of Restoring Eden, tells how she and her family are facing the ongoing pandemic and healthcare crisis with physical and mental well-being, not fear. 

SHOW QUOTES

I try to stay in the lane of my strengths.

If we can’t be authentic and true, we can't be close friends.

Fifty is a magical number because you embrace who you are, and you're not going to negotiate any more who that person is.

Freedom correlates to boundaries. Boundaries make other people uncomfortable because they don't understand the beauty of that.

It’s not so bad discovering your strengths late. It’s what you do with the knowledge, and how you use it to help others.

The people I wanted to help were right in front of me.

It was very eye-opening to me that God gave us all these things in creation so that our bodies could function in the way he intended them to function.

There are a lot of plants that can support our bodies for optimal wellness. Medicine can do a lot of good, but if we will just go back to what God gave us, we would all see a change in our health.

Trust in the Lord. Do your part. Don’t live in fear.

You can have hope. There is a better way. You don’t need to fear.

REFERENCES

For information about essential oil products, sourcing, usage, reference materials, advocacy, events, and more visit: www.doterra.com

Source to You

Advanced Oil Magic (book)

Healing Hands Foundation

CONTACT INFO

Kelley Walker, Health Coach and Wellness Advocate

www.doterra.com/restoringeden

817-253-0049

Kit McCarty welcomes Daniel Kennedy, author of the Basic Bible Guide, to talk about his radical transformation through reading the Bible, and his passion and mission to help others learn to read and understand it too.

SHOW QUOTES

I had heard of the Bible, so I went and bought one. I just read the Bible, front to back, and I read the Bible every day for five years.

Within a short time of hanging around church people, I began to recognize that they didn’t read or know their Bible very much.

I knew what to do. I just needed to do it.

Everything I have ever gone through or learned in my life has brought me to this point: to help people understand God's love and plan for them, as revealed in the Bible.

I am so thankful God did not give up on me through all these years of sin and disobedience. But I didn't give up on pursuing God either, seeking to comprehend His love for me, loving Him back, loving others, and just doing the best I can.

basicbibleguide.org

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Kit McCarty Welcomes guest Trent Parker, small business owner, to talk about what it means to work in a generational family business, to grow with his community, to have big dreams and still be happy right where he is.

SHOW QUOTES

We’ve been successful thus far, so why would we change?

We’ve got it down to a science for sure. Our new location is very similar to our old one. We have our specific system--we have our way of doing things--and it's been working, so we want to do it the same way.

I've been here my whole life. I love it here. It’s where I want to be. It is part of who I am.

Running the business has opened my eyes to a lot and has made me grateful for my upbringing and all the hard work it takes. I’m really grateful for everything I’ve got.

We love to establish a work ethic with our employees. A lot of people haven't been in that kind of setting before, or some of them, even if they have, haven't had anyone hold them to that high a standard.

Anybody can come in and do anything halfway, or do anything good once or twice, but what's hard is doing something at an excellent level, consistently, over and over for a long time.

Some people have come to thank me for teaching them how to work, and how much that has helped them through the rest of their career. I love that. I love being able to be someone who helps people. It can be just a job, but it can be more than that.

We’re just a restaurant, but we’re not just a restaurant. We’re something that people can identify with, something that can help shape people, people can come together on, and enjoy together.

Working with anybody can be a little frustrating, especially working with family, but there’s nothing like working with family. You can rely on each other much more than you can rely on anyone else. You've always got someone there to fall back on, someone there to help you out. I’m really lucky to work with family.

Anything worth doing is going to be difficult. Work ethic, the details, the small things are what matters.

We're living the American Dream now, which is to start a business and pass it on to your kids. I am so fortunate to have that passed on to me. I hope to keep it going to pass it on to my kids too.

I love being part of something that is bigger than me.

There's something about being a young kid and competing that is very important.

We just want to give back to everybody who supported us. We want to make sure everyone knows how grateful we are.

Don Jauns Romantic Mexican Food 

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