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Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show December 21, 2013


LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show December 14, 2013

Special Guests

  • Eloise Dejoria — Former Playboy Playmate, Model, Actress, Philanthropist
    Eloise’s lifestyle has been featured on 20/20 with Barbara Walters, “E” Entertainment, and in many national and international publications. She is widely recognized as the spokes model for Paul Mitchell Hair care products in television and print ads. Texas native Eloise Dejoria made her film debut in Songwriter, starring Willie Nelson. Other feature credits include Weekend at Bernie’s, Grand Champion, Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Wall Street (Money Never Sleeps), and Wild Hearts.   Her latest picture, When Angels Sing, based on Turk Pipkin’s classic Christmas story, stars Texas greats Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Marcia Ball, Kris Kristofferson, and Harry Connick, Jr. (from next-door Louisiana). 
    *ANGELS SING tells the story of Michael Walker (Harry Connick, Jr.) who wished every day could be Christmas. That is until a tragic accident crushed his holiday spirit.  Thirty years later, Michael still can’t muster any joy for the holidays, despite encouragement from his playful wife (Connie Britton – Nashville, Friday Night Lights) and well-intentioned parents (Kris Kristofferson and Fionnula Flanagan). But when his young son (Chandler Canterbury) faces a tragedy, Michael needs to make amends with his past.  A mysterious man named Nick (Willie Nelson) gives Michael a gift and instills in him the courage to find the joy that he lost. 
    www.angelssingmovie.com

  • John Elefante — Former Frontman of Kansas
      Singer/songwriter and producer extraordinaire John Elefante began his musical career in 1981. After lead singer Steve Walsh left the rock group Kansas, Elefante auditioned for the spot and was chosen. In addition to landing the job, he saw all four of his demo tape songs make the band's next album. During his four years with the group, Elefante recorded two albums, Vinyl Confessions and Drastic Measures, and spent three years touring. In his years since Kansas, Elefante and his brother, Dino, have produced numerous albums. The brothers also co-owned the Nashville-based recording studio The Sound Kitchen which had become the largest recording studio in the Southeastern United States. Artists included Alabama, Amy Grant, Barry Manilow, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Carrie Underwood, Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton, Donna Summer, George Strait, Gretchen Wilson, Jewel, Jimmy Buffett, Julio Iglesias, Keith Urban, Kenny Rogers, LeAnn Rimes, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Michael W Smith, Peter Cetera, Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Third Day, Trisha Yearwood and Vince Gill. Along with wearing the hat of producer, John Elefante has written numerous songs and recorded 4 solo albums including Windows of Heaven, Corridors, Defying Gravity and his latest On My Way to The Sun. As an artist, his credits include writing and singing lead vocals on three multi-platinum albums; as producer, his albums have earned numerous Dove Awards, 4 Grammy Awards (most recently in 2000) and 10 Grammy nominations. As of 2009, Elefante has produced and/or performed on more than 100 major label albums.

  • Michael Sweet — Frontman For STRYPER Former Member of BOSTON
    For almost 30 years, Christian rock pioneer Michael Sweet has broken down walls and seen unprecedented success bringing his music to the masses. Best known as the singer, guitarist, and songwriter for Stryper, his role in that groundbreaking band only scratches the surface of this multi-talented artist. Michael, in addition to his very visible role in Stryper, is also a Nashville songwriter, producer, acclaimed solo artist, and in 2008 was even a member of the legendary band Boston. Stryper, under the leadership of Michael Sweet, has sold over 8 million records worldwide, received a Grammy nomination, charted countless times on the Billboard charts, and won a Dove Award. The future remains bright for a man who has endured heartbreaking tribulations throughout his life and career, including the 2009 passing of his wife of more than 22 years.
    *“No More Hell to Pay” is Stryper’s eighth original studio album and is on sale now!

  • Holly Burkhalter — Author Of Good God, Lousy World, & Me: The Improbable Journey of a Human Rights Activist from Unbelief to Faith
    For over thirty years, Holly Burkhalter has worked as an international rights advocate for victims of genocide, rape, and injustice. Throughout most of her career, the heartbreak she encountered around the world—and in her own life—had convinced her that there was no such thing as a loving God. How could there be? If God  was there, he should be charged as a war criminal for tolerating atrocities against the young, the poor, and the vulnerable. Then, Holly discovered a new truth: God was there—in the grief, in the violence, in the questions. And God was good. It was the greatest, hardest, most radiant surprise of her life. This is her story.
    *Holly Burkhalter is the Vice President of Government Relations & Advocacy of International Justice Mission. IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local governments to ensure victim rescue, to prosecute perpetrators and to strengthen the community and civic factors that promote functioning public justice systems. Prior to joining IJM, Ms. Burkhalter was the U.S. Policy Director of Physicians for Human Rights, a Boston-based human rights organization specializing in medical, scientific and forensic investigations of violations of internationally recognized human rights. Prior to joining Physicians for Human Rights, she was affiliated with Human Rights Watch as that organization's Advocacy Director and director of its Washington office. Before joining Human Rights Watch, Ms. Burkhalter staffed the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations and worked for Representative (now Senator) Tom Harkin, D-IA. Ms. Burkhalter was appointed by President Clinton and confirmed by the United States Senate to be a member of the board of the U.S. Institute for Peace, on which she served from 2001-2008.

LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

  • Sarah Hiltz
    Sarah Hiltz is emerging as a singularly talented Canadian songwriter with a voice all her own. Echoes of Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell and Feist ring out faintly through the structure of Sarah’s artistry in a modern blend of folk and jazz she’s been perfecting over the last 10+ years of performing. Living up to a long tradition of folk music, Sarah has been praised for her ability to tell a story through song. It is with this ability that she bridges the gap between folk and jazz, telling stories not just with her lyrics but also through wordless sound. Staying true to the improvisational spirit of jazz, Sarah works to make each live performance a unique and memorable experience for her audiences, delving ever deeper into that magic-something that makes live music matter. In 2010, her efforts were recognized when she was nominated for Best Folk Artist at the Toronto Independent Music Awards. And this year, the world is currently savouring her latest morsel of musical magic – Till The Sun Falls

God Blogger

  • Ann Voskamp
    Thousands of readers have already fallen in love with Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts, and this Christmas, Ann will help readers celebrate the lineage and the majesty of God’s greatest gift—Jesus Christ. In what is sure to become an instant holiday classic, Voskamp reaches back into the pages of the Old Testament to explore the lineage of Jesus via the advent tradition of “The Jesse Tree.” Beginning with Jesse, the father of David, The Greatest Gift retraces the epic pageantry of mankind, from Adam to the Messiah, with each day’s reading pointing to the coming promise of Christ. Sure to become a holiday staple in every Christian home, The Greatest Gift is the perfect gift for the holidays and a timeless reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Pub Crawl — This week on The Pub Crawl...
    “Drew & His Mates” crack open a few - topics! Current affairs, pop culture, even touchy-feely-relational stuff! Listen in OR call and join us, as we crawl from topic to topic! (Got a topic you want the gang from the pub to crack open? Click here)

    A “poor” friend asked for money the other day. Apparently, the Bible says that when someone asks you for something, you're supposed to give even more than what they asked for. The friend took the money and bought drugs. Later that night she died from an overdose. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night?
      Time Magazine has chosen the Pope as Person Of The Year. REALLY? They chose someone who has simply been doing his job? Doesn't this suggest that the Catholic church is in pretty rough shape if they're leader get's an award for... being like Christ? Or maybe it means that there just weren't any other candidates as qualified? (Malala Yousafzaic who was shot by the Taliban for going to school, must have been overlooked because surely you can't get a Nobel Peace Prize AND Person Of The Year! Can you?)

  • W.here's T.he F.aith?
    Join Drew and various religion reporters from an assortment of news outlets, as they catch up on happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults (Oh My!) Today's W.T.F. Guest: Manya Brachear Pashman – Religion Reporter for The Chicago Tribune

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show December 7, 2013

LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

  • Joel Auge — Recording Artist
    In addition to making music that’s been featured on Canadian National Network Television (CTV, CBC, Global), Lifetime Television, The Hallmark Channel and ABC, the creative contents of his head live largely in his work at HitGrab, Inc., an internet marketing company. Recording since 1999 & fronting three distinctive bands (Hewit, Eksit, Six Days) Joel Augé has always felt at home smack in the middle of the sacred/secular road. For him, it’s the same road. “The balance between artist and worshiper is a heart thing,” Joel says. “If you’re a Christian and you’re making art, you are in some way sacrificing your art in worship. My art, the thing I create, even though it’s not 100% congregational all the time, I consider it an act of worship… It’s a daily struggle to put our ego aside, but ultimately, I’m nowhere near as important as the one I’m singing to.” From World Youth Day (a Catholic gathering of over 700,000 youth), to mainstream stages across Canada to television audiences across North America, the UK, France and Australia, Joel writes and sings with one intention: “I want to be as real with God as I can possibly be,” Joel explains. “The impact He’s had on my life is undeniable. He has cured my heart. His constant tugging at me is proof that He loves me. He doesn’t call us his ‘bride’ for nothing. It’s because he loves us and he knows us… So I’m intentional about showing that God is who He says He is.”

Special Guests

  • Cheryl Boyce — Founder Of Freedom Culture
    Cheryl was a typical Pastor’s kid with tons of promise and potential. Unfortunately she mismanaged her potential and promise in her teens. Her turning point was the birth and loss of her first born son. After 5 months at The Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, trying to save his life from extreme heart defects he had been born with, he succumbed to the complications of multiple heart surgeries, and died in her arms. Cheryl, angry at God turned her back on her upbringing and began a journey of discovering who Jesus was and what he meant to her. Religion and clichés had never been enough and now they were completely unable to help her. Although discovering Jesus was a messy process, finding out that he was so much more forgiving, loving and understanding than she had ever imagined, was more than enough to save her from giving up.
    *“Freedom Culture is a lifestyle brand that is inspired by HOPE, Dedicated to FREEDOM, & Passionate about CULTURE. We dream up and create fashion pieces that not only look good, but do good. 10% of all sales are donated to organizations working to end sex trafficking. While we feel that it is incredibly important to support those who are doing the important work of rescue and rehabilitation of those being exploited in the sex trafficking industry, our mission is also to influence culture and be a part of ending the demand. We are more than a fashion line, we are a movement.”

  • Sherry Lynne — Survivor of Rape, Kidnapping, Prostitution & Religion... as told in Where Was God? by Dorene Meyer
    “Where Was God?” is a question Sherry Lynne has asked all of her life. In particular, she remembers as a 16-year-old huddling under an overpass and praying, “God, I don’t know where I’m going but I’m going to trust you to take care of me.” But God apparently doesn’t answer prayer because in the days to follow, she is raped (and kidnapped) by one man in Detroit and then brutally raped and dumped on the side of the road by two truckers. Sherry Lynne was adopted into an abusive home, and ran away from that home when she was eleven. To support herself, she became a prostitute on the streets of Toronto. Because she was underage, she was caught many times and put in various foster homes and juvenile detentions. At one point, searching for love, she went to a convent to become a nun but was turned away at the door. She hitched a ride with a trucker bound for Texas when she was sixteen and became an exotic dancer, lived in New Mexico and South Carolina for a while, finally moving up to Vancouver when she was about 25. By the time she moved to Alberta where she still lives, she’d had 4 children by 3 different men, and she’d lost all four of them (to be raised by other families). Her story takes a turn for the better (approximately 14 years ago) when she meets an older Mennonite couple who love her unconditionally even as she both pushes them away and invites them to be part of her life. Right now Sherry Lynne would describe herself as being “up close and personal with my Father” but everything is not perfect. Her children have come back into her life but things are not going well with the relationships. She still has a close relationship with this older Mennonite couple (she calls them mom and dad) but she feels like a round peg in a square hole in the church. The pastor, in a meeting with her alone, has harshly criticized her dreams of telling her story in order to encourage others. Today... Sherry will tell her story on our show

  • John Martin — Author of One Left Of L: How To Get Along Well With Others
    “This is a book about people, relationships and the opportunity to see and understand both in very different ways. Simple steps are provided to 'see' and 'act' brand new. New ways to listen and how to respond to those you encounter are provided. New ways to be a friend, partner, co-worker and parent are offered along with a new attitude that will have us living with inspiration, hope and happiness. Life changing examples show new ways to understand relationships, society, happiness and yourself. One Left of L urges us to redefine ourselves. Through kindness and commitment, you will be offered inner happiness, strength and possibilities never imagined. We are not spectators in our lives or in the daily routine or outcome of the world. Watch how quickly you can effect real change in your life and everywhere else. 'There can and will never be anything greater or more worthy than the opportunity to interact with another.” We think this is a perfect conversation to have before Christmas!

God Blogger

  • Franciscan Friar Daniel P. Horan
    Daniel P. Horan, OFM, is a Franciscan friar of Holy Name Province (New York), a columnist for America magazine, and the author of several books including, most recently, The Last Words of Jesus: A Meditation on Love and Suffering; Francis of Assisi and the Future of Faith: Exploring Franciscan Spirituality and Theology in the Modern World; and Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St. Francis. He is the author of dozens of scholarly and popular articles, and a frequent lecturer and retreat director around the United States and Europe. He has previously taught in the Department of Religious Studies at Siena College and in the Department of Theology at St. Bonaventure University. Fr. Dan is currently completing a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology at Boston College and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Thomas Merton Society.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Pub Crawl — This week on The Pub Crawl...
    “Drew & His Mates” crack open a few - topics! Current affairs, pop culture, even touchy-feely-relational stuff! Listen in OR call and join us, as we crawl from topic to topic! (Got a topic you want the gang from the pub to crack open? Click here)

    The world lost a great man. Nelson Mandela died at the age of 95 this week. Today we'll chat with a listener from South Africa and remember Mandiba! BTW... Who would you say are the top 3 world changers alive today?
      Also this week, a Toronto police officer died after his unmarked car crashed en route to an impaired driver call. On Monday, he will receive a full police honours funeral. Some feel that these types of funerals are too much, too over the top in general, and too much of an unnecessary expense in times when Police and government budgets are coming under more intense scrutiny. And in this case where the officer wasn't killed by an assailant and might have died as a result of driver error, should there be a “full honours” funeral?

  • W.here's T.he F.aith?
    Join Drew and various religion reporters from an assortment of news outlets, as they catch up on happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults (Oh My!) Today's W.T.F. Guest: Tiffany Stanley - Managing Editor, Religion & Politics

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show November 30, 2013

Special Guests

  • George Stroumboulopoulos — TV & Radio Guru!
    Since it's Drew's birthday... he wanted to talk to the guy in broadcasting he looks up to (sort of) the most - George “Strombo” - because after all some of Drew's best Atheists are friends! From MuchMusic & CFNY to CBC Radio & CNN... yadda yadda yadda. His meat and potatoes come from a little thing called “George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight,” which brings you a smart, sharp and intimate conversation with some of the world’s biggest stars and original thinkers. From icons and legends to new voices and emerging talent, George doesn’t just ask questions, he creates a space for every guest to tell stories and share experiences. Now in its 10th season, the show reaches millions of viewers on multiple platforms and has won four Gemini awards for best talk series in Canada and a Gracie for outstanding talk show.

LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

  • Alysha Brilla
    Since it's Drew's birthday... one of Drew's all time favourite musos has agreed to come back and do her thang! Alysha Brilla is a critically acclaimed Tanzanian-Canadian musician who is known for her unique roots-pop fusion musical style. In August 2013, Alysha completed her first full-length record called “In My Head” in which she wrote and produced all the songs and also collaborated with Mike Jones (Juno winning engineer) and had the album mastered by Tom Coyne (Grammy Winner who has worked with Amy Winehouse and Adele). True to Brilla’s musical style, In My Head, features an eclectic musical arrangement of drums, bass, guitar, keys, sax, trumpet, congas, and djembe. Her debut album is available now on iTunes and in select record stores across Canada. Her music has also been featured on television shows including: CTV's “Degrassi: The Next Generation” &  “Seed” and Showcase Network’s “King”. Alysha Brilla has played across Canada and the United States including shows opening for K-OS, The Montreal International Jazz Festival, The Mariposa Folk Festival, The L.A. Angel City Music Festival, The Kitchener Blues Festival
-Stratford Blues Festival, CBC Metro Morning Live, TEDxYouth Waterloo, The KW Multi-Cultural Festival, Dalhousie University, Residency at The Reservoir Lounge, Toronto, Residency at C’est What, and The Amsterdam Bicycle Club in Toronto.

Journey

  • Since it's Drew's birthday... He wanted to talk with people whose journeys really messed with his soul!

    The Stewart Family
    On November 10th last year, Drew did one of the most difficult interviews of his career. He spoke with two mothers whose families had been torn apart by Leukemia. One mother (Michelle Stewart) joined Drew by phone from Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. She had been there for weeks by the bedside of her 15-year old daughter, Emma Grace. The other (Linda Masson), along with her husband, joined Drew in studio and shared their heart-wrenching story of loosing their 12-year old daughter Mackenzie, just three weeks earlier. Emma Grace Stewart died on May 30th, six months ago. Today the Stewart family will join us in studio to share their journey through one of life's seemingly unnatural injustices - helplessly watching your own child/sister suffer beyond what any child should have to bare, and then having to bury them...

  • Marcella Cross
    Drew first interviewed Marcella in 2006. She was in her twenties and walked into the studio with little signs of the disease but an infectious spirit of boldness. Then in 2011, Marcella agreed to come back and give us an update on her battle with MS. This time though, she had to be pushed in a wheelchair by her sister. Her speech was more laboured and body more contorted. Today Marcella is trapped in her bed – trapped in her body. Her hope of God's healing has taken one beating after another. Her boldness exhausted with the frustration of a body betraying her. Yet Marcella remains a woman who desperately loves God, despite the fact that He hasn't healed her. Her prayers/poems have been recorded in a book entitled, ENDURED. The heart-cries of a young woman who loves God but has had to Endure a life inside a body slowly shutting down. Over the years, Drew & Marcella have kept in touch and she has agreed to make the painstaking trip back, with her sister, as a special birthday gift to Drew!

God Blogger

  • Jamie — The Very Worst Missionary
    Since it's Drew's birthday... he wanted today's God Blogger to be his favourite God Blogger (apologies to all the other God Bloggers) Jamie Wright has one of the most refreshing God Blogs for those who aren’t ultra-sensitive-conservative-fundamentalists. Inappropriate remarks, embarrassing antics, and generally lame observations about living life as a Christian missionary. 

    I'm Jamie Wright. I'm the Very Worst Missionary.... This is what I'm about:
    I'm about procrastinating. I'm not about administrating. I can't even handle my own inbox. It's embarrassing. I'm about loving my husband and sons. I wish I was way, WAY better about this. I'm about organic discipleship. The kind that happens naturally. Although, I usually just call it... ya know... friendship. I'm about strippers, and crack-whores, and spreading Jesus faster than herpes. I'm not about Klout. Or Alexa. Or Analytics. Or any of the other false measures that tempt us into thinking we're more significant than anyone else. (This is the internet, people. Easy come, easy go.) I'm about coffee. I'm about food. Sometimes I'm not healthy about food. I'm about changing the way we do missions. I'm about hair and makeup and clothes, and feeling pretty, and twirling in skirts, and being adorable, and wishing “he loves me” on a daisy, and asking “does this make my ass look huge?”, and hating my ankles, and all the other bullshit girls do and say in a misguided effort to know that they are loved. I'm not about leading. But I am about instigating. I'd rather we walk alongside each other in this life, than one in front of the other. But, if I see that you need a push, I'll get behind you... and I hope you'll do the same for me. I'm about words. All of them. Even the ones you don't like. I'm about people. I'm not about turning people into projects. If I'm spending time with you, it's because I like you. I'm so not about speaking Spanish. I wish I was about running. I'm not about home-making. Or home-schooling. Or? Home-wrecking. These things just aren't for me. I'm about second chances. I'm learning to be more about Jesus and less about me. It's way harder than it sounds!

Talkback, etc.

  • The Pub Crawl
    “Drew & His Mates” crack open a few - topics! Current affairs, pop culture, even touchy-feely-relational stuff! Listen in OR call and join us, as we crawl from topic to topic! (Got a topic you want the gang from the pub to crack open? Click here)

    This week on The Pub Crawl... Since it's Drew's birthday... his 24 year old son Josh will join him to discuss...
    • Why does it seem so horrifying to think about today's 20-somethings taking on the five milestones of adulthood: completing school, leaving home, becoming financially independent, marrying and having a child? Are today's young adults actually more stupid, lazy & selfish then previous generations, or were the last crop just as socially, vocationally & relationally retarded?
    • When should parents tell their children the truth about Santa Clause, The Easter Bunny & The Tooth Fairy? Should they just never start with the stories in the first place and reveal everything right from the start? And if they decide to continue telling their kids about these fascinating characters who secretly enter their homes and bedrooms in the middle of the night, what's the best way for their kids to find out about the lies? Friends? Internet? Radio shows??
    (They'll also surprise Drew's daughter Jessie, who shares the same birthday, and call her at work!)

  • Useless TV Trivia
    Since it's Drew's birthday... he wants to play his favourite game - USELESS TV TRIVIA! We play the soundtrack from an old television show and if you're the first caller to guess which TV show it's from - YOU WIN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show November 23, 2013

Special Guests

  • Vincent Bugliosi — Prosecuted Charles Manson, Author of
    - Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders
    - Reclaiming History: The Assassination Of President John F. Kennedy
    A few weeks ago, Mr. Bugliosi joined us to discuss his infamous book, Helter Skelter. Today, as the world re-imagines the tragic events of 50 years ago, Mr. Bugliosi has agreed to join us once again to discuss his book entitled, Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It was a New York Times bestseller and has been heralded as "epic" and "a book for the ages." At 1:00 p.m. on November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead, the victim of a sniper attack during his motorcade through Dallas. That may be the only fact generally agreed upon in the vast literature spawned by the assassination. National polls reveal that an overwhelming majority of Americans (75%) believe that there was a high-level conspiracy behind Lee Harvey Oswald. Many even believe that Oswald was entirely innocent. In this continuously absorbing, powerful, ground-breaking book, Vincent Bugliosi shows how we have come to believe such lies about an event that changed the course of history. There have been hundreds of books about the assassination, but there has never been a book that covers the entire case, including addressing every piece of evidence and each and every conspiracy theory, and the facts, or alleged facts, on which they are based. In this monumental work, the author has raised scholarship on the assassination to a new and final level, one that far surpasses all other books on the subject. It adds resonance, depth, and closure to the admirable work of the Warren Commission. Reclaiming History is a narrative compendium of fact, forensic evidence, reexamination of key witnesses, and common sense. Every detail and nuance is accounted for, every conspiracy theory revealed as a fraud on the American public. Bugliosi's irresistible logic, command of the evidence, and ability to draw startling inferences shed fresh light on this American nightmare.

  • Paul Landis — Retired Secret Service Agent Assigned To JFK's Detail
    Paul Landis was assigned to President John F. Kennedy's detail and was only a few metres away from the President on Nov 22, 1963. "I heard the gunshot," said Mr. Landis. "It came over my right shoulder." Movies of that day show Mr. Landis and several other secret service agents trailing the limousine as each man watched for any unusual movement in the crowds of people who had lined Dallas streets to get a view of JFK. Landis said when he heard the first shot, his eyes turned toward where he thought the shot had originated. Still searching the crowd, there came another shot in quick succession. "And when my eyes came back to the president again, there was a third shot and that was the one that hit him in the head," Mr. Landis recalls.

    *During Drew's conversation with Mr. Landis, (who has rarely given interviews over the last 50 years) Ron Pontius, a fellow Secret Service officer involved with the Kennedy detail that day, called in and completely surprised Paul. We learned afterwards that when this surprise reunion was over, the two spoke with each other on the phone for 90 minutes!

  • Michael Coren — TV Host, Radio Personality, Syndicated Columnist, Author of The Future Of Catholicism
    Michael's TV show The Arena airs on Sun News Network every weeknight. He's also a weekly columnist, published every Saturday, with the Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg Sun newspapers and in more than a dozen other newspapers across Canada. He is also a columnist for the Catholic Register, Catholic Insight, Catholic World Report, The Landowner and The Interim, and appears on Newstalk 1010 radio every week. He is the best-selling author of fourteen books, including biographies of G.K. Chesterton, H.G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. His last two books are Why Catholics Are Right and Heresy. In The Future of Catholicism, Michael explores the pressing questions facing the Catholic Church today--where it is, where it needs to go, and why it is more relevant than ever. The Church is at a crossroads, but perhaps more significantly and accurately, the Western world is at a crossroads, and how the Church reacts to and deals with this phenomenon will decide and define so very much of the future -- of our future.

  • Kent Austin — Head Coach, General Manager and Vice President of Football Operations Of The Hamilton Tiger Cats
    The CFL's Eastern Division Champions (Hamilton Tiger Cats) will be playing the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 101st Grey Cup, this Sunday November 24th at 6:00 PM ET. Leading the charge for the Tabbies is Head Coach Kent Austin, who has previously captured Grey Cup championships as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He joined the Ticats after five years in the NCAA, the latter three as Head Coach at Cornell University. Prior to his tenure with the Big Red, Austin spent two seasons as Offensive Coordinator at Ole Miss. His first stint as a Head Coach came in 2007 when he was named the CFL’s Coach of the Year after leading the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a 12-6 record and the franchise’s first Grey Cup championship in 18 years. As a player, he enjoyed a successful 11-year pro career at quarterback that began with the St. Louis Cardinals after they selected him in the 12th round of the 1986 NFL Draft. Following one year with the Cardinals, Austin headed north where he would put together a 10-year CFL tenure with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (1987-93), BC Lions (1994), Toronto Argonauts (1995) and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1996).

LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

  • AMBRE MCLEAN (& Friends)
    Ambre McLean is an undiscovered gem in a sea of music mediocrity. Her lyrics are dripped with tales of love, loss and struggle. Ambre sings the kind of songs that make you remember lost loves and abandoned dreams. A regular on the Canadian music festival circuit, Ambre has played Halifax's In The Dead Of Winter Festival, Guelph's Hillside Festival, Tilsonburg Festival, The Marmora Jamboree as well as the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. She won the prestigious 2010 Ontario Council of Folk Festival’s "Songs From The Heart Award" for her song “Me, My Heart And The Moon”. She's also won Guelph’s inaugural Songwriting Competition in 2009, and is a two time "ECHO People’s Choice" for Best Female Singer/Songwriter. AND... was just recently a national finalist in CBC’s Searchlight: The Hunt For Canada’s Best New Artist.
    www.ambremclean.com

    CRASH BAMBOO
    Some things just make sense. Crash Bamboo may not be as traditional a pairing, but listening to Ambre McLean and Preetam Sengupta together can feel like you're wearing a sweater – a cozy, sit by the fire with a hot beverage kind of sweater...with some outlandish design on it because that's just fun. Minimal instruments, meaningful lyrics, sweet harmonies, and a comfort in playful stage banter have these two poised for a quietly significant debut.
    www.crashbamboo.com

    ASH & BLOOM
    At once naturally funny and deeply serious, Ash & Bloom deliver an honest brand of folky pop music in tight unisons and harmonies. Coming from an extended period of development-in-hiding, this emerging duo is launching out with stirring songs and a show to match. Since their meeting in a university choir almost a decade ago, music making has been tied to collaboration. Believing the best music comes from the synergy of bringing voices together, Ash & Bloom (James Bloemendal and Matt McKenna) have crafted a sound that requires two people playing, thinking and breathing together.

God Blogger

  • Pam Hogeweide
    “I started blog­ging and writ­ing in 2004. For most of these years I have writ­ten about issues of faith and pro­gres­sive Chris­t­ian spir­i­tu­al­ity.  I have been pub­lished numer­ous times in both dig­i­tal and print pub­li­ca­tions. My first book came out in 2012. Unla­dy­like: Resist­ing the Injus­tice of Inequal­ity in the Church is a non­fic­tion work that chal­lenges con­tem­po­rary fol­low­ers of Christ to dis­en­gage from the ram­pant sex­ism that is accepted as nor­mal in churches across Amer­ica.”

Talkback, etc.

  • The Pub Crawl — This week on The Pub Crawl:
    “Drew & His Mates” crack open a few - topics! Current affairs, pop culture, even touchy-feely-relational stuff! Listen in OR call and join us, as we crawl from topic to topic! (Got a topic you want the gang from the pub to crack open? Click here)

    It was 50 years ago that President Kennedy was gunned down. It was almost a year ago when innocent children were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Last week a youth pastor was shot and killed only hours after attending a prayer rally against gun violence in California. So is it a surprise that televangelist Benny Hinn's body guards carry guns? Should “spiritual leaders” be so concerned about their own safety, or should they just “trust God”?

    This weekend there will be many Canadian pro football players asking God's help during the 101st Grey Cup. Last week, dozens of tornadoes tore through parts of the States destroying hundreds of homes and killing many. Certainly many of those affected prayed for safety. And just days ago, we remembered those who fought for our freedom. Most definitely during each and every armed combat or world war, soldiers on both sides looked to the Heavens for protection and victory. So is there such a thing as a “stupid” prayer? Surely God doesn't care who wins a football game, but should He be thanked for the Allied forces beating the Nazis?

  • W.here's T.he F.aith?
    Join Drew and various religion reporters from an assortment of news outlets, as they catch up on happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults (Oh My!) Today's WTF Guest: Peter Smith - Religion Editor for The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show November 16, 2013

Special Guests

  • Lisa Whelchel — “Blair” from Facts Of Life, Survivor Philippines Finalist, Mouseketeer, Author
    At age 13, Lisa Whelchel's first professional acting experience was as a Mouseketeer for Walt Disney’s “The New Mickey Mouse Club". But of course Lisa is perhaps best known for her starring role as Blair Warner on NBC’s “The Facts of Life” for nine years. Her first book, “Creative Correction” sold over 200,000 copies, but then she went on to write over a dozen more books including, “The Facts of Life and Other Lessons My Father Taught Me,” “The ADVENTure of Christmas,” “The Busy Mom’s Guide” Series, and her most recent, “Friendship For Grownups.” With a goal to refresh and equip other mothers, she is the founder of MomTime Ministries and “Personal Mom Coaching”. Ms. Whelchel is also an international speaker and has toured with “Women of Faith,” “Extraordinary Women” and “Women of Joy.” Lisa’s latest adventure was participating on Season 25 of CBS’s “Survivor: Philippines”. She tied for second place and won the Sprint “Player of the Season” as awarded by the fans of the show.
    www.lisawhelchel.com

  • Gavin MacLeod — Captain Merrill Stubing - The Love Boat Murray Slaughter - The Mary Tyler Moore Show Joseph 'Happy' Haines - McHale's Navy
    Gavin MacLeod's career spans almost six decades in TV, Film, and Broadway. He's also been an Ambassador for Princess Cruises since 1986 and The "Captain" continues to travel throughout the world making appearances. The consummate storyteller, Gavin has worked with countless stars, such as Cary Grant, Steve McQueen, Gregory Peck, Bette Davis, Frank Sinatra, Ethel Merman, Ella Fitzgerald, Ronald Reagan, Milton Berle and Fred Astaire. From his humble theatrical beginnings in upstate New York, to Radio City Music Hall and on to Hollywood, Gavin MacLeod was on the fast track to success. Through hard life lessons like dealing with divorce, Gavin has learned that the key to happiness is only through deep faith in God and he feels his work for Christ is more important than any award. Three years later his remarriage proved that a great struggle can culminate in a happy ending. He continues to act on and off the screen.  His most recent movie, The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, is a heart-warming tale that leads three young boys to understanding what "loving thy neighbor" is all about. Gavin has just released his biography entitled, This Is Your Captain Speaking: My Fantastic Voyage Through Hollywood, Faith & Life!

  • John Fugelsang — Comedian, Actor, TV Personality
    Top Ten Facts About John Fugelsang
    1. He interviewed Paul McCartney in London, and George Harrison in New York – in the same week.   He also once handed Ringo a glass of water.
    2. He appeared on “Politically Incorrect” more than 20 times and Bill Maher called him ‘one of my favorite comedians’.
    3. He plays two roles in the upcoming romantic comedy ‘The Whole Truth’ starring Elisabeth Rohm and Eric Roberts, and just wrapped the independent feature ‘Price Check’ opposite Parker Posey.
    4. His mother is an ex-Nun and his father was a Franciscan Brother. He admires Jesus as any guy would admire mom’s first husband.
    5.  Currently on tour with ‘The Stephanie Miller Sexy Liberal Show’ along with Hal Sparks, and appearing this summer Off-Broadway with ‘Laughing Liberally.’
    6. He’s been featured on CNN, Fox News, Dennis Miller, Air America, CNBC, and been published on The Huffington Post and Daily Kos. Oh, he also co-hosted “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”
    7. “CSI” – Dead Drug Mule. “Becker” – Psycopath. “Providence” – Sleazy Lawyer. “Coyote Ugly” – Crooked Club Owner. “Somewhere in the City“ - Sex scene with Sandra Bernhard.
    8. British GQ & the New York Post call him “Hilarious;” The New Yorker says, “He has the soul of an iconoclast;” and former Klansman David Duke says, “This man hates himself.”
    9. He’s appeared at Montreal’s ‘Just for Laughs’ Festival, HBO’s U.S Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, The Las Vegas Comedy Festival, and he closed last year’s South Beach Comedy Festival in Miami. Booed in Tampa in 2002 for doing Bush material.
    10. He is Irish, Danish and German; which means he gets drunk, hides the Jews, and looks for them.
    www.johnfugelsang.com

  • Kerri Pomarolli — Comedian, Actress, Author
    That's right folks - It's time for our monthly visit with our favorite Hollywood Correspondent!

  • Dave Toycen — President & CEO of World Vision Canada
    Dave joins us to give an update on the aftermath of Typhoon Hayian and how the people of the Philippines are coping with the devastation of the worst storm on record!

LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

  • Jessica Blake
    Jessica Blake is a breath of fresh air - an exceptional singer-songwriter who willingly opens her heart and bares her soul. Jessica’s captivating lyrics tell tales of truth and beauty, travel and discovery, and her spiritual journey to find love and a closer connection with God. Her songwriting style proves to evoke thought and discussion while providing edifying content in an innocent yet forthright way. Jessica has performed at all the key Toronto music venues; the Horseshoe, Rivoli, the El Mocambo, Gladstone and Drake hotels, Free Times Café, Supermarket, and the Lula Lounge. She was a featured artist at the Roy Thomson Hall’s Brewer’s Plate Festival, the Roncy Rocks outdoor music festival, C’est What, and at Toronto’s prestigious TIFF Lightbox venue.

God Blogger

  • “Marwa” — Between A Veil & A Dark Place
    “My name for the purposes of this blog is Marwa, and I am here to write about Arab, Muslim-ish, and Muslimish (mish, Arabic for ‘not’) issues. I am an ex-Muslim, an apostate, an atheist, an escapee from the Middle East, a victim of both religious-based violence at the hands of my own family and the crushing Western war machine in my homeland. I am a mostly-liberal seeking to oppose the confused and misinformed right-wing phobias that negatively affect my people. I am a mostly-liberal seeking to oppose the liberal dogma that resists enabling useful critique of foreign cultures and societies for fear of being assuming, paternalistic, and hurtful. I want to promote the idea that informed critique leads to reform and leads to solutions. I want to write in memory, poem-bursts, in story. I want to engage in argumentation, robust and clear and critical. Sometimes I will speak from emotion, a depth of confusion and pain, a clarity of intimacy and love, without aspiring to an argumentative form. Sometimes I will try to find usefulness in rigor. There is no set formula. But whatever my rhetoric, I want to highlight the human avenues of being one type of Middle Eastern woman with appreciation and sensitivity. I want to claim my culture and my country and I want to critique the ideologies and belief-systems therefrom. I want to be corrected, challenged, acknowledged, talked to. But mostly I’m hoping that this will somehow be educational, beneficial, and always with the betterment of the people in the region at heart.”

Talkback, etc.

  • The Pub Crawl — This week on The Pub Crawl:
    “Drew & His Mates” crack open a few - topics! Current affairs, pop culture, even touchy-feely-relational stuff! Listen in OR call and join us, as we crawl from topic to topic! (Got a topic you want the gang from the pub to crack open? Click here)

    A 1969 painting by Francis Bacon set a world record for most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. It sold for $142 Million! Investment or insanity?
      Project Spade has led to the largest, most extensive commercial child pornography ring ever uncovered in Canada. As of now there have been 348 global arrests. Within Canada alone, 40 school teachers, 9 doctors and nurses, 32 people who volunteer with children, 6 law enforcement personnel, 3 foster parents and 9 pastors and priests. NINE PASTORS AND PRIESTS??? Is that a surprise or not anymore?

  • W.here's T.he F.aith?
    Join Drew and various religion reporters from an assortment of news outlets, as they catch up on happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults (Oh My!) Today's WTF Guest: Paul Brandeis Raushenbush - Senior Religion Editor for The AOL/Huffington Post Media Group  

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show November 9, 2013

Special Guests

  • Blind Boys Of Alabama — Grammy Winning Recording Artists
    Sony Masterworks announces the release of the Blind Boys of Alabama’s new album, I’ll Find a Way, produced by Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver). A unique collaboration between one of popular music’s longest-running acts and one of its fastest-rising stars, it is a powerful collection of gospel and spiritual songs new and old, featuring some of the Blind Boys’ most fervent vocals as well as contributions by a new generation of Blind Boys fans - Sam Amidon, Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond, Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs, Casey Dienel of White Hinterland, Patty Griffin, and Justin Vernon himself.  I’ll Find a Way represents a strong new chapter for the Blind Boys of Alabama, whose career stretches back more than seventy years. Formed in the late 1930s at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in Talladega, the group has harmonized throughout the turbulent twentieth century and well into the twenty-first: from Jim Crow through Civil Rights and into the Obama era. They have, however, enjoyed some of their biggest and most rousing successes in the last ten years, during which they’ve won five Grammys, four Gospel Music Awards, and multiple invitations to sing at the White House.  “It’s not just singing,” explains the group's oldest member, 82-year-old Jimmy Carter. “We’re bringing the message to the people, and that message is the good news of God. We sing from the heart, and what comes from the heart reaches the heart. If you have any feeling in you, you will feel the Blind Boys.”

  • Leland Klassen — Stand-Up Comic
    Raised on a farm in the heart of Canada, Leland quickly learned that shoveling manure and weeding potatoes, although lucrative, wasn’t his passion in life.  So with absolutely no clear direction or vision for his future he did what everyone does when they find themselves in that position - he went to University.  He wisely chose his classes based on whichever cute girl happened to catch his attention and after several short years of last minute cramming and late assignments Leland graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a degree in Anthropology. As you might have guessed, Leland’s university education opened many doors for him in the years to come, but for some reason he was dissatisfied working for a courier as a night shift stock boy.  By this time married and with his first child soon on the way the most responsible and obvious choice was, of course, to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Using his farm boy charm and handsome (although somewhat inbred) Mennonite good looks, Leland’s clever observations and rich life experiences are brought to life in a one of a kind show.

  • Marie Monville — Author Of One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting.
    In October of 2006, a lone gunman entered an Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania, shot ten schoolgirls, and then turned the gun on himself. It was an unimaginable tragedy that gripped the entire nation—but one story from that horrific day has yet to be told. Now Marie Roberts Monville, the wife of the man who created such horror, tells her story for the very first time. Unbelievably, hers is not simply a story of sorrow and destruction, but also one of majestic deliverance, unending compassion and breathtaking forgiveness. Within one solitary moment, Marie Monville realized that life, as she knew it, was over. One Light Still Shines reveals Marie's journey to reveal a light which shines through these pages into the darkest questions we all face-- questions about our past, our value, our identity, and own powerlessness. Come face to face with the power behind every answer—a love that begs to be received.

LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

  • ROAM
    ROAM is a spirited contemporary acoustic roots unit exploring the crossroads between song, culture and philosophy. Weaving haunting melodies through solid songwriting, ROAM takes listeners on a journey through territories without borders. Their recently released sophomore album, ‘Lumina’, features 11 originals and 1 cover song (Hymn To Her, The Pretenders) masterfully captured and crafted by Juno award-winning engineer/producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda (Barenaked Ladies, Great Big Sea, Jane Siberry). Michael describes ROAM’s sound as “sumputuous” with rich alto lead vocals, juicy tabla, deep shimmering duduk, passionate cello and radiant acoustic guitar. Everything starts with key composer Lisa Patterson, adding significant spin as the songs materialize around supporting collaborators, Anita Katakkar (tabla, percussion), Alex McMaster (cello, voice), and Justin Abedin (guitar, voice) while Patterson sings lead and adds accordion and duduk (a distinctive-sounding, double-reeded woodwind instrument traditional to Armenia). Enticing vocals transform mere words into something far more mystical and intriguing. Lyrics are king and each instrument is employed based on the textures they provide to a composition and to the direction of each song.

God Blogger

  • Micha Boyett
    “I am Micha Boyett: Texan in sweetness (born and raised), Northeastern in skepticism (my twenties), and San Franciscan in passion (snobbery?) for all things food and drink (where I live now). I am Southern Baptist nurtured, Presby-Anglican in theological practice, and in love with Roman Catholic monastic and contemplative prayer. I believe in feminism. I believe it’s a woman’s joy to work and pursue her own gifts. I believe in husbands who come home from work and roast a chicken with lemons and salt and pepper, just as God intended chicken to be roasted. I believe a woman can stay home with her children without feeling like a failure of the Women’s Movement. I believe in prayer, compassion, relationships and evangelism—in that order. And, honestly, I believe St. Benedict and his Rule are teaching me how to live my motherhood and wifery and contemplative life in joy.”

Talkback, etc.

  • The Pub Crawl
    “Drew & His Mates” crack open a few - topics! Current affairs, pop culture, even touchy-feely-relational stuff! Listen in OR call and join us, as we crawl from topic to topic! (Got a topic you want the gang from the pub to crack open? Click here)

    This week on The Pub Crawl: Billy Graham's 95th birthday (and possibly his last sermon) took place this week. Dr. Graham said that we desperately need a spiritual awakening. Any idea what that might look like? Is there such a thing as “the new Billy Graham” or is it impossible to give a protestant Christian of our day that type of honour?  How about Rob Bell (who was just on Oprah) or Rick Warren or Joel Osteen? If Mayor Rob Ford was your family member or friend, what advice would you give him?

  • W.here's T.he F.aith?
    Join Drew and various religion reporters from an assortment of news outlets, as they catch up on happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults (Oh My!) Today's WTF Guest: Kay Campbell - Religion Reporter For The Alabama Media Group

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show November 2, 2013

Special Guests

  • Penn Jillette — Probably THE Most Famous Celebrity Atheist
    Wikipedia says: “Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American illusionist, comedian, musician, actor, and best-selling author known for his work with fellow magician Teller in the team Penn & Teller. He is also known for his advocacy of atheism, scientific skepticism, libertarianism and free-market capitalism.” Let's find out what Penn has to say about Penn Jillette.

  • “BISHOP” — Author of Both Sides of the Fence: The Inside Truth about Organized Crime
    Both Sides of the Fence is the true story of a man known only as Bishop, who lived a double life as a deep undercover agent in an outlaw motorcycle gang. Rising to a chapter boss in less than a year, Bishop initially went undercover to ferret out bad cops. Instead, he discovered a highly structured criminal organization whose members engage in violent crime, weapons trafficking, international drug trafficking and widespread prostitution. This real-life Sons of Anarchy story will take you on the emotional roller-coaster ride of a family man and devoted husband who covertly worked to bring down some of his "brothers". Refusing to enter a federal protection program, Bishop now spends his days risking his own life to help educate audiences and expose the connection between gangs and human trafficking in the United States. He lives anonymously, moves frequently, and wears a trademark custom white mask when telling his story to further conceal his identity – even to those that he works with.

    *Human trafficking has become an epidemic in the United States and traffickers are targeting our children and family members in our neighborhoods, schools, malls and public events. According to the gang threat assessment from the Department of Justice, there are over one million members in 20,000 gangs operating in the 50 United States. 80% of all violent crime is gang related, with gangs playing a major role in the supply of trafficked victims. The sale of a victim is more profitable then guns or drugs due to the fact that people can be sold over and over and drugs and guns are a one-time exchange. Less than one percent of victims are ever identified, and 83% of those are U.S. citizens. 

    Today, Bishop is on a mission to educate, prevent and intervene, using his expertise to educate people on how to see the warning signs and protect your loved ones. Bishop and his partners provide a gang curriculum for parents, high-risk youth, teachers and church groups, teaching life skills and gang, violence and drug prevention. He also aids in human trafficking rescue efforts worldwide.

  • Greg Boyd — Theologian, Former Atheist, Author of Benefit of The Doubt: Breaking The Idol Of Certainty
    In his new book Benefit of the Doubt, influential theologian, pastor and bestselling author Gregory A. Boyd invites readers to embrace a faith that doesn't strive for certainty, but rather for commitment in the midst of uncertainty. Boyd rejects the idea that a person's faith is as strong as it is certain. He makes the case that certainty-seeking faith that only extends to what a person believes is not biblical and can be harmful to many in today’s church. Instead, he presents a covenantal faith that is demonstrated in how a person lives. Greg is a graduate of Yale Divinity School and Princeton Theological Seminary. He was professor of theology for 16 years at Bethel University then founded Woodland Hills Church.

  • Sultans of String
    JUNO Award nominees, ISC & 2x CFMA winners, Sultans of String have just released their high octane roots-world-symphonic mash-up, simply and perfectly titled, Symphony! Known for dizzying roots music jams, poly-rhythms and revved up riffs, the Sultans of String sound can't be pinned down -- it's Sable Island meets the Silk Road, with detours through the Gypsy-Jazz coffeehouses of Eastern Europe, next an East Coast Kitchen Party, then over to the majestic Arctic and bustling markets of Lebanon. Fiery violin dances with rumba-flamenca guitar while funky bass lays down unstoppable grooves. Throughout, acoustic mastery meets with a symphony of sound, deepened by world rhythms that inspire whole audiences to get up and dance.
 This fiercely talented and hardworking indie act has been on a meteoric rise, with an astonishing number of awards and accolades in tow. Invitations to play world stages and with such legendary artists as The Chieftains and David Bromberg are recent highlights. The Chieftains’ very own Paddy Moloney also appears on Symphony!

God Blogger

  • Brandan Robertson
    Brandan is a religion blogger, activist and founder of The Revangelical Movement as well as the director of The Millennial Declaration On Evangelical Christianity. “REVANGELICAL seeks to provide an alternative evangelical ethos through rethinking our positions, reforming our practice, and renewing our commitment to the good news of Jesus for the increase of the kingdom of God and the good of the world.”

Talkback, etc.

  • The Pub Crawl
    “Drew & His Mates” crack open a few - topics! Current affairs, pop culture, even touchy-feely-relational stuff! Listen in OR call and join us, as we crawl from topic to topic! (Got a topic you want the gang from the pub to crack open? Click here)

    This week on The Pub Crawl: NOW it's news! Toronto Police Chief confirms they've found THE Rob Ford video. However, it's still not clear what the Mayor is doing in this video. There's still some CRACKs in the case. Was Mayor Ford simply videoed WITH people doing crack? (maybe he “passed de dutchie by de left hand side”) Apparently he's been extorted because of this video, but did he partake & does it really matter? At this point, if the election were held tomorrow, would you vote for him? Should Mayor Ford step down or stay the course? This week here in the GTA, an elderly couple jumped from their 18th floor apartment choosing to end their lives together. Beautiful or tragic?

  • W.here's T.he F.aith?
    Join Drew and various religion reporters from an assortment of news outlets, as they catch up on happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults (Oh My!) Today's WTF Guest: Abe Levy - Religion Reporter for the San Antonio Express-News

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show October 26, 2013

Special Guests

  • Vincent Bugliosi — Prosecuted Charles Manson, Author of Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders
    Vincent Bugliosi received his law degree in 1964. In his career at the L.A. County District Attorney's office, he successfully prosecuted 105 out of 106 felony jury trials, including 21 murder convictions without a single loss. His most famous trial, the Charles Manson case, became the basis of his classic, Helter Skelter , the biggest selling true-crime book in publishing history. Two of Bugliosi's other books -- And the Sea Will Tell and Outrage -- also reached #1 on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list. No other American true-crime writer has ever had more than one book that achieved this ranking. Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy was a New York Times bestseller and has been heralded as "epic" and "a book for the ages". HBO, in association with Tom Hanks' PlayTone Productions, will be producing this as an eight-hour miniseries in 2013, the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. Mr. Bugliosi also wrote Divinity of Doubt: The God Question, but today we'll only have time to talk about Manson & JFK.

  • Gary Chapman — Grammy Nominated Recording Artist
    Award-winning singer-songwriter Gary Chapman returns with THE TRUTH, due on November 5th. The long-anticipated collection of songs is the first studio album from Chapman in over a decade! THE TRUTH features sixteen new studio recordings, with special vocal appearances from some of Chapman’s friends and family. (Allison Krauss, John Rich, Tanya Tucker, Rebecca Lynn Howard.) For well over three decades, Gary has seamlessly blurred the lines of contemporary Christian pop, country and southern gospel, racking up an impressive list of Dove Awards, Grammy nominations and writing credits for legendary artists such as Kenny Rogers, Alabama and Wynonna. Chapman is also widely remembered as the host of TNN’s popular “Prime Time Country” television series and the “Sam’s Place” concert series and radio program.

  • Paul Henderson — Canadian Icon/ NHL Alumni / Hall of Fame Inductee / Team Canada '72 Hero
    Paul played over 1,000 games in his professional career with the NHL and WHA, during which he scored 376 goals. But it was his goal for Team Canada versus the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series that made him a national hero. Since retiring from hockey, Paul has invested his life mentoring and teaching countless men and women. His latest book, The Goal of My Life: A Memoir, was released in 2012, and he and his wife, Eleanor, have recently recorded a 12-week DVD series entitled Talking Faith with Paul Henderson. Today we'll catch up with Paul about his ongoing battle with Cancer, his ongoing love affair with his wife, and find out some of his secrets to a healthy marriage. *Paul & his wife Eleanor will be speaking at the Family Life Weekend Getaway at the Blue Mountain Resort - Friday, November 1 - Sunday, November 3.
    Click Here For More Information

  • Chuck Ealey — All Star, MVP & Grey Cup Winning CFL Quarterback
    After completing an undefeated record in High School in Portsmouth Ohio, Chuck received a Football scholarship to University of Toledo. While getting his degree in Business Economics, Chuck, as Quarterback, led his UT Rockets to a record breaking 35—0 college record. He was 8th in the 1971 Heismann Trophy standings. Despite this record, Chuck was passed over by the NFL draft as Quarterback. Although offered other positions, Chuck remained committed to becoming a Professional Quarterback and chose to go to the CFL where the only thing that mattered was his ability - not his race! In 1972 he led the Hamilton Tigercats to a Grey Cup Championship, winning MVP as Quarterback. He also played for the Toronto Argonauts and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and played in the CFL for 7 years. Following his athletic career, Chuck has become a successful and well respected manager within the financial services industry. Currently he is the Regional Director of Investors Group Financial Services in Mississauga Central. *Chuck will talk to us today about philanthropy! More specifically, how to create a charitable giving program which allows your loved ones to contribute to a charity of your choice long after you pass away – a great way to make a lasting impact on your church or favourite charity.

  • Ken Whiteley — Canadian Roots Legend
    Ken kicks off his 11th annual Sunday Gospel Matinee concert series at Hugh's Room this Sunday, October 27th. (Think... Soggy Bottom Boys meets Blind Boys Of Alabama.) Back by popular demand are Grammy & Juno Award winning vocalist Sharon Riley (Faith Chorale), David Wall (The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Group, Bourbon Tabernacle Choir) and holding down the bottom end will be the incomparable bassist Dennis Pendrith (Murray McLaughlin, The Bebop Cowboys, Stuart McLean's Vinyl Cafe Band).  Making their debut appearance on the series are The Laws, an award winning grassy folk duo from Wheatley, Ontario.
    www.kenwhiteley.com

God Blogger

  • Brant Hansen
    Brant's post entitled Mr. Spock Goes To Church: How one christian copes with Asperger's Syndrome was recently featured on CNN's Belief Blog and has received quite the response! “I'm a pretty simple guy. I'm a nerd who loves God. I'm also a husband and dad, and a guy with many exciting passions. Toast. And stamps. And Monty Python. And libraries. And croutons, too. But those are probably in the toast family, if you think about it. I am the former president of the Illinois State Student Librarians Association, and I'm proud of it. I play guitar, write songs, surf ('poorly'), can do a spot-on Bono imitation, and love reading C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, and Timothy Keller.”

Talkback, etc.

  • The Pub Crawl
    “Drew & His Mates” crack open a few - topics! Current affairs, pop culture, even touchy-feely-relational stuff! Listen in OR call and join us, as we crawl from topic to topic! (Got a topic you want the gang from the pub to crack open? Click here)

    This week on The Pub Crawl: Mega-Church Pastors GONE WILD! In this corner, Bully # 1 – Pastor Mark Driscoll! And in this corner, Bully # 2 – Pastor John MacArthur! It was only a matter of time before these two guys got up in each other's grill. It finally happened so LLLLLLET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!! Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church is having a 16,000 square foot house with 7.5 bathrooms built for himself, worth almost $1.4 million. Anyone have a problem with this?

  • W.here's T.he F.aith?
    Join Drew and various religion reporters from an assortment of news outlets, as they catch up on happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults (Oh My!) Today's WTF Guest: Eric Marrapodi - CNN Sr. Producer & CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show October 19, 2013

Guest Host - David Peck

David has made a name for himself in the social justice and international development fields as a professional public speaker, university and college lecturer, and social entrepreneur. In 2008, Peck founded SoChange, a groundbreaking organization that works alongside members of the not for profit and non-governmental community in areas such as fundraising, advocacy, and capacity building. SoChange continues to raise awareness and promote positive, sustainable change through worldwide partnerships. www.davidpecklive.com

Special Guests

  • Brian McLaren — Theologian, Activist, Author... 'Mr. Post Modern'
    McLaren, whose groundbreaking bestseller A New Kind of Christian helped shape the emergent church movement’s exploration of new ways of being Christian in the post-modern era, has never shied away from hard questions. He never planned to become a “controversial religious leader”. Yet he has been called “heretic” and worse by fellow believers threatened by his willingness to challenge conventional religious thought. Brian has appeared on Larry King Live, Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, and Nightline. His work has also been covered in Time (where he was listed as one of American's 25 most influential evangelicals), Christianity Today, Christian Century, and The Washington Post.
    www.brianmclaren.net

    Rachel is a popular author (Evolving in Monkey Town and A Year of Biblical Womanhood) blogger, and speaker. She's a skeptic, a creative, a follower of Jesus, a lifelong Alabama Crimson Tide fan, and happily married to her husband Dan. She has been featured on NPR, Slate, The BBC, The Washington Post, The Guardian (UK), The Times London, The Huffington Post, and Oprah.com, and was recently named one of Christianity Today's "50 Women to Watch"

  • Bob Fu — Author of God's Double Agent: The True Story of a Chinese Christian's Fight for Freedom
    Tens of millions of Christians live in China today, leading double lives to hide from a government that relentlessly persecutes them. By day, Bob Fu was a teacher in a communist school; by night, he was a preacher in an underground house church network. This edge-of-your-seat book tells the true story of Fu's conversion to Christianity, his arrest and imprisonment for starting an illegal house church, his harrowing escape, and his subsequent rise to prominence in the United States as an advocate for his oppressed brethren. "Bob Fu has dedicated his life to bringing freedom of religion to the Chinese people. His story is a testimony to the power of faith and an inspiration to people struggling to break free from oppression." --Mrs. Laura Bush.

  • Baxter Kruger — Theologian, Author of The Shack Revisited
    Dr. C. Baxter Kruger, theologian, writer and fishing lure designer is the Director of Perichoresis Ministries. Baxter is a native of Prentiss, Mississippi. A life long student of psychology, Baxter has a degrees in political science, divinity, and earned his Doctor of Philosophy from Kings College, Aberdeen University in Aberdeen, Scotland under Professor James B. Torrance. He is the author of 8 books, including The Great Dance, Jesus and the Undoing of Adam and Across All Worlds, and recently the international bestseller, The Shack Revisited. He teaches around the world. He is an avid outdoorsman and holds two United States patents for his fishing lure designs. He is the founder and President of Mediator Lures.
    www.perichoresis.org

  • Dale Nikkel — Recording Artist
    This Manitoba boy has been writing well-crafted songs for almost 20 years, drawing comparisons to James Taylor, Mark Erelli, and Paul Simon. His songs are compelling musical portraits inspired by his own experiences. A father of three, a simple-living advocate, former school-teacher, a devoted husband, a prairie boy living in fast paced southern Ontario, Dale writes about what he observes, covering themes of love, work, faith and politics. A gifted storyteller, as well as a performer, Dale's performed at major folk festivals, including Canada's biggest, the Edmonton Folk Festival, and garnered official showcases at major music industry events including Toronto's prestigious NXNE. He has shared concert billings with some great songwriters including The Wailin' Jennys, Welsh songwriting legend Pete Morton, Canadian folk hero Garnett Rogers, and Juno-award winning Nathan and Murray McLaughlin. Dale's songs have been featured on radio stations from coast to coast, including CBC's The Drive, Sounds Like Canada and The Vinyl Cafe. The 2013 release of SPARK is Dale's 5th studio recording - a reflective album, observing the world and finding meaning in the simple things.

God Blogger

  • Zack Hunt
    While continuing his graduate studies at Yale Divinity School focusing on the history of Christianity, Zack blogs in his spare time! “American Jesus is a satirical take on how we in America tend to remake Jesus in our own image. This blog, then, is dedicated to all the silly, absurd, serious, crazy, depressing, hopeful, tragic, and strange things that make up the peculiar phenomenon of American Christianity. If you come across anything that fits that description, please don’t hesitate to share it with me.”

Talkback, etc.

  • The Pub Crawl
    “Drew & His Mates” crack open a few - topics! Current affairs, pop culture, even touchy-feely-relational stuff! Listen in OR call and join us, as we crawl from topic to topic! (Got a topic you want the gang from the pub to crack open? Click here)

    This week on The Pub Crawl: Economic growth in Africa and why it isn't working? Should we stop talking about poverty and find another way to talk about being at risk and vulnerable? Hellbound the movie and the existence of hell, eternal punishment etc.

  • W.here's T.he F.aith?
    Join Drew and various religion reporters from an assortment of news outlets, as they catch up on happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults (Oh My!) Today's WTF Guest: Sarah Pulliam Bailey - Reporter for Religion News Service

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show October 12, 2013


Hey folks, thanks for tuning into our Thanksgiving Day Special. Today's show is a tribute show dedicated to a few guests I've interviewed over the years who have since passed away.

Special Guests

  • Chuck Colson
    Legendary Watergate criminal turned respected leader in the christian community.
    Click to Listen

  • Jane Russell
    One of Hollywood's first leading ladies and pin up gal
    Click to Listen

  • Brennen Manning
    An alcoholic priest who's broken life inspired many in his book The Ragamuffin Gospel
    Click to Listen

  • Dan Peek
    Founding member of the band America who brought us hits like A Horse With No Name
    Click to Listen

  • Dallas Willard
    Renowned philosopher & author
    Click to Listen

  • James Brown
    The legendary Godfather Of Soul
    (FYI - this interview was conducted the same year Mr. Brown passed away - 2006.
    It's also the longest interview the Godfather Of Soul had ever given.)
    Click to Listen

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show October 5, 2013

Special Guests

LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

God Blogger

  • Samantha Field
    “An ongoing journey in overcoming a fundamentalist indoctrination.” Born a military brat, Samantha spent her early childhood traveling until her family eventually settled into a tiny, rural town in the American Deep South. That was where they joined an Independent Fundamental Baptist church and she started learning things like how telling a lie is basically like being a murderer or rapist and that she wasn't really supposed to go to college (although she did anyway). Samantha spent almost three years of her adult life as a closet agnostic (more from apathy, than from skepticism) before eventually finding her way back to God-- but not, necessarily, the church. She's a liberal now-- politically, philosophically, theologically-- and a feminist, which she's absolutely positive would horrify the 16-year-old Samantha!

Talkback, etc.

  • The Pub Crawl
    “Drew & His Mates” crack open a few - topics! Current affairs, pop culture, even touchy-feely-relational stuff! Listen in OR call and join us, as we crawl from topic to topic! (Got a topic you want the gang from the pub to crack open? Click here)

    This week on The Pub Crawl: USA! USA! IS CLOSED TODAY! CLOSED TODAY! As the Democratic controlled Senate battles with the Republican controlled House, the gap between the parties seems to be growing. The impasse now has 800,000 government workers locked out of their jobs while the Senate and Congress battle toward some form of compromise. Today we'll speak with one of Drew's most outspoken American buddies and find out what the heck is going on with his Country. If we have time, we'll crack open the 2nd great concern we have about the USA ...Miley Cyrus!

  • W.here's T.he F.aith?
    Join Drew and various religion reporters from an assortment of news outlets, as they catch up on happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults (Oh My!) Today's WTF Guest: Michelle Boorstein - Religion Reporter for The Washington Post

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show September 28, 2013

Special Guests

  • Enrico Colantoni — Actor, Sgt. Gregory Parker on FLASHPOINT
    According to that ever so trusted source of factual information - Wikipedia, “Enrico Colantoni is a Canadian actor, probably best known for portraying Elliot DiMauro in the sitcom Just Shoot Me!, Keith Mars on the television series Veronica Mars, and Sergeant Greg Parker on the television series Flashpoint. He has also had supporting roles in such films as The Wrong Guy, Galaxy Quest, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and Contagion, and guest appearances on Monk, Numb3rs, Stargate SG-1 and Bones. Colantoni currently plays a recurring role on Person of Interest as crime boss Carl Elias.”  Today we'll ask Enrico if Wiki is correct and find out what else this versatile actor has been up to.

  • Danny Gokey — American Idol Star Author Of Hope In Front Of Me: Find Purpose In Your Darkest Moments
    Nashville recording artist Danny Gokey became a favorite of millions of fans as a top-3 finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. His debut release, My Best Days debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 charts and made history by delivering the best first-week sales by any debut country male in 18 years. Gokey stepped onto the famed American Idol stage just four weeks after his wife’s heart-wrenching death. Though rocked by his loss, Danny never lost hope as he pursued the life-long dream he had shared with his wife, Sophia. “It has been a gratifying process to be able to share the parts of my story that many people may not know. My hope is that people can find a part of their story in mine and that it will inspire hope in others. There are new beginnings. You can recover after devastating loss. Your past does not have to define you or your future. And the greatest part of my story is that helping others brings healing to you and those you help,” says Danny. In Hope in Front of Me, he challenges readers to find purpose in their darkest moments and leave a legacy for others by investing in things that really matter. Filled with personal stories and illustrations, Danny uses his life experiences to motivate and encourage readers.

    * Hope in Front of Me releases October 2013 in print and digital formats. Gokey is also slated to release a new single Fall 2013 and a full length album, early 2014.

  • Anne Graham Lotz — Daughter of Billy & Ruth Graham Author of WOUNDED by God's People: Discovering How God's Love Heals Our Hearts
    Recent research indicates that the majority of non-church goers actually label themselves Christians. Most often, those same people cite hurtful incidents suffered within the church as their reason for not participating in organized religion. Hypocrisy within the Christian church has clearly left deep, painful wounds on many of its own people. Best-selling author and world-renowned evangelical leader Anne Graham Lotz explores the ways that Christians wound one another and the ways that we can stop the cycle of harmful words and actions in her new book.

    *Called "the best preacher in the family" by her father, Billy Graham, Anne speaks around the globe. The New York Times named Anne one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. She's been profiled on 60 Minutes, and has appeared on TV programs such as Larry King Live, The Today Show, and Hannity Live.

LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

  • Donovan Woods — Recording Artist
    (To start off Season 11 and our new 1 hour LIVE MUSIC showcase, who better than the guy with the best web domain EVER...)

    Coming off the heels of a busy Canadian Music Week here in Toronto, Donovan Woods joins us again. With a voice as notable as his lyrics, this piercingly honest recording artist with a dry, self-deprecating humor, has turned into quite the hot commodity. From Toronto to Nashville, Woods has also carved out a niche for himself as a busy songwriter for TV and film. His music has appeared on television shows like “Felicity,” “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” ABC’s “My Generation,” and the Matthew Perry film “Numb”. He's also co-written songs with the likes of Grammy Award winner Marcus Hummon and One Flew South’s Chris Roberts. Donovan's work has been featured on CBC Radio where he’s in regular rotation across the country and he recently completed a tour of Canada and England.

God Blogger

  • Dr. John Stackhouse
    John G. Stackhouse, Jr. is an award-winning scholar and public communicator who has spent years adventurously mapping our complex cultural terrain, identifying both its worthy achievements and its zones of confusion. He collects research from a wide range of sources, corrects currently popular interpretations, and connects audiences with information and insight they can put immediately into practice. And he does all this with a wit you’ll find surprisingly refreshing in a scholar.

    *Drew & Dr. Stackhouse will also be joined by the Producer of the controversial film, www.hellboundthemovie.com - Kevin Miller. Kevin was asked to teach a class on documentary filmmaking this fall at Trinity Western University, a Christian liberal arts college in Langley, BC. However, when the President found out that Kevin's theological view of Hell was different than his “Liberal” arts “college”, his course was cancelled. We thought it might be time to discuss a serious issue within the Christian church – “SMALL GOD SYNDROME!”

Talkback, etc.

  • The Pub Crawl
    “Drew & His Mates” crack open a few - topics! Current affairs, pop culture, even touchy-feely-relational stuff! Listen in OR call and join us, as we crawl from topic to topic! (Got a topic you want the gang from the pub to crack open? Click here)

    This week on The Pub Crawl: Would you consider physician assisted suicide if it was legalized? Has Pope Francis won you over, especially after he said that the Catholic church has been too focused on abortion, homosexuality & birth control? Apparently, a third of Americans – and nearly half of evangelical, fundamentalist, or born-again Christians – believe prayer and Bible study alone can overcome serious mental illness. REALLY?

  • WTF ...Where's The Faith
    Join Drew and various religion reporters from an assortment of news outlets, as they catch up on happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults (Oh My!)
    Today's WTF Guest: Paul Brandeis Raushenbush - Senior Religion Editor for The AOL/Huffington Post Media Group

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show September 21, 2013

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!

We're Back! Well, sorta...
We just need one show to get Drew's little buddy - Tim The Tool - back up to speed! This way, when next Saturday comes around (our REAL Season 11 Premiere) hopefully Tim won't be such a TOOL!! So today's show will be 4 hours about NOTHING!

Talkback, etc.

  • Catching Up
    It’s been a while since Drew and Tim the Tool have seen each other so we’re gonna kick off our 4 hours of nothingness with...well... nothing really. Just the boys catching up and being silly - really just complete uslessness! Sooooo Grade 8!

  • The Bermuda Triangle of Ignorance
    Since today’s show is practice for ‘Tim The Tool’ to get the board right, we’ve decided to get all our content from the internet and test Tim’s button pushing skills - That’s right folks, Drew and Tim will be playing some of their favourite clips of wacky preachers and other assorted weirdos - A warning of how maybe NOT to be a Christian!

  • Canada’s Walk of Fame
    Terry Fox, Alan Thicke, Oscar Peterson, Victor Garber are all recent inductees into Canada’s Walk of Fame. BTW - why did it take so long for them to put Terry Fox on the list???

  • Free Advertising!
    Drew gave the listeners of TDMS an opportunity to sell, promote and shamelessly plug their business/charities (but not before sharing some more of their favourite videos!). Listeners from all across Canada called in to take advantage of the promotion – we even got a call from a former guest!

  • Comedians
    Some clips of Drew’s favorite comedians AND a surprise visit from one of Drew’s all time favorite Hollywood Correspondents.

  • DrewTunes
    An eclectic collection of some of Drew’s most loved tunes, TV Trivia and other random ‘stuff’.

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show July 27, 2013

July Authors

  • Michelle Borquez — Creator of The Freedom Series: Fear To Courage / Abortion To Mercy / Abandonment To Forgiveness / Abuse To Favor / Fallen To Restored / Divorce To Wholeness
    Michelle Borquez is the creator of the Freedom Series; a series for women that focuses on healing and wholeness after life’s difficulties. Michelle is also the Director, Creator, Producer, and Host of a new 8 week DVD series for women, "Living Well After Divorce" and is also the national spokesperson for Beth Moore’s "Loving Well" Television Special and "GLO" Bible. She has authored several books, "Live Laugh Love Again," "God Crazy" and "Overcoming the Seven Deadly Emotions" and has several new releases in 2013; "Forever God Crazy", "God Crazy Freedom", and the "God Crazy Freedom Series" releasing in stores nationwide in conjunction with the national "God Crazy Freedom" speaking tour.  Michelle has hosted and been a featured guest on hundreds of television and radio programs, including; NBC’s Midday Connection, The 700 Club, Life Today with James and Betty Robinson, Postively Texas, TBN.

  • Emily Wierenga — Author of Mom in the Mirror: Body Image, Beauty and Life after Pregnancy
    This book is for every woman who has ever doubted herself or her self-worth after the birth of a child. Because most women spend much of their lives attempting to change their bodies, it’s not surprising that the weight gain that comes along with pregnancy (and post-pregnancy), coupled with the challenges of parenting, only exacerbates issues with weight, body image, disordered eating, and self-esteem. Drawing on the wisdom of eating disorders expert Dr. Dena Cabrera, as well as the personal experiences of former anorexic, Emily Wierenga, Mom in the Mirror is a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual response to a female generation seeking its true identity in an appearance-based world. With chapters that deal with bruises from the past, misconceptions about pregnancy, life before and after children, marriage and motherhood, spiritual and physical nourishment, relationships with friends and family and the changing role of a mother as her children age, it is a holistic approach to the age-old questions: Who am I, and why am I here?

  • Peter Greer — Author of The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good
    Did you know that charity & service have a dark side? You want to live out your life by serving others, and you're willing to sacrifice your time, money, and perhaps even your safety. But do you realize the spiritual dangers you face as you serve? Peter Greer, the CEO of a Christian nonprofit, found that serving others and seeking justice actually did him harm. He shares how something that started with the noblest of intentions got off track--and how he got back on course. His story is a compassionate warning for anyone who works in ministry or charitable nonprofits, from CEOs to weekend volunteers.

  • Amy Simpson — Author of Troubled Minds: Mental Illness And The Church's Mission
    Mental illness is the sort of thing we don’t like to talk about. It doesn’t reduce nicely to simple solutions and happy outcomes. So instead, too often we reduce people who are mentally ill to caricatures and ghosts, and simply pretend they don’t exist. However, they do exist! Statistics suggest that one in four people suffer from some kind of mental illness. And then there’s their friends and family members, who bear their own scars and anxious thoughts, and who see no safe place to talk about the impact of mental illness on their lives and their loved ones. Many of these people are sitting in churches week after week, suffering in stigmatized silence. In Troubled Minds Amy Simpson, whose family knows the trauma and bewilderment of mental illness, reminds us that people with mental illness are our neighbors and our brothers and sisters in Christ, and she shows us the path to loving them well and becoming a church that loves God with whole hearts and whole souls, with the strength we have and with minds that are whole as well as minds that are troubled.

Journey

  • Two Artists, One Disorder — An Open & Honest Discussion About Anorexia Nervosa
    Hannah Chapplain — Recording Artist
    Drew recently received an email from a friend, recording artist Hannah Chapplain, letting him know that she's been battling anorexia. Hannah, has just created a blog www.thebeautychallenge.blogspot.ca. A 30 day challenge for herself - to feel beautiful in her own skin. “Join me as I take this day-by-day transition to self-acceptance and happiness!”
    www.hannahchapplain.com

    Emily Wierenga — Painter, Author of Chasing Silhouettes: How To Help A Loved One Battling An Eating Disorder
    Emily speaks regularly across the continent at women’s retreats, universities, churches and conferences, about her journey with anorexia nervosa, and was one of the keynote speakers at the premiere Christian eating disorders conference, Hungry for Hope 2013, where she spoke alongside Kirsten Haglund, Miss America 2008. Emily serves as an Official Ambassador for FINDINGbalance and is a Navigator with the National Eating Disorders Association.

Talkback, etc.

  • AN HOUR ABOUT NOTHING!
      (Hey, if Seinfeld can do it...)
    It's summertime up here in the Great White North, and since we only get two months of decent weather in this neck of the woods, we thought we would take the first hour of every show in July (1:00 – 2:00 PM ET) and do absolutely nothing!  A.K.A. - Random phone calls to people asking them if they believe in Heaven, Hell, or Angels and other spiritual stuff / Pretending to be in a crisis & calling up random churches to see if we can actually make human contact / Playing various clips we've found which we find a tad interesting – like this one: Click Here/ Answering random calls from listeners who want to put Drew on the spot / And of course, a crowd favorite... USELESS TV TRIVIA!

  • D.J. DREW In Da Hizzle!
    (Old Guy FAIL!)
    Featuring The Music Of “TDMS-LIVE” Performers From Season # 10. 
    During the last hour (4:00 – 5:00 PM ET.) of every Saturday in July, we'll play cuts from some of the incredible recording artists who have performed LIVE in studio during Season #10! Just our way of easing into summer mode and sharing with you some of the best tunes from possibly our best season of live performances EVER! BTW - we won't be posting this hour online so if ya wanna hear these fantastic tunes you'll have to listen LIVE!

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show July 20, 2013

Welcome To...JUUUULY on TDMS

Since it's our last LIVE month of Season #10, and it's finally getting kinda hot up our way, we thought we'd take a page from our Southern listeners and try a slightly different format for the month of July! So sit on back in that old rocking chair on yer front porch and enjoy a cold glass of ice tea while we here at TDMS give you a month of authors, music and a whole lotta laid back July-ness!

Special Guests

  • Paul Young — Author Of The Shack AND Cross Roads
    In Cross Roads, Paul Young tells the story of a driven man who falls into a coma and experiences relational entanglements that allow him to revisit choices he made during his life. In ICU after a cerebral hemorrhage, powerful businessman Anthony Spencer awakens to find himself in a surreal world. Literally able to see through the eyes and experiences of others, he is faced with the consequences of his own choices. Despite his great material accomplishments, he is confronted by how his life was ultimately empty and meaningless. He meets God and faces a decision. Will he have the courage to make a choice that can undo a major injustice he set in motion before falling into a coma? “Because each human being is a story, we resonate with story,” said Paul Young. “I am thrilled that Cross Roads has coalesced as another unique and deeply moving human story, complete with humor and suffering, beauty and brokenness, and grace filling up the spaces in-between.” The Shack was published in 2008 and became an international phenomenon with more than eighteen million copies in print (ten million in the United States and more than 8 million in foreign translations). It spent 50 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into 41 languages.

  • Dr. William F. Harley Jr. — Psychologist, Author of Surviving An Affair
    How can a marriage survive an affair? Infidelity is one of life's most painful experiences for everyone involved--the betrayed spouse, the children, the extended family members, and even the lover and the wayward spouse. Once trust is broken, how can a couple ever hope to reconcile? In Surviving An Affair, Drs. Harley and Chalmers help you understand every aspect of infidelity--from the beginning of an affair through the restoration of the marriage, including: why affairs begin and end, how to end an affair, how to restore the marriage, and how to manage resentment and rebuild trust. Surviving An Affair will do more than help you and your spouse survive the crisis of infidelity--it will show you how to minimize your suffering and emerge from this tragedy with your trust and love for each other restored.
    *Dr. Willard F. Harley, Jr. is a nationally acclaimed clinical psychologist, a marriage counselor, and the bestselling author of numerous books, including His Needs, Her Needs; Five Steps to Romantic Love; Love Busters; and Draw Close.

  • Liz Curtis Higgs — Author of Bad Girls Of The Bible: And What We Can Learn From Them
    Since Liz Curtis Higgs began writing Bad Girls of the Bible 15 years ago, this Former Bad Girl turned popular speaker, and New York Times bestselling author has taken more than a million women for a walk on the wild side. With the addition of an in-depth study guide and new discussion questions and an all-new companion DVD, Higgs gives another generation the opportunity to take a verse-by-verse look at some of the Bible’s most notorious women and how they reveal God’s grace. Liz introduces 10 femme fatales starting with Eve and moving through the Old Testament to meet such infamous women as Delilah and Jezebel, then finishing in the New Testament with the “Sinful Woman”  from Luke 7. She puts these sisters in three categories: Bad to the Bone, Bad for a Moment, or Bad for a Season, but Not Forever. All have something to teach, even if it’s what not to do. Bad Girls of the Bible is laced with humor, solid research, and heartfelt self-disclosure.

  • Michael Hurley — Author of Once Upon A Gypsy Moon: An Improbable Voyage and One Man’s Yearning for Redemption A MEMOIR
    Michael Hurley's journey began when he took to the open sea aboard an aging 32-foot sloop called the Gypsy Moon after he had lost his job, was short of money, and his 25 year marriage had ended. Michael’s odyssey begins in Annapolis, Maryland, and heads south for two years to various ports of call including a 350-mile solo passage through the “Graveyard of the Atlantic”, the Outer Banks of North Carolina storied for thousands of shipwrecks, as he searches for perspective in reconciling the events of his past. Seeking to salvage a “life that has foundered”, he recalls poignant personal episodes and draws larger lessons on topics such as faith and disbelief; love, marriage, and affairs; parenting; and the challenges faced by adult children of alcoholics. When rough weather and mechanical problems force him to come ashore, his life takes a favorable tack when he meets Susan, his future wife. This course-correction provides Michael a vehicle for describing his past failures in love and the foundation on which he has resolved to build again. Eight months later the two are married and the voyage continues until the Gypsy Moon encounters high winds off the coast of Haiti and is hit by a rogue wave. Hurley then faces a life-altering choice that brings this memoir to its exciting and unexpected conclusion. Once Upon a Gypsy Moon will resonate with anyone who has had to pick up the pieces after personal failure and loss.

Talkback, etc.

  • AN HOUR ABOUT NOTHING!
      (Hey, if Seinfeld can do it...)
    It's summertime up here in the Great White North, and since we only get two months of decent weather in this neck of the woods, we thought we would take the first hour of every show in July (1:00 – 2:00 PM ET) and do absolutely nothing!  A.K.A. - Random phone calls to people asking them if they believe in Heaven, Hell, or Angels and other spiritual stuff / Pretending to be in a crisis & calling up random churches to see if we can actually make human contact / Playing various clips we've found which we find a tad interesting – like this one: Click Here/ Answering random calls from listeners who want to put Drew on the spot / And of course, a crowd favorite... USELESS TV TRIVIA!

  • D.J. DREW In Da Hizzle!
    (Old Guy FAIL!)
    Featuring The Music Of “TDMS-LIVE” Performers From Season # 10. 
    During the last hour (4:00 – 5:00 PM ET.) of every Saturday in July, we'll play cuts from some of the incredible recording artists who have performed LIVE in studio during Season #10! Just our way of easing into summer mode and sharing with you some of the best tunes from possibly our best season of live performances EVER! BTW - we won't be posting this hour online so if ya wanna hear these fantastic tunes you'll have to listen LIVE!

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show July 13, 2013

Welcome To...JUUUULY on TDMS

Since it's our last LIVE month of Season #10, and it's finally getting kinda hot up our way, we thought we'd take a page from our Southern listeners and try a slightly different format for the month of July! So sit on back in that old rocking chair on yer front porch and enjoy a cold glass of ice tea while we here at TDMS give you a month of authors, music and a whole lotta laid back July-ness!

July Authors

  • Heather Kopp — Author Of Sober Mercies: How Love Caught Up with a Christian Drunk
    Christians might be the most miserable of all addicts, reveals author Heather Kopp in Sober Mercies. “Since we tend to think of addiction strictly as a moral failing,” Kopp explains, “most of us try and fail for years to pull ourselves up by our spiritual boot-straps. We pray harder, repent more fervently, and fight temptation until we’re blue in the face. When our best efforts continue to fail us, we feel ever more guilty and ashamed. Don’t we love God enough to quit? Doesn’t God love us enough to deliver us?” Heather recounts her battle with alcoholism and a performance-fueled faith against a backdrop of secrecy, shame, and lies. For more than a decade, her nightmare continued, even as her marriage hit the rocks and her son embarked on his own dark descent into alcoholism and drug abuse. Still convinced by her legalistic past that addiction was a strictly moral issue, Kopp was too ashamed to reach for outside help. Heather reveals how she finally came to a breaking point, entered treatment, and then got involved in a recovery program. But even then, she continued to wrestle with sticky spiritual questions as she gradually reshaped her belief-based Christian faith into a grace-based relationship with God. These days, Heather still doesn’t claim to know all the answers, but she’s more than okay with that. “I can forgo intellectual certainty and rely on whatever grace tells me is true of God,” she writes. “I can forgo cleverness and decisiveness in favor of bewildered trust—not because I get it all, but because I know that I can’t … Lately, I’ve come to realize it’s the pestering doubts and unresolved issues, not the answers or sureties, that most often lead me forward on the path of grace. So it’s fine with me that the final destination, where all the answers are known and understood, is nowhere visible yet."

  • J.M. Blaine — Author of Midnight Jesus & Me: Misfit Memoirs of a Full Gospel, Rock & Roll, Late Night Suicide Crisis Psychotherapist
    This provocative, inspirational, and heartbreaking collection of true-life tales from mega-church counseling centers, drug rehabs, and graveyard shifts on the crisis-response team explores the toughest and darkest times of people’s lives. J. M. Blaine, a semi-agnostic, evangelical absurdist, existential Christian, and licensed psychotherapist—writes with deep concern for the depressed, the discouraged, and the disillusioned in this gritty, ragged memoir of his time spent guiding those through messy lives. The personal insights, parables, and often unbelievable stories offer a street-level vision of charity, as Blaine discovers that there are no easy answers for those struggling to find meaning, attain peace, and live in grace.
    *As likely to quote Axl Rose as Saint Augustine, J.M. Blaine is a licensed sex and suicide specialist who has worked in libraries, haunted houses, psych wards, mega-churches, rehabs, radio stations and roller rinks. He is non-fiction editor of the L.A. literary collective The Nervous Breakdown, feature writer for America ’s most popular street paper The Nashville Contributor, and a former contributor to the world’s only religious satire magazine The Wittenburg Door. Blaine lives in Nashville , TN.

  • Zach Hunter — Author of Chivalry: The Quest for a Personal Code of Honor in an Unjust World
    A generation is rising up to care for the hurting and oppressed. Committed to changing the world, they are passionate about justice and willing to fight for it. But what would that same justice look like if we lived it in our private lives—close to home, with our family and friends? In Chivalry, Zach Hunter dares young men and women to view their lives as a quest, challenging them to develop their own personal code that will prepare them to defend others and live with civility and integrity. Zach reframes chivalry in a modern context. He looks at everyday life as a grand adventure and shares ancient wisdom from the Bible, insightful stories, and practical examples to help you develop your own code of honor—and live a life of significance.

  • Alexandra Kuykendall — Author of The Artist's Daughter: A Memoir
    When Alexandra Kuykendall became a mother, she knew she had to go back to the beginning. To that hot July afternoon in Barcelona when she met her father for the first time. The only daughter of a single, world-traveling mother and an absent artist father, Alexandra embarks on a soul-searching trip into the past to make sense of the layers of her life--both the memories she experienced and the ones she wished for. The Artist's Daughter will take you on a journey of discovery through childhood, marriage, and motherhood. Through short vignettes full of both wonder and heartache, Alexandra seeks answers to three life-defining questions: Am I lovable? Am I loved? Am I loving? If you long to better understand the path your life has taken, where it is heading, and who is guiding you, this revealing and refreshing story will push you toward those answers as it changes your heart.

Talkback, etc.

  • AN HOUR ABOUT NOTHING!
      (Hey, if Seinfeld can do it...)
    It's summertime up here in the Great White North, and since we only get two months of decent weather in this neck of the woods, we thought we would take the first hour of every show in July (1:00 – 2:00 PM ET) and do absolutely nothing!  A.K.A. - Random phone calls to people asking them if they believe in Heaven, Hell, or Angels and other spiritual stuff / Pretending to be in a crisis & calling up random churches to see if we can actually make human contact / Playing various clips we've found which we find a tad interesting – like this one: Click Here/ Answering random calls from listeners who want to put Drew on the spot / And of course, a crowd favorite... USELESS TV TRIVIA!

  • D.J. DREW In Da Hizzle!
    (Old Guy FAIL!)
    Featuring The Music Of “TDMS-LIVE” Performers From Season # 10. 
    During the last hour (4:00 – 5:00 PM ET.) of every Saturday in July, we'll play cuts from some of the incredible recording artists who have performed LIVE in studio during Season #10! Just our way of easing into summer mode and sharing with you some of the best tunes from possibly our best season of live performances EVER! BTW - we won't be posting this hour online so if ya wanna hear these fantastic tunes you'll have to listen LIVE!

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show July 6, 2013

Special Guests

  • Ted Dekker — New York Times Best Selling Author, Co-Author of SOVERIGN
    Author of more than twenty novels, Ted is best known for stories which could be broadly described as suspense thrillers with major twists and unforgettable characters, though he has also made a name for himself among fantasy fans. Born to missionaries who lived among the headhunter tribes of Indonesia, his parents’ work often included extended periods of time away from their children. Ted describes his early life in a culture to which he was a stranger, as both fascinating and lonely. It is this unique upbringing that forced him to rely on his own imagination to create a world in which he belonged. After leaving Indonesia, Ted took up permanent residence in the United States to study Philosophy and Religion. Upon earning his Bachelor’s Degree, he entered the corporate world and proceeded to climb the proverbial ladder. But his personal drive left him restless and, after many successful years, he traded corporate life for wide range of entrepreneurial pursuits that included buying and selling businesses, healthcare services, and marketing. In the early nineties while visiting a friend who had just written a book, Dekker decided to pursue a long held desire to be a novelist. Dekker’s novels have sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Two of his novels, Thr3e and House, have been made into movies with more in production. His latest work SOVEREIGN (co-authored with former TDMS guest - Tosca Lee) is the much anticipated final installment in the Books Of Mortals series!

  • Phil Maderia — Author of God on the Rocks: Distilling Religion, Savoring Faith
    Phil Madeira has always marched to the beat of a different drum, so it is no surprise that this award-winning musician and songwriter prefers his God a little differently than most. In his first book, God on the Rocks, Phil shares personal, emotional and sometimes devastating stories along his roaming faith journey. “I prefer the filtered version of God’s voice, as I do my whisky,” writes Madeira. “Let the message age a while in a warm oak cask. My ears, worn down by the blues, smoothed by the rough edges of angular voices, listen with acquired wisdom, and a need to listen twice before interpreting.”  Madeira turns his talent for evocative lyricism from the stage to the page, illustrating the faith journey we all share with tender and raw stories about a family that isn’t always on the same page, a failing marriage and a surprising new love. A Southern Evangelical by birth, Madeira’s eclectic career in Americana music led him to experience many different faith and religion practices, never finding what he was looking for. Rather than finding God in religion, Madeira sees God in the realities of his everyday life—music, relationships, love and family. An encouragement to those searching for God, Madeira helps readers find God in life’s ordinary experiences, assuring them religion is not the key to knowing and experiencing God.
    *Phil Madeira is a musician, songwriter, producer, and singer. He has performed or collaborated with major recording artists like Alison Krauss, Elvis Costello, Phil Keaggy, Amy Grant, Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, The Civil Wars, and many more. He is currently a member of Emmylou Harris' band, The Red Dirt Boys, and the creator of the album Mercyland: Hymns for the Rest of Us.

  • Dr. Larry Crabb — Psychologist, Author Of Fully Alive: A Biblical Vision of Gender That Frees Men and Women to Live Beyond Stereotypes
    Popular culture sends mixed messages about what makes a man masculine or a woman feminine. Is it a suit, high heels, a fancy car, a clean house? In his new book Fully Alive, Dr. Larry Crabb encourages the reader to put aside cultural notions of masculinity and femininity to look at what God had in mind when he created humans as male and female. Dr. Crabb suggests that God has created humans as male and female to reveal unique and important aspects of how God relates with his created beings. Interspersed with personal stories and examples from his thirty years as a psychologist, Dr. Crabb explores what it means to be a man who embraces masculinity or a woman who embraces femininity. Being fully alive allows men and women to relate to others the way God intended, which can transform relationships and have a profound impact on everyday life.

  • Tindell Baldwin — Author of Popular: Boys, Booze & Jesus
    At 15, Tindell Baldwin weighed her options—continue to follow the path and rules set out by her Christian family, or find her place in the “popular” group and have some real fun. She decided to write God a good-bye letter and set out to live the life she thought she wanted. In her memoir, Popular, she shares provocative, raw insights into her journey through high school that led to places she never intended to go. Tindell’s story shows the temporary, shallow, and painful parts of living life on the wild side while shedding light on how she stumbled back to God and discovered grace.

Talkback, etc.

  • AN HOUR ABOUT NOTHING!
      (Hey, if Seinfeld can do it...)
    It's summertime up here in the Great White North, and since we only get two months of decent weather in this neck of the woods, we thought we would take the first hour of every show in July (1:00 – 2:00 PM ET) and do absolutely nothing!  A.K.A. - Random phone calls to people asking them if they believe in Heaven, Hell, or Angels and other spiritual stuff / Pretending to be in a crisis & calling up random churches to see if we can actually make human contact / Playing various clips we've found which we find a tad disturbing – like this one: Click Here/ Answering random calls from listeners who want to put Drew on the spot / And of course, a crowd favorite... USELESS TV TRIVIA!

  • D.J. DREW In Da Hizzle!
    (Old Guy FAIL!)
    Featuring The Music Of “TDMS-LIVE” Performers From Season # 10. 
    During the last hour (4:00 – 5:00 PM ET.) of every Saturday in July, we'll play cuts from some of the incredible recording artists who have performed LIVE in studio during Season #10! Just our way of easing into summer mode and sharing with you some of the best tunes from possibly our best season of live performances EVER!

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show June 29, 2013

Special Guests

  • Abigail — Recording Artist
    Drawing from a deep well of folk, indie and traditional influences, Abigail Lapell has made music her whole life. The Toronto singer has won over audiences of all musical stripes with her contagious melodies, evocative lyrics and heart-stopping voice—a combination that draws comparisons to early Cat Power, Sandy Denny or a stormier Nathalie Merchant. In recent years, Abigail has toured extensively in Eastern Canada, been featured at NXNE, Pop Montreal, Winterfolk (Toronto), Sappy Fest (Sackville, NB) and In the Dead of Winter (Halifax). Prepare to have your soul haunted.

  • Tal Bachman — Juno Award Winner, Ex-Mormon
    After many years of diligent research into why he believed what he believed, Tal came to the conclusion that the faith of his family was false. He was featured in Bill Maher's mocumentary, Religulous, as an ex-Mormon and now finds it hard to believe how anyone could go from "one set of lies to another". As the son of legendary guitarist Randy Bachman from The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive, ("Takin' Care Of Business"), Tal's self-titled debut scored a smash hit with the chart topper, "She's So High".

  • WTF (Where's The Faith) — A Panel Discussion About The Existence Of God! *Round 2*

    PANELISTS:
    Dr. Randal Rauser – Author of God Or Godless? One Atheist, One Christian, 20 Controversial Questions
    www.randalrauser.com

    Justin Trottier — Centre for Inquiry Canada's Chief Spokesperson, Canadian Secular Alliance Board Member
    www.cficanada.com

    Brian Ferguson – Honorary Schmuck! (Just a guy trying to work out his own understanding of the existence of God.)

  • Kamal Dhillon — Author of Black and Blue Sari
    What if your daughter, granddaughter, nephew or niece, sister or mother was a victim of abuse, silently suffering? Black and Blue Sari is a harrowing autobiography of the abuse and torment Kamal Dhillon suffered at the hands of her husband after an arranged marriage. According to UN Statistics, 1 in 3 women will experience some form of violence in her life time, including beating, rape, or assault, making such violence a more prevalent problem than AIDS, Malaria, or any other form of disease. This means one billion women alive at this moment will become part of the statistic. Children are also victims because they most often are witnesses to violence in the home.  In addition, 6 in 10 children of family violence were assaulted by their parents. Kamal isn't fearful of much these days, now that she has a new life, free from abuse and torture. Kamal doesn’t just tell her harrowing account of her 12 years of marriage to a monster, but one quickly learns that her real reason to share is so that her audience would walk away empowered to help stop this epidemic, often well hidden behind closed doors. Kamal reminds everyone that abuse is not a cultural issue and is not related to people of a certain ethnic background, religion or gender. Kamal has worked with abused women and children in women’s shelters for many years, and has won several awards: YWCA's Women of Distinction, Women of Worth's Heroine of the Year 2013, the prestigious Courage to Come Back Award given by Coastal Mental Health, the Shakti Courage Award and the Community Crusader Award from Darpan Magazine.

Author of the Month

  • Dr. Daniel Taylor — Author of The Skeptical Believer: Telling Stories To Your Inner Atheist
    (This book is so good – we've decided to do an entire month of interviews with the author!)

    When it comes to God, there are believers and there are skeptics. But there are also Skeptical Believers. Can someone be both skeptical and a believer? In what sense is having faith like living in a story? And what, for heaven’s sake, is an Inner Atheist? These are just a few of the many questions addressed in The Skeptical Believer, a book that is all about questions and answers, and about working out useful responses to questions that have no definitive answers. It steers a middle course between the modernist conviction that faith is agreement with a set of statements about God and the postmodernist assertion that religious faith is just one story among many. Written in dozens of short reflections, laced with stories and sometimes irreverent asides, The Skeptical Believer is by a person who tried for decades to kill his Inner Atheist, but discovered that it was better to acknowledge him and let him have his say—and then go on living in the story of faith. This book doesn’t prove anything, but then little of great value can be proved. Instead it explores the notion that one can live a rich and meaningful life of faith without proof (and despite the weaknesses of the church) by seeing oneself as a character within an ancient story. As believers, skeptical or otherwise, always have.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: (Drew wants to ask our last COM question of Season #10) Drew wants to know if he's the only one who has realized that he's not as against “Gay Stuff” as he used to be!

    Well, it's Pride Week here in Toronto. Also this week in the United States, the Supreme Court ruled that The Defense of Marriage Act (the law barring the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages legalized by the states) is unconstitutional. So, all of this got me thinking again, about a subject I just don't like thinking about. “Gay Stuff”!
    For better – for worse, I'm a stereotypical, heterosexual, middle-aged, middle-class, white, Canadian male who grew up in a rural, white, middle-class, conservative, Protestant family, who then hung out with the Evangelical Christian tribe for 30 years and moved even further out into the country where “gay sightings” are far and few between. At this point in my life, all I know about the Gay Stuff, is that I'm not gay. And because I'm not gay, I have to admit that I STILL find it almost impossible to wrap my head around being gay. And when I get asked about what I think about “gay issues” I usually answer with a big wimpy statement like, “I don't have that stuff figured out yet.” Look, I know that there are scriptures in the Bible which suggest (depending on which theological camp you lean towards) that God doesn't like, nor want you to do Gay Stuff. (Honestly, it would have just been a lot easier if Jesus had said, IN RED, “Don't do Gay Stuff!” But he didn't. Wait – should I have used a capitol H in “he”? Isn't there a verse condemning the use of small... never mind.) Suffice it to say, that doing Gay Stuff is as foreign and icky to me as doing Straight Stuff is foreign and icky to a gay person. At least, that's what I've been told. (I also realize that in Canada, I could go to prison or get sued for what I'm saying here, especially being in the broadcasting industry. And all because our government has been bullied into playing the role of bully by bullies who have been bullied by bullies. Someone should start an Anti-Bullying campaign!) ANYWAY... a funny thing happened to me on the way to Damascus. I “accidentally” ran into people who shared their hearts, their stories, their wounds, their pain. Then tears began to dissolve doctrine. Then, some in my own tribe became angry with me, telling me that God was even angrier with me than they were. They began to swear at me. They called me a “HERETIC”. They called me an “APOSTATE”. They called me a “HEATHEN”. They even called me a “LIBERAL”! (Ouch!) And even though they've doubted my eternal destination, despite their attempts to bully me into believing THEIR theology, I cant hide it anymore. I've gotta come out! THEY'RE HERE! THEY'RE QUEER! AND I'M STILL NOT USED TO IT... BUT I'm just not as wound up about the Gay Stuff as I used to be. Maybe it's just because THE GAYS have worn me down, or because I'm a spiritual loser. (True story.) Or maybe it's because I've become painfully aware of this massive bit of lumber stuck in my retinal cortex! Maybe that makes me a WIMP or a LIBERAL... but with all the judgment and rejection and negativity I've successfully been able to harbor in my own heart, all by myself, I'm finally at a point in life where I'm actually thirsting for a little “judge not, lest ye be judged” instead of “love not, lest you be not loved”! Look, all I know is that, my story is not they're story. And despite the messiness of my own story, I know I still need love! And as a wise person once told me, “Drew... even though you're not sure there's an interactive God to worship, try to at least worship Love. Because, you may or may not come to a point where you realize that God is real, but in the mean time, worshiping Love is a good alternative.” SOOOOO – is there anyone else who finds themselves not as wound up about the Gay Stuff as they used to be? Or do you still feel strongly that homosexuality is a sin and that same-sex marriage is an abomination?

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    This Week's God & Stuff Guest: Kerri Pomarolli - Her last appearance on TDMS for Season 10!

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show June 22, 2013

Special Guests

  • Jory Nash — Recording Artist
    Jory Nash is an award-winning singer-songwriter and storyteller who blends elements of folk, jazz, blues, pop & soul into an original stew of sound. He has recorded 6 critically acclaimed albums, including his newest CD “New Blue Day”, which was named the Penguin Eggs Magazine 2009 Critic’s Choice Album of the Year (Penguin Eggs is Canada’s premier Folk, Roots & World Music Magazine). New Blue Day was also nominated for a 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award. Jory plays acoustic guitar, piano and banjo and his warm, unique voice urges you to listen to his thoughtful lyrics and intricate melodies. He tours regularly across Canada and the US playing folk festivals, house concerts, folk clubs and soft seat theatres. Recent festival appearances include Mariposa, Summerfolk, Home County Folk Festival, Hillside, Live From the Rock and the Blue Skies Festival. Jory Nash is co-founder and producer of “The Way We Feel”, a large-scale, multi-artist annual concert celebrating the music of Gordon Lightfoot. The show has been recorded for broadcast by CBC Radio and has featured dozens of different Canadian Roots music artists over the years. (Gordon Lightfoot himself has several times appeared with guitar in hand to play in the show.)

  • Sabrina Jalees — Comedian
    (Oh and... she's also a lesbian rejected by her Muslim family. Just a little FYI for ya'll.)

    Sabrina Jalees is a comedian, actor, keynote speaker and writer based in New York City. Since stepping onto the stage of Yuk Yuk’s amateur night at 16, she’s become one of the most recognizable faces in the Canadian media. Lovers of comedy were immediately intrigued by the ½ -Pakistani, ½ -Swiss teen’s humor. She was soon skipping class to tour the country. Going on to record a CTV Comedy Now special, perform at the famed Just For Laughs Festival and break Mike Myers’ record as the youngest improviser ever hired by Second City. Between now and then she’s crossed over into acting (CBS’s Flashpoint, Lifetime’s Mom at Sixteen), hosts a Canadian reality series (YTV’s In Real Life) as well as a national radio show (CBC’s Laugh Out Loud) and is best known for her rapier wit as a fixture of the most popular show on Canada’s version of MTV (Much Music’s Video On Trial). Sabrina came out to her extended Muslim family and was shunned. The material from that experience is the basis for her new, cross-Canada comedy tour, "Brownlisted!"

  • Bruxy Saves "Humble" from Hell! — A pastor and an atheist (aka "Bitter Jew") talk about God!

    Bruxy Cavey – Teaching Pastor at The Meeting House & Author of “The End Of Religion”www.themeetinghouse.com

    Howard “Humble” Glassman – Host of The Humble & Fred Show, Broadcasting Legendwww.humbleandfredradio.com

    Two friends of Drew's, two points of views
    One speaks to the pews, the other walked among the Jews
    One says there is no God, the other... ummm... has a hot bod?
    Both great guys, both hate religious lies
    Sorry... No more rhyming, we mean it!
    (Anybody want a peanut?)

  • Dale Hanson Bourke — Author of The Skeptic's Guide: The Israeli – Palestinian Conflict
    As author of the hit series, The Skeptic's Guides - Dale Hanson Bourke has now chosen to take on the task of shedding some concise light on the places, terms, history and current issues shaping the Middle East. Like... What countries are considered part of the Middle East? What is the Promised Land? What is the West Bank? The Gaza Strip? Are most Muslims Arab? Is Zion a city, the country of Israel or heaven? Is criticism of Israel the same as anti-Semitism? And is anti-Zionism the same as anti-Semitism? I know all Arabs aren’t terrorists, but why are so many associated with terrorism? What is Hamas? Were Arabs and Jews always at war? Why is Jerusalem so important in history? Who are suicide bombers? What is the meaning of Christian Zionism? Where is the U.S. Embassy in Israel, and why is there controversy about its location? What is the relationship between the governments of Israel and the Palestinian Territories? How much money does the United States give Israel every year? Does the United States give money to the Palestinians? Does Israel have nuclear weapons? Why doesn’t it want any other country to have them? What was the significance of Palestine’s bid to be recognized at the United Nations? Besides the United States, does Israel have other allies? Why is Jerusalem such a big deal?

Author of the Month

  • Dr. Daniel Taylor — Author of The Skeptical Believer: Telling Stories To Your Inner Atheist
    (This book is so good – we've decided to do an entire month of interviews with the author!)

    When it comes to God, there are believers and there are skeptics. But there are also Skeptical Believers. Can someone be both skeptical and a believer? In what sense is having faith like living in a story? And what, for heaven’s sake, is an Inner Atheist? These are just a few of the many questions addressed in The Skeptical Believer, a book that is all about questions and answers, and about working out useful responses to questions that have no definitive answers. It steers a middle course between the modernist conviction that faith is agreement with a set of statements about God and the postmodernist assertion that religious faith is just one story among many. Written in dozens of short reflections, laced with stories and sometimes irreverent asides, The Skeptical Believer is by a person who tried for decades to kill his Inner Atheist, but discovered that it was better to acknowledge him and let him have his say—and then go on living in the story of faith. This book doesn’t prove anything, but then little of great value can be proved. Instead it explores the notion that one can live a rich and meaningful life of faith without proof (and despite the weaknesses of the church) by seeing oneself as a character within an ancient story. As believers, skeptical or otherwise, always have.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many:

    Need Help or Advice On An Issue In Your Life? A lady wants to know if a popular email (below) should have been read to the congregation by her pastor, or not - and whether it's racist, or not!

    Our pastor read the following email to our congregation recently, and afterwards there were a whole bunch of people who were offended. They felt that it was racist and uncalled for. Our lady's group discussed it amongst ourselves and we are divided on whether or not we think it should have been read by our pastor to the congregation. We're also divided on whether or not it's racist. I would be interested in knowing what your listeners think.

    "I am truly perplexed that so many of my friends are against another mosque being built in Toronto. I think it should be the goal of every Canadian to be tolerant regardless of their religious beliefs. Thus the mosque should be allowed, in an effort to promote tolerance. That is why I also propose that two nightclubs be opened next door to the mosque thereby promoting tolerance from within the mosque. We could call one of the clubs, which would be gay, "The Turban Cowboy", and the other a topless bar called "You Mecca Me Hot." Next door should be a butcher shop that specializes in pork, and adjacent to that an open-pit barbecue pork restaurant, called " Iraq o' Ribs". Across the street there could be a lingerie store called "Victoria Keeps Nothing Secret", with sexy mannequins in the window modeling the goods. Next door to the lingerie shop there would be room for an adult sex toy shop,"Koranal Knowledge", its name in flashing neon lights, and on the other side a liquor store called "Morehammered". All of this would encourage Muslims to demonstrate the tolerance they demand of us, so their mosque issue would not be a problem for others. Yes, we should promote tolerance!"
     (Apparently, although unverified, this was a speech delivered by Jiggs McDonald, NHL Hall of Fame broadcaster, while speaking in Ontario.)

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    This Week's God & Stuff Guest: Kevin Eckstrom - Editor-in-Chief of Religion News Service

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show June 15, 2013

Special Guests

  • Lester McLean — Recording Artist
    Lester McLean is a native of Toronto and has been active on the city’s busy music scene since the early 90’s. He studied jazz as a saxophonist while earning a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communications and Sociology at York University. The instrumental funk-fusion band The Colour of Soul was the first outlet for McLean’s songwriting. Under his leadership, the band recorded and released 3 independent records. The next endeavor was The Lester McLean Trio, featuring Lester on lead vocals and Soprano Sax, Juno award winning and nationally recognized Michael Occhipinti on acoustic guitar, and multi-instrumentalist Louis Simao on upright acoustic bass. The trio released a full-length CD entitled Best Foot Forward. Then the band went into John “Beetle” Bailey’s Drive Shed Studio for sessions that resulted in the EP Lester McLean – LMXL Just a Taste. Lester’s versatility with a wide array of musical styles and genres, great melodies, thoughtful lyrics, ear catching grooves, thick harmonies, are all ingredients in the soulful, eclectic sound that defines Lester McLean!

  • Jeff Allen — Stand-Up Comedian
    Performing comedy for over three decades, Jeff Allen’s work has been seen on every cable comedy show in the U.S. including Comedy Central’s Premium Blend and VH1’s Standup Spotlight. His one-hour special, Happy Wife, Happy Life, aired on the Odyssey Channel and Family Net. He’s featured on the Grand Ole Opry, the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen and
    the Montreal Just for Laughs International Comedy Festival. Jeff Allen is regarded as one of the premium clean comedians working today!

  • Martin Spinelli — Author Of After The Crash
    In September 2006, Martin’s life was transformed when his wife was killed and his son nearly killed by a trucker who fell asleep at the wheel. This is his memoir.
    “In the pit of my stomach, as I kissed my four-year-old son Lio and my darling wife Sasha goodbye, I knew something was up. By that evening, the police had told me about the crash. Lio's bright and talented mother was killed that day, and he narrowly escaped the same fate. But instead of it being an ending for us, the crash was a beginning. Lio's miraculous recovery from severe brain damage and a coma defied medical science. As I witnessed his astonishing journey - from intensive care bed to 10 Downing Street - and fought to pull him through horrific injuries and the loss of his mother, I found real purpose and meaning for the first time in my life.”
    After the Crash is the heart-rending true story of how one man's love for his son saved both their lives. Much more than a moving personal story, the book is a guide for not just surviving disaster, but mastering it and using it to transform your life for the better.

  • Brad Mathias — Author of Road Trip to Redemption: A Disconnected Family, a Cross-Country Adventure, and an Amazing Journey of Healing and Grace
    Brad Mathias thought everything in his family was fine. A busy, contented dad, he had vaguely noticed that Bethany, his middle child, had become withdrawn and moody, but he assumed it was part of being a “teen” and didn’t look any deeper. Until the night God spoke clearly to Brad and his wife: Ask her to reveal what she has hidden. They did—and learned the secret Bethany had been carrying, one that rocked their family to the core. In a desperate attempt to reach their daughter and to reconnect as a family, Brad and his wife piled everyone into the car and embarked on a wild, crazy, seven-thousand-mile, what-are-we-thinking trip across the country. As they drove, they realized how far apart they’d drifted, found unexpected blessings along the way—and journeyed together from pain and loss to recovery and redemption. In this book, Brad shares stories from the road about God’s grace, gives practical tips on what he learned about reconnecting as a family, invites you to consider your own epic journey as a mother or father, and calls you to trust wholeheartedly in the amazing love God has for your kids.

  • Chantal Desloges — Immigration Lawyer
    Everyone’s favourite immigration lawyer is back! Chantal Desloges is not only a specialist in both immigration and refugee law and has helped thousands of people from all over the world to obtain legal status and make Canada their home – but she's also a hero to many! Many who have desperately needed her expertise in escaping horrific persecution in their homeland. Her firm advocates on behalf of international clients located in every corner of the world, as well as local clients who are already inside Canada and seeking to regularize their status. Chantal will share with us details about her latest rescue operations and will also provide expert immigration and refugee advice for those wanting to make Canada their home.

Author of the Month

  • Dr. Daniel Taylor — Author of The Skeptical Believer: Telling Stories To Your Inner Atheist
    (This book is so good – we've decided to do an entire month of interviews with the author!)

    When it comes to God, there are believers and there are skeptics. But there are also Skeptical Believers. Can someone be both skeptical and a believer? In what sense is having faith like living in a story? And what, for heaven’s sake, is an Inner Atheist? These are just a few of the many questions addressed in The Skeptical Believer, a book that is all about questions and answers, and about working out useful responses to questions that have no definitive answers. It steers a middle course between the modernist conviction that faith is agreement with a set of statements about God and the postmodernist assertion that religious faith is just one story among many. Written in dozens of short reflections, laced with stories and sometimes irreverent asides, The Skeptical Believer is by a person who tried for decades to kill his Inner Atheist, but discovered that it was better to acknowledge him and let him have his say—and then go on living in the story of faith. This book doesn’t prove anything, but then little of great value can be proved. Instead it explores the notion that one can live a rich and meaningful life of faith without proof (and despite the weaknesses of the church) by seeing oneself as a character within an ancient story. As believers, skeptical or otherwise, always have.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A man wants to know if God will understand if he and his wife get divorced because he no longer wants to have kids, and doesn't want to be the reason for shattering his wife's dream of having a family!
    My wife and I have been married for four years now and an issue has come up which I think might actually end our marriage. When we initially got married, we had obviously discussed the issue of children – as in whether or not we wanted any. We both agreed that we wanted a family. However, I have now changed my mind. As I look back, part of me wonders if I ever REALLY wanted children. Maybe I just agreed because having kids was the next thing to do and the “right answer.” Plus, I just didn't want to loose this fantastic woman! However, I'm now at a point where I just have to be honest with myself, as well as my wife, about the fact that I really don't want to have any children. I've been putting this conversation off for way too long. Probably because I know how she'll take it. Trust me when I say that my wife will no longer be my wife once we talk openly about this! Even though we both come from families that don't see divorce as an option, I just know that we will end up divorcing over this. Not JUST because my wife really really wants to have children, but also because I think it's totally unfair of me to expect her not to have any – just because I don't. And she wouldn't want me to be a daddy if I really really didn't want to be a daddy. We love each other and want the best for each other, but this just seems to be too big of an obstacle. So my question is... do you think God will understand our divorce? I know the easy answer is, “if you love your wife you'll give her what she wants” but for the sake of brevity, let's just say that me being a father will not be good for any child! Besides, you can't just decide to want to be a father. At this point, am I not allowed to just not want children??

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    This Week's God & Stuff Guest: Tiffany Stanley - Managing Editor for Religion & Politics

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show June 8, 2013

Special Guests

  • Magus Peter H. Gilmore — High Priest of The Church Of Satan
    As stated on their website: “Founded on April 30, 1966 c.e. by Anton Szandor LaVey, we are the first above-ground organization in history openly dedicated to the acceptance of Man’s true nature—that of a carnal beast, living in a cosmos that is indifferent to our existence. To us, Satan is the symbol that best suits the nature of we who are carnal by birth—people who feel no battles raging between our thoughts and feelings, we who do not embrace the concept of a soul imprisoned in a body. He represents pride, liberty, and individualism—qualities often defined as Evil by those who worship external deities, who feel there is a war between their minds and emotions. As Anton LaVey explained in his classic work  The Satanic Bible, Man—using his brain—invented all the Gods, doing so because many of our species cannot accept or control their personal egos, feeling compelled to conjure up one or a multiplicity of characters who can act without hindrance or guilt upon whims and desires. All Gods are thus externalized forms, magnified projections of the true nature of their creators, personifying aspects of the universe or personal temperaments which many of their followers find to be troubling. Worshiping any God is thus worshiping by proxy those who invented that God. Since the Satanist understands that all Gods are fiction, instead of bending a knee in worship to—or seeking friendship or unity with—such mythical entities, he places himself at the center of his own subjective universe as his own highest value. We Satanists are thus our own “Gods,” and as beneficent “deities” we can offer love to those who deserve it and deliver our wrath (within reasonable limits) upon those who seek to cause us—or that which we cherish—harm. Magus Gilmore’s essay “What, The Devil?” from The Satanic Scriptures discusses this in greater detail.”

  • Randy Stonehill — Christian Rock Pioneer
    Forty years after the release of his first album (Born Twice 1971), Randy Stonehill created an album of new songs that is both fresh and some are saying his best yet. An astounding 23 albums later, which include hits like “King of Hearts”, “Shut De Do”, and “American Fast Food,” this pioneer of the Christian Rock Movement shows no signs of slowing down! Spirit Walk - strings together songs that only a veteran like Randy could sing with such conviction, wit and playfulness. The story of Randy Stonehill coming to Los Angeles in 1970 to apply for the job of “rock star” but finding Jesus instead has been told and retold innumerable times. His friendship in the 70s with the Godfather of Christian Rock - Larry Norman, has been celebrated in tunes and liner notes and more recently examined in the documentary film Fallen Angel. Randy was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1985 for his duet with Amy Grant and in 1988 CCM Magazine acclaimed his 1976 album Welcome to Paradise as among the top three most influential albums in the contemporary Christian genre.

  • Hannah Chapplain — Recording Artist
    She's shared the stage with Dan Hill, opened for Canadian rock legend Kim Mitchell and the Jim Cuddy Band at Illuminaqua, and in August 2012, Hannah Chapplain joined a superstar line-up of country and rock artists, including Paul Brandt, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw, Kid Rock and Carrie Underwood at the Boots and Hearts 2012 music festival. She's kinda hard to describe musically, but if you add a half cup of rock and a tablespoon of country, with a tiny pinch of folk, mix with love and tenacity - you've got Hannah Chapplain! “I'm Hannah...a raspy-voiced tall girl from Ontario, Canada. I sing, a lot, and write, and play guitar. I write songs about people, things, experience, dreams, and feelings. I like writing stories, but making them rhyme and morph into this big production that gets people dancing or crying or laughing. I started singing when I was 8 years old, but in a more conservative way. I sang through some of the grades for the Conservatory of Music, but in all the competitions and recitals I was the youngest kid there, by a long shot. I stopped singing for awhile, life got busy and money got tight, but after a long break I picked up a guitar at 14 and started learning how to play. Soon after, I wrote a compilation of 200 songs in a year and a half, and it's been my addiction ever since. I'm all artsy and stuff, I love painting, sketching, reconstructing clothes, writing, reading, anything really. So after the past few years, I have put those artistic abilities to work and have found myself with a pile of songs that don't sound too shabby, even if I do say so myself. So take a listen to my stuff! I'm sure you'll find something you can relate to.”

  • Brittany Machado & Matt Barber — Producers of Jesus, Don't Let Me Die Before I've Had Sex
    Jesus, Don't Let Me Die Before I've Had Sex is a documentary examining the idealism and silence embedded in the sexual teachings of evangelical churches. Through the stories of gay, straight, celibate & sexually active churchgoers, this doc explores the hopes, fears, and prayers of real people as they learn to reconcile their faith and sexualities.
    www.givemesexjesus.com

    Matt Barber is a Los Angeles-based director, editor, and photographer, whose directing credits include the NBC series Chuck, on which he has also served as an editor for five years, the award-winning film Weathered, and multiple music videos (Macintosh Braun, Kyle Andrews). He has also edited several television series (Fox’s The O.C. and Human Target)

    Brittany Machado received her Master of Arts in the Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, where she conducted original research on theories of culture about evangelical sexuality. She is currently investigating how the brain processes morality and virtue with a research collaboration between the California Institute of Technology and the Travis Research Institute at Fuller Seminary. Brittany is adjunct faculty at Azusa Pacific University, where she lectures on culture, gender and social inequality.

Author of the Month

  • Dr. Daniel Taylor — Author of The Skeptical Believer: Telling Stories To Your Inner Atheist
    (This book is so good – we've decided to do an entire month of interviews with the author!)

    When it comes to God, there are believers and there are skeptics. But there are also Skeptical Believers. Can someone be both skeptical and a believer? In what sense is having faith like living in a story? And what, for heaven’s sake, is an Inner Atheist? These are just a few of the many questions addressed in The Skeptical Believer, a book that is all about questions and answers, and about working out useful responses to questions that have no definitive answers. It steers a middle course between the modernist conviction that faith is agreement with a set of statements about God and the postmodernist assertion that religious faith is just one story among many. Written in dozens of short reflections, laced with stories and sometimes irreverent asides, The Skeptical Believer is by a person who tried for decades to kill his Inner Atheist, but discovered that it was better to acknowledge him and let him have his say—and then go on living in the story of faith. This book doesn’t prove anything, but then little of great value can be proved. Instead it explores the notion that one can live a rich and meaningful life of faith without proof (and despite the weaknesses of the church) by seeing oneself as a character within an ancient story. As believers, skeptical or otherwise, always have.

Talkback, etc.

  • TDMS Dating Game Update!
    Well, it's been a month since our last Dating Game contestant was in the studio, so we figured it's about time to check in with Valerie to see how the wedding plans are going!!! (Just kidding)

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A man wants to know if he should leave his church because they've just hired a pastor who left another church due to a serious lack of financial accountability! His wife wants to stay.
    First of all, I don't want to say too much in case someone knows who I'm talking about, but the bottom line is that our church just hired a new pastor and I'm not sure we should trust him. He came from another church, which was forced to shut down because of unpaid taxes. The financial records of both the pastor and his former church, have been investigated on numerous occasions by government officials. This pastor had even refused to come under the accountability of his denomination's governing body. As it turns out, hundreds of people left his old church over these concerns, and now he's at OUR church! Being forgiven by God is one thing, but trusting someone like this as a spiritual leader AGAIN?? My wife thinks I'm being too cynical and that I should trust our board's decision to hire this crook. She says that no one is perfect and that maybe he's changed. I say – it's different if someone has been living a lifestyle contrary to a Biblical moral code, and they're not a Christian - but when someone has been not only a Christian, but a spiritual leader, and has been living contrary to a Biblical moral code?? They should no longer be in spiritual leadership ever again! How many times have we all heard of these TV preachers or mega church pastors who get a taste of power and money, then get busted for WHATEVER – then they soon get back into spiritual leadership (because they don't know what else to do and they miss the power and the money and the spotlight) and then blow it AGAIN! I don't want to be around when that happens. I think I should take our family out of this church. My wife isn't so sure. Anyone else have some thoughts on this?

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    This Week's God & Stuff Guest: Eric Marrapodi - CNN Sr. Producer & CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show June 1, 2013

Special Guests

  • Brian Houston — Recording Artist, Belfast Boy
    Drew's description of Brian: “If Ron Sexsmith and Elvis had a baby, then gave it to Bob Dylan to raise but then hired Van Morrison as a nanny, that'd be Brian Houston!”

    Brian's description of Brian: “I write songs and make records, I play shows & people come...sometimes they buy records and dvds and then I go to the next town and do it again. People laugh and people cry...don't know why? It seems it touches their souls. More come the next time I play, especially in America and that's nice. I'll play more shows in Ireland, England, America and Canada, anywhere they speak English and can make me out. Life is rich when your songs are on the radio and people love you, I'm grateful for that. Hey, I even got a song on a record with Elvis Presley and Patty Griffin. Life is sweet when you're in the company of legends. I hope to be well known for my music across the world some day - I'm sure it will happen quite unexpectedly, just when I'm not looking. I'm looking forward to that...well, in a "I'm not looking" kinda way. Then I'll own a big fancy studio and have a big house and build a home for battered wives. "It's a good life after all", Justin Townes Earle said that. "I'm a lucky man and getting luckier" (I made that bit up myself). Oh - so you know this is what I'm not ....cool, trendy, shoe gazing, indie rock, diva, big hair, big voice, big assets, available for reality TV, games shows or star making programs. I write great tunes that mean something to real people.” *Brian will be performing at the Orangeville Blues & Jazz Fest

  • Michael Coren — Broadcast Journalist, Author of Why Catholics Are Right
    Michael Coren, our token go to Catholic, joins us to discuss the reports that apparently Pope Francis has declared that everyone, including atheists, are going to Heaven. Did the Pope actually say this or were his words misunderstood? Is this a new Catholic doctrine or have Catholics always believed this?

  • Kerri Pomarolli — Comedian, Actress, Author
    That's right folks - It's time for our monthly visit with our favorite Hollywood Correspondent!

  • Robert V. Taylor — Author of A New Way to Be Human: 7 Spiritual Pathways to Becoming Fully Alive
    Archbishop Desmond Tutu has called this book “a must have for anyone on a spiritual path… In a time when people are searching for values and meaning, this book will repeatedly inspire and draw you deeper and deeper into a spirituality of love and compassion for Creation, the human family and yourself. It is a joy to see that authenticity revealed in these pages, inviting others into a deeper, transformative life with God. It is a humdinger of a book!” If Desmond Tutu says this book is a HUMDINGER – well then by golly, we're gonna look into those claims a little further. Because those are some pretty big claims! When was the last time YOU read a HUMDINGER?

Author of the Month

  • Dr. Daniel Taylor — Author of The Skeptical Believer: Telling Stories To Your Inner Atheist
    (This book is so good – we've decided to do an entire month of interviews with the author!)

    When it comes to God, there are believers and there are skeptics. But there are also Skeptical Believers. Can someone be both skeptical and a believer? In what sense is having faith like living in a story? And what, for heaven’s sake, is an Inner Atheist? These are just a few of the many questions addressed in The Skeptical Believer, a book that is all about questions and answers, and about working out useful responses to questions that have no definitive answers. It steers a middle course between the modernist conviction that faith is agreement with a set of statements about God and the postmodernist assertion that religious faith is just one story among many. Written in dozens of short reflections, laced with stories and sometimes irreverent asides, The Skeptical Believer is by a person who tried for decades to kill his Inner Atheist, but discovered that it was better to acknowledge him and let him have his say—and then go on living in the story of faith. This book doesn’t prove anything, but then little of great value can be proved. Instead it explores the notion that one can live a rich and meaningful life of faith without proof (and despite the weaknesses of the church) by seeing oneself as a character within an ancient story. As believers, skeptical or otherwise, always have.

Talkback, etc.

  • RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS – WWJD (...whatever you want to call it)
    As much as it kills him to do “feel good stories” (probably because he has the spiritual gift of pessimism) Drew has decided to encourage all of us to consider what we can do for others. Maybe watch this video Click Here - then consider this email we received a few days ago:

    Greetings Drew! You may remember me from a few years ago when I asked if you could help me find a wheelchair for a single dad with 3 kids. (I am the Community Care Co-ordinator for Bright Corner Ministry operating out of North Burlington Baptist Church and ultimately we DID find a wheelchair for this Dad).  At the time I was looking for the wheelchair, I invited you to our annual Fall Fair at our church, and unfortunately for me, I missed you by about five minutes. I continue to try and meet the spiritual, emotional and practical needs of roughly 30 families in our community.  I do what I can, but sometimes I hit a brick wall.  Right now, I have 3 single moms in need! One has a 6 year old boy and needs a pre-owned washing machine. The other two moms need new bed mattresses for themselves.  Over the years, their kids (being scared at night) have wanted to sleep with their moms and that has taken a toll on the mom's beds. Now that the kids are older and aren't afraid of the dark anymore, when these moms go to bed at night they immediately roll into the center of the mattresses. I'm just wondering, Drew, if there might be someone in your listening audience who would prayerfully consider helping me get these few items to these mom's?  I can offer them a receipt for tax purposes.

    Gratefully, Mary Mehlhorn

    If you have something to give away OR if you know of someone who could really use a leg up, feel free to contact us through our website! Let's start the summer off by making our lives count!

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A man thinks that men should be the primary income earners, NOT women – especially if they're mothers. His wife wanted him to write us and ask the rest of you what you think?
    "I'm a middle aged male so my opinion may not count for much on this subject but – I think the woman should NOT be the primary bread winner in a family. My wife's daughter (second marriage) has chosen to work instead of raise her kids, while her husband has chosen NOT to work at all! And this is just wrong. Period. Man was made to work! Woman were designed to create life! My wife has suggested I write into your show and ask your listeners what they think. I'm not saying that women shouldn't work, nor am I saying that they shouldn't be paid well. I am saying that if they choose to have children, that it's the husband's responsibility to be the primary income earner! After all – women make better MOTHERS. Anyone else agree with me?"

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!

  • Useless TV Trivia
    It's the first Saturday of June so in our minds – IT'S SUMMERTIME! So it's time to bring back a crowd favorite. We play the soundtrack from an old television show and if you're the first caller to guess which TV show it's from - YOU WIN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show May 25, 2013

Special Guests

  • Steven Curtis & Mary Beth Chapman — HE'S a Grammy Winning Recording Artist SHE'S a New York Time's Bestselling Author THEY'RE Adoption Advocates
    Steven & Mary Beth join us to bring us up to speed on the latest goings on in the life of the Chapman family:

    -Steven has brought his inspirational sound back home to his rural Kentucky origins on his latest CD, Deep Roots, an exclusive album release from Cracker Barrel Old Country Store.

    -www.showhope.org is celebrating it's 10 year anniversary! They've helped more than 4,000 orphans find adoptive families by awarding financial grants, and they have also provided life-giving medical care to over 1,000 orphans with special needs.

    -Maria Sue Chapman, adopted and youngest daughter to Mary Beth and Steven, was killed in a tragic accident in the family driveway on a Wednesday evening in 2008. In her book Choosing to SEE, Mary Beth shows how she wrestles with God in the midst of a loss that doesn't make sense.
    www.stevencurtischapman.com

  • Love & The Outcome — Recording Artists
    Imagine, if you will, selling most of your worldly possessions (including the place you call home) and hitting the road. You’re leaving your native country. You have no idea what’s ahead. You don’t know where you’ll rest for the night. You take stock and realize that all you have – or all you have left – are your musical dreams, your life partner, and your trust in God…and these three things make up the rope of hopefulness you cling to, day in and day out. For the husband-wife duo of bassist Chris Rademaker and vocalist Jodi King, Love & The Outcome is both a name and a literal life story.

  • Dr. Daniel Taylor — Author of The Skeptical Believer: Telling Stories To Your Inner Atheist
    When it comes to God, there are believers and there are skeptics. But there are also Skeptical Believers. Can someone be both skeptical and a believer? In what sense is having faith like living in a story? And what, for heaven’s sake, is an Inner Atheist? These are just a few of the many questions addressed in The Skeptical Believer, a book that is all about questions and answers, and about working out useful responses to questions that have no definitive answers. It steers a middle course between the modernist conviction that faith is agreement with a set of statements about God and the postmodernist assertion that religious faith is just one story among many. Written in dozens of short reflections, laced with stories and sometimes irreverent asides, The Skeptical Believer is by a person who tried for decades to kill his Inner Atheist, but discovered that it was better to acknowledge him and let him have his say—and then go on living in the story of faith. This book doesn’t prove anything, but then little of great value can be proved. Instead it explores the notion that one can live a rich and meaningful life of faith without proof (and despite the weaknesses of the church) by seeing oneself as a character within an ancient story. As believers, skeptical or otherwise, always have.

  • A Panel Discussion About The Existence Of God!
    PANELISTS
    Dr. Randal Rauser – Author of God Or Godless? One Atheist, One Christian, 20 Controversial Questions
    www.randalrauser.com

    Justin TrottierCentre for Inquiry Canada's Chief Spokesperson, Canadian Secular Alliance Board Member
    www.cficanada.com

    Brian Ferguson – Honorary Schmuck! (A guy trying to work out his own understanding of the existence of God.)
    www.wtf.com

Journey

  • Yvonne Adock
    Our good friend Kelita (www.kelita.com) told us we just had to get Yvonne to share her journey on our show:
    “My parents were divorced when I was two. My father got custody and his mother came to raise me. She was very abusive in every aspect. He began sexually abusing me at age seven then mother got custody at age 12 and sold me into prostitution within 3 months. I became addicted to drugs. She eventually introduced me to a man who was 21 when I was 15 who married me to gain custody of me, then pimped me out. I escaped finally, nine months after he died, at which point I cried out to God to either let me die or help me.”

God Blogger

  • Tripp Fuller — Homebrewed Christianity
    “Since March 13, 2008, Homebrewed Christianity Podcast has been bringing you the best nerdy audiological ingredients so you can brew your own faith.  You will find conversations between friends, theologians, philosophers, and scholars of all stripes.  Listen, question, think, and then share the Brew! Previous guests have included Rob Bell, N.T. Wright, Marcus Borg, Brian McLaren, John Dominic Crossan, Walter Brueggemann, Bart Ehrman, Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Phyllis Tickle, Elizabeth Johnson, Diana Butler Bass, John Caputo, Richard Rohr and many other influential and emerging Christian thinkers.”  Tripp is also is working on his PhD in Philosophy of Religion & Theology and is a competitive home brewer!

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A woman has just discovered that she's engaged to a man who thinks HE'S been chosen to go to Heaven, but she hasn't! Now she's wondering if this issue is big enough to call the wedding off!
    My fiance and I just had a huge fight about an article we saw, which reported that Pope Francis said that everyone is going to Heaven, even Atheists. I have never seen my fiance that angry before. He grew up in a Reformed church and apparently (I just found this out) they believe that only those whom God has “chosen” go to Heaven. And from what I understand, this means that my fiance and all of his family and church will be going to Heaven because they have been “chosen” - but because I have NOT been “chosen” - well basically I'm effed! This fight now actually has me wondering about going ahead with the marriage. CRAZY! I know that my fiance is a strong, confident man. Some have even called him a “tad arrogant.” Even though those are qualities that attracted me to him, I had no idea he was THAT arrogant! I'm now thinking about becoming a Catholic because of what Pope Francis has said. And according to my fiance's family, if I become a Catholic, I defiantly won't be going to Heaven! I'm really upset about all of this. I need some objective advice. Is this big enough of an issue to call off the wedding or am I being irrational? (I've been accused of that before.)

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Manya Brachear - Religion Reporter at The Chicago Tribune

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show May 18, 2013

THIS WEEKS CELEBRITY CO-HOST: Madolyn Smith Osborne — Former Hollywood Actress (Co-starred with John Travolta, Joe Pesci, Chevy Chase & Steve Martin)

Special Guests

  • Kylie Bisutti — Former Victoria Secret Runway Angel, Author of I'm No Angel
    In December 2011, 21-year-old Victoria’s Secret Runway Angel Kylie Bisutti, stunned the fashion industry when she chose faith over fame and fortune and made the switch from supermodel to role model. In I’m No Angel, Kylie shares her story—from her early years struggling to make it big in the cut-throat world of modeling, to her “big break” winning the Victoria’s Secret Runway Angel competition, to the moment she realized that she could no longer reconcile her career with her Christian beliefs. Along the way, Kylie talks about her personal struggles with inadequacy, low self-esteem, and her near-constant quest for approval in a world where you can never be thin enough, pretty enough, or sexy enough.

  • The Inimitable Mr. Bennett — Singer, Poet, Punkster, Lyrical Mutineer, Ukelele Virtuoso!
    He's back! If Bob Dylan & Tom Waits had a baby, then gave it to Leonard Cohen to raise – you'd have this guy! Having just returned from a Nashville recording session, Mr. Bennett has agreed to leave his trailer at an undisclosed location deep in the bush somewhere in Northern Ontario, and return to the city to share his latest offerings of cynical wisdom and sociological observations. Mr. Bennett has spent the better part of his half century wandering and performing, including 18 years in the UK. He has supported acts like The Fall, Ron Sexsmith, Jonathan Richman, and has played a lingerie shop, The London Palladium, Camden Town and an Alabama house party for Satanists. When he wasn’t performing, he was fueling buses, test driving cars, selling cheese, being a butcher, a barista, barman, and a roadie for several rock bands including Bloc Party“they were great, Wembley Stadium was a big show but I met Eddie Izzard in the loo and that was better”.

  • Dr. Les Parrott — Bestselling Author of The Good Fight: How Conflict Can Bring You Closer
    Research says the average couple argues as much as 312 times a year, making conflict a universal element of all relationships, happy or not. But what matters most is how you fight, not whether you fight. According to veteran marriage counselors Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, the quality of your quarreling determines the closeness of your relationship. Best known for their classic book Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts, #1 New York Times best-selling authors Les and Leslie teach couples to fight well in The Good Fight: How Conflict Can Bring You Closer. They reveal new and time-tested tips and tools to help readers fight in a way that enriches their relationships, rather than tearing them down. Using their C.O.R.E. (cooperation, ownership, respect, empathy) acronym to look at the elements of a good fight, the Parrotts show readers how to leverage their personal fight types and find peace when the tug-of-war begins. Les is a psychologist and Leslie is a marriage and family therapist at SPU. The Parrotts are authors of Real Relationships, Crazy Good Sex, L.O.V.E., Your Time-Starved Marriage, Love Talk and the award– winning Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts. The Parrotts have been featured on Oprah, CBS This Morning, CNN and The View, and in USA Today and the New York Times.

  • Dr. Timothy R. Jennings — Author Of The God-Shaped Brain: How Changing Your View of God Transforms Your Life
    Can your understanding of who God is physically affect your brain? In his latest book, The God-Shaped Brain, noted psychiatrist and author Timothy R. Jennings breaks down how our understanding of the nature of God can affect us physically and spiritually. “Over the years I have treated thousands of patients who struggle with fear, insecurity and relationship problems that have as a contributing factor, if not primary cause, a distorted God construct,” says Jennings. “As brain science has advanced, the neurobiological connections validated my observations that faulty God constructs are unhealthy.” Throughout The God-Shaped Brain, Jennings addresses the research findings that show our thoughts and beliefs affect our physical, mental and spiritual health. This research has indicated that our mind and body are connected, and that when our understanding of God is not one of love and trust, unhealthy patterns of self-defeating behaviors and toxic relationships can develop. Anything beyond the knowledge that God embodies love, according to Jennings, is a false construct and can be harmful to our physical, spiritual and mental well-being. But there is hope: our brains can adapt, change and rewire with redeemed thinking that frees us from unnecessary pain and suffering.

  • Dr. Joanne Benham Rennick — Assistant Professor at Wilfred Laurier University
    Dr. Rennick specializes in a few subjects we thought you'd find interesting: Globalization; Social justice; Recognition and diversity; Institutions and organizations; Canadian military; Religious violence; Religion and Development. A few questions we want to ask Dr. Rennick: Was Canada ever a “Christian country”? Is it now? Should new immigrants leave their cultural/religious ideologies back where they came from, especially if they conflict with the Canadian lifestyle? Has globalization and the influx of “other religions” made Canada a more dangerous place to live? Has religion around the world, been more of a hindrance than a help? And even today, does it cause more problems than it's worth?

God Blogger

  • Dee — “Dissecting Christian Trends”
    “This blog exists to explore various trends within the Christian faith. Along the way, we have discovered that many people have been the victims of legitimate spiritual abuse at the hands of pastors and churches. Some have experienced rejection because they do not march lock step with the current 'thing du jour.'” TWW even has a Glossary Of Terms, which include:

    Calvinista: These are Calvinists gone wild. They are self-important, self-assured, and absolutely convinced that they know what the Bible says on every subject. They also believe anyone who doesn't agree with them is utterly wrong. They spend lots of time running around to conferences, getting together with other guys (women have no place in this discussion) who also agree with them 100%. In fact, they spend more time speaking at conferences than pastoring their churches.

    Redneck Theology: These are the guys who confuse patriotism with Christianity and are convinced that even major religions are "cults". They call each other by their first names with brother inserted (e.g. Brother Bob). They come up with new Biblical mandates such as "God wants us to have a quiverfull." "Jesus created nonalcoholic wine." "It is heresy to believe the world is older than 6000 years".

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: If you were given an 87% chance of getting breast cancer would you do what Angelina Jolie did – get a double mastectomy?
    Joining us to discuss this is the author of Breast Cancer: The Notebook, Julia Chiapetta (www.breastcancer-thenotebook.com/religion) and Theresa Quick, who was diagnosed with the same BRCA 1 gene that Angelina has and who also chose to have a double mastectomy. Feel free to call in and join the discussion.

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Abe Levy - Religion Reporter at the San Antonio Express-News

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show May 11, 2013

God Blogger

  • Glennon Doyle Melton
    Glennon finds life and parenting to be both brutal and beautiful. Brutiful, she calls it. She writes about her brutiful life at Momastery. Writing helps Glennon heal from her bulimia, alcoholism, and jerkiness. Shopping does not help her heal, but she will die trying to disprove that. Glennon loves Jesus, gay people, adoption and rearranging furniture. In the interest of combining all her loves, she has asked Jesus to help her adopt Nate Berkus. Glennon leads the Monkees, a group of thousands of women who meet at Momastery to support each other in big and small ways.

Special Guests

  • Susan Birdseye — Author of When Happily Ever After Shatters: Seeing God In The Midst Of Divorce & Single Parenting
    After 18 years of happy marriage, Sue Birdseye suddenly found herself abandoned with five children. Though she fought hard to save her marriage, her husband was neither willing nor interested in working toward reconciliation. Realizing the standard Christian formulas for saving her marriage no longer applied, Sue was in uncharted waters without a map and struggling to keep her head above water. While there is no five-step survival plan for abandonment and adultery, When Happily Ever After Shatters offers comfort and practical guidance to women and men facing such devastation, along with insights for those who support them. Sue shares how to move forward when there is no hope of restoration, lean on God during the divorce process, walk children gracefully through the crisis as a single parent, please God as a single person, again, and even forgive the one who wronged them.

  • Lindy Boone Michaelis — Author Of Heaven Hears: The true story of what happened when entertainment icon Pat Boone asked the world to pray for his grandson's survival
    Lindy Boone Michaelis was born into the entertainment business as the second daughter of singer and entertainment icon Pat Boone. Along with her sisters Cherry, Debby, and Laury, Lindy sang with her family in national and international singing tours from 1968 to 1977, including a tour of Japan with the Osmond Family. The Boone Girls recorded several Christian albums, including the Grammy award nominated "First Class". On June 19, 2001, Lindy's life changed forever when her oldest son, Ryan Corbin, stepped through a skylight on the roof of his apartment building and fell several stories to a concrete floor. Ryan is still at home recovering from his traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Lindy coordinates Ryan's care. In 2003, the Boone family started a foundation called Ryan's Reach to help provide information and resources for survivors of TBI and their families. Heaven Hears is her first book.

  • Lovella Schellenberg — Author of Mennonite Girls Can Cook: Celebrations
    Mennonite Girls Can Cook started quietly as a blog among friends and acquaintances back in 2008. Today the site receives nearly 7,000 hits per day. In 2011 the Mennonite Girls took their talents beyond the blogosphere with their bestselling cookbook, Mennonite Girls Can Cook. Now, with thousands of copies sold, the girls have launched their new cookbook, Mennonite Girls Can Cook! Celebrations! From mouthwatering mini-muffins and succulent soufflé to campers' stew and lattice-topped grilled apples, the Mennonite Girls share recipes to honor all of life. Filled from cover to cover with devotional reflections, personal stories, and beautiful photos, this book contains much more than recipes—it will soon become your kitchen companion for life's celebrations. (Yes, this is going to be a very awkward conversation seeing as Drew's favorite dishes usually involve one main ingredient – A PHONE NUMBER!)

God Blogger

  • THE DATING GAME — on TDMS!
    THE DATING GAME FINALE! Yesterday, our Dating Game contestant went out on her first date in 10 years! Valerie met Mark on ChristianMingle and last night they were picked up by a chauffeur driven black Cadillac Escalade and taken to one of the most exclusive restaurants in Toronto – Yorkville's Sassafraz! After dinner they went for drinks at the roof-top lounge, Panorama, which boasts one of the best views of Toronto's skyline. Then, they were picked up and driven back home. Today we find out how the date went. Will Marc be joining Valerie in-studio for the Grand Finale of The Dating Game on TDMS? Or will she show up alone?

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A couple is expecting a child any day now and are still having problems agreeing on the name. They're considering waiting until after the baby is born to decide – even if it takes months. (Well the wife is cool with that. The husband... not so much) They would like name suggestions and feedback on actually waiting to name the baby.

    We're a very happily married couple in our late 30's and we are just about to have our first baby! For some reason my husband and I just can't agree on a name. So we thought we would ask your listeners to call in with suggestions. What's everyone's favorite names for a boy OR a girl. (No – we don't know the gender.) We've also discussed waiting until after the baby is born to decide what to name he/she. I told my husband that I'd be fine waiting months until our baby starts to develop a personality, before we name he/she. But he told me just the other day that he wants the baby named within a week of it's birth. I'm interested in hearing what other people think. What's so wrong with waiting until the baby starts to develop a personality before naming it?

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Paul Brandeis Raushenbush - Senior Religion Editor for The AOL/Huffington Post Media Group

  • Mother's Day Song Requests
    Give us a call and either A/ Request a song for your mother or B/ Request a song for yourself – if you're a mother! We've already had requests for Joni Mitchell’s Paved Paradise & Anne Murray's Could I Have This Dance, so if we can find it, we'll play it! And if you don't know what your mother's favorite song is... ASK HER!

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show May 4, 2013

Special Guests

  • Vikram Ghandi — Filmmaker, Fake Guru
    A provocative social experiment-turned-documentary, KUMARE follows American filmmaker Vikram Gandhi as he transforms himself into a wise Indian guru, hoping to prove the absurdity of blind faith. Instead, he finds himself forging profound connections with people from all walks of life -- and wondering if and when to reveal his true self. Will his followers accept his final teaching? Can this illusion reveal a greater spiritual truth? Winner of South by Southwest's Audience Award, KUMARE is an insightful look at faith and belief.

  • Mark Osborne — Former Toronto Maple Leaf, Analyst for Leafs TV
    For those of us here in the GTA, our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs have finally made the NHL playoffs for the fist time since like the 1800's! One of the guys who played with the Leafs back then was Ozzie! Mark joins us today to give us the truth about the Leafs' chances of beating Boston in the first round. (WARNING: Some of you in the Leafs Nation won't be able to handle THE TRUTH!)

  • Matt Henderson — Lead Singer & Founder of Old English, Recording Artist
    Article #1: “Recorded over three years in various basements and bedrooms in six cities across two continents - Prose & Kahns is a first born for Toronto band Old English. Blending elements of Brit-rock, shoegaze, folk and even electro-pop, the 11-track album bubbles with delightful variation and exudes emotion and relevance. What began as a solo project for Matt Henderson has evolved into a collaboration-heavy album of audio stories, each showcasing a unique sonic style.”
    Article #2: “Prose & Kahns è il nuovo album degli Old English, band canadese. Uscito il 5 febbraio 2013, il lavoro è in streaming ed in vendita su bandcamp.”

  • Frank Viola — Author of God's Favorite Place On Earth
    The 12th book from bestselling author Frank Viola, God’s Favorite Place on Earth, is a unique biblical narrative written to help Christians face the struggles of every generation, namely: doubt, discouragement, fear, division, rejection, consumerism and complacency. It does so by bringing a rarely taught story in the Gospels to life. Frank has written God’s Favorite Place on Earth as a hybrid between devotional prose, historical fiction and biblical scholarship. His blog, Beyond Evangelical (frankviola.org), is rated as one of the most popular in Christian circles today.

God Blogger

  • Zach Hoag — from THE NUANCE
    “I'm Zach J. Hoag. Recently, I wrote a book called Nothing but the Blood: The Gospel According to Dexter. I write about goings-on with the book, as well as cultural, missional, and theological musings, on this blog. The main idea is that there is more truth and beauty to be found if we are willing to trail-blaze beyond black and white. If we are willing to get the nuance.”

Special Guests

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: We thought we'd ask on behalf of our Our Dating Game Contestant: What's the perfect date?
    If you were the lucky guy who got to take Valerie out next week, with all costs being covered by ChristianMingle – what would you recommend they do? Or ladies, if someone was to plan the date of a lifetime with you, what would impress you the most? Where should they go for dinner? And what else should they do OTHER than dinner?

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Bob Smietana - Religion Writer for The Tennessean

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show April 27, 2013

Special Guests

  • Paul Brandt — THE Most Awarded Canadian Male country Recording Artist
    Well our good friend, Country Superstar Paul Brandt, is back like a recurring nightmare! He's about to embark on a 20 city tour promoting his latest release, a gospel album called Just As I Am. Between May 15 and June 7, 2013, Paul Brandt will be hitting a city near you! Just As I Am was recently named one of the top Country Albums of 2012 from iTunes Canada, in the company of Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and the Zac Brown Band. The Just As I Am Tour will take place in a number of churches across Canada, and tickets are on sale NOW!

  • Eric Metaxas — Author of 7 Men: And The Secret Of Their Greatness
    In Seven Men, New York Times best-selling author Eric Metaxas presents seven exquisitely crafted short portraits of widely known—but not well understood—Christian men, each of whom uniquely showcases a commitment to live by certain virtues. Seven Men addresses what it means (or should mean) to be a man today, at a time when media and popular culture present images of masculinity that are not the picture presented in Scripture and historic civil life. What does it take to be a true exemplar as a father, brother, husband, leader, coach, counselor, change agent, and wise man? What does it mean to stand for honesty, courage, and charity, especially at times when the culture and the world run counter to those values? Each of the seven biographies represents the life of a man who experienced the struggles and challenges to be strong in the face of forces and circumstances that would have destroyed the resolve of lesser men. The seven men profiled—George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, John Paul II, and Charles Colson!

  • Ambre McLean — Recording Artist (and one of our newest most favoritist ever!)
    Ambre sings the kind of songs that make you remember lost loves and abandoned dreams. She comes by her musical gifts honestly. Both her parents were professional musicians when she was a child, and they commenced her formal musical training at the age of three. As the years progressed, her musical education included piano, guitar and vocal training. After nearly twenty years of writing and performing, it was only recently that Ambre decided to step into the limelight full time. By car and by train (by way of Via Rail’s Musician on Board Program), she has been zigzagging across the country. Promoting not only her newest album “Murder at the Smokehouse” but also touring in support of a re-released “I Wonder If”, her haunting piano-based album. A regular on the Canadian music festival circuit, Ambre has played Halifax's In The Dead Of Winter Festival, Guelph's Hillside Festival, Tilsonburg Festival, The Marmora Jamboree as well as the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. She won the prestigious 2010 Ontario Council of Folk Festival’s "Songs From The Heart Award" for her song “Me, My Heart And The Moon”. She's also won Guelph’s inaugural Songwriting Competition in 2009, and is a two time "ECHO People’s Choice" for Best Female Singer/Songwriter. AND... was just recently a national finalist in CBC’s Searchlight: The Hunt For Canada’s Best New Artist.

  • Deb Jones — Director Of Celebrate Recovery, Eastern Canada
    “My name is Deb, I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, celebrating recovery from childhood sexual abuse and I struggle with co-dependence.” That's Deb's opening line, whether in her own personal support group or speaking at various Celebrate Recovery meetings. She joins us today to share her own recovery from hurts, hangups and habits.
    *COMING UP - Saddleback Church's One Day Seminar (Seven Keys of Celebrate Recovery & Advanced Leadership Training) Saturday May 4, 2013 @ Lakeside Church in Guelph, ON!

  • THE DATING GAME — on TDMS!
    Well last week, two gentlemen whom Valerie connected with on ChristianMingle, joined us in studio for Tim The Tool & Drew to screen on her behalf. However – one of them bailed! That's right – a no show! So this week we'll check in with Valerie to find out how she's feeling about a/ Marc who showed up and b/ “Buddy” who didn't! (We'll leave his name out until he decides to “show up.” After all, it's not cool to TOTALLY rip the guy apart and use his real name. Right? However, if he decides to “come to the party” we promise to be nice – and start using his name!) Looks like Marc has a pretty good shot of joining Valerie on an exquisite night out in the city!

    INTERESTED IN BECOMING OUR NEXT DATING GAME CONTESTANT?
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love!
    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT: Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca)
    1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME!

    (If chosen, you will win a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND… after Drew helps you find the best possible match, ChristianMingle will not only give your special someone a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle as well, but they'll also pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town for both of you, including dinner at one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!)  **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area.

  • soulSURVIVOR!
    5 Religious Tribes Competing For The Soul Of One Person!
    OUTWITNESS - OUTPRAY - OUTSAVE

    Five religious Tribes competing for the soul of one person, by explaining to our soulSURVIVOR what it is that their Tribe actually believes! And the Tribal Leaders will NOT have immunity! Our soulSURVIVOR will be able to challenge, critique, or question any aspect of all Tribal codes! At the end of the contest, our soulSURVIVOR will then decide which Tribe presented the most compelling case for faith - Then reveal to us if they'll be joining that Tribe! Listen in as 5 religious Tribes witness, sell and explain their faith to a genuine & passionate seeker! A soulSURVIVOR, who's been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world!  (SoulSURVIVOR – One who has been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world then decide if they want to join one of the Tribes. Or – Catalina!)

    *If you'd like to be our NEXT soulSURVIVOR, email us all your contact details and why you think that YOU would make the best soulSURVIVOR!

    TRIBE HARE KRISHNA — Bhaktimarga Swami - Canada's Leader of The Hare Krishna Community
    Bhaktimarga Swami achieved a remarkable feat in 1996 when he went the way of a pilgrim and walked on foot cross country from west to east across Canada, then back for a return journey from Cape Spear, Newfoundland to Vancouver Island in 2003, going full circle. He likes to share his unique experience and fond memories on the road after trekking 16,000 km's. Swami is a consistent feature in “The Longest Road”, a recent National Film Board documentary detailing the history of the people who shaped or were shaped by the Trans Canada Highway, the world’s longest continuous maintained road. Today, Swami joins us to explain what exactly Hare Krishna's believe! (Drew first met Catalina at Toronto's Hare Krishna Temple during a visit with Swami Bhaktimarga. Catalina is very interested in speaking with him, so we saved Swami for last!)

God Blogger

  • Dr. Daniel Fincke — Camels With Hammers
    Dan has his PhD in philosophy from Fordham University and is an adjunct assistant philosophy professor. His blog’s main topics are ethics, religion, atheism, and the atheist movement. Dan was a devout evangelical Christian until he grappled with The Portable Nietzsche while enrolled at one of America’s most conservative Christian undergraduate institutions. He went on to write his dissertation on Nietzsche. Dan has written a lot about his time as a Christian and how he de-converted and then adjusted to becoming an atheist. You can get his take on the state of the atheist movement, and the need to avoid self-righteousness at all costs, or you can read his article “Apostasy As A Religious Act - Why A Camel Hammers The Idols Of Faith”, which explains why those who want to respect religious people and their experiences should stop trying to silence former believers for speaking out against their former religions. Or, if that doesn't float your boat, you can watch him discuss how there can be objective values and how Nietzsche is not a moral nihilist.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A mother's daughter has run away from home to hang with her friends on the streets of Toronto and her husband is considering finding her and “abducting” her in order to get her away from all the bad influences. Should he?

    I guess this is pretty much a “does the end justify the means” type of scenario. Our daughter is in her early 20's and has been battling addiction & mental health issues for the last number of years. She's been in and out of shelters, in and out of our home, in and out of other people's homes, on and off medication, and on and off the street. BTW - I'm not sure I totally buy into the mental health diagnoses the doctor gave her. I'm wondering if the mental health issues might just go away if my daughter got clean long enough.) Obviously as parents we are absolutely terrified of what could happen to our daughter as a result of her poor choices. However, we have tried our best to find that balance of offering help,assistance/advice and yet allowing her to make adult choices. This time though, she is hanging out with a particularly dangerous crowd and her boyfriend is just flat out evil. My husband can't take it anymore and is now contemplating whether or not to drive into the city, find her, handcuff her, and drive her to a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere, and live with her until she's able to detox and at least have six months living clean under her belt. Now, while we both feel desperate enough and convicted enough to go through with this, we both are wondering if this is actually the best of the worst options. Our daughter will no doubt be furious with us – and after it's all over with, she might even wish to press charges. My husband and I have talked about this and are both willing to live with those consequences. Our other children are grown and gone, so worst case scenario – we tried our best, we failed, and I end up being married to a convict. BUT – what if it works? What if this drastic move actually saves her life? Isn't that what parenting is all about – doing absolutely ANYTHING for the benefit of your kids – including breaking their spirit and the law?

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Today's God & Stuff Guest: Don Lattin – Author, Freelance Journalist & Religion Reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show April 20, 2013

Special Guests

  • Jon Davis — Recording Artist
    Possessed of a delicate, almost chameleonic voice, you can hear distant similarities in style from James Taylor to Nick Drake, Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Royal Wood, to Lindsey Buckingham. His latest release – Open Shore, speaks to a challenging but triumphant journey and Jon colours this disc with a full complement of smart, insightful lyrics across hook-laden melodies, caressing folk and jazz with an indie-seasoned rock edge, leavened with strong elements of fluff-free pop. Throughout are messages of hope, and the search for endless possibility. Through Open Shore, Jon Davis challenges how we view our world and what we can do to make it better. It’s an uplifting wake-up call, offering us the encouragement we need to get past personal trials by showing us how to touch the beauty. Anyone looking to appreciate this for themselves should earmark Jon's CD release on Friday, April 26th at Toronto hotspot, The Rivoli.

  • Earth Day - WTF?
    When it comes to Earth Day, some are still saying – Where's The Faith?

    Kim Wheatley — Member of Anishinaabe Kwe Turtle Clan of Shawanaga First Nations Reserve
    Her spirit name is Shkode Neegan Wawaaskone, which translates to Head or Leader of the Fire Flower. She is the Aboriginal Program Coordinator for Turtle Island Conservation located at the Toronto Zoo. She is also a Traditional hand-drummer & singer and has actively practiced her traditional cultural teachings for the last 19 years incorporating this into her work life. She spends a great deal of time at public speaking engagements sharing the distinct worldviews of Aboriginal People from the Great Lakes region in Ontario. Her passion is to support a public Aboriginal presence that is both contemporary and historically balanced in the minds of all Canadians based on First Nations worldviews and understandings.
    www.torontozoo.com/conservation/tic.asp
    www.motherearthwaterwalk.com

    Heather Gingerich — Principal at Ground Truth Environmental Reconciliation Services
    As a PhD student in "Maternal-child health and drinking water chemistry" (E.coli is just the tip of the iceberg), Heather was driven to the brink of insanity by listening to environment and health authorities "mis-speak" on the topic of water chemistry and health. So she decided to take matters into her own hands (Erin Brokovich style) and designed a series of smart-phone apps that bring real-data in real-time into the hands of the key decision-makers in terms they understand so that they can make the best and healthiest consumer choice instead of slowly poisoning the people they love because they didn't know what was really in the water. Her specialties: water chemistry as it pertains to infant nutrition, maternal-child health, childhood cancers, autism, SIDS, Down Syndrome, learning disorders, policy analysis, healthcare economics, legislation (health and environment), and indigenous traditional knowledge.

  • soulSURVIVOR!
    5 Religious Tribes Competing For The Soul Of One Person!
    OUTWITNESS - OUTPRAY - OUTSAVE

    Five religious Tribes competing for the soul of one person, by explaining to our soulSURVIVOR what it is that their Tribe actually believes! And the Tribal Leaders will NOT have immunity! Our soulSURVIVOR will be able to challenge, critique, or question any aspect of all Tribal codes! At the end of the contest, our soulSURVIVOR will then decide which Tribe presented the most compelling case for faith - Then reveal to us if they'll be joining that Tribe! Listen in as 5 religious Tribes witness, sell and explain their faith to a genuine & passionate seeker! A soulSURVIVOR, who's been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world!  (SoulSURVIVOR – One who has been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world then decide if they want to join one of the Tribes. Or – Catalina!)

    *If you'd like to be our NEXT soulSURVIVOR, email us all your contact details and why you think that YOU would make the best soulSURVIVOR!

    TRIBE BUDDHISM — Robert Thurman - First American Ordained Tibetan Monk
    Having been named by Time as one of the “25 Most Influential Americans”, Robert Thurman has cultivated a worldwide awareness of Tibet through his writing, translation of important Buddhist texts, and activism. He is the co-founder and president of Tibet House U.S., along with actor Richard Gere and modern composer Philip Glass (among others) at the behest of the 14th H.H. Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. Mr. Thurman is also the Je Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, holding the first endowed chair in this field of study in the United States. Bob has been a personal friend of the Dalai Lama for over 40 years and has been hailed by the New York Times as "the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism”.

  • THE DATING GAME — on TDMS!
    TODAY IS THE DAY! - That's right folks, Valerie has found two guys she's potentially interested in dating and BOTH the gentleman will be joining us in studio to be questioned by Daddy Drew & Uncle Tim The Tool! (Sound like very very white rappers.) More importantly, Valerie will also have the opportunity to throw down a few important questions of her own! So make sure you tune in for a very light-hearted and fun (and possibly a tad awkward) special edition of The Dating Game! Click Here to find out more about Valerie and follow her quest to find love!

    INTERESTED IN BECOMING OUR NEXT DATING GAME CONTESTANT?
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love!
    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT: Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca)
    1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME!

    (If chosen, you will win a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND… after Drew helps you find the best possible match, ChristianMingle will not only give your special someone a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle as well, but they'll also pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town for both of you, including dinner at one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!)  **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area.

God Blogger

  • Julie Anne
    In February of 2012, Julie Anne began a blog to share personal stories of her experience at an abusive church that she had left. “I did this because I discovered that the negative reviews I had posted about this church on Google Reviews had been removed. A month after I started my blog, my former pastor and church sued me and four other former members, including my adult daughter, for defamation. Their lawsuit asked for $500,000 in damages. Since we won the lawsuit in July, I have continued to blog about spiritual abuse, how to recover from it, disturbing trends in church, and other topics and agendas that can lead people to question their faith.”

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: Someone wants to know what it is that makes one's life – successful!

    "Ok, this might sound a little weird, but I have been reading about philosophy lately. And to make it a bit more interesting, I've been inspired to do a little experiment of my own. I was listening to a talk to PhD students in which the lecturer said that if his students do not finish their PhD this does not mean that they're NOT a success. I completely agree! However, this got me thinking about what it is then, that makes for a successful life? So what I want to ask is, what do you and your listeners think makes a successful life? That's it. Simple right? Or not?"

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Today's God & Stuff Guest: Michelle Boorstein – Religion Reporter with The Washington Post

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show April 13, 2013

Special Guests

  • Tony Campolo & Shane Claiborne — The Dynamic (JC) Duo
    According to Wikipedia: “Tony Campolo is an American pastor, sociologist, author, and speaker. He had been a major proponent for progressive thought and reform in the evangelical community. He has become a leader of the Red-Letter Christian movement, which aims to put emphasis on the teachings of Jesus. He is also a former spiritual advisor to President Bill Clinton."

    According to Wikipedia: “Shane Claiborne is an activist and author who is a leading figure in the New Monasticism movement and one of the founding members of 'The Simple Way' in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The community was featured on the cover of Christianity Today as a pioneer in the New Monasticism movement. Claiborne is also a prominent social activist, advocating for nonviolence and service to the poor. He is the author of the popular book, 'The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical'.”

    One was born in 1935 - the other in 1975. Yet both speak the same language. Today, these two join us in studio to help us better understand the difference between The (+) Christ and The (*!#@) Church.
    www.thesimpleway.org

  • Matthew DeZoete — Recording Artist
    Since releasing his debut album Across the Sea in 2006 (followed by 2008′s Bottom of the World), Matthew has toured relentlessly throughout North America and Europe, earning a reputation for smart songwriting and wry humour. He has shared the stage with musicians such as Luke Doucet, Jenn Grant, Great Lake Swimmers, Justin Rutledge, and he’s performed at many festivals including North by Northeast, Canadian Music Week, In the Dead of Winter (Halifax), and Stukafest (Netherlands). His latest release, Colour Film, rewards the careful listener with surprising arrangements and deep, atmospheric production. Featuring an inspired rhythm section, lush keyboards, and sparkling pedal steel, the songs range from quiet ballads to muscular pop gems while maintaining Matthew's trademark strong melodies and honest lyrics. Staking new sonic territory, Colour Film calls for a dark room, good headphones, and a glass of single malt.

  • Dr. Peter Kreeft — Author of Jacob's Ladder: 10 Steps to Truth
    There are ten important questions everyone should ask; and the answers to these questions, which lead to ultimate truth, are a matter of reason, not of faith. Well-known Catholic philosopher and writer Peter Kreeft tackles each of these questions in a logical step-by-step way, like climbing the rungs of a ladder. Because questions are best answered by dialogue, Kreeft answers these fundamental questions in an imaginary conversation between two very different people who meet at the beach. Kreeft's characters begin at the beginning, at the bottom of the ladder, which is the passion for truth. When it comes to the most important questions a person can ask, no mere interest in philosophical dabbling will do. The passion for truth does not stop there, however, but carries the reader from one page to the next in this thought-provoking adventure of the mind. Among the topics, or "steps", that Kreeft's characters delve into include: Do you have the passion to know? / Does truth exist? / What is the meaning of life? / What is love, and why is it so important for our lives? / If there is a God, what proof is there for his existence? / Has God revealed himself to us in a personal way?
    Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., is a Professor of Philosophy at Boston College and is one of the most widely read Christian authors of our time.

  • Todd & Tara Storch — Author's of Taylor's Gift: A Courageous Story Of Giving Life And Renewing Hope
    The world lost a vibrant and gifted young person on March 15, 2010, when a tragic skiing accident changed everything for the Storch family while vacationing in Colorado. After Taylor’s parents were told that Taylor would not survive, they made a choice—a prayerful choice they knew their daughter would want. They agreed to let Taylor give the gift of life through organ donation. Taylor’s organs went to a number of different people in need: her heart to a 39-year-old mother of two in Arizona; her pancreas and one kidney to a 49-year-old husband and father in Colorado; her other kidney to a 33-year-old man in Colorado; her corneas and liver changed two other lives in other parts of the country. Although her life ended too soon, her spirit lives on. Taylor’s Gift strives to increase organ donation through its mission to Regift Life, Renew Health and Restore Families. Taylor’s life and her passing have already inspired thousands of people from around the world to become organ donors themselves.
    *April is Organ Donation Month. Don't put it off - because it's too late, when it's too late!

  • soulSURVIVOR!
    5 Religious Tribes Competing For The Soul Of One Person!
    OUTWITNESS - OUTPRAY - OUTSAVE

    Five religious Tribes competing for the soul of one person, by explaining to our soulSURVIVOR what it is that their Tribe actually believes! And the Tribal Leaders will NOT have immunity! Our soulSURVIVOR will be able to challenge, critique, or question any aspect of all Tribal codes! At the end of the contest, our soulSURVIVOR will then decide which Tribe presented the most compelling case for faith - Then reveal to us if they'll be joining that Tribe! Listen in as 5 religious Tribes witness, sell and explain their faith to a genuine & passionate seeker! A soulSURVIVOR, who's been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world!  (SoulSURVIVOR – One who has been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world then decide if they want to join one of the Tribes. Or – Catalina!)

    *If you'd like to be our NEXT soulSURVIVOR, email us all your contact details and why you think that YOU would make the best soulSURVIVOR!

    TODAY'S TRIBAL LEADER  — Tosca Lee - New York Times Best Selling Author
    So far we've heard from Tribe Mormon, Tribe Muslim & Tribe Jesus... Today, our soulSURVIVOR has left the Island and is taking a much deserved break to reflect. Catalina has been given a lot of information to digest and the journey she's been on has been intense. So this week we'll speak with a woman who has studied and written about the opposite end of soulSurviving - demons & evil & tortured souls!

    Tosca Lee is a New York Times best-selling novelist whose works include the critically acclaimed Demon: A Memoir; Havah: The Story of Eve; & The Books of Mortals series (Forbidden, Mortal, Sovereign) with best-selling author Ted Dekker. Iscariot, is Tosca's latest release - a highly-anticipated novel about the infamous betrayer of Christ. She is best known for her exploration of maligned characters, lyrical prose and meticulous research. Tosca received her B.A. in English and International Relations from Smith College and has also studied at Oxford University. A former first runner-up to Mrs. United States and lifelong world adventure-traveler, Tosca makes her home in the Midwest.

  • THE DATING GAME - on TDMS! — Sponsored by
    www.christianmingle.com

    Next week, Valerie's “prospect(s)” will be joining us in studio to meet Pappa Drew and Uncle Tim The Tool. So this week, we're dying to know all about the final stages of “selection!” 

    (Click Here to find out more about Valerie and follow her quest to find love!)

    INTERESTED IN BECOMING OUR NEXT DATING GAME CONTESTANT?
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love!
    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT: Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca)
    1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME!

    (If chosen, you will win a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND… after Drew helps you find the best possible match, ChristianMingle will not only give your special someone a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle as well, but they'll also pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town for both of you, including dinner at one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!)  **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A 34 year old man who weighs 420 pounds is totally discouraged, depressed, lonely, and suicidal. He's looking for advice or encouragement, or at least a story of hope from someone else who USED to be “stuck”.

    “How does someone make healthy/positive changes in their life? Changes that would require enormous amounts of effort, motivation, energy, hope, belief in self efficacy and hard work. How does someone make healthy/positive changes in their life when that person is empty of motivation, spent of energy, lacking hope, feeling discouraged and powerless etc.... I am a 34 year old guy, I weigh 420 pounds, I have out of control type two diabetes, high blood pressure, extreme social anxiety, depression and borderline personality disorder. I am unemployed and I am lonely. This is not for lack of effort. I have tried numerous diets, with some success, but ultimately end up failing and regaining. I am too weak when it comes to my addiction. I've tried counseling, eating disorder residency programs, have been trying for gastric bypass surgery (but continue to fail to meet my pre-surgery weight loss goal), I've prayed and begged God for help (but due to my pathetic doubt filled faith, my prayers lack any depth or sense of connection with God.. I doubt there is a God to hear my prayers anyway, though I desperately hope he is real and listens and cares... Though I feel abandoned.) I've worked at various jobs over the years, but my social anxiety, depression and inability to handle stress makes long term employment next to impossible.. Here I am, 34, doubting a life beyond this, fearing that I am wasting and missing out on the one life I know for certain exists... And yet I lack the power, hope and energy to make the changes I need to make. I can't muster up the motivation to try again, when I have constantly failed and have consistently gotten the same results. I am angry, bitter, hopeless, motivationally spent and passively suicidal. Any suggestions or encouragements or stories of people that have worked through similar situations?”

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Today's God & Stuff Guest: Tiffany Stanley - Managing Editor for Religion & Politics

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show April 6, 2013

Special Guests

  • Donovan Woods — Recording Artist
    Coming off the heels of a busy Canadian Music Week here in Toronto, Donovan Woods joins us in studio. With a voice as notable as his lyrics, this piercingly honest recording artist with a dry, self-deprecating humor, has turned into quite the hot commodity. From Toronto to Nashville, Woods has also carved out a niche for himself as a busy songwriter for TV and film. His music has appeared on television shows like “Felicity,” “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” ABC’s “My Generation,” and the Matthew Perry film “Numb”. He's also co-written songs with the likes of Grammy Award winner Marcus Hummon and One Flew South’s Chris Roberts. Donovan's work has been featured on CBC Radio where he’s in regular rotation across the country and he recently completed a tour of Canada and England.

  • Lisa Osteen Comes — Author of You Are Made For More: How to Become All You Were Created to Be
    (And yes... Joel Osteen's Sister)

    Lisa Osteen Comes, sister of bestselling author and pastor Joel Osteen, proves that the power of inspiration runs in the family in her new book You Are Made for More! Delivering wisdom learned from her life’s own battles including surviving a birth defect, nearly being killed by a mail bomb, an unwanted divorce, infertility, and broken dreams, she gives readers daily principles that will help them thrive in any circumstance. Lisa Osteen Comes is associate pastor at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, the largest church in the United States.
    *Lisa will be speaking at Brampton Christian Family Church on Saturday, April 6 @ 9:00 am at the "You Are Made For More" Women's Conference and again on Sunday, April 7th @ the 8:45 & 11:00 AM services.

  • Angie Schuller Wyatt — Author Of God and Boobs: Balancing Faith and Sexuality
    (And yes...Dr. Robert Schuller's Granddaughter)

    Angie Schuller Wyatt, eldest grandchild of the Crystal Cathedral’s Dr. Robert H. Schuller, grew up in one of the world’s most famous religious dynasties. Reared in the shadows of powerful men, she struggled to define her own faith and femininity. Angie wrestled with tough questions including: Why does religion strive to suppress women’s sexuality? And does loving God mean living with shame?  Angie eventually forged her own path in ministry as a pastor, counselor and spiritual director, without relying on nepotism. Succeeding as a woman in a male-dominated industry, she worked at some of the largest ministries in the nation and has taken her message of faith and femininity to over 20 countries. Funny, educated and experienced, Angie pairs her personal experiences with the stories of women she has counseled over the years. The result is a provocative look at what it really means to have faith and femininity in today’s modern world. She helps women learn how to: Have Faith and Femininity / Live Sexy, Strong and Self-Aware / Feel Sensual without Shame / Break Free from Religious Constrains / Enjoy the Faith that Your Mom Never Told You About / Find True Love in Today’s “Sex Sells” World!

  • Kerri Pomarolli — Comedian, Actress, Author
    That's right folks! It's time for our semi-regular visit with our favourite (and only) Hollywood Correspondent!

  • THE DATING GAME — on TDMS!
    Today we'll check in with our new Dating Game contestant, Valerie, and see how her search for Mr. Right is going on ChristianMingle! Hopefully she's MADE CONTACT! (And not that kind of contact, Tim!)
    (Click Here to find out more about Valerie and follow her quest to find love!)

    INTERESTED IN BECOMING OUR NEXT GAME CONTESTANT?
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love!
    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT: Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca)
    1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME!

    (If chosen, you will win a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND… after Drew helps you find the best possible match, ChristianMingle will not only give your special someone a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle as well, but they'll also pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town for both of you, including dinner at one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!)  **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area.

  • soulSURVIVOR!
    5 Religious Tribes Competing For The Soul Of One Person!
    OUTWITNESS - OUTPRAY - OUTSAVE

    Five religious Tribes competing for the soul of one person, by explaining to our soulSURVIVOR what it is that their Tribe actually believes! And the Tribal Leaders will NOT have immunity! Our soulSURVIVOR will be able to challenge, critique, or question any aspect of all Tribal codes! At the end of the contest, our soulSURVIVOR will then decide which Tribe presented the most compelling case for faith - Then reveal to us if they'll be joining that Tribe! Listen in as 5 religious Tribes witness, sell and explain their faith to a genuine & passionate seeker! A soulSURVIVOR, who's been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world!  (SoulSURVIVOR – One who has been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world then decide if they want to join one of the Tribes. Or – Catalina!)

    *If you'd like to be our NEXT soulSURVIVOR, email us all your contact details and why you think that YOU would make the best soulSURVIVOR!

    TODAY'S TRIBAL LEADER — Dr. James A. Beverley
    So far we've heard from Tribe Mormon, Tribe Muslim & Tribe Jesus... Today, our soulSURVIVOR has left the Island and is taking a much deserved break to reflect. Catalina has been given a lot of information to digest and the journey she's been on has been intense. So this week we'll speak with one of the world's leading experts on Religion and Alternative Religious Movements.

    Dr. Beverley is the author and editor of twelve books, including Nelson’s Illustrated Guide to Religions, Religions A to Z and Counterfeit Code, a reply to Dan Brown’s famous novel. He is also the Associate Director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion. He is a specialist on the study of new religions and did his Ph.D. Thesis on the inner teachings of Sun Myung Moon. In 2000 he had a personal interview with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Professor Beverley is also an expert on the relationship of Christianity to Islam. He is the author of Christ and Islam, Understanding Islam & Islamic Faith in America. He also wrote the entry on Muhammad in The Quran: An Encyclopedia and the entry on Islam in the six-volume Religions of the World. He has done research on Islam in Africa, India, Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Professor Beverley is a member of the American Academy of Religion, Evangelical Theological Society, Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, Evangelical Philosophical Society, and the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. His expert opinion has been sought in both criminal and civil trials, including the case of Holocaust denier Malcolm Ross.

God Blogger

  • Les Ferguson Jr. — “Desperately Wanting to Believe Again: From ashes to new life, this is my journey back to a thriving and growing faith…”
    Les was a pastor who had to endure the horror of finding out that his handicapped child had been systematically raped by an older man from his church. This man had volunteered to hang out with their son (watching movies & playing video games) so Les and his wife invited him to live with the family. Then, after being arrested then released on bail, this man came back to the house and killed his son and wife. “Have you ever wanted to curse God? Or maybe shake your fist at Him? Have you ever had questions and no answers that were worth a plugged nickel? Have you ever felt like or been made to feel like something was wrong with you because you doubted, questioned, and didn’t understand? Yeah… Me too. Those are the kinds of things we will be wrestling with at Desperately Wanting To Believe Again. My name is Les Ferguson, Jr. I am a used-to-be preacher turned real estate associate. I struggle with faith. I desperately want the kind of hope, faith, and trust needed after a real life Job experience.”

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A husband is wondering if there's such a thing as putting too much focus on the kids, because it seems as though being kid focused has ruined he and his wife's sex life.
    “My wife and I have been married for 15 years. We have two great kids and we focus on them a lot. My therapist says that we are a 'child-focused couple' and that we have lost our couple focus. We have no sex life at all and haven't for about 2 years and prior to that it was intermittent anyway. I don't do porn or anything like that. Lust is not a major issue for me. I have given up pursuing my wife and she is okay with that. I would like to have a sex life but I don't know how to start things up again. Do you think that putting too much attention on our kids has killed our sex life? I mean, is there such a thing as 'too much' when it comes to your kids? Isn't that want God wants us to do? Aren't we supposed to lay our lives down for them? And is it just us or do all couples stop having sex when they have kids? Is it normal to stop having sex after you have kids? Do you think my therapist is right – that our focus on our kids is interfering with our sex life?”

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Today's God & Stuff Guest: Kevin Eckstrom - Editor-in-Chief of Religion News Service

  • Do you think soulSURVIVOR is a good idea or... not so much?
    We've received some complaints from people who aren't too happy with soulSURVIVOR. Some say that since our show is being aired on a “Christian Radio Station,” we shouldn't be giving other “false religions” a platform to “spread their lies.” So we want to give you a chance to tell us exactly what you think. Should a Christian radio station allow people from other religions, to share their beliefs? Would it be better if we at least “challenged” them on their beliefs and made sure that we “shared Jesus” with them? After all, what if some of the listeners decide that they're more interested in being a Muslim, or a Mormon – or worse yet... what if someone starts doing YOGA??

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show March 30, 2013

Special Guests

  • Dione Taylor — Recording Artist
    With a background in Gospel, R&B, Soul, and Jazz, Dione Taylor's rich and smoky voice has a truly soulful quality, one complemented by her keenly trained musical ear. Ms. Taylor first seduced ears and turned heads with her 2004 debut disc, Open Your Eyes. It earned her Juno, Canadian Urban Music and National Jazz Award nominations, and was named one of the Top Recordings of 2004 by Canada’s premiere jazz radio station, Jazz FM 91. Ms. Taylor has sung for presidents and royalty, including former U.S. President George W. Bush and Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. In 2003, as one of six jazz musicians from around the world selected for the “Jazz and the New Generation” program led by Dr. Billy Taylor, she performed at the prestigious Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Other notable appearances include the 2005 Nightlife Jazz Tour, the Women’s Blues Revue at Toronto¹s famed Massey Hall, and the 2005 Montreal International Jazz Festival. At the 2006 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala, Ms. Taylor had the honor of performing “The Weight” for rock musician Robbie Robertson from The Band in recognition of his Lifetime Artistic Achievement award. She was nominated for a 2008 Gemini for her rendition of Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom”, which she performed alongside Oliver Jones at the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala. In November 2008, Dione Taylor’s latest CD, I Love Being Here With You, was released in Japan, and in December 2008 she performed a sold-out Christmas concert at the Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Tokyo Japan. In 2009 Dione was awarded the Governor General¹s Mentorship award program with Oliver Jones as her mentor.

  • Drew's New TV Show Starts THIS Saturday Night at 8:00 ET on CTS!
    CTS has launched a brand new Weekend Magazine show with Sharon Caddy (Real Life) and our very own Drew Marshall. Lifestyle, pop culture, and current affairs television with a twist (Drew!) CTS Weekender kicks off its television premiere this Saturday March 30th at 8:00 PM ET. Drew promised his friend Full House star Candace Cameron Bure, that she would be his first celebrity guest, and Sharon Caddy interviews Til Debt do Us Part financial expert Gail Vaz-Oxlade. And then it only makes sense on Easter weekend for Drew to stir it up by asking, Bruxy Cavey of “The Meeting House” and Rabbi Stephen Wise, if the Bible should be taken literally or not! CTS Weekender will also feature The Doc Side – a weekly documentary, PLUS a round table discussion! This week's doc - “The Bible and You” - will examine the Bible's influence, origins, reliability and relevance in today's society. Featuring biblical scholars Dr. Craig Evans, Dr. Tony Campolo and best-selling author Eric Metaxas (Bonheoffer) The Bible and You explores the origins of the biblical manuscripts, how the scriptures have been interpreted throughout history, and examines the Bible's main message. Also featured is NY Times best-selling author, A.J. Jacobs (A Year of Living Biblically - takes a tongue-in-cheek approach at what it would be like to live out the bible literally, whether the results were good or bad).

    We'll be joined today by Drew's co-host, Sharon Caddy, and documentary filmmaker Mike Wright (The Bible & You, Goal Of The Century: The Paul Henderson Story, Journey To Christmas).

    *The Bible and You will also stream online at ctstv.com at 9pm ET, and will be available online on-demand until Monday, April 1st for Easter weekend.

  • The York University Gospel Choir!
    When Karen Burke (Toronto Mass Choir) was hired by York University to create the first gospel music course at a post-secondary institution in Canada, she had no idea what was about to come! The enrollment cap for this course is 100 students AND IT'S ALWAYS FULL!
    The York University Gospel Choir will be performing IN-STUDIO today during our TDMS Easter Special. They'll also be playing two concerts on Friday, April 5th & Saturday, April 6th @ 7:30 p.m. Supported by a live rhythm section, you'll also be blown away by their special guest recording artist Peter Moncrieffe www.petermoncrieffe.com. Do yourself a favor, and get your Easter On by checking out the enthusiasm & power & joy & talent from last year's York University Gospel Choir concert! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8bu0nxYL8Q The concerts will be held in the Sandra Faire/Ivan Fecan Theaters in the Accolade East Building at the Keele/Steeles Campus at York University. For tickets go to www.yorku.ca/perform.

    P.S. Karen and her choir are in desperate need of a Hammond B3 organ. I mean seriously, what's a Gospel Choir without an organ! They've had a donor give about 1/2 of what they need to purchase the Hammond B3 and are praying they find enough donors to help raise the other ½ of the money needed. (Hint Hint! Nudge Nudge! Wink Wink!)

  • THE DATING GAME — on TDMS!
    Today we'll check in with our new Dating Game contestant, Valerie, and see how her search for Mr. Right is going on ChristianMingle!
    (Click Here to find out more about Valerie and follow her quest to find love!)

    INTERESTED IN BECOMING OUR NEXT GAME CONTESTANT?
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love!
    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT: Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca)
    1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME!

    (If chosen, you will win a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND… after Drew helps you find the best possible match, ChristianMingle will not only give your special someone a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle as well, but they'll also pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town for both of you, including dinner at one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!)  **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area.

  • soulSURVIVOR!
    5 Religious Tribes Competing For The Soul Of One Person!
    OUTWITNESS - OUTPRAY - OUTSAVE

    Five religious Tribes competing for the soul of one person, by explaining to our soulSURVIVOR what it is that their Tribe actually believes! And the Tribal Leaders will NOT have immunity! Our soulSURVIVOR will be able to challenge, critique, or question any aspect of all Tribal codes! At the end of the contest, our soulSURVIVOR will then decide which Tribe presented the most compelling case for faith - Then reveal to us if they'll be joining that Tribe! Listen in as 5 religious Tribes witness, sell and explain their faith to a genuine & passionate seeker! A soulSURVIVOR, who's been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world!  (SoulSURVIVOR – One who has been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world then decide if they want to join one of the Tribes. Or – Catalina!)

    *If you'd like to be our NEXT soulSURVIVOR, email us all your contact details and why you think that YOU would make the best soulSURVIVOR!

    TODAY'S TRIBAL LEADER  — Anne Graham Lotz
    Called "the best preacher in the family" by her father, Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz speaks around the globe with the wisdom and authority of years spent studying God's Word. The New York Times named Anne one of the five most influential evangelists of her generation. She's been profiled on 60 Minutes, and has appeared on TV programs such as Larry King Live, The Today Show, and Hannity Live. Her “Just Give Me Jesus” revivals have been held in more than 30 cities in 12 different countries, to hundreds of thousands of attendees. Anne is a best-selling and award-winning author and is the founder and president of AnGeL Ministries.

God Blogger

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: The host of an incredibly popular and tremendously successful radio show wants to know what TWO questions his listeners would ask God?

    Hi. My name is Drew Marshall and I've always wanted to ask the listeners of my radio show a question: If you actually got the chance to ask God two questions, maybe on Easter morning, what would those two questions be? That's all. Oh... Happy Easter! (Sorry I took over the Counsel Of Many this week. I just thought that it would be a good weekend to ask ya'll this question.)

    Need Help or Advice On An Issue In Your Life? Click here to tell us your situation and Drew will ask the listeners of TDMS!

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Today's God & Stuff Guest: Mark Galli - Editor Of Christianity Today 

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show March 23, 2013

Special Guests

  • Cameron Mathison — “Ryan Lavery” from All My Children, 2007 Dancing With The Stars
    Cameron Mathison is best known to millions of fans of “All My Children” as heartthrob Ryan Lavery, a role he has played in over 1,000 episodes since first appearing on the long-running soap in 1998. His numerous other television credits include “Hot in Cleveland,” “Drop Dead Divas,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “CSI,” “JAG,” “What I Like About You,” “F/X: The Series,” “Castle,” “Desperate Housewives” and the television movie Any Mother's Son with Bonnie Bedelia. In 2007 he joined the cast of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and also began serving as a special contributor to “Good Morning America". Cameron has been honored with the 1999 Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Male Newcomer and Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 2002 and 2004. And with Easter just around the corner, GMC TV is gearing up for the world premiere movie of their Easter movie, The Carpenter’s Miracle (Saturday, March 30th & Sunday, March 31st) starring Cameron Mathison!

    The Carpenter’s Miracle - A humble, small-town handyman, Josh Carey (Cameron Mathison), finds himself at the center of media attention after attempting to resuscitate a 12 year-old Luke Quinn (Ryan Grantham), the victim of a drowning accident. When the boy shows no signs of life for an hour, Josh consoles Luke’s mother, Sarah (Michelle Harrison), in the emergency room. But when he lightly touches the boy with his hand while offering a heaven-word wish, the boy is revived. Many in the town consider it a miraculous act. But Josh is not religious and doesn’t believe he had anything to do with Luke’s recovery, even after he seems to heal several others in the following days. The Carpenter’s Miracle touches on themes of faith, skepticism and miracles – a perfect Easter Movie!

  • Scarlett Jane — Recording Artists
    Scarlett Jane is one of the most exciting new collaborations in recent Canadian music - the marriage of the distinctive songs and beautifully haunting voices of Andrea Ramolo and Cindy Doire. And now, Stranger, their debut recording, captures their strength and their vulnerability, and a progressive roots sound which embodies the raw and candid demeanor of Lucinda Williams, the moody sensuality of Stevie Nicks and Nick Cave, and the tender playfulness of Dolly Parton. Both Andrea and Cindy are road warriors. Andrea has two previous releases behind her, while Cindy has three - two of them in French, which has given her a following in both French Canada and Europe. They met several years ago at a tiny Toronto music venue; their solo careers were starting to move forward, and they shared a passion for prose, poetry, theatrics and songs in minor keys. They liked blues and country, old school soul and rock’n’roll. The blend of their voices stopped conversations; their musical sensibilities interweaved seemingly without effort.

  • LGBT's & The Church — 1 Hour Round Table
    Everything you ever wanted to know (and probably a bunch of stuff you really didn't want to know) about the Church and it's Public Enemy #1 – THE GAYS!

    Lisa Salazar — Transgendered Author of Transparently: Behind the Scenes of a Good Life
    “A personal spiritual journey of someone struggling to be a 'good man' – who finally allows the beautiful woman inside to emerge.”
    www.transparently.ca

    Wendy Gritter — Executive Director of New Direction Ministries Of Canada
    “Nurturing safe and spacious places for those outside the heterosexual mainstream to explore and grow in faith in Jesus Christ.”
    www.newdirection.ca

    Dr. Lawrence Brice — Author of The Uncomfortable Church: Can Gays be Reconciled To The Body Of Christ?
    “Is it REALLY possible for Bible believing Christians and the LGBT community to reconcile and move toward a place of understanding?”

  • THE DATING GAME — on TDMS!
    Our first Dating Game contestant, Danielle, is on her way... skipping down the merry road towards love - with Phil. (Who, incidentally, goes to the same church as Danielle, but it took ChristianMingle for them to find each other!) OUR NEXT DATING GAME CONTESTANT STARTS TODAY! And check this out... months ago, Valerie signed up for a Transformational Challenge at her gym and here are two of her goals.
    #1 - Transform my body into a runner's body by May 9th
    #2 - Go on a date by May 9th!
    HER FANCY DATE NIGHT IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY FREAKING 9th!!!
    (Click Here to find out more about Valerie and follow her quest to find love!)

    INTERESTED IN BECOMING OUR NEXT GAME CONTESTANT?
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love!
    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT: Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca)
    1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME!

    (If chosen, you will win a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND… after Drew helps you find the best possible match, ChristianMingle will not only give your special someone a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle as well, but they'll also pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town for both of you, including dinner at one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!)  **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area.

  • soulSURVIVOR!

    5 Religious Tribes Competing For The Soul Of One Person!
    OUTWITNESS - OUTPRAY - OUTSAVE

    Five religious Tribes competing for the soul of one person, by explaining to our soulSURVIVOR what it is that their Tribe actually believes! And the Tribal Leaders will NOT have immunity! Our soulSURVIVOR will be able to challenge, critique, or question any aspect of all Tribal codes! At the end of the contest, our soulSURVIVOR will then decide which Tribe presented the most compelling case for faith - Then reveal to us if they'll be joining that Tribe! Listen in as 5 religious Tribes witness, sell and explain their faith to a genuine & passionate seeker! A soulSURVIVOR, who's been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world!  (SoulSURVIVOR – One who has been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world then decide if they want to join one of the Tribes. Or – Catalina!)

    *If you'd like to be our NEXT soulSURVIVOR, email us all your contact details and why you think that YOU would make the best soulSURVIVOR!

    TODAY'S TRIBAL LEADER  — Imam Dr. Jamal Badawi
    Dr. Jamal Badawi is an Egyptian born Muslim Canadian. He is “Professor Emeritus” at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he served as Professor of Religious Studies. He is a well-known author, activist, preacher and speaker on Islam and is the author of many books and articles on Islam. Dr. Badawi also researched and presented a 352 segment television series on Islam. He actively participates in lectures, seminars and interfaith dialogues in North America and has been invited as a guest speaker in various functions throughout the world. Additionally, he is active in several Islamic organizations, including Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Islamic Juridical Council of North America, The European Council of Fatwa and Research and the International Union of Islamic Scholars. He is the founder/chairman of the Islamic Information Foundation, which is a non-profit organization seeking to promote a better understanding of Islam and the Muslims. Currently, he is the Vice-Chairman of the Islamic University. Dr. Badawi has also been serving as a volunteer Imam of the local Muslim community in Halifax since 1970.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A woman wants to know if men who cheat ever actually change – in other words, should she trust her cheating husband and give him a third chance?

    A number of years ago my husband admitted to me that he cheated on me with a close friend of his. When this woman was going through her own separation and divorce, we welcomed her into our home so that she would have a place to stay until she found her own apartment. Yes, I look back on that and realize how stupid that was of me! I spend quite a while beating myself up about not seeing what was going on right in front of my eyes. A few months ago, I found out that my husband was cheating on me AGAIN! I was devastated and incredibly angry, so I told him to pack up his stuff and get out of my life. We've just now decided to go to counseling in order to move forward in the most amicable way possible. Whether it's divorce or reconciliation. YES... I'm actually considering reconciliation! But when I told a friend of mine that, she asked me if I was CRAZY! Actually, a few friends have told me that I'm nuts to even consider reconciliation. So am I nuts? I guess most people can understand a woman forgiving her husband of ONE affair. But two? And another one of my friends pointed out the fact that as far as I know, my husband could have had multiple affairs. But I'm trying to figure out the balance between forgiveness/restoration & healthy boundaries/closure. So I guess I'm looking for answers to two main questions. Knowing that my husband has cheated on me twice, should I even consider reconciling with him? And do people think that “cheaters” can really change?

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Today's God & Stuff Guest: Abe Levy – Religion Reporter for The San Antonio Express-News

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show March 16, 2013

Special Guests

  • Steve Stockman
    “Stocki” is the minister of Fitzroy Presbyterian Church in Belfast, N. Ireland and blogs about where his faith and culture meets. He's also the author of Walk On; The Spiritual Journey of U2. Throughout Walk On, author Steve Stockman mines the band's public works and interviews to see if Bono found what he was looking for. He follows the band from their early days in Dublin's Shalom Christian Fellowship all the way to their Elevation tour. Along the way, he examines not only the band's story, but also the symbolism and story behind their songs, and the larger issues of church, culture and the Christian Ghetto.

  • Peter Rollins — Author, Philosopher, Theologian, Storyteller, Belfast Boy!
    Peter is the founder of ikon, a faith group that has gained an international reputation for blending live music, visual imagery, soundscapes, theatre, ritual and reflection to create what they call ‘transformance art’. Peter gained his higher education from Queens University, Belfast and has earned degrees (with distinction) in Scholastic Philosophy (BA Hons), Political Theory (MA) and Post-Structural thought (PhD). He is currently a research associate with the Irish School of Ecumenics in Trinity College, Dublin and is the author of the much talked about How (Not) to Speak of God. His most recent work is entitled Insurrection. He was born in Belfast but currently resides in Greenwich, CT and is employed by The Olson Foundation. “To believe is human. To doubt, Divine!”

  • Francis Xavier (Chip) Flaherty Jr. — Executive Vice-President and Publisher of Walden Media
    Reasons we have “Chip” on the show today:
    1/ He and his brother run THE most successful family friendly film production companies, bringing us the Academy Award winning "Chronicles of Narnia” series; "Journey to the Center of the Earth," starring Brendan Frasier, the first live-action digitally captured 3D feature film in history; "Nim's Island" starring Academy Award winner Jodie Foster, Academy Award nominee Abigal Breslin and Gerard Butler; "Charlotte's Web," with an all-star cast including Dakota Fanning, Academy Award winners Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey and Robert Redford; and "Ray," for which Jamie Foxx received an Academy Award for his performance as Ray Charles. Current and upcoming Walden Media films include "The Tooth Fairy," starring Dwayne Johnson, Julie Andrews, Ashley Judd and Billy Crystal; and of course Return To Nim's Island starring Bindi Irwin, daughter of the beloved late family entertainment icon, Steve Irwin (“Crocodile Hunter”). Cool!
    2/ Prior to his tenure at Walden Media, Mr. Flaherty served the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an Assistant District Attorney (Essex County) and, later, as an Assistant Attorney General. Very Cool!
    3/He's got a cool Irish name for our St. Patrick's Day Special! Super Cool!
    4/ It sorta sounds like we're interviewing the new Pope! FREAKING AWESOME!

  • Sammy Horner — Not Your Average Celtic Musician
    “Do I look like a man with a bio? Basically I'm Irish, grew up fighting, never stopped. Everything pisses me off and I seem to live day to day in varying degrees of pissed off-ed-ness. I am a reluctant pastor (tho I suspect not for long...at present our elders will only agree to speak to me by phone and if they have a witness with them...honest to God) and the Baptists won't accept my original ordination, but for some reason won't even start the process for ordination until I go to six months worth of 'tea and buns' meetings so they can get to know me. Believe me, tea and buns are not the way to get to know me. My reply to this was only two words... the second one is 'off'. I am stupid enough not to be scared of any man and damn few women, but I will be glad to come on your show. Because after St. Paddy's day I suspect my job, house and visa will be revoked. Let me know what swear words are acceptable so I can ignore you.”

  • Joel Rosenberg — New York Times Bestselling Author
    Joel C. Rosenberg is the author of The Last Jihad, The Last Days, The Ezekiel, Option, The Copper Scroll, Dead Heat, Epicenter, Inside the Revolution, Implosion, The Invested Life, The Twelfth Imam, The Tehran Initiative, and Israel at War, with a total of more than 2.5 million copies sold. As a communications adviser, Joel has worked with a number of U.S. and Israeli leaders, including Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, Natan Sharansky, and Benjamin Netanyahu. His latest book, Damascus Countdown, is the third and final book in Rosenberg’s Twelfth Imam series. Joel, who has earned a reputation for writing novels that seem “ripped from tomorrow’s headlines,” has once again crafted a geopolitical thrill ride that couldn’t be timelier.

  • THE DATING GAME — on TDMS!
    STOP THE PRESSES! - Danielle has found Mr. Right in only 4 weeks! And it took christianmingle.com to help them find each other, EVEN THOUGH THEY BOTH GO TO THE SAME CHURCH! Danielle joins us to give us the “what what” on what the heck went down and why she's decided to step back only half way through the contest and let someone else become the NEXT Drew Marshall Show Dating Game contestant! (Which begins NEXT SATURDAY!)

    INTERESTED IN BECOMING OUR NEXT GAME CONTESTANT?
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love!
    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT: Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca)
    1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME!

    (If chosen, you will win a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND… after Drew helps you find the best possible match, ChristianMingle will not only give your special someone a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle as well, but they'll also pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town for both of you, including dinner at one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!)  **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area.

  • soulSURVIVOR!

    5 Religious Tribes Competing For The Soul Of One Person!
    OUTWITNESS - OUTPRAY - OUTSAVE

    Five religious Tribes competing for the soul of one person, by explaining to our soulSURVIVOR what it is that their Tribe actually believes! And the Tribal Leaders will NOT have immunity! Our soulSURVIVOR will be able to challenge, critique, or question any aspect of all Tribal codes! At the end of the contest, our soulSURVIVOR will then decide which Tribe presented the most compelling case for faith - Then reveal to us if they'll be joining that Tribe! Listen in as 5 religious Tribes witness, sell and explain their faith to a genuine & passionate seeker! A soulSURVIVOR, who's been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world!  (SoulSURVIVOR – One who has been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world then decide if they want to join one of the Tribes. Or – Catalina!)

    *If you'd like to be our NEXT soulSURVIVOR, email us all your contact details and why you think that YOU would make the best soulSURVIVOR!

    TODAY'S TRIBAL LEADER  — Dr. Robert L. Millet, Leading Mormon Scholar
    An expert on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Dr. Robert L. Millet is Professor of Ancient Scripture and a former Dean of Religious Education at Brigham Young University. Dr. Millet is also a frequent contributor on BYU Television and a prominent speaker and author. He has also served in various roles in the LDS (Mormon) Church and is an expert on the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. He earned a Master’s from BYU in Psychology and a Ph.D. from Florida State University in Biblical Studies and Nineteenth and Twentieth-Century Religious Thought. Dr. Millet has served in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a bishop, stake president, temple worker, and member of the Church Materials Evaluation Committee.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A husband and wife are arguing about whether or not all this POPE stuff really matters. The husband thinks that the Catholic church has too much power & money and doesn't think one man should be revered so much, while the wife feels that the Catholic church, in spite of it's negative press, is THE Church and that the Holy Father has been put there by God Himself. (Sounds like this Protestant/Catholic couple lives in Belfast!) They want TDMS to do a phone survey to settle their fight!

    My husband and I are arguing AGAIN about the importance of the Pope. I am still a Catholic but he's walked away from The Church. Yes... I said THE Church, because I believe that the catholic church is THE one true church, just as I believe that the Pope is chosen by God and is our Holy Father! My husband on the other hand, is “fed up with the entire catholic church. It has too much power, too much money and one religious leader should not be worshiped the way the Pope is worshiped.” Personally, I think my husband is just bitter because someone in his family was abused by a Catholic priest. Anyway, we just decided that we would ask the listeners of your show to help settle this argument between us. I'd like to know how many people agree with me – the good Catholic girl who is part of the REAL body of Christ and will submit to the authority and leadership of the Holy Father, no questions asked! And how many people agree with my bitter, lapsed Catholic husband? Is the world making too much out of the catholic church electing a new Pope? Does it really matter?

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Today's God & Stuff Guest: Senior Religion Editor for The AOL/Huffington Post Media Group

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show March 9, 2013

Special Guests

  • Mark Burnett — Emmy Award Winner & Creator of "The Voice" (NBC), "Survivor" (CBS), "The Celebrity Apprentice" (NBC), "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” (FOX), “Shark Tank” (ABC) and “Expedition Impossible” (ABC)

    AND

    Roma Downey — Emmy and Golden Globe Nominated Actress, “Monica” on Touched By An Angel
    From Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett comes The Bible — an epic 10-part miniseries retelling stories from the Scriptures for a whole new generation. Breathtaking in scope and scale, The Bible features powerful performances, exotic locales and dazzling visual effects that breathe spectacular life into the dramatic tales of faith and courage from Genesis through Revelation. This historic television event is sure to entertain and inspire the whole family. Last Sunday's History Channel premiere drew 13.1 million total viewers, topping any show on the major broadcast networks!

  • Alister McGrath — Theologian, Historian, Apologist, Author of C.S.Lewis – A Life
    Even those well-acquainted with the life and work of the legendary Chronicles Of Narnia creator, will discover never before revealed information, including provocative facts that re-open the question of the chronology of Lewis’s faith conversion. Dr. Alister McGrath is the only scholar to have conducted a complete, chronological analysis of the entire collection of Lewis’s letters and archives. Alister McGrath, one of the world's leading Christian theologians, is Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College London, and Head of its Center for Theology, Religion and Culture. Before moving to King's College, he was Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford University. Like Lewis, McGrath was born in Belfast, and became an atheist as a young man, before rediscovering the Christian faith at Oxford University. McGrath's deep knowledge of Christian theology, history, and literature allows him to interpret Lewis against a broad backdrop, presenting a fascinating portrait of the development of Lewis's mind and his impact on western culture.

  • The Most Loyal — Recording Artists
    The Most Loyal is a folk rock project led by Gatineau-born songwriter Sarah Davignon. The band, composed of neighbors and loved ones, is performing their newly-recorded full-length album all over Toronto. Dave Burke – bass / Melissa Burke – vocal / Sarah Davignon - guitar, lead vocal / Ian Koiter – piano/organ / Ian MacKay – drums / Andrew Patten - electric guitar / Caitlin Wood - vocal

  • Eryn-Faye — Canada's Passion Coach, Author of The Essential Elements of Sex: 9 Secrets to a Lifetime of Intimacy
    For almost ten years, Eryn-Faye (LL.B) has done extensive research and coached thousands of individuals and couples. The results? While 70 per cent of divorces are instigated by women, most resources on the topic of sex in marriage are written by men. After uncovering this enormous problem, Eryn-Faye has been even more committed to being a thoughtful, respectful but very real voice addressing marital intimacy. “Sex is consistently listed as one of the top 2 factors contributing towards divorce. When a couple is having difficulty in their sex life they are usually facing problems in other areas of their marriage as well. My goal is to resource these couples with tools that will guide them towards getting their marriage in a healthy place again” said Eryn-Faye. In December 2012 she released her most popular workshop to the public as a book, entitled The Essential Elements of Sex: 9 Secrets to a Lifetime of Intimacy. Both the book and workshop provides readers with the building blocks they need to achieve the sex life they’ve always hoped for in their marriage.

  • soulSURVIVOR!
    5 Religious Tribes Competing For The Soul Of One Person!
    OUTWITNESS - OUTPRAY - OUTSAVE

    Five religious Tribes competing for the soul of one person, by explaining to our soulSURVIVOR what it is that their Tribe actually believes! And the Tribal Leaders will NOT have immunity! Our soulSURVIVOR will be able to challenge, critique, or question any aspect of all Tribal codes! At the end of the contest, our soulSURVIVOR will then decide which Tribe presented the most compelling case for faith - Then reveal to us if they'll be joining that Tribe! Listen in as 5 religious Tribes witness, sell and explain their faith to a genuine & passionate seeker! A soulSURVIVOR, who's been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world!

    *If you'd like to be our NEXT soulSURVIVOR, email us all your contact details and why you think that YOU would make the best soulSURVIVOR! soulsurvivor@drewmarshall.ca
    To find out more go to www.soulsurvivor.com

    THIS WEEK: We introduce you to our soulSURVIVOR Contestant – Catalina.

  • THE DATING GAME — on TDMS!
    Today we'll check in with our contestant, Danielle, and find out how the search for Mr. Right is going!
    (Danielle has won a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND… after Drew helps her find the best possible match, ChristianMingle will not only give the lucky guy a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle, but they'll also pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town with Danielle and HOPEFULLY that special someone, and dinner at one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!)

    INTERESTED IN BECOMING OUR NEXT DATING GAME CONTESTANT?
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love! TO BECOME A CONTESTANT: Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca) 1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME! **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area.

God Blogger

  • Peter Enns
    With a B.S. in Behavioral Science, a Masters Of Divinity, and a Ph. D. from Harvard in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Peter has taught at Westminster Theological Seminary and at Harvard University, Princeton Theological Seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary, Lutheran Theological Seminary (Philadelphia), Biblical Theological Seminary, Temple University, and Eastern University. He is currently on the faculty at Eastern. His academic interests include: Old Testament Theology, Biblical Theology, Wisdom Literature (esp. Ecclesiastes), the NT’s use of the OT, Second Temple literature, and the general issue of how ancient Scripture intersects with modern thought. Blah blah blah... What you really need to know is that he's a fan of The Simpsons, The Office & The Yankees! A few of his posts: Outgrowing Evangelicalism: It's Not Just for Scholars Anymore / The Most Frightening Verse in the Bible (at least for me) / “The Bible” on the History Channel: Not the Absolute Train Wreck I Thought it Would Be / The Deeper Scandal of the Evangelical Mind: We Are Not Allowed to Use It

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A man wants to know if he's out of line for wanting women, especially Christian women, to stop dressing like they want sex!

    I realize that my opinion will be considered sexist by many, but speaking as a single male, I personally think that the majority of women are dressing like sluts. And yes, what I mean is that they are dressing like they are trying to attract a male for the purpose of – as Sheldon says from Big Bang Theory – coitus! And the church is no different. Women from my church at least, seem to have no clue that how they choose to dress, actually compels men to look at the various body parts they are obviously trying to highlight! And when we focus on your body parts, we focus on sex. It's pretty easy. And it seems like you are too! When us guys can see your thong lines or thong straps showing – it turns us on. When you bend over and reveal your tramp stamp – it turns us on. When we can see your nipples through your top – it turns us on. When you wear pants tight enough to reveal – well, EVERYTHING – it turns us on. When you push your breasts up to the point of major cleavage exposure – it turns us on. Now, the usual responses I get from people when I bring these points up are: “Well you're the one getting turned on so it's your problem!” OR “So what, you expect women to dress like they're from Little House On The Prairie?” I realize that the lust issue is ours – BUT DRESSING LIKE SLUTS DOES NOT HELP US! And no, I obviously don't want women to dress like the Amish! But shouldn't the Christian women at least be aware of how their dress choices are affecting us men? Shouldn't Christian women dress differently then the rest of the world? There was a Toronto police officer who got into trouble a while ago for saying to a bunch of college aged girls, something to the effect that, if you're going to dress like sluts then don't be surprised if you are sexually assaulted. Maybe not the best thing for someone in such a politically correct position to say – but is it not true? I'd be interested to know if I'm the ONLY man who feels this way.

    Need Help or Advice On An Issue In Your Life? Click here to tell us your situation and Drew will ask the listeners of TDMS!

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Today's God & Stuff Guest: Manya Brachear - Religion Reporter at The Chicago Tribune (This week, Manya is reporting from Rome.)

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show March 2, 2013

Special Guests

  • Susie McLean — Recording Artist
    With an extensive musical background and unique style described as jazz/soul with folk undertones, many industry professionals have described Susie McLean's style to resemble the legendary Norah Jones and Corinne Bailey Rae. She is not only an acclaimed singer, but also a model and actress who can be seen on TV shows and National commercial campaigns throughout the U.S, Canada and Europe. Susie has worked with Juno Award winning producer, Roy Oommen, Grammy Nominee musician Pat Kilbride, and the notable drummer Mark Kelso who has shared the stage with Michael Buble, David Foster and Shania Twain. With a compelling life story that has touched the lives of many young women, her voice has the clarity that comes from the strength of someone who has felt deep pain and yet found joy. “When my younger brother died from Leukemia three years ago I was heartbroken. I couldn’t believe I had lost someone so close at such a young age. He told me to live my life to the fullest and that’s why I’m still singing now”. She wants listeners to know there is hope that comes through brokenness. Susie aims to support charitable organizations that fight in the battle against cancer as well as groups that advocate on behalf of women.

  • Kerri Pomarolli — Comedian, Actress, Author
    That's right folks! It's time for our semi-regular visit with our favourite (and only) Hollywood Correspondent!

  • Irene Hannon — Award Winning Author
    Irene has written more than 40 romance and romantic suspense novels. Her books have been honored with two RITA awards—the “Oscar” of romantic fiction—and she is a six-time finalist for that prestigious honor. Her books have also won a Daphne du Maurier award, a Carol award, a HOLT Medallion, a National Readers’ Choice Award, a Retailers Choice Award and two Reviewers’ Choice awards from RTBook Reviews magazine. One of her novels was also named by Booklist as one of the top 10 inspirational fiction books of 2011. Irene, who holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full-time. She is happy to say she has no regrets! In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, gardening and singing.  A trained vocalist, she has sung the leading role in numerous musicals, including South Pacific, Brigadoon, Oklahoma, The King and I and Anything Goes. She is also a soloist at her church.

  • Gina Holmes — Award Winning Author
    Gina Holmes is the founder of Inspire a Fire and Novel Rocket. She writes what many describe as “self-help fiction”. Her debut, Crossing Oceans, was a Book of the Year, Christy and Gold Medallion finalist and winner of the Carol Award, INSPY, and RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice, as well as being a CBA, ECPA, Amazon and PW Religion bestseller. Her sophomore novel, Dry as Rain, released in 2011 and her 3rd, Wings of Glass releases March 2013. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her family in southern Virginia. She works too hard, laughs too loud, and longs to see others heal from their past and discover their God-given purpose.

  • Jayne E. Self — Award Winning Author
    Jayne E. Self is the award winning author of Harbourlight’s Seaglass Mysteries. Her first mystery, Murder In Hum Harbour won the 2012 Canadian Christian Writing Award for their mystery category, and was runner-up for The Grace Irwin Award, Canada’s largest Christian literary award. Jayne’s second mystery, Death of a Highland Heavyweight was released June 2012. She is also the Director of Write! Canada, Canada’s largest Christian writers’ Conference, a member of The Word Guild, and Crime Writers of Canada. Jane has been a chambermaid, telephone operator (think Lily Tomlin), registered nurse, and grocery store clerk. This pastor’s wife, mom of three adult boys and new Gramma has just shown the world that it's never too late to do what you love!

  • Jill Sprawson
    Jill and her husband Andrew were both adult survivors of childhood brain cancer when they started getting to know each other at a support group for cancer survivors. They began a long distance relationship and four years later, got married. Unfortunately, another type of Cancer came back and on the day of their 15th anniversary last year, Andrew went into a coma. On the same day his boys came back from summer camp, Andrew passed away. Now, after 15 years of marriage, Jill has to not only endure life with the lingering effects of brain Cancer, but she's also been thrust into the role of single mother to a 12 and 14 year old. Jill joins us to share how she's coping with her loss and her fears.

  • THE DATING GAME — on TDMS!
    Today we'll check in with our contestant, Danielle, and find out how the search for Mr. Right is going! Last week, Danielle told us that she had literally HUNDREDS of guys contact her after creating her ChristianMingle profile! This week we'll find out if Danielle has been able to narrow things down a bit – at least to a measley 50!
    (Danielle has won a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND… after Drew helps her find the best possible match, ChristianMingle will not only give the lucky guy a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle, but they'll also pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town with Danielle and HOPEFULLY that special someone, and dinner at one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!)

    INTERESTED IN BECOMING OUR NEXT DATING GAME CONTESTANT?
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love!
    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT: Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca)
    1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME!
    **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area.

God Blogger

  • Jean Ann Williams — Love Truth: Hope After Suicide
    I am a grief expert, but not because I’m a counselor with a degree who helps others through loss. And even though I’ve lost important and meaningful people in my life from the age of ten, that’s not the reason, either. It’s because I’ve plunged through the center of the most difficult grieving journey for nine years. A wise woman from 'The Compassionate Friends' told me this after my son Joshua died, 'Go right through the middle of your pain. Do not stifle it. Do not deny it exists. This way you will take less time to go through the harshest part of your journey of loss. Best of all, you will have learned the value of compassion for others.''”

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A woman wants to know how to get rid of a proselytizing patron who is stalking her spiritually at the Pub she works at.

    I’m not a Christian and don’t want to become a Christian – I have actually been reading about Buddhism and think that IF I decided to land on a faith, that that may be the one but really, I’m undecided. What I do know is that Christianity is not for me – already ruled that one out. So why am I writing into a show on a Christian radio station? I stumbled onto Drew’s show while Googling Deepak Chopra and actually really enjoyed listening to the interview. I’ve listened to a few other interviews with people from ‘other’ faiths and I like Drew’s perspective and since my problem is with a Christian I thought you guys might be the best ones to ask advice from, so here we go... I work as a bartender and every week the same guy comes into my pub, sits down at my bar, orders a pint and consistently drives the conversation to Christianity, and ultimately to why I should be ‘saved’. He’s actually a really nice guy (and kinda cute - if it wasn’t for the constant preaching I might have considered asking him out!) I have said I’m not interested in many ways (nicely and not so nicely) but he’s not getting the message. When I asked around I found out that he is a part of a church in town that is encouraging their congregation to “pick a sinner” and ‘get them saved’. WOW! Just so you know, I find that offensive (might be why I’ve ruled out Christianity as a religion!). I’m wondering what my next step should be. He’s not taking NO for an answer and it’s getting to be a bit much. If he came to my door I could just not answer it or close the door in his face but he’s coming into the place where I work - there should be a law against this! Anyway, I’m guessing that the majority of those listening to this show are Christian – he’s one of yours – so what do I do with him? Do I go to his church and complain to the pastor (or powers that be)? Do I ask the owner of the Pub to ban him from coming in? Or do I just suck it up – I’m a bartender, it’s part of my job to listen to these weirdos! This is your religion – how do I deal with this? Is there some secret catch phrase or safe word I can use to get him to go away?

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    In honour of next week's International Chick's Day, today's God & Stuff guests are also the hosts of today's show (Drew is on holidays) - Television's Melinda Estabrooks & Kim Macleran.

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show February 23, 2013

Special Guests

  • Cheryl Ladd — So Much More Than Charlie's Angel!
    Evangelist Billy Graham is one of the few personalities who could unite 101 individuals from different faiths, cultures and political ideologies. For the first time in its 20-year history, Chicken Soup For The Soul is releasing a one-of-a-kind tribute book composed of stories and recollections honoring a single individual. All 101 contributors to Chicken Soup For The Soul: Billy Graham & Me recognize Mr. Graham’s unique ability to inspire leaders from diverse disciplines and faiths, all sharing their respect and appreciation for the evangelist’s extraordinary influence over the last six decades. In addition to stories from every living U.S. President and many other influential world leaders, the book contains tributes from artists and athletes such as Wynonna Judd, Charlie Daniels, Dan Rather, Larry King, Kathie Lee Gifford, actors Cheryl Ladd and Kevin Sorbo, and model turned entrepreneur Kathy Ireland. Last week, Larry King and Kevin Sorbo (Hercules) joined us to talk about Billy. This week we're joined by one of Charlie's Angels, Cheryl Ladd.
    www.chickensoup.com

  • Preetam Sengupta — Singer/Songwriter
    Preetam Sengupta came onto the Canadian singer/songwriter scene through the side door, having first dedicated his energy to helping artists make a living through their music through his management/record company, Letting Artists Make Art www.lamavision.com Through LAMA, he began building relationships within the music industry and hosted performances to showcase the artists he worked with. Occasionally, with hopes of maximizing income for the artists, he'd volunteer to play as the opener, digging back into a repertoire of cover songs from artists like Pearl Jam, Van Morrison, Bob Marley, U2, and the Beatles. He slowly started bringing some of his original music into the fold. (hopeFull) is a melancholic album with a glint of hope, or a hopeful album with a touch of melancholy. Either way, this raw and honest roots recording features the songs at their core, with Preetam singing and playing guitar, and musician friends breathing subtle life into them. www.preetam.ca

    AND

    Ambre McLean — Singer/Songwriter
    Ambre sings the kind of songs that make you remember lost loves and abandoned dreams. She comes by her musical gifts honestly. Both her parents were professional musicians when she was a child, and they commenced her formal musical training at the age of three. As the years progressed, her musical education included piano, guitar and vocal training. After nearly twenty years of writing and performing, it was only recently that Ambre decided to step into the limelight full time. By car and by train (by way of Via Rail’s Musician on Board Program), she has been zigzagging across the country. Promoting not only her newest album “Murder at the Smokehouse” but also touring in support of a re-released “I Wonder If”, her haunting piano-based album. A regular on the Canadian music festival circuit, Ambre has played Halifax's In The Dead Of Winter Festival, Guelph's Hillside Festival, Tilsonburg Festival, The Marmora Jamboree as well as the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. She won the prestigious 2010 Ontario Council of Folk Festival’s "Songs From The Heart Award" for her song “Me, My Heart And The Moon”. She's also won Guelph’s inaugural Songwriting Competition in 2009, and is a two time "ECHO People’s Choice" for Best Female Singer/Songwriter.

  • Jay Bakker — Son of TV Evangelists Jim & Tammy Faye Bakker, Author, Pastor
    Jay Bakker is co-pastor of Revolution NYC. He's a gay rights activist and winner of the 2012 PFLAG Straight for Equality In Faith Communities award. He is a grace enthusiast, a dyslexic-introverted- pessimist, and a prisoner of hope. Jay's previous books include Son of a Preacher Man and Fall to Grace: A Revolution of God, Self, and Society. His latest book is called Faith, Doubt, And Other Lines I've Crossed: Walking with the Unknown God. Jay lives in Brooklyn, yo!

  • Lorna Dueck — Host and Executive Producer of Context with Lorna Dueck, Globe & Mail Columnist

    AND
    Justin Trottier — Centre for Inquiry Canada's Chief Spokesperson, Canadian Secular Alliance Board Member
    This week, in her Globe & Mail column, Lorna Dueck praised the Harper government for "finally" allocating $5 Million towards the new Office Of Religious Freedom initiative, whose mandate it is to help victims of horrendous acts of religious persecution, around the world. BUT Justin Trottier doubts the sincerity of the government's commitment to help atheists being persecuted because of their non-belief. (As in the case of an Indonesian man jailed for over 2 years for writing "There is no god" on Facebook.) As well, some members of the media have expressed their disgust at the Canadian government "wasting" $5 Million on what some would call an historically "unsolvable issue" in other parts of the world, especially when our national debt has never been higher!
    www.contextwithlornadueck.com

  • THE DATING GAME - on TDMS!
    Today we'll check in with our contestant, Danielle, and find out how the search for Mr. Right is going! Last week, Danielle visited us in the studio and created her ChristianMingle profile, while 'Tim The Tool' and Drew chirped in her ear the entire time! (We're sure the boys were a big help!)

    (Danielle has won a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND… after Drew helps her find the best possible match, ChristianMingle will not only give the lucky guy a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle, but they'll also pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town with Danielle and HOPEFULLY that special someone, and dinner at one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!)

    INTERESTED IN BECOMING OUR NEXT DATING GAME CONTESTANT?
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love!
    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT: Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca)
    1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME!
    **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area.

God Blogger

  • Lauren Dubinsky — Editor of goodwomenproject.com
    We exist for the 15-25(ish) year old girl who is trying to figure out how to be a woman.
    We exist to be a big sister or a mom that you never had.
    We exist to help women love themselves and others.
    We exist for the girl who isn’t finding all her answers in a church building.
    We exist for the girl who isn’t doesn’t like or believe in church or God, too.
    We exist to encourage women to grow into themselves, not into someone’s expectation.
    We exist to create best-friend conversations between single women and married women.
    We exist to share stories without judgment and questions without embarrassment.

    AND her own blog www.laurennicolelove.com/blog
    this blog = words that make me feel. documentation of what i create. nature. traveling. my new heart. lessons i'm learning about sex + love, pain + grief, & the jesus i thought i knew but didn't. also, unsolicited advice on blog design.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A man is bothered by the fact that a friend of his is the leader of a ministry and drives a Mercedes and lives in a mansion. He wants to know if others think that there's a certain lifestyle Christians should be living. He also wants to know if he should confront his friend about his opulence or just leave it alone.

    I've been friends with a guy who leads a big ministry, for a few years now. We're not super close – just guy close. Even though we're friends, I've never actually been to his house before. This past Christmas he invited my wife and I to his place for a big party. And when I say big – I mean BIG! There were well over 100 people there. Of course to hold a party like that, you have to have a massive place. And he does. Seriously, it's gotta be worth at least a few million. Before going to his place I figured he must have been doing alright because he drives a Mercedes. And as I think back on it, the fact that he drove a luxury car and is also the head of a big ministry (which I won't name) bothered me right from the start. But I guess I just let it go. Heck, I've got too many of my own issues to deal with before I start confronting a guy about the car he drives. However, now that I've seen the way he lives – in a stinkin mansion – it makes my blood boil. Of course, that got me thinking about how Christians should actually live. What should our lifestyle LOOK like. I don't think there's anything wrong with having some good investments and savings, but shouldn't we always think through our purchases, even more than others? Especially if we are leading a charity or ministry? After all, what's ours is not ours – it's God's. How can he not see that others probably look at his mansion and Mercedes and wonder about the integrity of the charity or ministry – never mind people doing the math and coming to the conclusion that this “Christian” could be using more of his money for others instead of opulence? Hey, the people I know who wouldn't set foot inside a church still get the WWJD concept! Am I alone on this or am I just being too judgey? I'm also wondering if I should sit down and have a chat with the guy. I know... it's probably none of my business what he spends his money on. But it frustrates me when I think about how many people might be laughing at Jesus – or his ministry – because of my buddy's lifestyle! What should I do?

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My! Today's God & Stuff Guest: Eric Marrapodi - CNN Sr. Producer & CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show February 16, 2013

Special Guests

  • Kevin Sorbo — Actor, Played Lead in Hit TV Show Hercules
    Larry King — Talk Show Host, Author & Television Icon
    Evangelist Billy Graham is one of the few personalities who could unite 101 individuals from different faiths, cultures and political ideologies. For the first time in it's 20-year history, Chicken Soup for the Soul is releasing a one-of-a-kind tribute book composed of stories and recollections honoring a single individual. All 101 contributors to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Billy Graham & Me recognize Mr. Graham’s unique ability to inspire leaders from diverse disciplines and faiths, all sharing their respect and appreciation for the evangelist’s extraordinary influence over the last six decades. In addition to stories from every living U.S. President and many other influential world leaders, the book contains tributes from artists and athletes such as Wynonna Judd, Charlie Daniels, Dan Rather, Larry King, Kathie Lee Gifford, actors Cheryl Ladd and Kevin Sorbo, and model turned entrepreneur Kathy Ireland. We'll be joined today by previous guests of TDMS Larry King & Kevin Sorbo.

  • Quinton Aaron — Actor, Starred In The Sandra Bullock Hit The Blind Side
    Last week we spoke with Leigh Anne Tuohy whose heart warming family story was portrayed in the Sandra Bullock hit movie, The Blind Side. The Tuohy family adopted a young black kid who needed a break in life. A couple of weeks ago, #74 on the Baltimore Ravens – the kid who needed a break - won his first Superbowl! The actor who played #74 Michael Oher, was Quinton Aaron. It was his first lead role! Quinton himself is truly a winner. He continues to fight his own battle with obesity & healing from the bullying he faced as a young child. ​​​

  • David Joseph — Singer/Songwriter
    A few months ago Drew was sitting in his local pub during “Open Mic” night and a big guy with unkempt hair walked up on stage. The crowd was prepared for yet another “singer” whose mother told them their whole lives that they could sing!

  • Moses Znaimer — Media Pioneer, Broadcasting Mogul
    Moses Znaimer is an internationally renowned Canadian broadcaster and media pioneer, founder of some 20 popular Canadian television channels and stations, including Citytv and MuchMusic. In 2008, Marketing Magazine named Moses one of the Top 10 Canadian Media Moguls Of The Past 100 Years. Currently, he is the Founder and CEO of ZoomerMedia Limited, a unique multi-media company devoted to serving the interests and needs of Canada’s 45plus, which also owns VisionTV.
    www.visiontv.ca

    AND

    Majed El Shafie — Founder of One Free World International
    Arrested, tortured and sentenced to die in Egypt because of his Christian faith, Rev. Majed El Shafie escaped and received political asylum in Canada. Today, he is the, pressuring governments, and challenging world and spiritual leaders to fight religious persecution.

  • THE DATING GAME — on TDMS!
    Today is the day we reveal who our contestant is on THE DREW MARSHALL SHOW DATING GAME! Our contestant will join us LIVE in studio & will fill out their ChristianMingle.com membership with Drew & Tim The Tool looking on. And then... the search begins!

    Our DATING GAME contestant will receive A FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle.com AND… after Drew helps them find the best possible match, ChristianMingle.com will pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town. (HOPEFULLY with that special someone) A chauffeur driven limousine to one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!

    INTERESTED IN BECOMING OUR NEXT DATING GAME CONTESTANT?
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love!
    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT: Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca)
    1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME!
    **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A woman who has been battling a variety of chronic health issues for years is tired of the pain and the unanswered prayers and frustrated with the fact that even her own church elders can't find time to come and pray over her. She wants to know why she shouldn't quit on God?

    I have learned some very difficult & valuable lessons in the past year and a half. I have learned who my friends really are. I have learned that just because you work for a Christian organization doesn’t mean that the people in the organization actually care about you. I have asked several times for some of the “elders”, my co-workers, people who I thought cared about me and who believe in the power of prayer, to come and visit me to pray over me. But, they have been too busy for 17 months now!!! I am discouraged with religious people (not all of them)! I am discouraged with doctors and waiting lists. I am trying to be patient, but God knows my heart best and well. He knows that my line of patience has now snapped. Are God’s plans for my future to just fizzle out my life as I waste each day, each hour, each minute being sick? Too sick to focus and concentrate and function on a daily basis, but not too sick to die. I feel like quitting – on God. My prayer: “Dear Lord, I am miserable today. I want to get healthy and I don’t know how. What am I missing? Do you not want me to be well? Is my life’s purpose just to sit around my house and be sick all the time? This illness is taking a toll on my patience, on my strength, on my marriage, on my financial health and on my mental health. Do you want me to just turtle and give up? Is that what being empty is all about? Just giving up and accepting that I am sick and not going to get better! Do I not qualify for the promises of Jeremiah 29:11? I have felt this way before. Are you just trying to remind me of the time I wasted with my life. Is this payback for my mistakes? I don’t believe you are that kind of God. Or are you just pushing me to see how long it takes until I break? The illness, the pain it causes on a daily basis and now the psychological beating I am taking by being stuck at home and unable to work or drive or do much of anything at all. Is this life not worth living in a productive and loving manner, because the more I sit here, the more I want to just give up. God, what are you trying to teach me? I want to learn, but your message is obviously in a different language than mine. Am I not worthy enough to be healed?”

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My! Today's God & Stuff Guest: Michelle Boorstein – Religion Reporter with The Washington Post

  • Talkback
    Do you watch religious broadcasting? Which faith based TV show do you love? Which one do you hate?

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show February 9, 2013

Special Guests

  • Leigh Anne Tuohy — Mother of A Superbowl Champion & Sandra Bullock's Stunt Double!
    Aired on a variety of networks last weekend was the Sandra Bullock hit, The Blind Side. The story of the Tuohy family and how they came to adopt a young black kid who needed a break in life. This past Sunday, #74 on the Baltimore Ravens – the kid who need a break - won his first Superbowl! “People ask me all the time, 'How has this movie made you different?' Without hesitation my answer is that it has rocked my world! Not because people recognize me or tell me what a wonderful person I am, which is laughable, but it's that I look at everyone and think they have potential and value. I drive by a person holding a sign that reads, 'will work for food' and think, if I just invested time in that person, they could be the next greatest teacher or the best mechanic or the most amazing sales person in the world. That is the life changing impact The Blind Side has had on my life and the lives of my family. Don’t ever think one person can’t make a difference! The power of 1 is a game changer, the question is are you in the game?”

  • Laila Biali — Award-Winning Canadian Jazz Pianist, Vocalist & Songwriter
    Laila Biali has toured with Suzanne Vega, Chris Botti and Paula Cole and recorded with and supported the inimitable Sting. She takes the best of pop, rock and soul, informs it with her knowledge of Jazz and weaves it into her musical arrangements. Laila's music has been presented at prestigious venues spanning four continents including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Tokyo's Cotton Club, Peru's El Festival Internacional de Lima, and Carnegie Hall in New York City. Her latest studio recording Tracing Light received a JUNO nomination for "2011 Best Vocal Jazz Album of the Year" and her most recent release Live in Concert, recorded live in February 2012 in front of a gracious audience at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, captures the spirit of live performance so essential to Jazz. Live in Concert was in rotation at 73 radio stations in North America. Laila is also a member of the all female New York based neo-Classical crossover quartet Rose & the Nightingale whose members tour with Grammy award-winner Esperanza Spalding. Her accolades include "SOCAN Composer of the Year" and "Keyboardist of the Year" at Canada's National Jazz Awards. She currently splits her time between New York City and Toronto.
    *Laila is on tour NOW and hitting venues in New York, Quebec City, Ottawa, Markham and Hamilton this February and March! For tickets...

  • The Wiebes — GMA Award Winning Recording Artists
    The Wiebes are a TWO-TIME Covenant Award-winning group based out of Stratford, Ontario. (That's right – the Wiebes are from the same town as The Biebs!) Husband and wife duo, Shane and Angela, officially formed "The Wiebes" in 2007, and have since released four studio albums, including their most recent, "The Hymns Collection" (which won "Inspirational Album of the Year" at the Gospel Music Awards of Canada). Shane got his start when he climbed to the Top 5 spot on Season 2 of Canadian Idol, where he had the privilege of working with both Gordon Lightfoot and Lionel Richie. The Wiebes have literally sung for millions, appearing numerous times on television, and even charting on Canadian radio for their hit single "Christmas With You". What's most apparent about The Wiebes is their heart for God. To quote Shane and Angela, "We do what we do because we love music, we love each other, and we love God". And THAT'S why they're our Valentine's Day Special Guests!

  • THE DATING GAME
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there's a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! This Saturday during our Valentine's Day Special we're beginning a brand new segment on TDMS – THE DATING GAME, sponsored by Christian Mingle! A bit of fun looking for love - and we'll pick up the tab!

    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT:
    Email us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca)
    1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME!

    **The person selected to be our DATING GAME contestant will receive A FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND... after Drew helps you find the best possible match, we'll pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town with HOPEFULLY that special someone, in one of the GTA's most exclusive restaurants!!

    Maybe you've got a friend who would be PERFECT for this! Spread the word TODAY because we'll be choosing our contestant during the show THIS Saturday! (Contestants must live in the GTA and be over the age of 21)

  • Dawn Bennett — Divorce Lawyer
    Nothing says “Happy Valentine’s Day” like a divorce lawyer! It can be overwhelming when your marriage breaks down, but the fact is that even Christians end up divorcing. And unfortunately many people feel a sense of rejection from their church rather than support and healing. When the painful decision to divorce has been made, it's important to have someone that really knows the law but also understands your personal & spiritual needs. Dawn Bennett is a Family Lawyer who appreciates that divorce is a reality, and there are many Christians in need of legal council.

God Blogger

  • Fawn Weaver
    “First, there were the Stepford Wives. Then came the Desperate Housewives of Wisteria Lane. Followed by the "Real Housewives" of Orange County, Atlanta, Washington D.C., New Jersey and New York. Wives are miserable. Marriages usually fail. Husbands eventually cheat. This is what so many have come to believe. But this is not everyone's reality. It is certainly not mine. I am a happy wife. I love being married. I adore my husband. And I am not an anomaly. Yes, there are some unhappy wives, marriages that end in divorce and husbands who are unfaithful. But are they the majority? We don't believe they are and we're setting out to prove it. We're searching for at least 1 million happy wives all over the world. Those like us who enjoy being a wife, absolutely adore their husband and are still head-over-heels in love. Are you a Happy Wife?”

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A wife wants to know how to get out of the “28 days of sex” campaign that her church AND her husband are promoting.

    “For the month of February our church has been encouraging the married members to commit to 28 straight days of sex. They also want the singles to commit to NOT doing anything sexual for a month as well, which actually sounds more appealing to me. We're officially one week into this challenge and let's just say... I'm done! Sex everyday for an entire week is more than enough for me. To be honest, I'm really just doing this for my husband. I've never seen him sit up and pay attention to anything that our church has done before this. And I guess I can see where our leadership team is coming from with this whole thing. They are trying to get us to see that the drains of everyday life have had a negative impact on our marriages. That intimacy is being forced out of most marriages. They're trying to get us to ramp up the intimacy in our marriages with the hopes that it might take our relationships to a whole new level. BUT I WANT TO STOP NOW! I am just not interested in the least, in having sex everyday for another 3 weeks! But this is what the leaders in our church want us to try. This is what my husband wants to try. And I've tried – and I don't like! I believe it COULD bring us closer together. I believe it COULD help us to grow spiritually even. BUT I JUST DON'T WANT TO DO IT ANYMORE! I really don't want to let my husband down or have him feel rejected by me, so does anyone have some advice as to how I can get out of this, without driving a nail through his heart?”

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My! Today's God & Stuff Guest: Kevin Eckstrom - Editor-in-Chief of Religion News Service

  • Valentine's Day Survey
    Guys! What are the top 2 things you look for in a woman?
    Ladies! What are the top 2 things you look for in a man?

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show February 2, 2013

Special Guests

  • Gloria Gaynor — Grammy Award Winning Recording Artist, Disco Queen!
    “I Will Survive” was recorded in 1978, as Gloria Gaynor’s tale of personal strength and was soon to become the greatest disco anthem of all time. (Gloria was in a back brace when this song was recorded!) In 1979, “I Will Survive” climbed to the top of Billboard’s Pop Charts and claimed the #1 position on two different occasions. Little did Gloria know, the song would grow into the banner for social survival which is still relevant after three decades of international airplay. The song, which itself has survived in various forms, has been re-recorded over 200 times by various artists such as Gladys Knight, Chantay Moore, Diana Ross and Cake. She's been a guest star on such popular programs as "That ‘70’s Show," "Ally McBeal," "The Wayans Brothers’ Show," "Don’t Forget The Lyrics," “The Tonight Show w/Jay Leno,” “The View,” “Wendy Williams,” “The Paula Dean Show” and “The X-Factor” and has performed around the world in over 80 different countries!

  • Jay Calder — Recording Artist, Finger-Style Guitar FREAK!
    The guitar has been a passion for Jay Calder for most of his life, but especially after he started listening to artists like Michael Hedges, Don Ross, Phil Keaggy and other finger-style guitar virtuosos. It was then that he discovered a new creative pallet for his own compositions. A few months after Jay's first solo guitar CD, "Breakfast With Barnabas" was released, and was nominated at the Canadian Vibe Awards as "Instrumental Album of the Year". He began performing solo guitar in a variety of venues in southern Ontario where he received “Best Acoustic Artist” at the Toronto Independent Music Awards. Jay now travels across Canada doing what he loves most!

  • Jason Hildebrand — Actor, Storyteller, Creative Catalyst
    Mike Janzen — Recording Artist, RIDICULOUS Jazz Pianist
    For the past 16 years, Jason Hildebrand has partnered with theatre and film companies, organizations and educational institutions as an artist/coach around the world. He is most recognized for his acclaimed solo performance in BLUE LIKE JAZZ // LIVE, based on Donald Miller’s New York Times best-selling book. And now he's back performing LIVE right here in Toronto! In collaboration with Mike Janzen, one of Canada's finest jazz pianists, Jason has created “breathe...” - a full length dramatic & musical production based on Greg Paul's award winning book, "Close Enough to Hear God Breathe". Unraveling the beautiful messiness of Divine Intimacy, “breathe...” is the story of a man, immersed in the characters of his life, listening for the breath of God.
    www.jasonhildebrand.com

  • Dr. James Marcum — Author of Medicines That Kill: The Truth About The Hidden Epidemic
    Medicines are a leading cause of death in North America, but we rarely hear about the deadly dangers both prescription and over-the-counter medications can cause. Board-certified cardiologist Dr. James Marcum has seen the dangerous effects medicines have on patients—sometimes leading to more problems, which means more medication. The number of prescription drugs given out has risen over the years. People want a quick fix for their symptoms rather than figuring out the problem. We accept prescriptions from our doctors without question and pop over-the-counter pills without a second thought about the risks that go along with using these medications. Not only can drugs have side-effects, but there could also be mistakes made in production, distribution, dispensing, and taking medications. Sometimes the drugs cause more harm than healing. In his new book, Medicines That Kill, Dr. Marcum shares true patient stories and facts about the dangerous effects medications can have on the human body. He gives practical advice to help patients understand how drugs affect body chemistry and suggests lifestyle changes to help eliminate the need for unnecessary medications. Dr. Marcum has been named by USA Today as one of the most influential physicians in his field.

God Blogger

  • Pastor Matt — Zombies, Theology, Whatever!
    Matt is a prodigal preacher’s kid who ran away from home at 15, ended up in Hollywood at 17 where, among other things, he directed music videos for Latin MTV. After a wasted year of college, he entered politics (which is just Hollywood for ugly people). Matt worked for two Congressional campaigns and spent two years working on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide during the “Gingrich Years” of 1995-1997. It was during this time that Matt was diagnosed with cancer and was saved. With a Master of Divinity degree and a graduate of Cornell Law School, he is currently writing a book on theology and zombies. Oh... he's also a Pastor.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A listener is wondering if they're pastor should step down after being charged with drinking and driving.

    “I've only listened to your show a few times since finding out about it through friends, but so far, it seems like the right place to ask this question. Just this past Christmas our pastor went to a party at one of our elder's homes and afterwards, he got busted for drinking and driving. He wasn't really over the limit by much, but obviously it was enough that he was issued a fine, a ticket and a suspension. Now our church is in the midst of deciding whether or not he should step down as our pastor. Some people are really, really angry about this saying that he could have killed someone and just proved to everyone that he has no “moral” right to be our spiritual leader. Others are saying that since he has shown great remorse AND it was a one-time incident whereby he wasn't exactly wayyyy over the limit (thus meaning that he figured he was well within the legal limit) that he should stay on as our pastor. This whole thing has really torn our church apart over the last month. It's actually quite sad, but I'd really like everyone's opinion. Should our pastor step down or stay on?”

  • Why Church?
    A listener wrote in with some interesting points about why we should or shouldn't go to church and what exactly church is. What's it for? Do we need it? Is it just an addiction? Is church just a milder version of getting drunk on a Saturday night? All taboo questions but a much needed discussion. Author, philosopher and speaker Peter Rollins has some thoughts. "Are we being transformed through our brokenness or are we just addicted to church? Is church, for some, a crack house?"

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My! Today's God & Stuff Guest: Bob Smietana - Religion Writer for The Tennessean

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show January 26, 2013

Special Guests

  • Ali Landry — Former Miss USA, Actress, Model, Doritos Girl!
    This former Miss USA's breakthrough came thanks to her role as the first spokeswoman for Doritos during the 1998 Super Bowl commercials! Ali then had recurring roles on “Felicity”, “Two Guys and a Girl”, “Sunset Beach” and “Popular”, in addition to three seasons on the hit UPN network series “Eve”. Her hosting credits include the music-talk show "Farm Club.com", NBC's "Spy TV” and "Full Frontal Fashion" on WE. Then came her role as “Celia” in the Toronto Film Festival's big hit, BELLA. Now she stars in CRESCENDO! Based on a true story and executive produced by Justin Bieber's mother Pattie Mallette, Crescendo is set in the 18th century Holy Roman Empire where a series of events turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary experience for a woman whose life will never be the same. Shot entirely on the Universal Studios back lot, Crescendo has been globally heralded, winning numerous awards at recent film festivals.

  • Lily Frost — Recording Artist
    Singer-songwriter Lily Frost is a rare bird from Canada’s musical woods. Frost has always danced the line between indie and jazz, thus creating a niche of her own. Frost draws from her real life experiences in her lyrics – in performance, there is an intimacy, a gentle passion that can take you somewhere else and evokes a certain nostalgia – the rainy streets of Paris, a winter picnic or perhaps a beat café in San Francisco. This rarity and distinctiveness can be found on her latest offering, Do What You Love. “I wanted to make a fun, upbeat record for my daughter that included lessons I had learned the hard way,” says Lily. “I wanted to leave people feeling inspired with smiles on their faces.” Lily has won West Coast Vocalist of the Year (2002, New Music West), a SOCAN award for Situation (2006, NXNE) and also a Gemini Award nomination for co-writing the theme song and score for the CBC hit television show, Being Erica.

  • Joel Kilpatrick — Author Of God, That's Funny!
    Joel Kilpatrick began his career as a reporter and journalist whose work would eventually be featured in Time Magazine, the Washington Post, USA Today, CBS Radio, the Dallas Morning News and dozens of newspapers and magazines. He also authored and ghostwrote more than 40 books for leading CEOs, ministers, athletes and doctors, including Don Colbert’s New York Times bestselling Seven Pillars of Health. But we don't care about any of that crap – we care about Joel because of Lark News - “pithy Christian satire on par with the irreverence of Saturday Night Live and The Onion”. Joel decided to do satire first for the death threats, and then because the lifestyle of alienation from his peers grew on him. His latest book - God, That's Funny....is.

  • Christopher West — Author of Fill These Hearts: God, Sex, And The Universal Longing
    Bestselling author, speaker, and teacher of John Paul II's Theology of the Body explores the yearning we all have for God and each other. Fill These Hearts is a book about desire. Not trivial wants or superficial cravings, but the most vital powers of body and soul, sexuality and spirituality, that haunt us and compel us on our search for something. Weaving life-altering lessons together from classical and contemporary art, pop music, movies, and the Christian mystical tradition, popular theologian Christopher West explores the ancient but largely forgotten idea that the restless, erotic yearnings we feel in both our bodies and our spirits reveal the cry of our hearts for God. Along the way, West blows the lid off the idea of Christianity as a repressive, anti-sex religion by demonstrating that Christ came to stretch and inflame our desire for love and union to the point of infinity. Christopher West is a research fellow and faculty member of the Theology of the Body Institute. He is also one of the most sought after speakers in the Church today, having delivered more than 1,000 public lectures on four continents, in more than a dozen countries, and in over 200 American cities.

God Blogger

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A woman who is dating a black man, wants to know if she's paranoid or if racism is alive and well within the church.

    “I normally like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I'm starting to think that the people in my church are racist. I'm a white woman in my 20's and I've been dating an older black man in his late 30's. We have been attending his church for the last few months, mostly out of convenience. But last week we decided to attend my church. At first, I thought we were getting “looks” just because I hadn't been around for a while. Then, I thought it must have been my imagination when I got a few dirty looks from women. Then I thought, maybe it's because I was with an older man. A few days later I came across a Facebook conversation with some people who attend my church, about how “disgusted” they were that I was dating a black man. I was absolutely stunned! I had no idea that racism was alive and well here in Canada. And I was even more bothered by the fact that this was going on within my own church! All of this got me thinking and I realized that our church has all white people, and my boyfriends church has all black people. So I'm starting to wonder – is the church still racially segregated? Maybe the people in my boyfriend's church are talking about us behind our back as well. All I know is that my ALL WHITE CHURCH definitely showed their racism colors! Has anyone else encountered racism in their church?”

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My! Today's God & Stuff Guest: Kevin Eckstrom - Editor-in-Chief, Religion News Service

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show January 19, 2013

Special Guests

  • Mr. Bennett — Singer, Poet, Punk and Lyrical Mutineer, Ukelele Virtuoso!
    He's back! If Bob Dylan & Tom Waits had a baby, then gave it to Leonard Cohen to raise – you'd have this guy! Mr. Bennett has spent the better part of his half century wandering and performing, including 18 years in the UK. He has supported acts like The Fall, Ron Sexsmith, Jonathan Richman, and has played a lingerie shop, The London Palladium, Camden Town and an Alabama house party for Satanists. When he wasn’t performing, he was fueling buses, test driving cars, selling cheese, being a butcher, a barista, barman, and a roadie for several rock bands including Bloc Party … “they were great, Wembley Stadium was a big show but I met Eddie Izzard in the loo and that was better”.

  • Bhaktimarga Swami — Canada's Leader of The Hare Krishna Community
    Bhaktimarga Swami achieved a remarkable feat in 1996 when he went the way of a pilgrim and walked on foot cross country from west to east across Canada, then back for a return journey from Cape Spear, Newfoundland to Vancouver Island in 2003, going full circle. He likes to share his unique experience and fond memories on the road after trekking 16,000 km's. Swami is a consistent feature in “The Longest Road”, a recent National Film Board documentary detailing the history of the people who shaped or were shaped by the Trans Canada Highway, the world’s longest continuous maintained road. Today, Swami joins us to explain what exactly Hare Krishna's believe!

  • Lillian Daniel — Author Of When 'Spiritual But Not Religious' Is Not Enough: Seeing God in Surprising Places, Even the Church
    Lillian Daniel is a wife, mother, minister, author, and hosts the Chicago-based public television program, “30 Good Minutes”. Additionally, Lillian was recently featured on the PBS program, "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly," and is editor at large for the Christian Century Magazine and a contributing editor at Leadership. Her work has also appeared in The Huffington Post, Christianity Today, Leadership Journal, Books and Culture, The Journal for Preachers and in the daily email devotionals available at ucc.org. She has taught preaching at Yale Divinity School, Chicago Theological Seminary and the University of Chicago Divinity School. She serves on the Board of Trustees of Chicago Theological Seminary and the Board of Advisors at Yale Divinity School. In October 2010 she received the distinguished alumni award from Yale Divinity School for Distinction in Congregational Ministry. Lillian has preached at the National Cathedral, Duke Chapel, the Festival of Homiletics and has delivered preaching lectures to clergy at King's College, London and Queen’s University, Ontario.

  • Chris Heuertz — Author Of Unexpected Gifts: Discovering the Way of Community
    Serving the poor in Word Made Flesh communities across the globe for the last 20 years, Christopher Heuertz has learned a thing or two about living in close community with one another. In his new book, Unexpected Gifts, Chris reveals why communities are worth the work, addresses 10 tensions communities commonly face and offers ways to work towards resolution. “This is a book about the unexpected gifts of staying in friendships, relationships and communities,” writes Heuertz. “Stepping into community is far riskier than expected. It’s far worse that you expect it to be. But in the end, it’s far better than you could ever imagine.” Heuertz serves as the international executive director of Word Made Flesh community, where he and his wife Phileena serve women and children victimized by human traffickers in the commercial sex industry. Originally from Omaha, Neb., Heuertz has worked in more than 70 countries among the most vulnerable of the world’s poor, including three years in India, where Mother Teresa mentored him.

  • Justin & Trisha Davis — Author Of  Beyond Ordinary: When a Good Marriage Just Isn't Good Enough  
    How safe is your marriage? The answer may surprise you. The biggest threat to any marriage isn’t infidelity or miscommunication. The greatest enemy is ordinary. Ordinary marriages lose hope. Ordinary marriages lack vision. Ordinary marriages give in to compromise. Ordinary is the belief that this is as good as it will ever get. And when we begin to settle for ordinary, it’s easy to move from “I do” to “I’m done”. Justin and Trisha Davis know just how dangerous ordinary can be. In this beautifully written book, Justin and Trisha take us inside the slow fade that occurred in their own marriage—each telling the story from their own perspective. Together, they reveal the mistakes they made, the work they avoided, the thoughts and feelings that led to an affair and near divorce, and finally, the heart-change that had to occur in both of them before they could experience the hope, healing, and restoration of a truly extraordinary marriage.

God Blogger

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A young woman who believes that abortion is murder, just had a friend tell her that she had one this past summer. Now this woman is wondering how to move forward in her friendship. Should she continue on as though nothing really happened or sever the relationship completely because “doesn't the Bible say to have nothing to do with murderers?

    “My friend just told me a few months ago that she had an abortion this past summer. I was absolutely floored by this information! I asked her why she didn't tell me she was pregnant and she said that she didn't want me to know because she knows that I think that abortion is wrong and that life begins at conception and she knew she was going to have one no matter what anyone said. I tried to be as loving and supportive as possible, especially knowing that there is nothing I can do to stop it all from happening NOW. I mean, she's right in assuming that I would have done anything in my power to get her to NOT have an abortion. Putting myself in her position, I can totally see that having a baby at this point in her life would have TOTALLY messed things up for her. But obviously there were other options that she could have chosen but... Anyway, it's too late. So I was thinking about how I feel about our friendship these days. Things have changed. I find myself thinking of her as a murderer. Terrible right? But is it? I mean, that's basically what she did. If the baby was 8 months older and she “terminated” it, she'd be in prison and the community would call her a child killer. So I'm just wondering what is the correct response as a Christian? Doesn't the Bible say that we should have nothing to do with murderers? My friend feels some remorse about the abortion, but it's almost as though I'm waiting and hoping that she becomes a traumatized mess before I re-invest in our friendship. I mean, SHE KILLED A BABY! I'm really confused. What do you think God wants me to do?”

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My! Today's God & Stuff Guest: Manya Brachear - Religion Reporter at The Chicago Tribune 

Right-click here to bookmark or copy a link to this show January 12, 2013

Special Guests

  • Alysha Brillinger — Recording Artist (freaking awesome)
    Drew wanted to start the New Year off with the return of one of his all time favorites! Alysha Brillinger is a Tanzanian-Canadian singer and songwriter known for her eclectic mix of musical genres including jazz, world and pop, performing on both guitar and piano. Her playful lyrics and on stage banter have garnered the attention of audiences internationally. This 2012 Leading Edge Arts Award winner has performed live at The Montreal Jazz Festival, The Mariposa Folk Festival and CBC Radio. Alysha is currently producing her second full-length album to be released April 2013 with the help of The Brilltones, her jazz band with whom she shared a residency at Toronto’s premiere music venue, “The Reservoir Lounge”. Her song “Lifted” was featured on the television show “Degrassi; The Next Generation”, with other songs becoming a staple on showcase network’s television series “King”. With plans to tour in 2013, music audiences have a lot to look forward to from this bright young performer.

  • Dr. Daniel Taylor — Author of Author of The Myth Of Certainty: The Reflective Christian & the Risk of Commitment
    Do you resent the smugness of close-minded skepticism on the one hand but feel equally uncomfortable with the smugness of close-minded Christianity on the other? Dr. Daniel Taylor suggests a path to committed faith that is both consistent with the tradition of Christian orthodoxy and sensitive to the pluralism, complexity and relativism of our age. He affirms a call to throw off the paralysis of uncertainty and to risk commitment to God without forfeiting the God-given gift of an inquiring mind.

  • Tribute To Frank Pastore — The 'Drew Marshall' Of The States
    On December 17th, Drew's friend and partner in crime, LA based broadcaster Frank Pastore, died as a result of injuries sustained in a terrible traffic accident four weeks earlier. Frank and Drew used to invite each other on their own shows and developed a friendship over the last few years. Today, we'll re-air the first time Frank interviewed Drew.

  • Paul Stutzman — Author Of Hiking Through: One Man's Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail
    After Paul Stutzman lost his wife to breast cancer, he sensed a tug on his heart--the call to a challenge, the call to pursue a dream. With a mixture of dread and determination, Paul left his job, traveled to Georgia, and took his first steps on the Appalachian Trail. What he learned during the next four and a half months changed his life--and can change yours as well. In Hiking Through, you'll join Paul on his remarkable 2,176-mile trip through fourteen states in search of peace and a renewed sense of purpose. Along the way, you'll meet fascinating and funny people, experience trail magic, and discover that every choice we make on the path has consequences for the journey. More than that, you'll come away with a new understanding of God's grace and guidance--even in the smallest things.

  • Robb Ryerse — Author Of Fundamorphosis: How I Left Fundamentalism But Didn’t Lose My Faith
    This is the story of how Robb Ryerse went from being a fundamentalist pastor to an emergent church planter. When the answers he’d always been taught stopped resonating with him, Robb couldn’t in good conscience go on perpetuating the traditions and beliefs of his church. Fundamorphosis details the struggle of saying goodbye to the church he had always known. But more than just deconstructing fundamentalism, Fundamorphosis provides a constructive look at the shape Robb’s beliefs now take: authentic, gracious, optimistic, and unfinished. Fundamorphosis is a story in which many will be able to find themselves. It’s a thought-provoking roadmap for those who are in the midst of their own fundamorphosis.

God Blogger

  • Julie Elsdon-Height — The "Sober Julie"
    Julie Elsdon-Height is the mother of two girls and the wife of a very patient man. This Christian woman is a brutally honest, straight “shooter”. After facing her alcoholism and being involved in a car accident, Julie decided to take the tired, unappetizing reputation about sobriety and turn it into a Day At The Circus! Her blog is jam-packed with ideas for “mocktail” recipes, tips for sobriety, and tons of ideas for leading a better (more creative, more enjoyable) life.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A mother wants to know if she should forbid her teenage son from seeing the latest Texas Chain Saw Massacre movie? “Is it really worth us fighting about a movie?”

    “I'm a single mother who, to be quite honest, is exhausted and tired of waging war with my teenage son on what seems like every issue under the sun. I'm trying to be a good mother. I'm trying to play the role of both mother and father to my kids. I'm trying to do everything Focus On The Family & my church tells me I should do as a parent. But I'm just completely exhausted and would like some advice on the latest issue in our family. My 17 year old son and I had a huge argument over whether or not he should be allowed to go and see the latest Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie. (Yes, it's restricted but since he's 17 and looks older anyway, they don't really check his ID.) I really don't think he should fill his head with so much blatant and gratuitous violence, but I'm just not sure this is a battle I'm willing to fight to the death on. However, our pastor preached a message right after the school shooting in Connecticut about how we've failed our kids by letting them watch violent movies and play violent video games. So the other day when my son said he and a few friends were going to the movies and told me it was the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie, I put my best James Dobson face on and told him that he would not be allowed to watch it. What happened next was a massacre! He made some good points but I found myself sticking to my guns because a good Christian parent doesn't let their kid go and see the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie! Right? A few days passed and I began to ask myself if forbidding my son to see a movie is really worth the war that has broken out in our house ever since. They say that as parents we should pick and choose our battles. Is this the hill I want to die on? Parents, what would you do? Teenagers, what advice do you have for me? SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT TO DO – I CAN'T THINK ANYMORE!”

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My! Today's God & Stuff Guest: Paul Brandeis Raushenbush - Senior Religion Editor for The AOL/Huffington Post Media Group

  • Useless TV Trivia
    We've gotta start the year with just a little bit of uselessness! It's a crowd favorite, people! We'll play the soundtrack from an old television show and if you're the first caller to guess which TV show it's from - YOU WIN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!