This has never happened to me before, I must confess.

For someone that has spent 5 decades plus doing this thing we love called radio I reckon’ that’s saying somethin’.

It’s been an exhaustingly emotional week for me and several dozen of my teammates. Our industry has been abuzz over the news that Salem was selling its seven Contemporary Christian music stations to EMF in one fell swoop. A huge industry story for sure but very personal to me and dozens of my teammates whose lives are impacted.

A decade ago friends and former co-workers joined together to celebrate the life of the greatest leader I’ve ever known. If you’ve every hung around me or Alan Mason or Tommy Kramer for very long you’ve heard us bring up the name of Bud Paxson. There’s a reason for that.

Oh, the irony! In a format all about belief, few CCM stations ever declare what they believe.

As a result most stations are simply a commodity rather than a distinctive brand.

If your station is known simply for the characteristics inherent in the music you play, you don’t have a brand. Your station is not distinct from nor preferable to other stations that play the same music.

Having spent more than twenty years working with radio stations in Southern California it is frightening to watch the wildfires destroy homes, neighborhoods, and lives. From Santa Monica to Pacific Palisades to the beautiful drive up through Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway I react with the perspective that I’ve been there and have friends there.

A reminder: the recent wildfires in Southern California show us that with every event heroes emerge.

I reckon’ the most common New Year’s resolutions are about losing weight, quitting smoking, and getting more exercise.

What if we took those three ideas and applied them to our radio stations?

Since everything from Time Magazine to Rotten Tomatoes to Rolling Stone compile their own “best of” list for the year, I figured I might as lob a pitch in that direction. Plus it will give me another week to contemplate my new year’s resolutions for Frost Advisory #749. (That’s a tease).

The Christmas season brings out the best in our format. More people tune to our stations than at any other time of the year, some stations topping a million listeners per week, once unthinkable in our format.

Many stations do their best job of connecting on common values with stories of hope, forgiveness, and fresh beginnings. Over the last several weeks I have heard some amazing stories and songs.

I can’t walk through our kitchen without stopping and smiling.

Last Christmas our daughters gave us a Frameo. It’s a rectangular picture frame that can display digital photos from your smart phone.

At church yesterday I sat next to Warren. Warren is 50 years old and had never been to our church. In fact, Warren had never been to church.

I learned that Warren is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic and now has sclerosis of the liver. He was sitting next to his mother Maggie who had prayed for him for many, many years. Maggie held Warren’s hand like I imagined she did when he was a little boy.

Sitting next to Warren gave me a fresh perspective of a place so very familiar to me – my own church – for twenty years. I am on the inside getting a glimpse of what it looks like from the outside.

Every Christmas for the last several years I’ve thrown a few coins into the Salvation Army bucket down the street at Hillcrest Food Market. But not this year. Nope. They’ve changed their bell ringer. The guy standing outside the store ringing the bell is different this season, and I’m upset!

Ludicrous, isn’t it? Obviously, no one would stop donating to the Salvation Army because Fred replaced Ted at the bucket. That’s because…