It’s nice to be appreciated

For those who may be unaware, over the past three years I’ve produced a two-hour Southern gospel radio program on the local country station on Sunday mornings. Having been a life-long listener of the genre and possessing a degree of technical expertise, I was asked to sub for another DJ on occasion back in 2002 for the Sunday Evening Gospel program. After getting involved with the Sunday Morning Gospel show, I was asked to do that show myself as of September 2003, and I’ve been there ever since. I’ve been living a long-time dream for two hours a week for three years…and get paid to do it. Not a lot of people are blessed like that in this life.

Back to the point of this post…I made some ink today! Or, perhaps I should say, some was made for me. Check out this letter to the editor in my home town newspaper:

Published September 07, 2006 12:33 am

Southern Gospel Month

As most of you know, September is Southern Gospel Music Month. Those disc jockeys who play this great music — Scott Wiggins and Richard Ferguson (sometimes Fran Aycock) do a wonderful job on Sundays playing the best music there is — southern gospel.

It starts at 6 a.m. and goes to 8 a.m. with Brother Scott Wiggins from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. its the award winning Paul Heil and The Gospel Greats. Then from 6 p.m.-10 p.m., Richard Ferguson (sometimes Fran Aycock when either Richard’s group Second Mile is singing somewhere or just being with his family on vacation) plays Southern Gospel and sometimes interviews guests on the airwaves.

I want to encourage each and every dedicated listener to each of these programs on 97.1 WOKK to let these good Christian people know you appreciate the wonderful job they are doing as Southern Gospel disc jockeys on 97 WOKK. They have always been good to me playing my requests as well as others.

Oh yeah — Richard Ferguson I miss your television program “Share the Joy”.

Ron Austin
Quitman

I appreciate Mr. Austin for the kind words. I must admit, though, I find a bit of humor from the “Brother Scott” part. A lot of people who meet me and only know me from the radio show ask what church I pastor, to which I respond, “none…I’m not a pastor.” The show had for many years been hosted by a pastor from the area, so I assume this is where it comes from. Of course, sometimes I share a word of encouragement or testimony on-air, so that may be where it comes from.

But I do greatly appreciate my listeners. I run a heavily request-based program, incorporating the best the style has to offer both recently and historically. Without listeners, I wouldn’t be on the air (of course!), and the show’d be very different, and I feel for the worse. So I appreciate everyone who calls in either to ask for a song or just to chat a bit. What other job lets you do that?

God certainly is good.