Prodigal Magazine

MIKESCHAIR Interview

28. January 2010

As the world looks in on Christianity today, they are looking for honesty and for sincerity. Too often, what they have found is hypocrisy in those who profess to be followers of Christ. As a new generation of bands hits the forefront in Christianity today, we are seeing a transparency that has never been seen before. MIKESCHAIR is one band who is definitely not afraid to openly discuss who they are, hoping that in their journey with the Lord, others may relate and come to know Him as well. MIKESCHAIR formed while they were students at Belmont University. The Lord has opened many doors for them and as they walk through those doors, they sing about their faith and even about the doubts and questions that they have along the way. We recently caught up with Mike of MIKESCHAIR to talk about where the Lord is taking them and how the Lord is using them.

Father of the Decade

10. January 2010

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As I began to consider this concept, I thought it would be fairly easy. After all, how many fathers are there in the world? There must be many that stand out. How much news has been reported in the last ten years? There must be great fathers among the reports. Soon after beginning my research, I realized this was going to be a difficult, if not impossible, task.

Interview – Phil Wickham

16. November 2009

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A few weeks ago, I took a silent retreat into the North Carolina wilderness to get alone with God and to allow him to speak to my heart. I took a copy of 1 cd on my ipod, Heaven and Earth which is Phil Wickham’s latest album that releases on November 17. God spoke to me in many ways through scripture but He allowed Phil’s music to bring me to a point of true worship. I sat down with Phil this morning to talk a little bit about who he is, his career and what inspires his songwriting abilities.

Jonny Diaz – Men of God Spotlight

12. November 2009

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Our God is a God of redirection. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.” Many of us have planned out our lives, striving to be one thing, only to learn later that God wanted us somewhere else. When we make that commitment to the Lord, we see how God redirects the paths of our lives, leading us to where He always intended for us to be. Jonny Diaz learned this lesson from the Lord and learned that sometimes, that redirection isn’t the easiest thing to accept, but once you are in the Lord’s will for your life, everything becomes more clear and more fulfilling. I recently caught up with Jonny and we spoke about how God had redirected his life and how God was using his music to speak to people all over the world. His song, “More Beautiful You” shot up the charts and people began to listen to this message that the Lord was laying on his heart.

Men of God Spotlight: Travis Fryman

16. August 2009

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He played for himself at the beginning of his career. His goal was to win and sharing the infield with Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker meant that winning was something that would happen often. He had an opportunity of a lifetime coming up with the Tigers but a few years after his debut, he began to see the game of baseball and the people surrounding him in an entirely different way. God opened his heart and his eyes to see things that way that God sees them, not just for what they can do, but for who they are. Travis Fryman would have a stellar career and now, finds himself still in the game of baseball but looking at the game from a different perspective, as he is in the managerial role. I spoke with Travis on the phone to talk about baseball, life, and the Giver of all good things.

Men of God Spotlight: JR Towles

12. July 2009

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He calls the shots. For most of us, we have always wanted to get to the place where we call the shots in life. No boss. No set schedule. There is no one to whom we have to answer. He calls the shots in a different way. He calls the game. From behind the plate, he signals to the pitcher what pitch should be thrown next, and then he sets up a target for the pitcher in the exact location where the pitch should be thrown. It is not an easy job. On the field, he makes a hundred or more decisions throughout one game, trying to baffle the hitter so the Houston Astros can win the game. JR Towles has learned how to game plan for Major League hitters and he calls the shots for the pitcher during the game. In his life, though, he has learned that it is God who is calling the shots and he walks humbly down the trail that God has cut for him. I caught up with JR in Kissimmee, FL this season during Spring Training. He stood there intent on talking about a faith that has changed his life in more than one way.

Ride for Purpose

20. June 2009

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We’re riding at 6700 feet today, and the air is noticeably thin, like someone cut the oxygen to separate the sheep from the mountain goats. As I poke through the sharp turns, the walls of the red canyon remind me I should have ridden more this spring. This week, I’m accompanying the Ride:Well Tour leaders [...]

Interview – VOTA

21. March 2009

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VOTA (formerly known as Casting Pearls) is Christian rock band from Lincoln, Nebraska featuring Bryan Olesen, a former guitarist with fellow Christian rock band Newsboys. Several of the band's songs have been featured on rotation with several national radio networks such as K-Love, and are part of the international 180 Tour. We sat down with them for a Men of God spotlight interview.

Stephen Curry Interview

16. February 2009

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So many people dream of playing for the Tar Heels of North Carolina, the Duke Blue Devils, and the Kentucky Wildcats. Teams that are rich in tradition have the facilities, the following, and the exposure to stay on top for decades and many young men dream of putting on those jerseys while playing AAU ball and high school basketball. They want their names to go down in history as being a part of these storied programs. Stephen Curry also held that dream. His father had excelled in the NBA and he dreamed of going to an ACC school or an SEC school, but they took a pass on him during the recruiting process. Faced with the disappointment of not making it to where he thought he would have been, Stephen had to decide whether to give it all up or go somewhere else and make history. He chose Davidson and history would be rewritten in the next few years. We caught up with Stephen recently and he is our Men of God Spotlight.

A Story of Addiction

9. February 2009

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As Scott Summers sat on the cold wooden floor of his parents’ kitchen, with his back leaning against the cabinets, he wondered if he had enough courage. He gripped the dark, wooden handle of the butcher’s knife and tapped the blade softly against the threads of his sweatshirt. He pulled the knife away, then pushed it forward, again and again, but never piercing the skin. “There’s gotta be another way to kill myself,” he thought. This past fall, reflecting on this day four and a half years ago, Summers said he was at one of the lowest points of his life from his drug and alcohol use. “Every day was the worst day of my life,” he said. “I was barely surviving.” Sitting just feet away from where he had pondered taking his life, Summers casually slurped down a bowl of Ramen noodles and talked about his rehabilitation in between spoonfuls. Wearing ripped jeans and a black T-shirt from Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker’s clothing line, he propped up his long legs on the chair next to him. “I feel pretty good about myself” now, he said, later adding, “If I didn’t have my faith, I wouldn’t have my sobriety.”