Rick's Ramblings

Spring Fling!

2012-04-10T16:31:00.001-07:00

It's time for The Oak's 2012 Spring Fling!
Saturday April 14, 8am-1pm
90.9 Yard Sale & Flea Market
FREE ADMISSION
* Rock Climbing Wall!
* Happy Hoppers' Inflatables!
* Concessions!
* Public Safety Demonstrations!

Join Us At Oakside Baptist Church

Farewell to Deena Brand

2011-11-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

This week officially begins the retirement of our faithful office manager, Deena Brand. Deena has been with WOAK since the very first flipping of the big switch, 27 years ago. Over the years, she has become infused with the ministry of this radio station, and has become the foundational personality of WOAK. Her ministry was much more than simply being a phone answerer, record keeper, bill payer, announcer, and keeper of the office. She went way beyond the call of duty and became a counselor and friend to hundreds of listeners who talked with her on the phone or who came by for a visit. Many of you have received a birthday or sympathy card from her, and I know her heart has been for you as much as it has been for the workings of WOAK.

So, a new day dawns, and WOAK still carries on, as I hope it will when I'm gone. Our new secretary, Stephanie Curry, has a heart for the ministry too. She's excited about learning all there is to know about managing a radio station office, and has already incorporated some great ideas.

I hope that you welcome her and that you continue to feel free to call her with your prayer requests or special needs. You can email her a "welcome" letter to sc@woak.com, which I know she'll appreciate.

The FCC's Fairness Doctrine Dead?

2011-06-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

Manassas, VA – It’s about time.

NRB is delighted with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s announcement this week that he supports deleting the Fairness Doctrine from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

“Since 2003, NRB has been warning Congress that the Fairness Doctrine was not dead, and if ever revived it would be the death knell of religious broadcasting,” said Dr. Frank Wright, NRB President & CEO. “NRB has long opposed this pernicious rule, which enabled the FCC to compel broadcasters to air opposing viewpoints on controversial issues that the government decided to be of public importance. Yet reasonable people from every political persuasion agree that the Fairness Doctrine is an idea whose time has long since passed. The fundamental objective of the First Amendment is to protect the free marketplace of ideas from interference by the government itself. Our nation’s religious liberties are far too fragile, and too precious, to be left at the mercy of a government bureaucracy. With the much needed action by the FCC, the next critical step in the defense of free speech rests with the Congress. The passage of the Broadcaster Freedom Act will ensure that no future FCC administration will abridge free speech by reinstating another fairness doctrine-type regulation.”

“It is encouraging news that the FCC Chairman is willing to call for the removal of the long-abandoned and totally discredited ‘Fairness Doctrine’ rule, including all of its subparts, from the Code of Federal Regulations,” added Craig Parshall, NRB Sr. Vice President & General Counsel. “The failure to have removed it by now appears to have been be an anomaly, but it continued to fuel justified suspicions that the free-speech-strangling rule was not really dead after all. We look forward to the Chairman launching an immediate Commission action to make his intent official. We also urge Chairman Genachowski to advise House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) on the timetable for this important technical correction. Protection of First Amendment rights requires that the FCC act with all deliberate speed.”

An Open Letter to familyradio.com

2011-05-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Sirs:

I have a serious question for you. How long are you going to keep up your websites that declare May 21 as the End of the World? How long will those ungodly and satanic billboards and placards be left up all over the world that declare, "The Bible Guarantees it!"

When I first heard of this movement I was sad for the damage that would be done to Christianity and the validity of God's Word.

Now that you've made such a terrible mess and disgraced the Word of God in such a Global way, what are you going to do to clean it up? We believe you can start by getting rid of all the signs, RV's, billboards, etc.

WOAK Radio also asks Harold Camping to make a formal apology to his listeners by declaring that he was wrong, not the Bible. We also ask him to enforce the fact that the Bible is without error and complete, without the need of extra revelation.

This is what happens when entities such as Satan and false prophets deny the Word of God and say, "Yea, hath God said...?"

Rick Varnum
General Manager
WOAK Christian Radio
Lagrange, GA.
rick@woak.com

Saturday, May 21. Doomsday?

2011-05-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

I figured I needed to write this before the big date so that I wouldn't be accused of taking the easy route of denouncing this heresy after the event fails to transpire.

Yes, I said heresy. Harold Camping with Family Radio, and others like eBible Fellowship have taken the same steps Satan took in the Garden of Eden of making the Bible say something that it doesn't say, and then denying clear teachings and commands of the Bible.

In a nutshell, Harold Camping is dogmatically declaring that the Bible says the beginning of the end of the world starts on May 21, 2011 with the Rapture happening sometime that day. I'm not going to muck through his delusional math and whacky number crunching (you can do that on your own time), but let me say that the Bible does not say this, even in the slightest.

The Bible does declare, however, that no man can know the day or the hour. It also makes it clear that if a man prophesies and the prophesy fails to come about, that man is false prophet and should die.

Deut. 18:20-22 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

We at WOAK are extraordinarily jealous of the Testimony of the Word of God. When we see such highly publicized error, we know that many young Christians will fall prey, because they are not rooted in the Word of God. After May 21, we will see many turn from God and from His Word because they've been taught that the Word of God most assuredly declares this date to be THE DATE. They will then be led to think that the Word cannot be trusted. My heart goes out to those who will be unnecessarily disappointed in the Word of God.

WOAK's New Name

2011-04-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

We would like to give a big shout out to all those who pledged their support of WOAK radio during our Spring Sharathon. Many more people called in during this Sharathon than in the past and a good percentage of those were new listeners, adding to our ongoing support. Thank you for your sacrificial gift! It's our prayer that WOAK will be good stewards of your money and that we will continue to stand firm as one of the greatest Conservative Christian radio stations.

We need to give another shout out to the iPad 2 winner, Angela Weddle! Congratulations! We hope you enjoy it, but mostly we hope you bring it by the station and let us play with it.

We have a new name! Actually, we've known about it for a long time, but we've managed to keep it pretty much a secret until now. WOAK is now The Oak 90.9fm. The Oak Tree connotes long term stability and stoic ruggedness. Since WOAK has been around for 27 years, standing firm on the same Biblical standards without apology, we believe we've earned the symbolism. Plus, it makes a nice logo. So now, when we answer the phone, "The Oak," don't think you've gotten the wrong number.

What's New This Spring?

2011-04-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

WOAK Radio has some great new things available to our listeners, just in time for our Spring Sharathon coming up April 13th. (There is also a BIG announcement that we are making Friday, the 14th, but I can't tell you just yet!)

First of all, I hope you've all been enjoying the newer music from several of our favorite groups. Let us know what songs you like and what songs you think we should bury out back behind the station.

We're also getting techie around here. Actually, we like to think that we've been on the cutting edge all along (WOAK Radio was one of the first stations in the world to offer internet streaming to our listeners way back in the 90's). Many of you have been asking about an app that will allow you to listen to WOAK on other devices and we now know that there is a FREE APP called Tunein that is available to most devices that will allow you to listen to our streams. Go to your app store or market and search for it.

We also have a comment line that will record your comment and allow us to air it on our broadcast. If you'd like to tell the world what WOAK means to you, simply call 706-298-8899 and record a testimony or a comment about the station. Be sure to listen to see if we play it on the air.

Have you heard that we're giving away a new iPad 2? Yep. All you gotta do is register for the April 16th drawing for a chance to win. Anyone who pledges or contacts us during our Spring Sharathon April 13-16th will automatically be registered, as will those who sent in their pre-pledge cards. Of course, you don't have to pledge or make a donation to enter. You can simply send us a 3x5 card with your name and contact information. It has to be here at the station before April 16th at 2pm EDT.

For you local folks, don't forget our Spring Fling! Bring the whole family and enjoy 30 plus familes of yard sale stuff while the kids play on all the free inflatables. We also have a rock climbing wall and concessions. Join as at WOAK, 1921 Hamilton Rd on April 16th.

Thank you for getting behind this great ministry. We're thankful for those of you who have been a big part of WOAK!

Happy New Year !

2011-01-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

Another year has slipped by us and a new one awaits. I like to think of a new year as a nice clean slate, where we can all begin afresh. Perhaps we made mistakes last year, or, perhaps we didn't accomplish what we wanted to do. Getting another year is like getting another chance to get it right.

The Christian Walk is like that, except we get a new chance everyday. God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He does this every day for us. We can wake up each morning knowing that God has forgotten our sins and our short comings, and that today is a new beginning. Unlike our friends and family, God doesn't get impatient with our constant failings. His Mercy endures forever and He is always ready to forgive us even of the sin that we seem to commit every day.

So, take advantage of the gift of New Beginnings that God gives his children. Ask yourself what God would want you to do today, and then simply do it.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

As we get close to Thanksgiving, I think it would be great if we all left a testimony on the WOAK Facebook page telling everyone what we're thankful for.

It's always easy to reflect on what's wrong with our lives, and on things we'd like to change. But The Lord is always worthy of Praise, and it grieves Him when we are not Thankful.

If you're not a member of WOAK's Facebook, please go here and add us. Then add your Testimony of how the Lord has blessed you. Let's be Thankful.

Fall Sharathon Update

2010-09-17T20:23:00.001-07:00

It's Friday night, and the Fall Sharathon is officially over. Of course we know that Saturday is a big day where many call in, or bring in, their pledges.

I'd have to say that this Sharathon was a great blessing as we met so many new listeners, and we had fun with the old timers. It's great to watch the Lord work on hearts.

Congratulations to our 32GB iPod Touch winners: Barry van Houten, Kimberly Martin Kleber, and Sharon Hamm. We're also extraordinarily thankful to the listener who donated $1000 towards the purchase of the iPods.

I want to say thank you to all the Sharathon workers. Deena and Miss Jane did an excellent job answering the phones and keeping the records straight, and Brandon was like my second right arm, taking a big load off of me so I could concentrate on the broadcasts. Dave did great answering the phones and keeping the website updated. Pastor Bruce Freeman was amazing as he conducted Sharathon from an undisclosed secret bunker, and Pastor Sam Mitchell had all three phone lines ringing off the hook. Jimmy did excellently during his morning show; we had many listeners tell us he has been a big blessing. Pastor Curry bought breakfast and acquired some nice giveaways for us. I'm sure I'm forgetting many others, but I am thankful to all who made this a success.

We'll have the totals up soon. Pledges are still coming in!

Thank You

2010-04-19T07:35:00.001-07:00

We had a very successful Spring Sharathon, despite the confusion of changing our pledge duration to six months instead of twelve. The total amount pledged was $47,000 and much of that was from new listeners.

Spring Sharathon is Here

2010-04-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

Being a manager of a radio station is fun in many ways. It's a great way to help people and to be of service to a whole load of folks who enjoy the particular format of your radio station. Every day you get to experience something new and interesting, and, because I'm the kind of guy who likes to solve problems and put out fires, the endless supply of glitches and issues makes for a really challenging profession.

Asking people for money is not one of the fun things about Christian radio. I really don't like it. When I'm listening to other radio stations and they're having their pledge-a-thons, I change the channel. I don't like listening to people beg for money. So now, as a part of this job, I've got to do what I know annoys other people, so I try to do it in a way that is not begging. All I do is put the need out there, and, if God is working on someones heart to give, they'll give. If God is not working on their heart, I'm certainly not going to.

So, here's what I'd like for all my folks to do. Pray. Simply pray. If the Lord deals with you, that's between Him and you. Our job is to pray that the needs of WOAK will be met.

Here's a great idea. I'm going to give a WOAK t-shirt to the next 20 people that email me and tell me they are praying and that they are going to pray all week long. My personal email is rick@woak.com . Let me know that you're praying.

Facebook!

2009-09-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

Yay! WOAK has a Facebook page. Go here to add WOAK to your FAN list, or to just read what our listeners have to say.

We'll be giving away an occasional prize to a few lucky Facebook fans, so at least get your name in there. Hurry!!

Fall Sharathon is Here!

2009-09-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

OK, Sharathon 2010 is here, and we need your help!

Please make a pledge online or call us, 706-884-2950.

Check back here to see how we're doing. Our goal is $100,000 in pledges.

2010 Sharathon is almost here!

2009-09-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

Monday, the 21st begins our Sharathon Fundraiser for the operational costs of WOAK Radio for the year 2010. Our costs are basically pretty low, and normally our annual budget rarely goes over $150,000.

This year, we've added to our financial burden by taking on a few expansion projects. I know it sounds crazy, especially in this day of economic uncertainty, but we believe the Lord is directing us to increase our power from 3500 watts to 25,000 watts so that we can cover another large city South of us, namely, Columbus, Ga.

We'll have more about the power increase later, but I just wanted you to know that this Sharathon is critical. EVERYONE that listens to WOAK needs to pledge some sort of financial support. Our goal for this year is to raise $100,000 in pledges (333 people pledging $25 per month.)

So, please be in prayer for Sharathon 2010. Also, make a pledge! You have no idea how important you are to WOAK and to the thousands that depend upon good Christian programming. Go to our Pledge Form and take a few seconds to commit to supporting this great ministry. Thank you!

T-shirts left over!

2009-06-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Whooo hoooo! We have WOAK 25th Anniversary T-shirts left over from our Singing in the Woods.

We'll be putting up pics of them soon (Dave doesn't have his camera with him today - slacker) but for now you can get by with just a description. There are two colors, pink and camo green (more like a dark sage) and printed in white ink. They are sharp.

For our blog readers, we'll let them go at the reduced rate of $10/each, but if you wait until we put them up in our WOAK Store, you'll have to pay the $12.

Send me an email of the colors and sizes you'll be needing, and we'll mail them off to you right away. (rick@woak.com)

Singing in the Woods

2009-06-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, you heard correctly. We're singing in the woods. Actually, not us, but we have invited some great groups and individuals to perform for us Saturday, June 13th at the Sheriff's Pineland Camp, beginning at 5pm.

If you're anywhere nearby, please plan to stop by and enjoy the festivities with us. We're looking forward to meeting our listeners, and we know you and your family will have a great time.

Don't forget to bring your lawn chair!

25th Anniversary Eve!!!

2009-06-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's almost here. Thursday we celebrate our 25th anniversary.

So, what are we going to do? I mean, how does a radio station celebrate something like that? Well, we basically invite old friends out to share with our listeners the old days, and how the Lord has blessed over the years.

So, tune in all day Thursday and listen to some of the old voices of WOAK.

Join us for lunch, too. We're serving a free lunch out on the veranda for all our listeners that stop by to say hi. I think Jimmy is smoking a huge pork loin. Also, for the first 10 listeners that stop by and ask, we'll give them a free WOAK T-Shirt. Whooo Hoooo!

WOAK's 25th Anniversary Activities

2009-06-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's pretty exciting that we've been on the air for 25 years! June 11th marks the day that WOAK's staff flicked the big switch back in 1984. I wasn't here, but they say that it was a lot of fun, sorting out records on an old bed in the middle of a farmhouse located in the woods. Landon Morrow, one of the original DJ's mentioned that sometimes, during long form programming, he'd have to step out and herd stray cows back into the pasture.

Eventually they moved the studios into the little building that we're in now. I'm glad for that.

We'd like to invite you to come and visit with us June 7 at 2pm here at the station. We're bringing back the old crowd for an informal 25th anniversary reception. The entire WOAK listening community is invited, and of course there will be snacks and drinks, and give-aways for the kids.

Also, mark your calendar for June the 13th. As you've probably already heard, we're having our first annual Singing in the Woods. It's free and it looks like it will be a lot of fun. Check out our home page for more information. Remember to bring your own chair!

Welcome to Our New and Improved Site

2009-02-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

From the chaotic mind of Dave, our in-house geek, a few changes to woak.com have been made.

We would like to improve your experience as you visit, making the navigation clearer, and less "fluffy" and we hope you like them.

If you have any recommendations, let us know right away so we can ignore you. Ha. No, we really do need some sort of feedback from our visitors so that we can make our site more valuable. We realize that woak.com is not the most important part of your life, but, we'd like to think that we are at least thought well of.

So, make some comments, good or bad (we'll delete the bad ones), and let us know what you think.