Jason Upton Touring Australia

April 28, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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Jason Upton is a singer/songwriter. His songs and messages reflect a life fully lived in relationship with God, family and friends.

Jason lives in Wisconsin with his wife Rachel and their four children but he’s currently on the road visiting a number of communities around New Zealand, Australia and in coming days the UK. I recently spoke to Jason in an interview for 98five Sonshine FM.

Jason has an amazing story of meeting his biological mother around the age of thirty. It’s a remarkable and heart warming tale that’s well worth hearing.



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Lest We Forget – ANZAC Day 2012

April 25, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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ANZAC Day, the 25th of April, has been described as Australia’s most important national occasion. While many public holidays are just about getting an extra day off, ANZAC Day has real significance for many Australians.

It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. While the date is aligned with that event in the First World War, the day is a remembrance of all those who have been to war to protect our freedom.

ANZAC Day goes beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915. It is the day we remember all Australians who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. The spirit of ANZAC, with its human qualities of courage, mateship, and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity. On ANZAC day, ceremonies are held in towns and cities across the nation to acknowledge the service of our veterans.

My parents served in the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War. (That’s my dad in the picture.)

War is a terrible thing but I am grateful for the courage and sacrifice of those who fought for our country. I shudder when I imagine what it would be like to face a hostile enemy, knowing that any moment could be my last. I would hate to have to go to war. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to say goodbye to my loved ones, not knowing if I’d ever see them again. Having kids of my own, I don’t even want to think about the parents that have seen their children go to war.

ANZAC Day isn’t about glorifying war, it’s about paying our respects to those who put their lives on the line for their countrymen and the generations to come.



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How Could I Get It So Wrong?

April 20, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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No one likes to think of themselves as a failure but sometimes we need to admit that there are some things we’re just never going to master.

I am not the person to speak to if you need help solving difficult mathematical problems. Don’t come and see me if you need someone who’s great with DIY projects. While I love cycling, you’ll never see me on top of the winners podium.

I can live with not being able to master all these things. There are plenty of things I’m good at, like … well … just take my word for it.

What does concern me is something that I got so horribly wrong last night.

Maybe a bit of background information would help. For several months I’ve suffered from back soreness. It’s ranged from, “Ooh, that’s uncomfortable” through to, “Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!!”. Recently, if I’ve dropped something on the floor I just figure that that’ll be a great new permanent home for whatever it is because there’s no way I can even consider bending low enough to pick it up.

Being a man, I put off treatment for way too long. I don’t want to say how long but if it keeps up too much longer my back pain will be able to celebrate its own anniversary. Thankfully the treatment I’m now receiving is slowly but surely making a big difference … but there are still good and bad days.

Yesterday was a good day but today I woke up feeling quite sore. This led me to think to myself, “I must have slept wrong.” How much of a failure are you when you get sleeping wrong? It’s a simple process. You lie down, pull up the covers, shut your eyes and all things going well, you wake up some hours later feeling rested. I got it completely wrong last night.

It’s not like I haven’t had practice. I’ve been working on this sleeping thing for well over 48 years. They say practice makes perfect but not in this case. All that practice and I still sleep wrong.

I’m not one to be deterred. Tonight will be my night. I will sleep well. I will wake rested and then celebrate ….. but not too vigorously. I’ve got a bad back, you know.



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Rob Palmer in Perth for Garden Week 2012

April 20, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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Rob Palmer started in the construction industry as a nine year old working at his Dad’s company during school holidays. In 2000, while he was working as a carpenter in his own business, Rob was approached to be a presenter on a lifestyle programme on Channel 10. That program only lasted until 2001 but by then he was on his way in the media industry.

He then started on Channel 7’s Better Homes and Gardens where he’s still a popular presenter.

In 2010 he showed the world he’s multi-talented by winning Dancing with the Stars. This weekend he’s in Perth for Garden Week at Perry Lakes Reserve in Floreat, but I spoke to him on the phone this morning during the Morning Cafe on 98.5 Sonshine FM. You can hear our conversation by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

From 19-23 April Perry Lakes Reserve in Floreat will be transformed from tranquil parkland to a bustling hub of activity featuring all things gardening and much more.

Bursting with colour, Garden Week will delight visitors with the huge array of roses, waterwise plants, trees, indoor and outdoor plants, herbs and vegies.

Open daily from 9.30am, the Show is growing in popularity with visitors treated to the best WA has to offer with all things gardening and outdoor living.

Rob Palmer, the ever-popular DIY expert from Better Homes and Gardens will be on the Total Eden Celebrity stage from Thursday to Sunday to charm the crowds with his wit, humour and talent.

Also on the Celebrity Stage will be Chris Ferreira and the team from Great Gardens who will be holding presentations with topics ranging from sustainability and how to grow your own produce.

Great Gardens will also be working closely with Garden Week’s official Charity Partner Therapy Focus on the hugely popular Scarecrow Competition with over 40 scarecrows from WA primary schools on display.

Rob will be appearing at the Garden Show across the weekend.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR200412_1005.mp3]

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Behind Closed Doors

April 18, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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I cycled past that house again today. I ride past it most days. It’s the house where a woman was murdered a couple of months back. It’s alleged that her husband did it. I guess the courts will decide.

After it happened there was police tape blocking off the road and a number of police vehicles of various shapes and sizes scattered around the end of the street. It stayed that way for days but up until that time it was just another unremarkable house on an unremarkable road that I passed on my daily commute. The tape and the cars are well and truly gone now and it’s just a ‘normal’ house again. Although, I guess, it can never really be normal again.

Statistics tell us that the majority of homicide victims die at the hands of someone they know. Even before things get to that point you’d have to imagine that there’s a lot of pressure behind closed doors. Thankfully not all situations end that way but it’s a reminder that we never know what’s going on behind closed doors. We generally don’t know about the sadness our neighbours might be facing or the struggles that they may be working to overcome.

We can never really know if the guy that sits and the desk next to us at work is facing some major issues at home or if the woman in front of us in the queue in the cafe has just received a phone call with devastating news.

We might think we know someone but do we fully know what’s going on in their private world?

Maybe we need to remember to always deal with people kindly, with compassion and with the kind of respect we’d like others to show us. Our attitude and care may just be part of the healing someone needs today.



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