A dirty little secret

May 21, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
1 Comment

Shane Vander Hart of Caffeinated Thoughts has written a frank introduction to The Dirty Little Secret: Uncovering the Truth Behind Porn, a book by Craig Gross.

Shane’s post, Porn Sucks, is well worth a read. He quotes Craig talking about the nature of pornography.

We’re trying to help people see the true nature of pornography. It’s pure exploitation, the objectification of sex. God gave us so much more than that. Christianity doesn’t condemn sex or pleasure. Sex is a wonderful gift fully sanctified in God’s glory. Have you ever read Song of Solomon? Ever wonder what that little piece of erotic writing is doing in the Bible? Yet we choose to ignore this gift for something much more carnal; we wolf down the cheeseburger and fries when we’re offered the filet minon. That’s what porn is: sex packaged in a fast-food wrapper, dumbed down and exploited for profit and mass consumption.

The good news is that there is a way out of porn addiction. Check out Shane’s post for more details.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading A dirty little secret? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Holiday Reading

May 11, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
2 Comments

book.jpgOne of the things I got to do while I was on holiday for the last couple of weeks was to read. I love the opportunity to take large chunks of time to sit down with a coffee and a good book.

Amazing how refreshing it can be.

I really need to make time to do that on a more regular basis. I can’t just go off on holiday every week or so but I can set aside time for a mini holiday inside a book.

As well as my Bible, newspapers and a new cycling magazine, I read Mad Church Disease by Anne Jackson and got a long way through Shantaram, a novel that’s about the size of a three story building.

I’ll be saying more about both books in the coming days.

I’m hoping that our children will develop a healthy reading habit. I think it’s one of those things that makes life a little bit more worth living.

Unfortunately, while I was a quite advanced reader from a young age, the habit of curling up in a corner with a good book was never really encouraged in our home when I was growing up. It wasn’t discouraged but it wasn’t really something that my parents did and so I never ‘caught’ the habit. All these years later I’m still trying to overcome that and place more importance on reading.

What was the ‘reading culture’ like in your home when you were young? Has that carried on with you? Are you a voracious reader or do you have to make an effort? What advice would you give for someone wanting to develop a healthy reading habit?



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Holiday Reading? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Moments for Mum

April 26, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
1 Comment

The book ‘Moments for Mum’ is a collection of 61 of daily devotions, covering topics such as grief, anger, enjoying our children, joy, jealousy, and a whole lot more. It was compiled by Perth mum, Narelle Nettlebeck from thoughts that she had shared through her blog Moments for Mum.

Narelle recently joined me in the studio to tell 98.5 Sonshine FM listeners a little bit more about the journey to produce the book.

If you’re a mum who needs some time out or you’re looking for a great Mother’s Day gift, check out the details at Moments for Mum.

To listen to our conversation simply press the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

If you live around Perth you might be interested in the official launch for the book which is being held from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. this Saturday, the 2nd of May at Morley Baptist Church in Vera Street, Morley.

There’ll be book sales and signings, children’s activities and light refreshments. Everyone’s welcome.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/SUN230409_1421.mp3]

Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Moments for Mum? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Open House

March 15, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
Add Comment

Open_House.jpgEach Sunday evening Sheridan Voysey talks to a variety of authors, artists and personalities as part of his radio program, Open House. Together they cover a wide range of topics from faith to failure and along the way discovering some of the things that make up the very essence of life.

Sheridan has recently released a book titled Open House which contains transcripts of some of the most fascinating interviews he has conducted on the radio programme with guests such as Andrew Denton, Philip Yancey, Tim Costello, Marina Prior and James Morrison.

I recently spoke to Sheridan on 98.5 Sonshine FM. Sheridan is the former host of the morning radio programme I now present each week day. I took up the programme when he left Perth about four and a half years ago.

If you’d like to hear our discussion about the book and the lessons Sheridan has learned from his guests just click the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/SUN031209_1544.mp3]

Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Open House? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

What love language do you speak?

March 8, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
2 Comments

lovelanguages.jpgHave you ever tried having a conversation with someone who speaks a different language to you? You may get some of the main points across but you really don’t feel as if you’re able to freely communicate.

Author Gary Chapman believes that we face a similar situation when we try to express and receive love. In his ver popular book, The Five Love Languages, he suggests that there are five love languages. Chapman argues that while each of these languages is ‘spoken’ to some degree by all people, we will usually speak one primary language. He says that all are important and should be ranked to help us understand more about ourselves and those we love.

So what are the five love languages? Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. Where do you think you fit?

The essential thought behind Gary Chapman’s work is that we can be doing our best to communicate love yet it feels that we’re just not getting through. It could be because we’re speaking the wrong love language.

Life Skills Trainer, Jill Bonanno, joined me on Friday morning on 98.5 Sonshine FM for our weekly radio segment, Simply Living. As part of our monthly Book Club we reviewed Chapman’s book and spoke to listeners who have read the book.

You can hear our conversation by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

I’d be very interested in your point of view. Leave your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

Have you heard of the five love languages before? Have you worked out which is your primary love language? Do you know the primary love languages of those you love?



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading What love language do you speak?? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.