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Sep
3
Get ready for some math… How much television/ web videos do you watch on a given day? Maybe it is just two hours a day (the national average is something like 5 hours). Multiply that by by 7 days a week and you’ve got a solid 14 hours in one week that you can never get back. Considering that you may sleep 8 hours per night, that means that you spend almost one entire waking day per week watching television.
Recently, Nick and Chris fasted from television and visual media for an entire month. That’s right! A whole month without watching movies or taking in Internet videos. They embarked on this process shortly after realizing that they were trying to fill their loneliness of having moved across the country with entertainment. So, they guys set out to give it up — with the exception of the video they had to watch at work.
“The hardest part was probably walking into restaurants and finding a seat that did not face a television,” said Chris. “I found myself having an almost physical need to look at the screen. Even before the fast I was beginning to notice that my eyes were constantly drawn away from the people I was with and towards the box.”
“When you stop and think that something like nine hours of a person’s life can be spent in front of the television screen, it’s hard to believe that a person’s worldview will not be impacted. I’ve found myself watching television and movies that I know God would not want me to be taking in. So, the time came to just cut it off. Now that we’re allowed to watch TV again, though, I’ve found it less appetizing. We’re both doing more reading and have spent more time catching up with friends over the phone and in person. When we were in college we kept our television unplugged and in the closet so that it would be a hassle to watch it. It gave us a lot more time to make friends, go for walks, and enjoy real life.”
It may seem strange to challenge an audience on a media website to turn off their televisions, but we want to encourage you to strive for purity. If that means taking time off, then go for it! Now is a good time. If nothing else, you can start now and celebrate the end of your fast with Bringing up Bobby when it is re-released on DVD on 10.5.10!
You may even want to consider turning off your radio when you are driving or going for a workout. That extra bit of silence can allow you to slow your life down, focus on the other people in the car, and give you more time with the Lord. Perhaps you can challenge your church congregation to fast from media during the service! Let us know how you did by posting your experiences in the comment section!
Tips on Fasting From Television and Media:
* Make plans with friends and family members to help distract you.
* Take some extra time to read the Bible for yourself.
* Start writing to people you have not spoken with in a while.
* Get some exercise! Take up walking or jogging.
* Meet people! Check out your local newspaper to find some cheap events or groups that you can attend.
* Use your newfound time to share the gospel with neighbors.
* Read important books.
* Pray for people in power.
The Glowing Nose Podcast is the official podcast of Glowing Nose LLC, makers of the movies “Bringing up Bobby”, “Between the Walls”, and “Pint Size Parables”. Help us out by visiting the store page and picking up a few items. It would also help us if you would write a movie review of Bringing up Bobby and tell people that you like our podcast!
Aug
20
Have you ever found yourself being jealous of someone else? We have. And, in this episode of the Glowing Nose Podcast, we take some time to set things straight. Chris takes a few minutes to make things right with Kyle Prohaska from the movie “Standing Firm” and John Robert Moore of “The Widow’s Might”, two filmmakers that he has been jealous of for years.
It is very easy for us to be jealous of people who are more successful than ourselves. In the case of Kyle, Chris has been struggling with Kyle’s prowess when it comes to Internet marketing. With John it has been more about how easy he makes it all look. In an effort to get over his own jealousy, Chris calls each filmmaker and fesses up. There is also a nice tribute to veteran Christian filmmaker Rich Christiano.
But what if there is a good kind of jealousy? Is all jealousy bad? Well, as we discover on the podcast, God Himself is described as having a jealous love for His people. It is a true gift to be pursued by the living God.
So, gather up the whole family and give a listen as Chris and Nick discuss the ramifications of jealousy. And we want to hear from you! When was the last time you confessed sin to someone else? How did it go?
Special thanks to vocal talent Bethany Williams, who is also trying to raise money for a missions trip.
Feel free to post a movie review of “Standing Firm” and “The Widows Might”.
Jealousy - An Independent Christian Filmmaker Comes Clean [18:54m]:
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Aug
6
So you want to be a filmmaker? Not sure if films school is for you? You want to get out there and leave your mark on the world? Well, before you get too crazy, listen to some advice from Chris and Nick Staron, creators of the films Bringing up Bobby and Between the Walls. These guys have some real world advice for people who are looking to break into the industry.
It all boils down to one bit of advice: intern. Get out there and work for free to see if you like it in the first place. Any time you are considering a career, we strongly recommend that you go and spend time within that field before committing yourself. Sure beats 4 years of film school to find out!
We look at some important questions:
Should I go to film school?
How do I break into Hollywood?
Where can I find internships in the film industry?
Can I make a living as a Christian actor?
In this episode we take a break from our usual Christian comedy podcast/ This American Life style show to bring you some important information. But don’t worry — there are still plenty of great episodes in the archives.
During the podcast we mention an outline that you can use when considering whether or not to go into the film business. Download that document here.
Do you have any specific questions that you would like to have addressed? Go ahead and post them below and they just may appear on a future podcast!
Filmmaking Advice [28:43m]:
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Jul
23
Do you ever pretend to be someone else? Are you a different person at home than you are at work? This episode explores some important questions regarding the masks that we put on.
This may seem like a simple concept, but it actually impacts our lives every day. We spend years teaching teenagers to take off their masks, until they become adults and we ask them to put them back on. In professional environments we are all asked to pretend that we have it all together, know exactly what to do in all circumstances, and we never, under any circumstances, let people know that we are afraid.
But is this okay? Is it healthy? Some would argue that it is. Our modern era has made it chic to reveal everything about ourselves to the world. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign was all about getting information to people. Twitter is alive with folks spreading news about what they had for lunch. These days anyone can have an audience. That may not always be a good thing.
Our special guests for this episode include singer/songwriter Jessica Ripka, who discusses her own journey to become more honest with herself as a musician. Her new album Don’t Listen to My Face is available now. Don’t forget to review “Don’t Listen to My Face”!
We also hear from podcaster Elliot Gaiser of the Conservative Private Radio podcast who discusses the role that masks have played in various political campaigns. You only have to think back as far as the election of President Barack Obama to see the impact that can be had by being personal with an audience. But did that personal touch demean or expand the office? We’ll leave that up to you to decide.
This podcast is especially interesting in that it does not answer a lot of its questions. We may not even agree with all of the ideas that are introduced in this episode. But we think it is important to think of the burdens we place on ourselves and on our public figures.
This is an important topic to discuss with teenagers (a great resource for youth group discussion!) and adults alike.
Please leave your comments! We want to know what you think! Please let us know how the podcast is being used in youth ministry, young adult outreaches, and in your own private study.
Jul
2
A good name. Does it mean anything in our culture to have a good name anymore? We live in a day and age when a small lie, a little bit of laziness… those things are okay, so long as you get ahead.
This episode of the Glowing Nose Podcast is all about what it means to have a good name. Producers Nick and Chris Staron tell the story of one group of campers who go out of their way to tell a lie and how their actions impact Chris.
The Glowing Nose Podcast is like a Christian “This American Life”. The desire of the show is to blend stories, discussions, interesting topics, poetry, and music into an intelligent and fun program that will, hopefully, leave you thinking. From the producers of the movies “Bringing up Bobby” and “Between the Walls”, this funny Christian podcast is the one for you. It will also make you think about Heaven and Hell, Christian dating, Christian films, and much more.
As always, we want to hear from you! Please leave us comments, send us email, or leave a message on our Facebook page! We want to know if having a good name means anything to you, or if you believe it is some sort of outdated social construct. Let us know!
Jun
18
It’s our second annual quiz show! We called up our friends and asked them obscure questions about geography, Christian history, Victor Hugo, the President of the United States, and much more! Play along with the quiz and let us know how you did!
We do episodes like this to take a quick break from some of our more hard-hitting podcasts and to enjoy a good old fashioned contest. As always, we want to hear back from you! Please let us know if there are any future topics that you would like to hear covered on the podcast!
Jun
4
Graduating from high school or college? Giving that important speech and don’t know what to say? Well, we here at the Glowing Nose Podcast have taken a week off of our normally serious topics in order to help you out with some cool ways to breathe life into your dull graduation ceremony! What about hitting ping pong balls into the audience from the stage? Holding the ceremony on a moving sidewalk? Or a pie fight?
Right click here and select “Save As” to download our version of Pomp and Circumstance!
We have also heard good things about having parents place a blessing on their children during a small ceremony. This could be a great way for teens and adults to connect and to publicly show your love for your kids (ahem… adult children).
Also be sure to check out our other related podcasts: Christian in College, and Film School?
Don’t forget to join our Facebook Page and post your ideas on our discussion about how to liven up a graduation ceremony, after prom, or graduation party! We’d also like to hear your advice to graduating seniors.
Graduation Gets Good [17:46m]:
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May
21
What is gossip? Does gossip include something that is true? This episode of the Glowing Nose Podcast features interviews and research into the true meaning of gossip.
There are some differing opinions among the general public as to what constitutes gossip. Some people think that it is only something that is a lie or something that can hurt someone else. But what about true information that people do not want shared with others? Some folks think that gossip is simply anything that you would not say to another person’s face.
We want to know what you think! Have you ever asked someone to stop talking in order to slow down the flow of gossip? Please leave us a comment or hit our Facebook group to let us know!
Gossip - What is Gossip? [24:34m]:
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May
7
Are you as tired as I am about all of the sadness that is associated with being a Christian single? The stigma? Then this episode of the Glowing Nose Podcast is for you! This is a rallying cry for those of us who are single… and like it that way.
As a member of “gifted”, I am often getting my feathers ruffled when I hear someone talk about being single as if it is some kind of disease. When the Apostle Paul talks about being single he says that it is his preference! How dare we downplay that just because we’re tired of going to couples only events alone.
So, in the spirit of fun and laughs we have assembled this charge for the single man and woman. We’d love to hear your battle cry for the single folk! Leave yours here as a comment or post it on our Facebook group. And never again let yourself feel ashamed for being single!
The Single Life - Being Happy As A Christian Single [17:40m]:
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Apr
23
Ready for some exciting top-5 lists? This episode of the podcast takes a look at four different lists: 1) How to Tell If You Are Trapped in a Christian Film 2) Things We’d Like to See in a Church 3) Things to Look Forward to if Global Warming is Real and 4) Prayer Requests. Come and take a fun and entertaining look at our top five picks!
What are your top fives? Leave them in our comments section!
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