Michael In The Middle

It just so happens that one of country music's biggest stars is also one of the Oklahoma Sooners' biggest fans, and one of his biggest hits included a great hook line ".... I always dreamed about livin' in your radio, how do you like me now?"  Well, long before he became the radio voice of OU Sooners football, basketball, and baseball, Toby Rowland was one of the all-time eas...

Sometimes it seems like life is one dark storm after another. The current sense of malaise is real but it’s also nothing new. Sadness and despair have been a part of the human equation, at least on occasion, since the dawn of time. It would be easy to believe that our best days are behind us. In Episode 32, Michael is challenging himself and his listeners to believe for a better day. On even the d...

For singer/songwriter Rick Lee James, the words for songs just flow out of so many life experiences. His music expresses the joys and sorrows that so often accompany living one's life and, wow, does he ever have a gift for capturing a moment. Episode 31 of Michael in the Middle explores how James became an expert and social media influencer by simply offering up Mr. Rogers quotes. Rick also is a s...

When we started Michael in the Middle, a decision was made to use song titles (chosen by Michael) as titles for the episodes. Michael's love of great songs and great singers/musicians informs so much of the ethos of the podcast, and Episode 30 is no exception. The episode features a great love story that just happens to cast a beautiful and talented lady, Andrea, and a handsome man, Wes, who was g...

The life of the late Charles Johnson, pastor of Fitkin's Memorial Church of the Nazarene in Meridian, MS, for 61 years, is a testimony to one man's faithfulness as a gifted preacher and valiant civil rights leader. God led Charles to Mississippi, a place he initially dreaded that became a place of great triumph.   Listen as Michael weaves past interviews with friend and author, Chet Bush...

Episode 28!!   In case you have missed a few segments, here are a few highlights that will serve as a good reminder of the reality that life is full of fun and occasional pain, but that it is always good!

Borne out of a lifelong friendship with Jacob Morris, Brodrick Thomas eventually found himself on the campus Trevecca Nazarene University in 2011. Twelve years later, Thomas has earned MBA, Masters in Organizational Leadership, and more recently a Doctoral degree in Leadership and Professional Practice from TNU.   Along the way he also met and married Lauren Thomas and life is sweet with...

It's cliche, but it's also true: You don't know what you don't know until you can see it for yourself. In Episode 26, Michael revisits moments of clarity gained from a move from Oklahoma to Mississippi as a 15 year old.   Confronted with a newfound understanding of perceived racial differences, Michael found a friend and mentor in the wife of one of the Civil Rights movement's most signi...

For a preacher's daughter whose mother never missed a show, Chonda Courtney Pierce could never have imagined when she first started performing for family and friends as a little girl where the roads of life would take her. As a best-selling comedian making records and making people laugh she often hid the pain of overwhelming losses.   Episode 25 of Michael in the Middle is a special hou...

The late Robert Palmer's classic, "Every Kinda People," implies that we are all created to help "make what life's about." This thought came readily to mind during Michael's recent trip to New York City. Here in Episode 24, Michael talks about seeing people, not just as another body but as a person with a soul.

When you're a young parent and wonder whether you're going to be a good one, you just take it a day at a time. Next thing you know, it's 30-40 years later and you realize that your kids are where you were wondering how they're doing as the grownups now.    Hopefully, the joy of being together and reminiscing with our adult sons warms your heart a bit here in Episode 23. It was so fun to...

In 2001, Jimmy Eat World sang some lines in "The Middle" that said "it takes some time... you're in the middle of the ride, everything will be just fine..."    When Rob Walls decided, with the encouragement of his wife, Courtney, to launch his own business, he had no idea where it would go. But he took the plunge and now he's reaping the joys of helping others tell their story.  &nb...

Episode 21 is all about finishing well. As 2022 has drawn to a close, Michael shares lessons learned while completing a doctoral program in 2020. The comparison to running a marathon has parallels to the challenges of daily life.

Marrying into the legendary Speer Family and working with Bill and Gloria Gaither, among others, has allowed Allison Speer to experience the impact of gospel music up close and personal. Here in Episode 20, Allison shares how she got her start in the business and how it ultimately became her life's calling.    In addition to being gifted with an amazing voice, keen wit, and an eye for ar...

Larry Dunlap is a pastor in a traditional sense but never let's tradition get in the way of following where he sees God leading him. Whether it's helping establish a ministry to immigrants in West Texas or giving wings to a surfing and skateboarding ministry via a mobile pizza oven, Larry's heart runs wide open. Episode 19 is a fun-filled and touching look at how ministry in a local church can mak...

In Episode 18, Michael explores how to know when we're holding on too tightly to our fears or maybe even to our loved ones. Learning how to let go, even just a little, may well be the key to better days in our relationships and other facets of life.

Here in Episode 17, Michael encourages us to find out what makes our heart sing. What is it that takes your breath away? Could it be that making someone else's life better is just what you need? Could it make the world better in the process?

Episode 16 is a fun but reflective conversation with my brother, Dr. Jeffrey T. Johnson. Memories of our childhood give way to current realities, ultimately leading yo to the recognition of the one-year anniversary our mother's passing. Anne Genell Crawford Johnson was, and always will be, our "yellow rose of Texas." Her story obviously shaped ours. Perhaps hearing this conversation will impact yo...

MATT LITTON is a bestselling collaborative writer, speaker, publishing consultant and creativity coach.  He has written three #1 Wall Street Journal & Publishers Weekly bestselling books and multiple top fifty Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) non-fiction bestsellers. He is the author of The Mockingbird Parables (Tyndale), Holy Nomad (Abingdon Press) and In the Presence of Jesus (Ty...

Homecoming weekend at my Alma Mater is always a highlight of any year. The idea of going or coming home is one of the good things in life and Episode 14 of Michael in the Middle is a celebration of, and a challenge to live, a life of goodness. The goodness of God evokes a desire in me to share that sense of goodness and generosity with others. I hope it does for you as well.

Lucky for you, Episode 13 of Michael in the Middle was able to secure an hour with Joe Dubin, aka Nashville's Media Darling. More widely known now for his persona as "Big Joe on the Go," Dubin tells his story as a native Nashvillian whose life was greatly impacted by his late mother.    Joe Dubin is a big man with a big heart who knows how to find and tell a great story. Enjoy this episo...

Episode 12 of Michael in the Middle is a look back at some of the best moments from the first season so far. Enduring friendships form the foundation for building bridges to better understanding and mutual respect. Michael believes we can change the often toxic atmosphere one good conversation at a time.

There are a lot of magical moments in the life of Stephen Bargatze and here in Episode 11 of Michael in the Middle, you can find the magic in how he overcame a serious childhood injury and in how he obtained his college degree and in what he's done for a living for over nearly four decades. The magic tricks he does are amazing, but magic in his life is due to the grace that has flowed throughout i...

Homer J. Adams was the ninth president of Trevecca Nazarene College (now University) from 1979-1991. His life and legacy loom large in the minds and hearts of many still today. Here in Episode 10, I offer reflections on his impact both as an administrator and as my father-in-law.   The episode is largely taken from a reading of his inaugural/installation address from June 2, 1979. It is...

Great stories find their footing in simply taking the next right step. Episode 9 of Michael in the Middle is a story of how leaving home and finding her place in the world ultimately led  Rondy Smith to a calling that helps seemingly hopeless women find a home for their weary bodies and souls.   The Rev. Dr. Smith, founding director of RestStop Ministries, is a living example of aca...