We radio hosts are like sheep, but we would do well to be goats instead. Sheep graze on grass and that’s pretty much it. When we show prep like sheep, we tend to find the same kind of content in the same kind of places with the same kind of result. But a goat will eat grass, hay, weeds, grain, and sometimes even tree bark! Goats don’t get much love in the Bible, but they are the best mascot for better show prep. I’d like to give you some new ideas for show prep that have the potential to increase your show prep by more than 500%. So here we go.
Rearrange and repurpose.
There are a lot of sweet letters that moms write to their kids, to their spouses, to their friends and others. If it touches us, we read it on-air. It’s a brilliant moment! Then, we put an asterisk on it and save it for next year. Unfortunately, that leaves a lot of prep on the table, unused and forgotten. Here’s an example from the ForEveryMom.org website (a great site to follow, by the way).
BACK TO SCHOOL PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Teach me to number my days.
Teach me to count the joy in the delightful and the disgusting, to count the beauty in the hard and the happy.
Teach me to hold on — and to let go, but always to lean on You.
Teach me to love them, Lord, the way you love me.
Teach me to rest in your peace, even when I’m standing in chaos.
Teach me to remember your Truth, even when we face lies and loss.
Teach me to keep my eyes on you, God — and to point my girls to you as well.
Teach me to redeem this time, this season, this phase – to remember that you are in this, with me, holding up my arms and holding them, too.
Teach me to be humble and to learn, even as they learn this school year.
Teach me to be strong and to persevere, just as they will press on this year.
Teach me to number my days and give me a heart of wisdom, Lord.
Teach me to love you and to love them every moment, every day, every season, every year.
Amen
Most of us would edit that to be a little shorter and read it as is. Beautiful. But if we rearrange and repurpose that, we can squeeze out a lot more value.
- Turn it into ramps.
- WQQL, it may have been a rough morning getting the kids off to school, but you rocked it mom, because you found joy even in the chaos! Way to go!
- WQQL, let’s just agree that mornings do not go according to plan most of the time! But you’re finding joy in the delightful and the disgusting, and that’s not easy. Well done.
- WQQL, you may be replaying some of the less-than-kind things you said this morning, but just so you know, you’re not doing this parenting thing alone. It’s hard but you’ve got someone to lean on who understands.
- WQQL, it’s not always easy to raise kids but I hope you recognize that you’re learning! You’re loving them better every day.
- WQQL, was it World War 3 at the breakfast table this morning? You brought some peace to that chaos. And that’s tough to do. Give yourself some credit.
- WQQL, you might feel frazzled as a parent and failing because your life feels chaotic, but you’re letting God redeem this season way more than you think.
- WQQL, well, the kids made it to school in one piece and they’re learning all kinds of stuff. But, you know what, so are you. I hope you’re giving yourself grace to learn new things.
- WQQL, I know mornings can seem like a tsunami of chaos and you feel overwhelmed, but you are stronger than you think. That’s perseverance.
- WQQL, you might feel alone in your parenting and the one carrying all the weight, but God has given you a heart of wisdom and you’re using it.
- WQQL, doesn’t it seem like every day there are new challenges your kids find their way into that you never even thought of? It’s exhausting. But God is loving you through it all and helping you love them through it all too.
- Turn any of the lines of that prayer into a complete break and a phoner:
- “Teach me to number my days.” People always warn me, “I know parenting is hard now but you’re gonna miss this!” I know they mean well but it doesn’t help. I know I’m going to miss this someday, but it doesn’t mean it’s not hard now! How do I respond to that? How do I make sure I’m not squandering these days when the kids are young? How do you talk yourself down off the ledge when parenting is hard. Or how do you respond in grace when people want to give you advice and make you feel like you’re doing it all wrong? Call now.
- “Teach me to count the joy in the delightful and the disgusting,” I love my kids, but they are…how shall I say…little piggies! Their rooms are a disaster, and I found a burrito under my son’s bed that had been there for at least a month! I know I’m supposed to find joy in both the delightful and the disgusting but how? What’s your strategy? Call now.
- “Teach me to hold on — and to let go, but always to lean on You.” People keep telling me to hold on and to let go and to lean on God, in my parenting, but I can’t even find 2 minutes to open my Bible much less figure out how to apply it to my parenting. How do you find time for God? Right now, it seems impossible. And forgive me, but any free time I have, I need it for myself. Is it just me? Or do you experience this too?
- “Teach me to keep my eyes on you, God — and to point my girls to you as well.” My daughter is obsessed with Instagram. She used to be so confident and now I’ve watched her shrink smaller and smaller to the point where she doesn’t even want to try out for anything at school. She’s so self-critical and she won’t believe me when I tell her she’s beautiful because she says I’m her mom and no one else sees her that way. How do I help her thought this and believe what God says about her? How are you navigating that?
So there’s one piece of prep that turned into 14. That’s a 1400% increase. And that’s not even including the breaks you get from the caller that expand that even more! And the great thing is, you can do this with any piece of content to deem worthy of airing! The result? You’ll be a goat! The Greatest Of All Time!
P.S. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve got many more ideas to share at the upcoming On-Air Momentum Summit in Nashville on November 10 so I’d encourage you to sign up. This is the stuff that makes your job easier, and your PD wants you to know. It’ll be so worth it!
Lisa Barry
Lisa Barry Media – On-Air Host
lisa@lisabarrymedia.com