Hey there. Welcome to a special edition of the Lifespring! show. These days my time is such that I rarely produce an episode of this show, so I guess they’re all special editions, right? The reason for today’s show is to give my response to the recent decision of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) on same sex marriage. My primary audience for the show is one specific person. A person close to me, whom I love with all of my heart. This person is not gay, but they have asked the question, “How am I directly affected by the SCOTUS decision to legalize gay marriage? Why should I care?” If you’re listening to this and have the same question, I encourage you to listen all the way through as I attempt to answer this very important question. If, at the end of the show you disagree with me, that’s okay. We can agree to disagree and still love each other. As blown up as this topic has been, I still consider it a peripheral matter. It is not central to my Christian faith. Believing one way or the other on this topic will not make or break your salvation. We are saved by faith in Christ. That’s it. Everything else is peripheral. Of course, there is a lot packed into that statement, but at its core, the very nub of our salvation rests in faith in Him. It occurs to me that this episode just might find its way into the ears of a few people who don’t know anything about the Lifespring! podcast or me. For those of you who are familiar with the show and/or me, do you mind if I spend a minute or two to introduce myself to the new folks? Thanks. My name is Steve Webb, and I am your host. The very first episode of the Lifespring! podcast was published on November 13, 2004, making it the world’s first Christian all-podcast podcast. What that means is that I was the first to release a podcast of Christian content that was produced specifically for this medium. There were two or three other podcasts that were repurposed church sermons, but Lifespring! was the first podcast that was made just for this form of communication. The target audience was both believers and those curious about God. Almost immediately I began receiving email from around the world from people who had questions about God. Over the years, the shows I’ve produced at LifespringMedia.com have been downloaded millions of times. This show, the Lifespring! show used to be produced on a weekly basis, but it’s been years since that was the case. Life changes happen, right? These days I produce a daily Monday through Friday podcast called the Lifespring! Family Audio Bible, and I produce a weekly podcast of my church’s Sunday morning sermon. If you’re interested in looking into those in more detail, just go to LifespringMedia.com. I’m not here today to do a commercial for the shows. I could spend a lot more time telling you the history of the show and all the things that have grown out of it, but you can research it online if you want more info. Ok. So who am I? The short answer is that I am a guy who came into podcasting in the dawning days of the medium because I love technology, I had a background in radio, and I am a committed follower of Jesus. That’s not to say that I am perfect or without my own faults, but my heart’s desire is to one day stand before Him and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I first made the decision to have a relationship with Jesus when I was sixteen years old. I’m now almost sixty-one.

Here is the complete version of the special edition of the Christmas Story recorded especially for the Lifespring! Why Christmas Show and whychristmas.com A HUGE thank you to everyone who's taken part in the recording. Steve and James are very grateful! The Christmas Story Cast Gabriel: Anthony Getting - http://gettig.net Mary: Karmyn Tyler - http://karmyntyler.com Elizabeth: Natalie Nicole Gilbert - http://www.facebook.com/NatalieNicoleGilbert Angel: Bob Souer - http://bobsouer.com Shepherd 1: Bryan Duncan - http://bryanduncan.com Shepherd 2: Kenny Metcalf - http://justaband.com Shepherd 3: Dave DeAndrea - http://davedeandrea.com Wise Man 1: Ron Ploof - http://griddlecakes.com Wise Man 2: Ron Stroope - http://ronstroope.com Wise Man 3: RevTim - http://revtim.com King Herod: James Cooper - http://www.whychristmas.com Narrator: Steve Webb - http://theguywiththefriendlyvoice.com

On this comeback episode we take a quick look back at the beginning of the Lifespring! podcast and peek at what's ahead! Yes, there is a future for the Lifespring! podcast!!! Here are links to the interviews mentioned: Steven and Maryanne Abbate "The Fifth Quarter" Jimmie Bratcher "Interview With Jimmie Bratcher: Is Christian Blues An Oxymoron?" Kathi Brixey "Faith Personified" Scott Wesley Brown   "When America Is Not America Anymore" Phil Callaway  "The Family Squeeze Edition" Ellie Collins   "Crossing Over" Aaron Crider  "A Conversation With Aaron Crider" Adam Curry "Interview With Adam Curry: Our One Year Anniversary and the Podfather Meets the GodCaster!" Bryan Duncan  "Interview With Bryan Duncan" Bryan Duncan "World Premiere of 'Still Dancin''" Bryan Duncan "A Free Flying Lesson" Michael Franzese  "Interview With A Mafia Boss - REALLY!" Part 1 Michael Franzes "Interview With A Mafia Boss REALLY!" Part 2 Chuck Girard "Interview With Jesus Music Pioneer Chuck Girard" Michelle Gold "Urgency!

George Beverly Shea The world lost a special servant of God today. Mr. George Beverly Shea went to be with the Lord after a 104 year journey on the Earth. Mr. Shea was an integral part of Billy Graham's crusades since 1947, and according to the Guinness Book of Records, holds the record for singing in front of the most people...over 220 million! On May 23, 2006 I did an interview with Mr. Shea on the Lifespring! show, and I would like to share that interview with you today. The audio quality is not up to my current standards, but I think you will enjoy the conversation despite that shortcoming. The interview starts at about 16:30.

On This Episode Adrina Thorpe Singer/songwriter Adrina Thorpe continues her amazing story of her struggle with physical pain, her faith in God, and how He has continued to encourage her in some very personal and intimate ways, ways that were specifically tuned to speak to Adrina so that she would know it was truly Him speaking. After the interview, you'll hear a song from Adrina's newest CD, "Halflight and Shadows". The song is entitled "Walk".     Mareena Webb My first daughter-in-law...the wife of my firstborn son...the mother of my first grandchild, is an amazingly gifted photographer. Mareena has decided to create a presence for her photography business on the internet, and asked me to invite you to see her work. Her foray onto the net is in its infancy at the time of this recording, so her website is on blogspot, but I'll be helping her build her own site soon. In the meantime, check out her website here. If you're in the southern California area and want to have images captured in beautiful and creative ways, Mareena is your photographer! Bryan Duncan Someone who has been on the internet for a long time, and who has become almost family to me is Bryan Duncan. A pioneer in Christian music, Dove award winner, platinum and gold albums, you've heard about Bryan here before. Bryan is in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign right now, as I record this on November 19, 2011. It goes until December 17, 2011. The goal is to raise $40,000 for his next CD. He's offering some very cool stuff to those who contribute, including the opportunity to be listed as Executive Producer of the new CD!        

An Interview With Adrina Thorpe Adrina Thorpe is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. I've known her now for about six years. She has a sweet, clear voice and the heart of a poet. Her music first came to my attention in the early days of podcasting, and she was one of the early stars of this medium. I found out she lived not far from me, right here in southern California, so I asked her to come to the Lifespring! studios in December of 2005 and do an interview with me. Since that show aired, we've kept in touch over the via email. Not too long ago, Adrina sent an email newsletter out to her fans in which she told a story that brought tears to my eyes. You see, Adrina has suffered for years with a condition that causes her a great deal of pain. In her letter, she talked about her faith in God, her pleading to Him for healing, and how He has spoken to her in response. It's a story I thought you should hear. The drawing given to Adrina

Brought to  you by:   The Final Episode of our interview with Steven and Maryanne Abbate Steven and Maryanne talk about how their marriage survived the loss of their fifteen year old son, Luke. In addition they discuss how their family and priorities have changed, and their reasons for opening their lives for public view. I have so much admiration for them for opening up their lives as they have done, but they truly want others to be helped by their experiences. And it is good to know that, even through the human frailties, God will lift us up and help us to make it through. It can be a long and painful process, and both Steven and Maryanne said that they are still working through some of the aftermath of such a great loss, you heard two people who still love God and trust Him. Thank you again, Steven and Maryanne, for your generous gift of time to me and the family of Lifespring! listeners. . Music On Today's Show From The 5th Quarter Soundtrack Trenna Barnes - Reach Out Your Hand Adrina Thorpe - Fly Fly Fly To purchase the songs through iTunes click here.   For more info on organ donation click here.

  Today we'll hear part 2 of my interview with Steven and Maryanne Abbate, parents of a whole family of great kids, one of whom, Luke,  was tragically killed in an automobile accident in February of 2006. A movie has been made about the accident and how the Abbate family has coped with the loss, and how God has used it to bring some amazing blessings into the lives of others. That movie is The 5th Quarter, and may be in a theater near you, or hopefully will be. . . Music On Today's Show From The 5th Quarter Soundtrack Stacy Earl - "Live and Breathe" Black Mercies - "Less Than Zero"

The 5th Quarter Today, I have part one of another story that will grab your heart and then, I think, ultimately encourage you to praise God. It's the story of the Abbate family. Husband Steven and his wife, Maryanne, and their children Adam, Rachel, Jon and Luke. If you are from the Atlanta, Georgia area, or from the Winston-Salem area of North Carolina, you are probably well aware of who these amazing people are. I had not heard of them until receiving a pre-release DVD of the film that tells what happened to them in February of 2005. The name of the film is The 5th Quarter, and when I watched it, I was gripped in a way I never have been gripped by a movie. So today, I have for you part one of a conversation I had with Steven and Maryanne Abbate. Watch the Promo [HTML1] Music On Today's Show Bjork Ostrom..."Long Drive Home" Michelle Gold..."Don't Miss Me Too Much"

    Lifespring! is brought to you by the TheGuyWithTheFriendlyVoice.com. Check it out! Mention you heard this show and get a 15% discount on any voiceover project! Crossing Over, Part 3 Today, we conclude our conversation with the remarkable Ellie Collins. By way of review, Ellie has told us of her very poor and traumatic childhood and adolescence. Raised by a physically abusive grandmother, sexually abused by her step-father and step-brother, forced into a marriage at 16 years old to a much older man who raped and beat her, raped again by a man who was supposed to be helping her escape, and then forced into prostitution. In the midst of this, she cries out to God in the best way she knows how, and pleas with Him to get her out of there. Miraculously, God sends a friend who helps her escape the clutches of the brothel owner. She makes her way to America, learns to speak English, and ultimately begins to build a life as a beautician, with a clientele that includes Hollywood celebrities. She marries a man who after several years of marriage desserts her. This sends her into a life of drugs and promiscuity. This is where we begin our episode. You can order the book at RestoringHearts.net. Music On Today's Show Track: Coming Home                 Track: With Hope                   Link to December, 2005 interview with Adrina Thorpe.