Old news. Bad news. Fake news. Sometimes you want to shut down and get no news at all! I aim to change that by focusing on good people doing good works. I visit with artists, educators, civic & spiritual leaders, musicians, business owners, students, volunteers, and everyday citizens who are using their creativity, resources, and talents to bring hope, happiness, and goodness to their corner of the world.
Episodes
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
Ep. 54 - The Girl in the City Ft. Breenie Dowies - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
When I started Find the Good News I never really thought about listeners becoming guests. As it turns out, people attracted to good news have ended up being good people themselves. After so many wonderful conversations, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised when a guest takes me into uncharted waters. The truth is I was surprised and taken places I didn’t expect to go when I visited with Breenie Dowies, woman-about-town and moderator of The Lake Charles Scene, a page focused on promoting businesses and events that make Southwest Louisiana a diverse and exciting place to live. Breenie was an early fan of Find the Good News, interacting, commenting, and sharing many of the interviews through her page. Over the past year, I watched Breenie enthusiastically share information, photos, and videos promoting the area. On her personal page, I noticed something that went further than the surface of her playful fashion sense and lively smile. I saw Breenie going far beyond the average effort to be social, genuinely social, online. She would cut through the simple selfie or highly manicured pictures with personal stories from deep beneath the shallow surface where we’re all invited to dwell. She was showing her heart, her mind, her emotions, her feelings, her true-self—not perfectly crafted for public consumption—in a raw and uncensored way, paired with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. My emotions were stirred by her posts, her willingness to share without worry. I suspect that many—like me—had relatable experiences, secretly thanking her for having the courage. Has the woman behind the enthusiastic smile, and the fun persona had a charmed life? Absolutely not. In fact, I would say that I have rarely visited with someone so young that has had as much to face, but face it she does. Breenie looks at her life honestly, and with the help of a loving community, she works to transform the empty spaces and lonely times in her life into service and light for others. Next time you see this girl in the city, let her charm and smile serve as a reminder that doing good does not always come from being treated good. Sometimes, in spite of the dark cards they have been dealt, people like Breenie are actively working to find and share the bright lights.
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS ON PATREON >> www.Patreon.com/FindTheGoodNews
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FOR MORE INFO ABOUT BREENIE DOWIES & THE LAKE CHARLES SCENE >> www.facebook.com/BreenieLynn or https://www.facebook.com/groups/544984835982050/
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
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FRESH FUEL >> www.TheFreshFuel.com or www.facebook.com/thefreshfuel
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WHISTLE STOP DANCESPORT >> Call (337) 515-7577
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BRIMSTONE MUSEUM >> www.brimstonemuseum.org or Call (337) 527-0357
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Tuesday Aug 27, 2019
LIVE - FIND THE GOOD NEWS - FT. THOM TRAHAN & KAT GODSEY
Tuesday Aug 27, 2019
Tuesday Aug 27, 2019
HOSTED BY Oran Parker & Mike Brignac
In this episode of Find the Good News we go LIVE with Thom Trahan & Kat Godsey of the Brimstone Museum and Henning Cultural Center in Sulphur, Louisiana. They talk about the Chaos Theory art exhibit on display now at the Henning Cultural Center, and their Totally Rad 80s Party to send off the show in style, Saturday, August 31 from 6-8pm at the Henning Cultural Center.
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EVENT FEATURES:
80s Costume Contest, the movie Ghostbuster on the lawn, the Chaos Theory art exhibit, Artists and Art Vendors, BoomBox Frozen Pops & Ice Cream, the 80s Kids Bedroom display for photo ops, Retro Piano Man Jack Harrell, and the Louisiana Ghostbusters with Ecto-1!
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS ON PATREON >> www.Patreon.com/FindTheGoodNews
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FOR MORE INFO ABOUT CHAOS THEORY & THE TOTALLY RAD 80s PARTY >> www.facebook.com/events/380920635942205/ or www.facebook.com/ChaosTheoryArtShow/
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BRIMSTONE MUSEUM >> www.brimstonemuseum.org or Call (337) 527-0357
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Wednesday Aug 21, 2019
Ep. 53 - The Organism Ft. Abbie Dixon - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Aug 21, 2019
Wednesday Aug 21, 2019
I remember when I was a child, those key moments that softened my heart, the events that really made me tender, that helped me feel for others. Looking back I can see how often those feelings were turned off and on during my life. On reflection, I see the times when I saw the suffering and misfortune of others as benchmarks, moments when I felt my higher self, the part of me that longed to be a balm or a servant to others. If I had one great regret it would be that I didn’t string those moments closer together, with higher frequency recurrence, tuning my focus on them sooner. Perhaps that is why I am fascinated when I meet people like Abbie Dixon, a woman who seems to have found her calling to serve others at a young age, which is one of the reasons I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to visit with her on Find the Good News. Abbie is one of the founders of Ezer Ministries, a newly formed non-profit that is working to help people in our community using whatever resources are available for a variety of ongoing needs. In speaking with Abbie I learn that one doesn’t have to have a lifetime of pains and tragedies to fuel a desire to help. In Abbie’s case, her heart started opening up to the people around her as early as eight years old, and she has used the energy of the things she witnessed as a child to draw her closer to the Divine Heart, a Spirit that has set her on a mission. This mission she has committed to is simple; love others, love those that society deems unlovable, love beyond the boundaries erected by legalism, tradition, and prescribed forms. Abbie quite clearly senses her place within the body of humanity, the place of a servant, and with kindness, gentleness, and humility she settles into this space with each passing day. I can’t go back and stitch the moments of sweetness in my life any closer together than they already are, but after visiting with Abbie I am fully convinced that I can make the days I have left more joyful, filled with service, and kinder still.
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SUPPORT FIND THE GOOD NEWS ON PATREON >> www.Patreon.com/FindTheGoodNews
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FOR MORE INFO ABOUT ABBIE DIXON & EZER MINISTRIES >> www.instagram.com/ezerministries or wwww.facebook.com/abbied98
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
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FRESH FUEL >> www.TheFreshFuel.com or www.facebook.com/thefreshfuel
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WHISTLE STOP DANCESPORT >> Call (337) 515-7577
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BRIMSTONE MUSEUM >> www.brimstonemuseum.org or Call (337) 527-0357
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Wednesday Aug 14, 2019
Wednesday Aug 14, 2019
When you find out an old friend has started a hot sauce brand called Jammin’ Jelly’s Hot Sauce,… and you happen to like hot sauce,… and you have a podcast, then you know what you’re supposed to do next. I hadn’t seen Jelly Reynolds since we had worked together a K.D.’s Diner almost 23 years ago, so I invited mad food scientists—Jelly Reynolds and his business partner Charlie Frye—to come sit in the hot seats on Find the Good News. Jelly and Charlie have the honor of being a part of the very first cuisine focused episode of this show, and our conversation does not disappoint. It’s an origin story—which I love—with all the savory details that make the tastebuds in your mind hungry for more. It seems Jelly and Charlie's line of comfort sauces are moving on a steep incline, with the right amount of heat for a solid launch. What you get to be a part of in this episode are the stories behind the clever names, unique colors, and ingredients, plus the curious and mouth-watering flavor profiles that are putting Jammin’ Jelly’s Hot Sauce on the tingling tips of Southwest Louisiana tongues. These are sauces that are born right here in Southwest Louisiana, and they're raising the stakes even further by using them in their signature Louisiana comfort foods that they’ll soon be serving from the Jammin’ Jelly’s Hot Sauce food truck. I don’t want to overcook the intro—I have to leave you something to listen to—so I’ll keep a little simmering on the side. Know this, Jelly and Charlie are cooking up good things. I hope you’ve saved room for more.
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FOR MORE INFO ABOUT JAMMIN' JELLY'S HOT SAUCE >> www.facebook.com/jamminjellyshotsauce/
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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BEN VON DUKE'S HANDYMAN SERVICE >> www.facebook.com/BenVonDukeMaint or Call (337) 540-1355
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FRESH FUEL >> www.TheFreshFuel.com or www.facebook.com/thefreshfuel
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ASAP GLASS >> www.ASAPGlassCo.com or Call (337) 527-5455
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WHISTLE STOP DANCESPORT >> Call (337) 515-7577
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BRIMSTONE MUSEUM >> www.brimstonemuseum.org or Call (337) 527-0357
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Wednesday Aug 07, 2019
Ep. 51 - The Guest House Ft. DeWanna Tarver - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Aug 07, 2019
Wednesday Aug 07, 2019
I don’t know if you have children, but if you do—as I do—then you’ve had to dig deep when summer ends, and it’s time to buy school clothes, uniforms, and supplies. Sometimes life takes a turn for the better, your resources become more plentiful and paying for school supplies, and fees aren’t such a heavy burden. For many, that turn has not arrived. For some, it never does. I have been in that situation before, shaving money from places that were already thin, to ensure my children could attend public school with the minimum requirements. There were times when I couldn’t afford all new uniforms, secretly praying that my children wouldn’t grow much over the summer, hoping I could squeeze a little more time out a pair of pants, shoes, or shirts. It is a reality for many parents in Calcasieu Parish. It was this stark realization that motivated DeWanna Tarver to take action. That action evolved into DeWanna’s Community Closet, a non-profit service that now provides school uniforms, shoes, undergarments, and school supplies to children all across Calcasieu Parish. I’d heard of DeWanna’s Community Closet before, but I didn’t really understand the full scope of the service, so I asked DeWanna to come and visit me on Find the Good News. What I learned, and what touched my heart the most, is that for so long the teachers of Calcasieu Parish—and I’m sure teachers around the country—were meeting the needs of the children in their classrooms with their own funds. As DeWanna explains, teachers are on the frontline, seeing and assessing the students' needs directly, and for years, they were doing this on their own. In it’s earliest incarnation, DeWanna’s Community Closet was no closet at all; it was just DeWanna, her keen sense for sniffing out good deals, purchasing items herself, and bringing them to schools for students with potential needs. This original inspiration has unfolded and expanded to a fully stocked facility, formerly DeWanna’s guest house, that offers brand new uniforms, undergarments, supplies, shoes, and other resources for educators in Calcasieu Parish. Through the ongoing generosity of DeWanna’s patrons, this facility is able to deliver much-needed resources directly to schools in Calcasieu, with systems in place for teachers to request specific items. Because DeWanna Tarver listened to her heart, her eyes were opened to the needs that parents, teachers, and children face at the beginning of each school year. Because her heart moved her to action, DeWanna’s Community Closet exists to serve. This year when I went school supply shopping I noticed that the list was shorter, something I had not paid attention to in recent years past. On the sheet, it mentioned all the businesses and individuals that donated to help provide the remainder of the school items. On that sheet, I saw the logo for DeWanna’s Community Closet. My eyes filled with tears and my heart swelled. I knew somewhere there was a father that was in my shoes all those years ago, worrying, shaving funds, not sure how he was going to get everything his children needed. As I meditated on that mystery father, I was comforted knowing that his burden was made lighter. I am so thankful for DeWanna Tarver, and that her goodness and love manifested to meet the needs of so many families in our area.
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FOR MORE INFO ABOUT DEWANNA'S COMMUNITY CLOSET >> www.facebook.com/DeWannasCloset/
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FIND THE GOOD NEWS IS PRODUCED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
•••••••••••••
BEN VON DUKE'S HANDYMAN SERVICE >> www.facebook.com/BenVonDukeMaint or Call (337) 540-1355
•••••••••••••
FRESH FUEL >> www.TheFreshFuel.com or www.facebook.com/thefreshfuel
•••••••••••••
ASAP GLASS >> www.ASAPGlassCo.com or Call (337) 527-5455
•••••••••••••
WHISTLE STOP DANCESPORT >> Call (337) 515-7577
•••••••••••••
BRIMSTONE MUSEUM >> www.brimstonemuseum.org or Call (337) 527-0357
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