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 Apr 17, 2019
Ep. 35 - The Aha! Moment Ft. Devin Morgan - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Apr 17, 2019
Wednesday Apr 17, 2019
Time slipped away when I visited with Devin Morgan, the director of the Imperial Calcasieu Museum. Devin admitted right out the gate that he was a little nervous about coming in for his visit on Find the Good News as he doesn't really care to be a front-facing spokesperson. If he was nervous, I only knew from his admission, because he was straightforward and even to speak with, and for a person that doesn’t care for the spotlight, he settles into it quite quickly. Devin Morgan is the kind of person that steps into a role with a spirit of service and curiosity. He’s the kind of man that doesn’t let not knowing how to do something stop him from doing his very best. It seems his spirit of volunteerism has attracted like minds, creating a network of know-how that he can call on when he has an idea he needs to bring to life for the Imperial Calcasieu Museum. In listening to Devin describe his day trips, it was easy to draw a line back to the way he interacts with visitors to the museum. He has a travelers heart, and it shows in his conversations with the wayfarers visiting Southwest Louisiana. If you’re one of the people that often says, “There’s nothing to do here,” then Devin has a reasonable solution to that—get out there and volunteer at an event. You’ll find plenty is going on, and many good people to do things with. When I invited Devin to the show, I had no idea how long we’d actually visit—I never do with any guest—but visit we did, and our conversation is good. I hope you’ll buckle up and journey with us all the way. If you do, you’ll meet Devin Morgan the way I did, a good man that loves this place we call home, a man that wants to share that good news with everyone he meets.
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FOR MORE INFO ABOUT DEVIN MORGAN >> www.instagram.com/devoprinting/ or wwww.facebook.com/dmorgan.printing
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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BRIMSTONE MUSEUM >> www.brimstonemuseum.org or Call (337) 527-0357
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Wednesday Apr 10, 2019
Ep. 34 - The Beat Goes On Ft. Jeremy Boudreaux - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Apr 10, 2019
Wednesday Apr 10, 2019
Find the Good News has been a healthy mix of people I know, people I don’t, and a lot of good people that I’ve been indirectly connected to through my friendships with others. This show has been an experiment. What happens when you ask this simple question; where are the good people? When you put that signal out there, you get a signal back, and that’s how I met local musician, music teacher, and business owner, Jeremy Boudreaux. Jeremy and I connected online, through a friend-of-a-friend, and not long after we made first contact, we lost a dear friend that connected us across space and time. You see, for a long time I’ve felt that there’s a beat, a drumming, a pulse that’s resounding through the past, the present, and the future. If we take a minute to listen, we can hear it, not with our ears, but somewhere deep in our cells, in a place inside our bodies where we can feel our ancestors, all of our individual histories syncing up, plucking the strings in our spiritual hearts. It’s that beat that makes you look closely at where you’ve come from, all the things that had to happen to get you right where you are today. It’s the beat that vibrates out from your actions, the beat that rumbles inside the people around you, the beat that people will hear long after you’re gone. In speaking with Jeremy, I felt that deep percussion. Where did Jeremy’s cadence come from? While many people in their twenties were enjoying the fresh air and freedom of being a young adult, Jeremy Boudreaux was beating cancer, a fight that tightened snares, refined his rhythm and led him on to plans and achievements he hadn’t considered. He speaks with a sharp tap, honest and direct, and I found he embraces a kind of masculine compassion that I feel is severely lacking in this world. After visiting with Jeremy, I’d say there’s nothing wrong with a little chest thumping if you’re doing it to wake your own loving heart. Listen to this episode, and I think you’ll feel it in your chest too, the thump-thump-thump of something trying to get in, and maybe something trying to get out. Go ahead and let it. That’s Jeremy Boudreaux’s story taking up shop in your mind, then opening the windows so others can hear. So, make a little room. Set up a drum, and let the good news beat go on.
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FOR MORE INFO ABOUT JEREMY BOUDREAUX >> www.facebook.com/jeremy.keith.boudreaux or www.instagram.com/jeremyboudreaux_music_educator/
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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BRIMSTONE MUSEUM >> www.brimstonemuseum.org or Call (337) 527-0357
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Wednesday Apr 03, 2019
Ep. 33 - The Mentor Ft. Aleta Barnes - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Apr 03, 2019
Wednesday Apr 03, 2019
I don’t think it would be very hard to Find the Good News in this world if every young person could have a teacher like the one I had between 1990 and 1992. I imagine that many, many students who had this special lady as a mentor would tell a similar story about how she taught them a lesson that they still use today, or that she showed them a side of themselves that they didn’t know they had. Perhaps she encouraged them to do something they didn’t think they could do, pushed them to get outside of their shell, get over their fears. Maybe it was that nudge that has made all of the difference since. All of those stories would be true if you had a speech teacher like Aleta Barnes. Not too long ago I ran into Aleta at the Sulphur High Homecoming parade. I say her smiling face, and we had a chance to visit for quite a while. It was a joy to see that familiar twinkle, experience her , and kindness, and the sound of her familiar voice only made me realize just how much I’d missed her. Time melted away, and I was 16 and 17 again, thrilled to be meeting parts of myself I never knew existed. Sure, Aleta’s class was called “speech,” but in truth, we were learning how to communicate, not only with others but with ourselves. Aleta taught us to look inside at who we really are, to face our fears, to calm our minds, to cultivate understanding and empathy toward others, and retain and recall information, which only made me hungrier for more. For over 20 years I thought fondly of Aleta and her lessons, and people that know me well would often notice how often I would bring those lessons into my conversations. I think it’s important to give credit where it is deserved, and Aleta Barnes deserves a lot of credit for many of the good things I’ve been a part of. In fact, I truly believe that if I hadn’t been blessed to have Aleta Barnes in my life, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you behind this microphone today. When I asked her to come to visit with me on Find the Good News, she graciously agreed. When she came to visit me in the studio, I got to do something that so many don’t. I was able to tell my good teacher, my mentor, all of the ways she changed my life. I got to express how much she means to me still. We had a wonderful conversation, one I’m so happy to share with you. I hope the voice that imparted all of those lessons on me so many ago, will be good news for you like it was for me.
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FOR MORE INFO ABOUT ALETA BARNES >> www.facebook.com/aleta.barnes
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Wednesday Mar 27, 2019
Ep. 32 - The Wax Apple Ft. Diana Vallette - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Mar 27, 2019
Wednesday Mar 27, 2019
I don’t think Diana Vallette knew that she was one of the many inspirations behind Find the Good News. How could she? We’d never met face-to-face, and we didn’t really know each other all that well. I’d been watching Diana’s activity online for quite a while before asking her to visit with me, and I was intrigued by the person so willing to share her spiritual journey. Who was this Catholic mother that was making these really personal videos, sharing her inner thoughts, questions, concerns, insecurities, and doubts? After doing a bit of digging what I discovered was a woman whose testimony revealed she had been an atheist, living in a framework that outlined any kind of God or Creator as a fictional story that adults like to tell themselves, not all that different from the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, or Santa Clause, a narrative that had been imprinted on her as a child. As all children do, Diana grew up, and eventually grew out of atheism and into a relationship with God. I might be wrong, but I believe that it was her doubt and insecurities about a Creator that has created her ability to reach people the way she does. Diana is on a path of authentic discovery, and what it seems she’s discovered is a way to approach friendship with God in a humble, authentic way, and she’s been called to share what she’s learned with others. That path isn’t always smooth or pretty. She’s doesn’t pretend to be a bright and shiny Catholic that has all the answers; she presents herself plainly and without a veil. She is showing other seekers that you can approach the Creator in doubt, fear, worry, and confusion. She’s found an embrace waiting on the other side of all those things. She’s been called to speak, to write, to share, even though she’s clearly been terrified to do any of those things. Regardless, she has stepped out front anyway,… and she’s sometimes taken the heat that comes with it. Her willingness to share encouraged me to share many things that I’ve kept to myself, things I’ve doubted, things I’ve feared. I share them for the same reason that she does, in the hope that by sharing the truth it will motivate another to find a spiritual path. I highly value people that allow themselves to be seen as they are; we need more of that in this world. By revealing our true faces we can have more authentic relationships. This is the face God sees, and if we’re being honest with ourselves it’s the face we recognize too, though we may fear to show it to the world. Diana Vallette is touching people by putting her true face forward and there are very real, very good fruits to picked from what she’s growing.
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FOR MORE INFO ABOUT DIANA VALLETTE >> www.facebook.com/DianaVDorta or www.instagram.com/dianadivulges or www.dianadivulges.com
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Wednesday Mar 20, 2019
Ep. 31 - The Windblown Seed Ft. Adley Cormier - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Mar 20, 2019
Wednesday Mar 20, 2019
I had no idea what was in store for me the day that local historian and author of “Lost Lake Charles" Adley Cormier sat down in my vehicle to do a ride along as part of a historic tour project in Lake Charles, Louisiana. At every stop, corner, street, and ally, Adley had some information or intimate knowledge. I was fascinated by how quickly he could reveal the history of seemingly insignificant places and landmarks, pointing out interesting and forgotten details the brought me back in time. I left that ride along wanting to hear more. Though many years had passed since we’d spoken, I wanted to get Adley on Find the Good News and continue that conversation. When I made the request, Adley enthusiastically agreed. That’s the thing that I enjoyed most about our conversation; his enthusiasm. When he speaks of Southwest Louisiana history there is an energy, joy, and honesty that makes the spaces come to life. Adley moves time backward and forward with ease, bringing you to the Spanish Louisiana coast when the Acadians arrived, on to the business exploits of the infamous privateer Jean Lafitte, through the great Lake Charles fire. These are the legendary people and events we’ve all heard of, the tales we think we know, but Adley reveals a minutia of details—tiny things—sprinkled through our history, binding one thing to the other, an infinite number of dominos falling in every direction building a chain of events that affect the lives of each person living in our region today. His uncanny ability to pull threads between seemingly disconnected moments in local history is really something to behold. Adley sees the web that weaves through the timeline and how it affects every generation in turn. hen you get a glimpse at if from Adley’s perspective you want to see more. What he shares helps generate a sense of place, culture, value, and honestly… tolerance. When we know where we come from we can see that we are not all that different from others. For me, that’s one of the first steps in generating understanding. That’s one of the gifts of Adley’s willingness to share. I’m glad that history put Adley and me together for that ride along all those years ago. That one little moment in my personal history led to Adley sharing his good news with me, and now I get to share that with you.
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FOR MORE INFO ABOUT ADLEY CORMIER >> www.facebook.com/adley.cormier
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Wednesday Mar 13, 2019
Ep. 30 - The Naturalist Ft. Irvin Louque - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Mar 13, 2019
Wednesday Mar 13, 2019
Irvin Louque, the Tuten Park Programs Manager for the City of Lake Charles, came by and visited me on Find the Good News. Through his job as Programs Manager, Irvin has an opportunity to impact and educate the community on exactly how important it is to kindly consider and engage the natural world with care. After talking with Irvin, I’ve learned that I need to change my language, because there is no "natural world" over there, around the corner, or in some faraway place that we have to visit. Irvin stresses that the beauty and diversity of the natural world is everywhere, not just in our city parks and nature retreats, and it’s certainly not something to be feared. He reminds that we can touch nature in our yards, our homes, and within ourselves. It seems to me that this is his mission, to cultivate an individual and social awareness about the relationships between people, creatures, and the environments we all share. He’s furthered that mission by forming the Southwest Louisiana Master Naturalists, a group that regularly offers nature observation, study courses, and events, including backyard bird counts, nature walks, insect studies, as well as plant species identification and management. To be honest, I didn’t know all of these activities existed right here in Southwest Louisiana and that I could take part. Making efforts to harbor a high consideration for nature and its processes is not just a paying job for Irvin Louque; It’s a way of life. He has turned his childhood interest in our flying feathered brethren into a profession and message that is sorely needed today more than ever; we share this world and we need to live like it. We should strive towards deeper looking, conscious production and consumption, and consider the relationships, the interbeing, between ourselves, our environments, and the tapestry of life that we engage with each and every day. From Irvin’s perspective, it seems, everything is important and is worth understanding. The energy Irvin Louque puts toward sharing his knowledge is good news for the places and spaces that make up our homes, our communities, and for the other children of creation, we share them with.
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FOR MORE INFO ABOUT IRVIN LOUQUE >> www.facebook.com/ilouque or www.instagram.com/ilouque
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
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Wednesday Mar 06, 2019
Wednesday Mar 06, 2019
Carl & Chelsea Boudreaux—the owners of the Yoga Center in Lake Charles and Stellar Beans Coffee House and Edibles—came in for a visit on Find the Good News. The three of us used to orbit some of the same friend-groups in high school. For as much as you think you know about people, there’s an ever-unfolding amount that you don’t. This was especially true for me regarding this couple. It had been over 20 years since I’d spoken to Carl or Chelsea, and as it turns out, we had a lot in common back in the 90s, and even more in common now. Most people open businesses to make money—I mean that’s the bottom line and quite the point—but in visiting with Carl & Chelsea I picked up on something else, a motivation outside the realm of profit-and-loss. Life, as it does, put stress on these two. They took the hint. They intuited that they needed to make a change in their professional lives, a change that would reduce their stress levels, increase their overall well-being, and refocus their energies toward being a service to others and to each other. That’s exactly what they did. With Carl’s early interest and practice of Zen Buddhist meditation and Chelsea’s adoption of Yoga for health benefits, they were poised to be the right people at the right time to do what they did next. Carl & Chelsea Boudreaux took the individual elements of their lives, the raw goods they’d gathered in their journey together and fused them into a direction that gave birth to The Yoga Center of Lake Charles, providing a solid center for peace, health, and equanimity in downtown Lake Charles. They’ve spread that energy from the Yoga Center to Stellar Beans—the living room of Lake Charles—which is right next door. Between the two spaces, you’ll find a karmic loop of events and activities open and accessible to everyone. Sometimes we know the spaces and the places that make a city home, but we don’t know the stories, the little details, the auspicious circumstances and synchronistic events that have to tumble into place to bring good things to life. With the pairing of this lovely couple—my new old friends Carl & Chelsea Boudreaux—the stars aligned, the bones fell just right, and some really good things were planted right here at home.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT CARL BOUDREAUX >> www.facebook.com/boudahhh CHELSEA BOUDREAUX >> www.facebook.com/chelsea.g.boudreaux THE YOGA CENTER OF LAKE CHARLES >> www.yogalakecharles.com or STELLAR BEANS COFFEE HOUSE & EDIBLES >> www.stellarbeanscafe.com
Wednesday Feb 27, 2019
Wednesday Feb 27, 2019
Sometimes to talk about good things we need to talk about bad things. We have to go into the darkness of the cave, but make sure we’re lighting lanterns along the way. Laura Grantham Broussard sat down with me for a visit on Find the Good News, and our conversation was a bit like that. Laura caught my eye online because she was one of the few voices ringing out in our area taking an active position of compassion and mercy for immigrants and asylum seekers. She’s one of the one’s lighting those lanterns on the way into the cave. If I’m being honest, I typically feel a good bit of fear when the subject of migrants, foreigners, asylum seekers, or border walls come up. These are volatile times, and as a past guest of the show once said, “You can’t change anyone’s mind anymore.” Still, that’s one of the unwritten missions of this little show, isn’t it? Shouldn’t we all make an effort to have honest and elevated conversations—even uncomfortable conversations—that might cause a shift in thinking or a change of heart? I’d say that’s the kind of conversation I have with Laura in this episode. She speaks frankly about the immediate needs of the families that she serves through the Immigrant Families Together network and reveals many of the catalysts for their migration to safer lands. What I really love about Laura Broussard is that she’s actually doing something. She’s not sitting on the sidelines. She’s using her voice on new media networks to help bend the bow toward social justice, but she’s also putting actual energy into serving our brothers and sisters, these children of creation—and that’s what they are—manifesting resources for families that are totally at the mercy of a stranger’s kindness. That hope for kindness is not what they always receive. Laura has that unique knack for looking at history to help generate her compassion. Because she can see where she’s come from, she can see others as herself, and in turn, treat them as she would want to be treated. She sees the common ground that we all share, the things that bind us, and that many of the comforts and securities we enjoy simply come from being born in the right place and the right time—good old fashioned luck. It’s easy to find voices stirring the pot with the long end of the stick, voices that use degrading rhetoric that dehumanizes immigrants, making their troubles easier to disregard. Laura understands that they are people—just like you and I—and they are the ones getting the short end of the stick in this pot we stir with our words. Laura Grantham Broussard, all of the locals that support her efforts, and the Immigrant Families Together network are using their words and works to help these people in desperate situations. Maybe there are lanterns hanging along the walls of the deep, dark cave. Maybe there’s a light on outside as well. Maybe people like Laura are helping to transform these dark spaces into comfortable and safe homes filled with love, friends, and resources. For mothers and fathers wandering far from their homes and wondering what’s next, I believe it’s the good news they’ve been praying and hoping for.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT LAURA GRANTHAM BROUSSARD & THE IMMIGRANT FAMILIES TOGETHER NETWORK >> www.facebook.com/lg.broussard and https://immigrantfamiliestogether.com/donate-to-a-mom
Wednesday Feb 20, 2019
Ep. 27 - The Sugar Bowl Ft. Brook Hanemann - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Feb 20, 2019
Wednesday Feb 20, 2019
Brook Hanemann, the director of Banners at McNeese State University, agreed to visit with me on Find the Good News. Like other guests, I knew very little about her before our conversation. Also, like other guests, it was an absolute pleasure to get to know her. There’s something thoughtful and poetic in the way Brook speaks. She often closed her eyes when she would recount stories of her youth, and her descriptions of her childhood haunts were sweet, dripping with heavenly honey. I could feel the light on my own skin in her words, as Brook took me back to the places and people that shaped her, those forever-experiences enshrined in her mind, the catalysts for all of her talents, passions, and dreams. Theatre, art, dance! It’s all there in her timeline. She shared joy and loss, life and love,… death… and birth. As her name implies, we meandered gently downstream, from one lovely experience to the next, never regretting a single ripple or eddy as we babbled along around sharp rocks and soft sandy banks. Brook has a knack for sharing the experiences that shaped her, and this gift gives more merit to her insights. Her story of the sugar bowl—the name of this episode—is revealed in her retelling of a great blessing. You see, Brook was baptized on the isle of Ireland, the land of shepherds and saints, at the hands of one of the most insightful and good-hearted men to have ever walked the earth. Her delivery of this spiritual experience is not something I’ll soon forget, and it imprinted upon me the importance of being truly present and always humble as a child of creation. Brook looks deeply into her own timeline, the whole of her history, and she captures that energy, the full force of that magic, then puts it to work manifesting new and glorious things. I have to believe that some of that mystic, ethereal dust is sprinkled on offerings of Banners at McNeese State University. The good news is that if we look closely at this cultural program we’ll see a bit of Brook Hanemann’s history flowing comfortably into it, fusing and melting directly into our own.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT BROOK HANEMANN & BANNERS AT McNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY >> www.facebook.com/brook.hanemann and www.facebook.com/bannersatmcneesestateuniversity
Wednesday Feb 13, 2019
Ep. 26 - The Golden Seam Ft. Matt Young - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Feb 13, 2019
Wednesday Feb 13, 2019
There are people in our lives that everyone knows, and that everyone holds in high regard. That respect often comes from the actions and good works of those individuals. Sometimes it’s their good nature that places them in such high regard. More often, it’s some combination of both. I’m always looking to meet them, these people who bind good works with their good nature, and share their heart and soul with you on Find the Good News. Matt Young, the director of 1911 Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana, is one of those people. I’ve spoken to Matt many, many times over the years, and while our conversations were never very long, I was always left feeling better than I did before the encounter. Some have said that's Matt’s special gift, the ability to make a person feel like their conversation was the most important one that he had all day. I wouldn’t disagree with that. Matt’s friendly, charming, articulate, and professional; precisely the person anyone would want representing their project, group, organization, or movement,… but I’m always interested in the source. Where do these good qualities come from? What gives rise to them? What’s holding them all together? For Matt, like many of us, it is in the golden seam, the gilded glue that celebrates the cracks and fractures instead of running from them or denying their existence. Like many—like all—Matt Young has faced his own doubts, insecurities, and personal pains. He’s covered his true-and-best self—as many of us have done—fearing that in revealing all our parts we would lose many in our circles of friends, family, and peers. By bringing all the parts of his life out into the open, Matt has actually been witness to something wonderful, something that I would wish for all people. It is the golden seam that binds people to each other, the shining goodness that can be found in the beings around us if we give them a chance to be brighter, the glimmer of hope that invades the cracks and fractures, that heals, that unites. Yes, we talked about his professional journey to where he is today, as well as the new and exciting things that he, and those working with him, have in store for us at 1911 Historic City Hall. While all of those things are soaked in good news for Southwest Louisiana, I believe it’s Matt Young’s heart, radiating genuine kindness and goodness, that will make all of his good works and future endeavors pure gold.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT MATT YOUNG & 1911 HISTORIC CITY HALL >> www.instagram.com/mattyoung84 or www.facebook.com/mattyoung84 and www.facebook.com/historiccityhallartsandculture
Wednesday Feb 06, 2019
Ep. 25 - The Secret Sauce Ft. John O'Donnell - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Feb 06, 2019
Wednesday Feb 06, 2019
When I started Find the Good News I couldn’t have predicted the effect it would have on me. Each and every guest has left an impact. This is the absolute truth; I think about each one of them in some small way each day. John O’Donnell, the man I visit with in episode 25, doesn’t break that stride. In fact, John's eagerness to serve and willingness to lead has only motivated me to continue seeking out good people in this community and beyond, bringing their personal stories to you. Whether it’s impacting our region through his day job as the director of the Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center, or the myriad of ways he puts his passions to work in our communities on a grassroots level, John is motivating people to be more active, to live healthier lives, and to get involved in small ways that make a big difference. John is knowledgable about what he’s talking about, and he has to be. When you're making changes you’re often making waves, and those who rock the boat should be able to back up their reasons for doing it. What I loved about John is that he doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to making changes, things that need to happen right now, and he presents these issues—as well as the possible solutions—in an infectious way that makes you want to start making them right away. My perception is that with each venture into good works, John O’Donnell is consciously learning—taking note of what worked, and what didn’t—and then adjusting his thinking and tactics to ensure that the next go-round is more successful. He’s working a long plan that will enhance the quality of life in Southwest Louisiana on many dimensions, but at the same time, he’s making sure there are small and visible victories along the way to help us all stay motivated to keep working toward a broader vision. He’ll make you think twice about what you’re cooking and eating, where you’re shopping, the businesses you support, the laws you're voting for, the way we’re planning and building, as well as the way we’re all getting around from place to place. It’s good news for all of us when there are people like John O’Donnell in the community. Not only are they good people, but they are stepping into leadership roles, and teaching the next generation of leaders by their example.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT JOHN O'DONNELL >> www.instagram.com/johnodonnell or www.swlahec.com
Wednesday Jan 30, 2019
Ep. 24 - The Ascension Ft. Meagan Green - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Jan 30, 2019
Wednesday Jan 30, 2019
Someone asked me how I go about finding good people, and determining whether or not they have good news to share. When I set out to Find the Good News I honestly just open a door, make an invitation, and give a person a safe and honest space to share what’s in their heart and mind, to share their story. It’s not hard to find the good in a person when those elements are in place. Sometimes, even if those elements aren’t in place you meet people that just give off a good vibe, that has an infectious joy and energy, and you want to see what they’ve got going on in their life. Local artist and art teacher Meagan Green was one of those people. Another Good Newsy recommended I get in touch with Meagan for the show, and they were spot on. I got a good sense about Meagan as soon as she showed up at the studio. For two people who didn’t know each other, we ended up sharing a lot of common territories, both spiritually and creatively. For me, as a confirmed Catholic, and the father of a gay son, her lecture titled “Opening a Dialogue for Queer Catholicism through Visual Art” spoke directly to me. We wandered into territory about our shared faith in this episode, and It’s my hope that what we share will open minds and soften hearts. Meagan is fun and funny, and I could tell that the creative spark in working in her. Her paintings and art installations are thought provoking, filled with meaning, and executed with the control of an artist well beyond her years. Beyond that, Meagan has been called to serve the next generation of artists as a teacher in Southwest Louisiana, pushing her students to explore new creative mediums, and exposing them to modern masters that are breaking through conventional artistic boundaries. So, how do I go about finding good people for this show? I just have to look. I have to listen. I’ll keep doing both, because when I do I rise up above the fuzzy and messy noise of sensationalism, and see people like Meagan Green there in plain sight, right here in my community, embedded in my faith, ascending above the prejudices of the world, and sharing the good news of her life and talents with others.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT MEAGAN GREEN >> www.kmeagangreen.com or www.facebook.com/meagan.green.79
Wednesday Jan 23, 2019
Ep. 23 - The Way She Sees It Ft. Heather Arsement - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Jan 23, 2019
Wednesday Jan 23, 2019
The lovely thing about Find the Good News is seeing one guest lead directly to next. Each visit I get to catch a special glimmer in the eyes of the person across from me, and I know that means they’ve had that “aha” moment—they want to tell me about someone good in their life. That’s exactly how I came to connect with conceptual photographer Heather Arsement, through that golden thread that links one guest to the other. I like the magical idea of this unseen thread, and it’s especially relevant in this conversation with Heather as she has an affinity and eye for the fantastical herself. Heather looks around the Southwest Louisiana landscape, and where we may just see a door, a tree, a rock, an empty lot—things that we blow by quickly, things to be barely considered—she sees the raw goods that, used in careful and creative combination, will come together to reveal a new reality. In this visit, for just a bit, I get to put on Heather’s glasses. When you get to know someone, really spend a little time with them and ask essential questions, you can almost get a glimpse of the way they see things. You get to see all of the parts, the little thoughts, experiences, joys, worries, and struggles. You hear the moments in their history that, on the surface, may seem insignificant, but when placed together in concert makes a more interesting individual. In that way, I’d say Heather is a lot like her works. Her interests and the details of her life have a direct impact on the fine art that she produces. We had a lot in common, especially in the pop-culture and entertainment arena, which just further illustrates how the ingredients of a life can blossom in entirely different directions to create unique people and works. I had a lot of fun talking to Heather. She is comfortable, friendly, kind, and so forthcoming about how her works are made. She reminded me that there is a world of wonder all around us, and sometimes it’s just waiting to be revealed in the most ordinary places and things. If we could each see the world as Heather Arsement sees it for a little moment each day, that could be all it takes to turn a bad day good and make a good day even brighter.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT HEATHER ARSEMENT >> www.facebook.com/heatherarsementphotograph or www.instagram.com/heatherarsement
Wednesday Jan 16, 2019
Ep. 22 - The Call To Care Ft. Jody Farnum - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Jan 16, 2019
Wednesday Jan 16, 2019
I’ve always found it hard to ignore the suffering and strife of my fellow man, and during the times in my life when I actually could stiffen my neck and avert my eyes, I’ve been filled with something that I can only call shame. I’ve been guilty of looking around the world, seeing people in difficult times, and like many, I’ve said, “Somebody should do something about that,” only to continue about the business of me. As it turns out, people are doing something and they’ve been doing it in my hometown—Sulphur, Louisiana—for over 35 years. Jody Farnum, the Director of Care-Help in Sulphur, came to visit with me on Find the Good News and expanded my understanding of the extent to which Care-Help serves individuals and families right here at home. To say my mind was blown would be putting it mildly. Care-Help is serving the less-fortunate of Sulphur in a capacity that is really hard to comprehend, especially considering the modest location where they operate. To the average passerby, Care-Help might appear to be a simple thrift store that rejuvenates, repairs, and re-sells donated goods to the public. What you find out if you push through the surface a bit further is that the funds received from those sales are transformed into care and help in the form of food, services, and resources for a growing number of needy right here in our area. Sometimes, the difference between stability and despair is a matter of luck. Many of us, the lucky ones, don’t know what it’s like to be in dire straights, to really be at the mercy of human kindness and compassion. We know where our next meal is coming from. We can pay our bills. We have our health. Our jobs are secure. We have friends, family, loved ones, neighbors, and co-workers that have helped us along the way, that care about us, and would assist us in our hour of need. For some, that security, that safety net, simply does not exist, and that is where the loving labor of Care-Help in Sulphur gets engaged. Jody is no stranger to struggles. She has been on the outside looking in. She’s climbed peaks, and fallen into valleys. Her experiences have given her eyes free of judgment, allowing her to look on her neighbors with love, and the vision to lead the altruistic employees and volunteers that she surrounds herself with. She told me that if you look, if you’re paying attention, then Christ will appear in your life every single day. For Jody, He often walks through the doors of Care-Help in Sulphur needing food, clothes, or things to make His shelter, His life, a little more comfortable, a little more bearable. Care-Help in Sulphur doesn’t turn people away. Care-Help in Sulphur turns the disregarded and leftovers into blessings, and the people they help often return the kindness by coming back to Care-Help to serve others. Good news looks different for each of us depending on our lot in life. For many people in Sulphur, Louisiana, good news looks like Jody Farnum and a little facility called Care-Help.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ON CARE HELP >> http://www.care-help.org/
Wednesday Jan 09, 2019
Wednesday Jan 09, 2019
Before Paul arrived to visit me on Find the Good News I could not have imagined the quality of the conversation we would have, nor the variety of things we would have to talk about. I met Paul years ago while volunteering time with the Southwest Louisiana Arts Council, and while we had a friendly rapport, I wouldn’t have said we were good friends. We were more like friendly acquaintances. It’s amazing how serious listening and good conversation can change things. It had been years since I’d spoken to Paul, and my only real exposure to him during that time had been from afar while filming local music events and festivals. When I inadvertently contacted Paul, I had actually been trying to reach out to the new 1950s cover band “Cry Baby” to see if a band member would like to come on the show and talk about the joyful sounds they’ve been bringing to the good people of the lake area. As it turns out, it was an auspicious thing that Paul happened to be that band member, and as it ends up, we had a lot more to talk about than music. If you listen to this show you probably know by now that a recurring theme is transformation, change, and the hard work, experimentation, and even pain, that it takes to turn the dial on your life in a positive direction. That’s exactly what Paul has been doing in these years since I last spoke to him. He’s been changing his life, his mind, his habits, and his thinking He’s been doing the work, experimenting, and transforming past pains and anxieties into something good. In fact, I don’t think I’d be going too far to say that he’s learned to let much of that pain go. The man that was sitting across from me is passing on the good works shared with him through counseling. He’s used those shared works to step on the path to awakening, becoming a counselor himself, passing on what he’s learned, adding new insights along the way. It seems to me that Paul is taking a whole-life view, incorporating everything into his journey, from his lifelong love of music—with special favor given to the Beatles—to Vipassana meditation. I may have accidentally contacted Paul Gonsoulin when looking for a little musical good news to share, but what I got was even better than good news. He challenged me, and it was good to push through and gain some new clarity on things in my life. In visiting with Paul I feel that I’ve had a conversation with another human being that—as Paul might put it—will have a durable benefit in my life.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ON CRY BABY >> www.facebook.com/crybabylc/
Wednesday Jan 02, 2019
Ep. 20 - The Umbrella Spoke Ft. Thom Trahan - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Jan 02, 2019
Wednesday Jan 02, 2019
What happens when the right person is placed in the right position to do the right job at the right time in history? For me, there’s no guesswork involved in answering that question. I don’t have to wonder about it. I only have to look right here in my hometown of Sulphur, Louisiana to see what that looks like, to see history unfolding. In fact, I only have to look a few minutes down the road to a little office at the Brimstone Museum to Find the Good News. That’s where my dear friend Thom Trahan has been passionately creating and curating for over a decade. There is an enthusiasm, cheer, and general feeling of happiness around Thom. Those were the first things I noticed when I met him at the Henning Cultural Center almost 10 years ago. As the Executive Director of the Brimstone Historical Society, Thom has eagerly worked with local volunteers to see the Cultural Center and Brimstone Museum grow from a couple of historic buildings to a complex that offers annual art galleries, workshops, cultural events, and festivals, as well as permanent historic displays. Thom is as humble a man as you will meet, and he is quick to shy away from personal accolades. I feel that it is very important to him that any accomplishment in our community be seen as a group effort because he knows that the spirit of togetherness is how change takes root in a place and becomes lasting. Thom has a long view of history, and he knows that everything he accomplishes today is one link in a chain of events. He understands that we each have to take our little place in the history. That’s why he finds great value in just being kind and leaving his little corner of the world better than he found it. He’s found his place in history, and I think that’s how history will remember him. I’m happy to know Thom, and I feel honored to call him my good friend.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ON THOM TRAHAN >> www.facebook.com/thomtrahan or www.brimstonemuseum.org
Wednesday Dec 26, 2018
Ep. 19 - The Pants Fee Ft. Danny Allain - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Dec 26, 2018
Wednesday Dec 26, 2018
What is good news? I’ve asked that question a lot since I started this show. What I’ve discovered is that good news wears an infinite number of masks, and on this episode of Find the Good News I learn that one of its secret identities is Danny Allain. There was something different about this strange visitor from another city, with artistic abilities far beyond those of mortal men. What was so different about this conversation with Danny? What was his good news? Listen for just a bit and I think you’ll soon learn what I did, and it’s that Danny is a fast friend. I have some shared history with him, so we skip much of warm-up found with previous good newsies. We dive right into the common ground we share. Danny is a wildly artistic talent, and we definitely work through the sketches, inks, and colors of his life, but it’s the places in between that really made our conversation a lot of fun. He even wore pants to the show, and he didn’t charge me his mandatory pants fee. I felt pretty special. So, what’s the good news in this episode? The news is that people like Danny Allain are in the world, and you can meet them, even buy their art, or just hang out with them, learn something from them, or not. You’ll laugh. You’ll smile. You might even wonder what the heck is wrong with us, and that’s okay, because I think you’ll feel a little brighter after laughing and smiling with us.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ON DANNY ALLAIN >> www.etsy.com/market/danny_allain or www.instagram.com/dannyallainart
Wednesday Dec 19, 2018
Ep. 18 - The Inside Out Ft. Lyd Walls - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Dec 19, 2018
Wednesday Dec 19, 2018
There is something soothing about loose strokes and abstract, flowing colors on canvas, and that comfort is what I found myself settling into when I looked at the nude paintings of Lyd Walls. This art was being born from somewhere. I was curious, so I invited Lyd to visit with me on Find the Good News. One of my greatest pleasures in life is getting to know the back story of a person, the beyond-beyond of a thing, lifting the rock and getting to visit the places where the roly polys play. That’s the territory that Lyd and I traveled together. Lyd has allowed her personal trials to shape her and change her for the better. She's doing the hard work, the good inner work, the work we should all do. She’s asked herself the important questions. “Who am I? Why am I doing what I’m doing? What will I do with this life?” She’s looked inside, taken the lid off, knocked down the walls, and let a new being emerge. Everything she’s learned from this inner work manifests through her hands and gives life to her artistic works. These lovely figures breathe. They are as honest, wonderful, exposed, and colorful as Lyd herself. The good she’s done for herself is a good she shares with us.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ON LYD WALLS >> www.facebook.com/lydabstracts or www.instagram.com/lydwallsart
Wednesday Dec 12, 2018
Ep. 17 - The Butisattva Ft. Elizabeth McDaniel - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Dec 12, 2018
Wednesday Dec 12, 2018
Buti Yoga. This was something I’d never heard of, nor seen before, but when I did, four words came to mind; refreshing, energy, joy, and freedom. This was something I really felt Find the Good News listeners would enjoy. After visiting with Elizabeth McDaniel—the founder and teacher at Buti Yoga in Lake Charles, Louisiana—I can easily use the same four words to describe her. Like most people, there was so much more to discover about Elizabeth than what I knew before she came to the Good News studio, and Buti Yoga was just the start. She shares the experiences that shaped her life and the pivots she made when shifts occurred. Beyond Buti Yoga, Elizabeth reveals the new ways she’s working to help people find balance and bring harmony to all facets of their lives through her ontology training. The energy and joy she brought to the table were very refreshing, and I believe that her efforts are helping people break new ground and find new freedoms in their lives. If that’s what you’re looking for—refreshment, energy, joy, and freedom—then meeting Elizabeth is a good place to start.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ON ELIZABETH MCDANIEL >> www.facebook.com/butiwithelizabeth or www.instagram.com/elizabethmarie.yogi
Wednesday Dec 05, 2018
Ep. 16 - The Awakening Ft. Heather Boston - Find the Good News with Oran Parker
Wednesday Dec 05, 2018
Wednesday Dec 05, 2018
I can’t really pinpoint where I was first exposed to Heather Boston’s artwork, but what I do remember is stopping each time to look at her creative works. The art itself gave me much to think about, but it was Heather’s reflections and revelations shared through her art that really gave me pause, so I reached out to see if she’d come and visit me on Find the Good News. Just like her artwork, there are layers and layers that unfold in Heather. Within minutes we were diving off a cliff into the divine territory, discussing angels, visions, gifts, dimensions, time, healing, and love. I want to be simple and clear; Heather is fearlessly operating over the border in a spiritual territory that I believe many hearts are called to, but few fully answer. If I’m being honest, I have one foot in and one foot out, and I admire human beings like Heather that go to the edge, leap off, then fly. There is something very special happening with Heather, something unique being shared through her works of art, which are really works of heart. There are questions, answers, messages, and timeless truths crying out to be heard from the paint. I invite you to settle in and listen to this visit with Heather with an open mind and heart. She reminds me that what we think is going on in the day-to-day hustle isn’t all that there is, and that there are unseen loving forces dancing about this world, and they often revealed in the awakened human heart. Any day you get to soak in the falloff light from a heart like this, a heart like Heather’s is a good day indeed.
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THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY PARKER BRAND CREATIVE SERVICES >> www.ParkerBrandUp.com
FOR MORE INFO ON HEATHER BOSTON >> www.facebook.com/heather.kuhnstimpa