In this inspiring episode, Angie Austin and Jim Stovall discuss the profound impact of seizing everyday moments and turning them into meaningful experiences. Explore how tiny actions can lead to life-changing events and why recognizing the potential in each moment can shape your future. Listen as Jim shares heartwarming stories about how simple acknowledgments during his eventful life have made a lasting impact, not only on others but also on himself. Take a journey through the touching life lessons he learned from his father and how they guide him in his endeavors today.
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SPEAKER 03 :
Not all veterans are eligible for this hyper amount of benefits mentioned here. Welcome to The Good News with Angie Austin. Now, with The Good News, here’s Angie.
SPEAKER 06 :
Hey there, friend. Angie Austin here with the good news along with Jim Stovall for our weekly visit. We’re talking about his winner’s wisdom column in the moment. Hey there, Jim.
SPEAKER 09 :
Hey, it is great to be back with you as always.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, so in the moment, you start off by talking about how you reread Our Town by Thornton Wilder, and I know you read a book a day, well, listen through audio, that you played for me last week that was hysterical to me because it sounded like a foreign language. I could not understand it because you play it four and a half times speed.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, that’s what you listened to last week, so yeah, and then – But it’s just a matter of getting used to it every day. But, yeah, last week I reread Thornton Wilder’s play he wrote called Our Town. And a lot of people have read it or seen it. And I’m always curious about things like that because I was first exposed to that work when I was in high school, and they made us read it. And, you know, you get a bad feeling on anything they make you read because they think, well, this can’t be that good or they wouldn’t make me read it. And that always makes me nervous now because there are several thousand school systems across the country that my book, The Ultimate Gift, is on that list. Kids watch the movie or read the book, and I think, wow, I hope these kids don’t feel that way. But, hey, I’ve become a fan of Thornton Wilder, and I overcame that. But what you learn from Thornton Wilder are these normal moments, these everyday moments, that become some of the most impactful times of our lives. And that’s what is so powerful, is realizing that there are no insignificant days, there are no insignificant people, there are no insignificant moments, because you always have the opportunity to learn something, to teach something, to impact someone else, and it’s just a powerful, powerful reminder of that everything matters. We get caught up in our society of dismissing things that don’t matter and forgetting the things that matter, and we don’t look at those things properly. So I really would encourage everybody as we go into the holiday season and the new year, remember every time you’re with someone, you can make this indelible impact with them.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I still remember like maybe a decade ago you said, and I always get the terminology incorrect, but you’re like, what if the next thing you do could be incredible? And whether that’s meeting someone in the hallway, making someone feel good, meeting someone that makes a big difference in your life. And so what’s the terminology used for that?
SPEAKER 09 :
What if the next thing you do is… And I always have to give credit. It came from my mentor, Coach John Wooden. What would I do right now if I were a maid? And I remember one time I was doing an arena event in Dallas, and attached to the arena was this shopping mall, and in the middle of it is a food court, and my legendary friend and mentor Zig Ziglar said, hey, let’s go down there and get something to eat while we’re waiting. So we went down there, and there was this young man cleaning the tables, and Zig and I are talking, and he said, well, it’s about time to go. And He said, give me one minute. He went over and told this young man, he said, young man, I’ve been observing you. And you are doing a great job and being very diligent at doing it. And you have just the kind of duty there that a lot of people don’t pay attention to. And I wanted you to know you are doing a great job. And Zig came back and said, let’s go. And I said, no, one more minute, Zig. You wait here. Now you wait here. And I went over and told that young man, not only is that true, I want to make sure you understand who told you. And his name is Zig Ziglar, and he’s one of the great thought leaders of our generation. And when you get a chance, go read See You at the Top, his book. And, you know, this is one of those things, this kid’s… you know, his grandchildren will tell his great-grandchildren about this someday. I mean, and I remember when I was doing my research for my Harry Truman historical novel, you know, there was one day, you know, he said, when you’re president, they schedule you right to the minute, and we were behind, and, you know, the Secretary of Labor’s waiting on me, and the ambassador from somewhere, and then these high school Eagle Scouts that were supposed to get a picture with me. And so the scheduler said, well, I can hold off the ambassador because he’s going to be here in town anyway, and we can go ahead and meet with Secretary of Labor, and I’ll just tell the Eagle Scouts we can’t do this. He said, no, you’ve got it exactly wrong. He said, I will meet with the Eagle Scouts, and then I will meet with the ambassador. He’s from a foreign country, and the Secretary of Labor, he works for us. He’s on our team. So he’ll wait. And but, you know, after he took the picture with the Eagle Scouts, he told his scheduler, look, you know, I don’t care what you think of Harry Truman, but I do care what you think of the president of the United States. And these kids did amazing things just to get to be here.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 09 :
And they will tell their children and children’s children about the day they came to the White House. Yes. And that was the president. And this is a big deal. If this doesn’t matter, nothing matters.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. That kind of reminds me of, I’m trying to think of the crystal ball moment. And it has to do with, you know, those, I think we’ve talked about this before, but it sticks in my mind too, those things that will never happen again. Like when my nephew graduated from high school, my brother’s not in his life. And so I knew even if I could only, you know, fly out there for 24 hours, it might not be a big deal to an 18 year old kid, but it’ll continue to be a big deal to him as his life goes on that he knows I was the only person you know, uh, relative to be there for him. And, um, his mom has brought him up Jewish, even though our family’s not Jewish, they, they, she’s Jewish. And so, um, when he was, I mean, his bar mitzvah, he got to choose people of honor or like the people that he admired most. And she’d ask him once, like, who do you admire the most? And he said, it was me. Not her brother who’s a doctor or brother who’s an attorney or sister who’s a nurse or his grandparents. It was me. And so this was many years ago. He’s maybe nine because he invited me to come to his family day at his school. He went to a private Jewish school in Los Angeles. So again, my husband and I had to fly out for like 24 hours because he… You know, he invited me and all these other relatives were going to be there. And I was I was the only probably non-Jewish like relative there. Right. So then at the bar mitzvah, I had to go up on the dais and have a position of honor, not his Jewish relatives, me. And I didn’t know any. I’d never been to the ceremony in a temple for a bar mitzvah like that. So anyway, I’m up there. and it just, um, made that crystal ball moment, um, has to do with when an opportunity comes and it’ll never call, like come again. It’s like dropping a crystal ball and you never have that opportunity again.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah. And, and you just, you just take advantage of every one of those. Cause, uh, you know, I call it catching people doing something right. And just, it doesn’t have to be a big deal. It just, the little, little tiny things, you know, and, uh, That’s what adds up, because you never know when one of those is going to matter. I’m giving a speech tomorrow for a guy. He’s in his 90s, a very, very successful businessman. But he’s read every one of my books. Very few people have read all 50-some-odd of my books. And I cannot tell you how many days, out of the blue, he will call and say, Jim, I just want you to know I’m on page 162 rereading this book here, and this really speaks to me here. and I want to encourage you to keep writing, because there are millions of people out here like me that need to hear this, and that’s all I want to say. Well, you know, he’s done that dozens and dozens of times over the years, but the amazing thing is… He just seems to call. I’ve accused him. I said, do you have cameras in my office? I mean, right when I’m struggling with something. And this book is not behaving itself over there. And I’m trying to get a handle on it. And as Hemingway said, writing is opening up a vein and praying something will come out. And when I’m struggling with that, he will call invariably. And I cannot tell you what a difference that made so many times. And And, you know, people always ask, how come every year he calls and you go do his charity event? Well, I’ll tell you why. No one would be calling me or reading my books if it wasn’t for people like you.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I think it was Diane Swerve that said the crystal ball moment, and regarding somebody saying something that made a difference in your life, as you know, and I’ve said several times that I was thinking about quitting the show, gosh, many years ago, and I said you do interviews every day and that you thought I was really good at it, and you got me to keep doing the show, basically.
SPEAKER 09 :
No, you know, I remember when I met you, Angie, this is inside, behind the curtain, Angie Austin right here, folks. And I… I is one of those days where I had to do like 20 something interviews, one after the other, after the other. I had some book out and, you know, that’s going to be that way all week, over 100 interviews. And, you know, they’re all pretty much the same. Now you’re talking to this guy in Wisconsin and what’s her name in San Francisco. And now Angie Austin in Colorado. And I talked to Angie and I get up and I had like three minutes before I’m on the next one. And I never get I said, who are you? You know, we’re not on the air anymore. Who are you? Well, I mean, I host this show. Yeah, but you’re Wonder Woman. I mean, don’t tell… No, no, no, no. I mean, where did you come from before this? And then you told me about your background. Okay, now it’s starting to make sense because, you know, it’s like a major leaguer came down and you’re playing in the church softball league. Don’t tell me, you know, you’re second baseman for the church softball team. How did you get here? And I just… You know, I mean, people like you just need to keep doing what they do.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I appreciate that because that’s kind of the advice you got as well. So this time of year, obviously really important to you. I know this is the first year you’re not going to have your father with you. I’m sure that’s an adjustment for you to make, but what a legacy he left behind.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, I mean, you know, it’s time to, you know, One of the last things he said to me in the hospital, he said, well, anything else? I said, no. He said, well, he said, I love you, and I said, Dad, I got it from here. You know, I mean, never been anybody better prepared, and you handed me the ball on the goal line, Dad. I got it from here. And, you know, it’ll be, you know, we’ll talk about him a little at the holidays and things, but then… We’ll go back and focus on why we’re here and what matters. And he always said, even after my mom died, he said, hey, we’ll have a brief tribute to her, and then we’re going to have our holiday celebration because life is for the living.
SPEAKER 06 :
What are some of the things you think that he taught you that really stick with you?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, what affects me every day is if you’re not 10 minutes early, you’re late.
SPEAKER 06 :
I love that about you, my husband. My husband would be your biggest fan.
SPEAKER 09 :
You always do what you say you’re going to do. You under-promise, you over-deliver. That’s good. And then make sure you’re using your gift to make a difference in the world. Our purpose in life is to find our gift, and we achieve meaning when we give it away. And that’s what it’s about.
SPEAKER 06 :
And don’t you think you’ve kind of talked about how you deliver hope, that that’s like your job. And I think because you’ve lost your sight and you’ve done so much regardless of that, and as we’ve said, maybe even more than you would have done had you not lost your sight in your 20s, teens and 20s, gradually.
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, yeah. And, you know, opportunities come disguised as problems. And going blind is a big opportunity. Because I got to figure out, okay, if I can’t do all these things, what can I do? And, wow, there’s a lot of things there. So, you know, I think that’s a powerful lesson. But this time of year, look for the opportunities to create those magic moments for your friends and your family. And just let them know what you think.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, magic moments not just for you, like you said, for your friends and family. And real quick, we only have like 30 seconds. What are you doing on Sundays now that you don’t have dinner with your dad?
SPEAKER 09 :
You know, Crystal and I have talked about it. We’ve spent our Sunday evenings together, just us. And then starting next year, I think we are going to – You know, look at friends and family and students that are in the university program we have. And, you know, kind of have a revolving time with each of them and use that time. Because, you know, Dad, we were always receiving. Now it’s time for us to give.
SPEAKER 06 :
I love that. I want a Sunday. JimStrobel.com. Thank you, Jim. Merry Christmas.
SPEAKER 02 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
Englewood is listening to the mighty 670. KLT Denver.
SPEAKER 06 :
Hello there, Angie Austin with the good news, along with my friends, Don and Margie Cook. And we are talking about hands on houses. They’re a wonderful nonprofit. It’s Christmas time. And if you’re interested in giving, they are trying to build their 500th house. hands-on houses started in India, but now they’re all over the world. And this 500th house that they’re trying to build for people in need is in Zambia. And they started in India, and they were building homes for widows. In India, when you’re a widow in many of these villages, you’re deemed kind of an unlucky person, a throwaway person. And so many of these women were living in kind of a shantytown shack-style home before they built homes for them. And they’re really sturdy, little tiny houses. And this is life-changing when they give these women these homes. And people with various disabilities, they build homes for as well. So this is a big deal, Margie and Don. This is your 500th house you’re building.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes. We’re excited about that. I’ll bet you are.
SPEAKER 06 :
Can you tell me a little bit about this house that you’re fundraising for? It’ll be about $6,000 to build the house. You want to present the keys. Last year you did it on a Christmas day. Tell me about where you’re building it because you’re in new locations and who it’s for, a little bit of background.
SPEAKER 01 :
So it’s in Zambia, southwest of Zambia. Just on the Zambezi River, our partners have a missionary organization, their missionary base, and they go out into the local villages. They do a lot of evangelizing there. They build churches and one of the things that they do is build houses for widows combining with us. So they are our partners there and this is going to be house 500. I think it’s about house 20 maybe in Zambia and it’s for an older widow who hasn’t had a home for a while and hopefully we’re going to be able to give her the keys on Christmas Day. So the house is $6,000, and we’re looking for someone who will donate that money.
SPEAKER 06 :
And in terms of the home, do you build it in the village, in the town area? Do you build it off-site? How does it work?
SPEAKER 05 :
The house is built in the village. It’s built using cinder blocks, so our partner has a little facility for manufacturing these cinder blocks, and then They have to put these blocks on a four-by-four truck to cart them out to the village that they’re working in. So his vision is to put one house in each of the villages that he’s working in. And then, you know, after that, put a second house and a third house. And they’ve also been building church buildings in those villages, too. Oh, wonderful. Yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, when you… Our vetting, like I can imagine, it’s so difficult. I never asked you about this, how to actually decide. Like when you were working in India and you had all of these widows living in, you know, it’s like a shack kind of thing in many of the pictures that you’ve shown me where there might be a tarp on the side and then some palm leaves on top and everything. You know, a few pots and pans, maybe they let us, you know, cook outside under a fire. I mean, it’s very much what I would see in a homeless encampment here in the United States that these women and widows and their children were living in. How do you decide? How do you vet them and figure out who you’re going to build a house for?
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, we found out pretty quickly that we needed to rely very heavily on the pastor we were working with to help. Present to us potential houses. In other words, he would make the decision as to who we could consider for giving a house. And then we would look at that and say, that looks like a good person to do the next house with. But deciding who gets the house is very tricky. And so we’ve had to just say, look, we can’t decide by ourselves who should get the house. We need somebody who understands the culture, who knows the people concerned, and he can make the decision for us.
SPEAKER 06 :
You were telling me last time about a young man who was handicapped, polio as a child, and that he was trying to build a home himself but ran out of money, so he only had, like, two-foot-tall walls. And then you finished the house for him. I had a 10th-grade education, so he was your quality control manager, and he oversaw, like, your materials. And because then he had a job and a house – His siblings were able to get him a wife, and then he got married and had a baby. Now, sadly, he has passed away just before COVID, but getting that home changed the entire course of his life. And so when we think of getting a home here, this is a life-changing event to move from basically no home, you know, a tarp and some palm leaves and everything, really, you know, bedding on the floor and, you know, spiders and snakes getting into this little tent type, you know, facility that they’re living in. I mean, these really aren’t homes when you say that they’re living in a home before you build them a home. They’re not what we would deem, especially here in the States, a home. So if we want to get involved, it’s Christmastime, people are thinking about giving. In a few minutes, I’m going to be talking more about other gift-giving opportunities for your family. But this is an opportunity maybe to help others and give in a manner that will help others. So people could give in someone else’s name as a present for Christmas. And then could they receive information to give to someone if they wanted to present a present of, hey, I’m helping to buy a home in your name in Zambia?
SPEAKER 05 :
Angie, that’s Well, what we’ve done in the past is that people have donated directly for a house. We’ve also had several people who’ve said, well, look, I’ll give part of a house. And so they’ve sent us a donation just saying that they’d like to put this to part of a house. And then we found other people that have done the same thing and then combined the gifts in that way. I don’t know. Other than… contributing towards a house, I don’t think there’s any particular gift that we could think of that would be different. Oh, not even a gift.
SPEAKER 06 :
I just thought of it myself. I’m looking at the website. I would just print off the information off of your website and then present that maybe in a card and say, hey, they’re building a house in Zambia for this person, and I’ve contributed in your name as a gift for Christmas to Hands on Houses, and they can just print something right off the website.
SPEAKER 01 :
Oh, I see, Angie. That’s a very good idea. I’ve never thought of that. Yeah. And, you know, we often have what we call a combination house in the Christmas Challenge where people have given different amounts and we’ve combined them for a house. And then normally in the second part of the year, they will get an email from me with the picture of the widow and the house, etc. You know, it’s usually in the latter part of the year. But as long as I’ve got an email address, then I can keep in contact with that person.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, that’s wonderful. All right, so if people do want to donate, and that might be something for the future where you have a little area where you can print out something from your website that says, I have donated a gift in your name from Hands On Houses, and here’s the website where they can go for more information, but we can easily do that ourselves as well. So where do they go to donate for this Christmas house?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, you can go to the page on the website that says Donate, and then you can make a donation online. and there are different ways of doing it, and you could just specify for the Christmas house.
SPEAKER 06 :
Perfect. And that’s handsonhouses.com. There’s all kinds of different ways you can donate, so that might be a good gift. Margie and Don, can’t wait to have you back on again. You’re regular guests now. I love the work you’re doing. It’s a great way to provide a present for somebody for Christmas, but many of us have kids and family members that want more of the glam gifts, so stick around, Margie, if you want an idea for Don, and Don, if you want one for Margie, because… Not everyone’s sticking to socks and scented candles this season. For those with champagne wishes and a taste for glam, lifestyle expert Emily Loftus has some great ideas. She is a former Radio City Rockette who appears on network shows to discuss the latest trends in fashion and industry. She’s my favorite Rockette. Welcome back, Emily Loftus. Hi, so happy to be here. I always love asking you, how high did you have to kick to be a Rockette and how high can you kick now?
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, you have to kick eye-high. That’s why everyone looks in unison, even though we’re all different heights. And I can still kick my head, my face, not a problem, 20 years later.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, that’s so cool. I would love to be able to kick that high, but I would probably end up with a broken hip. But I’ll keep it – I’ll do waist-high. That’s what I’ll aim for, waist-high. Perfect. Perfect. All right, let’s talk about, let’s just start off with, you know, what’s trending in terms of luxury gifts this year?
SPEAKER 08 :
So personalized gifts are what are trending this year, especially ones that are nostalgic, crafted, and meant to last, like heirloom decor, refined essentials, and even travel. They are number one trending right now. So for me, luxury is all about intention, presence, and shared moments with your friends and family.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. What about luxury? I love getting things for my home. Anything luxury gift-wise for the home?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yes. Enter a world of whimsy with artisanal craftsmanship and distinctive design. Define the season with McKenzie Childs. They offer an exquisite selection of gifts. festive decor, and heirloom-quality entertaining pieces designed to elevate every holiday moment. From their iconic tea kettles to their viral LED cafe table lamps, everything adds a brand signature charm. OprahDaily.com just featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things 2025 their electric two-slice toaster. And we cannot forget the limited edition Gray-Maylyn collaboration. They are truly must-have gifts for the home.
SPEAKER 06 :
Cool. All right. How about, you know, for someone like you, for the beauty lover?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yes, we are going to bring the salon to your home. So introducing Philips Lumea IPL. It is the ultimate beauty upgrade this holiday. It uses intense pulse light technology to send hair follicles into a resting phase for long-lasting salon-like smoothness right from home. You will see visible results in just two treatments and up to 90% reduction in three treatments. With smart sensors and attachments for different areas, it’s safe, easy, and comfortable to use. Backed by 25 years of research, it’s the world’s number one IPL brand. So this holiday, give the gift of long-lasting, hair-free, smooth skin with Philips Lumea IPL, available exclusively on Amazon.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. How about a luxury gift? Let’s get something that’s, you know, kind of memorable or maybe unique.
SPEAKER 08 :
Angie, I think you’re going to love this one. This is Gifts of Experience, which is Cunard. Oh. One of the most legendary travel brands is the definition of timeless luxury at sea. With 185 years of heritage, their voyages offer elegance, fine dining, and iconic destinations. Now through February 25, 2026, guests can take advantage of their Treat Yourself on Us promotion with up to $600 onboard credit per stateroom, plus drink packages for grill suites. Book now at canard.com backslash treat yourself to set sail on one of the four ships to bucket list destinations in Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, and more.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, wow. That sounds amazing. We’re going on a cruise in a couple of weeks to the ABC Islands down towards… Venezuela. And Venezuela has been in the news lately. But that sounds wonderful because I like to give my kids experiences rather than a lot of gifts. In fact, I said, listen to this, Emily, you’re not going to believe it. My kids are like teenager early 20s. And I said to one of them, you know, we’re not going to have a lot of gifts like you’re going to get snorkel gear and like, you know, new shoes for basketball. But I said, you know, and, you know, new shoes for basketball, you know, those aren’t cheap. And I said, so not as many gifts because, you know, we’re doing the family cruise. And she goes, oh, so you’re going to be a cheap this year. I go, you have got to be kidding me. I don’t consider that to be cheap.
SPEAKER 07 :
Hashtag kids.
SPEAKER 08 :
What can you do?
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. How about any other luxury gift suggestions? We call one of our kids, and that’s the one, the princess or royalty. We always pretend when she’s being irritating that we’re taking off our crown because she’s so, you know, like really wants the best of everything. So any other luxury gift suggestions?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, she’ll probably be a CEO one day, and she’ll boss people around. It’ll be perfect. So… My entire brand is Everyday Glam. It’s just like little ways to feel fabulous. So now is the time to gift yourself that little happy that will bring a smile to your face. So if there’s that necklace you’ve been eyeing, that gorgeous cashmere sweater, or maybe that luxe bathrobe that feels like a cloud every time you slip it on, or maybe you are grabbing a beautiful bottle of champagne for a hostess gift and you’re like, you know what, I’m going to grab a couple for my house. Whatever it is, I want you to do it with confidence and zero guilt.
SPEAKER 06 :
Emily, always fun to talk to you. Where do we get all of these glam gift ideas that you told me about?
SPEAKER 07 :
Everything we talked about today is on tipsontv.com.
SPEAKER 06 :
Excellent, tipsontv.com.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you, friend. Always fun to have you on. Thank you, thank you. Happy, happy holidays and have the best time of the cruise. You too. Take care.
SPEAKER 03 :
Bye. Thank you for listening to The Good News with Angie Austin on AM670 KLTT.
