THE BLOGGER
INQUIRER
ISSUE # 59
"For Blogging Minds Who Need To Know" ...
Founder: Lucy
Editor: L.Cat
Interviews 
Heide: I could not believe I was finally going to meet AzRon of Radical Discipleship. Me, Heide! I have been reading his posts for two years now, and I really have gotten so much from them. A lot of spiritual growth on my part from his writings and teachings.
Thank you L.Cat I said out loud as I finished packing my bags. I was heading to Phoenix, Az. to see AzRon in the flesh! Say Hallelujah!!
I drove the ninety miles to Shreveport Regional Airport and boarded my flight for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport without a hitch. L.Cat had made all of my arrangements for me. Taylor was still using the company jet, and I enjoyed the drive. I got to visit with all the Air Force guys from Barksdale Air Force Base traveling with me.
AzRon had been notified that I would be arriving on time at Terminal 4. Gate A14. I could not wait...
Looking over the questions I wanted to ask, I remembered AzRon saying that he and June (Praywithhope) would be there to pick me up.
AzRon: I will be driving a 1972 El Camino, he said. We'll drive about 7 miles to Papago Park where there is a beautiful garden called "Desert Botanical Garden". I thought we could take a walk and visit while June goes off taking pictures. I cannot wait for you to see the gardens of plant life that are so unique to the Southwestern USA.
Heide: I could not wait either. The flight was over, seems like before it began. I said goodbye to all my new friends, and off the plane I went. Sure enough there was AzRon. Just as I had seen him in Junes' Posts. It was like meeting an old friend. This was going to be a great trip. Again, but to myself I said, Thank You L.Cat for this trip.
June was sitting in a coffee shop waiting for us, and after we hugged and hugged again, Ron went to get his El Camino.
The gardens were as beautiful as both June and Ron had told me they would be. Ron found a great parking place and June went one way and we went another with the suggestion of a nice dinner somewhere afterwards..... I told June to be thinking of where, as it was on L.Cat!
As we begin our leisurely walk I asked,
What do you feel you bring to the Stream AzRon?
AzRon: I hope I bring love, peace, health and wholeness. I try to spread love - there are a lot of hurting people in the world who need healing. I want to be a person who brings that in to people's lives.
Heide: My friend meant every word of it too. I looked at him and his expression was pained as if he felt the hurt people were feeling.
How or why did you pick the name of your blogs?
AzRon: I have five blogs here on the Stream. I started with Radical Discipleship because I think following Jesus is all about being on adventure which is not safe. Then I wrote a blog called Couch Talk which is my therapy blog....my personal working out of stuff in my life especially my losses and griefs. It is also to help others deal with whatever is on their hearts and minds. I have a blog called Tell Lies to Go to Hell. This blog is about all those tapes we have running in our heads which take us prisoner and we think we have to live our lives by. Than I started a blog called Love Letters, you remember that one Heide. It is about thoughts that God has about us. Most recently I started a blog called Healing the Masculine Soul which is about men's issues. I don't do as much with the last three blogs as I do with the first two. I find my blogs really help me become a better thinker and writer. I hope to turn some of my writings into books someday.
Heide: Be sure Ron, and let me know when you get published. I want everyone you write.
Now I know this is a silly question for you, but when and if you get some free time what do you do?
AzRon: Free time? Heide there is not much! I work a full time job and half a teaching job, too. But if I have some spare time I am blogging. Leaving comments around the Stream. Reading is my favorite past time.
Heide: What is your personal philosophy?
I actually have given a lot of thought to this: I wrote it down about 15 years ago - it is: Love God, love those who love God and love those who don't know God loves them.
Heide: I thought to myself, I've got to remember this! What a wonderful World this would be if we all had this philosophy!
Now Ron, would you share with us a favorite memory from your childhood?
AzRon: I grew up on a farm where I enjoyed just hanging out in nature, especially fishing in the creek down the road from our house.
Heide: What's the greatest lesson life has taught you Ron?
AzRon: Life is too short for bad coffee! No, seriously, Heide, life is too short for resentments. I have only so much energy and I want to spend it on spreading love.
Heide: At that moment I had to ask Ron if I could jot down some of the names of these beautiful flowers we had been seeing. L.Cat had given me a tape recorder and I had been listening so intently to Ron's answers I had not written a thing down.
There was the Sickle bush, Mexican hat, Toothpick cactus and Dark knight. Beautiful.
AzRon: “Come on this way Heide. There is the Garden Shop just ahead, and you can pick out some of these potted and I'll ship them to your home for you. OK?”
Heide: Oh Ron, you are a doll. June has you trained pretty good dear friend. That would be perfect.
We found a table after I had purchased many plants and continued our interview. Ron had bought us a cold drink and all was right with the world.
If you were given an all expense paid vacation to anywhere in the world, where would you go I asked Ron.
AzRon: Right now, today. I would go to the Sudan to see what my friends are doing there with the resettling of the refugees. I so admire this couple for giving the last years of their working life to helping people in need.
Heide: Do you see the glass as half full or half empty? (pessimist or optimist)
AzRon: The glass is always half empty! And the rest if filled with possibilities and potentialities!
Heide: If there was a Blogstream Convention/Party/Reunion, what city should be the host city and Why?
Choices are:
L.A.
New York
Chicago
Dallas
Atlanta
Denver
AzRon: It has to be New York! I have never been there - but I want to go and see that city?
Heide: It's my favorite place because my son lives there Ron. And I love it!
Well, what brought you to the Blogstream and what did you hope to get out of it?
AzRon: I came here by accident one day - which is two years ago this month. I was trying to blog on some other blog sites and found them difficult to use and no traffic. No one was reading my blogs. Then I happened upon the Blogstream. I want to be a clearer writer and thinker - and I hope that what I write will be of benefit to others. One of my mottos is: Leave the world a better place than you found it. If my blogs leave some people in a better world, I would feel I accomplished my mission.
Heide: A great mission Ron, and a wonderful motto!
What 5 CD's are currently in your player?
Michael Buble, TerryMacAlmon and Nature Quest CDS
Heide: And of course, the 5 bloggers you want to meet.
AzRon: Do I have to pick 5? Ok, five of the guys who I read a lot - Capananda; Thomisticguy; Scratch; Truthseeker (the first person to visit my blog), Anexplorer, Sinann (oops, that is 6) I have actually met Dave of Christian Wilderness - June and I had lunch with him in Phoenix, Can I add Mokie from Touchy Subjects too??? oops, I forgot to add Whit and Lalepop and Tall pockets and Bry_M and Shadow!!! These are my pick 5! All 13 of them.....
(Editor’s Note: Some bloggers did noy have avatar/icons or pictures in their gallery identifying themselves)
Heide: That's good Ron. It is hard to pick 5. Well, let's just say it's impossible!
Now your favorite alcoholic beverage?
AzRon: My favorites are Riesling and Shiraz. (Syrah or Shiraz)
Heide: What is your nationality? Ethnic Background?
AzRon: Do you want the short version or the long version? Well, the short is, I am Dutch.
The long version is that my ancestors fled Holland in the 17th century to seek religious freedom and settled in the Dansk region of what is today Poland. In 1832, Catherine the Great invited my forbearers to the Ukraine, Russia. In l926 at 9 month old, my father sailed to Canada with his parents. My mother's parents and siblings fled Russia at the same time and settled in Canada as well. My family tree has at least three or four languages -Dutch, Polish, German (high and low) and English. My Dutch ancestors were converts to a new religion called Anabaptism (later to be known as Mennonites) ethnically, in the sociological literature we are called "Russian Mennonites".
Mennonites waiting to board the train that would carry them to freedom. Approximately 20,000 would find their way to Canada between 1923 and 1927 when both the Soviet Union and Canada closed their borders.
The Red Gate on the Latvian border. When they finally crossed this border, refugees sang, "Nun danket alle Gott."
(Now thank we all our God)
Heide: OK, now the last book you read? And what was the best and worst book you read?
AzRon: Well, Heide I read my Bible every morning, does that count? Last book: The Heroic Client by Scott Miller, Barry Duncan and Jacqueline Sparks. The best book I ever read? I really liked Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain. The worst book I ever read? Wow, I don't read many bad books, but I would have to say that Bishop Spong's book, "Why Christianity Must Change or Die". Pretty bad book.
Heide: I made a note to read Thomas Merton's The Seven Storey Mountain.
Now AzRon, on a little lighter subject, who is your favorite actor or actress?
AzRon: Actor - Alec Guinness and Actress - Nicole Kidman. You'll note I did not pick an American.
Heide: Now Ron, what was the last movie you saw at the theatre?
AzRon: I think it was Ratatouille. I have never been able to go to a restaurant and imagine the kitchen the same! Is it that long since I have been to a movie?
Heide: Most embarrassing moment you remember....... Now come on Ron....
AzRon: We don't really want to discuss this, do we????
Heide: OK! So give me your favorite recipe that you would be willing to share.
AzRon: I only eat food, Heide, I don't cook it!
Heide: Gotcha! So give me your middle name!
My parents never blessed me with a middle name, so on those forms where it insists on a middle name, I put NONE!
Heide: Do you have a favorite word?
AzRon: Actually I like phrases - "That's your story", and recently I find myself saying "It is what it is".
Heide: My hubby is like that too Ron. His is "Silence is Golden"..... Wonder why he likes that one?
We both laugh, and stop and enjoy more of this beautiful garden. I rattle on for a while, and then get back to the questions L.Cat has given me.
What is your least favorite word?
AzRon: The "F" word - I don't use and I don't like to hear it.
Heide: What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
AzRon: Sitting with my journal (often now it is my computer) and writing my thoughts down.
Heide: What is a turn off for you?
AzRon: I'd have to say angry people Heide. I mean really acting out angry people!
Heide: What about curse words? Do you have a favorite one?
AzRon: I don't cuss Heide.
Heide: At that June comes walking up. I have to hug her again and she says, I heard your question Heide and Ron’s' answer, and he is telling the absolute truth. I've never heard him cuss. He is a very patient man, and she gives him a big hug.
We stroll together now and I forget the heat. The humidity is great, and I realized we could not be doing this in Texas. Arizona is my kind of state. And these two people are my kind of people. Real, down to earth, and sincere in their love for our Lord and each other.
So Ron, I continue, what sound or noise do you love? And what sound or noise do you dislike.
AzRon: The sound of laughing children is my favorite sound and my least favorite is tires screeching when they come to a sudden halt.
Heide: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt and what profession would you not like to do?
AzRon: I'd love being a full - time teacher, and since I am not mechanically inclined, I'd have to stay away from anything mechanical.
Heide: My last question to you Ron is, If Heaven exists, what would you like God to say to you when you arrive.
Without a pause Ron says,
AzRon: "Well done, good and faithful one".
Heide: Ron and June took me to the Hilton Phoenix Airport Hotel, and they went back to their house to get freshened up. L.Cat had a town car picking us up in a couple of hours to take us to Ruth's Chris Steak House on E. Camelback. Best steaks in town. We were all three tired and excited about how well the interview had gone.
L. Cat had gotten me a beautiful place to crash, and I enjoyed going over my notes and the tape of Ron's interview.
The evening was awesome. The good food and wonderful friends sitting together in a beautiful and comfortable place could not have been more perfect. The only words that would come to my mind “Say Hallelujah! How Sweet it is?"
