Special Guests

  • Paul Brandt — THE Most Awarded Canadian Male country Recording Artist
    Well our good friend, Country Superstar Paul Brandt, is back like a recurring nightmare! He's about to embark on a 20 city tour promoting his latest release, a gospel album called Just As I Am. Between May 15 and June 7, 2013, Paul Brandt will be hitting a city near you! Just As I Am was recently named one of the top Country Albums of 2012 from iTunes Canada, in the company of Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and the Zac Brown Band. The Just As I Am Tour will take place in a number of churches across Canada, and tickets are on sale NOW!

  • Eric Metaxas — Author of 7 Men: And The Secret Of Their Greatness
    In Seven Men, New York Times best-selling author Eric Metaxas presents seven exquisitely crafted short portraits of widely known—but not well understood—Christian men, each of whom uniquely showcases a commitment to live by certain virtues. Seven Men addresses what it means (or should mean) to be a man today, at a time when media and popular culture present images of masculinity that are not the picture presented in Scripture and historic civil life. What does it take to be a true exemplar as a father, brother, husband, leader, coach, counselor, change agent, and wise man? What does it mean to stand for honesty, courage, and charity, especially at times when the culture and the world run counter to those values? Each of the seven biographies represents the life of a man who experienced the struggles and challenges to be strong in the face of forces and circumstances that would have destroyed the resolve of lesser men. The seven men profiled—George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, John Paul II, and Charles Colson!

  • Ambre McLean — Recording Artist (and one of our newest most favoritist ever!)
    Ambre sings the kind of songs that make you remember lost loves and abandoned dreams. She comes by her musical gifts honestly. Both her parents were professional musicians when she was a child, and they commenced her formal musical training at the age of three. As the years progressed, her musical education included piano, guitar and vocal training. After nearly twenty years of writing and performing, it was only recently that Ambre decided to step into the limelight full time. By car and by train (by way of Via Rail’s Musician on Board Program), she has been zigzagging across the country. Promoting not only her newest album “Murder at the Smokehouse” but also touring in support of a re-released “I Wonder If”, her haunting piano-based album. A regular on the Canadian music festival circuit, Ambre has played Halifax's In The Dead Of Winter Festival, Guelph's Hillside Festival, Tilsonburg Festival, The Marmora Jamboree as well as the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. She won the prestigious 2010 Ontario Council of Folk Festival’s "Songs From The Heart Award" for her song “Me, My Heart And The Moon”. She's also won Guelph’s inaugural Songwriting Competition in 2009, and is a two time "ECHO People’s Choice" for Best Female Singer/Songwriter. AND... was just recently a national finalist in CBC’s Searchlight: The Hunt For Canada’s Best New Artist.

  • Deb Jones — Director Of Celebrate Recovery, Eastern Canada
    “My name is Deb, I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, celebrating recovery from childhood sexual abuse and I struggle with co-dependence.” That's Deb's opening line, whether in her own personal support group or speaking at various Celebrate Recovery meetings. She joins us today to share her own recovery from hurts, hangups and habits.
    *COMING UP - Saddleback Church's One Day Seminar (Seven Keys of Celebrate Recovery & Advanced Leadership Training) Saturday May 4, 2013 @ Lakeside Church in Guelph, ON!

  • THE DATING GAME — on TDMS!
    Well last week, two gentlemen whom Valerie connected with on ChristianMingle, joined us in studio for Tim The Tool & Drew to screen on her behalf. However – one of them bailed! That's right – a no show! So this week we'll check in with Valerie to find out how she's feeling about a/ Marc who showed up and b/ “Buddy” who didn't! (We'll leave his name out until he decides to “show up.” After all, it's not cool to TOTALLY rip the guy apart and use his real name. Right? However, if he decides to “come to the party” we promise to be nice – and start using his name!) Looks like Marc has a pretty good shot of joining Valerie on an exquisite night out in the city!

    INTERESTED IN BECOMING OUR NEXT DATING GAME CONTESTANT?
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love!
    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT: Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca)
    1/Your contact details 2/Your picture 3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as a contestant on THE DATING GAME!

    (If chosen, you will win a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND… after Drew helps you find the best possible match, ChristianMingle will not only give your special someone a FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle as well, but they'll also pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town for both of you, including dinner at one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!)  **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area.

  • soulSURVIVOR!
    5 Religious Tribes Competing For The Soul Of One Person!
    OUTWITNESS - OUTPRAY - OUTSAVE

    Five religious Tribes competing for the soul of one person, by explaining to our soulSURVIVOR what it is that their Tribe actually believes! And the Tribal Leaders will NOT have immunity! Our soulSURVIVOR will be able to challenge, critique, or question any aspect of all Tribal codes! At the end of the contest, our soulSURVIVOR will then decide which Tribe presented the most compelling case for faith - Then reveal to us if they'll be joining that Tribe! Listen in as 5 religious Tribes witness, sell and explain their faith to a genuine & passionate seeker! A soulSURVIVOR, who's been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world!  (SoulSURVIVOR – One who has been given the opportunity to speak with some of the most respected religious Tribal leaders in the world then decide if they want to join one of the Tribes. Or – Catalina!)

    *If you'd like to be our NEXT soulSURVIVOR, email us all your contact details and why you think that YOU would make the best soulSURVIVOR!

    TRIBE HARE KRISHNA — Bhaktimarga Swami - Canada's Leader of The Hare Krishna Community
    Bhaktimarga Swami achieved a remarkable feat in 1996 when he went the way of a pilgrim and walked on foot cross country from west to east across Canada, then back for a return journey from Cape Spear, Newfoundland to Vancouver Island in 2003, going full circle. He likes to share his unique experience and fond memories on the road after trekking 16,000 km's. Swami is a consistent feature in “The Longest Road”, a recent National Film Board documentary detailing the history of the people who shaped or were shaped by the Trans Canada Highway, the world’s longest continuous maintained road. Today, Swami joins us to explain what exactly Hare Krishna's believe! (Drew first met Catalina at Toronto's Hare Krishna Temple during a visit with Swami Bhaktimarga. Catalina is very interested in speaking with him, so we saved Swami for last!)

God Blogger

  • Dr. Daniel Fincke — Camels With Hammers
    Dan has his PhD in philosophy from Fordham University and is an adjunct assistant philosophy professor. His blog’s main topics are ethics, religion, atheism, and the atheist movement. Dan was a devout evangelical Christian until he grappled with The Portable Nietzsche while enrolled at one of America’s most conservative Christian undergraduate institutions. He went on to write his dissertation on Nietzsche. Dan has written a lot about his time as a Christian and how he de-converted and then adjusted to becoming an atheist. You can get his take on the state of the atheist movement, and the need to avoid self-righteousness at all costs, or you can read his article “Apostasy As A Religious Act - Why A Camel Hammers The Idols Of Faith”, which explains why those who want to respect religious people and their experiences should stop trying to silence former believers for speaking out against their former religions. Or, if that doesn't float your boat, you can watch him discuss how there can be objective values and how Nietzsche is not a moral nihilist.

Talkback, etc.

  • The Counsel of Many
    This week on the Counsel Of Many: A mother's daughter has run away from home to hang with her friends on the streets of Toronto and her husband is considering finding her and “abducting” her in order to get her away from all the bad influences. Should he?

    I guess this is pretty much a “does the end justify the means” type of scenario. Our daughter is in her early 20's and has been battling addiction & mental health issues for the last number of years. She's been in and out of shelters, in and out of our home, in and out of other people's homes, on and off medication, and on and off the street. BTW - I'm not sure I totally buy into the mental health diagnoses the doctor gave her. I'm wondering if the mental health issues might just go away if my daughter got clean long enough.) Obviously as parents we are absolutely terrified of what could happen to our daughter as a result of her poor choices. However, we have tried our best to find that balance of offering help,assistance/advice and yet allowing her to make adult choices. This time though, she is hanging out with a particularly dangerous crowd and her boyfriend is just flat out evil. My husband can't take it anymore and is now contemplating whether or not to drive into the city, find her, handcuff her, and drive her to a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere, and live with her until she's able to detox and at least have six months living clean under her belt. Now, while we both feel desperate enough and convicted enough to go through with this, we both are wondering if this is actually the best of the worst options. Our daughter will no doubt be furious with us – and after it's all over with, she might even wish to press charges. My husband and I have talked about this and are both willing to live with those consequences. Our other children are grown and gone, so worst case scenario – we tried our best, we failed, and I end up being married to a convict. BUT – what if it works? What if this drastic move actually saves her life? Isn't that what parenting is all about – doing absolutely ANYTHING for the benefit of your kids – including breaking their spirit and the law?

  • God & Stuff
    Join Drew & Tim The Tool as they catch up on current events and the week's happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults – Oh My!
    Today's God & Stuff Guest: Don Lattin – Author, Freelance Journalist & Religion Reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle