Get Thee Behind Me, Satan!

I've been struggling with depression again lately - and been unable to focus on any one task for very long. Except for sitting at the computer, which I can do for hours on end. I realize this is one of the temptations I face - to spend all of my free time being lazy and unproductive. Today, some good did come out of my mindless internet surfing - as I found the following from Robert D. Hales:

“Our challenges, including those we create by our own decisions, are part of our test in mortality. Let me assure you that your situation is not beyond the reach of our Savior. Through Him, every struggle can be for our experience and our good (see D&C 122:7). Each temptation we overcome is to strengthen us, not destroy us. The Lord will never allow us to suffer beyond what we can endure (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). “We must remember that the adversary knows us extremely well. He knows where, when, and how to tempt us. If we are obedient to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we can learn to recognize the adversary’s enticements. Before we yield to temptation, we must learn to say with unflinching resolve, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan’ (Matthew 16:23).”

Soggy Bottom Boys

On Saturday night, our ward had a "Hill Billy Hollow" party, which in Elder's Quorum has been referred to as a good old-fashioned "Hoe Down." One of the highlights of the evening was us elders singing "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow", as sung by the Soggy Bottom Boys in "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

I have sung this song so many times over the last few days in preparation, that I am beginning to feel like the man of constant sorrow!

It has always been one of my dreams to sing in a "barbershop quartet" - type group. I may never realize that dream, but being a "Soggy Bottom Boy" on Saturday night came really close!

Patrick Swayze 1952-2009

Patrick Swayze may have left this world as we know it, but these timeless moments are forever etched in our hearts......

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

I've rediscovered my first love! When I posted this comment recently on Facebook, I received several comments asking me who my first love was. However, I wasn't referring to a "who" - my first love qualifies as a "what" - baseball! And I don't even care for peanuts or Cracker Jack that much...

My boss had season tickets to the St. George Roadrunners this year, and so I've been going to many of their games. Turns out, they are a pretty good team, and are headed to the playoffs this year! The Roadrunners are led by their all-star first baseman A.J. Valentine - who finished their 82 game season with a .359 batting average, 17 HR's, and tied for the league lead with 82 RBI's.

Other Roadrunners I've had the pleasure of meeting are:

Ryan Stephenson

Chase Leavitt

Eude Brito (former Philadelphia Phillie!)

Justin Abbott

Paint The Park Pink!

On Wednesday, August 5th, the Roadrunners celebrated life and the need for Breast Cancer Awareness!

Bruce Hurst Field was decked out in PINK! With pink bases, pink chalk lines, pink banners, and a Huge Pink Breast Cancer Ribbon in center field.

The players and managers wore custom Pink and Blue Breast Cancer Uniforms. These uniforms were autographed and a silent auction look place for these uniforms during the game. Proceeds from ticket purchases last night, donations and the silent auction will be donated to Breast Cancer Awareness!


Plus, the first 750 in attendance received a free pink t-shirt!

The Boys Are Back!

With the release of the latest CD, the Oak Ridge Boys prove to the rest of the world what I already knew - "The Boys Are Back"! Yeah, they don't have the radio airplay or CD sales that they once enjoyed, but William Lee Golden (70), Duane Allen (66), Richard Sterban (66) and Joe Bonsall (61) are far from retirement! While acts such as Alabama & The Statler Brothers are sitting in their rocking chairs, the Mighty Oaks are still going strong! From the title song written by Shooter Jennings, to the final cut "Live With Jesus", this CD rocks! Their cover of The White Stripes "Seven Nation Army" is a masterpiece. William Lee has never sounded better than he does on "Beautiful Bluebird". Duane Allen's passion on "Mama's Table" can't be matched. And if you've never experienced Richard's deep bass voice (not sure how that's possible unless you've lived under a rock the last 30 years), "Boom Boom" will make you an instant fan! I can't wait to see this new music performed live!

The King Of Pop

I hadn't planned to say anything on the passing of Michael Jackson, but then I read what my friend Duane Allen, of The Oak Ridge Boys wrote, and it pretty much sums up my feelings as well, so I will share it with you now.

WHILE THERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE GONE UNANSWERED ABOUT MICHAEL JACKSON AND HIS PERSONAL LIFE, HE HAS PAID OFF SOME TO NOT TALK, AND IN OTHER CASES, HE WAS TAKEN TO A COURT OF LAW AND WON THE CASES.....SO, TAKE YOUR PICK OF HOW YOU LIKE TO LOOK AT HIM, THERE ARE PLENTY OF EXAMPLES OF HIS PERSONAL LIFE FOR YOU TO OBSERVE.......I HAVE OBSERVED HIS WEIRDNESS FOR YEARS......AT ONE TIME, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS ON OUR BUS WAS, "WHO DOES MICHAEL JACKSON THINK IS WEIRD?"NOW, HE HAS TO ANSWER TO GOD.....NONE OF US KNOW HOW THAT WILL COME DOWN.......

NOW, LOOKING AT HIS ARTISTRY......I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AMAZED AT THE TALENT I SAW IN HIM AND HIS BROTHERS FROM THE DAYS OF THEIR YOUTH.......MY RESPECT FOR HIM NEVER CHANGED AS I LEARNED OF HIS PERSONAL LIFE.......I STILL RESPECTED HIS MUSICAL ABILITIES........I ALWAYS WAS DRAWN TO HIM IN THE JACKSONS, AS I FELT THAT HE WAS THE MOST TALENTED OF ALL........I FELT THE SAME WAY ABOUT DONNIE OSMOND WITH THE OSMOND BROTHERS......I ALWAYS FELT THAT DONNIE AND MICHAEL WERE THE MAGICAL MEMBERS OF EACH FAMILY GROUP.......

WHILE IN NEVADA, I READ AN ACCOUNT BY DONNIE OF HIS RECENT CONVERSATIONS WITH MICHAEL.....AS DONNIE RELATED------MICHAEL WAS SO HOUNDED BY FANS AND THE MEDIA THAT AT ONE POINT RECENTLY, HE GOT A RV AND LIVED IN IT ALL OVER ARIZONA, JUST TO GET AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE WHO WERE HOUNDING HIM......CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW MISERABLE THAT WOULD BE.......MICHAEL WAS AFRAID TO EVEN GIVE OUT HIS PHONE NUMBER TO DONNIE BECAUSE HE FEARED IT WOULD BE TRACED AND PEOPLE WOULD FIND HIM.......HIS OWN POPULARITY MADE A PRISONER OF HIM, RESTRICTING HIM FOR A PERIOD OF TIME TO A RV TO JUST TRAVEL FROM ONE TOWN TO ANOTHER, NEVER EVEN GETTING OUT EXCEPT AT NIGHT, AND THAT WOULD BE ONLY WHERE THERE WERE NO PEOPLE.......

SO, AS AN ARTIST, I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS LIKE, BEING IN A FISHBOWL.......ALL OF THE GOOD IS MULTIPLIED, AND ALL OF THE BAD IS MULTIPLIED, TOO.......EVERYTHING IS BLOWN WAY OUT OF SHAPE, AND SOMETIMES, RE-SHAPED TO FIT THE DESIRE OF A STORY-HUNGRY MEDIA PERSON JUST LOOKING FOR A NEW STORY........WHEN WE HAD "ELVIRA' WE HAD ALL KINDS OF NUT CASES COMING OUT FROM UNDER EVERY ROCK ON THE ROAD.......I MEAN, SOME REALLY CRAZY PEOPLE.....IT WAS HARD TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THEM, BUT WE HAD PLENTY OF PEOPLE AROUND US AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE TO HANDLE THE NUT CASES........SO, I AM NOT CRITICIZING THE LIFE OR CAREER OF MICHAEL JACKSON.......I DO RECOGNIZE HIS AMAZING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY......THOSE ARE, WITHOUT A DOUBT IN MY MIND, HUGE, ALMOST BEYOND BELIEF........I WAS NOT A HUGE FAN, IN THE COMMON WAY OF LOOKING AT IT, BUT, I HAD A HUGE RESPECT FOR HIM AND HIS BROTHERS.......AND, I DID RECOGNIZE THAT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD WERE, AND STILL ARE, HUGE FANS........

WHILE I DO NOT DISMISS THE WEIRD LIFESTYLE THAT HE LED, IT DID NOT AFFECT ME IN ANY WAY.......IT IS UP TO GOD NOW TO PLACE VALUE ON HIS LIFESTYLE........I DO NOT SEND HIM RIGHT INTO THE ARMS OF JESUS, BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW IF HE EVEN FOLLOWED JESUS.......I DO RECOGNIZE THAT AT ONE POINT IN HIS CAREER, HE WAS RECOGNIZED AS BEING THE ARTIST WHO GAVE THE MOST TO HELP CHARITIES.......I WAS REPULSED AT THE JESSE JACKSONS, AND AL SHARPTONS, WHO I CONSIDER TO BE OPPORTUNISTIC FLIM-FLAM CON ARTISTS.......THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MICHAEL JACKSON.......HOWEVER, I WAS VERY MOVED BY SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO PERFORMED OR SPOKE AT HIS FUNERAL......BROOKE SHIELDS TOUCHED ME WITH HER STORY OF SHARING.......AND, SOME OF THE MUSIC WAS JUST FABULOUS........WHEN MICHAEL'S LITTLE GIRL SPOKE ABOUT HER LOVE FOR HER DADDY, CHURCH WAS OUT FOR ME........MAY GOD BLESS THESE THREE LITTLE CHILDREN AS THEY SEARCH FOR WAYS TO MAKE A PLACE IN THIS WORLD FOR THEM......MAY THOSE LEFT TO CARE FOR THEM TAKE CARE OF THEM, AND NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM IS MY PRAYER.......

SO, WHILE THE WORLD MAY BE JUDGMENTAL OF MICHAEL, I AM COMFORTABLE TO JUST SAY HE WAS WEIRD.......I AM ALSO COMFORTABLE IN SAYING THAT I BELIEVE HE WAS A MUSICAL GENIUS, EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT A NORMAL FAN....... DUANE ALLEN