on the rim

It amazes me, that music that I haven't sang for years seems to just come naturally to me.  I had heard an urban legend about Jan and Dean and how one of them had been in an accident, and while he could no longer speak, was able to sing, as the part of the brain that processes memories was still intact.  Don't know if it is true or not, but tonight, as always when singing a once familiar tune, I am able to easily sing the music (not that it doesn't need work, FYI) Tonight, I had the opportunity to go and sing with the Mormon Chorale.  not a performance, but a rehearsal.  I cried in happiness inside at being there.  At being directed by an amazing director, who seems to be tireless in her enthusiasm.  The organist was amazing, as were the pianists. They are putting together a series of concerts and programs during the summer.  That they would allow me to sit in with them, to sing with them with such a tight deadline brought me true happiness, even if ...

Twenty years ago, a decision was made that resonates to this day.  The Scoutmaster in the Paola Ward, wanting to get his boys the experience that they wanted, decided to go to Camp Geiger, in the Pony Express Council.  There were a couple of reasons for this.  1.  They allowed us to check in on Monday, so as to not camp over Sunday (a church rule, no matter what anyone else says) and 2.  They had the Mic-O-Say program, an Honor Camping Society.  Mic-O-Say originated in the Pony Express Council, and survives to this day in it as well as the Heart of America Council in Kansas City. We headed up.  The Scoutmaster, and four young men headed to St. Joseph.  We arrived got our stuff into camp, and started the day.  5th Session,  Pueblo campsite.  A fairly hot week, as I remember, but in those days, we spent most of our time up on the edge of the parking lot under the trees.  Tapping night found 4 young men tapped, as well as the Sc...

I had an epiphany today. Let me begin, by stating that I think we are created in God's image, male and female.  Yes, I know, Genesis 1:27.  We are individuals, created as individuals.  We are all saved by God's grace, of course, and He knows us.  Each of us.  He loves all of us. The reason I mention that, is that today, we are told that gender is fluid.  We have seen examples of race  being fluid.  People can be whatever, or whoever they want.  This has been building since the sexual revolution of the 1960s.  Only one problem... Of course the people that predominantly push these ideas hate the idea of the individual.  They hate it when someone is successful.  They hate that they haven't done something similar, So what do they do?  They pawn themselves off as a constitutional lawyer, hanging out with real terrorists, or a politician pretending to have some heritage, and spin that into a comfy professorship at a presti...

I know, stop Phil, this isn't a political blog. Well, yes....  and no. I wanted to talk about Esther, queen of Persia, wife of Xerxes I, niece to Mordecai the Jew.  I know, most know the story, but believe it or not, it has application today. According to Jewish tradition, a high adviser to the king was Haman the Agagite.  Now if you don't know about Agagites, the tradition is that Haman descended from Agag, the king of the Amelekites that Saul had been commanded by God to destroy.  When Samuel found that Saul had spared the king, he took matters into his own hands, and killed him.  Haman was a descendant of Agag, and thus carried the hatred of his ancestors.  Top that with his hatred of Mordecai, who had refused to bow to him, and that created a bad situation. With permission of the King, Haman sent a decree ordering the people to kill all the Jews.  All of them.  We know how the story goes, Esther goes before the King, points out that Ha...

So how does a troglodyte conservative change into a libertarian?  Well let me clarify a few things. Contrary to the Libertarian nominee, I think actually most people are not socially liberal.  I certainly am not.  What distinguishes us from conservatives, and certainly progressives, is that I feel that the government should have no business in most of these issues, or at a minimum, the federal government. I have been studying for our Book of Mormon sunday school lesson next week, and reading about how the Nephites were transitioning from a King, to a system of self government, with Judges adjudicating the law.  That is right, no ruler.  Only judges.  The law was set to protect both those who belonged to the church, and those that did not.  What a way to live.  The church could not enforce its laws on the other people, and the people could not interfere with the activities of the church.  I know, I have repeated it several different ways. ...