Monday, October 28, 2013

Music Monday: Will Hoge

This guy's been fairly prominent for a while on two of my favorite YouTube channels - Music Fog and Music City Roots - but has remained largely unrecognized.  He is the author of the Eli Young Band's hit, Even if it Breaks Your Heart, and has gained recent attention with Chevy Silverado's use of his song, Strong, on their TV commercial.  He's good, Y'all.  Give a listen.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

When the Frost is On the Punkin

A beautiful poem, beautifully recited.  Enjoy. 






When the Frost is on the Punkin
by: James Whitcomb Riley
 
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here— 10
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days,
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves as golden as the morn;
The stubble in the furries—kindo' lonesome-like, but still
A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;
The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover overhead!—
O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps
Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;
And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through
With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!...
I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be
As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me—
I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Red October Youth

Our young pitching staff has served us well.  They propelled us into the postseason and are keeping us in the running!   Here's to today's stellar performance by 22-year-old, Michael Wacha:
 
 


Friday, October 4, 2013

The Words of Jesus

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said..."Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more."
 
The guilty sinner to whom He speaks this comforting "word," was frowned upon by her accusers.  But, if others spurned her from their presence, "Neither do I condemn thee."  Well it is to fall into the hands of this blessed Saviour-God, for great are His mercies.
 
Are we to infer from this that He winks at sin?  Far from it.  His blood, His work refute the thought!  But this "word of Jesus" is a word of tender encouragement to every sincere, broken-hearted penitent...that crimson sins, and scarlet sins, are no barriers to a free, full, everlasting forgiveness.  "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners."
 
Reader, you may be the chief of sinners or the chief of backsliders; your soul may have started aside like a broken bow.  As the bankrupt is afraid to look into his books, you may be afraid to look into your own heart.  You are hovering on the verge of despair.  Conscience, and the memory of unnumbered sins, are uttering the desponding verdict, "I condemn thee."  Jesus has a kinder word - a more cheering declaration - "I condemn thee not: go, and sin no more!" 
 
--John Ross Macduff, The Words of Jesus