If you’ve been curious about whether the world comes to an end in 2012, or wondering if now is the time to seriously get closer to God …  please be assured that as far as any expert I’ve talked with …  the world will still be around pretty much as it is today in 2013. (That doesn’t mean, you shouldn’t cozy up to the big guy!)

Here’s the lowdown.

Fact: the ancient Mayans were great mathematicians and astronomers, obsessed with time. They created these long-count calendars of five cycles, totaling around 26,000 years. At the end of every cycle they predicted that some sort of major event would happen. What that event would be they didn’t know. The last cycle ends on December 21, 2012.

Director Roland Emmerich took that fact and created the worse-case scenario, for a big budget, $260 million, Hollywood disaster flick. It’s the disaster flick to end all disaster flicks.

Fact: Most Religions have End-Times prophecies. Most are preceded by some sort of series of cataclysmic events. None of the prophecies gives a time frame.

But that hasn’t stopped anyone from guessing.

People throughout history have looked on all our wars, natural disasters and general mayhem, as signs that the world is coming to an end. But yet, here we are.

There’s one prediction we can be assured of: With hundreds of books written about 2012 and the Mayan calendar, “2012″ the movie will likely bring good fortune to many a folk.

Sparks flew between Gov. Mike Huckabee and Ann Coulter during last week’s show. Mike aired a bunch of clips of Ann blasting him during the primaries, insulting him with phrases like, “He’s (Huckabee) a stupid Christian”. Ouch!!! And other such similar comments.

Those of us in Greenroom were cringing and wincing. However, true to form, Mike handled it like the humble statesmen he is. He was diplomatic, but didn’t back down. And the next segment was devoted to talking about Ann’s new book “Guilty”.

However, guest Jerry Springer, watching from backstage had one suggestion during the more contentious moments of the interview… he shouted at Mike via the TV, “throw a chair!” Ah Jerry!

Musical guests this week were The Bellamy Brothers. Howard and Dave Bellamy first hit the national charts in 1976 with their hit “Let Your Love Flow”. It’s a song I thought they wrote. Turns out their big hit was written by one of Neil Diamond’s roadies, Larry E. Williams. It’s a fact Howard Bellamy made sure to tell me during rehearsal. But that’s how gracious these two Southern country boys are.

BTW,  they say they’ve probably performed “Let Your Love Flow” more than 6,000 times, BUT, were more than willing to play through it as often as us members of ‘The Little Rockers’ needed, to make sure it went well during the show. Mike joked that of those 6,000 performances, most of them were during our rehearsal!!! That’s a joke!

Other interesting stuff: Ann Coulter borrowed those silver hoop earrings she wore during the interview from FOX hairstylist Gavina Valdez. Ann was behind schedule and in a flurry and had lost one of her earrings along the way. So, instead of going without or just wearing one, Gavina lent her the pair she was wearing. Ann said they looked much better than her own. So if you watch the clip, know that those earrings aren’t Ann’s.

See you next week!!

Me with the Elvis impersonators

What an absolute treat and honor to play on the ‘Huckabee’ show, with one of the greatest musicians alive today. Mr. James Burton is the former lead guitarist for Elvis Presley!

Today, Jan 8.,  is Elvis’s birthday. He’s been gone 31 years now. So last week’s show was a tribute to “The King”. On the show was James Burton, Rick Stanley (Elvis’s Stepbrother), as well as a couple of Elvis impersonators.

If you caught the show, “The Little Rockers” were honored to be able to play three tunes with the Hall of Famer: “Mystery Train”, “That’s Alright Mama” and “Love Me Tender”. Playing keyboards in back of Mr. Burton was an incredible learning experience. His solos alone are mesmerizing. But his graciousness in helping us to learn the chord progressions and last minute changes, taught us all more than a thing or two about what it takes to be a pro in the music business.

But while Governor Huckabee was handling the show in front of the cameras, between tunes some of us in the band (me and Bob Higgins, Guitar) got a rare treat to sit in the greenroom with Mr. Burton and Mr. Stanley.  For about fifteen or twenty minutes we listened to James and Rick reminisce and swap stories about Elvis, and what it was like to be a part of “the King’s” inner circle.

Mike with Rick Stanley

James Burton was gracious enough to answer my questions about Pricilla, Elvis’ wife. He said she and Elvis were actually great friends, that that was their relationship from the beginning. He said she was 15 and he was 20 when they met overseas while Elvis served in the military. “But Elvis loved the girls”, he added, meaning the thousands who wanted to be close to him, and the several who were able to get beyond the floodlights.  And that’s why the marriage eventually ended.

Rick Stanley said his older stepbrother was like a second dad to him… one that showered him with gifts and on occasion kept him out all night going to movies and restaurants. But for Rick, Elvis is the one that helped him find his faith. Rick talked to his step-brother only eight hours before he died, telling him about a woman who was praying for Rick because she felt he needed Jesus in his life.  Rick said Elvis told him, ‘You know, she’s right.’  That’s the conversation that always sticks in his mind.  Rick wrote about that and about his life with Elvis in a book called “The Touch of Two Kings: Growing Up at Graceland: a True Story” (Redemptive Arts Publishing 1986, 2008).

Me with Rick Stanley

Both James and Rick talked about how little the public knew about Elvis’s love of Gospel music. They said many times after the second shows in Vegas the King would love to retire to his suite with his entourage, and sing songs of the Old Rugged Cross. He’d sing the kind of ageless tunes that through the years gave comfort and strength to troubled souls… songs like “Amazing Grace”, “Turn Your Eyes to Jesus” and “Peace in the Valley”.

James Burton is one of the finest guitar pickers around, in both country and rock.  And even though he’s played and recorded with some of the biggest names in music like Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and John Denver, he will go down in history as the man the King would look at on stage and say, “Play it James.”

Don’t miss ‘Huckabee’ this Saturday at 8p et, as Ann Coulter and Jerry Springer join Mike for an all new, explosive episode!

Political pundits are still weighing in on the Saddleback Forum of last Saturday evening, where Pastor Rick Warren interviewed the two presidential candidates.

So while the political types continue to offer their assessments, I thought I’d get some feedback from pastors. After all, the Evangelical vote is one of the most sought after constituencies, and could very well decide the presidency.

My panel of ‘pastor pundits’ includes Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in the Washington, D.C. area; Pastor Tommy Nelson of Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas; and Mark DeMoss, President of the DeMoss Group.

Two of the pundits watched the forum, one didn’t. I talked with each to see how they judged the event, Pastor Warren, and the possible impact on this election. And I have to say that the most interesting response came from the minister who didn’t watch, Pastor Nelson of Denton Bible Church. He’s included in the panel because of his straight forward, southern comfort style views on politics and religion … and because he’s an evangelical who’s not enthusiastic about the New Evangelicalism that Rick Warren represents. His voice here represents thousands of other Evangelicals.

But first let’s hear from Pastor Rick Warren himself. He told me the response to the forum has been “over the top,” that one political pundit observed that he has “redefined the political discourse.” Whether or not that’s true, Warren says he loved the forum… that it allowed the American people to see the candidates, the way he sees them, that they’re totally different men with different gifts.

Pastor Warren says, Senator Barrack Obama has a “thoughtful concern” approach to issues, and that that will appeal to some people… while Senator John McCain is a straightforward commander, whose style also would appeal to certain people.

But Warren’s conclusion is that “it shows how God uses people,” uses their different gifts. Here you have two men with totally different personalities who are both serving their country by seeking the presidency. Warren’s two frustrations though was that time didn’t allow for follow up questions. He says he could have spent 30 minutes on each question.

But ‘no follow-up’ may have been a blessing in disguise says Bishop Jackson. Jackson, who’s also the author of “Private Faith, Public Policy,” has only kudos for Warren. “I think Rick Warren hit the ball out of the park.” He adds, “He’s just moved into the Billy Graham role, the D.L. Moody or our generation.” Bishop Jackson says that because Pastor Warren didn’t have time to ask follow up questions, the candidates’ responses had to stand on their own, and Warren’s position on the issues could not be inserted. Bishop Jackson says, “He [Rick Warren] asked the questions that the evangelical community wanted to hear,” on abortion, gay marriage..” He didn’t sidestep any of the hard issues.” … yet he asked them in such a way that was fair.

Keep Reading …

If you saw the special a few weeks ago on “Honor Killings,”  you’ll be familiar with a young woman I interviewed. We did not reveal her name or show her face, at her request. But she has since written to me and expressed that she’s glad she did the interview.

“Honor Killings” is an ancient custom more associated with Islam today than any other religion. It is the practice of killing a daughter, wife or sister for the sake of the family honor. The woman is accused of committing some act that is deemed shameful, like not waring  a hajib the Muslim dress, having non-Muslim friends or boyfriends, seeking a divorce or refusing an arranged marriage. Often times the woman could be the victim of rape and is seen by the family as defiled and therefore to cleanse the family of its shame, she must be put to death.

The cases we see in America and in other Western countries have one theme; the women exercise their independence.  Like in the case of the 19 year old Rochester woman I interviewed.

We called her “Miriam” in the segment, but that is not her real name. Her brother stabbed her eleven times because he was trying to prevent her from leaving for an internship in New York City. Many tense filled arguments and conflicts in the months before led up to the attack.  The police report said Miriam’s brother called her “a bad Muslim girl.” She would have died that night had she not convinced her brother to take her to the hospital after she told him she’d lie about what happened.

I found this young woman to be extremely brave, in ways I know I never could be.  How many women her age, brought up in strong traditions of family honor, would have been able to do what she did?  She talked to the national media about a dirty little secret called “honor killings”.  She has defied them all… her mother, the brother that assaulted her and her nine other siblings… to tell her story.

Now, she is forever estranged from them. She can’t go to them for the nurturing and affirmation that we all want from her our families. And she misses that. Because regardless of how bad families can get, they are still your family.  Miriam says her family continues trying to make her feel guilty for what happened, as if it’s all her fault. But her note tells me that there is a bright future for her. She said “I am not going to let them break me and I will not give up.”