It seems as though that when a year ends, writers tend to look back at what has taken place in the preceding 365 days. I'm no different as it's very easy just to let my mind wander back. But seeing as how the end of 2009 also marks the end of the first 10 years of the 2000's, I went back through that decade—and realized just how fast time is moving.

For example, do you realize that Rex Nelon passed away in January 2000? Or that the line-up of Legacy Five included Roger Bennett, Scott Fowler, Glenn Dustin, Scott Howard—and Josh Cobb, who has now returned to Southern Gospel music as Gold City's newest tenor?

Speaking of Gold City, Tim Riley had one of the hottest groups on the road in January of 2000, sharing the spotlight with Tim were Jay Parrack, Jonathan Wilburn and Mark Trammell.

Poet Voices was doing well as a quartet, too, in the early 2000s. On stage with Phil was Dale Brock, Donny Henderson and Tim Duncan. You've probably heard the group that Tim is with now—Ernie Haase & Signature Sound. And, just for the record, in the year 2000, the Dove Brothers celebrated their second anniversary as a quartet.

The year 2000 was also the only year that the "Sunday Dinner Award" was presented during the Singing News Fan Awards.

Feeling a little old yet?

I'll try to help you out some more.

The January 2005 cover featured the Triumphant Quartet—and that was two years after their formation under a different moniker. Ed O'Neal wrote his first "All I Ever Wanted To Do Is Sing A Song" for Singing News and Devin McGlamery was beginning his first year with Karen Peck & New River. The beloved George Younce passed away in April of that year, and in many ways, the Southern Gospel stage has never been quite the same since. "Ole Leather Lungs," Geraldine Morrison of Wendy Bagwell & the Sunliters fame, passed away a few months later.

For only the only second time in it's history, ownership of Singing News changed hands, going from Maurice Templeton and a Board of Directors to Salem Communications at the end of 2005. And sadly, the first few pages of the "new" Salem publication of 2006 were devoted to the passing of three of Southern Gospel music's brightest young performers—Warren Parker, Doug Riley and Anthony Burger.

I'll stop there. There's plenty of evidence to support the theory that time stops for nothing. After all, how many times did you just ask yourself, "That's been that long?!?"

Nonetheless, everyone is gearing up for Decade No. 2. There are definite challenges that lie ahead—but that also means that there are lots of good times, too. Let's enjoy them, treasure our friendships and make the best of the next ten years.

It'll be interesting to see what I write here in "Danny's Diary" in December 2019.