Miles -what it means

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Hand of GOD
"Hand of GOD"                                                                                                                                                  

Thursday, March 30, 2017

March 30, 2017. Eureka Springs, AR. The Right Tool

In Madison, GA at SLMI I worked quite a bit with Brian, a carpenter, plumber, electrician, welder, handyman and general fix-it guy. We spent a lot of time at Lowe's getting the right materials to use with the correct tool to fix problems on the premises. At the Passion Play I work with Jerry the plumber and James a carpenter, electrician, handyman, construction designer and supervisor and all-around fix-it guy. All of these guys, plus most of the volunteer construction people at both sites as well as the maintenance and handyman types have taught me a lot about how to build, repair and maintain stuff and the amazing amount of materials and tools needed.
I have very few tools, very little construction experience and until getting into the on-the-road life style, little desire to dive into mechanical problems or broken things needing to be fixed or replaced. I tended to rely on people like Brian, Jerry, James and a number of friends who had the right tools and the requisite ability to "fix it" for us. But times they are a-changin'.
It's now not as scary to do it myself, with the assurance that if I mess it up, Brian, Jerry or James or one of our many tradesman friends are as near as a call away and we are close enough to a hardware store, plumbing supply store or 24 hour Wal-Mart to get the right part and even the right tool if one is not available in the ministry maintenance shop.
And thanks, Jim from Illinois, for the hammer drill, correct size concrete bit, and tapcon screws I needed to secure a countertop to a cinder block wall. When I left, it was still standing, and felt like it might actually still be standing in the morning. See you later, countertop.



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Monday, March 27, 2017

March 27, 2017. Eureka Springs , AR. A Community

Christianity is not supposed to be a "Lone Ranger" type life style where people do their own thing by themselves without connecting with other believers. When Karen and I began our Christian walk together in 1999 we were part of a mega-church with five weekend services, many ministries, multiple pastors overseeing those ministries, and many volunteer opportunities. We were immediately "involved" and remained so for our ten years there.
Our involvement in the next churches we attended was not as intense, but we were still part of fellowship groups, bible studies, attended services and events regularly, had many acquaintances and some close friends from each of the three churches we attended over our nearly 15 years of "Christ-following" in Colorado. And then, we hit the road in December, 2013 with a ministry plan which involved the two of us and new acquaintances everywhere we traveled and wherever we "landed". We still attended churches regularly at military bases or by checking the Internet for a church which sounded inviting. We had many wonderful experiences, and when we did finally land in Eureka Springs and Madison, we settled into churches we felt comfortable in and also had the association with the the Passion Play and Source of Light Ministries. Again, we were part of a community. By returning to TGPP a month earlier than last year, we are able to join in service with the Missouri and Illinois Campers on Mission volunteers and the past week has been most enjoyable and a different kind of community experience. Many of them travel every few weeks to a different location, attend COM rallies and are very skilled and willing workers, social and friendly and very eager to serve, glorify God and continue to mature in their faith.
Over the next week, most of them will move on, a few will stay to work on projects needed for the opening of the 2017 PP season. Our line-up of 14 motorhomes, fifth-wheels, and trailers will dwindle down to a few and at times, this summer and fall, Karen and I will be alone at the north end of parking lot B, as we were most of the past two years, but we will still be part of a community of believers and servants, with Jesus our Lone Ranger and all of us His Tontos, no matter where we travel and serve, following Him wherever He leads and whatever the task He calls us to. What a joy it is to serve Him..........in community.

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Friday, March 24, 2017

March 24, 2017. Eureka Springs, AR. Jack of All Trades

I may have mentioned in a past blog about a guidance counselor in high school who advised me not to specialize in any one field of study unless I was absolutely certain of what I wanted to do for a living "when I grew up". Since I really wasn't sure of much of anything, I took a very general approach to my eduction and graduated college without a specialty, and then went on to law school and graduated, just barely with no real major area of interest or specialization.
Although I did pass the Virginia State Bar Exam on the first attempt, I was not committed to a legal career or even the desire to remain in Virginia or the D.C. Area. And, so, I "wandered" in my job choices and places of residence. Karen and I could both be considered nomads and late-in-life learners, with a willingness to learn new things and help others. As Christians we have made the decision to serve God where He calls us, and do whatever task we are asked to perform. Both of us have been amazed at how much we have learned from our church volunteering, our travels, and the full-time life on the road. While we do miss some aspects of our Colorado experiences together since 1974, we love our current life-style, the ministries we serve, the people we have met and work with, and the jobs we have been asked to do and skills we have acquired.
We work hard, are blessed by a loving and caring God, are committed to serving Jesus Christ and telling others of His grace and faithfulness as we believe and trust in Him. Each day is a new adventure, a chance to learn more about Him and an opportunity to find new ways He asks us to reflect Him by the work we are called to do. It has been fun to "learn new tricks", go to sleep having done our best, and wake again to new mercies and new challenges. Thank You, Lord for traveling with us and allowing us to travel with You on this Kingdom Journey.
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Tuesday, March 21, 2017

March 21, 2017. Eureka Springs, AR. ......The Work Continues.......

Where I ended last time, is where I start today. It has been a beehive of activity the past three days as an army of volunteers from Illinois and Missouri Campers on Mission as well as some youth groups have descended on TGPP to work on a host of projects to ready us for the 2017 season. Roofing projects, painting, costume and prop updates, set construction and repair, plumbing, landscape improvement, merchandising and promotion, living quarter construction, expanded activity venues, general clean-up, and more, are all in the works with some projects to be ongoing throughout the season, others to be completed in short order, but have a lasting impact.
But every project, big or small, is essential to the mission of the Passion Play and the goal of reaching the world with the Gospel Message and the making of disciples which Jesus called His disciples (us) to do. Everything returns to the following statement which was given to me on a slip of paper sometime in the past year, and which I think sums up our responsibility as followers of Jesus:
"DO EVERYTHING IN THE AWARENESS THAT YOU ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD, AND WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT SOMEONE IS MAKING LIFELONG DECISIONS SIMPLY BY WATCHING YOU."
Am I really the hands and feet of Jesus? Am I really saying and doing things which make others want to share with me the joy of being a Christian? Am I conveying a positive message by the life I am living? Am I the face of Jesus to those who don't know Him or appreciate what He did for all of us?
As the work continues, may we all know.........the work never ends, the call to obedience never diminishes, the life of trust and belief never ceases..........until He returns or calls us Home. Press on brothers and sisters.

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Saturday, March 18, 2017

March 18, 2017. Eureka Springs, AR. What You See.........

When we look at a "finished" product, we see something which appeals to us or may have the opposite impact on us. The appeal, or turn-off, may be color, size, material or any number of other factors. What we often don't appreciate, or even know, is the amount of work that went into the finished product. The designer, the production people, the suppliers of material, manufacturer of the tools needed to fabricate the item, builders, laborers, finishers, marketers, transportation details....and on and on.
When we do what we do as volunteers here at TGPP or at SLMI, we get to see many of the "behind the scenes" details which are essential to a finished product which is presented to the visitors to our Passion Play or delivered to our Bible Correspondence Course students around the world through our lessons and printed material. What we do in the next six weeks to get ready for the 2017 season of TGPP is not seen by those who will see the Play, visit our Holy Land or visit the other venues on the grounds. The "grunt work" is tiring, sometimes monotonous, often dirty or dangerous, but without it, what you see is less than what you expect to see and may cause disappointment, bad reviews and a poor witness to those needing to know the Truth we are trying to convey.
It takes a lot of people, a lot of skills, a lot of hard work, a lot of patience, and a lot of God's grace to make the "what you see" a worthwhile "what you get". We are thankful for the opportunity to be part of it, to join with others who love The Lord, seek to honor and glorify Him by the work we do, the words we speak and the image we convey. If people look at us and see Jesus, we have done well, and what a joy that is for everyone. If we fall short, there is still more behind the scenes work to be done. Let the work continue.............

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Wednesday, March 15, 2017

March 15, 2017. Eureka Springs, AR. Five States Later

Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas. Hardly seems possible, and yet,
here we are back at The Great Passion Play for the fourth time. We're here a month earlier in the year, than our previous "visits", so it is strange to see no leaves on the trees, people running around in winter clothing and icicles hanging from the eaves. Our four days on the road went well, the motor home performed flawlessly, and its more than capable pilot (Karen) handled the narrow roads and last minute course adjustments by the navigator (me) in an exemplary manner,
Our two nights in Florence, AL and last night at Lake Poinsett State Park in Harrisburg, AR were restful and broke up the travel nicely. We did see some snow flurries last evening, but it was more like a tree with dandruff, and you could count the snow flakes and not even get into triple figures. If you blinked you would have missed it.
Right now the Passion Play is a beehive of activity with youth volunteering on their spring break, a number of welders working on Noah's Petting Zoo, some "Campers on Mission" from Indiana, Missouri and elsewhere here or expected in the next few days, permanent staff and some of us returning volunteers back and ready to construct, paint, set up, clean, remodel, groundskeep, or do whatever is needed to get the place ready for the season. There is also a stream of visitors to the Christ of The Ozarks Statue, the Museums and the gift shop so it is a busy place and we are anxious to see where we will be asked to help. It's good to see some of our co-workers from our past years here. We feel optimistic and encouraged.
For now, we are grateful to be back safely, glad we have the opportunity to serve this ministry and be part of God's plan for it, anxious to see lives changed and we thank God for allowing us the freedom and means to be in His service and committed to our growing relationship with Jesus Christ. How blessed and humbled we are.

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Sunday, March 12, 2017

March 12, 2017. Florence, AL. Lose It; Get It Back

Can you believe, that we finally set out from Madison? Friday we made the decision, yesterday we did most of our prep work, knowing it was going to rain early today, and when the rain stopped about 9am, we finished the prep, brought in our back slides, retracted the jacks, hooked up the car, and headed west. The "cloud" hadn't fully lifted until we passed Atlanta and then it brightened up, the sun finally came out and we traveled easily until we reached our destination here in Florence, Alabama.
We are parked on the north side of the Tennessee River in a city-run RV Park and plan to spend two nights here, before heading west again. By Wednesday or Thursday we should be back in Eureka Springs. We enjoy our GA and AR "homes", but it feels good to be on the road again, seeing the small towns, back roads and wide variety of "America". Once again we marveled at the large number of churches; in some places it seemed there were more churches than homes. God is still at work in so many places and in so many ways.
The interesting tidbit for the day was that we "lost" an hour overnight from the change to Daylight Saving Time, and today when we crossed the GA-AL state-line we "gained" it back. I don't ever remember being in a situation where that happened to us in our travels. There are so other instances, however, in life where we are lost, then found; give something away, only to see it returned in some other form; have a trial or sorrow, only to be blessed in the long run because of it. In all these things, there's one response.........Thank You, Lord. And for today, and each day You give us...........Thank You, Lord.

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Thursday, March 9, 2017

March 9, 2017. Madison, GA. When and Where?

Years ago, Karen's dad was trying to make a decision on a matter that was going to impact not only himself, but most of the family, as well. He kept delaying the decision and at times changed his decision from what he had previously told us. We were all frustrated by his indecision, and we finally needed a definitive answer so we could plan accordingly. His next statement summed up the situation perfectly: "It's not that I'm indecisive, I just can't make up my mind." Yogi Berra would have been proud, or maybe jealous.
I now empathize with Woody's dilemma. Karen and I have not been able to come to a definite decision on our planned departure from Madison, the route we are going to take, and whether we go to Arkansas by way of The Ark in Kentucky, or go directly to Arkansas. We have been weather-watching and while the past two days have been gorgeous, the next week is fraught with weather fronts and colder weather here, at The Ark and at Eureka Springs also. So we sit where we are, have started the travel preparations, are now "settled" on leaving Monday for Arkansas with a short stop somewhere in between, but not sure where that stop will be since the weather on most planned routes looks cold with increasing storm chances.
The good thing about our plans, is that ultimately it's God's plan when to "lift the cloud" and where He leads that determines when and where we go. Without a timetable and an itinerary of our own, we'll trust Him to guide us. It's certainly been a great journey, so far.

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Monday, March 6, 2017

March 6, 2017. Madison, GA. Tard

After our concrete pour last week, it has taken a while to get back the strength to even enjoy days off from work. Brian rested Friday, but worked Saturday and Sunday laying pipe with a friend, but today was tard and took most of the day off. Ken took most of Friday, Saturday and Sunday off and worked on the tractor today, but is also tard. I took Friday off, went with a group on Saturday to the Whistle Stop Cafe in Juliette, GA where Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed, attended Bible Study and church and did our laundry yesterday, raked and shoveled dirt around the concrete pour today and right now, am pretty tard, as well.
Karen had to see the doctor today sensing another sinus infection coming on, and she is tard, too, but still worked in the accounting office before and after the doctor. But most of us are tard from work, family responsibilities, too little sleep, or just getting spread too thin with our lives. For too many the glass is half empty and we don't enjoy the half full part as much as we ought to. The good thing about being a volunteer is that we always have the option of slowing down or even stopping for a while. The problem for Karen and me is that we enjoy volunteering, have difficulty saying no, and wake up each day eager to do what we are asked to do, even if we are tard. And sometimes, the time off wears us out more than the time at work, so we just go to work.
For now, our plan to set out Friday or Saturday remain the same (assuming Karen is feeling up to driving), but our destination of Kentucky or Arkansas is not definite, to be decided in the next few days. We've been "warned" that there is much to be done in Arkansas in preparation for the Passion Play opening performance on May 5, but we also hear that there are a bunch of workers coming to the harvest, eager to "git er done". Tard or not, here we come. Be there when we get there.

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Friday, March 3, 2017

March 3, 2017. Madison, GA. Winding Down

We had a group of volunteers from Pennsylvania here at SLMI this week and they pitched in on a few projects and helped us "regulars" complete the tasks. The Spring edition of The Reaper, our quarterly booklet to 30,000 donors and interested supporters was collated and addressed, a slab for a lumber storage shed was poured and will be ready for the metal building to be completed and a few other projects were accomplished. Brian, Ken and I worked on the screeding, bull floating and power troweling on the slab until 3 am this morning, bringing back stucco flashbacks for me.
This morning, I slept beyond prayer time, found very little to help with when I went to the shop and main building, so completed our tax filings and just sat down to enjoy the cool day and bright sunshine, and anticipate the plans for our departure and travel to Arkansas. We may divert to The Ark Encounter in Kentucky, depending on weather. We don't want to visit The Ark if it will be raining(?), certainly not if it's snowing, so our plans are weather-dependent at this point.
We've enjoyed our third visit to Madison, were blessed with a mild winter and an early Spring, and were able to assist the mission of the Mission. Karen is recovered from her bout with bronchitis, I have avoided the sickness which has plagued so many of our people, and my hair and beard are almost at Passion Play length. It has been a good stay, but it does appear that we are now "short-timers", destined for some travel time in the motor home and our fourth summer in Arkansas.
God is Good and we thank Him for blessing us as He does with the call to serve Him and His Kingdom. All glory to Him.

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