We have been experiencing a mish-mash of weather the past month and it appears we are in for another unusual weather pattern at the moment. We have had fall-like conditions for 3 to 4 days in a row and then 3 to 4 days of uncharacteristically winter-like weather with temperatures near freezing during the day and teens and low 20's at night. At the moment we are 60 degrees at 7:30pm, raining and what appears to be severe thunderstorms approaching from the south.
The Eureka Springs Christmas parade just concluded and cars are starting to drive through our Christmas lights display to see the live Nativity near the Christ of the Ozarks statue scheduled for 8pm. Most of the cars are driving in, and driving right out so the weather may be a factor in their not waiting around for the program and the refreshments afterwards. It's hard to stay "in the mood" when there is the rumble of thunder overshadowing the music being played.
The weather has been playing havoc on our outdoor projects and even the critters have been confused by the variable weather. Ladybugs come out when it's warm, chiggers are still active and all our petting zoo and Play animals have their winter coats on, but I would imagine the days in the high 60's aren't real comfortable for them. There is talk that our camels may be sent south for the winter if the cold weather sticks around for any longer stretches. I visited Little Bit and Delilah yesterday and they seemed content, but we'll see. All our sheep have been taken to a ranch nearby and put inside until Spring. The horses and donkeys are toughing it out here.
The radar shows the storms getting closer and the thunder is louder and more frequent and the temperature is going UP. I have some outside duties after the Nativity program, so I better get prepared for an "in the rain" experience. The cars keep coming and going. I better check on the Nativitiers.
Sent from my iPad
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Friday, November 30, 2018
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
November 27, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. I Don't Know
With all the information available to us on the Internet, it's possible to find an answer to virtually every question. When I hear a name I don't recognize, I can find out about him or her on Google, or any number of other search engines. History is at my fingertips and I can find out about almost everyone and everything that has ever happened by just entering what I do know to find out what I don't know.
But there are some questions which defy an answer, and it is frustrating sometimes to hit a dead end before we even begin to find an answer. Why do bad things happen to good people? What does "being in the wrong place at the wrong time" really mean? Is there such a thing as being lucky or unlucky? There are thousands of such questions without definite answers and no matter how much we search or ask people their opinion, we will either get multiple answers or no answer at all. Sometimes the only answer is "I don't know". Ask five lawyers the same question and you may get more than five answers. When five witness at a trial swear to tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth", why are there sometimes five different versions of what they "saw". And how do we ever discern The Truth in such a situation?
Is life fair? Can we expect to receive what we really deserve? Is the flu shot going to prevent us from getting the flu, or will it give us the flu? Can we depend on the weather forecast, and why do tornadoes destroy some houses while leaving others unaffected? Have I posed a question, you have an answer to, or are you, like me, going to throw up your hands and say......"I don't know.......and to be honest.....I really don't care". And by the way......should there be a question mark at the end of the previous sentence, inside or outside the end-quote mark? You know?.......I DON'T KNOW.
Sent from my iPad
But there are some questions which defy an answer, and it is frustrating sometimes to hit a dead end before we even begin to find an answer. Why do bad things happen to good people? What does "being in the wrong place at the wrong time" really mean? Is there such a thing as being lucky or unlucky? There are thousands of such questions without definite answers and no matter how much we search or ask people their opinion, we will either get multiple answers or no answer at all. Sometimes the only answer is "I don't know". Ask five lawyers the same question and you may get more than five answers. When five witness at a trial swear to tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth", why are there sometimes five different versions of what they "saw". And how do we ever discern The Truth in such a situation?
Is life fair? Can we expect to receive what we really deserve? Is the flu shot going to prevent us from getting the flu, or will it give us the flu? Can we depend on the weather forecast, and why do tornadoes destroy some houses while leaving others unaffected? Have I posed a question, you have an answer to, or are you, like me, going to throw up your hands and say......"I don't know.......and to be honest.....I really don't care". And by the way......should there be a question mark at the end of the previous sentence, inside or outside the end-quote mark? You know?.......I DON'T KNOW.
Sent from my iPad
Saturday, November 24, 2018
November 24, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Prayer Cross
One of our off-season projects here at TGPP is the construction of a Prayer Cross near the Christ of the Ozarks statue. It involves a lot of preliminary concrete, mortar and stucco work before we actually erect the Cross, set up the seating area, install the Baptismal and water feature, plant all the shrubbery and flowers and set the walkways and stone floor in place.
But, as we finished the stucco base coat on Wednesday, we had a foreshadowing of the Cross as the shadow from a tree branch fell on the retaining wall just behind the hole where the wooden Cross will be set in place. Something tells me God is watching our project and is encouraging us to continue with the work needed to bring His vision to fruition. Still much to be done, but it's good to feel that He is with us as we labor and seek to glorify Him with our efforts.
Sent from my iPad
But, as we finished the stucco base coat on Wednesday, we had a foreshadowing of the Cross as the shadow from a tree branch fell on the retaining wall just behind the hole where the wooden Cross will be set in place. Something tells me God is watching our project and is encouraging us to continue with the work needed to bring His vision to fruition. Still much to be done, but it's good to feel that He is with us as we labor and seek to glorify Him with our efforts.
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
November 21, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Communication
When I was growing up, I remember the ease with which we could communicate with each other. There was the telephone with an Operator who would say "number, please" and we could give her the phone number of who we wanted to talk to. We could call "person-to person, or call collect or just say "reverse the charges". There were pay phones we could use to call someone when we were traveling, or in the lobby of a hotel or office building. I remember when our phone number was 4091J and we moved to another house and our number changed to 4091W.
We could send a telegram, or a money order with Western Union. In our town, when there was a fire, the siren would sound a series of long or short blasts and we could find out where the fire was by looking up the "pattern" in the local phone book. There was a thing called a fax machine where a copy of a document could be sent (mysteriously) to another fax machine.
It seemed that lawyers used this way of communicating quite often. The mailman brought mail to the house twice a day and there was a post card which cost a penny to send. To let people know where we were on vacation, we would even have a post card with a pretty picture on the front. All these ways to communicate were "modern marvels". And then we had dial phones, push-button phones and no more "party lines". Technology was pretty cool.
The other day, I needed to renew our motorhome license tag. I was able to print two Colorado forms from the Internet, scan the forms on a copy machine, attach the forms to an e-mail and send it to the Larimer County DMV from Arkansas. I called the DMV on my cell phone to confirm that they had received the forms and they pulled up the forms on their computer, asked for a correction to one of the forms (which I then scanned and e-mailed), called the DMV again and talked to a different clerk, who confirmed the correction and said she would send the forms to the Denver DMV and they would issue our new tags in 2 to 3 weeks. All of this took place on November 13, in less than an hour.
Karen's sister received an envelope from the Larimer DMV addressed to us on November 14, snail-mailed it to us the next day and on Monday, November 19, our renewal tag arrived. In less than a week, using "modern marvels" the process was completed. A Verizon phone representative told me the other day, that if we think things are fast and efficient now, wait until their 5g system goes into broader distribution. I guess we ain't seen nothin', yet.
Sent from my iPad
We could send a telegram, or a money order with Western Union. In our town, when there was a fire, the siren would sound a series of long or short blasts and we could find out where the fire was by looking up the "pattern" in the local phone book. There was a thing called a fax machine where a copy of a document could be sent (mysteriously) to another fax machine.
It seemed that lawyers used this way of communicating quite often. The mailman brought mail to the house twice a day and there was a post card which cost a penny to send. To let people know where we were on vacation, we would even have a post card with a pretty picture on the front. All these ways to communicate were "modern marvels". And then we had dial phones, push-button phones and no more "party lines". Technology was pretty cool.
The other day, I needed to renew our motorhome license tag. I was able to print two Colorado forms from the Internet, scan the forms on a copy machine, attach the forms to an e-mail and send it to the Larimer County DMV from Arkansas. I called the DMV on my cell phone to confirm that they had received the forms and they pulled up the forms on their computer, asked for a correction to one of the forms (which I then scanned and e-mailed), called the DMV again and talked to a different clerk, who confirmed the correction and said she would send the forms to the Denver DMV and they would issue our new tags in 2 to 3 weeks. All of this took place on November 13, in less than an hour.
Karen's sister received an envelope from the Larimer DMV addressed to us on November 14, snail-mailed it to us the next day and on Monday, November 19, our renewal tag arrived. In less than a week, using "modern marvels" the process was completed. A Verizon phone representative told me the other day, that if we think things are fast and efficient now, wait until their 5g system goes into broader distribution. I guess we ain't seen nothin', yet.
Sent from my iPad
Sunday, November 18, 2018
November 18, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Thanks
Every morning, the first words in my journal are "Thank You, Lord......" It has been that same opening for years and it may appear to some to be a trite, repetitious statement with no substance behind it. But, I really am thankful for everything in my life, for the ups and downs, the successes and failures, the aggravations and the plaudits. Because, the pluses are areas to learn humility and the minuses are areas to seek to improve and turn into pluses up the road.
When we are truly thankful for what happens in our daily life, we are giving thanks to the One who is in control of that life and is creating that unique niche we occupy and the unique purpose He has for us. The picture would be incomplete if we were not in it; it would be like a 1000 piece zigsaw puzzle with only 999 pieces. We would get the idea of what the picture was intended to convey, but that one missing piece would be like Moses seeing the Promised Land from Mount Nebo, but not being allowed to cross the Jordan and complete the journey.
This past week, with Veterans Day, and being able to honor those who served, to thank some of my Veteran friends for their service and their friendship, and reconnecting with my Vietnam hootch-mate, Ken, after a gap of over 20 years since we last visited, I have a deeper thankfulness for the path God has had me on for my nearly 73 years of life. It's not that we have to finish first, but that we just finish. It's not important that we get thanked, but that we thank Him. It's not so much what we know, but Who we know. And most of all, it's essential that we thank Him, in advance, for what He has promised and the path that will lead us to it. Thank You, Lord, for what was, what is and what is yet to come. Thank You, Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
When we are truly thankful for what happens in our daily life, we are giving thanks to the One who is in control of that life and is creating that unique niche we occupy and the unique purpose He has for us. The picture would be incomplete if we were not in it; it would be like a 1000 piece zigsaw puzzle with only 999 pieces. We would get the idea of what the picture was intended to convey, but that one missing piece would be like Moses seeing the Promised Land from Mount Nebo, but not being allowed to cross the Jordan and complete the journey.
This past week, with Veterans Day, and being able to honor those who served, to thank some of my Veteran friends for their service and their friendship, and reconnecting with my Vietnam hootch-mate, Ken, after a gap of over 20 years since we last visited, I have a deeper thankfulness for the path God has had me on for my nearly 73 years of life. It's not that we have to finish first, but that we just finish. It's not important that we get thanked, but that we thank Him. It's not so much what we know, but Who we know. And most of all, it's essential that we thank Him, in advance, for what He has promised and the path that will lead us to it. Thank You, Lord, for what was, what is and what is yet to come. Thank You, Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, November 15, 2018
November 15, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Home
Karen and I both had two home towns we grew up in. I spent the first 18 years of my life in Poughkeepsie and Schenectady, New York. They were cities with populations of 40,000 and 80,000. Karen grew up in Hayden, Colorado and Morgan, Utah both of which were rural towns with populations under 1000 and 2000 respectively. A city boy and a country girl, meeting in the Denver suburbs and somehow finding common ground for the past 44 years.
We settled down in Colorado, moved to Tulsa, OK where we lived for 2 1/2 years, transferred back to Colorado where we have owned homes in Lakewood and Fort Collins for a total of 41 years. The past five years we have been on the road, living in our motor home and spending time in various states for various lengths of time. We still call Colorado home. All our mail goes to our Colorado address, we have Colorado plates on our vehicles, carry Colorado Driver's Licenses, pay Colorado property taxes, are registered to vote in Colorado and kind-of root for the Rockies and Broncos.
But, with our nomadic lifestyle, it is becoming more difficult to do some of the things we are required to do to keep our vehicles legal, take care of Karen's medical needs and be part of the community we are currently living in. So, we are considering looking for a brick and mortar home rather than calling our "car" our home. We're not looking to sell our Fort Collins house since we have family living there, but we feel we need to have "roots" where we spend most of our time. That, at the moment, is Northwest Arkansas. With more time to explore the area than we have during the May thru October Passion Play season, we have begun to look for our new not-on-wheels home. Today was day one of the search. Three times in the past we have bought a house on the first day of our search, and while there is still daylight of this first day, we will need to "look another day". We're still on wheels.
We both know we have an eternal Home reserved for us beyond the present one, and we trust that God will lead us to the right place for us on this current journey on the road He has set before us. In advance, we say.....Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
We settled down in Colorado, moved to Tulsa, OK where we lived for 2 1/2 years, transferred back to Colorado where we have owned homes in Lakewood and Fort Collins for a total of 41 years. The past five years we have been on the road, living in our motor home and spending time in various states for various lengths of time. We still call Colorado home. All our mail goes to our Colorado address, we have Colorado plates on our vehicles, carry Colorado Driver's Licenses, pay Colorado property taxes, are registered to vote in Colorado and kind-of root for the Rockies and Broncos.
But, with our nomadic lifestyle, it is becoming more difficult to do some of the things we are required to do to keep our vehicles legal, take care of Karen's medical needs and be part of the community we are currently living in. So, we are considering looking for a brick and mortar home rather than calling our "car" our home. We're not looking to sell our Fort Collins house since we have family living there, but we feel we need to have "roots" where we spend most of our time. That, at the moment, is Northwest Arkansas. With more time to explore the area than we have during the May thru October Passion Play season, we have begun to look for our new not-on-wheels home. Today was day one of the search. Three times in the past we have bought a house on the first day of our search, and while there is still daylight of this first day, we will need to "look another day". We're still on wheels.
We both know we have an eternal Home reserved for us beyond the present one, and we trust that God will lead us to the right place for us on this current journey on the road He has set before us. In advance, we say.....Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Monday, November 12, 2018
November 12, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Veterans' Day
Yesterday Karen and I visited with Dick and Joan. Dick is 91 years old and a 20+ year Navy Veteran. He has been a fixture here at the Passion Play for over 30 years and was instrumental in helping erect the full-scale Tabernacle of Moses on our Holy Land Tour. For the past five years, he and I have been together teaching our guests about the Tabernacle and we're hopeful the doctors will allow him to come back for the 2019 season.
Yesterday, I was also able to connect by text with a few of my Veteran friends including one I was with in Vietnam for about eight months. It's been more than 20 years since I have had contact with Ken. A lot has happened in those years, to him and Barbara, Karen and me, and I hope we will be able to reunite and fill in the gap and be an encouragement to each other for what still lies ahead.
Today, Karen and I attended a Veterans Day ceremony at Eureka Springs High School, and there were some moving moments as the high school band, middle school and high school choir performed, a slide presentation honored local vets, a video of the Air Force Angel Flight was shown, a retired Air Force Colonel talked and then read Ted Nugent's "Take a Knee" condemnation of the NFL players' disrespect of our National Anthem. We were served a hot dog and hamburger lunch. The auditorium, holding less than 200, was filled with students and veterans and i was moved at the response of young and old to the program.
I just listened to the final part of a Dave Roever message on James Dobson's radio show. It was a powerful testimony of his horrific Vietnam War injury and even more powerful testimony of unwavering faith in Jesus. I will replay the message again when I sign off on this blog post.
What a great Veterans' Day(s) this has been for me as a Veteran and a Christian. A coin I carry with me bears the following statement: "Thousands died for My Freedom...One died for My Soul". A fitting message for this "Day" and all the days to come. Thank you, veterans and Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Yesterday, I was also able to connect by text with a few of my Veteran friends including one I was with in Vietnam for about eight months. It's been more than 20 years since I have had contact with Ken. A lot has happened in those years, to him and Barbara, Karen and me, and I hope we will be able to reunite and fill in the gap and be an encouragement to each other for what still lies ahead.
Today, Karen and I attended a Veterans Day ceremony at Eureka Springs High School, and there were some moving moments as the high school band, middle school and high school choir performed, a slide presentation honored local vets, a video of the Air Force Angel Flight was shown, a retired Air Force Colonel talked and then read Ted Nugent's "Take a Knee" condemnation of the NFL players' disrespect of our National Anthem. We were served a hot dog and hamburger lunch. The auditorium, holding less than 200, was filled with students and veterans and i was moved at the response of young and old to the program.
I just listened to the final part of a Dave Roever message on James Dobson's radio show. It was a powerful testimony of his horrific Vietnam War injury and even more powerful testimony of unwavering faith in Jesus. I will replay the message again when I sign off on this blog post.
What a great Veterans' Day(s) this has been for me as a Veteran and a Christian. A coin I carry with me bears the following statement: "Thousands died for My Freedom...One died for My Soul". A fitting message for this "Day" and all the days to come. Thank you, veterans and Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Friday, November 9, 2018
November 9, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Labels
Who am I?
Seems like an easy question, but the way I answer can tell the questioner, a lot....a little....or nothing at all. Have you ever noticed how people respond when you ask them "who are you?", "where are you from?" or, "what do you do". From my own experience, their first response is usually the most revealing and I can draw some pretty accurate conclusions about them, their personality, their state of mind, or their positivity or negativity about themselves with that first comment they make to my initial question.
We all face challenges in life, have endured struggles and disappointments, been successful at things and failed at others, came in first, last, or received a participation trophy, and look to the future with either expectancy or trepidation. And in all these situations we have a label placed on us which is plainly visible to everyone we come in contact with. How they respond to us, and how we respond to them reveals a lot about them and us, and often that first impression is a hard one to get beyond. Too bad we judge others, judge them too quickly and walk away from some because they are different from us and who knows what we miss in the process. Ultimately we are all in the same boat, trying to get through each day, find joy or happiness, live in harmony with those around us and do good and have good things done to us.
A lot of thoughts......and it all started with a question........a question I don't think I answered, and look how many words I used to not answer it.
Sent from my iPad
Seems like an easy question, but the way I answer can tell the questioner, a lot....a little....or nothing at all. Have you ever noticed how people respond when you ask them "who are you?", "where are you from?" or, "what do you do". From my own experience, their first response is usually the most revealing and I can draw some pretty accurate conclusions about them, their personality, their state of mind, or their positivity or negativity about themselves with that first comment they make to my initial question.
We all face challenges in life, have endured struggles and disappointments, been successful at things and failed at others, came in first, last, or received a participation trophy, and look to the future with either expectancy or trepidation. And in all these situations we have a label placed on us which is plainly visible to everyone we come in contact with. How they respond to us, and how we respond to them reveals a lot about them and us, and often that first impression is a hard one to get beyond. Too bad we judge others, judge them too quickly and walk away from some because they are different from us and who knows what we miss in the process. Ultimately we are all in the same boat, trying to get through each day, find joy or happiness, live in harmony with those around us and do good and have good things done to us.
A lot of thoughts......and it all started with a question........a question I don't think I answered, and look how many words I used to not answer it.
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Saturday, November 3, 2018
November 3, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Fall Back
With the extra hour we gained from the time change from CDT to CST, I can write my scheduled blog without going past my normal bedtime. It's been a week since our last performance day and it seems like far more than that. Most of the "seasonal" staff and all the volunteers, except Karen and me, have gone elsewhere and the pace has changed dramatically. Karen had a full week of activity, but I didn't do much because of the rain and cooler weather and no real indoor tasks to keep me occupied, so I worked very few hours and, for a change, enjoyed it.
The trees have really colored up with the.extra rain, non-freezing temperatures and lack of strong wind, so even with the fall back, the leaves haven't fallen down very much. When they do, we will have a lot of work to do to bring them under control. I'll post some of the pictures of the beautiful colors in the near future. It's the best colors we've seen in the years we've been here, even when we stayed until mid-November.
The Passion Play is hosting the Arkansas Interscholastic (HS and JHS) Mountain Bike Championship this weekend, so there has been an influx of people today, with the races to be held tomorrow on the newly created trails on our property. Quite a change from our usual visitors, but a chance to "plant some seeds" and share what we sometimes take for granted with those who may never have been exposed to it at all. We never know what impact we may have on someone else, but a kind word, a smile, or a friendly wave, may be the "spark which ignites the fire". One day we'll know.
We may dip below freezing later in the week, with Thursday being the anticipated day. With Colorado already in winter mode, we've been fortunate to have mild temperatures here, but the higher humidity makes the 40's and 50's feel quite winterish. In any event, it is fall, I've set the clocks back and we'll move forward with each new day and each new opportunity. As always......Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
The trees have really colored up with the.extra rain, non-freezing temperatures and lack of strong wind, so even with the fall back, the leaves haven't fallen down very much. When they do, we will have a lot of work to do to bring them under control. I'll post some of the pictures of the beautiful colors in the near future. It's the best colors we've seen in the years we've been here, even when we stayed until mid-November.
The Passion Play is hosting the Arkansas Interscholastic (HS and JHS) Mountain Bike Championship this weekend, so there has been an influx of people today, with the races to be held tomorrow on the newly created trails on our property. Quite a change from our usual visitors, but a chance to "plant some seeds" and share what we sometimes take for granted with those who may never have been exposed to it at all. We never know what impact we may have on someone else, but a kind word, a smile, or a friendly wave, may be the "spark which ignites the fire". One day we'll know.
We may dip below freezing later in the week, with Thursday being the anticipated day. With Colorado already in winter mode, we've been fortunate to have mild temperatures here, but the higher humidity makes the 40's and 50's feel quite winterish. In any event, it is fall, I've set the clocks back and we'll move forward with each new day and each new opportunity. As always......Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
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