I was curious about how much was spent on the 2012 Presidential and Congressional election campaigns and was amazed to find that it was in the vicinity of $7,000,000,000. That's 7 billion dollars........ SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS. Can you believe it? I didn't go too much past the first few sentences of the article when I had reached my TMI (too much information) threshold. I stopped reading and started writing.
Since I didn't read the whole article I don't know who benefitted the most from all that money, but I do know that I was frustrated by the ads on television, the inability to really know where the candidates stood on issues or whose "truth" was the TRUTH. We don't contribute money to political campaigns, don't put bumper stickers on our vehicles, have always registered to vote as Independents wherever we have voted and don't go to political rallies or caucuses. It's wonderful that we have the right to vote and all the other rights afforded us by the Constitution, but it seems that more and more of our rights are being compromised by the officials we have been electing and the officials the elected officials have been appointing to positions of power in our bureaus, departments, committees and courts.
Wouldn't it be a novel idea to take some of the money contributed to politicians, and put it to use in addressing issues like hunger, crime, homelessness, medical research, lowering the cost of prescriptions and medical care.............and so on. Then we might be able to cut back on how often we say "it costs HOW MUCH?" and maybe even give our Social Security recipients a cost of living increase for 2016.
Now, about that $13,000,000,000,000, that's 13 trillion dollars........THIRTEEN TRILLION DOLLARS National Debt...........................
Sent from my iPad
.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Friday, October 16, 2015
October 16, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. Out of Whack
This has been a strange week. Yesterday, after having a record high temperature for the date of 90 degrees, we had our first play cancellation due to a thunderstorm which had not been predicted, and came during the performance with such intensity that the audience "abandoned ship" and Jesus was flogged, carried His cross up the hill but never was crucified, resurrected or taken up to Heaven.
We have been short-handed in many areas of the Passion Play and where we do have people, they have been asked to perform tasks and roles that are totally new to them. We have had sheep not wanting to go where they have gone for the past five months, pigeons that don't want to fly, pig hunters on ATV's mingling with our guests as they tour The Holy Land, a Catholic School Principal ascending into the trees during a back-stage tour, Boy Scouts camping in the RV area this evening and Bubba and his friends from Louisiana coming to volunteer for anything we might have for them to do.
There have been some other unusual happenings; a sideswiped light pole, a paint spill in the back of a van, a broken throttle cable in my work vehicle, wasps in the Chapel in The Grove, the return of the lady bugs. But we press on, continue to expect the unexpected, interrupt the important to take care of the more important and know in our heart that God has it all under control. And what is out of whack for us, is in whack for Him and doable. We really do serve an awesome God, and for that we are thankful.
Sent from my iPad
We have been short-handed in many areas of the Passion Play and where we do have people, they have been asked to perform tasks and roles that are totally new to them. We have had sheep not wanting to go where they have gone for the past five months, pigeons that don't want to fly, pig hunters on ATV's mingling with our guests as they tour The Holy Land, a Catholic School Principal ascending into the trees during a back-stage tour, Boy Scouts camping in the RV area this evening and Bubba and his friends from Louisiana coming to volunteer for anything we might have for them to do.
There have been some other unusual happenings; a sideswiped light pole, a paint spill in the back of a van, a broken throttle cable in my work vehicle, wasps in the Chapel in The Grove, the return of the lady bugs. But we press on, continue to expect the unexpected, interrupt the important to take care of the more important and know in our heart that God has it all under control. And what is out of whack for us, is in whack for Him and doable. We really do serve an awesome God, and for that we are thankful.
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
October 13, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. My will or Yours?
Moses killed the Egyptian taskmaster, thinking it was his duty to right a wrong done to a Hebrew slave. But for the next forty years, he had a lot of opportunity, while tending sheep, to question whether what he did in Egypt was God's will or his own. When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, it was obvious that God felt Moses was finally ready to serve Him on His terms and for His glory.
How often do we get ahead of God and get into ministry for what we want to do and not what God wants us to do? As I think back on our years of ministry in Fort Collins, I know that we did many worthwhile and useful things, and some of them were God-inspired, but there were some done for selfish reasons, not done with a loving heart and even some which were done only to be seen by others and for prideful ends. I am not trying to negate all we did, but I am trying to put into perspective what we did, what we are doing now and what we are planning for the future. The key to it all is "not my will, but Yours be done" and how we discern His will and be obedient to it. I don't believe there is a pat answer or a sure-fire formula we can plug into, but I do believe God speaks to us, The Holy Spirit prompts us and checks us and Scripture and history give us multiple examples of those who submitted to the will of God and did works which advanced His Kingdom and changed lives. From those examples we can be encouraged.
I pray that Karen and I, and each and every Christian, be receptive to God's Word, attentive to His voice however it may come to us and obedient to the call He places on us. Hopefully we can all live up to Jesus' words, "Not my will, Lord, but Yours be done".
Sent from my iPad
How often do we get ahead of God and get into ministry for what we want to do and not what God wants us to do? As I think back on our years of ministry in Fort Collins, I know that we did many worthwhile and useful things, and some of them were God-inspired, but there were some done for selfish reasons, not done with a loving heart and even some which were done only to be seen by others and for prideful ends. I am not trying to negate all we did, but I am trying to put into perspective what we did, what we are doing now and what we are planning for the future. The key to it all is "not my will, but Yours be done" and how we discern His will and be obedient to it. I don't believe there is a pat answer or a sure-fire formula we can plug into, but I do believe God speaks to us, The Holy Spirit prompts us and checks us and Scripture and history give us multiple examples of those who submitted to the will of God and did works which advanced His Kingdom and changed lives. From those examples we can be encouraged.
I pray that Karen and I, and each and every Christian, be receptive to God's Word, attentive to His voice however it may come to us and obedient to the call He places on us. Hopefully we can all live up to Jesus' words, "Not my will, Lord, but Yours be done".
Sent from my iPad
Saturday, October 10, 2015
October 10, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. 10, 9, 8, 7..............
Three weeks and ten performance days remanning in the 2015 Great Passion Play season. Hard to believe, but true. We have been very content with the time we have spent in Arkansas this year and last and while we are in the final phase for this year, we are anxiously anticipating our return here next year. There are many issues the management of TGPP will be facing, and there are a number of key people who are at a stage of life where change may be initiated and this ministry will be impacted by it. We never know what tomorrow will bring, but we can plan and pray for God's input into our plans and our obedience to His call on our life.
For now we do what needs to be done, preach Jesus in our words and actions, and seek His call on our life and respond obediently to it. The parking lot is nearly empty from the large crowd which attended the play this evening. It was one of our largest and we have been encouraged by the comments, the prayers for this ministry and the optimism of our leaders and managers for what lies ahead. Today as I picked up the "remains" from last night's performance, a group of bikers came to the top of the amphitheater and I talked with them about TGPP, it's history, present situation and possible future and was humbled when the "sergeant at arms" asked if he could pray for the ministry of the play and proceeded to form a prayer circle and prayed an earnest prayer which all joined in and affirmed. Thank You for Christians in leather.
We never know where and how God will speak to us, encourage us to keep the faith, fight the good fight and strongly finish the race. Yes, we only have a short stretch before us, but there is still work to be done, there is a harvest to be brought in and many souls to be reached. Pray for The Great Passion Play and God's will being done in and through it. We are thankful, grateful and blessed to serve such a faithful and loving Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Sent from my iPad
For now we do what needs to be done, preach Jesus in our words and actions, and seek His call on our life and respond obediently to it. The parking lot is nearly empty from the large crowd which attended the play this evening. It was one of our largest and we have been encouraged by the comments, the prayers for this ministry and the optimism of our leaders and managers for what lies ahead. Today as I picked up the "remains" from last night's performance, a group of bikers came to the top of the amphitheater and I talked with them about TGPP, it's history, present situation and possible future and was humbled when the "sergeant at arms" asked if he could pray for the ministry of the play and proceeded to form a prayer circle and prayed an earnest prayer which all joined in and affirmed. Thank You for Christians in leather.
We never know where and how God will speak to us, encourage us to keep the faith, fight the good fight and strongly finish the race. Yes, we only have a short stretch before us, but there is still work to be done, there is a harvest to be brought in and many souls to be reached. Pray for The Great Passion Play and God's will being done in and through it. We are thankful, grateful and blessed to serve such a faithful and loving Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
October 7, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. Parts is Parts
Scripture tells us that the body is made of many parts, and that each part is essential to the proper functioning of the whole body. Every part is important and every part must be treated with care and respect. The body referred to is the human body, but applies to the church body as well and to the gifts and service we as a church member bring to the whole fellowship of believers.
At the moment, I am nursing a very tender middle finger on my right hand. On Monday, I closed the car door on that finger and after a few hosannas and hallelujahs I began the process of Dr. Hal'ing the ouwee. With the help of WebMD and a host of home remedies, I feel that I will be okay in short order. The finger nail is a pretty shade of blue, but more than likely I will not have it for too much longer. In my marathon, triathlon and cycling days, I was very familiar with black toe nails and the need to remove them as a body part, so while this is my first hand in the door and first potential finger nail loss, I think I'll be able to handle it, no pun intended.
It's amazing to me how this very minor injury impacts so many other things. When I reach out to grab something or try to get something from my pants pocket, or do anything routine with my right hand, the first point of impact is the tip of the injured finger. Ouch. It makes me more sensitive to people with bigger and more painful injuries or illnesses and how insensitive, no pun intended, I often am to their pain and suffering. As Christians we are to mourn with those who mourn and share the burdens with those who can't bear them alone. We are to comfort those who are going through difficulties we ourselves have been through and sympathize and empathize with those who suffer and struggle with life's obstacles. Yes, the body aches, the body of Christ aches and all of humanity aches. Yes, parts is parts, and we are a part of the conglomeration of parts which make up our world. It's not always easy, but it is our duty to do our part and ask God for the temperament and character to do our part as He calls us to do it. Thank You, Lord, for Your example.
Sent from my iPad
At the moment, I am nursing a very tender middle finger on my right hand. On Monday, I closed the car door on that finger and after a few hosannas and hallelujahs I began the process of Dr. Hal'ing the ouwee. With the help of WebMD and a host of home remedies, I feel that I will be okay in short order. The finger nail is a pretty shade of blue, but more than likely I will not have it for too much longer. In my marathon, triathlon and cycling days, I was very familiar with black toe nails and the need to remove them as a body part, so while this is my first hand in the door and first potential finger nail loss, I think I'll be able to handle it, no pun intended.
It's amazing to me how this very minor injury impacts so many other things. When I reach out to grab something or try to get something from my pants pocket, or do anything routine with my right hand, the first point of impact is the tip of the injured finger. Ouch. It makes me more sensitive to people with bigger and more painful injuries or illnesses and how insensitive, no pun intended, I often am to their pain and suffering. As Christians we are to mourn with those who mourn and share the burdens with those who can't bear them alone. We are to comfort those who are going through difficulties we ourselves have been through and sympathize and empathize with those who suffer and struggle with life's obstacles. Yes, the body aches, the body of Christ aches and all of humanity aches. Yes, parts is parts, and we are a part of the conglomeration of parts which make up our world. It's not always easy, but it is our duty to do our part and ask God for the temperament and character to do our part as He calls us to do it. Thank You, Lord, for Your example.
Sent from my iPad
Sunday, October 4, 2015
October 4, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. The Unexpected
Everyone has faced situations in life where things don't go according to plan. It can happen any time, any place and if we aren't prepared we can find ourself in an unfamiliar, embarrassing or even dangerous situation. We can't always have a "plan B" because that would mean we are thinking of a way out rather than concentrating on the task at hand.
But when the unexpected happens we find out what we're made of. At the Passion Play a week ago, Jesus was in the Temple healing the lame, giving sight to the blind man and raising the dead girl back to life when all of a sudden the sound track (including the recorded dialogue) stopped working and over 100 actors found themselves needing to find a way to keep the play moving forward. Cal, the Christ figure, kept speaking, the actors kept responding and the play proceeded with "live drama" to an outdoor audience which stretches nearly 100 yards from where the action takes place on the set. There were some anxious moments as the sound booth made backup plans and when Cal healed the lepers and then had the sound track return only to heal the lepers a second time, there were some chuckles, but also many sighs of relief. It was interesting to find out that in 47 years this "machine eating tape" situation had never occurred before.
Prior to the next performance, the situation was corrected, a new emergency plan was instituted and many of us with "speaking" parts in the play realized that we had been way too trusting of our equipment and needed to really know our parts, be prepared to wing it if the situation called for it and focus on the job at hand. It's different memorizing lines that we are speaking to an audience and lip-syncing lines off a recorded script. In both cases focus is essential, but in both situations the unexpected can jump up and bite us at any moment.
We never know what is coming our way in the next moment. My last post spoke to a similar point, and I guess there have been quite a few posts over the past 23 months which have had the same theme. We press on, hope for some predictability in life, but know that it's all in God's hands. We are asked to keep on the path, keep the faith and keep trusting God for the ultimate result. We should expect the unexpected, do the best we can when it happens and know that God is always with us and will see us through. And in all this we can be assured that the best is yet to come. Thank You, Lord
Sent from my iPad
But when the unexpected happens we find out what we're made of. At the Passion Play a week ago, Jesus was in the Temple healing the lame, giving sight to the blind man and raising the dead girl back to life when all of a sudden the sound track (including the recorded dialogue) stopped working and over 100 actors found themselves needing to find a way to keep the play moving forward. Cal, the Christ figure, kept speaking, the actors kept responding and the play proceeded with "live drama" to an outdoor audience which stretches nearly 100 yards from where the action takes place on the set. There were some anxious moments as the sound booth made backup plans and when Cal healed the lepers and then had the sound track return only to heal the lepers a second time, there were some chuckles, but also many sighs of relief. It was interesting to find out that in 47 years this "machine eating tape" situation had never occurred before.
Prior to the next performance, the situation was corrected, a new emergency plan was instituted and many of us with "speaking" parts in the play realized that we had been way too trusting of our equipment and needed to really know our parts, be prepared to wing it if the situation called for it and focus on the job at hand. It's different memorizing lines that we are speaking to an audience and lip-syncing lines off a recorded script. In both cases focus is essential, but in both situations the unexpected can jump up and bite us at any moment.
We never know what is coming our way in the next moment. My last post spoke to a similar point, and I guess there have been quite a few posts over the past 23 months which have had the same theme. We press on, hope for some predictability in life, but know that it's all in God's hands. We are asked to keep on the path, keep the faith and keep trusting God for the ultimate result. We should expect the unexpected, do the best we can when it happens and know that God is always with us and will see us through. And in all this we can be assured that the best is yet to come. Thank You, Lord
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, October 1, 2015
October 1, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. Time Flies
Can you believe it's the First of October already? When the Passion Play would begin at 8:30 and it was already dark, we knew the season was winding down, but now the play begins at 7:30, in the dark, and it is even more evident that the season will soon be finished. Only 15 performances left. Where has the time gone?
Overnight the temperature dropped into the 40's and all this week we are expecting cooler daytime temperatures. It's nice to open the windows at night, not need the air conditioning during the day nor need to run the heater in the morning yet; but it all signals the changing of the season, the end of the Passion Play season and the need to start thinking of travel plans, winter destination(s), and how fleeting the time is. Earlier this morning I drove into our Holy Land, sat for a while at the Sea of Galilee, enjoyed the quiet, noticed the colors of the falling leaves, and thought about God, our life In Christ and the time we have been given to serve and glorify Him. Joy and sadness all mixed together in the reality of time moving on, and realizing there is nothing we can do to slow it down or stop it. Time flies methodically on.
There are no guarantees in this life, only God's promises of faithfulness and a future. The present moment is all we can be sure of and what life has in store for us is not ours to control, no matter how much we plan or prepare. Enjoy the moment, live it fully and trust God for what lies ahead. Time flies and we just need to hang on tight and fly with it.......and Him. All glory to God.
Sent from my iPad
Overnight the temperature dropped into the 40's and all this week we are expecting cooler daytime temperatures. It's nice to open the windows at night, not need the air conditioning during the day nor need to run the heater in the morning yet; but it all signals the changing of the season, the end of the Passion Play season and the need to start thinking of travel plans, winter destination(s), and how fleeting the time is. Earlier this morning I drove into our Holy Land, sat for a while at the Sea of Galilee, enjoyed the quiet, noticed the colors of the falling leaves, and thought about God, our life In Christ and the time we have been given to serve and glorify Him. Joy and sadness all mixed together in the reality of time moving on, and realizing there is nothing we can do to slow it down or stop it. Time flies methodically on.
There are no guarantees in this life, only God's promises of faithfulness and a future. The present moment is all we can be sure of and what life has in store for us is not ours to control, no matter how much we plan or prepare. Enjoy the moment, live it fully and trust God for what lies ahead. Time flies and we just need to hang on tight and fly with it.......and Him. All glory to God.
Sent from my iPad
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)