Phil and Sharon took off for Jacksonville this morning. We all agreed that it was a good six day visit. We were able to do a bunch of stuff, see a lot of things, have some serious talks about serious topics and laugh at things which were meant to be laughed at. We hope to be able to have another get-together after we get back to Madison, GA where we will volunteer again with Source of Light Ministries for the winter months. If that is part of God's plan, it will be so.
We have been blessed with unseasonably mild weather and minimal moisture the past few weeks. It is usually well over 90 with high humidity this time of year in Arkansas, but we have had mild temperatures, open-the-window nights and low humidity. It has been wonderful. The coming week has some projects on the to-do list, and I am eager to get at them.
Karen and I are back in our "world of our own" mode, back onto the routine of Passion Play performance day and I am smiling inside and happy to be serving as we are where we are. God is Good and we are grateful for the life we have been called to. None of us has any idea of what the next moment will bring, but speaking for myself, I am okay with that, content what life and ready for whatever lies ahead, because I know that God's hand is on it. I pray the smile inside is evident on the outside. All glory to You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
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Saturday, August 29, 2015
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
August 25, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. Vacation
Karen and I are stepping out of the volunteer mode for a few days. Phil and Sharon (my brother and sister-in-law) are visiting from Florida and we are in our third day of "we'll take care of that later" mode. Yesterday we traveled to Springdale to visit with Mark and Susan and their son, Christian, who pitches for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals double A baseball team. Tonight we will go back to see the Natutals play ball. We don't often lounge around into the early afternoon, eat a cooked breakfast, put four people in one bathroom and share less than 400 square feet of living space and still manage to keep reasonably civilized and cordial. Only occasionally is heard a discouraging word and the skies have been non-cloudy the past few days.
Phil and Sharon drove about 1100 miles from Jacksonville and are seeing the ups and downs and twists and turns of Arkansas roads for the first time and the beauty of country life. Karen and I have relished the change from city life to rural-ality and wonder if we will ever be able to go back to being city-fied. How blessed we are to be on "vacation" for most of the year and still be able to give our time and efforts to God's work and the furthering of His Kingdom. On Friday, we'll get back to some of our Passion Play duties, but mostly we'll let Phil and Sharon experience The Great Passion Play and the Holy Land Tour and experience it with them as "customers". I will "do" the Play as usual and Karen will have the chance to sit and watch the Play without having her usual duties to distract her.
Thank You, Lord for the relationships You have orchestrated, the people who have been part of our life and the relationship we have with You. It's a joy to worship You, to serve You and to be on vacation with You.
Sent from my iPad
Phil and Sharon drove about 1100 miles from Jacksonville and are seeing the ups and downs and twists and turns of Arkansas roads for the first time and the beauty of country life. Karen and I have relished the change from city life to rural-ality and wonder if we will ever be able to go back to being city-fied. How blessed we are to be on "vacation" for most of the year and still be able to give our time and efforts to God's work and the furthering of His Kingdom. On Friday, we'll get back to some of our Passion Play duties, but mostly we'll let Phil and Sharon experience The Great Passion Play and the Holy Land Tour and experience it with them as "customers". I will "do" the Play as usual and Karen will have the chance to sit and watch the Play without having her usual duties to distract her.
Thank You, Lord for the relationships You have orchestrated, the people who have been part of our life and the relationship we have with You. It's a joy to worship You, to serve You and to be on vacation with You.
Sent from my iPad
Saturday, August 22, 2015
August 22, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. Change of Season
In August the Passion Play faces a host of changes as the summer winds down, autumn begins, school is back in session and the freedom of summer for many turns into the busyness and clutter of lives in transition. Karen and I are blessed to have the freedom to travel where and when we want, to not have financial stress, to not have family obligations which tie us down or limit us in our life style. We have had times when life was not joyful or particularly pleasant, but in this season of our life, we are content.
This week we only had two performance days and they were not easy or smooth ones in the Holy Land or on the set of the play. We were short of workers, actors and customers and long on the need for patience, restraint and dealing with the unexpected. We made it through and next week as Karen and I have my brother and sister-in-law visiting us, we will be adding to the woes of the play as we will be less available for our usual volunteer duties. It will be different for us, but we too need the change of season and pray that there will be others who can pick up the slack and bear the extra load. We trust God for bringing the right people at the right time as He has always done in the past. When we try to do it all ourself, or think we are the only ones to do a certain task, we get in God's way and dictate to Him what we want rather than be obedient to what He wants, and accept that He is more than capable of doing what needs to be done without us for the moment.
God is still on His throne and still in control of everything. Let the new season bring what it may, and just let God be God. It will be okay and His will will be done and His Kingdom will be expanded and stretched beyond this place to all places. Remember REST stands for Release Everything Starting Today. Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
This week we only had two performance days and they were not easy or smooth ones in the Holy Land or on the set of the play. We were short of workers, actors and customers and long on the need for patience, restraint and dealing with the unexpected. We made it through and next week as Karen and I have my brother and sister-in-law visiting us, we will be adding to the woes of the play as we will be less available for our usual volunteer duties. It will be different for us, but we too need the change of season and pray that there will be others who can pick up the slack and bear the extra load. We trust God for bringing the right people at the right time as He has always done in the past. When we try to do it all ourself, or think we are the only ones to do a certain task, we get in God's way and dictate to Him what we want rather than be obedient to what He wants, and accept that He is more than capable of doing what needs to be done without us for the moment.
God is still on His throne and still in control of everything. Let the new season bring what it may, and just let God be God. It will be okay and His will will be done and His Kingdom will be expanded and stretched beyond this place to all places. Remember REST stands for Release Everything Starting Today. Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, August 20, 2015
August 20, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. Time
There are certain constants in the natural world, like gravity, distance, pi, time and a bunch of other scientific "givens". We may think that we can control the rate a body free-falls, or the distance around a quarter-mile track, or the passage of a minute or an hour or the time between birthdays, but we are powerless to alter the unalterable. We use the expression, "time flies" or it "seems to last forever" when referring to how we perceive the way time passes. Yesterday it seemed that it took much longer to return from Berryville to our motor home, but the distance was the same, the speed we traveled was close to previous trips, and when we did arrive we were home earlier than usual. How do we explain that?
And, today while talking to Kent, he mentioned that yesterday seemed to go on forever, and some of the tasks he set out to do were completed and yet there was time "left over" and it was too early to go to sleep when he thought it was already past his normal bed time. Did God make the day "longer", allow us more time to relax and allow Kent more time to do more work?
Today I kept looking at the task I had set out to do, thought it might be completed by 4pm but was still at it at 7:00. Somehow, I had the stamina needed, the materials needed and the desire to finish the task before a performance day tomorrow, when I would not be able to complete any of the of the work I didn't complete today. God knows what needs to be done, knows the time needed and the right people to "git er done". Yes, there are constants, but God is the ultimate Constant and what He controls, He controls in every detail. Quite a journey we're on, isn't it? Glad we're on the journey with The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
Sent from my iPad
And, today while talking to Kent, he mentioned that yesterday seemed to go on forever, and some of the tasks he set out to do were completed and yet there was time "left over" and it was too early to go to sleep when he thought it was already past his normal bed time. Did God make the day "longer", allow us more time to relax and allow Kent more time to do more work?
Today I kept looking at the task I had set out to do, thought it might be completed by 4pm but was still at it at 7:00. Somehow, I had the stamina needed, the materials needed and the desire to finish the task before a performance day tomorrow, when I would not be able to complete any of the of the work I didn't complete today. God knows what needs to be done, knows the time needed and the right people to "git er done". Yes, there are constants, but God is the ultimate Constant and what He controls, He controls in every detail. Quite a journey we're on, isn't it? Glad we're on the journey with The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
Sent from my iPad
Monday, August 17, 2015
August 17, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. Resist the Urge to............
Addiction is a harsh burden to carry. No matter what the addiction, it puts a stress on us which makes life far more difficult to navigate through and forces us to exert extreme will power and determination to overcome that which seeks to overtake and defeat us. The list of addictions is endless and whether it be tobacco, exercise, alcohol, aversion to germs, chocolate, drugs, the Internet, a favorite television show, ice cream, work, money, sex or a host of other things, too much of anything is too much, and the urge must somehow be eradicated.
I have been addicted to far to many things in my life, and have been fortunate to have gained the upper hand over some of them, but there are a few (or a few more than a few), which still plague me and although I am not the New-Years-Resolution-type, there are some urges and addictions I am resolved to defeat. The remedies for chigger-relief are failing, the itching is constant, but I am determined to resist the urge to scratch. They don't seem to want to leave me alone, so I will just have to apply Aquaphor and scratch no more.
I am cutting back on my "need" to eat sunflower seeds every morning while journaling and doing my reading during quiet time with The Lord. I do need to maintain my cranberry juice and psyllium cocktail each morning to combat the dreaded kidney stores I have a tendency to collect from working in the hot weather and not staying adequately hydrated. The VA doc told me two years ago to eliminate milk, cheese and ice cream from my diet as a way to minimize calcium buildup and the propensity to stones. But resist the urge for ice cream.........root beer floats on Monday nights..........and ice cream in any form at any time the urge hits...........I'll really have to pray about that one............Help me, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
I have been addicted to far to many things in my life, and have been fortunate to have gained the upper hand over some of them, but there are a few (or a few more than a few), which still plague me and although I am not the New-Years-Resolution-type, there are some urges and addictions I am resolved to defeat. The remedies for chigger-relief are failing, the itching is constant, but I am determined to resist the urge to scratch. They don't seem to want to leave me alone, so I will just have to apply Aquaphor and scratch no more.
I am cutting back on my "need" to eat sunflower seeds every morning while journaling and doing my reading during quiet time with The Lord. I do need to maintain my cranberry juice and psyllium cocktail each morning to combat the dreaded kidney stores I have a tendency to collect from working in the hot weather and not staying adequately hydrated. The VA doc told me two years ago to eliminate milk, cheese and ice cream from my diet as a way to minimize calcium buildup and the propensity to stones. But resist the urge for ice cream.........root beer floats on Monday nights..........and ice cream in any form at any time the urge hits...........I'll really have to pray about that one............Help me, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Friday, August 14, 2015
August 14, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. Who?
Have you ever heard of George Lee Andrews? I have to be honest; I've never heard the name and had no idea that he is the Guiness World Record holder for the most performances in the same Broadway show. In 2011, after 9,382 performances in a featured, but not title role, George left The Phantom of the Opera and at age 68 had to look for a new job after 23 in the same one. He was an original cast member in Phantom when it opened in January, 1988.
It's hard to imagine doing something over 9,300 times, maintaining the enthusiasm for that task, and retaining the physical and emotional ability to make each performance appear as if it's the first time it is being done.
Have you ever heard of Thomas Stoddard? Thomas worked for the same company for 80 years, retiring from the Speakman Company in 2008, starting in the mail room and ending in the board room. Again, hard to imagine such dedication and stick-to-itness. Many, many people have had long careers, done the same job countless times and thought nothing of getting up each day to face the same routine, the monotonous or the repetitious, the ordinary and the mundane. It takes a special person to stay the course, to overlook the drudgery or the boredom of life, to be a nameless servant, to do what needs to be done and still find joy in doing what they do. We all face these obstacles, but the key to happiness or contentment is pressing on, disregarding the lack of recognition, acclaim and publicity and just doing what needs to be done and knowing that someone, somewhere at some time will be blessed by what we do. In the end we will be blessed, God will will be glorified and we will wake to a promised reward. Who? Each of us to does what it is we do as unto The Lord. Stay the course.
Sent from my iPad
It's hard to imagine doing something over 9,300 times, maintaining the enthusiasm for that task, and retaining the physical and emotional ability to make each performance appear as if it's the first time it is being done.
Have you ever heard of Thomas Stoddard? Thomas worked for the same company for 80 years, retiring from the Speakman Company in 2008, starting in the mail room and ending in the board room. Again, hard to imagine such dedication and stick-to-itness. Many, many people have had long careers, done the same job countless times and thought nothing of getting up each day to face the same routine, the monotonous or the repetitious, the ordinary and the mundane. It takes a special person to stay the course, to overlook the drudgery or the boredom of life, to be a nameless servant, to do what needs to be done and still find joy in doing what they do. We all face these obstacles, but the key to happiness or contentment is pressing on, disregarding the lack of recognition, acclaim and publicity and just doing what needs to be done and knowing that someone, somewhere at some time will be blessed by what we do. In the end we will be blessed, God will will be glorified and we will wake to a promised reward. Who? Each of us to does what it is we do as unto The Lord. Stay the course.
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
August 11, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. Writing the Right Words
Sometimes the words come easily and other times they don't. When I woke up this morning, a sentence popped into my mind and I immediately wrote it down, thinking it would be the theme for my blog today. I know it stemmed from our Monday evening get-together with three other Passion Play couples:
"Life is not easy, and sometimes it doesn't seem fair........"
Jesus told us that following Him would involve trials, sorrows and even persecution. James 1:2 tells us to "consider it pure joy, my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance......." and then on to spiritual maturity and completeness in Christ. The words are straightforward, but they are not easy and they don't seem fair. Habakkuk 3:17-18 compels us in times of draught, famine and utter destitution to rejoice in the Lord, to be joyful in God my Savior. Again, not easy and certainly not fair. And yet, we are to "maintain our spiritual composure" and have "cheerful expectations of Him" (quoted from today's Streams in the Desert). In this same devotional, written for me to read this morning and pass along to others, are the words of Eben Eugene Rexford:
"Last night I heard a robin singing in the rain,
And the raindrop's patter made a sweet refrain,
Making all the sweeter the music of the strain.
So, I thought, when trouble comes, as trouble will,
Why should I stop singing? Just beyond the hill
It may be that sunshine floods the green world still.
He who faces the trouble with a heart of cheer
Makes the burden lighter. If there falls a tear,
Sweeter is the cadence in the song we hear.
I have learned your lesson, bird with spotted wing,
Listening to your music with its tune of spring----
When the storm cloud darkens, it's the TIME to sing."
Mary and Gideon - I don't know if any of these words are the right words for what you have been through the past few months, but I hope you know that you have friends who love and care for you, and that you have the infinite love and care of The Heavenly Father, Jesus our Savior and The Holy Spirit to guide you. This is the victory that has overcome the world........
Sent from my iPad
"Life is not easy, and sometimes it doesn't seem fair........"
Jesus told us that following Him would involve trials, sorrows and even persecution. James 1:2 tells us to "consider it pure joy, my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance......." and then on to spiritual maturity and completeness in Christ. The words are straightforward, but they are not easy and they don't seem fair. Habakkuk 3:17-18 compels us in times of draught, famine and utter destitution to rejoice in the Lord, to be joyful in God my Savior. Again, not easy and certainly not fair. And yet, we are to "maintain our spiritual composure" and have "cheerful expectations of Him" (quoted from today's Streams in the Desert). In this same devotional, written for me to read this morning and pass along to others, are the words of Eben Eugene Rexford:
"Last night I heard a robin singing in the rain,
And the raindrop's patter made a sweet refrain,
Making all the sweeter the music of the strain.
So, I thought, when trouble comes, as trouble will,
Why should I stop singing? Just beyond the hill
It may be that sunshine floods the green world still.
He who faces the trouble with a heart of cheer
Makes the burden lighter. If there falls a tear,
Sweeter is the cadence in the song we hear.
I have learned your lesson, bird with spotted wing,
Listening to your music with its tune of spring----
When the storm cloud darkens, it's the TIME to sing."
Mary and Gideon - I don't know if any of these words are the right words for what you have been through the past few months, but I hope you know that you have friends who love and care for you, and that you have the infinite love and care of The Heavenly Father, Jesus our Savior and The Holy Spirit to guide you. This is the victory that has overcome the world........
Sent from my iPad
Saturday, August 8, 2015
August 8, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. The Lost Sheep
Every night as The Great Passion Play is preparing to start, a herd of sheep is released from their pen behind the set. They run down the Via under the leadership of one of the older ewes and take a right turn to a holding area behind the "eastern gate". Two young shepherds run after the last, and smallest, sheep to make sure they all get their food at the trough in the first holding area. However, last night, the shepherds did not realize that one very young lamb was trailing far behind and exited the Via after the others were in the holding area and out of his sight.
Of course, he had done this routine about 40 times already, but without someone to follow, he was unsure of where to go......he was indeed, the lost sheep. Calling for his friends, he wandered around, not sure of where to go or what to do. The young shepherds heard the bleating, came back onto the main set and saw the young lamb start back up the Via to his pen at the barn. Doing their job as they had been instructed the young shepherds left the main group, followed the lost sheep back to the pen, made sure he was safe and returned to the main group for the remainder of the sheep's routine in the Play.
The script of TGPP does have the parable of The Lost Sheep told by Jesus to the crowd and directed specifically to the tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees and teachers of the law. It is meant for all to heed and implement in their daily life. All of us are to seek out those who do not belong to the fellowship of believers, return those who have strayed to the fold and celebrate with them. And in all this we are to do our utmost to not be tempted to walk away from the faith ourselves.
Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to witness the parable of the lost sheep in a different way, to see two young boys do their best to right a bad situation and remember the command we all have been given to seek the lost that none may be kept from the place prepared for us in Your eternal Kingdom. Praise You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Of course, he had done this routine about 40 times already, but without someone to follow, he was unsure of where to go......he was indeed, the lost sheep. Calling for his friends, he wandered around, not sure of where to go or what to do. The young shepherds heard the bleating, came back onto the main set and saw the young lamb start back up the Via to his pen at the barn. Doing their job as they had been instructed the young shepherds left the main group, followed the lost sheep back to the pen, made sure he was safe and returned to the main group for the remainder of the sheep's routine in the Play.
The script of TGPP does have the parable of The Lost Sheep told by Jesus to the crowd and directed specifically to the tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees and teachers of the law. It is meant for all to heed and implement in their daily life. All of us are to seek out those who do not belong to the fellowship of believers, return those who have strayed to the fold and celebrate with them. And in all this we are to do our utmost to not be tempted to walk away from the faith ourselves.
Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to witness the parable of the lost sheep in a different way, to see two young boys do their best to right a bad situation and remember the command we all have been given to seek the lost that none may be kept from the place prepared for us in Your eternal Kingdom. Praise You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, August 6, 2015
August 6, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. In the Morning When I Rise.........
I'm not a big music listener. I'd rather sit without the constant hum of something in the background, and when there is music playing or conversation of which I am not a part, I can easily tune it out. For me the quiet of the morning, before the birds begin to chatter and the sounds of traffic or work invade the stillness, that is the most calming and peaceful time of day. I do my reading, journal my prayers and personal thoughts (not always my blog which are my "in the world, but not of the world" thoughts), and have this quietest time for quiet time.
Today, my mind focused on the song which starts with the words in the topic of this post. I googled the words and read the rest of the lyrics, and while they repeat often, the theme is............give me Jesus.............at all times, in all situations, in life and in death, in everything.........give me Jesus. You can have all of this world, all the stuff, all the noise, busyness, striving, pride, greed, conflict and grief. Jesus is all i need and that is more than enough.
Help me, Jesus, to receive You, accept You and know that You are all I need, sufficient for life and death, more than enough, the means to the end and the meaning of all i am here for..........now, and forever. Thank You, Jesus.
Sent from my iPad
Today, my mind focused on the song which starts with the words in the topic of this post. I googled the words and read the rest of the lyrics, and while they repeat often, the theme is............give me Jesus.............at all times, in all situations, in life and in death, in everything.........give me Jesus. You can have all of this world, all the stuff, all the noise, busyness, striving, pride, greed, conflict and grief. Jesus is all i need and that is more than enough.
Help me, Jesus, to receive You, accept You and know that You are all I need, sufficient for life and death, more than enough, the means to the end and the meaning of all i am here for..........now, and forever. Thank You, Jesus.
Sent from my iPad
Monday, August 3, 2015
August 3, 2015. Eureka Springs, AR. Critters Unlimited
We really don't need a new television series or a movie about the world going out of control. It seems that many of the new offerings are takeoffs of what is already happening in everyday life and is being reported that very day on the evening news. I don't need "entertainment" about crime, terrorism, earthquakes, weather disasters or animals out of control. Reality is real enough.
Last night, while putting the Passion Play grounds "to sleep" by shutting buildings and gates and making sure we were "secure" I had the joy to watch a couple of armadillos (live ones) digging holes in our entrance feature, and then had the further joy of ridding the world of a snake of unknown variety. I'm not a snake fan, so any snake needs a one way ticket to somewhere else. After a few passes with the car, he was no more, to be delivered to the dumpster by me today. Obviously all the people who went by him or over him earlier today didn't want to get involved in his disposal, so the task fell to me.
We have sightings on the property of feral pigs with multiple little piglets popcorn-fed skunks living under the amphitheater entrance ramps, a very large groundhog living on the play set and supposedly feeding on our "doves" who don't return home after being released by Jesus when He clears the Temple of the money changers and others. There are web worms in some of our trees and, of course, the multitude of wasps, hornets, bees, biting flies and the never seen but always felt chiggers. The Ark would have been an easy gig with only two of everything and everything in its designated place. This is certainly a tougher row to how with so many creepy-crawlers and so big an area to be watching. At least the Miller Moths haven't taken root and Mickey's relatives have stayed away for the past few weeks. Thank You, Lord for life abundant...... I think.
Sent from my iPad
Last night, while putting the Passion Play grounds "to sleep" by shutting buildings and gates and making sure we were "secure" I had the joy to watch a couple of armadillos (live ones) digging holes in our entrance feature, and then had the further joy of ridding the world of a snake of unknown variety. I'm not a snake fan, so any snake needs a one way ticket to somewhere else. After a few passes with the car, he was no more, to be delivered to the dumpster by me today. Obviously all the people who went by him or over him earlier today didn't want to get involved in his disposal, so the task fell to me.
We have sightings on the property of feral pigs with multiple little piglets popcorn-fed skunks living under the amphitheater entrance ramps, a very large groundhog living on the play set and supposedly feeding on our "doves" who don't return home after being released by Jesus when He clears the Temple of the money changers and others. There are web worms in some of our trees and, of course, the multitude of wasps, hornets, bees, biting flies and the never seen but always felt chiggers. The Ark would have been an easy gig with only two of everything and everything in its designated place. This is certainly a tougher row to how with so many creepy-crawlers and so big an area to be watching. At least the Miller Moths haven't taken root and Mickey's relatives have stayed away for the past few weeks. Thank You, Lord for life abundant...... I think.
Sent from my iPad
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