December 31, 2016. Madison, GA. Happy New Year

The past few weeks have been different. Karen has been fighting a case of bronchitis and been pretty much confined to the motor home except for the past three days when she was able to return to work with the accounting people. Most of our maintenance staff have been off for the Christmas-New Year "break" and I have been working by myself on "leaf patrol" and getting into my wogging program. In one of my upcoming blogs I'll tell you about my newest exercise friends here in Madison.
For now it's time to ring out the old and ring in the new. Years seem to fly by too quickly. It has been a good year for us, even if it hasn't always been a smooth one. My devotional, "Streams in the Desert" today encouraged us to ......."be strong and take heart and with thanksgiving and confidence lift your voice in praise for: the Lord who thus far has helped you, will help you all your journey through". And then goes on to say: This my song through endless ages, Jesus led me all along"

"AND AGAIN THEY SHOUTED: HALLELUJAH ! (Rev 19:3)

Happy New Year to all.

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December 28, 2016. Madison, GA. I Think They're Back

The dreaded chigger has been my nemesis for the past three years on the road. Even though winter began a week ago, it has not been winter weather. It has been very mild with temperatures more in the 55-72 range than in the 25-50 range. As a result, I have been outside doing leaf detail, and that means more time for the chiggers, mites, spiders and even the fire ants to have their chance to attack and cause me fits.
I was noticing how well last year's bites healed, leaving only minor skin discoloration in areas only visible if I were wearing a Speedo. Those days are long past, so no worries there. But this morning I felt the telltale itch on my right calf and broke out the stockpile of remedies and planned my strategy for defeating the itch before the scratching ensued. The latest, and I think greatest, cure is lye soap. Using it when I shower has cut down on most of the itchy skin and itchy scalp which tormented me in the past. Also, just rubbing the dry lye soap on the bite locations seems to cut the itch better than the other remedies.
The trees have mostly shed their leaves. I have cleaned all the ditches, raked around the foundations of almost all the houses on the property and gathered virtually every stray leaf in the fields and common areas. Only if we get strong winds from the south or the east will the neighbors' leaves invade us, so I have a handle on the situation......I think. But, I do need to powder the fire ant mounds while the weather is springlike or a lot of people will have a lot of bites to treat, and that means a whole different passel of ointments, creams, oils, grandmother potions and homeopathic remedies.
For now, the lye soap is holding its own.

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December 25, 2016. Madison, GA. The Light Of The World

As pretty as the Chapel Christmas Tree is here at Source of Light Ministries, flanked by some of the flags of the nations in which we have missionaries and branch missions; and as pretty as the Christ of the Ozarks at the Great Passion Play looks with the lighted Nativity scene in front of it; and as pretty as many Christmas light displays around our country and world may be, it is most important that we understand and realize that there is only ONE TRUE LIGHT OF THE WORLD--JESUS CHRIST.
Today we celebrated The Lord's Day and The Lord's Birthday and as we gathered in churches for worship and in homes for family and fellowship celebrations, there were many moments for us to reflect on the reason for the season, on Charlie Brown's plea from 51 years ago for someone to explain what Christmas is all about, or any number of other topics for discussion or contention about this holiday we celebrate even though there are skeptics, doubters, cynics, purists or any number of other "labels".
Something happened some 2000 years ago, which divided our years from B.C. to A.D., which caused most of our calendars to designate December 25th as Christmas.......and that something.......no, that Someone....Jesus Christ.....came from heaven to earth to be The Light of the World. As believers in the Truth of the 66 books of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament and the life Karen and I have chosen to live in obedience to the author and perfecter of our faith, Jesus Christ, we see the Light in the people we interact with, the years they have lived in obedience to the "call" and the many people touched by the Light radiating through us. Thank You Lord, Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas to all. Let Your Light continue to shine brightly.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS

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December 22, 2016. Madison, GA. Be Prepared

The motto of the Boy Scouts is "Be Prepared", and as a member of the Scouts, and eventually an Eagle Scout, I tried to adhere to that philosophy. And, well beyond my days in Scouting, I continued to adhere to that creed in my education, physical conditioning, employment opportunities and, now, my spiritual walk, as well as life in general. We never know what tomorrow will bring, but we still need to plan for the future and be ready to adapt or adjust, as necessary.
Today was the last "official" work day for the year at SLMI and while there are still tasks to be done and areas we can continue to support the ministry, there will be a lot more free time. As I look ahead to our planned return to Arkansas and TGPP, I need to make a willful effort to be in better physical shape in 2017 than I was in 2016, so my wogging (walk/jog) program will be reinstated staring in the morning. Whether I was in high school, college, military or triathlon/ultracycling "mode", there was always a requirement to get prepared for the athletic task(s) I envisioned for the future. The Passion Play demands a physical preparation for "running the hills" and it's as good a time as any to start getting into shape. As we practice, so we perform. Good lesson for everything in which we participate.
Fortunately, our time off until January 2 looks like springlike weather, so that is encouraging for my proposed efforts. We can't always expect the conditions to be ideal, but when we start with a good motive, stay the course regardless of the obstacles, and look to the rewards our persistence will deliver, we have a healthy and optimistic outlook to sustain us. God willing, 2017 will continue our journey in a positive and upward direction. Thank You, Lord for Your grace, faithfulness, patience and always being prepared for what we bring to You as we serve, worship and glorify You.


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December 19, 2016. Madison, GA. Be (a) Patient

Scripture tells us to "wait on the Lord". From multiple references we are advised to be patient and wait for God to direct us when, how, where or why to proceed. In the meantime we are to keep doing what we have been doing and do it with excellence and to honor and glorify God. And in all these Bible references, from Genesis to Revelation, there are blessings which flow to us when we are patient, stay the course and do not lose heart or get discouraged.
Too often, we want a quick fix to our problem, an immediate answer to our prayers, a clear direction or a "bells and whistles" response to our request and we forget that God's timing is not the same as ours, and for the response we want to happen, many other elements must fall into place, and there is more involved than we might understand. But God understands, know all the consequences to the situation and will do what is best for all involved. And for our part.......we need to sit back.......wait.......and by faith know that in His timing......the answer will come.
A lot of our friends and family are facing issues: Many of them involve medical conditions, injuries, financial difficulties, family disputes, pain, career or ministry direction or a host of other matters. In every case, much prayer is being offered and God is being inundated with requests to fix or heal the problem. Whether we are the one in need or the one praying for the one in need, or the one who is being asked to meet the need, the ultimate resolution will come from God. In the meantime, we need to be patient, be a good patient, and wait on a God who has been infinitely patient with us. In time, it will all be resolved for our good and His glory.
Take a deep breath. Rest in The Lord. It will be okay.

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December 16, 2016. Madison, GA. Three Years and a Day

It was supposed to be a test run of three or four months and then a return to Colorado to rest, assess and hit the road again for three or four months........That was the plan on December 15, 2014 as we headed out of frigid Fort Collins into what became a three year and a day test and now a frigid day in Madison, Georgia, though far less frigid than Fort Collins.
Who would have ever imagined what we have experienced, and where God has called us to serve Him over the past 1096 days and more than 25,000 automobile and motor home miles. We have met people from all over the United States and many foreign countries, have been part of ministries which have preached the message of Jesus Christ, one for 64 years, the other for 50 years, and which have ministered to tens of millions of people in that period of time. We can only imagine the impact Source of Light, The Great Passion Play and our little Ministry of Miles have had, but one day we will know.
It has been a wonderful journey, not always smooth or without problems, and there have been things which have broken, didn't go as we had hoped and caused us to question whether we were in the right place or doing the right thing, but we have always felt protected, watched over and provided for. There have always been people to help us, people who prayed for us and the belief that God was with us, guiding us along the path, laughing with us (and at us), but always faithful, patient and gracious. We have not real idea what each new day will bring, but we are comfortable in the home we have been given, content with the work we are called to do and living each day without worrying (too much) about what lies ahead.
We started without a fixed timetable or agenda and that has remained unchanged. Thank You, Lord, for the journey the past three years, Your faithfulness to us even before we came to know You and surrender our lives to You, and the plan You had for us before we were even born. We thank You, in advance, for what is to come and our role in Your Kingdom now and forever. All Praise and Glory to You.


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December 13, 2016. Madison, GA. Keep The Faith

My last two blogs have been a little more somber (deep) than usual and it has been a time of reflection for me about the state of our country, our world and our own "call" to ministry and the roles we play where we are called. The past three days have not made my reflection any easier because there have been a lot of distractions, detours and things which have "gone wrong". We are determined to Keep The Faith.
The church we attend here in Georgia has been struggling for a while with differing views on its future direction, staffing and financial concerns, and the past two weekends have brought out some harsh comments. We pray that the emotions will mellow and the fellowship will Keep The Faith. Karen and I went to another church Sunday evening and were part of a Live Nativity. it was fun and the 175 people who drove through the outdoor setting represented the largest number of attendees in the whole 20+ year history of the event. But, Karen came away with a sore throat and a major case of the "sick". Keep The Faith and pass the medication.
Yesterday our refrigerator's cooling unit sprang an ammonia leak and will need a repair which our extended service contract will partially cover. We saved all the contents, and the repair should be accomplished Thursday. Thankful for Juvi's availability to fix it so quickly and the resources to see it through. Keep The Faith, God is on top of it. Today, I realized that the email on my smartphone, tablet and IPad had stopped functioning, but a trip to the nearby Verizon store was able to resolve the problem and get me back "on line" and connected to the many billions who send me stuff. Keep The Faith, even if my IPad is a dinosaur and unable to keep up with the modern world, It still should be able to handle our "secure" financial issues on the road. If not, I'm confident we'll be guided to a new solution.
I'm not sure if this blog is less somber, more somber or just as somber as the past two, but regardless, I'm determined to press on, endure whatever comes our way.......and.....Keep The Faith.

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December 10, 2016. Madison, GA. Sick, part 2

When I blogged three days ago, I was celebrating our new television antenna, but also bemoaning the content of the programming we are now receiving, the news, the advertising and the programs themselves. In spite of my critical analysis, we are thankful for the additional channels and the chance to be more aware of the world around us. I was, however, not reporting the whole story, when I mentioned the need for prayer and the fact that ultimately, God is in control of everything we encounter.
The whole story is: we are living in community with friends, family, acquaintances, billions of people we do not know and will never know, but every one of them is "sick" in one way or another. There is so much pain, illness, physical discomfort, greed, injury, disease, emotional trauma, pride, crime, intentional and unintended consequences of words, opinions, actions and thoughts, that we can easily become discouraged or tune the bad out. As Christians we are supposed to do the right thing, live according to a moral code, be generous and compassionate, but we see, hear and experience so much that is "broken", we may forget that we can't fix it all, but we have faith in The One who can fix it, and will fix it, in His timing.
Christmas means a lot of different things to the billions of us on this planet. But to us who are Christ-followers it should be more than gifts, parties, contatas, or carol singing, too much food and a day off. No matter whether we even consider it a legitimate "Christian holiday" or not, the reality is that we are surrounded by a lot of hurting people. We ourselves may be hurting and the prayer lists are long, the needs great and the calls for God to act are infinite. Every day should be Christmas, a day we need "more of Christ", a day to pray for healing, unity, belief in something greater than ourself and a day to be thankful for life, for the gift of Jesus and the promise of better things to come.
Thank You, Lord, for the peace which passes all understanding, peace the world cannot give to us, for our light and momentary troubles which are achieving for us an eternal glory we can rely on. Yes, Lord, Yes. By faith, I do believe You have it all under control.

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December 7, 2016. Madison, GA. A Sick World

A few days ago, I replaced the TV antenna on our motor home, and with the new equipment, we are able to pick up quite a few more stations than we could with our old antenna. I'm not sure if this is going to be an improvement in the level of entertainment and information we receive.
Last evening I watched two national news broadcasts and was overwhelmed by the number of stories about things which are going wrong with our "world". The stories covered such topics as: Building fires, forest fires, arson fires, election controversies, the attack on Pearl Harbor 75 years ago, terrorism, computer hacking, floods, extreme winter weather, school bus accidents, false allegations and court battles, a potential $4,000,000,000 airplane for the President, foreign economic difficulties, road rage, distracted driving, sleep deprivation, etc, etc, etc. To make matters worse almost every commercial on the two network news broadcasts was for medications for: heart disease, diabetes and diabetic nerve pain, asthma, Alzheimer's and dementia, E.D., chronic dry eye, depression, sinus problems, pneumonia, acid reflux, shingles, etc, etc, etc.
And then it was the choice of what program to watch: and whether it was a current crime drama, a music show with scantily-clad women, or the plethora of "accept me as I am sit-coms" or some of the old classics like Archie Bunker, George Jefferson, the shoot-um-up westerns or cop shows, it was a choice of which was the least objectionable, sort of like our recent election. But, by the end of the evening I had seen a few good shows, heard a few good sermons on TBN and went to sleep ready to face a new day and the prospect of mulching more leaves, helping prepare bible lessons for shipment and hoping that the work we are engaged in will make a dent in the sickness and hopelessness many people face in our country and around the world. I know that we, individually can only do so much, and trust God for the "big picture" and the plan He has to remedy the ills we face and return us to the "garden" He gave us in the beginning of Creation. For now, we pray, trust and obey, continue to pray, do our best, pray some more, and wait on The Lord's return with faith and hope. Pray......pray.....pray. God has it all under control.

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December 4, 2016. Madison, GA. Stuck on 46

This morning we woke to drizzly weather, gray skies and 46 degrees. The forecast was for drizzly weather, gray skies, temperatures in the mid 40's all day, and so it has gone. It has been one of those non-descript days other than the drizzle, gray and 46 degrees. Our outdoor thermometer has shown a high of 47 and a low of 45 for the past 24 hours, so that would appear to average out to 46. Not much to do with the day, other than do things inside, like Sunday School, Church, eat, balance the checkbook, pay some bills and keep the outside temperature from creeping inside. Our television isn't receiving any signal because of the drizzle, low ceiling and poor visibility.
The past two days, I gathered leaves in anticipation of the forecast rain for today, Monday and Tuesday, and I can already see that many more leaves are yet to be collected. There will be a steady work diet of "leafing" once the ground dries out and until the trees drop their last vestiges of foliage. This is one of those "cow never stays milked" chores. Good thing I enjoy being outside on non-drizzly, other than gray, over 46 degree days. Right now it's nice to just be looking out the window, resting and enjoying the day God has blessed us with. We definitely need the moisture.
I think I'll check the temperature so I'll know how we should dress for our walk across the parking lot to our 5:30 game of cards in the Mission breakroom. Surprise of surprises.......AccuWeather says it's.............46.

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December 1, 2016. Madison, GA. A Whole Lot of Learning Going On

Source of Light Ministries is in the "business" of teaching people around the world about Jesus Christ. This is accomplished in a number of ways: writing Bible Correspondence courses, printing lessons and disseminating them to missionaries in almost 40 countries: sending lessons and encouragement to individuals in prison who want to know more about Jesus: discipling people, raising up pastors in underdeveloped countries: planting churches around the world. In every area, SLMI is seeking to preach Jesus to people who desire to know Him more intimately.
As we go about our daily activities here at the Mission, we try to provide information, support, an environment for retired missionaries to continue to use their gifts and talents, grow in our relationship with God and encourage others to be salt and light to a troubled world. We all have our own reasons for working or volunteering here, but ultimately our goal is to glorify God, provide resources so people can learn, grow, mature and get closer to Father God, His Son Jesus and be guided by The Holy Spirit. When we have the opportunity to welcome our missionaries when they visit the Mission here in Madison, it gives us a chance to hear what it means to be "in the field" and we are constantly in prayer as we receive continual updates on the activities of our branches in other countries and the challenges they face.
Not all of us have the gifting to learn a "native" language, spend years overseas or live in conditions far different from what we enjoy in the United States, face opposition and dangerous physical situations on a regular basis, but we do have the opportunity to pray, provide resources and materials needed in their work and encourage them and ask God to strengthen them in their calling. And in all of this we learn something new about our world, our faith and our God. Every task, no matter how trivial or mundane, affords us the opportunity to contribute to God's plan for His creation and the Kingdom we are part of. Thank You, Lord for allowing us to experience You in so many different ways. What a joy it is to be In Your Service.

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November 28, 2016. Madison, GA. Let It Rain

When we left Georgia last April, it was so wet, the ground was saturated, there was no place for the rain to go but sit on the surface and puddle. It wasn't possible to run the tractors and mowers close to the drainage ditches without fear of bogging down and getting stuck. We had to dig ruts to channel water off the low points of Mission Lane so as not to have to walk through ankle-deep water. There were areas around the RV sites that were muddy and remained muddy for weeks on end.
This summer and fall, we have been told, has been almost the opposite with so little rain there is a draught warning for most of Georgia. There have been fires in northern Georgia which have created pollution issues for much of central Georgia including the Atlanta area. We have not seen a drop of rain in the two weeks we have been here and it has been months since they have seen any significant moisture. The lakes are down, the streams are down and spirits are down, as well. But the forecast for the next two days is for rain. The weather map shows a major weather pattern to our west in Mississippi and Alabama and with the forecast being what it is, our farmers, firefighters, dirty cars and parched ground are anxious for the wet, non-snowy moisture. Part of our motor home repairs in Arkansas were new slide-out awnings and slide-out caulking so the rain will be a good test of how well we have remedied our leak problems of the past two years.
So, for a multitude of reasons, we are ready for some rain, a chance to work on some indoor projects and maybe put a dent in the draught conditions in this part of the country. Let it rain, Lord, let it rain.

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Pictures from Georgia

Let the pictures speak about the fall colors and my Georgia buddies in the field next door. 

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November 22, 2016. Madison, GA. Thanksgiving

In two days we will celebrate Thanksgiving. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for as Americans. No matter what status we have in our job, our family or our community, what we think of the economic, political or social situations we face, we have so much to be thankful for. Even if we have troubling health conditions or medical concerns, we still have a health-care system far superior to any in the world, and should be thankful for it.
Too often we find fault with things, complain about the rising cost of everything, and look at the things we don't have rather than the things we do have and are discontent rather than thankful. I'm not writing as someone always positive, always upbeat, always seeing the glass more full than mostly empty. Karen reminds me often that I have a tendency to make Eeyore, of Winnie the Pooh fame, look like Mr. Optimism. And the fact that some of my closest friends in Arkansas and Georgia are donkeys, makes her evaluation of me truer than I may want to admit.
But, Thanksgiving shouldn't be relegated to a single day of the year, but to every day we get up on this side of the grass. I do realize, and blog very often, how blessed Karen and I are, how fortunate we are to be doing what we do, be in the roles we are at this time of our life, and how blessed we are to be part of God's family and in His service. So, in two days we will sit down with a number of our Source of Light "family", enjoy a meal together, have a time to think about a host of experiences and look forward to whatever may come our way in whatever time we have left for us, and..............BE THANKFUL.
But let's not forget to be thankful for the day we are about to put to sleep, thankful for tomorrow, the day before Thanksgiving, and then thankful for Thanksgiving itself...........and..........
..............THANK YOU, LORD for the hope we have in the future You have planned for us.

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November 19, 2016. Madison, GA. Take the Weekend Off

Since April, when we went back to Eureka Springs for the Passion Play, we have not had a weekend "off". When we were in Colorado for our medical appointments, and when we travelled to Madison, we did have the weekends "free", but now we really are on a five day "work week" On Saturday and Sunday the Mission office is closed, projects are held over until Monday and there are no "performance days" or visitors or amphitheater to clean up. We don't have vehicle traffic passing our motor home on the way to the Christ of the Ozarks statue or the Berlin Wall display. At the Passion Play, we were always "on duty".
While there are always projects to be done around the house, like cleaning, repairs, laundry, blogging, shopping and all the normal activities of everyday life, we don't have work days which last until well past 10pm, I don't have to do laundry for a cast of 150, I know that only in emergency situations will there be a call to work on Saturday or Sunday or after 5pm during the week. It almost feels like we're on vacation. We serve in two different ministry environments, and each gives us the opportunity to share the grace and love shown to us with co-workers and others we come in contact with. In a sense there are no days off, we are always on duty for The Lord and when He calls we need to be prepared to obey, step into the "Jordan" and spread the Good News, encourage a fellow believer or reach out to a person "in need". Take the weekend off..........the Mission doors may be closed, but the mission never closes........there is so much work still to be done. Like Jesus, at age 12, staying behind in Jerusalem, don't we, too, have to be in our Father's house, even when we have the weekend "off"?

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November 16, 2016. Madison, GA. Welcome

The sign by our RV spot read, "Welcome Back!!! Hal and Karen" and when we arrived at sundown yesterday we were greeted by a number of the Source of Light people with whom we have spent the last two winters. Today we reunited with many more and it was good to see them again.
Karen worked a few hours while I went to the Operations Department prayer gathering, helped for a short time in the Print Shop, tended to set-up duties, straightened out an RV insurance "residency" issue and toured the Mission property to see some of the work done while we were away. I won't be on leaf gathering duty for a while, since most of the leaves are still on the trees. With the warm, dry weather they have had for most of the summer, and no hard freeze yet, it will be a while before the leaves get our attention. The fires in northern Georgia have created a great deal of smoke and haze with many people staying indoors when the wind is blowing in a non-favorable direction. This morning it was pretty hazy and smelly.
It's good to be here, a very different atmosphere from the Passion Play, and we do miss the activity and routine of Arkansas and our friends there. We are fortunate to be able to live as we do, see so many parts of the country and meet a wide variety of people with drawls, accents, jargons, funny expressions and varied attitudes and opinions on various subjects. Yet, all are seeking contentment in their work, a healthy relationship with their family and friends, and hope that the future will be better and less stressful than their past. Our faith in God, reliance on the finished work of Jesus Christ, and the guiding of the Holy Spirit make us comfortable, content and welcome wherever we find ourselves. It' good to be welcomed "back". It's good to be welcomed "home". And what a welcome is still to come. Thank You, Lord.
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November 13, 2016. Marianna, FL. In Transit

We have known Jerry and Renee for three years from our Passion Play days and they come and go from there due to their involvement with Campers on Mission. Jerry does a lot of the plumbing work at TGPP, and with COM they have travelled to many states for projects and rallies as well as visits to family members. We decided to divert to the Florida Panhandle for a few days to see the "major" project they will be involved with after January 1st, and spend a little more time with them before we land in Madison, GA for the winter.
We needed a "break" and some quiet time after our stay in Eureka Springs, and even though Jerry and I will be searching for water leaks tomorrow, this will have been a lazy few days for Karen and Me, and probably Tuesday we will head to GA and Jerry and Renee will head off to family west of here. It's nice to have flexibility with our schedule and not be required to be in a specific place at a specific time. We certainly are blessed to be living as we are, even if we do poop out sometimes from the hours we volunteer. It's all been "good stuff" - good to be in transit from place to place, but also realizing that we are, in fact, in transit through this life to a better place and "better stuff", with the promise that the "best stuff" is yet to come. For this good, better and best we ..........Praise You, Lord.


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November 10, 2016. Florence, MS. What an Election

I tried to stay up for the whole thing, but didn't make it. Karen woke me up to hear Donald's speech, and when it was over, I went back to sleep. It's not that I wasn't interested, just that It was past my bed time and I had a feeling Hillary wasn't going to get to 270 before Donald did. And now, it's official, and we are in the throes of civil unrest, threats, sore-loserism, and behavior which will do nothing to unite us and potentially do us a lot of harm.
We all need to accept the reality that the public has spoken, the election like many since I have been voting was close and our country is just as fractured as it has always been and we need to show some maturity, be humble winners and gracious losers, and set about the task of making the best of the situation. We need to do what we can to minimize our differences and build on the things we have in common. Give the guy a chance. He needs our support, not our censure. This is not an easy time to be President or any other elected official. Personally, I haven't been all that pleased with any of the Presidents we have elected since 1964, the promises they made and didn't keep and the situation we are now in as a country. But, let's give the guy a chance.
Would it have been any better with a Hillary victory? I don't think so, except we probably wouldn't have had the civil disobedience we now see in our cities. The rural folk wouldn't be burning their fields or dumping their milk on the ground. Give the guy a chance to review some of his harsh remarks, give the media a chance to broadcast some of his well thought out remarks, and remember, Hillary, Bill, Barack and Michelle said some pretty nasty things as well.
Give the guy a chance to mend some fences (no pun intended), and realize what a tough job he has ahead of him, and that he needs all of us working for him and not against him to make our country great again. We all need to take a deep breath, know that there is a good reason for what happened and that it has more potential for good than did a Hillary victory. We need to get at the business of not letting any of this undo the fact that regardless of how bad we may think we have it, we are still the best, richest, most powerful country in the world and we have the ability to keep it that way and the potential to improve upon it. Just give the guy a chance.
And remember, our current President still has two months in which to do what he was elected to do, and that is to unify us and not divide us. We have to hope he will set the stage for his successor by realizing that the country did not give his record a ringing endorsement, did not elect the person he supported, and that the Republicans still have the majority in the Senate and House.
In all of this, remember again..........WHO is Really in Charge.
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November 8, 2016. Rogers, AR. Who Is Really In Charge?

There was a time in this country when politicians were respected and a career in public service was viewed as a noble goal. There was a time in this country when professional athletes were so modestly paid they had to find other jobs in the "off season" to support their families. And, there was a time in this country when entertainers and television "stars" were not experts in areas outside their performance area.
Unfortunately, the lines have been blurred and it's hard to really know who is in charge of what. Our politicians are using athletes and entertainers to rally support and we see former athletes running for office, cashing in on their fame and popularity on the field to enter the political arena. And in all of this merging of professions, we are at the mercy of the media and how much we know about the facts, the truth and the real story behind the hype, sound bites and "spin". Are we really knowing all we need to know to make informed decisions, or are we at the mercy of which celebrity news reporter we choose to believe? Ultimately the only thing we know for sure: we have lost control of who is really in charge of the decisions which impact our lives. But we do have control of Who controls our future.
Tonight, we will have elected a new President of the United States. The balance of power in the Senate and House of Representatives may be altered and we may see our Judiciary impacted very profoundly over the next four years depending on the election results. We may see very serious changes in our personal freedoms, the moral character of our nation and our place of influence in the world. All of this can be very upsetting to some, encouraging to others, give us a hopeful or a hopeless feeling, a spirit of unity or divisiveness. Some will be happy and some sad. But we do have control of Who controls our future.
I personally believe we are approaching a time of decision greater than any which will have been made today by the voters of this country. I believe that decision is: Who is really in charge? And, I vote for The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If we vote for Them, are fully committed and surrendered to Them, then whatever the results of today's election, we will have no worries, no anxiety and no fear. For, then, our todays are secure, our destiny determined and our future does not rest on a politician, an athlete or an entertainer. The polls never close. There is still time to elect the One Who is in Charge. Vote early, vote every day, vote now for your Eternity and rest secure in the decision. Thank You, Lord.
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November 5, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Westward, Ho

While the plan is to head east to Madison, Georgia, tomorrow we are heading west to have our motor home serviced in Rogers, AR. It's been a while since we have had the coach worked on and there are a number of items needing to be worked on before we move to our winter home. We hope that by Wednesday, we will be Eastward, Ho.
We had a nice send off by a number of our co-workers on Friday, spent some time today with Dick and Joan, Etta Fay and Susie their pets, and had dinner with Isy and James and capped off the evening with them by having our legendary root beer float dessert. We will miss our Passion Play family, but look forward to our third winter with our Georgia family at SLMI. God has blessed us with great friends, fellow believers and ministries which challenge us and expand our areas of service. It's also nice to have a 25 hour day even if we only have it once a year. Extra time to blog.
It has been a good time for us in Arkansas again. We put up the sign on our RV slot reserving it for next year and there are already plans in the works for what we may be asked to do when we return. Yes, Joe and Kent, I will pray about it. We've learned not to get too attached to our plans and our ideas of what we want to do. God has a way of letting us know what He wants us to do and asking us to get in step behind Him. Things go a lot smoother that way. But for now, we will head west, set a spell, head east and set a longer spell, and God willing, be back here again for the 2017 PP season. But, I'm getting too far ahead of the moment.
Tomorrow......we head west.......


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November 2, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. How many.............?

How many times a day do we say how many? How many times do we ask questions because we don't know something, and think someone else knows the answer? And do we know they know the answer, or are we just relying on them because we don't know where to find the answer for ourself? I'm afraid this is going to be an endless list of questions, without any real idea that it will ever come to a conclusion or a final answer.
When I got up this morning, knowing it was a "blog day", the thought came to me that there is a lot of written material in the world and we can't possibly read it all. So, why do I add to the compendium of words which go largely unread by the billions and billions of readers in the world and hope that I am going to say something unique, or earth shattering that will attract the attention of more than my faithful few readers? Everyone has the dream of writing the Great American Novel, and some have even used that title for their book, yet there is no answer to the debate of which book meets that high standard.
I wanted to know how many books have ever been written, and didn't find a current number beyond the estimate of some 129 million as of 2010. Have no books been published in the past six years? I wanted to know how many words are in the English language, but found a wide variety of answers, with the most widely held number to be 1,025,109.8. Eight-tenth of a word? That means one ten letter word only has eight letters. That's absolute(ly) ridiculo(us)!!!!!
There's not much point in going on with this blog. I don't know how many more unanswerable questions I can come up with. And besides, it's time to go stucco or rake leaves or work at something that will provoke more questions than answers. Like how many eighty pound bags of Portland cement plaster mix did we apply to the walls of our Marketplace project this summer or how many leaves will I be raking here at the Passion Play and when we arrive at Source of Light in a few weeks. Just keep at the task, run the race, do the best we can, one day at a time......how many adages, saws, aphorisms, cliches, maxims are there, anyway............?

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October 30, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. It Is Finished.......for 2016

The Great Passion Play ended it's 2016 season last night, and what a finish it was. It was a night to honor our "service" people (military, veteran, police, fire, EMT, first responders) with free admission to the Play and also a ceremony to rededicate the Christ of Ozarks statue on its 50th anniversary. The crowd was the largest of the season, with over 2,200 in attendance. While the Passion Play in it's heyday attracted over 3,000 per night, five nights a week, last night was a major "wow". The 2,200 represented the largest crowd in the past 10, or so, years.
There was a carnival atmosphere, with many extra people being used for parking duties, transportation of guests around the property, food service, ticket selling, ticket taking, ushering, and a host of other chores. It was a boost for the cast, a fond memory for many of our long-time employees who have been part of the rich history of this ministry over the past 50 years. It was also an encouragement for those looking to the future and the hoped-for growth and expansion of the influence of The Great Passion Play on our region and the wider audience to be reached. Almost 7.8 million people have attended the Play over the years and it is our feeling that many more millions still need to see it.
It's bitter-sweet to think of winterizing the facility, saying our goodbyes, getting ready to be "on the road again" to our winter home in Georgia and the responsibilities we will face there. But we will leave Arkansas more rested than we were the past two years, a little wiser about our abilities and not trying to "do it all ourselves", and knowing that ultimately God is our only "boss", the provider of everything we need and our guide through this life, and our source of hope and expectancy for the life to come. Yes, it is finished for PP 2016..........but never truly FINISHED as long as God is on His throne and our eyes are fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. We press on. Thank You, Lord.


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October 27, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Critter Time in Arkansas

While it is always open season for critters in most parts of the South, fall is the time when we need to be on our guard for old "favorites" and some rookies. Compared to last year, it has been pretty mild, but I don't want to "count my chickens" too soon since there are indications that there may still be an influx of nasties.
I have caught a few ladybugs, and have sprayed for them around obvious points of entry, but know that when the weather turns warm, they come in droves......and the weather the next few days is scheduled to be warm. The wasps are also making their reappearance where they congregated last year and we have a lot more sweat bees than in past years. The remedy for sweat bees is pretty simple.......don't sweat. They don't usually bite, and their bite is minor, but there are tons of them. We also have walking sticks for the first time in our three years in Arkansas, but they don't present a real hazard to humans. They are fun to watch as they walk, if you can see them. They do tend to camouflage themselves well.
On our trip to Fayetteville yesterday we did see (and smell) a number of skunks and we know there are some here on the Passion Play property. Have also seen some moths, a lot of flies, tiny, tiny, tiny mites, termites, zipper spiders, a scorpion, tons of squirrels, a raccoon in the play's animal barn, wooly worms and noisy crickets.
That's enough for now. I'm starting to itch just writing about them. Better hit the showers and my latest remedy for the itches........lye soap. With all the "remedies" I have been told about and read about, lye soap really appears to be the best. Noah must have had quite an experience on the Ark, but then again, he didn't have to deal with great quantities of each of the animals and critters. Would have been wonderful if he had more prophetic insight so he could have been more selective in which ones he let come off the Ark...........Wishful thinking............

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October 24, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Finish Strong

This week is the final week of the 2016 Passion Play season. Last Friday and Saturday we had our two largest audiences of the year with over 2,100 in attendance. This week we expect big crowds for our three performances and with the weather forecast looking favorable, that should encourage people to be here. Saturday is an invitation night for all military, veterans, first responders, police, fire, nurses and other service workers to attend for free. It will be a a great way to end our season and pay tribute to those who do so much to make our lives more comfortable and secure.
Blogging today gives me the chance to spend all three performance days with our visitors, have a day at the VA in Fayetteville on Wednesday, and work on our Marketplace construction project on Thursday, blog that day and blog again on Sunday after our final performance Saturday night. There should be some interesting things happening, and interesting things to tell you about. The main thing for all of us as we have our 79th, 80th and 81st performances of 2016, is to finish strong, present the message of the Passion Week to our guests and look ahead to our winter in Georgia and our third "season" at Source of Light Ministries. It will be great to see our winter "family" and continue working for The Lord.
Who could ever have imagined what was in our future when we left Fort Collins in December, 2013 in our first-ever RV, a new ministry, no idea what the "road" would be like or where it would take us. Like Abraham we set out. Like Moses we have followed the cloud, and like so many others before us we have tried to answer the call of God as The Holy Spirit has prompted us. We have been blessed in so many ways by people along the way, comforted innumerable times by events which could have only been orchestrated by God and more content with our life and our circumstances than we have ever been in our 42 years of marriage.
Each day is an opportunity to grow in our faith, trust and commitment, to do our best to be good witnesses for Jesus Christ and finish strong, so that we can start strong again tomorrow for whatever may come our way. Thank You, Lord for allowing us to travel with You and to know that You are always with us.........now and forever.

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October 22, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. One Nation..........

The "News" tells us that our nation is in turmoil, divided, fractured, under attack from radical and militant elements. Some politicians say the same thing, while others say we are diverse but united, better than we've ever been, prosperous and in a period of low inflation and steady growth. The current election has uncovered the dark side of both major candidates for President and only die-hard Democrats or Republicans know who they will vote for, but even that is up for grabs. The average American, if there really is such a thing, is confused, a bit worried and not so sure of their future or the future of our country.
Yesterday our "Official Ballot" arrived from Colorado and I was shocked to see that 22 people are running for President of The United States, plus there is a place to write in a choice of our own. Some of the Party name are interesting and I won't mention any for fear of offending the ones I don't mention. One person, however, did just put his own name "for President" as his party. I think he is probably the most honest for just wanting to be President, or say he ran for President, just because he has a personal agenda and wants to voice it. Somehow he met the requirements to be on the ballot and will have an interesting entry on his resume. I'll have to look up what his platform is, just to be an "informed" voter, but I'm confident I don't want to waste my vote since I already know who I don't want to be in the White House and will vote for the other major candidate.
One Nation........no. One Nation, under God......not really, although I wish it were. God does know the condition of our country and He does have a plan for this election. Something more is at stake here than who wins and who controls the Congress. The moral condition of our country is at stake and God knows how it needs to be altered to truly make us One Nation.
Regardless of the outcome of the voting, God is still in control, and He will deliver those who trust and believe in Him from the divisiveness in our country and our world, and bless those who are obedient to Him and serve Him. Thank You, Lord for being patient with us. One day we will get it right, give You the praise and glory You deserve, and be..........One Kingdom.


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October 19, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. There's Only One Number 1

It's hard to explain and even harder to understand, but there is only One Number 1. Yes, there are many Top Ten Lists, each having a Number 1 on its list, but because there are so many lists there are many number 1's, but there is still only One Number 1.
There are many leaders of many organizations, and many "top dogs", and while there are many shows, there is only one Best in Show for each show. Many people run the race, but there is only one "winner" even though for those who just finish, many do consider it a victory. We can go on and on about being a winner, finishing first, being the top performer, The World Champion, highest paid, most respected, Valedictorian, winning the blue ribbon, or any number of other "bests". But ultimately we come to realize that those who don't come in first are not losers, also-rans, failures or sub-par, but merely participants in some activity who, hopefully, have worked or trained hard, do their best, give their full effort and gain some satisfaction from their effort.
I'm not a fan of everyone receiving a "winners" trophy for their effort, although I have received many of them for events I've participated in, but I am a fan of of doing our best, finishing the race and looking forward to the next attempt. In the end, all that matters is that we give our best effort, seek to find ways to do better the next time and keep getting up whenever we fall down.
In the big picture, there is really only One Number 1 and we are "performing" for an "Audience of 1" regardless of how many people are in the seats. And, our reward or medal or trophy or prize or winner's purse or what we seek at the finish line is a ............"Well done, good and faithful servant".......... from NUMBER ONE. Thank You, Lord.

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October 16, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. When The Past Comes Back............

(The day after my Joshua/Caleb experience)........Part of my "Moses" presentation in The Holy Land at TGPP involves my being raised as a Jew and how that upbringing influenced my adult life and eventual accepting of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in 1999. There have been highs and lows throughout my life and I would hope that all these experiences have strengthened me as a person and drawn me closer to the purpose and plan God created me for.
This past Friday, I looked up to see a group of smiling ladies approaching my venue in The Holy Land and instantly recognized them as members of a church in Colorado Karen and I had been members of from 1999 to 2009----our first exposure to Christianity and "church life". We left that church with mixed feelings and some healing to go through. And here were 15 people, most of whom knew us or knew about us, and my first response was to be genuinely surprised and glad to see them. Karen joined us, and we spent time reminiscing, had dinner together and left them so they could see the pre-Passion Play performances and The Passion Play itself. I needed to go to the set and prepare for what was to be my 202nd appearance in the Play.
On Saturday morning, as I cleaned the amphitheater, I reached down to pick up some ticket stubs and on the first four was the name of the leader of that Colorado group and a "God-chill" went through me. I must not have done a very thorough cleaning, because this morning I picked up another stub from the Colorado group. Somehow there was something still to be learned from the surprise encounter on Friday and our past at that church. This morning one of my devotionals was from Hebrews 12:1,( the scripture verse from the day I accepted Jesus in 1999) and at church this morning I felt the need to get up after the message and give a brief testimony relating to my being raised as a Jew, searching for 40 years for "completion" of my Judaism, and finding the Lord at a Colorado church in 1999. It has been an interesting and enlightening three days.
When the past comes back, it can haunt us, or it can confirm the awesome power and influence of a loving Father, obedient Son and ever-guiding Holy Spirit. Thank You, Lord for allowing us to remember the past, be thankful for the highs and lows, and know that there is a plan far beyond our comprehension, and a purpose for our life which we can only appreciate when we surrender to You and live and serve as You call us. You give us direction, hope and a future for our good and Your Glory, and speak to us in situations and circumstances and"coincidences" of how personal Your relationship with us is. Thank You, Thank You, Lord.

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October 13, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Joshua and Caleb

As part of my presentation in The Holy Land here at TGPP, I tell of the obedience of Joshua and Caleb as the only two of twelve tribal leaders sent by Moses to explore the Promised Land who returned with a favorable, optimistic report for conquering the land God had promised to Abraham and now wanted to give to the Children of Israel as they began their journey out of slavery in Egypt. Today, on a cold, grey, "winter-like" day, I met a young couple and their very young children touring the Holy Land.
I wasn't able to give my usual presentation, due to the difficulty the three young adults were having in controlling their five very young children. But, I was able at one point, as the dad and two of his boys, Joshua and Caleb, sat in front of the four foot high display of The Ten Commandments, to talk to them about their namesakes and their role in the journey to Canaan. The boys, about 7 and 5, knew the story, understood the faithfulness of Joshua and Caleb and while the dad held his other son, Levi, I thought about what it would be like for these three boys and their sister, Abigail, to model the legacy of the names they had been given by their parents.
Names in the Bible speak to character traits, behavioral characteristics or hoped-for goals, far different than the way we name children today. Many times names and nicknames do not have any real depth or significance, and may honor a star athlete, a movie star, are the trendy names for the year, or are just an original concoction of parents who want their children to have a unique moniker. Biblical names do still show up, but not like they did in the past.
I pray that Joshua, Caleb, Levi and Abigail grow up in a Godly home, become Godly young adults and Godly adults; that in some way this experience at The Great Passion Play will impact them and their parents in a positive way that will further their growth and maturity in faith and lead them to lead others to trust, belief and faith in Him as well. One day we will know how what we have done in His Name has impacted others and furthered His Kingdom. Until then----What a joy it is to be In His Service.

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First Impressions

Notice the curbs.

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October 10, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. First Impressions

When visitors to The Great Passion Play first see our entrance they see a "front feature" which includes a geysered fountain, a white statue, flowers, bushes and varied ground cover. There are also hundreds of feet of white-painted curb. The curb even extends from the top of a grade outside our front gate and curves slightly to the left as people see the front feature and enter PP property (see separate pictures). It's very welcoming and gives a positive first impression.
There is a problem, however. Very often people are so focused on the first sight, they forget the curves in the road and run into the curb at various places where it does curve. There are some who run straight into the curb as they enter or leave the premises. Last year we painted the curb white where it had previously just been grey concrete, with the hope that it would brighten up the entrance and give a better first impression. With people running into the curb on a pretty regular basis, it has become my "responsibility" to keep it solid white instead of zebra-colored (white with black "stripes"). I have never officially been told to "maintain" the curb, I just feel a personal attachment to keeping it as white as I can. One of my obsessive-compulsive idiosyncrasies, I guess.
In any event, there is a constant need to grab the white marking paint, my paint brush from the cup of paint thinner and an available golf cart, examine the curb and make the needed repairs. I've made it a regular Monday morning duty and know that some of the people who pass me as I'm painting may be the very ones who have kept me "in business". I haven't gotten to the point yet of checking for white "side walls" on the cars which go by or are parked in our lots, or checking with local repair shops for customers needing front-end alignments. OCD is one thing.........excessive OCD is quite another thing, and besides.........I really DO enjoy painting.

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October 7, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Based on a True Story

The line between fact and fiction, truth and a lie, reality and hearsay has become so blurred that it's hard to tell whether we are watching the evening news or a prime time drama. Ads for the latest medication are followed by ads by attorneys looking for clients for class action suits against drug manufacturers and the political ads are about as helpful in telling us who is the best candidate as listening to an animated character or a talking animal giving us advice on which insurance company will protect us the best in an emergency.
Life has become a balancing act between science and science fiction, reality and imagination and it is no longer cut and dried who is the expert and who is the celebrity. Our athletes, politicians, movie and television stars, musicians and judges on talent shows have become our idols and our educators, first responders and religious leaders have been relegated to "also ran" status. We have such a mish-mash of plots on our television shows that it's impossible to tell the good guys from the bad guys and I, for one, am glad we only have one network to choose from and a couple of "oldies" channels which aren't too much better. Walker, Texas Ranger can only fight so many baddies with his one sound track of punches and karate kicks, and on Night Court it's hard to distinguish between the criminals and the "law" enforcers. And what about the "woman" in the hospital bed who was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
I hate to be judgmental, though I am; I hate to lump people into stereotypes, though I very often do; and I hate to be opinionated, though I know I am. But, we are in a terrible mess and need to return to some sanity and moral fiber in our country and our world. We need real leaders, real role models and real resolve to seek truth, find truth and act truthfully. I think God is the answer, but I know that doesn't sit well with everyone and many who agree, have different ideas on who He is. I do know that Hillary and Donald aren't the answer, but somewhere in all this mess, the Truth Will Prevail. Stay the course........smile.......the Best Is Yet To Come.


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October 4, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Change of Season

It's that time of year again when we start to think about long pants, sweatshirts, slippers when you take the first few steps on a cold floor, filling up the propane tank, space heaters and using electric heat instead of air conditioning. The critters are starting to act differently and the Play which once started at 8:30 now starts at 7:30 in the dark. The audience is wrapping up in blankets and we anticipate low temperatures in the high 30's in about a week or so.
The leaves show signs of changing color and some trees are already beginning to shed their leaves. In Georgia that will be one of my first and on-going duties, to collect leaves, pile them and keep the ditches clear and able to run the water which is bound to come, and come in abundance. The beavers at our Sea of Galilee are felling trees and building winter homes, the bees are swarming, looking for places to nest and the sun is lower in the southern sky and always seems to be in your eyes when driving.
We've heard there is snow in the Colorado mountains and the hurricane season in the Caribbean is in full swing and affecting a lot of east coast weather already. Time just marches on and as I have mentioned before, the time is more than marching; it is flying. We will be in Arkansas about a week longer than we have been either of the past few years, so we may get to see our first actually falling snow since we left Colorado in December, 2013 and endured an ice storm in North Texas for five days. But, whatever the situation, we look forward to a change of location, a change of mission and another "new" season in our walk with God. We have already been extended a "welcome home" from our Madison, GA friends and co-workers, so one day at a time we press on serving The Lord and blessed by His provision, protection, love and grace. Thank You, Lord.

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October 1, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy

You've got to be kidding. I went through the above procedure, received three nasty looking pictures, a prescription for some reflux medication and can't remember anything about what happened after I licked some white, awful tasting stuff which numbed my lips, tongue and throat and caused me to think I was going to gag and not be able to breath. Within a few seconds the staff all sprang into action and I was "out of it" for the procedure and woke up none the worse for wear back where I started in the prep room. No idea how long all of it took.
The worst part of the whole episode is trying to pronounce what they did to me. The medication should ease my problem, decrease the inflammation in my esophagus and allow them to stretch it in a few months and solve my difficulty swallowing and digesting food. Thank you, VA, for the excellent treatment, the caring people and no discomfort or pain or ill effects from the esoph....................whatever. And best of all, i was able to eat a Whataburger within a few minutes of leaving the Hospital and before we even were out of Fayetteville. Thank you, all, for your prayers and thank You, Lord for guiding us through all our recent health issues and allowing us to serve You as we do. How blessed we are.
Into the last month of the Passion Play season, the home stretch, less than 15 performances to go and enjoying the cooler weather and lower humidity, it's all good. How blessed we are.



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September 28, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. A Day Off

Tomorrow, Karen and I will be taking a trip to the VA in Fayetteville for my endoscopy and, hopefully, a resolution of my feeling puny and not being able to eat without discomfort and pressure in my chest. We are confident that the situation will be resolved and I will feel better.
Today we joined Isy and James on a trip to Silver Dollar City and a fun time of eating, walking, eating, talking to craftsmen, eating and getting out of our normal routine here at TGPP.
We did get some ideas for a planned blacksmith shop in our under-construction Marketplace/Petting Zoo and have some suggestions on places James will be able to get more construction advice for the project. He has worked very hard on the Marketplace and those of who have "helped" him have learned a lot from him. It will be nice to finish the project, but when that will occur is "still to be determined".
On our adventure we met a number of Vietnam Vets. Our "hats" are a way for us to identify each other, welcome each other home and share a little about when we were there and what we did. In many cases there is a cane, a walker, a wheelchair or a motorized scooter which identifies them. At the VA over the years we have seen the same identifying features for many vets and it reminds me that for many American Veterans there is never a real day off from the physical or emotional condition they faced during their years of service or the years since. While I am considered a Disabled Veteran by the Department of Defense and the VA, by appearances I look fine and in pretty decent shape. It saddens me to see how outwardly disabled many of our vets are and how the years have treated them, but I am encouraged that many of us are being well cared for by the VA, or by the Tricare Health system for retired military personnel.
Yes, there are horror stories, but that is not unique to our military vets. There are always going to be those who slip through the cracks. The good news is that there are caring and compassionate health care professionals out there and many of them don't really get a day off from their routine either, and they need one from time to time as well. It was a good day, and I thank God for each person we encountered today who made our day off possible and wish them a day off of their own tomorrow, or the day after or in the very near future. And perhaps we will be working on their day off to make it as pleasant for them as they made ours today.
Just another way we can work together to bring harmony to our world, return to a more caring and fulfilling life, sharing the grace and peace of God with those who need a day off from the trials or cares or sorrows of life. God, who never takes a day off, is always here for each and every one of us, and for that we should seek Him out.....thank Him....and praise Him.


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September 26, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Sturgis in Arkansas

Last week was Bikes, Blues and BBQ in Northwest Arkansas, with an estimated 500,000 attendees on the winding, hilly roads of this part of Arkansas. At the Passion Play we called the event Bikes, Bibles and BBQ and there were a lot of riders who came to see the Christ of The Ozarks statue. The restoration and repainting of the statue attracted a lot of attention and quite a few bikers had their picture taken on their bike with the statue in the background. The weather was good and there was a steady roar of motorcycles in the background at all times of the day and into the night.
Today it is quiet; the roar is gone, the riders are gone and the summer heat is also gone. What a beautiful fall day it is, working without being drenched in perspiration and not having to down huge volumes of water and Gatorade to stay hydrated and avoid the dreaded cramps and potential kidney stones. The week is supposed to remain mild with nighttime temperatures down into the 40's and the prospect of heat rather than air conditioning. The end of the Passion Play season is getting closer and we will soon be Georgians again.
As a reminder of my two broken teeth in Georgia, I broke a tooth yesterday on a crispy piece of bacon and hopefully will be able to get it looked at when we go to the Fayetteville VA later this week or next week when we go there again. If we can't, we'll need to find a dentist to have it fixed. Teeth have definitely been a problem for both Karen and I since we have been on the road, but we have been well cared for when needed.
It's amazing how quiet it is after the BB&BBQ crowd has moved on. I can only imagine how loud it must be in Sturgis every year with their goings-on. We've definitely gotten comfortable with country living and the sounds of the non-city. Spoiled is certainly an understatement. Thank You, Lord.

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September 23, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Not in Vain

.......stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Sometimes it seems like the work we do in ministry results in nothing more than blisters, sore muscles, hurt feelings or offense taken, but Scripture tells us that when we labor for the Lord, there is no wasted effort and seeds for future blessings have been planted. It doesn't matter whether our ministry work is done in a public arena for many to hear and see, or whether we toil in the shadows where there is no audience, know that God is watching, applauding our effort and appreciating what has been done in His Name.
A lot of people do a lot of things every day in service to God and His people. Every task can have eternal significance. We never know how our efforts are impacting others, but when we seek to be obedient to the call God has placed on us, we can rest assured that God will use our effort to further His vision for all of us. Whether we are physically tired, emotionally tired or just tired, we must never become spiritually tired. There is always something to be done, a mission to undertake and a seed to be planted. God will restore our strength, sooth our sore muscles or wounded ego, and get us up and about for the new day and the new opportunities ahead. There is no job too big or too small where someone will not be impacted by what has been done. Stay the course, stand firm and let nothing move you from the task at hand. All for the Glory of God.


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September 20, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Shalom

The Hebrew word Shalom means hello, goodbye and peace. In one word we can sum up most of life, relationships and our eternal destiny. Yesterday, as I went about the "details" of life, I experienced Shalom in more ways than I could ever write about in a lifetime of blogs. One event spoke volumes to me.
Ney has been part of The Great Passion Play for probably close to 30 years. He has been in charge of the animals used in the Holy Land and Play, and many are animals he has raised and cared for their whole life. One of our donkeys, Bam, recently needed medical attention which has caused him to "retire" from his role of transporting Jesus on His triumphal entry through the Eastern Gate into Jerusalem. Yesterday was Bam's time to be transported back to Ney's ranch in Berryville, and also a reminder that Ney will be retiring from TGPP at the end of this season. James, Joe and I helped Ney load Bam into the transporter; and while Bam was not really obstinate or difficult, it was obvious he was not eager to go. After some coaxing, and prodding he got into the transporter, and Ney headed toward the main gate of the barn area. Grazing in the pasture was Bam's partner, Bam Bam, a number of haflinger horses and an older white "stallion" used by the Centurion in the play. In a nearby area were a number of miniature horses and donkeys. All were contentedly eating, but as Bam went by them he let out a brief bray and their heads all looked toward the departing vehicle. All started running toward the main gate as they seemed to be expressing their farewell to their friend and companion.
It brought a tear to my eye, as it does right now, realizing that while we have emotions, animals do also and as we have difficulties with our hellos and goodbyes, it is not a unique emotion to humans. I'm a city boy, not versed in the animal world, but from my GPP experience I have been impacted by the human and animal relationships I have witnesses here. Shalom, Bam. Shalom, Ney. Shalom to all the characters of this place and to all the characters in this life and the life to come. Hello......goodbye........but above all........PEACE. Thank You, Lord, for the purpose You have for each of us to be part of a bigger plan and an eternal future. What a joy it is to be included. Shalom Aleichem.......Peace be upon you.

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September 17, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Play 61 - Weather 1

We were on a good streak until last evening when the rains came at about 4pm and washed out our play performance for the evening. It had been a gorgeous day, but it turned into a thunderstorm which forced the management to cancel the play and give us a night off. It was our first "loss" of the season. Our audience would have been small since the forecast was for stormy weather and there are people who don't relish the thought of sitting on metal seats when there is lightening in the area.
It was a wise decision and the hope is that many who would have come last night will come tonight instead. There is a big storm showing on the radar but it is still west of us in Oklahoma and not expected here until 8am tomorrow, if at all. It should be a very pleasant evening and we need to start a new "winning" streak. Outdoor theater has it share of risks from the weather, but more often than not, "neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night......." stays us from our appointed performance. The show goes on and we look forward to it.
Last year the weather was less forgiving and we lost about seven performances to bad weather. That generates a financial loss which is hard to overcome. Hopefully our final 20 performances will be performances and not in the weather column. It's hard to believe that we are almost to our final month of the season. We still have some construction projects to complete, the Christ of The Ozark renovation is not finished, but we do have some volunteer groups coming, so there is hope that we will finish strong and set the stage for the 2017 season. In everything we continue to trust God and His plan, pray for the workers to come to the harvest and the message to be delivered to believers and non-believers alike. God is Good and to Him be all the glory and praise.

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September 14, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. One of Those Days

Have you ever had a day when everything seemed to be out of whack, everyone was in a rotten mood and time seemed to be your enemy. Well, yesterday was one of those days. Nothing went right for me, the words I used insulted some people and made no sense to others and my thoughts were so mixed up that I wanted to send up the white flag, surrender to whoever would take me and ask for a refund on whatever I may have paid for the opportunity to live yesterday.
The sad thing is that quite a few other people were having a rough day also, and we all happened to be in the same place at the same time, making each others' life miserable. I don't want to name names or point fingers, but anyone who was a participant in yesterday here at the Passion Play is guilty. The good thing in all of this was that the time went by quickly and by the time the play started at 7:30 the worst of the worst was over and the play did go well, without any major catastrophe. It was a welcome relief to say hello to my pillow and fall quickly asleep.
Today was much better. The work for the day went well, with one chance for serious injury being avoided by the Grace of God, and we were able to knock off for the day before the clouds rolled in and the rain, which is now coming down heavily, started. Karen will be flying back from Utah, via Atlanta, tonight and James, Isy and I will be driving to XNA to pick here up late this evening. The rain should be over by then.
Every day is an adventure. Some of yesterday's trials and obstacles remain, but many have been turned into opportunities for growth today, and tomorrow will be better for what we faced yesterday and endured today. It's all part of life and making that life more joyful for ourselves and those around us. I'm so grateful for those who walk with us and Those who guide us on the path They have ordained for us. The Way, the Truth and The Life.
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September 11, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Prayer

A few blogs ago I mentioned an offhand, somewhat frivolous, prayer to find $20 in the amphitheater and ended up seeing it turn into a $250 donation to the Passion Play. Since then I found another wallet and it too resulted in a donation to the Play. We pray for a lot of things as we navigate through our day, and some of them we see God's instant response; some we wait for an answer; and some we know are "out of bounds" and will never come to pass like the time years ago I asked God who was going to win the Kentucky Derby so I could get us out of a financial bind with a well placed bet.
But prayer is for real, and when we pray for the right things, with the right motive and are in God's will, we can be sure that He will listen and give us a right response. Every day we hear of health needs, financial needs, spiritual and emotional needs, relationship needs, ministry needs and a host of other instances where hurts need to addressed. And in many of these instances, God is the only way these needs can be met. They are beyond our ability personally or corporately to remedy. Whether we pray specifically or generally, God will sort it out, and if He hasn't already initiated the answer, He will do what needs to be done to set the solution in motion.
Lord, there are so many needs, so many hurting and lost souls. There is only so much we as people can do, but there is so much You can do and I pray for all those who love You, all those who need to love You, and all those who need to know how much You love even those who have walked away from You or refuse to listen to anything that has to do with You. The world is in trouble, our country is in trouble and our churches and families are in trouble and more than ever we need You to heal us, bring us together and let everyone know that You are the answer; You are the Healer, Provider and Source of everything we need. For all this I am grateful and for all this I humbly Thank You, Lord.

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September 8, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. You Live...... Where?

It has become very expensive to live in Colorado, considering that we have a house there, are qualified to vote there, are licensed and vehicle-registered there, but don't even have a bed to sleep in when we go back there for a few weeks a year. Our property taxes went up, our insurance rates went up, and there is even the prospect of having my military disability taxed by the state if Proposition 69 is approved by the voters this fall.
I just finished having our motor home insurance transferred from Colorado to Georgia because I didn't feel like paying $800 more than last year for nothing more than a Colorado rate increase. The agent, working for a company in California, was good enough to check the rates in Arkansas and Georgia (where we spend 11 1/2 months of the year) and we are now "garaged" in Georgia for insurance purposes. Our new policy, with our Georgia address on it, will be mailed to our Colorado address; the new cards and the old contract which we need to certify as expired will be mailed to our Arkansas address and our motor home will still sport Colorado plates, be driven by a Colorado-licensed driver who is currently in Utah at her class reunion.
I think we could meet voter registration requirements in three states, but the penalty for multiple voting would probably exceed the $800 we saved, and they would probably send us to jail in some state like North Dakota where the winters are less than ideal. I also don't think it would be worth getting into legal trouble over this election. The candidates seem to have a good handle on that themselves, already. We'll just send in our Colorado absentee ballots once they are forwarded to Arkansas before we leave for Georgia in November. Glad we were able to get all my VA primary care health enrollment transferred from Colorado/Wyoming to Arkansas. I now have a better idea what it must have been like for Moses and his 35 changes of address in the wilderness over a 40 year journey from Egypt to The Promised Land.
Does any of this make any sense, or has the scratch-coat stucco-ing made me goofy? Time for a nap in my on-the-road recliner as we enjoy a late afternoon pop-up shower. By the way, the California agent works for an insurance company registered in Kentucky. Guess they're looking for better rates, too.


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September 5, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Popcorn

The Great Passion Play runs on popcorn. It is the snack of choice for the cast of the play with a circus wagon of freshly popped corn available before every performance in the set maintenance shop. Kids and adults alike take advantage of the free treat. I have to avoid the popcorn before blowing the shofar at the start of each performance because the salt dries out my mouth and the butter makes my lips slippery and susceptible to not getting a firm hold on the small end of the horn. But I do fill a bag and have it available as an after-show treat.
The audience buys a lot of popcorn, evidenced by the large number of twist-ties I pick up while cleaning the amphitheater after each show. The squirrels like to pull the popcorn bags out of the trash barrels and scatter any contents all over the ground. They have no regard for cleaning up their mess. The skunks like popcorn and at one time the concession people used to leave a bag or two on the top lawn of the amphitheater so they could easily have access to their late night snack and not get down into the seating area. The big ravens seem to favor the cheese whiz but will sometimes be seen with a kernel in their craw.
And the audience, beyond leaving those twist ties, sometimes spills the popcorn on the ground and makes my clean-up job a lot more difficult. Like the squirrels, they seem to have little regard for cleaning up their mess. But, I shouldn't complain. If it weren't for the audience there wouldn't be a play, there wouldn't be a Passion Play ministry and I wouldn't have a blog topic for today. So even when I look down a row and see a pile of spilled popcorn (or spit-out sunflower seed shells), I know that there is some good that will come from my cleaning it up, and that God let it be put there for some legitimate good purpose. And as for all those cigarette butts.............

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September 2, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. August?

I can't believe it's September. What happened to August? It seems like only yesterday we were suffering through the brutal weather of July and dreading the prospects of a hotter, more humid August, and it's already gone. It was not as bad as expected and far shorter than we had anticipated. September !!! September ??? Wow.
A lot happened in August even with the lighter production schedule. Our trip to Little Rock and another to Branson to The College of the Ozarks gave us a change of scenery, and a break from the PP routine. Work continued on the Marketplace construction project and some progress was made on The Christ of the Ozarks refurbishing project, but the month did fly past.
Karen will be flying back to Utah next week for her 55th High School reunion and a visit with friends and family and at the end of September we will have another trip to the Fayetteville VA for a medical procedure, but I don't want to see the time pass so quickly. We never should wish our time away. It's too valuable, and once gone, it's gone forever. Karen's dad always used to tell us that the older you get, the quicker the time passes by, and we didn't really take him seriously. But Woody was right. Not only did August rush by, but so did the first the first eight months of 2016.........and 2015.......and 2014........and......................

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August 30, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Stucco

I have applied stucco once in my life, but today was my real introduction to "laying stucco" on a large area, it's important to know the proper words, have the proper tools and know that by the end of the day, you may not be able to move certain parts of your body, have multiple cramps in multiple muscles, blisters, and have areas of your body that may never be the same again. It's also important to know that the "scratch coat" is only the first of three layers which must be applied to the entire area before the project is finished.
I had never heard the words; hock, lath, weep screed, j molding, corner moulding or brown coat and a host of other terms which were foreign to me until I got involved in the "Marketplace" project at the Passion Play. I was involved in staining the fascia, soffits and eaves, as well as patching parts of the OSB which then needed to be covered with tar paper before the stucco process could be undertaken and applying wire screening to prevent birds from building nests in the exhaust vents. I also helped with some of the demolition work on the arches which will be replaced with a different kind of arch structure, the terms for which I think were in a language other than English.
It's been fun to learn new skills, work with people who know what they are doing and are able to guide a rookie in being of some use to them in their work. So many people have been mentors, teachers, masters and foremen as I just pitch in where I can. Right now I need to pack in some more liquids, drink a bunch of pickle juice to combat the cramps which are starting to attack my hands and legs, and get into the shower and get the quikrete dust and dried mortar mix off my arms and legs and get some moisturizer on areas of skin which feel like every bit of moisture has been extracted. Stucco work......is really hard work. Maybe tomorrow I can do something else...........unless the "boss" wants a repeat performance.

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August 27, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Glory Days

This has been an unusual two days at the Passion Play. Our C and D parking areas between the Passion Play amphitheater and the Christ of the Ozark Statue have been taken over by the "Eureka Springs Foul Air Volkswagen Klub Overflow Show". Hundreds of VW bugs, busses, vans, beetles, rabbits, classic and late model in every condition imaginable have been on display in what are normally empty grass fields. There has been a steady parade of "entrants", gawkers, aficionados and people just out for a day of entertainment. The Eureka Springs Trolley extended its route through the display area and there has been music, food and fun for the attendees. Right now it's thundering and starting to rain so the general direction of travel appears to be outward.
In the "old days", the parking areas were full five nights a week with Passion Play attendees numbering between 2500-4000 per night. In those same old days, Karen and I owned a VW bug and a VW bus in which we travelled all over the country, and broke down in many of the places we travelled to. It was a fun life for us and a glorious time for the Passion Play. It harkens back to the time Bruce Springsteen wrote about in his song "Glory Days" and it seems that many of the shows participants are still longing for those olden days and spending a lot of time and money recreating those days and maybe lamenting the changes which have confronted us of late.
I look back with a wide range of emotions to the days gone by and occasionally wonder "what if" or "if only I had.....", but more often I have taken an attitude of the Glory Days yet to come and the realization that what we have now will not come with us, that the stuff we treasure so highly now is nothing more than stuff, and will become someone else's when we are gone.
It was fun to walk through the car display area earlier today, look at the cars and the people and hear some of the "memories", but it was more fun to take my place in The Holy Land and talk about Moses, Elijah, Jesus and the other Bible characters, visit with people about the Passion Play and build on the past to anticipate the Glory Days to come.
Later this evening we will present the Passion Play again. I wonder how many VW's will still be in the parking lot with their owners sitting in the amphitheater, All we can do is continue scattering seeds and hope some lands on good soil. God will water the seed, the Holy Spirit will make it grow and Jesus will be glorified.

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August 24, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. One Guarantee

One day we will die. Unless Jesus returns and takes us with Him into the clouds to be with Him forever in Heaven, there is one guarantee we can depend on; One day we will die. We are not guaranteed a set number of years, a retirement after years of working for a retirement, Social Security, or the health at retirement to be able to travel or afford to travel. The only thing we can be sure of is that we will some day die in the course of our day, or just wake up dead.
Every day we hear on the news of famous people who have passed away, learn that friends have died or that some natural disaster has claimed the lives of scores of people in some far-off place we may never have heard of. No one is immune and all of us are impacted by the report that there has been an accident or illness which has claimed a life, or an argument has escalated into a homicide or an act of terrorism has cost innocent people their lives.
This week has been no different. We lost some friends in a horrible accident in Colorado and our former pastor and his wife were with them, and were nearly killed in the same accident. Another former pastor lived within a few hundred feet of the accident site and his wife was able to be with and comfort the surviving couple as they grieved the event which had just taken place. One of our close friends here at the Passion Play just lost her father, and another has been diagnosed with cancer, and we hear on the news of those who have died in the floods in Louisiana and today in the earthquake in Italy. There is no end to the "bad" news and there are many who angrily ask "where was God when those "bad" things happened? But the truth is; God IS THERE, in every event. And, those who die and those who live trusting God, resting in the hope He offers to those who do believe in Him will live with Him in Eternity if they die now or in eternity with Him if they survive now but die later.
That last sentence may need to be read again because it doesn't sound like it makes sense, but it does. It is that truth which allows us to grieve the earthly loss of Josh and Sherri, pray for Rob and Joy as they grieve that earthly loss and know that God IS in control and will one day reveal to those of us who trust in Him why grief is part of the blessings we experience. Yes, we will die.......but for those who have Jesus as the foundation of their life........that's the GOOD NEWS. THANK YOU, JESUS.


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August 21, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Let's Celebrate

It's been fun watching the Olympics the past few weeks and seeing gifted athletes celebrate their victories and near victories, while many more did not win medals but were able to celebrate the fact that they represented their country on a world-wide stage. In a few weeks we will see the ParaOlympics where everyone who participates will be a winner in the eyes of all of us.
On a more local level, Karen and I are about to go to dinner with Jerry and Renee to celebrate their 51st wedding anniversary. That's pretty good for a couple who are younger than us, have four children, seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren with one more on the way. They got an early start, but are going strong and still serving the Lord with Campers on Mission. Tomorrow we will be going to dinner with Dick and Joan to celebrate his 89th birthday. Dick has been the Tabernacle Priest here at The Great Passion Play for 28 years, is a retired Navy man and former pastor in Eureka Springs. They are a great couple and still eager to be part of TGPP and share their experiences and knowledge with others.
We have been so blessed to be around a wide variety of people who are trying to make a positive difference in the world in the places God calls them to serve. It's good to celebrate our "victories", but it's even better to know that the biggest victory is yet to come; and we can celebrate it now with assurance and expectation. Thank You, Lord.




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August 18, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. One Day at a Time

Whenever we start thinking "up the road" we are reminded that we can plan all we want, but you have to live in the moment and get through each day before the planned plans will come into play, maybe. Our schedule at the Passion Play goes into slow motion for the next three weeks, as we have only Friday and Saturday performance days until Labor Day (September 4th) when we return to three performances a week until the end of October.
We do have non-performance tasks to accomplish, but if it rains, as it is right now, many of my outdoor tasks have to be delayed for clear weather. The Olympics, fortunately for us, is on the one network channel we are able to get on our tv, so that has been a welcome change of pace from the Ninja Warriors, Judge Judy and America's Got Talent judges and questionable talent, and the questionable talents of our presidential candidates. It has been fun to watch even if we have to endure so many NBC hosts, broadcast personalities, endlessly repeated commercials and ex-athlete experts with annoying voices and judges who seem to need instant replay more than NFL officials. It is fun to see the wide variety of sports and the wide variety of participants from around the world.
In any event, we go from day to day, pray for the ministries and people we serve, ask for God's hand on our friends and family, and make plans for the weeks and months ahead and wait to see how they will be realized or changed and what needs to be done thereafter. In a few weeks we will have been RV owners for three years, and soon thereafter will be "full-timers" on the road since December, 2013. It's been one day at a time, but it has gone quickly and it has been a wonderful experience. Wouldn't want to change too much of it, and so grateful God opened the door and allowed us to drive thru it.......with Karen doing all the driving.

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