The easiest way to make a long story short is to use short sentences. In September, 2008 I unexpectedly had a heart attack. I had no insurance. We had no place to turn for the means to pay the large hospital bill. We had no place to turn for affordable health care. Medicare was still two years in my future. A friend at our church, Harvey Schmidt, told me that as a Veteran, I was entitled to VA health benefits. I checked it out. I found out I was eligible and applied. Six months later, I was receiving health care and medication from the VA. I think Harvey also told me about Debbie at the Larimer County Veteran Service Office. Debbie filed an Agent Orange claim for me with the VA, based on my service in Vietnam and my Ischemic Heart Disease. Seven months later, I was awarded an Agent Orange Disability rating and a monthly disability payment.
Life has not been the same since. I had gone to Cardiac Rehab at Poudre Valley Hospital after my heart attack. After my rehab, I volunteered at that same facility for five years. I told my story to many Vietnam Vets with heart issues and directed them to Debbie for claims to be filed. Then, God led us to our Ministry of Miles and a life of being on the road. God led us to the Passion Play and Source of Light Ministries. God brought us back to Fort Collins last year and this for my VA medical tests and appointments. Yesterday I attended the Memorial Day ceremony at the Edora Park Veterans memorial. I have attended that ceremony ever since we moved to FC in 1990. Yesterday Harvey and Judy Schmidt were at the ceremony. I haven't seen them since 2009. I have thanked Harv countless times over the past eight years, but never in person. Yesterday I thanked him in person for the advice he gave me. One sentence can change a life. One piece of advice can change a life. God is the Master of putting the right people in the right place at the right time. God is the Master of good advice. God is the Master healer and provider. God is THE MASTER. Thank You, God. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Holy Spirit, from one HS (Hal Schatz) to another (Harvey Schmidt).
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Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
May 28, 2016. Craig, CO. Road trip......To The Mountains
We are about 18 miles west of Hayden, Colorado where Karen and her sister grew up and went to school. Since Hayden doesn't have a motel, we are in Craig so we can attend their high school reunion this weekend. If they both had stayed in Hayden, it would have been Karen's 55th reunion and Jinny's 50th, but they both ended up completing their high school in Morgan, Utah. It's a long story. In any event they are renewing some old friendships and the event last night at the school and the American Legion was fun. There are events planned for today and tomorrow and then it will be back to Wellington, CO where we left our motor home with friends from our Fort Collins home church. It is strange to not be sleeping in our home on wheels.
Yesterday we drove from Wellington to Laramie, Wyoming, south to Walden, CO, over Rabbit Ears Pass through Steamboat Springs, CO and on to Craig (to avoid the Memorial Day weekend traffic up the Poudre Canyon). It spit snow on Rabbit Ears and there was still plenty of snow along the roadside, and it brought back memories of our 40 years living in Colorado, in snow and cold and low humidity. It doesn't seem like that many years, but then again looking back it doesn't feel like 50 or more years since high school graduation. Life has a way of slipping by and at our age it seems the downhill ride is a lot faster moving. How grateful we are for the experiences we have had, the life we now have in Christ and the call He has made on our life. Time does go on, but we really need to take full advantage of the time we are given, appreciate what we have, not look too far up the road to what might be and know that God has it all figured out, and just asks us to trust Him and be obedient to Him. We press on in faith and thank You, Lord.
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Yesterday we drove from Wellington to Laramie, Wyoming, south to Walden, CO, over Rabbit Ears Pass through Steamboat Springs, CO and on to Craig (to avoid the Memorial Day weekend traffic up the Poudre Canyon). It spit snow on Rabbit Ears and there was still plenty of snow along the roadside, and it brought back memories of our 40 years living in Colorado, in snow and cold and low humidity. It doesn't seem like that many years, but then again looking back it doesn't feel like 50 or more years since high school graduation. Life has a way of slipping by and at our age it seems the downhill ride is a lot faster moving. How grateful we are for the experiences we have had, the life we now have in Christ and the call He has made on our life. Time does go on, but we really need to take full advantage of the time we are given, appreciate what we have, not look too far up the road to what might be and know that God has it all figured out, and just asks us to trust Him and be obedient to Him. We press on in faith and thank You, Lord.
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Wednesday, May 25, 2016
May 25, 2016. Cheyenne, WY. Solving the World's Problems
Karen and I just finished a long and very diverse conversation on a host of subjects and a wide range of topics of the day, history, our ministry, and we have come to the conclusion that time is moving too quickly, too many things are out of our control, and we can't figure out why the sun is shining brightly, there is a steady rumble of thunder and another storm is forming in our vicinity and will move out to the east and possibly do damage to property and hopefully not people. It was quite a discussion and resulted in a very long opening sentence to this blog.
The conclusion of our discussion led to me sit down to blog, because tomorrow will be a busy day with a stress test and then visiting with some of our church friends from Fort Collins. Blogging may not fit in the schedule. Karen is busy cleaning out the refrigerator and we are both listening to the thunder get louder and closer with the sun still shining. Our day was a good one, but one that elicited a string of emotions as we talked with a number of vets at the VA, heard about their ailments, their military service, their hope for our country with the upcoming election "mess" and the President's current visit to Vietnam and our new alliance with a former adversary.
It's beyond our ability to not only understand the condition of our world, but think of how to resolve the issues to everyone's satisfaction. All I can say, as I said to a Vietnam Vet who has faced multiple health issues and faces even more.........I hope you know Jesus. With all the world's problems, it's good to rest on the promises of God, the hope we have in Jesus, and the certainty that it will be okay because.........the best is yet to come. Thank You, Lord. And thank You Lord for silencing the thunder.
Sent from my iPad
The conclusion of our discussion led to me sit down to blog, because tomorrow will be a busy day with a stress test and then visiting with some of our church friends from Fort Collins. Blogging may not fit in the schedule. Karen is busy cleaning out the refrigerator and we are both listening to the thunder get louder and closer with the sun still shining. Our day was a good one, but one that elicited a string of emotions as we talked with a number of vets at the VA, heard about their ailments, their military service, their hope for our country with the upcoming election "mess" and the President's current visit to Vietnam and our new alliance with a former adversary.
It's beyond our ability to not only understand the condition of our world, but think of how to resolve the issues to everyone's satisfaction. All I can say, as I said to a Vietnam Vet who has faced multiple health issues and faces even more.........I hope you know Jesus. With all the world's problems, it's good to rest on the promises of God, the hope we have in Jesus, and the certainty that it will be okay because.........the best is yet to come. Thank You, Lord. And thank You Lord for silencing the thunder.
Sent from my iPad
Monday, May 23, 2016
May 23, 2016. Oakley, KS. We're not in AR-kansas Anymore
No Dorothy, we are still in Kansas after two days on the road. With the prospect of some nasty weather predicted for today, we stopped in Wellington, KS last night. We did have a minor thunderstorm around midnight and woke to some rain, but the weather maps told us we would probably avoid the real bad stuff if we were on the road before 9am, and we were. The storms seemed to generate from Wellington and really pelted Wichita most of the day and hit Coldwater KS with heavy rain a few hours after we went through there. Our afternoon was sunny and very pleasant and we reached Oakley with only a dead car battery to recharge and have checked.
Your prayers worked and God was definitely on the road with us, in and through the weather and other details.
We met a nice couple who helped us with the battery issue, and we are now enjoying the bright sunshine and air conditioning as we rest up for the final leg of the trip to our house in Fort Collins and then on to Cheyenne, Wyoming where we will start the VA medical appointments on Wednesday and Thursday. Karen has done really well behind the wheel. The meds and vitamins seem to be working and I have been saved from having to do any driving, so far. There's nothing like driving a 31,000 pound motor home with a 4500 pound car in tow, to cure what has ailed Karen the past few weeks. Hopefully this latest round of "drugs" has helped her "turn the corner" and will keep me from having to turn any corners.
West of Medicine Lodge, KS (home of temperance advocate Carrie Nation from 1889 to 1902) we drove through some non-Kansas-like countryside. While most of Kansas is very flat and non-descript, this area (the Gypsum Hills) is almost like parts of Arizona or Utah, with mesas, deep gullies, fir trees, rolling hills and lots of sage brush-looking vegetation. Unfortunately, there was a major grass fire in March of this year which ravaged over 400,000 acres of this area and parts of northern Oklahoma. It was sad to see the results of the fire, smell the burned grass and trees, but encouraging to see that there is new growth and a beginning of the rebirth of a large, and unique area.
Thank you, all, for your prayers as we travel, for your friendship and concern for our health and well-being. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. You are in our prayers, as well, as we all serve where and as we are called. God is Good and we trust Him for our present and our future and thank Him for our past. To Him be all honor, glory and praise.
Sent from my iPad
Your prayers worked and God was definitely on the road with us, in and through the weather and other details.
We met a nice couple who helped us with the battery issue, and we are now enjoying the bright sunshine and air conditioning as we rest up for the final leg of the trip to our house in Fort Collins and then on to Cheyenne, Wyoming where we will start the VA medical appointments on Wednesday and Thursday. Karen has done really well behind the wheel. The meds and vitamins seem to be working and I have been saved from having to do any driving, so far. There's nothing like driving a 31,000 pound motor home with a 4500 pound car in tow, to cure what has ailed Karen the past few weeks. Hopefully this latest round of "drugs" has helped her "turn the corner" and will keep me from having to turn any corners.
West of Medicine Lodge, KS (home of temperance advocate Carrie Nation from 1889 to 1902) we drove through some non-Kansas-like countryside. While most of Kansas is very flat and non-descript, this area (the Gypsum Hills) is almost like parts of Arizona or Utah, with mesas, deep gullies, fir trees, rolling hills and lots of sage brush-looking vegetation. Unfortunately, there was a major grass fire in March of this year which ravaged over 400,000 acres of this area and parts of northern Oklahoma. It was sad to see the results of the fire, smell the burned grass and trees, but encouraging to see that there is new growth and a beginning of the rebirth of a large, and unique area.
Thank you, all, for your prayers as we travel, for your friendship and concern for our health and well-being. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. You are in our prayers, as well, as we all serve where and as we are called. God is Good and we trust Him for our present and our future and thank Him for our past. To Him be all honor, glory and praise.
Sent from my iPad
Friday, May 20, 2016
May 20, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. When the Grass Doesn't Grow
The past week has been grey, overcast, drizzley and cooler with less work than we have seen since we came back to Arkansas. Sunshine has been a scarce commodity. And the grass didn't need to be cut. I still had to pick a lot of weeds, but all in all it was a relaxing work week. Karen still was not able to get back to her work and may need to see the doctor again before we leave on Sunday for Colorado/Wyoming.
Today and tomorrow are performance days and the weather is supposed to cooperate with sunshine and warmer temperatures. It will be good to have people on the grounds, be back in our "costumes" and also see the sun again. Next week, after we leave, the performance schedule becomes more intense with four performance days per week and a special Sunday performance day on Memorial Day weekend. That changes the whole atmosphere here as the work load increases, the warmer weather makes for physical demands and the grass grows far more quickly each week. We will also be getting some teen and college age volunteers (Team Effort) throughout June and July who really help a great deal, doing many of the time consuming chores essential to keeping the place running. We will miss being here, but we hope to be back by June 15th to get back into the routine.
Our travel route has been mapped out for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, the work day is about to kick off, and it just started raining...........oh well.........smile and trust God.
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Today and tomorrow are performance days and the weather is supposed to cooperate with sunshine and warmer temperatures. It will be good to have people on the grounds, be back in our "costumes" and also see the sun again. Next week, after we leave, the performance schedule becomes more intense with four performance days per week and a special Sunday performance day on Memorial Day weekend. That changes the whole atmosphere here as the work load increases, the warmer weather makes for physical demands and the grass grows far more quickly each week. We will also be getting some teen and college age volunteers (Team Effort) throughout June and July who really help a great deal, doing many of the time consuming chores essential to keeping the place running. We will miss being here, but we hope to be back by June 15th to get back into the routine.
Our travel route has been mapped out for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, the work day is about to kick off, and it just started raining...........oh well.........smile and trust God.
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
May 17, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Mountain to Mountain
Here at The Great Passion Play we sit on top of Magnetic Mountain. There are supposedly large deposits of iron which create a magnetic field which affects compasses and attracts lightening. In the Bible there are frequent references to Jesus going up a mountain to pray and Moses certainly had his share of mountain-top experiences in the Old Testament. We have definitely had a host of experiences on this mountain and feel very much attracted to it.
This coming Sunday we will pack up, pull in the slides, raise the jacks and set out from this 1500' mountain and head across the flats of Kansas to the Rocky Mountain mountains for our annual medical cacophony of appointments and tests. We will also head up into the Rockies for Karen's Hayden Union High School all-class reunion. Karen graduated from high school in Morgan, Utah and that reunion (55th) will take place later this year, but this reunion will be in Hayden, Colorado where she spent the first 15 years of her life and did most of her "schooling".
Hayden's elevation is just over 6400' and is in a pretty valley along the Yampa River. We will then head back here, to Magnetic Mountain and the Great Passion Play.
There's something special about the mountains, whether they are 1500' or 6400' or 14000' like many of the Colorado peaks. The stars seem to shine brighter, the air seems cleaner and there is a feeling of freedom and exhilaration whether you drive up the mountain or hike/climb to the summit as I did on Long's Peak (14,259') about 12 years ago. But there is always the reality, that we can't stay on the mountain forever. There is always a return to the lowland, to the routine, and the "flats" of everyday life. We need to relish both the mountaintop and the flats, find contentment and joy in both and live as God calls us to live with hope and expectancy of all He has promised us beyond the present moment. It sure is wonderful to serve and worship such an awesome and faithful God. Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
This coming Sunday we will pack up, pull in the slides, raise the jacks and set out from this 1500' mountain and head across the flats of Kansas to the Rocky Mountain mountains for our annual medical cacophony of appointments and tests. We will also head up into the Rockies for Karen's Hayden Union High School all-class reunion. Karen graduated from high school in Morgan, Utah and that reunion (55th) will take place later this year, but this reunion will be in Hayden, Colorado where she spent the first 15 years of her life and did most of her "schooling".
Hayden's elevation is just over 6400' and is in a pretty valley along the Yampa River. We will then head back here, to Magnetic Mountain and the Great Passion Play.
There's something special about the mountains, whether they are 1500' or 6400' or 14000' like many of the Colorado peaks. The stars seem to shine brighter, the air seems cleaner and there is a feeling of freedom and exhilaration whether you drive up the mountain or hike/climb to the summit as I did on Long's Peak (14,259') about 12 years ago. But there is always the reality, that we can't stay on the mountain forever. There is always a return to the lowland, to the routine, and the "flats" of everyday life. We need to relish both the mountaintop and the flats, find contentment and joy in both and live as God calls us to live with hope and expectancy of all He has promised us beyond the present moment. It sure is wonderful to serve and worship such an awesome and faithful God. Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Saturday, May 14, 2016
May 14, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Learn Something New
There are thousands of adages about trying to learn something new every day. If we think we know it all, or think we are too old to learn something new, we are mistaken. Everyone has a favorite quote about knowledge, wisdom, understanding, or growth, but the main point of them all is that there is so much we do not know, and so many ways available to gain new insights, learn new ways to do things or just gain a better understanding of others and ourself.
Our willingness to stretch our limits, extend our physical or intellectual "boxes", get out of our comfort zone are activities which should excite us and challenge us and not be barriers or things to fear or be anxious about. I have a different attitude about our third year at The Great Passion Play. The Holy Land has become more meaningful to me as I am interacting with our visitors in a "teaching" environment, presenting not only the Biblical narrative of the events of Moses' life, but how they impacted me as a young Jewish boy and how that is impacting me now as a Christ follower for the past 17 years. I'm learning more about what I learned as a child, young adult and during my years in the "wilderness", and realizing that there is so much more to learn, and learn it so that it will lead to an even closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
As we had mixed emotions when we left Georgia to return to Eureka Springs last month, it is with the same mixed emotions that we leave for Colorado in a week to do our annual medical "duties". But go, we must. We don't know what God has in store for us as we travel to Colorado and back to Arkansas in mid-June, but we look forward to what He has up the road for us and know He will always be with us.
To quote the eminent philosopher, and pretty fair baseball player, Yogi Berra, "Life is a learning experience, only if you learn." And learn, we will.
Sent from my iPad
Our willingness to stretch our limits, extend our physical or intellectual "boxes", get out of our comfort zone are activities which should excite us and challenge us and not be barriers or things to fear or be anxious about. I have a different attitude about our third year at The Great Passion Play. The Holy Land has become more meaningful to me as I am interacting with our visitors in a "teaching" environment, presenting not only the Biblical narrative of the events of Moses' life, but how they impacted me as a young Jewish boy and how that is impacting me now as a Christ follower for the past 17 years. I'm learning more about what I learned as a child, young adult and during my years in the "wilderness", and realizing that there is so much more to learn, and learn it so that it will lead to an even closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
As we had mixed emotions when we left Georgia to return to Eureka Springs last month, it is with the same mixed emotions that we leave for Colorado in a week to do our annual medical "duties". But go, we must. We don't know what God has in store for us as we travel to Colorado and back to Arkansas in mid-June, but we look forward to what He has up the road for us and know He will always be with us.
To quote the eminent philosopher, and pretty fair baseball player, Yogi Berra, "Life is a learning experience, only if you learn." And learn, we will.
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
May 11, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. TPMS
Technology strikes again, and if we buy what they are selling, it isn't cheap. TPMS is "Tire Pressure Monitoring System", and what it does is tell the driver that a tire may have less than ideal tire pressure. That's a good thing, except it doesn't tell you which tire and it means you have to use a tire gauge to find out the culprit tire. When the light came on yesterday on our car, we stopped, looked at the tires ( which looked fine), then stopped at a local tire shop to have the pressure checked. I don't believe in paying for air, so I take advantage of the "check your tire pressure for free" offer at most tire shops.
The result was all tires were at the same, and proper, pressure. The technician then brought out a "black box" which he pointed at each tire, and told us the sensor in our left rear wheel was defective because the battery on the sensor had run out of juice. You can't just replace the battery, you have to replace the sensor, and each wheel has a sensor. That means we have the potential of all four sensors needing to be replaced when the batteries run out. Life span on the battery is about 10 years and our car is a 2008. Cost to replace the sensor-$100 per wheel and we can be pretty certain if one failed, the others aren't far behind.
My question to the technician --what happens if we don't replace the sensor? Answer -- the light stays on. And does the sensor have any other function? No, it just tells us the tire pressure is low in one of our tires. And if the sensor breaks, it doesn't do anything, except cost us $100 per replacement. The solution ---- check our tire pressure visually and with a $1.15 tire gauge and if low, stop at a tire shop for the free tire fill-up. Wait a minute, I just remembered, we have a cigarette-lighter-plug-in compressor, so I can fill a low tire, if necessary, unless the cord won't reach. I'm going to check that now. I better find out so I can be emotionally ready to bite the bullet and pay for air, should the situation arise.
Technology has been a blessing to us with the vast amount of information we can access on the road; the ease of making travel plans and medical appointments or reservations at places to spend the night, checking weather, fuel costs and paying our bills on-line, keeping in touch with friends and family with ease, getting directions and finding places to eat. But when technology glitches, or a simple chore becomes an expensive ordeal, it makes us remember the days we traveled from pay phone to pay phone, used paper maps had our tire gauge and free air at the full-service gas stations along the way, and did pretty well.......because we didn't know any better......and had no choice. The times have certainly changed.
Sent from my iPad
The result was all tires were at the same, and proper, pressure. The technician then brought out a "black box" which he pointed at each tire, and told us the sensor in our left rear wheel was defective because the battery on the sensor had run out of juice. You can't just replace the battery, you have to replace the sensor, and each wheel has a sensor. That means we have the potential of all four sensors needing to be replaced when the batteries run out. Life span on the battery is about 10 years and our car is a 2008. Cost to replace the sensor-$100 per wheel and we can be pretty certain if one failed, the others aren't far behind.
My question to the technician --what happens if we don't replace the sensor? Answer -- the light stays on. And does the sensor have any other function? No, it just tells us the tire pressure is low in one of our tires. And if the sensor breaks, it doesn't do anything, except cost us $100 per replacement. The solution ---- check our tire pressure visually and with a $1.15 tire gauge and if low, stop at a tire shop for the free tire fill-up. Wait a minute, I just remembered, we have a cigarette-lighter-plug-in compressor, so I can fill a low tire, if necessary, unless the cord won't reach. I'm going to check that now. I better find out so I can be emotionally ready to bite the bullet and pay for air, should the situation arise.
Technology has been a blessing to us with the vast amount of information we can access on the road; the ease of making travel plans and medical appointments or reservations at places to spend the night, checking weather, fuel costs and paying our bills on-line, keeping in touch with friends and family with ease, getting directions and finding places to eat. But when technology glitches, or a simple chore becomes an expensive ordeal, it makes us remember the days we traveled from pay phone to pay phone, used paper maps had our tire gauge and free air at the full-service gas stations along the way, and did pretty well.......because we didn't know any better......and had no choice. The times have certainly changed.
Sent from my iPad
Sunday, May 8, 2016
May 8, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times............
A little extreme, perhaps, but an apt description of our past week. Karen has been working long hours (wherever we have been), and finally was overcome by another bout of sinus congestion, pollen overload, persistent coughing and feeling awful. From Wednesday on she has been "down" and downright out, sleeping all day and up all night. It has not been good, and hopefully the medicine will kick it and kick out the punies. It's been a tough go.
My week, on the other hand, was pretty good, with the opening of the Passion Play performance season and my new role of being a presenter in the Holy Land. I was not sure how to actually present the Passover House, the life of Moses and the wanderings of the children of Israel in the wilderness in a way that would be more than repeating the Bible account and yet fit in with the time constraints of our "tour", but God prompted me to relate the story from the standpoint of someone raised as a Jew, as I was, who found Jesus at age 53 and has endeavored to serve Him obediently ever since. The words came, as they did to Moses, and it was fun to see the response, answer some interesting questions and learn from those I was "teaching"
Karen has always been a people person, caring and a good listener. I have not been constructed in such a fashion, and it has been difficult for me to be consistent in how I relate to people. I can be the best......and I can also be the worst, with no idea of which personality will appear. But, this week has been an eye opener for me and I feel God leading me in a new direction and into a new season of service. I'm excited by the challenge, but sad that we will need to "abandon" the Passion Play in two weeks, return to Colorado for our medical appointments, before we resuming our activities here in Eureka Springs".
The key task right now is to get Karen back to good health to be ready for driving the "bus" back to Fort Collins. It would certainly be a new season for us if the task of driving the 900 miles fell on me with my "less than one mile" of RV driving experience. Pray for Karen.......for health, healing and driving excellence for the journey ahead.
Sent from my iPad
My week, on the other hand, was pretty good, with the opening of the Passion Play performance season and my new role of being a presenter in the Holy Land. I was not sure how to actually present the Passover House, the life of Moses and the wanderings of the children of Israel in the wilderness in a way that would be more than repeating the Bible account and yet fit in with the time constraints of our "tour", but God prompted me to relate the story from the standpoint of someone raised as a Jew, as I was, who found Jesus at age 53 and has endeavored to serve Him obediently ever since. The words came, as they did to Moses, and it was fun to see the response, answer some interesting questions and learn from those I was "teaching"
Karen has always been a people person, caring and a good listener. I have not been constructed in such a fashion, and it has been difficult for me to be consistent in how I relate to people. I can be the best......and I can also be the worst, with no idea of which personality will appear. But, this week has been an eye opener for me and I feel God leading me in a new direction and into a new season of service. I'm excited by the challenge, but sad that we will need to "abandon" the Passion Play in two weeks, return to Colorado for our medical appointments, before we resuming our activities here in Eureka Springs".
The key task right now is to get Karen back to good health to be ready for driving the "bus" back to Fort Collins. It would certainly be a new season for us if the task of driving the 900 miles fell on me with my "less than one mile" of RV driving experience. Pray for Karen.......for health, healing and driving excellence for the journey ahead.
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, May 5, 2016
May 5, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. Opening Day Eve
I'm a day early for my blog, but tomorrow promises to be a very busy, and very late, day so I thought I would pre-blog my blog and be able to relax the rest of the evening. I think we're ready for the opening with a spruced up set, some repaired roofs, a lot of fresh paint, grounds looking nice, some new cast members and a few non-returnees. Bubba and his Louisiana group have been here all week working on a leaky roof on Herod's Temple. They are an eager and talented bunch and it's fun to have them here again.
Most of the staff came in today to make sure their areas were in order, and many were surprised at how much had been done by the "skeleton" winter crew and the volunteers who have been here for a while. The gift shops are looking pretty good and the people in there, including Karen, have worked long hours and still have a lot of merchandise to inventory and display. The Christ of The Ozarks Statue has some scaffolding around it as work is being done to repair some weather damage and ready the surface for painting later in the season. The statue was completed in June, 1966, so it will be 50 years old this year.
On performance days I will be a presenter in the Holy Land, at the Passover House and Ten Commandments area, and then blow the shofar for the Play and be one of the Disciples. I'll help 88 year old Dick, the Tabernacle Priest, as he gives an in-depth teaching of Moses' Tabernacle in the Wilderness. This will be Dick's 28th year at The Great Passion Play and it is a joy to work with him again.
There seems to be a calm covering the grounds this evening. Today was The National Day of Prayer breakfast here at the Passion Play, a seven day Bible reading marathon concluded about 3pm and the shofar was sounded to "attack" the spiritual strongholds which are trying to undermine and oppose the Christian Church and our efforts to preach Jesus Christ to our country and the world. A lot of prayer is being offered up for our efforts here and for other ministries spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for these efforts and let's all exhibit a new boldness in our prayers, boldness in our discipling and boldness in our faith, and ........To God be the Glory.
Sent from my iPad
Most of the staff came in today to make sure their areas were in order, and many were surprised at how much had been done by the "skeleton" winter crew and the volunteers who have been here for a while. The gift shops are looking pretty good and the people in there, including Karen, have worked long hours and still have a lot of merchandise to inventory and display. The Christ of The Ozarks Statue has some scaffolding around it as work is being done to repair some weather damage and ready the surface for painting later in the season. The statue was completed in June, 1966, so it will be 50 years old this year.
On performance days I will be a presenter in the Holy Land, at the Passover House and Ten Commandments area, and then blow the shofar for the Play and be one of the Disciples. I'll help 88 year old Dick, the Tabernacle Priest, as he gives an in-depth teaching of Moses' Tabernacle in the Wilderness. This will be Dick's 28th year at The Great Passion Play and it is a joy to work with him again.
There seems to be a calm covering the grounds this evening. Today was The National Day of Prayer breakfast here at the Passion Play, a seven day Bible reading marathon concluded about 3pm and the shofar was sounded to "attack" the spiritual strongholds which are trying to undermine and oppose the Christian Church and our efforts to preach Jesus Christ to our country and the world. A lot of prayer is being offered up for our efforts here and for other ministries spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for these efforts and let's all exhibit a new boldness in our prayers, boldness in our discipling and boldness in our faith, and ........To God be the Glory.
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
May 3, 2016. Eureka Springs, AR. If I were in Charge..........
Have you ever been in a situation where you were frustrated by the "rules of the game" or felt like you could be a better boss than the boss you were "stuck" with? Have you ever just reached the limit of your patience and maybe even walked away, quit or "burned your bridges" in total despair and desperation?
Yes, I've been there, too. Overworked, under appreciated, underpaid, exhausted, sick and tired, tense and burned out. I read a devotional a few days ago about someone in that very situation. He asked God to give him control of the weather so it wouldn't be too hot, too cold, too windy or too "whatever" for him, and when God did he realized that it wasn't all that easy to balance everything in such a way that everyone was happy. He ended up giving control back to God and concluded that God was a much better God than he thought and he himself made a pretty lousy one.
That devotional made me take another close look at what Karen and I are doing here at the Passion Play and what we do in Georgia during the winter. We have found two less than perfect ministries with a lot of less than perfect paid staff and volunteers, and a shortage of people to do the jobs which need to be done. Everyone tries their best, even if their best is not perfect, and sometimes the jobs need to be done again or again or again. But we can only do so much and in most cases what we don't finish today will be there for us tomorrow. We're glad we're here, glad we're doing what we're doing, really glad we are not in charge, glad we're also less than perfect, and praying that we will have most things in decent order when the gates open Friday morning.
There will still be leaves to rake, weeds to pull, merchandise to put on display, details of the Holy Land presentations to be fine-tuned, roles to fill in the Play and dispositions to be brightened. But, hopefully we will all do our best, reevaluate our motives for being here and let God run the "show"; trusting Him for the right people to be here to work and volunteer; trusting that our patron and guests will be favorably impacted by what they encounter here, and knowing that in the end this is but a temporary stop in a temporary home and the best is yet to come. Thank You, Lord, for being in control and allowing us to be part of Your team.
Sent from my iPad
Yes, I've been there, too. Overworked, under appreciated, underpaid, exhausted, sick and tired, tense and burned out. I read a devotional a few days ago about someone in that very situation. He asked God to give him control of the weather so it wouldn't be too hot, too cold, too windy or too "whatever" for him, and when God did he realized that it wasn't all that easy to balance everything in such a way that everyone was happy. He ended up giving control back to God and concluded that God was a much better God than he thought and he himself made a pretty lousy one.
That devotional made me take another close look at what Karen and I are doing here at the Passion Play and what we do in Georgia during the winter. We have found two less than perfect ministries with a lot of less than perfect paid staff and volunteers, and a shortage of people to do the jobs which need to be done. Everyone tries their best, even if their best is not perfect, and sometimes the jobs need to be done again or again or again. But we can only do so much and in most cases what we don't finish today will be there for us tomorrow. We're glad we're here, glad we're doing what we're doing, really glad we are not in charge, glad we're also less than perfect, and praying that we will have most things in decent order when the gates open Friday morning.
There will still be leaves to rake, weeds to pull, merchandise to put on display, details of the Holy Land presentations to be fine-tuned, roles to fill in the Play and dispositions to be brightened. But, hopefully we will all do our best, reevaluate our motives for being here and let God run the "show"; trusting Him for the right people to be here to work and volunteer; trusting that our patron and guests will be favorably impacted by what they encounter here, and knowing that in the end this is but a temporary stop in a temporary home and the best is yet to come. Thank You, Lord, for being in control and allowing us to be part of Your team.
Sent from my iPad
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