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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Sunday, October 30, 2016
Thursday, October 27, 2016
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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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............
Sent from my iPad
Monday, October 24, 2016
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.
Sent from my iPad
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.
Sent from my iPad
Saturday, October 22, 2016
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.
Sent from my iPad
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.
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
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.
Sent from my iPad
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.
Sent from my iPad
Sunday, October 16, 2016
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.
Sent from my iPad
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.
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, October 13, 2016
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.
Sent from my iPad
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.
Sent from my iPad
Monday, October 10, 2016
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.
Sent from my iPad
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.
Sent from my iPad
Friday, October 7, 2016
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.
Sent from my iPad
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.
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
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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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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Saturday, October 1, 2016
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.
Sent from my iPad
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.
Sent from my iPad
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