December 30, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Farewell to 2018

Tomorrow night, at midnight, we will say goodbye to 2018 and hello to 2019. For most people it probably won't make any difference. Life will continue as usual and the only real issue will be remembering to write 2019 instead of 2018 on our checks, correspondence and other places where the year is important. Because of the different time zones around the world, there will be 24 different changes from '18 to '19. For some people it might be interesting to celebrate all 24 in each one. I wonder if anyone has ever tried it.
According to the Internet the only real way to celebrate all time zones' new year celebration would be at the Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole where all the lines of longitude converge. Otherwise you would need a non-military plane faster than any now in existence to get to every time zone in the required 24 hours. The record for flying around the world is just over 63 hours, so do the math. And a military plane with in-air refueling capability, imagine the red-tape required to pull that off, and the cost.
Well, I guess it's watch tv or Internet for the celebrations in the time zones to our east, celebrate where we are at midnight and then back to the tv or Internet for midnight in the zones to our west. Only one problem with this. I haven't been awake at midnight on New Year's Eve for a good many years, and I'm sure it isn't in my plans for tomorrow.
In any event..........HAPPY NEW YEAR......wherever you are.

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Abraham, et. al

December 27, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Passion Play Animals

I've written about our PP animals and included pictures on my postings from time to time. It is fun to have the animals in the barn area and the petting zoo during the season and they are a big hit with our visitors and Play attendees. During the winter months, many of our animals are housed indoors on a ranch in Berryville, about 12 miles from here, since we don't have heated facilities on the PP grounds.
The only Play animals still here are the four chariot horses, centurion's horse, and cross-back Christ donkeys, Michelle, Nancy, Abraham (our 8 month old Christ-donkey-in-training and Elizabeth (our full-grown miniature cross-back donkey). We have the white homing-pigeons and their little ones (squabs) on the property, as well.
The petting zoo animals all have shelters with heat lamps and seem content to be here. It's quite a menagerie: sheep, goats, miniature horses, ducks, rabbits, a lama, miniature pigmy goat, Samson the Great Pyrenees, Indy the pig, turkeys, chickens, feral cats and Clay (the potter's cat). Every so often we have someone "drop off" an animal and Joe takes it into the family.
There are quite a few deer on the property and they like to visit the Tabernacle, the vineyard and even the parking lot area where we are parked. They don't seem to mind our presence. The plan for next season appears to include a few more horses for the Roman soldiers, more sheep (the ewes are all "with child") and maybe a couple more camels. I visited Abraham and the other donkeys yesterday at the barn. Sure is fun to have animals as part of our Passion Play staff.


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December 24, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Christmas Eve Day

I wanted to write about the government shutdown, but changed my mind. That whole bit about "non-essential" government jobs wreaks of lunacy and trillions of dollars of debt. I had thought of writing about the stock market imploding, but heard the NYSE bell ring on Friday, saw the hoard of smiling and cheering people on the platform and wondered what I could possibly say that would be anything but cynical or sarcastic.
And then, I looked at the date, reflected on yesterday's church celebration of Jesus' birth and the joy of singing Christmas carols, and I thought it might be best to think of the peace, joy, calm and contentment I feel with our life and how we have chosen to live it. I write often about how thankful I am for the blessings we have received, the things we have chosen to be essentials for us and the reason we smile and cheer at the things we do. Our life is certainly not perfect. We have our sorrows and difficulties, but we accept life as it comes and are thankful we have a Father, Son and Holy Spirit as the bedrock of our life and a source of strength when we need to be strengthened.
All this being said........MERRY CHRISTMAS and THANK YOU, LORD.

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December 21, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Leaves

One of my winter/spring tasks in Georgia for three years, last year in Texas and each spring here in Arkansas is trying to get rid of the leaves which have been such a beautiful sight when they are attached to their respective tree, have been awash in color each fall and are now covering the ground, clogging drainage ditches, blowing all over the place and generally being a nuisance.
In Georgia I had real efficient equipment to work with: riding mowers with a mulching leaf-rake in tow or mulching zero-turn mowers. The leaves from the 25 acre property were put in a single pile and I was never there when the pile was disposed of or burned. Here at the Passion Play we have nearly 700 acres, but only a fraction of that has to be de-leafed: the amphitheater, the set, the drainage ditches, the Holy Land venues and the area around our parking lots, museums and buffet. But, there are a lot of leaves. My only weapons are a leaf rake, a utility lighter, a pick-up truck or golf cart, and large grey garbage sacks. We need to be careful when and where we burn, and in a few months there will be additional volunteers to assist with leaf duty. Since we conduct Holy Land tours in the off-season, I have been trying to keep our venues raked and leaf-free. The more I can do now, the less we will have to do later when there will be more pressing things needing to be done
It's another one of those "cow never stays milked" chores we all have in our repertoire, and one which can keep you warm on even one of our colder days. Another reason to do it now, is that the crawly-slithery creatures which like to hide under the leaves in the warmer months are holed up elsewhere now and less likely to interfere. However, it's wise to add a shovel to that list of weapons I mentioned earlier. Rake On.

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December 18, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Are We Really That Stupid?

Businesses pay tremendous amounts of money to advertise their products. There are many methods advertisers use to lure us to buy the products they are being paid to promote: billboards, radio, television, on-line ads, direct mail, posters, handouts, magazines, newspapers, celebrity endorsements, background in movies, race car decals, phone solicitors, product logos on clothing, major event sponsorship, names on arenas and stadia, etc.
Everyone advertises and we are constantly bombarded by it. Do these methods really work? Are we checked for colon cancer because a talking cardboard box sitting on a toilet tells us to do so? Do we buy insurance because a seedy looking person named "mayhem" tells us to protect ourselves from him and people like him? Do we buy cars because an animated character with a human voice tells us to do so? Do we contribute to charities which tug at our heartstrings by showing neglected or abused animals, children with terrible illnesses or deformities? Do we use lawyers who promise to deliver substantial damage awards from alleged negligent drivers, alleged negligent doctors or hospitals, alleged unscrupulous drug companies or alleged negligent other lawyers, police, or our government itself
With so much negativism in so many areas of our life, it's sad that we have to realize that there are a lot of people trying to lure us into places and products which are trying to take from us quickly what we have worked so hard and long to amass. Hackers, identity thieves, muggers, crank callers, dishonest claims, cheaters and outright liars. An endless list of people trying to see how stupid they can make us act. Sad.......sad.......sad.
About a week ago, I received a call from a New Mexico area code, telling me they were the IRS, I had four outstanding warrants for my arrest, and I better call them immediately or I would be rounded up and subject to "who knows what". I may not be the brightest person, but do "they" really take me to be that stupid...........?

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December 15, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Five Years Ago

It was December 15, 2013. The weather in Fort Collins, Colorado had climbed above freezing for the first time in quite a while. We were able to get our motorhome started after dewinterizing it, installing new batteries and enduring weather as cold as 17 below zero. We were eager to get to warmer weather and start our "on the road" ministry, but would have to endure substantial cold, ice, running through a full tank of propane in 8 days, and a host of other rookie motorhome experiences before we would get to Homosassa, Florida and some warmer weather, for a while.
We had no idea what to expect on that December day, but we knew we were in for something new and challenging. We had never owned a motorhome or travel trailer of any kind. We did rent a motorhome in 1983 when we competed in the Race across America, and again in 1984 when we crewed for another RAAM competitor. But that has been a lot of years ago, and not for a very long period of time. So our 2013 adventure was an Adventure.
The past five years have flown by. We have logged about 18,000 motorhome miles and about 32,000 car miles in that time. We have definitely been on a great adventure, with no real idea where and when it will all end up. We haven't really done too much touristy stuff, haven't thought of this as retirement, and have probably "worked" harder than we ever did when we worked for a living. We wouldn't trade our past five years for anything, yet still face each day, knowing that we will "follow the cloud", serve God as He directs us and continue to trust the plan God has for us and the road He wants us to travel. And always..........always........we sincerely and truly..........Thank You, Lord.

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December 12, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. I Can't Say It Any Better

> One of my favorite daily devotionals is Streams in the Desert, and one of my favorite daily devotionals in Streams in the Desert is the one for today, December 12. Karen and I have always worked hard in our paid jobs and as volunteers we have tried to give our best effort to every task we have been called to. I want to quote part of the 12/12 SITD devotional, since I really don't think I can express any better the reason we serve as we do:

"May we also go forth to higher endeavors for Christ, never resting until we can shout from the mountaintop 'I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith'

Finish your work, then rest,
'Till then rest never;
Since rest for you with God
Is rest forever.

God will examine your life not for medals, diplomas, or degrees but for battle scars.

A medieval singer once sang of his hero:

With his trusty sword for aid;
Ornament it carried none,
But the notches on the blade.

What nobler medal of honor could any godly person seek than the scars of service, personal loss for the crown of reward, disgrace for the sake of Christ, and being worn out in the Master's service!"

I can't say it any better.

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December 9, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. No Snow

We waited, we watched......and we had NOTHING, NADA, ZILCH. The snow storm which had been predicted to drop anywhere from one inch to eight inches in the Eureka Springs area, depending on which station you watched and which forecast model they put their faith in, resulted in ZERO precipitation of any kind for our area. The radar maps showed the storm to our south and east with only the slightest chance of anything hitting us. And, nothing hit us at all.
One of the best meteorologists in our area, Dan Skoff of KNWA in Fayetteville, 35 miles west of us, was one who showed all the models and determined that they were probably all wrong and we could expect little to no precipitation in our area. Dan coined a phrase back in September, 2016 when a major storm was predicted for Northwest Arkansas and it failed to materialize. He called it the Fayetteville Fizzle, and even inspired and performed a country western song with that title. It's a cute song. You can Google it and listen to his September 19,2016 rendition. He often refers to the FF when predicted storms fail to materialize, and this weekend's "blizzard" is one more which can be added to the growing list.
But on a serious note, in our five years in Arkansas we have experienced some very severe weather situations, especially on top of Magnetic Mountain. It is always wise to listen and watch, check the radar on a regular basis and be prepared for weather which can come at us from any direction, and very quickly. Thanks Dan, and all you other weather guys for warning us of what's on the way. Best to be forewarned and prepared. And never knock it when we get a fizzle instead of something which could have been far worse.

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December 6, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Snow

Karen grew up on the western slope of Colorado and is very familiar with long winters and plenty of snow. I grew up in the Hudson Valley and Mohawk Valley of upstate New York and was also quite used to cold snowy winters. We met in Lakewood, CO in 1972 and at the time there was one of many blizzards occurring which made my Triumph Spitfire hard to locate in the accumulation of falling and plowed snow on Capitol Hill in Denver. When we moved to Tulsa in 1974 we experienced a number of ice storms and then from 1977 to 2013 back in Colorado we endured a lot of blizzards, drifts, heavy accumulation and severe winter weather conditions.
When we left Fort Collins in our motor home on December 15, 2013 it was after a period of sub-zero temperatures, and promptly found ourselves hunkered down for five days in a north Texas ice storm. Since then, we have seen measurable snow only a few times, in Lufkin, TX, Charlotte, NC, north of Atlanta, GA and last year in Loveland, CO. But in the next few days there is the chance we will be on the southern edge of a storm which is forecast to be a "big one".
With recent advances in weather forecasting, computer analysis, radar technology and satellite photography and the "stardom" given to meteorologists, storm chasers and weather personalities, it seems that our storms get bigger, more dangerous and put more of us "at risk" and dominate not only the local news but the network news on a daily basis. So, here we sit with the option to get our weather from the Oklahoma, Missouri or Arkansas stations as well as the National Network News' Weather experts. My next blog will tell you what happened here on Magnetic Mountain, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, elevation 1250 feet; how much snow we received and how we fared in our home on wheels. Pictures will be worth a thousand words.



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December 3, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. A Matter of Degree

Last week our water system was shut down for maintenance reasons; cleaning the two 10,000 gallon water tanks, shocking the system with a high dose of chlorine, draining the tanks, refilling them, checking the chlorine level and waiting for the official water quality test to be performed and then waiting for two weeks for the results, and being under a boil order until the results come back.
Sounds ominous, but in relation to so many others who have bad water quality all the time, or no water at all, our situation is pretty mild. All the bathrooms on the property were shut down, a couple of port-a-potties were brought in and there was no tap water for drinking or washing use. In the motor home we just used our fresh water tank, the water pump and were not inconvenienced at all. I disconnected our hoses from the spigot and with temperatures below freezing for part of last week and anticipated for this week, our on board water is more than adequate. One of the port-a-potties blew over in the strong winds Friday night, so those in the admin building had to use the inside bathrooms on Saturday, but flushed with high concentrations of chlorine and had to use hand sanitizer in place of washing. Today the chlorine level was within "legal" limits and the horizontal port-a-pottie was taken away by the septic swat team.
All in all, not too much of an inconvenience and much better than much of the world and even our own country has to endure. Another reason for us to be grateful; thankful for God's provision and His care and concern for us. Thank you maintenance, Steve's Septic, but most of all.........Thank You, Lord.
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November 30, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Confusion

We have been experiencing a mish-mash of weather the past month and it appears we are in for another unusual weather pattern at the moment. We have had fall-like conditions for 3 to 4 days in a row and then 3 to 4 days of uncharacteristically winter-like weather with temperatures near freezing during the day and teens and low 20's at night. At the moment we are 60 degrees at 7:30pm, raining and what appears to be severe thunderstorms approaching from the south.
The Eureka Springs Christmas parade just concluded and cars are starting to drive through our Christmas lights display to see the live Nativity near the Christ of the Ozarks statue scheduled for 8pm. Most of the cars are driving in, and driving right out so the weather may be a factor in their not waiting around for the program and the refreshments afterwards. It's hard to stay "in the mood" when there is the rumble of thunder overshadowing the music being played.
The weather has been playing havoc on our outdoor projects and even the critters have been confused by the variable weather. Ladybugs come out when it's warm, chiggers are still active and all our petting zoo and Play animals have their winter coats on, but I would imagine the days in the high 60's aren't real comfortable for them. There is talk that our camels may be sent south for the winter if the cold weather sticks around for any longer stretches. I visited Little Bit and Delilah yesterday and they seemed content, but we'll see. All our sheep have been taken to a ranch nearby and put inside until Spring. The horses and donkeys are toughing it out here.
The radar shows the storms getting closer and the thunder is louder and more frequent and the temperature is going UP. I have some outside duties after the Nativity program, so I better get prepared for an "in the rain" experience. The cars keep coming and going. I better check on the Nativitiers.

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November 27, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. I Don't Know

With all the information available to us on the Internet, it's possible to find an answer to virtually every question. When I hear a name I don't recognize, I can find out about him or her on Google, or any number of other search engines. History is at my fingertips and I can find out about almost everyone and everything that has ever happened by just entering what I do know to find out what I don't know.
But there are some questions which defy an answer, and it is frustrating sometimes to hit a dead end before we even begin to find an answer. Why do bad things happen to good people? What does "being in the wrong place at the wrong time" really mean? Is there such a thing as being lucky or unlucky? There are thousands of such questions without definite answers and no matter how much we search or ask people their opinion, we will either get multiple answers or no answer at all. Sometimes the only answer is "I don't know". Ask five lawyers the same question and you may get more than five answers. When five witness at a trial swear to tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth", why are there sometimes five different versions of what they "saw". And how do we ever discern The Truth in such a situation?
Is life fair? Can we expect to receive what we really deserve? Is the flu shot going to prevent us from getting the flu, or will it give us the flu? Can we depend on the weather forecast, and why do tornadoes destroy some houses while leaving others unaffected? Have I posed a question, you have an answer to, or are you, like me, going to throw up your hands and say......"I don't know.......and to be honest.....I really don't care". And by the way......should there be a question mark at the end of the previous sentence, inside or outside the end-quote mark? You know?.......I DON'T KNOW.

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A Foreshadow

November 24, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Prayer Cross

One of our off-season projects here at TGPP is the construction of a Prayer Cross near the Christ of the Ozarks statue. It involves a lot of preliminary concrete, mortar and stucco work before we actually erect the Cross, set up the seating area, install the Baptismal and water feature, plant all the shrubbery and flowers and set the walkways and stone floor in place.
But, as we finished the stucco base coat on Wednesday, we had a foreshadowing of the Cross as the shadow from a tree branch fell on the retaining wall just behind the hole where the wooden Cross will be set in place. Something tells me God is watching our project and is encouraging us to continue with the work needed to bring His vision to fruition. Still much to be done, but it's good to feel that He is with us as we labor and seek to glorify Him with our efforts.

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November 21, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Communication

When I was growing up, I remember the ease with which we could communicate with each other. There was the telephone with an Operator who would say "number, please" and we could give her the phone number of who we wanted to talk to. We could call "person-to person, or call collect or just say "reverse the charges". There were pay phones we could use to call someone when we were traveling, or in the lobby of a hotel or office building. I remember when our phone number was 4091J and we moved to another house and our number changed to 4091W.
We could send a telegram, or a money order with Western Union. In our town, when there was a fire, the siren would sound a series of long or short blasts and we could find out where the fire was by looking up the "pattern" in the local phone book. There was a thing called a fax machine where a copy of a document could be sent (mysteriously) to another fax machine.
It seemed that lawyers used this way of communicating quite often. The mailman brought mail to the house twice a day and there was a post card which cost a penny to send. To let people know where we were on vacation, we would even have a post card with a pretty picture on the front. All these ways to communicate were "modern marvels". And then we had dial phones, push-button phones and no more "party lines". Technology was pretty cool.
The other day, I needed to renew our motorhome license tag. I was able to print two Colorado forms from the Internet, scan the forms on a copy machine, attach the forms to an e-mail and send it to the Larimer County DMV from Arkansas. I called the DMV on my cell phone to confirm that they had received the forms and they pulled up the forms on their computer, asked for a correction to one of the forms (which I then scanned and e-mailed), called the DMV again and talked to a different clerk, who confirmed the correction and said she would send the forms to the Denver DMV and they would issue our new tags in 2 to 3 weeks. All of this took place on November 13, in less than an hour.
Karen's sister received an envelope from the Larimer DMV addressed to us on November 14, snail-mailed it to us the next day and on Monday, November 19, our renewal tag arrived. In less than a week, using "modern marvels" the process was completed. A Verizon phone representative told me the other day, that if we think things are fast and efficient now, wait until their 5g system goes into broader distribution. I guess we ain't seen nothin', yet.


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November 18, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Thanks

Every morning, the first words in my journal are "Thank You, Lord......" It has been that same opening for years and it may appear to some to be a trite, repetitious statement with no substance behind it. But, I really am thankful for everything in my life, for the ups and downs, the successes and failures, the aggravations and the plaudits. Because, the pluses are areas to learn humility and the minuses are areas to seek to improve and turn into pluses up the road.
When we are truly thankful for what happens in our daily life, we are giving thanks to the One who is in control of that life and is creating that unique niche we occupy and the unique purpose He has for us. The picture would be incomplete if we were not in it; it would be like a 1000 piece zigsaw puzzle with only 999 pieces. We would get the idea of what the picture was intended to convey, but that one missing piece would be like Moses seeing the Promised Land from Mount Nebo, but not being allowed to cross the Jordan and complete the journey.
This past week, with Veterans Day, and being able to honor those who served, to thank some of my Veteran friends for their service and their friendship, and reconnecting with my Vietnam hootch-mate, Ken, after a gap of over 20 years since we last visited, I have a deeper thankfulness for the path God has had me on for my nearly 73 years of life. It's not that we have to finish first, but that we just finish. It's not important that we get thanked, but that we thank Him. It's not so much what we know, but Who we know. And most of all, it's essential that we thank Him, in advance, for what He has promised and the path that will lead us to it. Thank You, Lord, for what was, what is and what is yet to come. Thank You, Thank You, Lord.

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November 15, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Home

Karen and I both had two home towns we grew up in. I spent the first 18 years of my life in Poughkeepsie and Schenectady, New York. They were cities with populations of 40,000 and 80,000. Karen grew up in Hayden, Colorado and Morgan, Utah both of which were rural towns with populations under 1000 and 2000 respectively. A city boy and a country girl, meeting in the Denver suburbs and somehow finding common ground for the past 44 years.
We settled down in Colorado, moved to Tulsa, OK where we lived for 2 1/2 years, transferred back to Colorado where we have owned homes in Lakewood and Fort Collins for a total of 41 years. The past five years we have been on the road, living in our motor home and spending time in various states for various lengths of time. We still call Colorado home. All our mail goes to our Colorado address, we have Colorado plates on our vehicles, carry Colorado Driver's Licenses, pay Colorado property taxes, are registered to vote in Colorado and kind-of root for the Rockies and Broncos.
But, with our nomadic lifestyle, it is becoming more difficult to do some of the things we are required to do to keep our vehicles legal, take care of Karen's medical needs and be part of the community we are currently living in. So, we are considering looking for a brick and mortar home rather than calling our "car" our home. We're not looking to sell our Fort Collins house since we have family living there, but we feel we need to have "roots" where we spend most of our time. That, at the moment, is Northwest Arkansas. With more time to explore the area than we have during the May thru October Passion Play season, we have begun to look for our new not-on-wheels home. Today was day one of the search. Three times in the past we have bought a house on the first day of our search, and while there is still daylight of this first day, we will need to "look another day". We're still on wheels.
We both know we have an eternal Home reserved for us beyond the present one, and we trust that God will lead us to the right place for us on this current journey on the road He has set before us. In advance, we say.....Thank You, Lord.


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November 12, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Add to Veteran's Day

November 12, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Veterans' Day

Yesterday Karen and I visited with Dick and Joan. Dick is 91 years old and a 20+ year Navy Veteran. He has been a fixture here at the Passion Play for over 30 years and was instrumental in helping erect the full-scale Tabernacle of Moses on our Holy Land Tour. For the past five years, he and I have been together teaching our guests about the Tabernacle and we're hopeful the doctors will allow him to come back for the 2019 season.
Yesterday, I was also able to connect by text with a few of my Veteran friends including one I was with in Vietnam for about eight months. It's been more than 20 years since I have had contact with Ken. A lot has happened in those years, to him and Barbara, Karen and me, and I hope we will be able to reunite and fill in the gap and be an encouragement to each other for what still lies ahead.
Today, Karen and I attended a Veterans Day ceremony at Eureka Springs High School, and there were some moving moments as the high school band, middle school and high school choir performed, a slide presentation honored local vets, a video of the Air Force Angel Flight was shown, a retired Air Force Colonel talked and then read Ted Nugent's "Take a Knee" condemnation of the NFL players' disrespect of our National Anthem. We were served a hot dog and hamburger lunch. The auditorium, holding less than 200, was filled with students and veterans and i was moved at the response of young and old to the program.
I just listened to the final part of a Dave Roever message on James Dobson's radio show. It was a powerful testimony of his horrific Vietnam War injury and even more powerful testimony of unwavering faith in Jesus. I will replay the message again when I sign off on this blog post.
What a great Veterans' Day(s) this has been for me as a Veteran and a Christian. A coin I carry with me bears the following statement: "Thousands died for My Freedom...One died for My Soul". A fitting message for this "Day" and all the days to come. Thank you, veterans and Thank You, Lord.


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November 9, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Labels

Who am I?
Seems like an easy question, but the way I answer can tell the questioner, a lot....a little....or nothing at all. Have you ever noticed how people respond when you ask them "who are you?", "where are you from?" or, "what do you do". From my own experience, their first response is usually the most revealing and I can draw some pretty accurate conclusions about them, their personality, their state of mind, or their positivity or negativity about themselves with that first comment they make to my initial question.
We all face challenges in life, have endured struggles and disappointments, been successful at things and failed at others, came in first, last, or received a participation trophy, and look to the future with either expectancy or trepidation. And in all these situations we have a label placed on us which is plainly visible to everyone we come in contact with. How they respond to us, and how we respond to them reveals a lot about them and us, and often that first impression is a hard one to get beyond. Too bad we judge others, judge them too quickly and walk away from some because they are different from us and who knows what we miss in the process. Ultimately we are all in the same boat, trying to get through each day, find joy or happiness, live in harmony with those around us and do good and have good things done to us.
A lot of thoughts......and it all started with a question........a question I don't think I answered, and look how many words I used to not answer it.

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Fall Colors at the Passion Play

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November 3, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Fall Back

With the extra hour we gained from the time change from CDT to CST, I can write my scheduled blog without going past my normal bedtime. It's been a week since our last performance day and it seems like far more than that. Most of the "seasonal" staff and all the volunteers, except Karen and me, have gone elsewhere and the pace has changed dramatically. Karen had a full week of activity, but I didn't do much because of the rain and cooler weather and no real indoor tasks to keep me occupied, so I worked very few hours and, for a change, enjoyed it.
The trees have really colored up with the.extra rain, non-freezing temperatures and lack of strong wind, so even with the fall back, the leaves haven't fallen down very much. When they do, we will have a lot of work to do to bring them under control. I'll post some of the pictures of the beautiful colors in the near future. It's the best colors we've seen in the years we've been here, even when we stayed until mid-November.
The Passion Play is hosting the Arkansas Interscholastic (HS and JHS) Mountain Bike Championship this weekend, so there has been an influx of people today, with the races to be held tomorrow on the newly created trails on our property. Quite a change from our usual visitors, but a chance to "plant some seeds" and share what we sometimes take for granted with those who may never have been exposed to it at all. We never know what impact we may have on someone else, but a kind word, a smile, or a friendly wave, may be the "spark which ignites the fire". One day we'll know.
We may dip below freezing later in the week, with Thursday being the anticipated day. With Colorado already in winter mode, we've been fortunate to have mild temperatures here, but the higher humidity makes the 40's and 50's feel quite winterish. In any event, it is fall, I've set the clocks back and we'll move forward with each new day and each new opportunity. As always......Thank You, Lord.


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October 31, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Guard Duty

The world is not a safe place if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's also a place that some people say has become more dangerous because of the easy availability of weapons and the instability of some of those who have access to those weapons. We have more safeguards in place at office buildings, airports, religious facilities; cameras covering virtually every street and highway, and more police, military and private security forces on duty.
But we still have incidents, active shooters, crime and unlawful activity which threatens our safety and security.
In Vietnam, one of my duties was to pull guard duty on the perimeter of our base at Phu Loi. Every third night I sat on the bunker line looking across a wide expanse of heavily fortified ground which separated us from the "friendly village" about 500 yards from us. We were protected by multiple rolls of concertina wire, barbed wire, Claymore mines, Fougasse, sandbags, a 50-caliber machine gun, small arms, grenades, steel helmet and flak jacket, starlight scopes, spotlights, MPATS and radio communication with the OIC. But we were also susceptible to artillery, rocket and mortar attack from any direction and long-range snipers in that village in front of us. It wasn't fun duty, but it was far less intense than what many of our men faced daily in frontline combat, patrols, recon, and encounters with enemy and friendly forces.
At the Passion Play, I have some "security" duties every evening when we close the facility to visitors who are now mainly coming to see the Christ of the Ozarks statue illuminated after dark. At times it feels like guard duty, like being the buffer between those who are here for the right reason and those who may have less honorable motives. There will always be those who wish to steal, damage, graffiti or tag, or harm a person or property.
Yes, it is part of the world we live in. But it is reassuring to know that we have an all-powerful OIC who watches over us as we serve Him and do the work He has called us to. Thank You, Lord for protecting us, watching our comings and goings and assuring us of an even better future when our work here is finished.

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October 28, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Fade to Black

Last night was the final performance of the 2018 - Fiftieth Anniversary Passion Play season. It went by so quickly, it's hard to believe we have been in Eureka Springs the past 8 months and completed our fifth year of volunteering here. For what we thought would be a stay of a couple of months, it has turned out to be a "long term" mission trip. And now that we have decided to stay thru the winter it will be a continuing trip with no additional accumulation of miles.
There will be a host of things to do: Christmas tree and light displays, projects to renovate and update our facilities, Holy Land Tours, promoting and advertising the 2019 Passion Play season and working on ways to attract more youth/church mission trips to be part of our ministry here. But the outdoor set will not be a theater venue until mid-April, 2019. We will be working on construction projects, but the dialogue and musical background of the Play will be silent, the cast will be grateful for the break from the weekly regime, but soon become anxious to get back to it for another year. There's always that mixed emotion when we move from season to season in our life,
One aspect of this time of year which I don't look forward to is the inevitable return of the ladybug/Asian beetles. As we get one last surge of warm weather, the horde descends and finds any small entry point to invade our living quarters. The orange and black pests must be part of the Halloween season and they have started to appear over the past two days. With warm weather anticipated for the next few days, the pesticide, pill bottles and vacuum are at the ready and we will fight the good fight with hope that they will move out when the cooler weather moves in. I don't mean to be mean, but with more motor homes and campers around us this year than any past year, maybe the little buggers will not just concentrate on us, but visit our neighbors as well. Maybe someone else will come up with the cure and share it with us all, so we can enjoy a bug-free Fall. Help us, Lord


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October 25, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Gray Day (or is it) Grey Day

Today has been a blah kind of day for me. It rained a little overnight and the temperature has topped out at 49 and the pavement is a patchwork of dry light gray and wet dark gray while the grass is still wet. The only tasks I have undertaken have been indoor tasks, and nothing very exciting. I caught up on updating my daily calendar, filled out my volunteer time sheet for October, read part of a study on Moses' Tabernacle in the Wilderness, listened to a couple of sermons on the radio, looked up the difference between gray and grey on the Internet and am now writing a fairly colorless blog post.
The sky is definitely grey with absolutely no variation, there is one vehicle (gray window van) in the parking lot in front of our motor home and the only gray article of clothing I am wearing is (are) my socks. Needless to say, I'm not taking on any challenging projects since we will be having our final two performance days of the season tomorrow and Saturday and the weather is forecast to be non-gray and pleasant (and busy). After that we will be less in the "entertainment" mode and more into the project/repair/construction mode for the off-season.
By the way, I did empty the motor home's grey tank a while ago, so I'll be able to wash my gray hair in preparation for my Moses/disciple duties tomorrow. You've probably read enough, and I have definitely written enough.
Gray is really not my favorite color.


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October 22, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Make Up Your Mind

Once again, the weather is messing with us. It has really been messing with us all season, making it hard to know what season it really is. Here in Arkansas, we went from winter directly to Summer. Spring never sprung. From April to August we were hot and humid with temperatures in the 80's and 90's (feels-like in the 90's to 110) and hot humid nights. When it should have been Fall, it was still Summer and then all of a sudden it turned cold at night and varied during the day from the 40's to the high 60's.
Right now it is 65 but the temperature in the motor home was in the mid-80's and I had to run the air conditioner with the windows open, to get the inside temperature to a more comfortable 77 inside. The past few nights we had to run heat or space heaters as the temperature dipped to almost freezing. And of course, dressing for the weather is a matter of layers on and layers off depending on sun in or sun out. And then, there is the rain and whether that requires a poncho, umbrella, hooded rain jacket, socks with sandals or bare-toed with those same sandals. It has been a dilemma combined with uncertainty.
Half the people here are fighting colds, others running to get flu shots and the audiences are renting blankets at the Play in record numbers and drinking hot chocolate and coffee by the gallons. With the season now entering it's final week and only three performance days to go, we will have weathered the weather for the 50th Passion Play season. With our minds made up to spend the winter here in Arkansas, I have begun the insulation process for the motor home and water lines and brought the bulk of our winter clothing from the belly of the coach to inside the living area. If and when the wether makes up its mind........ we should be prepared for any eventuality.

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October 19, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Change of Heart

When I wrote my journal entry this morning, I thought I was going to just copy it as my blog posting, because it was so appropriate to what has been happening here at TGPP. But as I reread it, I realized it wasn't for you to read, but for ME to read and apply to myself. My journal is not for others to read. It is my personal communication with my Lord. And, maybe, someday when someone finds the Mead Five-Star Notebooks (now in it's 13th book) they will become the modern day Dead Sea Scrolls (Schatz Edition) and will give some insight into MY walk with the Lord since 1999.
I tend to speak my mind pretty brazenly, and at times I know I offend people and may even be a poor witness for those I have contact with. It's not always easy to walk the talk. It's not always easy to love people we don't even like. And it's not always easy to be a Christian. But we need to realize that when we stepped in line behind Jesus, He promised to lead us, be beside us, and guard our back......and He did it for everyone.......for all time. What a comfort to know, He knows how difficult the journey will be and has promised to never leave us or forsake us. What a blessing......and how thankful I am.



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October 16, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Liking What You Do

Most of us are not born into wealth and an instant path to prosperity. We can't just take over the successful family business, sit back with our feet on the desk and watch the money continue to pour in. For most, we have to decide what we want to do, get the required education or training, go through the hiring process, work our way up the ladder and, if we are fortunate, not get fired, downsized or lose interest and quit.
I have always been envious of those who found their niche in the work world and were able to retire many years later with more than a gold watch and a handshake. I have not been that fortunate, having jumped from job to job, never really finding the job which made me want to get up each day and enthusiastically go to work. The closest I ever came was when I was trying to make money racing bicycles. I loved the training, the freedom of being on my own on the open road and the physical conditioning I had attained. Unfortunately I never earned a cent, and when I hit the pavement or that car hit me, it resulted in serious injury, pain, two long periods of rehab and ultimately, retirement and a long period of depression.
But, when I came to faith in Jesus, along with it came ministry opportunities which expanded my areas of interest and service, and in almost every instance I enjoyed what I was asked to do, seemed to be making an impact, helped others, learned new skills, and grew stronger in my faith. It hasn't all been "rosy" and at one time Karen and I were hurt badly. But, we did come to understand what had happened, and why, and have moved on to what have been rewarding service opportunities since then.
The key seems to be trusting God to guide us where He is at work and joining Him there, offering ourselves to serve Him however He calls, and getting up each day with the willingness to do even the most menial task as if it is the most valuable task there is, and allowing others to do the same with the tasks which they have been guided to do. Serving God, not man, but serving man as God directs, and ultimately......liking what you do......and keep doing it. So no matter what we face, we press on, look ahead to a better tomorrow and whether it be here, there, or in the air, trust Him to meet us There. Thank You, Lord.





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October 13, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Weather

Once again we have been asked to endure some unusual weather. While it hasn't gone directly from summer to winter, don't tell that to our Passion Play family. Looking at the way people have been dressing for the past three days you would think it is the dead of winter. I have even been forced into long pants the past three days and long sleeves and sweat pants under my Moses costume today.
Our visitors today were bedecked in all kinds of hoodies, rain gear, umbrellas and maybe even long-johns. But in spite of it all, there was a festive mood and larger than expected crowds for the Play and Holy Land. Certainly not record breaking numbers, but far more than we would have anticipated for such rainy and cool conditions. Even the cast last night for the Play was ready to go when the shofar sounded, the sheep ran down the Via and the overture music began. Hopefully, tonight we will give the audience what they came for, an enthusiastic performance and a story which moves them as much as it moves us each night. With only eight performance days remaining, we need to finish strong, set the stage for next year and, always........give all the glory, praise and honor to God. What a blessing to be able to serve Him as we do.



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October 10, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Off the Clock

Too many times in life we are beholden to the clock, to time limits and to a rigid schedule. Our jobs require us to be ready to work at a specific time, lunch must be eaten within a fixed span, and we must clock out to avoid the possibility of overtime pay. Businesses have fixed hours of operations, airlines have strict departure times and traffic patterns in some cities are altered due to rush hour demands. And yet, there are times when time is not a factor. We don't have to be someplace exactly on time and we can lolligag or coast down the hill in neutral and not worry about putting another coin in the parking meter or "get a move on it".
At these times, when time doesn't matter, life takes on a different flavor and there is a feeling of calm, lack of pressure, and a joy to being alive. We don't need to come up with an excuse for having to leave what we are doing, to rush home, or to cut short the moment because we are tired or even bored with what is going on. We are comfortable with what is happening and who we are with, or are just enjoying the fact that we are content and at ease with the situation we are in.
While I wasn't "into" the Peaceful Easy Feeling" of the Eagles in the early '70's, the calm of the melody of that song resonates with me now and I enjoy the peaceful, easy feeling that I have when I can be off the clock, work on projects at my own pace and as my energy level permits, get up early and enjoy the quiet of the predawn day, or just sit in my comfy chair and sew my plastic canvas crosses. A slower pace....comfortable in my skin.....petting a donkey......listening to God......
Life is Good.........Thank You, Lord.

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October 7, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Wish I'd Had a Camera

As the disciples sat down in the upper room for the Last Supper, during last night's Passion Play performance, we were visited by an unexpected dinner guest. One of our white homing pigeons, which had been released by Jesus during the earlier healing scene at the Temple, flew into the room and landed on the table directly in front of Jesus. It looked at Jesus for about ten seconds, turned to face the audience and then hopped down onto the floor in full view of the audience and remained there for most of the scene.
There are about twenty pigeons released during the Temple scene. They fly counterclockwise around the Temple a few times and then return to their quarters. Occasionally, a few of them stay on the Temple steps, perch on the roof or explore a while before returning home. I remember one who came back to watch the flogging scene by Pilate's Porch, but this was the first one to come for supper. It was one of those moments in live theater which make the routine we follow every performance, different , and keeps us coming back for more. It can be hard sometimes to make our performance unique for the audience when it is so repetitious for the performers. But when a prop isn't where it's supposed to be, an animal doesn't do what it's supposed to do, a performer misses an entrance, the lights misbehave or the music sound track stops, it truly becomes live drama and exciting for the actors who must keep the show going.
Our thirteenth disciple was definitely a memorable character. It would have been interesting if some of us would have had our cell phones and decided to break character and take a picture to record the moment. But then again, I'm sure there were some in the audience who were able to forget the seriousness of the supper and focus on the visitor. It's fun to be part of this ministry and good to know that we serve a loving, patient, gracious and caring God, a God with a sense of humor and good timing. Thank You, Lord.

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October 4, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. The Valley on the Mountaintop

Jesus takes us to a "mountaintop" and then wants us to take that experience to the "valley" to witness and minister to others what we learned on the mountain. In effect he is telling us that we can't just stay on the mountain and bask in what we learned and not pass it on to others.
But, our ministry experience on Magnetic Mountain and The Great Passion Play since we came here in May, 2014 has kept us coming back; now in our fifth season. While we have always left after the official season ends in October and ministered in other places, we always come back to the mountain. As of now, it looks like we will not be leaving, but staying on thru the winter and not "valleying" elsewhere. This will be our valley on the mountain for November to May.
Many people come to experience TGPP each year. For some it is their annual mountaintop. For others a once in a lifetime mountaintop. Whatever the case may be, there have to be people who perpetuate the ministry here so that those who come have a memorable and uplifting experience and are blessed by it. For the permanent staff and dedicated volunteers of TGPP this has become our valley and others bring their valleys to us here rather than us taking our mountain to them in their valley. By living for Jesus we have both the mountaintop and the valley in one place. Our mountaintop comes from the thanks we receive, the prayers offered on our behalf and the ministering others extend to us. In the end, it's all about Him, sharing the joys and sorrows, the ups and downs, this life and it's rewards and the rewards yet to come. Thank You, Lord for calling us, for equipping us and allowing us to serve You as we do. You have guided us well, and we are eternally grateful.

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Dog Days of October

The Passion Play is attracting a different class of visitors these days.  Must be due to Noah's Ark Park Petting Zoo.

September 30, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. My Day in Court

On Monday, September 29, 2008, i testified in a court proceeding as a character witness for a man accused of bilking hundreds of people in a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme. Yes, I testified FOR the accused. He had already been convicted, and this was the penalty phase of the trial. There were many witness for the prosecution, and only two of us for the accused. Needless to say I was not a popular witness for those who had lost significant sums of money, many of whom were friends and acquaintances of mine from the church we all attended. The accused was a former deacon and financial advisor to our church and well known and "previously" well respected in Fort Collins.
I testified on Gene's behalf, as a matter of loyalty to him for help he had extended to the benevolence ministry at the church which I oversaw, and for financial support he had given to Karen and me at a time when we were in some need ourself. I expressed no opinion on his guilt or innocence of the charges and I made it very clear in my letter toothed Judge and my court testimony that I was speaking only as to his support for us at a time when the ministry needed it and we needed it too. I had prayed about the letter I wrote to the Judge and the in-court testimony and felt both were the right and honorable thing to do. When I finished testifying, I returned to the place I had been standing in the back of the crowded court room, and began to experience was to be a heart attack which would necessitate a "lights and sirens" trip to the hospital, the cath lab, and two stents to alleviate a 99% and 95% blockage in two arteries.
That day in court convinced me my decision years before not to make use of my legal education and Virginia Bar membership was a wise one, and that my exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970 was having an impact on my health and well-being. That day in court initiated a change in my life and our lifestyle which had, and still has, the imprint of God all over it. By listening to God, hearing His promise to provide for us and protect us when we surrendered to Him, followed His plan and trusted Him in all things, we have been blessed beyond our wildest dreams.
Gene was sentenced to six years in prison that day in court. I know nothing about whether any of the "lost" money was ever paid back to those who lost it, or what Gene is doing now. I was "sentenced" to a life of surrender to God and His call on our life. I think we did the right thing at that time, and while we look back to that day ten years ago, we prefer to look forward, to continue to be obedient to the One who sees us through the situations of this life toward a time when we will all be in the Courts of Heaven in His presence. One day in His Courts.............Thank You, Lord.

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September 27, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. On The Level

There are certain things we just take for granted, not giving them a second thought. One such thing is that floors in homes, office buildings and schools are level. Movie theaters, auditoriums, ramps in sports arenas are on a slant to make them more handicap accessible and minimize the chance of attendees tripping on steps. Arkansas is another place where you can expect the ground to be uneven, rocks are an ever present hazard, and motor homes and travel trailers need to be leveled from time to time to prevent your living quarters from sloping.
Yesterday, I decided it was time to re-level our motor home because most of our doors were not staying open or shut as they should. Sometimes the leveling process can be done easily by
merely retracting the jacks and resetting them using the auto feature or manually adjusting each jack. But that was not going to solve our problem. I needed to move the motor home off 4 1/2 inch blocks under the front wheels and use only a 3/4 inch board under the left front and left rear wheels. To do that meant bringing in all four slide-outs after going on the roof to make sure the awnings were free of debris and water and removing the PVC pipe we use to prevent awning sag, retracting all the jacks, disconnecting the power cord, water hoses, dump hose, removing all the protective wheel covers, inflating the suspension air bags, make sure the wood blocks under the jacks were not going to be in the way, drive forward about two feet off the front wheel blocks, put down the thinner board under the left front and left rear wheels, back up onto the lower boards and get back to the exact front to rear position over the jack blocks and then do all the above procedures in reverse order. After that I could auto and manual level the coach.
After about two hours, adding four feet to my motor home driving resume, and a little bit of cleaning and rearranging, we now have a bathroom door which doesn't move from where we put it, a coach which sits on the level while the ground around us slopes from front to rear and left to right. Nothing appears to have been broken. I didn't have to call the RV repairman and I didn't spend a penny, and no injuries or bruises. Pretty good outcome for the effort expended and the result desired. Level again.......and all is well. Thank You, Lord.

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September 24, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. A New Season

The rains of last week have begun to impact our multi-shades of green into some other colors as evidenced by the two pictures posted a little while ago. The rains have also impacted our temperature and given us something other than "feels-likes" in the high 90's and low 100's. Having gone directly from winter into summer, it's nice to have a hint of autumn before the projected cold weather of winter.
It was so pleasant today to wake to such a peaceful, cool morning; only a few birds lazily chirping and the day has been a continuation of that relaxed and calm atmosphere. There have been so many "worldly" goings-on; friends and family in Colorado facing challenges, the death of Loren and Diane's dog Gus, an additional "leader" here at the Passion Play, our friend Jerry (the plumber) and his recovery from a recent stroke, our winter plans still up in the air and the news still full of contention, controversy and unrest. But, in spite of it all, God is still in control and has the plans in place to make it all right, to direct us where He will, to do what He wills and bring about the vision He has for each and every one of us. A new season ahead........and the best is yet to come. Thank You.......Thank You, Lord.


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Beginning of Fall Colors -2

Beginning of Fall Colors - 1

September 21, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Cast The First Stone

As we await the next chapter in the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh it brings to mind the well known Biblical verse about the woman caught in the act of adultery and Jesus' comment to those who sought to condemn her to death by stoning. How many times have we felt justified in criticizing another, rushed to judgment to vilify another, found fault with someone's work or artistic performance, felt that we were more qualified than another, or just plain demeaned another without any evidence or personal knowledge of their activity.
In most cases, if we were to look in the mirror, review our own work history or put ourselves in the crosshairs like the people we are evaluating, we would fail pretty badly and would be eligible for a stoning as well. None of us is faultless, a perfect model of virtue or integrity. We have all fallen short, lied, cheated, stolen or said nasty or malicious things about others.
We all should aspire to use our abilities, our education and our dreams to attain positions where we can be of service to our country, our fellow citizens and our God. The mere fact that a person willingly puts his hat in the ring should not open him up to some of the vicious and malicious attacks he or she faces for alleged acts which took place 20, 30 or 40 years ago. And the fact that someone has already attained a high position, should not be a license to keep another from aspiring to that position or more. Jesus' comments to that crowd of would-be stone-throwers is just as applicable today and should temper their remarks, their holier-than-thou attitudes, and their hostile condemnations, because in due course those stones may well be aimed at them.

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September 18, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Short Staff

There is a minimal number of people needed to make any "business" run efficiently and effectively. When we reach that number or creep below it, there may be a problem in handling the customers as they arrive, and giving them the service they expect and deserve. When people pay money to see the "show" it's critical that they get a good "show" and leave feeling they have received their money's worth.
But things do happen; cars need repair, sickness jumps up, someone gets hurt, a death in the family occurs, people get tired and quit, people get tired because they have to do their work plus the work of the person who quit, equipment breaks down, scheduled time off happens to coincide with one or more of the above unscheduled events. In other words, we have to gather our own straw and still make the same quota of bricks (to use a Biblical example). Sometimes a sense of humor helps, other times we need to know when to be still and know that we have a very aggravated customer who will soon demand to see and talk to my "boss".
Today has been "one of those days". In about three hours our performance day will be over, and we will have two days to "recover" and then do it again Friday and Saturday. We've already been warned of some of the shortfalls in staff we will face for the remainder of the season. With a proper attitude and some potential "new laborers for the harvest" we'll make it through and not face the wrath of the Trip Advisor evaluations. Be strong and courageous, guys. God has promised that the best is yet to come and I, for one, am standing on that promise. Thank You, Lord, that we can lean on You.


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September 15, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. National Day.....

Sometime in the past, I couldn't think of anything to write, so I looked up what that particular day was on the National Days calendar and posted it on our blog for all to celebrate. I'm in the same boat right now, so here is the list. Today is:
National Cleanup Day, National Hug Your Boss Day, Responsible Dog Ownership Day, National Double Cheeseburger Day, National Tackle Kids Cancer Day, Greenpeace Day, National Cheese Toast Day, National Linguine Day, Puppy Mill Awareness Day, National Creme De Menthe Day, National Online Learning Day, National Felt Hat Day, Boys' And Girls' Club Day For Kids, National Gymnastics Day.
I'm sure this is not an exhaustive list and someone may be celebrating a Day not listed here. But, regardless, have a Happy Day and know......."this is the Day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it". While I may have "out-of-contexted" the psalmist's meaning of Psalm 118:24, I am glad for each day we are given and Thank The Lord for it..........Happy September 15th to all.



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September 12, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. On The Road

Five years ago this month, Karen and I purchased a motor home, our first, and decided we were going to take our ministry to Vietnam Veterans out of Fort Collins, CO and be a road ministry. We named our ministry "Ministry of Miles" because we envisioned traveling a lot of miles with no fixed base of operation other than returning to Fort Collins every few months and planning our next miles from there.
But our plan changed. And, while we still talk with Veterans about the benefits they are entitled to, we haven't driven all the miles we anticipated and we have generally been either at The Great Passion Play in Arkansas or Source of Light Ministries in Georgia. We've only logged 19,000 miles in the RV and most of the 30,000 miles on the car have been local miles except for Karen's three trips back to Colorado and Utah for medical appointments or family events.
While a few of our friends have left or curtailed their on the road ministries, many still stick with it and endure the.unique issues which this life style presents. There are a lot of mechanical issues to contend with, weather conditions which present problems and the limited living space which can make you feel "confined". But, Karen and I still enjoy the life we have, the challenges we face, and always have the option to find a small place to "settle down" and still have the motor home as a second home. With the wide variety of places to "park" we can have whatever environment we want for as long as we want it. And, there's always the opportunity to return to Fort Collins and our house there, although we both agree that would probably be our least likely option. We've gotten way too acclimated to country living, small towns, minimal traffic, little noise and few close-by neighbors.
In about six weeks the Passion Play will complete its 2018 season, and we will face a move or not move decision, and for now we really don't feel any urgency to make that decision. Waiting on God........waiting for the cloud to move or not move.......waiting for God to guide us where He will, knowing that whatever we do, it will be His call and our desire to answer it. How comforting it is to place our trust in Him.

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September 9, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Caught in the Middle

The weather this past week was unusual. The remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon were swirling counterclockwise and a cold front was approaching us from the west. The radar maps were pretty exciting and it had the potential to create a mess for northwest Arkansas. But all we ended up with was light rain, an almost constant mist, lower temperatures and a Play performance last night with just those very conditions. Even though the humidity was 98% it was cool enough where we were moist from the precipitation, not perspiration.
Today we had mist all morning and temps in the low 60's. The week ahead looks mild, dry with "open the windows" nights. Hopefully, the three months of July-weather are not to return and we can enjoy our time outdoors in comfort. In Arkansas, as in most places, the weather is subject to change quickly and the radar map is our constant companion. We expect a busy week here at the PP and even have a group of almost 100 coming on Wednesday, a non-performance day, to take a tour of the Holy Land. A number of us will "dress up" and give them a normal version of the tour except for the camels and Christ donkeys in the Holy Land corral. As with most activities here, we need to be flexible, accommodate the unexpected and be prepared to bless and be blessed.
Being in an entertainment/tourist/outreach ministry we are often caught in the middle of meeting people-needs and accomplishing our normal operational duties and doing both in a way which reflects a positive and Christ-like attitude. Like most of what we encounter in life we find ourselves caught in an "in the world, but not of the world" posture, on some middle ground.
"As for me and my house, we will serve The Lord", no matter where we find ourself and what situation we face. Personally, I wouldn't want it any other way.

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September 6, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Whatever It Takes

I was about to carry our just-finished laundry into the motor home when a couple drove up and asked if I was a Pastor. My response was "no, just a minister". They asked if I could officiate the renewal of their wedding vows and I said I couldn't but I would find someone who could. Jim and Linda had been searching all over Eureka Springs for a Pastor so they could renew their vows after 19 years of marriage and were not having any success. They had been here for the Passion Play last year and had fond memories of their visit and were in the area again.
I called Kent, one of our PP Christ figures (also David the Shepherd), who is a Children's Pastor and he arrived a few minutes later in his grubbies, got his "book" with the official words and along with Joe, a former Christ figure (also Parables of the Potter) to be a witness, and with me, recruited to be the photographer, we held the impromptu ceremony in the Church in the Grove near the Christ of the Ozarks statue on the PP property. It was a touching moment, and an opportunity to be part of a moment in their life which was important to them.
Many times, we miss an important moment in another's life because we are too busy trying to make an important moment in our own life. When we can defer our own plans to help someone else have a joyful experience, we are blessed as well. Whatever it takes, we should be ready and willing to do, and be blessed in the process. Children's Pastors don't get called to do many ceremonies like Kent did today. Joe the Potter doesn't get the opportunity to have his phone ring during a vow renewal ceremonies and I don't get too many chances to take wedding photos on a flip phone.
Whatever it takes.......bring joy to someone else and be blessed in the process. Happy renewal of vows, Jim and Linda.

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September 3, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Time Change

From May thru August, the Passion Play begins at 8:30pm. Since our performance day begins at 10:00am it makes for a long day. With the weather being as hot as it has, it makes for a long, hot day. But after Labor Day, and our last of two Sunday performances, we now will start the evening Play at 7:30pm. That means getting to sleep an hour earlier, and most of us look forward to that. The down side is that the season will be over in two months and with it cooler, even colder temperatures and weather conditions.
Karen and I are still on the fence about our "off season" plans, so we will take our final months of the 2018 PP season as gratefully as we can. It's hard to believe we will have completed our fifth season in Arkansas. There are a number of options for November to Spring 2019: I know we would be welcomed back in Georgia at Source of Light, our friends in Deep East Texas have invited us back into the backwoods, and the Passion Play has told us we are welcome to stay here. There is also the opportunity to visit my brother and sister-in-law in Jacksonville, FL as well as a number of other projects in the South which need volunteers. As of now we are just waiting for the "cloud to move", meaning we are waiting on God to give us an indication of where we are to go and what we are to do.
How fortunate we are to have the freedom we have God's provision and protection and the health to keep active and mobile. Yes, we will see a benefit from the "extra" hour and a shorter work day, but there are still plenty of things to be done on the non-performance days and we will continue to do what needs to be done to advance TGPP and The Kingdom vision. How blessed we are.


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August 31, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. In An Instant

For part of the past three days, Karen and I spent time in Branson with Jerry and Renee, our friends from the Passion Play. They had left the Play last Sunday to spend their 53rd wedding anniversary in Branson and then planned to head to Hannibal, MO for a Campers on Mission rally. While attending a show Tuesday night, Jerry had a stroke and was immediately taken by ambulance to the Emergency Room. In an instant their life changed drastically.
Jerry is still in the critical care unit, able to move both arms and legs, but having difficulty speaking more than a few words. He seems to understand what is being asked and said, but can't say the words to respond more than a simple yes, no, okay or yeh. In an instant, he has been changed. It's too early to know what the prognosis is, what treatment he will need and how their lives will be altered. In an instant knowns became unknowns, plans had to be changed and questions never before asked now have to be answered. Tasks once done by two people, now have to be done by one. And we realize that each and every one of us could face such a situation.......in an instant. Life has no guarantees and we, and those around us, have no assurances beyond the current moment. Something we don't think about until it happens and then we realize that we were't prepared for that instant in our life, but we have to face it and move ahead. God was not surprised, not caught unawares, and He has the plan and purpose for their life already in the works and just needs to hear both of them say "Yes Lord, Your Will be done." For each of us, the response needs to be the same......Yes, Lord.......






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August 28, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Blessed

Karen and I spent the morning today doing tasks on the PP grounds and then hopped in the car for an afternoon in Rogers, AR for food, shopping and a time away from our usual duties. It was a pleasant ride, nice weather and a chance to see traffic lights (there are none in Eureka Springs), be in city traffic, see a $3000 big screen 3D which looked more realistic than real life, and experience things we are sheltered from on the grounds of the PP and in rural Arkansas.
But what struck me the most was how blessed we are in this country to have so much stuff, to have choices in what we can buy, where we can go, the many ways we are protected, provided for and watched out for. We have comforts like air conditioning in our cars, businesses and homes, food of every kind, medical care, emergency responders, roads and highways to get us wherever we need to go and fuel to power our vehicles. We have necessities, luxuries, credit to "afford" things beyond our means, and so many other blessings, many of which we take for granted. Granted, some have more than they need, while others struggle to make ends meet, but by and large we are blessed more so than many others in this world.
Personally, I thank God for everything. I didn't always appreciate how blessed

(blog interrupted by news that our friend Jerry had a stroke in Branson, MO. We immediately drove there, about an hour, to be with Renee at the hospital, spent four hours and returned to the PP at 5am this morning). We will be returning to Branson shortly to move their motor home from where it is now to ? But to continue my thoughts from yesterday.......

we were to be serving God or before that for the protection God afforded us as we stumbled through life without acknowledging Him or following Him. There are no guarantees in this life, just the hope we have for a better eternity with Him when we seek Him, find Him and follow Him. How blessed we are and how thankful we should be every moment. Pray for Jerry and Renee and the path God has for them........and for all of us. Thank You, Lord.

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More Photos

These pictures taken at sunset this evening from the Court of Priests of our Holy Land Tabernacle are amazing.  Hope you get some feeling of what we experienced.  I was waiting for Jesus to appear in the eastern sky.

August 25, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR Five Pictures Instead of Five Thousand Words

August 25, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Pictures 1 & 2

August 25, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Picture 3 & 4

August 25, 2018 Eureka Springs, AR. Picture 5

August 22, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Whatever It Takes

The Passion Play is composed of many different "departments" and it is very possible to get pigeonholed into one area and not be aware of what is happening elsewhere. I tend to wear too many hats and get involved, to some degree, with most of the activities going on everywhere. It takes a lot of people to make the place run and as the college kids head back to their schools out of town and the high school kids head back to classes and extra-curricular activities, we have less people to do the same amount of work. That means more flexibility, a willingness to step into new areas, new roles to play in the Play and the need to do whatever it takes to "git 'er dun".
I already have a new Disciple role (Andrew) to be ready to play should the established Andrews be needed in other roles, and that means someone has to take over my "crowd" duties when I play Andrew, because Andrew has to "swing Judas, run some smoke machines and be ready to back-up Simon of Cyrene and the Emmaus Disciples should they not show up in time to do their parts. It gives me a new vantage point to see some of the scenes I have never seen or have been part of as a different character. It's fun, and challenging, to step into new duties, and keeps us learning and expanding our repertoire. Something new for the "resume".
After Labor Day we will start the Play at 7:30 instead of 8:30 which means the chance to get to sleep an hour earlier. I've always looked forward to the earlier start time, but it does mean we are getting closer to the end of the season. Only 29 more performance days left, and no decision yet on where we go or what be do after that. One day at a time, Lord, and whatever it takes to finish the 50th season of TGPP. We are enjoying the journey...................God is Good.

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August 19, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Don't Trust a Faith Healer Wearing Glasses

Bob is a sculptor here at the Passion Play. (www.Godhealshearts.com). He gives a presentation prior to the Play each performance day in our Market Place, relating his own prodigal son experience while creating a clay bust of Jesus. He does this in 20 minutes and then puts in countless hours on each of these busts to make them ready for display or sale. I enjoy visiting with him during my wanderings through the Market Place as he works in his shop during the day.
Today he was headed for home in Oklahoma since we will not have another performance day until Friday. His "words of advice" to me as he left were the title of this blog. I have never heard that expression, so I chuckled as he left and then thought about it as I went about my Sunday morning "chores". The more I thought about it the more it thought about the people we admire, our role models, those we tend to follow or emulate and the people who have some type of say so over our activities.....those who lead....and those of us who follow.
What I have come away with, is that we don't always see eye to eye with those who are "in charge". Sometimes we don't measure up to what they expect or they don't measure up to what we expect. But we have One who accepts us as we are, when we accept Him as He is. He doesn't wear glasses......He doesn't need to......He sees all things through a microscope AND a telescope.....and nothing escapes Him......He is the Ultimate Faith Healer and in all things His vision is perfect.
Thank you, Bob............ And, as always..............Thank You, Lord.

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August 16, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Past, Present, Future

As we journey through life, it's easy to get so wrapped up in what we are doing at the moment that we forget what went before and what is yet to come. And yet, without the past, the present wouldn't be what it is and without a future it wouldn't make any sense to be doing what we are now doing.
I've always been fascinated by what went on in the past at the very spot I am now doing something. How did it all begin? Who had the original idea and how did he or she have the ability to assemble the materials, people, finances and insight to get it all operational and then keep it going? How did the first customers of the business or product find out about it and why did they spend their time and money to support it? And, to think that we are now perpetuating the "dream" and making plans to keep it going into the future so that others can work here, or be visitors here, creating a legacy for who knows how long.
I guess that's what life is all about. Thinking about all that went before, doing something of value which people not even born yet can enjoy years and years from now. And all this is happening in hundreds and thousands and millions of places all around the world every second of every day and has been going on for thousands and thousands of years. It's mind boggling to think about and even more mind boggling to think that some people think it all happened because of a Big Bang and some ooze that became a thing which became a human.
None of what we do is done without a plan and a person or group of people to implement that plan. I'm thankful that we are part of a long line of people, brought into a specific time and place for a specific purpose, and that the One who has designed it, created it and sustains it for us and those who come after us, is no further away than a thought or a word or a prayer........Thank You, Lord.

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August 13, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. OD

Anytime we hear stories of people who have addiction problems, we wonder how they get into such a predicament. All of us have a tendency to overdue a good thing and get into trouble or overdue a bad thing and get into even worse trouble. In my 72 years, I have had my share of addictions, both good and bad and have been able to work my way through most of them.
Someone once told me that the way to beat an addiction to food (like chocolate) is to buy the biggest bar of Hershey's (5 pounds), eat the whole thing in one sitting and you will get so sick you will never eat chocolate again. I have never tried that remedy. Right now, I am sort of addicted to the television show Blue Bloods with Tom Selleck. Ion Television has a "marathon" of Blood Bloods every Thursday and the shows run continuously most of the day. Fortunately, Thursday has been a performance day for the Passion Play and I have been occupied all day with being Moses, a disciple and various other PP duties, so I have not been able to feed my BB addiction.
However, last Thursday we dropped our Thursday performances for the rest of the season and I had the opportunity to ease into the BB schedule at 6pm and watched three episodes in a row. As I started the 9 pm episode, I realized I was in danger of od'ing and pulled the plug. Fortunately, there was no chocolate in the motor home. With all the bullets that had been flying for those prior three hours, I was able to dodge the big one. This Thursday I'll do my best to limit myself to no more than two BB's and a bite size Snickers. Self-control is a bitter pill to swallow.

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August 10, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. The Rest of the "Day Off" Story

After writing about getting ready for Tuesday's Play, the weather descended and it looked like we were in for quite a storm. I headed down to the set before it hit and within half an hour, (an hour before before "curtain"), the play was cancelled and it was back to day off status for me. Wednesday and Thursday were slow days, so I ended up with a five day vacation and what was a very welcome respite from a busy season, thus far, at TGPP.
When we get tired we are susceptible to all kinds of problems; injuries, illnesses, bad attitude, loss of motivation, burnout. I remember times in the past when I didn't want to keep at the task, wished things would change, and things did changed in ways which caused me physical injury or to make impulsive decisions which were not well thought out and led to long term negative consequences which took even longer to overcome. That sounds like a lot of words to say simply......I made bad choices because of not thinking a situation through and then did something stupid. Or more simply, I was too worn out to think straight.
It all boils down to knowing our limits, stepping back from too many irons in the fire and learning to say no when we really need to say no. I don't think we have to flee to an island, take a cruise or tire ourselves out on a road trip to a place we've never been before. We just need to get out of the rut of work and busyness, sit down in a comfortable place, turn off the distractions and "chill out". That's what my past Sunday to Thursday were, and today the return to the normal routine and the crush of the crowd were like water off a duck's back. And now I, await the start of the evening Play. Thank You, Lord for being with us in our time of work, our time off and every time in between. You know when to lighten our load and when to share the burden when it gets too heavy for us to bear alone. In You, Lord, we have a perfect Rest.

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August 7, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Day Off

Saturday really wore me out. I wrote an upbeat blog and then got into one of those days which had more activity, more heat and less hydration and by the end of the Holy Land portion of the day, I was pooped. The play went well, but I was ready for Sunday and Monday and the time to slow the pace down to a crawl, maybe even a complete stop.
I skipped my early Sunday wog (walk/ jog), decided not to go to church but did take care of the cast laundry from Saturday night. That doesn't involve much physical effort, but that was the extent of my Sunday work. Monday, I went for a one hour wog, shoveled out the Holy Land animal pen and did my golf cart maintenance routine and hung up the cast laundry in three of the four dressing rooms. Another pretty easy day. Today it was teach the Old Testament Tabernacle session, wait for a squall to pass through the area and drive a couple on a private Holy Land Tour. In reality it was my third day off in a row, and right now I feel like I have regained my strength and am ready for tonight's Play. The rain looks like it will bypass us the rest of the day.
I've always had difficulty sitting still, backing off from the tasks at hand, taking a day off and doing NOTHING. But, as I begin to feel my body resist the go, go, go, I am accepting the reality that sometimes it's appropriate to say no, no, no and just stop. I remember my training days when I did take a day off, but the next day did a double workout. Those days are gone, and I hope I won't be tempted to repeat them. Tomorrow and Thursday are non-performance days, so maybe I can make this "vacation" continue. I'll let you know.

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August 4, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Better Late Than Never

The day slipped away from me. Yesterday was a busy day with bigger crowds, more issues to handle and fewer people to handle them, and a return to warmer weather. But we made it through, awoke to a beautiful morning, ready to face even larger attendance and jump back into the fray. When we all do our part, no matter how small it may appear, keep a positive attitude and smile rather than scowl, the result is usually better and encourages us to come back and do it all again the next day.
I've certainly had my grumpy moments, more than I care to admit, but it's healthier and more fruitful when we "put on a happy face", back it up with a happy attitude and do every small task as if the whole organization will sink or swim on the basis of how we do that task. We all have a part to play, are part of a larger body and the body functions best when we all play that part as well as we can, all the time, every day.
For those who read this blog, I hope it brightens your day as much as it brightens mine to write it. I know that it is not a "viral" sensation, but I also know I probably couldn't handle the fame and notoriety if it were at such a level. Just a grain of sand, a spit in the ocean in the grand scheme of things and better late than never. Thank you for your support.

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July 31, 2018. Eureka Springs, AR. Talk To The Animals

With the Petting Zoo in operation and our Play animals from the barn, it has been an active year for the four-legged and flying creatures. We also have untold numbers of cats, dogs, armadillos, ground hogs, fish, deer with little ones, turtles, snakes and all types of birds and of course the critters. There is no lack in our PP animal population.
Unfortunately, we have had a lot of issues with the animals, including a 30 year old horse (Lady) who died, a camel (Little Bit) who needed a hernia operation, both camels with intestinal problems, an armadillo and kitten run over, a horse (Star) with asthma, a raccoon who found its way into our neighbor's motor home, a newborn lamb who died, a number of white pigeons who were killed by an animal intruder, and Dick's dog (EttaFay) who died two weeks ago at age 14. The heat has also impacted the animals, and flies have been a greater nuisance than ever for our horses and donkeys.
What has been nice to see, is the number of young people who are helping care for the animals, bring them to and from the Holy Land, handle the feeding, cleaning and clean-up chores. It's been a boost for our more experienced people to pass along their knowledge to those who will keep this place operating and expanding in years to come. The performance schedule becomes lighter in August, but there are still plenty of things to do to complete this season and start thinking of projects for next year and beyond. I'm sure we will be adding to our animal population. Our guests really enjoy getting close to them and it has been fun having them as fellow cast members of TGPP. We all have a part to play, including our animal friends............all God's creatures.



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