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.

Sent from my iPad

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


Sent from my iPad

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.


Sent from my iPad

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.

Sent from my iPad

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.



Sent from my iPad

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.





Sent from my iPad

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.



Sent from my iPad

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.

Sent from my iPad

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.

Sent from my iPad

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.

Sent from my iPad

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.