September 28, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Don't Wish Your Time Away

Too often in life we want to fast forward thru the present moment to get to a place or time when we think things will be better than they are now. We may even say "I wish the clock would move more quickly" or "I can't wait for next weekend" or "when will this day ever end". What we are doing is trying to control something we have no control over.
Time is a valuable commodity. The present moment is unique. We have it only once and if we don't use it.....we lose it. It will never have a second chance. When we fritter away our time on trivial or worthless endeavors, we have thrown away an opportunity which is now lost. I'm not saying we have to be active, productive or at maximum capacity every minute, for that will lead us to exhaustion and calamity. What I am saying is we have to make the most of the moment, get the rest we need and live a life which enjoys the now, appreciates the past and makes realistic plans for the future. And, don't look so far ahead that we ignore the blessings that are at our fingertips right now.
In the grand scheme of things, life is short, eternity is a hope to be anticipated and we need to be thankful for each day and each moment we have been given to make a positive impact on the part of the world we occupy. And always......Thank You, Lord.

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September 25, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. A Simple Life

Karen and I are trying to downsize, simplify and unclutter our life. We have completed the sale of our Colorado house, are living in our motor home in Arkansas and are in the process of trying to get all the people we have dealt with over the past 70 plus years to know where we are physically living, where to send all our mail, how to contact us by phone, email or any other method available. We are trying to have nothing get lost in the ozone, zephyr, black hole or unknown.
To establish a simple life has not been simple and to have an easy road before us has not been easy. What has not changed: phone numbers with Colorado area codes, our individual email addresses and the website for Ministry of Miles, our status as volunteers n Christian ministry and our faith in a God, Son and Holy Spirit Who as 3 in 1 provide, protect and care for us in everything we do.
But the details of insurances, health care, property in storage, house hunting in Arkansas, getting ready for winter conditions, finishing the Play season on a positive note, possible medical procedures after November 1st, the normal daily activities and the unknown all create a challenging, but still exciting, life. Eventually, we will get the details worked out, the simple life will become closer to reality and then.......................


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Fwd: September 22, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Blogging Time Again

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Begin forwarded message:

From: ministry of miles <ministryofmiles@gmail.com>
Date: September 22, 2019 at 7:26:36 PM CDT
Subject: September 22, 2019.    Eureka Springs, AR.      Blogging Time Again

        The days pass so quickly anymore.  When I start each day, I write my thoughts in a journal, thanking God for yesterday and for the opportunities before me.  If it is the third day from my last blog post, I put a "B" in the left-hand margin to remind me that at some point in the day I need to sit down again and put my thoughts in writing for others to share.  It's now "B" time.
         It seems like yesterday that Karen went back to Fort Collins, to help her sister, our niece and great niece move out of our house, prepare the house for sale, and sell it.  It took nearly four months to accomplish, but it has all been accomplished and we are no longer Colorado residents.  Karen is back in Arkansas, we have become reacquainted and back in the Passion Play routine together again.  In just over a month the Play season will be over and we will see what lies before us in our walk with The Lord.  I may be facing some medical procedures, but will know more on that front after my three October 3rd  appointments at the VA.  Where we go and what we do for the winter will depend in large part on what the doctors say on October 3.  
        We press on, blog on, and face each new day and new adventure knowing that everything is in His hands and will be for our good and His glory.  We are blessed.......
         Thank You, Lord

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September 19, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. The Show Must Go On

Every September and October at TGPP we face a shortage of people who can do what needs to be done to keep the place operating effectively. There are a number of factors which contribute to the problem. The college kids have returned to college: the high school and elementary school kids are back in class and have afternoon activities, earlier sleep times and their parents are "conflicted" in their allegiances. Also, the earlier starting time for the play after Labor Day makes it hard for some people to get to the play on time on Tuesdays and Friday's. People are also tired and some are "playing hurt" due to injuries.
But the show must go on. Those who can step into different roles, step into them with little forewarning or training, and learn on the fly. Disciples become Roman soldiers, Roman soldiers become disciples, some of our twelve year olds become disciples or Sanhedrin guards and we are often surprised to see our off-day Christ figures as cross thieves, Barabbas, soldiers, priests or lepers. There are always modifications to the normal routine. But, the show must go on and it's not too often that we hear a voice but don't have a body from which it came. One thing, however, is a certainty: Twelve disciples will come over the hill to start the play and there will be thirteen males at the Last Supper. No "Reader's Digest" version permitted.
Flexibility, spontaneity, willingness, patience and a sense of humor. - necessary qualities to have, or develop, to help this ministry accomplish what it is commissioned to accomplish. Thank You, Lord, for the opportunity.

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September 16, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. When It Works........

Technology is a fabulous thing.......when it works. When it doesn't, Katie bar the door. As we transition from our 40 plus years of legal residency in Colorado to a status of indefinite uncertainty, we are forced to make a lot of changes in a wide variety of areas like RV insurance, health insurance, car insurance, rental insurance, mailing address, physical address, savings accounts, checking accounts, social security status, buying or renting a residence in Arkansas, underpayments, overpayments, refunds, credits.......
Without a computer, we are forced into a cell phone, mini-iPad, hot spot, fax, scan and email, e-sign dilemma with texting of secret codes and a host of other options to be legal and within HIPAA privacy, confidentiality rules and so many more regulations, it is amazing how dependent we are on the high tech elements we have created. Where you could once shake hands on the sale of virtually the whole Louisiana Purchase or the Alaskan Territory, it now takes reams of documents, a plethora of lawyers, and ultra high tech to sign up for a library card.
But, Thank God when it all works......and thank God for the ten year old we call to fix it when it doesn't. "Oh, the humanity"



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September 13, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. In The Morning When I Rise

September 13, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. In The Morning, When I Rise

The morning has always been special to me. I have always been an early riser and it was the best time for me to do whatever was my "thing" at that particular time of life. I read, wrote, ran, bicycled, studied, prayed, planned, relaxed.......best in the morning.
Karen and I attended a Fernando Ortega event in Fort Collins, Colorado soon after I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior in 1999, and one of the songs he sang that night popped into my mind this morning, as I rose. (Link below) A simple song with simple words, a piano and a cello, no fancy lighting or production elements......just Jesus and Him alone...the foundation and strength we need for this life and the next.
Karen spent nearly four months in Fort Collins, returning yesterday to our Arkansas home and what is the start of a new season for us. Our years together in Colorado are a memory.....a good memory. Our house there has a new owner and I pray it will provide good memories for him and all who live or visit there. But, it was time for us to "move on" and how that will play out......we can only plan....pray....hope....and wait on God.
As I wrote three days ago, may what lies ahead for all of us "be inviting and exciting". We trust in God and the plans He has for us. The Ministry of Miles rolls on......or stays put. When the cloud moves, we move: when the cloud stays put, we stay put. Simple. THANK YOU JESUS.......THANK YOU LORD.



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Watch "Give me Jesus" on YouTube

https://youtu.be/l1O_Jf_fdkI

Sunrise in the Ozarks

      As I get back into my wogging, the quiet of the morning, the beautiful colors and the many blessings of God come into clearer focus and the hope for what is to come becomes more inviting and exciting.  Thank You, Lord.

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September 7, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Endurance Ministry

There was a time when I looked at people with Type-A personalities and marveled at how much they could do in a short period of time and how good they were at what they did. It never dawned on me that I might be a Type-A, as well. as far as how much I could do, not necessarily how well I was doing it.
Whether it was education, music. sports, drama, church ministry or just being able to go for hours and hours on end, I guess God blessed me with endurance, strength, stamina, persistence, the ability to withstand pain and monotony, boredom and repetitive action. And, this was even before I realized it was His strength, not mine which was the power which drove me. Our ministry activity the past twenty years, both mine and Karen's have to be considered "endurance ministry". We have said yes to a lot of requests.
Long days, working when physically and emotionally exhausted, doing what others didn't want to, or couldn't, do has been standard operation procedure for both of us. It's not meant to sound boastful or braggadocio, it's what others say about us. We're not spring chickens any longer, and it may be time for us to step back a little, assess our list of activities and realize that rest, renewal, training our replacements and saying "no" more often may be in the cards for the immediate future.
We'll see what happens. God may have other plans for us and then, I guess it may be.......Yes, Lord. We'll see.......Stay tuned .

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September 4, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. On The Wog Again?

I didn't sleep very long last night, but when I woke up, I began my quiet time routine and as I finished, the sun was beginning to brighten the eastern sky. Something prompted me to put on a pair of running shorts, my old wogging shoes and a tank top and out I went into the comfortable morning air, to walk and jog (wog) for about an hour. It has been quite a while since I felt the urge to do this and, I must say, it was a very pleasant hour.
I haven't been cleaning the amphitheater the morning after the Play, so no walking the stairs as I have in the past, and I have not had a consistent "cardio" routine for a long time, so it surprised me that I went out with the intent to wog, and I was surprised even more at how good I felt when I finished. After a while taking care of financial matters associated with our recent house sale, I spent the rest of the morning weed-whacking the amphitheater and then led a Holy Land Tour, went to a Bible Study and feel very relaxed and "unstiff" from my active day.
Does this mean a return to my three or so wogs per week routine? I don't know, but I'll let you know in a few weeks. I've found out recently that when I'm prompted to do something, have a question which pops into my mind, or asked something I have no answer for, I need to act on the matter and seek God's direction for me and the possible answer to the question.
Is the cloud about to move for us? I don't know.........but I'll let you know...........


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September 1, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Stay The Course

I just read about a 96 year old man in Brazil who has worked for the same company for over 81 years. It used to be the norm that people would get a job as a teenager or after they graduated high school or college and remain in that job until they reached retirement age. In the days of the "family farm" many children stayed on the farm and "worked it" their entire life, never doing anything else, never venturing out into new fields, so to speak.
Most of the people I know have bounced around, changed jobs, lived in different places and been very mobile or nomadic. I would certainly fit into this category. There are any number,of reasons why I have changed jobs, moved, pursued new interests and some of those reasons were: boredom, lack of ability, impatience, stubbornness, didn't fit in, got fired, quit, injured, didn't like the boss, the boss didn't like me, too hot, too cold, wanted a physical challenge, curious, needed a change of scenery.......
Karen and I have been through a lot in our 45 plus years together and it has been a crazy journey. As we enter a new "houseless" period of our life, we are "on the fence" as to our future, but I think we are agreed that it's not our decision alone to make. Yes, we have two votes in the matter, but the vote that really counts is The One which REALLY matters. The final vote may be ONE to two, with the ONE winning, but I think the vote will be unanimous. God has it all figured out and we just need to listen........be obedient...........and Stay The Course. Thank You, Lord

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