Karen has been searching the internet house listings for months, and we have seen pictures, seen outsides, seen insides, and seen places we have never seen before in and around Eureka Springs. Today we saw a house, we had seen on the internet, had seen on the outside and finally decided to see on the inside. Price had been a major factor in why we (especially me) had not asked to see the inside of the house before now.
But, today we (especially me) decided it was time to take the next step onto and into this property. And, the price had come down a little since we first encountered this listing. We were very surprised at what we saw and now we are facing a decision on whether to proceed further, make an offer, keep searching........or......our next step. We don't feel any pressure to have a non-wheeled house. We like our motor home and would probably split our time between the motor home and a house, if we should decide to buy one. Money is really not an issue, since we did, and do, plan to pay cash for whatever we buy. I don't think time is a factor, since we don't feel there is "competition" for the house at the moment.
The sale of our Colorado house was a financial blessing in so many ways and this seller is still in the house and doesn't appear eager to get out immediately. I think we need to take some time to think this over, do the "yes-list" and "no-list" thing, pray for guidance; and ask God to direct us in the right direction and help us decide on the right decision and whether what we want is what He wants, and whether His plan and purpose for us is to have this property now. Thank You, Lord for giving us this opportunity and being our source of strength in each situation we encounter. We trust You to guide us...........Let Your Will be done.
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.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Thursday, December 26, 2019
December 26, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. The Light Of The World
Hope you enjoyed the pictures of the Passion Play Christmas lights. The display will run thru next weekend. If you are in the area, come by between 5:00 and 8:00 thru January 4th and see them in person. The pictures don't give the full impact.
I wasn't involved in setting up the displays, but do make sure the lights are on each evening, and turned off when the last car leaves (sometimes as late as 11pm). We have a nice view out of our motor home windows. But, the real Light of Christmas is Jesus and He is the Light every day of the year and why we serve as we do, and why we endeavor to radiate His Light with all we do and say. It's not always easy to be a good witness as He calls us to be, but we do our best, try to encourage others and plant seeds which will hopefully blossom in the people we encounter in our daily life. As Christ followers we are all encouraged to Act Justly, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly with our God. Simple words.......but not always easy to accomplish.
Be salt and light......The world needs them both and we are the ones called to show them and share them. To Him be all Honor, Glory and Praise.
Sent from my iPad
I wasn't involved in setting up the displays, but do make sure the lights are on each evening, and turned off when the last car leaves (sometimes as late as 11pm). We have a nice view out of our motor home windows. But, the real Light of Christmas is Jesus and He is the Light every day of the year and why we serve as we do, and why we endeavor to radiate His Light with all we do and say. It's not always easy to be a good witness as He calls us to be, but we do our best, try to encourage others and plant seeds which will hopefully blossom in the people we encounter in our daily life. As Christ followers we are all encouraged to Act Justly, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly with our God. Simple words.......but not always easy to accomplish.
Be salt and light......The world needs them both and we are the ones called to show them and share them. To Him be all Honor, Glory and Praise.
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Monday, December 23, 2019
December 23, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Merry Christmas
To all, MERRY CHRISTMAS. Later this evening I will take some pictures of our Christmas lights at at The Great Passion Play and post them on our website for you to see and enjoy.
We all have memories of this time of year: some happy, some sad. But, for all it should be a time of hope, expectation and joy for what is to come..and Who is to come.
Come Jesus.......come soon.......a waiting world needs YOU and the Peace and Love You will bring with You........Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Sent from my iPad
We all have memories of this time of year: some happy, some sad. But, for all it should be a time of hope, expectation and joy for what is to come..and Who is to come.
Come Jesus.......come soon.......a waiting world needs YOU and the Peace and Love You will bring with You........Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Sent from my iPad
Friday, December 20, 2019
December 20, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. The Rule Of Law
At one time, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer. I took all the required college courses, took the LSAT, attended three years of Law School, took a Virginia Bar Exam Review Course, passed the Virginia State Bar Exam on the first try, paid the required
fees and promptly walked away from the legal profession.
I realized that I didn't have the requisite mind-set, competitive ability or necessary personality to handle other peoples' predicaments and personal problems and maybe not the respect for "the law" that was required to call myself an attorney. And so, I made my living in other legal ways. The more I have been around lawyers, listened to their discussions on a wide variety of subjects, watched our government officials with law degrees do their jobs, I am glad I do not count myself as one of them. It's embarrassing to hear the rhetoric, the lack of respect for opposing opinions and the feeling expressed by many that "my way is better than your way" and if you don't like it "sue me".
The entire impeachment procedure we are being forced to endure is a travesty. Over 60 million people voted in 2016 to elect Donald Trump the President of the United States and before he even was sworn into office, there was a move by the opposition to impeach him and have him removed from office. Lawyers jumped into the fray, and we are now witness to a situation where about 230 members of the House of Representatives can undo the votes of those 60 million Americans. And if the next step of the process, which is in question, takes place it is possible that 67 members of the Senate could completely nullify the voice of those 60 million. This is what some call the Rule Of Law.
Donald Trump ran on a platform which evoked strong opinions pro and con. He spoke bluntly, has done many of the things he said he would do and while he has ruffled some feathers and had a revolving door of members of his cabinet and inner circle, he deserves better than what the press, reporters and many people standing on the First Amendment have thrown at him.
Our political situation is a mess. Our country is badly divided and we have too many people who want their rights while denying others of their rights. We need to step back........be considerate of how we are different......and realize that unless we truly aspire to be The United States Of America, we risk the chance of undoing The Rule Of Law which made us a great country and which threatens our future, and ultimately the future of our entire world. Can't we just agree to disagree......and live in peace. May God help us to do so.
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fees and promptly walked away from the legal profession.
I realized that I didn't have the requisite mind-set, competitive ability or necessary personality to handle other peoples' predicaments and personal problems and maybe not the respect for "the law" that was required to call myself an attorney. And so, I made my living in other legal ways. The more I have been around lawyers, listened to their discussions on a wide variety of subjects, watched our government officials with law degrees do their jobs, I am glad I do not count myself as one of them. It's embarrassing to hear the rhetoric, the lack of respect for opposing opinions and the feeling expressed by many that "my way is better than your way" and if you don't like it "sue me".
The entire impeachment procedure we are being forced to endure is a travesty. Over 60 million people voted in 2016 to elect Donald Trump the President of the United States and before he even was sworn into office, there was a move by the opposition to impeach him and have him removed from office. Lawyers jumped into the fray, and we are now witness to a situation where about 230 members of the House of Representatives can undo the votes of those 60 million Americans. And if the next step of the process, which is in question, takes place it is possible that 67 members of the Senate could completely nullify the voice of those 60 million. This is what some call the Rule Of Law.
Donald Trump ran on a platform which evoked strong opinions pro and con. He spoke bluntly, has done many of the things he said he would do and while he has ruffled some feathers and had a revolving door of members of his cabinet and inner circle, he deserves better than what the press, reporters and many people standing on the First Amendment have thrown at him.
Our political situation is a mess. Our country is badly divided and we have too many people who want their rights while denying others of their rights. We need to step back........be considerate of how we are different......and realize that unless we truly aspire to be The United States Of America, we risk the chance of undoing The Rule Of Law which made us a great country and which threatens our future, and ultimately the future of our entire world. Can't we just agree to disagree......and live in peace. May God help us to do so.
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
December 17, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. To Buy Or Not To Buy
Buying a house in Arkansas has been a full time job......for Karen. She has a laptop computer at her "work" desk and her cell phone is in use during non office hours. She has become an expert on the various neighborhoods, County Roads and some of the "puffing" done by the agents to attract people to them and their properties.
Compared to how easy it was to sell our Colorado house, with the agent living right across the street and the first (and only) person seeing our house being the buyer, this Arkansas buying process is really WORK. We are looking for property not in the City of Eureka Springs, not at Beaver Lake, not in Holiday Island, not more than 15 minutes away from The Passion Play, some acreage (but not too much), all on one level, and in a price range where we can pay cash and not have a mortgage.
Needless to say, Karen has her work cut out for her. The houses we have visited are labeled "as is", "fixer-upper", "needs TLC" or some such variation of NOT FOR US. So, the search goes on. We notice that many of the more expensive homes in the area are now shown as sold, pending, or off the market, meaning that there are people with more money available to them, than what we have , and not as persnickety as us.
For now, we enter our 7th year living in our house on wheels, still content with it and comfortable with what we bought on impulse in 2013 on our first (and only) day of RV shopping. The right place will appear when the time is right. We trust God will reveal it to us.
Sent from my iPad
Compared to how easy it was to sell our Colorado house, with the agent living right across the street and the first (and only) person seeing our house being the buyer, this Arkansas buying process is really WORK. We are looking for property not in the City of Eureka Springs, not at Beaver Lake, not in Holiday Island, not more than 15 minutes away from The Passion Play, some acreage (but not too much), all on one level, and in a price range where we can pay cash and not have a mortgage.
Needless to say, Karen has her work cut out for her. The houses we have visited are labeled "as is", "fixer-upper", "needs TLC" or some such variation of NOT FOR US. So, the search goes on. We notice that many of the more expensive homes in the area are now shown as sold, pending, or off the market, meaning that there are people with more money available to them, than what we have , and not as persnickety as us.
For now, we enter our 7th year living in our house on wheels, still content with it and comfortable with what we bought on impulse in 2013 on our first (and only) day of RV shopping. The right place will appear when the time is right. We trust God will reveal it to us.
Sent from my iPad
Saturday, December 14, 2019
December 14, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Change of Residency
As we approach Christmas, we read the account in Luke's Gospel about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, but because of the scheduled Roman census and David being of the line of David they had to travel to Bethlehem to pay their taxes and be properly counted as members of David's lineage. It seems like a confusing situation, but no more complicated than what Karen and I are going thru after the sale of our Colorado house and the upcoming expiration of the Colorado plates on our motor home. We need to stop being Coloradoans and become Arkansans.
With so many issues involved: driver's licenses, vehicle(s) registration, voting residency, vehicle insurance, health insurance, bank accounts, veteran disability status, personal property taxes and actual residence address as opposed to mailing address, we are having to talk with multiple people in multiple locations in order to get "right" with the federal regulations and two sets of state regulations. I think we had to do something similar when we moved from Colorado to Oklahoma in 1974 and again when we moved from Oklahoma back to Colorado in 1977. But, it seems to have gotten more complicated this time. Maybe it's just the fact that we are older now and most everything just get tougher as we get older. It is easier to accomplish things with the internet and cell phones these days when they work properly and we can understand what we have to do and then figure out how to do it.
We are not yet completed with all that needs to be done, so we are either ColoArkies or ArkanRadoans. As far as we can tell we are still American citizens, Christians, and volunteers at The Great Passion Play. Even though we receive calls and notifications from the "IRS", the "Social Service Administration" and various "vehicle warranty" groups and "credit card" servicing organizations telling us we have been compromised, had liens placed on our property, are under investigation or are being sued for one reason or another, I think we are holding up pretty well and hopeful that the best is truly yet to come. In all things........Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
With so many issues involved: driver's licenses, vehicle(s) registration, voting residency, vehicle insurance, health insurance, bank accounts, veteran disability status, personal property taxes and actual residence address as opposed to mailing address, we are having to talk with multiple people in multiple locations in order to get "right" with the federal regulations and two sets of state regulations. I think we had to do something similar when we moved from Colorado to Oklahoma in 1974 and again when we moved from Oklahoma back to Colorado in 1977. But, it seems to have gotten more complicated this time. Maybe it's just the fact that we are older now and most everything just get tougher as we get older. It is easier to accomplish things with the internet and cell phones these days when they work properly and we can understand what we have to do and then figure out how to do it.
We are not yet completed with all that needs to be done, so we are either ColoArkies or ArkanRadoans. As far as we can tell we are still American citizens, Christians, and volunteers at The Great Passion Play. Even though we receive calls and notifications from the "IRS", the "Social Service Administration" and various "vehicle warranty" groups and "credit card" servicing organizations telling us we have been compromised, had liens placed on our property, are under investigation or are being sued for one reason or another, I think we are holding up pretty well and hopeful that the best is truly yet to come. In all things........Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
December 11, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Decisions?
We make a lot of decisions every day. When I Googled, "how many decisions we make every day", the answer came out: 35,000. 35,000? Yes.......35,000. Most of these decisions are made without much thought expended, and most involve what to eat, what to wear, who to talk to, or not talk to......and on, and on, and on.....without much consequence to the matter.
But, some decisions are not routine and have severe consequences. Right now I am facing one of those major decisions, and I have to take a lot of other decision into the reasoning process. As I have already written, I injured my rotator cuff, and it is a very complex joint and involves numerous muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and other body parts attached thereto. To have an operation involves pain, "downtime", limited activity after recovery, no guarantee of success,, and always the possibility of re-injuring it if I do too much too soon, or just take another tumble. No operation means limited physical activity for now and later, pain, over-stressing another body part, constant discomfort. The surgeon is willing to operate and my physical therapists says he can help me strengthen the surrounding parts to bypass the injured part. What to do?
I've done well with the therapy, until I slipped on some wet leaves on my 74th birthday and banged my bad shoulder. 74 years old? Yes, 74, and still doing a lot of physical stuff which is really intended for a younger me. I made the decision, after the MRI and speaking with the surgeon, to forego the operation and try therapy and "try" to slow down and act my age, which I have to make multiple decisions to implement.
So, on Friday it's back to therapy and the range of motion exercises, weight training of one, two, or three pounds per exercise, and limiting my stuccoing, heavy lifting, walking and wogging on uneven surfaces and most likely assuming more "old man" roles in the Passion Play and less Disciple roles when we start the 2020 season in April. But, that's looking too far into the future. For the moment, I've decided to take it one step at a time, one day at a time and trust God for what He would have me do, when to do it and how to accomplish it with the least possibility of hurting myself.
The other 34,999 decisions will have to wait.
Sent from my iPad
But, some decisions are not routine and have severe consequences. Right now I am facing one of those major decisions, and I have to take a lot of other decision into the reasoning process. As I have already written, I injured my rotator cuff, and it is a very complex joint and involves numerous muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and other body parts attached thereto. To have an operation involves pain, "downtime", limited activity after recovery, no guarantee of success,, and always the possibility of re-injuring it if I do too much too soon, or just take another tumble. No operation means limited physical activity for now and later, pain, over-stressing another body part, constant discomfort. The surgeon is willing to operate and my physical therapists says he can help me strengthen the surrounding parts to bypass the injured part. What to do?
I've done well with the therapy, until I slipped on some wet leaves on my 74th birthday and banged my bad shoulder. 74 years old? Yes, 74, and still doing a lot of physical stuff which is really intended for a younger me. I made the decision, after the MRI and speaking with the surgeon, to forego the operation and try therapy and "try" to slow down and act my age, which I have to make multiple decisions to implement.
So, on Friday it's back to therapy and the range of motion exercises, weight training of one, two, or three pounds per exercise, and limiting my stuccoing, heavy lifting, walking and wogging on uneven surfaces and most likely assuming more "old man" roles in the Passion Play and less Disciple roles when we start the 2020 season in April. But, that's looking too far into the future. For the moment, I've decided to take it one step at a time, one day at a time and trust God for what He would have me do, when to do it and how to accomplish it with the least possibility of hurting myself.
The other 34,999 decisions will have to wait.
Sent from my iPad
Sunday, December 8, 2019
December 8, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Gratitude
When I woke up this morning, I felt like it was going to be a good day. I had slept soundly, my devotional and Scripture readings all tended to point me to the positive things in my life and to making a conscious decision to focus on what we have and not on what we don't have.
The entire time at our "home" church with Bible Study, music, message and our monthly "pot providence" (we don't believe in luck) lunch, the fellowship time and meeting some new people, added to the positivity of the day. It HAS been a good day, and even with some of the issues we face with the Passion Play, my current health issues, the cold weather coming this week and the possibility of having no water on the premises (except for the fresh water we carry on board our motor home), I AM grateful for the things we have, the freedom we have in our life, the faithfulness of our God and the blessings we receive and share with our friends and family.
As today's Our Daily Bread says: "Even in times of genuine struggle and pain we can know God's peace and permit it to rule our hearts. And in that peace, we'll find reminders of all we've been given in Christ. In that, we can truly be thankful." And from today's Streams in the Desert: "..give others the sunshine and tell Jesus the rest."
Yes.......It HAS been a GOOD day. Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
The entire time at our "home" church with Bible Study, music, message and our monthly "pot providence" (we don't believe in luck) lunch, the fellowship time and meeting some new people, added to the positivity of the day. It HAS been a good day, and even with some of the issues we face with the Passion Play, my current health issues, the cold weather coming this week and the possibility of having no water on the premises (except for the fresh water we carry on board our motor home), I AM grateful for the things we have, the freedom we have in our life, the faithfulness of our God and the blessings we receive and share with our friends and family.
As today's Our Daily Bread says: "Even in times of genuine struggle and pain we can know God's peace and permit it to rule our hearts. And in that peace, we'll find reminders of all we've been given in Christ. In that, we can truly be thankful." And from today's Streams in the Desert: "..give others the sunshine and tell Jesus the rest."
Yes.......It HAS been a GOOD day. Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Monday, December 2, 2019
December 2, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Leaves
After a couple of days of high winds and heavy rain, it seemed like a good time to get started on the leaf blowing/raking/burning/bagging process in the various areas of our property. So today with the temperature just above freezing and the wind non-existent, the process began.
A quick survey of the leaf-bearing trees revealed that most of the trees are leafless, I had the determination, tools and incentive to get at it, and get at it I did for a solid four hours. I did take time off to lead a tour of The Holy Land, but I made a good start in constructing large piles of damp leaves, burned a bunch of the dryer ones and am set up for about 6 hours tomorrow to make progress toward becoming leafless on the set of the Play. By doing the work now, we will have more time available in the Spring to plant grass on the set, spray for bugs, paint, weed, and make repairs where needed.
There is no shortage of things to do and if we use the weather to our advantage, have the gumption to do the menial, but necessary, tasks as they pop up, we will see things accomplished even when we are ""short-handed" people-wise. I did have a lighter-than-usual November, so.......back at it......to end 2019 and onward into the new year and the 2020 season.
Sent from my iPad
A quick survey of the leaf-bearing trees revealed that most of the trees are leafless, I had the determination, tools and incentive to get at it, and get at it I did for a solid four hours. I did take time off to lead a tour of The Holy Land, but I made a good start in constructing large piles of damp leaves, burned a bunch of the dryer ones and am set up for about 6 hours tomorrow to make progress toward becoming leafless on the set of the Play. By doing the work now, we will have more time available in the Spring to plant grass on the set, spray for bugs, paint, weed, and make repairs where needed.
There is no shortage of things to do and if we use the weather to our advantage, have the gumption to do the menial, but necessary, tasks as they pop up, we will see things accomplished even when we are ""short-handed" people-wise. I did have a lighter-than-usual November, so.......back at it......to end 2019 and onward into the new year and the 2020 season.
Sent from my iPad
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