May 18, 2026. Holiday Island, AR. Accept the GIft……you deserve it

I know I wrote a blog yesterday about how I first became aware of the fact that I was entitled to VA health benefits after a chance visit in 2009 to Debbie Pierson, the Larimer County, Colorado Veteran Service Officer. I made a simple request to have my DD214 corrected to show that I had earned a second Bronze Star in Vietnam and not just one, I told her that the previous year I had suffered a heart attack and she told me that Ischemic Heart Disease was about to be added to the Agent Orange presumptive list of service-connected illnesses and I could be eligible for monthly disability payments. Within seven months I was rated as 100% permanently and totally disabled and since then have received a disability payment every month. i receive all my health care through the VA and have other benefits as well. There are now 20 conditions on the Agent Orange presumptive list including a number of cancers, PTSD, diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, and Hypertension. Not only are Vietnam Veterans affected, but Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans who may have been affected by burn pits and other toxic exposures even Korean War Vets exposed to asbestos are now being considered. i was 63 years old when I had the heart attack and the other conditions came about in my seventies. If you have any indication that you may be eligible for disability payments, call Joh Contreres, the Carroll County Veteran Service Officer at 870-423-4000 and schedule an appointment. Bring your Dd214 and any medical records!you may have and john will file the claim for you. If you live outside of Carroll County see The VSO in your county, but John can file a claim with the VA no matter where you live. Ministry of Miles is also able to find anyone with a problem someone who may be able to help with any issue. We may not be able to solve every problem, but we can find someone who can help you. Visit our website at: ministryofmiles.blogspot.com for new posts every so often. We try to meet needs and share the burdens of life, not that we may boast but that the Giver of all gifts may be praised and glorified. Thank You Lord for life and the hope of an even better future with You. Thank You, Jesus.

It’s so good to be back. Holiday Island, AR. May 12, 2026

 I feel like Spring Training has lasted too long and Opening Day in “The Bigs” is still in the future.  But, I have learned;  Don’t wish your time away,  live  every moment, practice hard, and get your rest now, because later it may be hard to come by.  

We started at Easter, took a whole month “off”, did two performances the first weekend of May, took two weeks “off” and have a single performance this week   Everyone has plenty to keep them busy besides the Passion Play, so when the Play is on, the rest of our life doesn’t change.  But for some, the Passion Play is their main job and main source of income, and for them it’s a welcome activity and a way to show their love for Jesus, to glorify God and a way to witness to others and plant seeds which will hopefully bring others to see this presentation.  The improvements in the sound, lighting, music and small changes to the script have brought a new enthusiasm to all of us and encouraged us to stay, or in my case, return to the cast after a year’s absence, returning to blow the shofar and find others to blow. There are a few  ideas floating around about the shofar and how we might be able to introduce people to it.  There are more references in Scripture than you might think about the shofar and we’ll explore some of them in the blog and at the play when people come to see the Holy Land, the remodeled Bible Museum, the interactive Art Gallery, the Prayer Cross and Christ of the Ozarks Statue.  A lot to experience in person.

For now, thank you for coming back to the website, I’ll keep you  informed and amused as best I can and let you know how Ministry of Miles is being rebranded and refreshed and what we are doing to reach the world for Jesus Christ and share His blessings to us with others.  In His love and Grace……

  

Meet Tom. Holiday Island, AR May 5, 2026

 My mind is full of thoughts of the goings-on of life, but  my lap is full of a feral cat named Tom.  He came to me a while ago when I was about to feed Miss Hissy our first feral cat who has been a work-in-progress since we moved into our cabin almost six years ago.  Tom, who I initially named Gray, walked right into the kitchen nook and laid down across my feet and stayed there purring loudly.  He has been a constant companion, talking with me, telling me all kinds of things, wanting to share my food, and trying to sleep on my chest until I shoo him away.  He introduced herself to Timber, Patches and Loki the three dogs now living with me and made it very clear who is in charge. Loud yelps could be heard when a quick swat was skillfully landed on the nose of an inattentive pup.  The four of them get along very well now and are a real comfort to all of us and our visitors.

Over the years, I remember the cat wandering on a farm road in Iowa during RaAM 1983, Earl(Jarrell), Gus and Cream (Edwards), Monster(McCullum), our own Sweet Pea(Passion Play), Scooter(Briniger), Snoop (our stuffed dog) who has been with us since 1974 when he was with me in the hospital in Tulsa during my first bunion surgery, Ginger and all the Jackson dogs in Colorado, Muffin(Phil and Sharon’s cat), TarBaby(Gledhill) Bonnie’s Papillons, Etta Fay, Emmie Lou,Tom and Susie(Ludig), Hissy, Mo, Peggy (Schatz)……..and a host of others. 

 What joy pets bring to us.  They are part of God’s creation although The Bible speaks little about pets and mostly about animals and our duty to be good stewards of them while having dominion over them.  Interesting topic to consider.  Think about the Tabernacle and Temple:  the thousands of animals sacrificed  to atone for our sin, and then there was Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice to take away ALL sin, past, present and future.  The Lamb of God….the only Son of God…..God Incarnate.  Heavy stuff to ponder…..Thank You, Jesus

April 29,2026 Holiday Island, AR. Up again…..I think

 It seems like a long time ago that I last sat down to write a blog.  It has been four years and a lot of water has flowed under the bridge and over the dam.  Covid……Agent Orange presumptive conditions……attacks by the enemy……and personal periods of doubt and disappointment.  God was silent at times, prompting and encouraging at others but I think we are back to my First Love and ready to renew the fight.  Born again, again and optimistic about the future and what God has for me to accomplish for Him.

It’s been a battle for Karen and me and the battle is still ongoing, but I feel called to be bold, bolder than I’ve ever been because there is still so much to be done.  The past year has been especially challenging and while I could write volumes about it, I won’t, because it would detract from the goal of moving forward.  Many valuable lessons have been learned and they will be evident to those who know me.  I am on Facebook and Linked-in and have a bigger audience that I had before and hope we all benefit from that. I am not a big technology fan, but I will use what I feel comfortable with to deliver the message God has placed in me to deliver.  I have a donation button, but DO NOT use it until I understand how it works and know that any money will go to the right place.  For now I’m glad to be back on the air, hope you will continue to follow me and  I ask for your prayers and well wishes.  May  God bless you and keep you.

I love you all.

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July 14, 2022. Holiday Island, AR. A Time For Miracles

When I last blogged on May 31, we had just finished our Memorial Day re-opening for the 2022 season. Since then we have had eighteen performance days; very dry, hot and humid weather and a resurgence of Covid in our area. Karen and I have stayed Covid-free, but a number of our friends, coworkers and church members have been impacted. The Play has had decent attendance, but with all the fluctuation in fuel costs and the uptick in health concerns, we're unsure of the impact on us as we go forward.
In the part of the Passion Play where Jesus is brought before the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus are presented as Pharisees petitioning that Jesus receive a fair trial and as Jesus is denigrated and sent off to Pilate for trial, Joseph remarks that it is "a time for prayer, my friend," and Nicodemus {the character I portray) responds, "Joseph, a time for miracles". Both these statements apply not only to the time of Jesus, but also to the present time as well.
Our country and world are facing major issues and emotions are high on both sides of every issue. It is a time for all of us to be in prayer and to ask God for a miraculous intercession on our behalf, that His will be done and His Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven. We seek Your presence among us, Lord, and Your continued favor on The Passion Play, our friends and family and all those we come in contact with on a daily basis. Praise You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit now and forever. You alone are our hope.

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May 31, 2022. Holiday Island, AR. Off and Running

The fifty-fourth season of The Great Passion Play has officially begun. With three performance days over Memorial Day weekend, we are off and running. The crowds were smaller than anticipated, but the numbers are not really the story. The story is telling the story of Jesus to all who come to hear it, even if that number is as small as one. When we tell the story it honors Jesus, Father God, and the Holy Spirit and plants a seed which may grow into a whole community who hear the story and pass it along.
We keep a count of those who have seen the Play and that number is approaching eight million over the more than fifty years we have been telling the story in Eureka Springs. Many have been impacted as visitors, volunteer workers and paid staff, and our prayer is that God continues to bless all involved and strengthen us in our efforts to serve Him as He has called us.
After this coming weekend, we will be be presenting the Play, Holy Land, and our three museums every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday until the end of October. The Bible Museum, Holy Land tour and Christ of the Ozarks statue are available on non- performance days as well. Come and visit us even if you have been here before. The story is the same, but the experience is new because God's Living Word is new every day. For allowing us to serve………..Thank You, Lord.

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May 26, 2022. Holiday Island, AR. Long Time No See

There was a time when I would blog every third day, and there was no lack of topics or words to convey my thoughts. It's been three weeks since I last blogged and it seems like the time just zips by and the words to convey are less fluent for me. I don't know why I haven't had the "urge" to write or express my views on the events of the day, but hopefully those who have been faithful to read will be faithful to keep checking for new entries.
Tomorrow we reopen the Passion Play after a six week hiatus after Easter weekend and with all the rain we have had in that period, the foliage is filled in and the grass and trees are fully in bloom. We expect a dry and warm weekend, so we won't have the moist cool weather to contend with. A three day performance schedule will test our stamina, but everyone seems eager to get back into the routine and tell the story of Jesus to those who will be attending. Karen and I both have full schedules for Friday, Saturday and Sunday and are eager to be back to it. Thanks for coming back to the website, hopefully with a more regular routine on my part.
Pray for the Passion Play and our impact on those who come to participate as volunteers, paid staff or visitors and guests. We seek God's presence and favor on our efforts to serve Him and His Kingdom. Fifty-fourth season for the Play and ninth season for Karen and me. Time sure does scurry by. Thank You, Lord.

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May 5, 2022. Holiday Island, AR. I’ve Heard Enough

I turn on the television to be entertained or informed, but am finding that I am achieving neither. I watch sports to enjoy the physical abilities of highly trained athletes not to root for any particular team or individual. I get tired of the offensive commercials, the political bickering, the biased reporting on most of the major channels and the "panel" type shows where everyone is upbeat and perky and everyone talks at the same time
What is my current "peeve"? It's Fox News airing the Depp v Heard defamation trial. Why in the world they are choosing to air a "he said-she said" trial between two highly overpaid actors is beyond me. I turn on Fox News when I'm home during the day to learn what is happening in Ukraine, in Congress, in the status of the important issues of the day, not to see who is going to be awarded the best actor or best actress Emmy for daytime drama. I'd rather watch reruns of old game shows on Buzzer or Opie and Andy or M.A.S.H. on METV.
The world is a mess and with mid-term elections coming up, the "official" Supreme Court decision on the Mississippi abortion case due in June, we have enough serious matters to "tune out" without having to endure "Hollywood on Trial". Lord help us…..PLEASE.



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April 25, 2022. Holiday Island, AR. Azaleas

One day we had buds, then the rain came and now we have Azaleas in our front flower bed.  Even the hummingbirds are back for the season.  God's handiwork is awesome.  

April 16, 2022. Eureka Springs, AR. Happy Easter

April 11, 2022. Holiday Island, AR. Out of the Off Season

Tomorrow we have dress rehearsal and Friday and Saturday the first performance days of the 2022 Passion Play Season. It has been quite an off season with upgrades made in lighting and sound in the amphitheater, a number of Tabernacle and Holy Land projects and waiting to see the status of our cast and crew for the play and personnel changes in other areas of the play including Buffet, Gift Shop and Administration, animal care and security.
It's always a (pardon the expression), "crap shoot", but then again, even when we are well into the season, there are changes which crop up and test our ability to keep the wheels moving ahead and the message being delivered. God always brings the right people at the right time for the right assignments and we just take it as a given that He is in control and provides all we need to do what needs to be done.
Thank You, Lord, for getting us to this "season" and forYour continuing favor on the Passion Play and all who are impacted by it. It is truly a joy to serve You and be part of Your Kingdom, now and forever. Amen and Amen.

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March 31, 2022. Holiday Island, AR. Miles

I just wrote a blog, which disappeared into the never-never land of the cosmos. It was my first blog in over a week and spoke to the fact that Karen and I have very drastically curtailed our miles travelled over the past few years and are relying on other people traveling here to the Passion Play to be ministered to and them ministering to us in the process. The world is a different place, but thankfully none of it is beyond God's control or His ability to make it manageable.
I hope this shorter blog makes it to the Ministry of Miles website. The fewer miles we travel and the less frequent posts to the website have made my mind less tuned into the techy world. Must be another Covid-related stigma which plagues so many of us. But, I say again…….none of this is beyond God's grasp. Thank You, Lord.

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March 20, 2022. Holiday Island, AR. Spring Ahead

Spring has sprung again. We had an inch-and-a-half of rain last week and a few of our plants have started to pop up, our plum tree has blossomed and I have been able to "de-leaf" all of our plant beds and trim back our large pampas grass clump. The next three days we are forecast to have rain, so it's possible there will be more plants and trees budding soon.
Right now it is 75 degrees. I'm being serenaded by a fairly good sized frog in our fish pond. First time I've heard him since last summer. It sure is nice to enjoy sitting outside in shorts, not needing to be bundled up with layers of clothing. The past two winters have been colder and snowier that usual, so the warmer weather is really welcome. No telling if we will have another cold spell, but if we do it shouldn't last long. We're getting closer to the start of the Play, so there are a lot of projects to be tackled and we have already started to see many of our volunteer groups coming to help. I think we're in better shape financially because there are more projects than usual being scheduled and it seems that there are better pre-sales numbers this year than prior seasons. There is also a better "vibe" than in past years. We pray for a good season and God's continued favor on the Passion Play ministry. Thank You, Lord, for allowing us to serve You as we do. Bless our efforts and may they bring more people into Your Kingdom and a closer relationship with You. In all things, may Your will be done.


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March 12, 2022. Holiday Island, AR. It’s Not MY Fault

There is a consistent theme in every story we hear on the Evening News. No one wants to accept responsibility for what is happening. Regardless of what the pictures show, Putin is denying that he started a war or that he is indiscriminately attacking civilian targets in Ukraine. It's not his fault. Democrats blame Putin for the out of control inflation, blame Donald Trump for the immigration mess at the southern border and every crime seems to be the fault of the police and not the career criminals who have been released from jail by incompetent judges or ineffective prosecutors. It' not their fault.
President Biden has some pretty poor approval numbers, but it's all due to someone else's incompetence, certainly not his. The pandemic is still around, but relegated to a place of lesser importance, but let's just blame it on the unvaccinated or the Chinese, but not the CDC or WHO or some other regulatory entity. It's all because of "their" incompetence, not mine. We can always blame the 15 year old Russian figure skater for everything. After all we need a scapegoat, and ignorance or youth is not a valid defense.
The world is spinning out of control. The Medicare commercials with Joe Namath, J.J. Walker, George Foreman and William Shatner are back in vogue and it looks like there will be no end to them even though we are well beyond the "deadline". Free money for all and with a national debt over $30 Trillion why not give away more of what we don't actually have. One thing for sure……it's someone's fault, just no one is taking credit for it.
Lord……….help us.


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March 4, 2022. Holiday Island, AR. Time Marches On

One year ago, yesterday, I was at the VA Medical Center for rotator cuff and bicep tendon surgery. Yesterday, I was at the VA Medical Center to have my teeth cleaned. A lot has happened in that one year period. We spent our eighth season at The Great Passion Play, endured a run-in with Covid, are about to start another GPP season and our second year out of our motor home and in our cabin in the woods.
We've lost some friends and acquaintances, had a teaching series on Revelation at church and are watching our country become further split over political issues, racial matters, and now an increase in tensions in international relations due to an end of our Involvement in Afghanistan, a war between Russia and Ukraine, increasing cost of basic necessities, and mid-term elections on the horizon which may further add to our concern for the future of our democracy in a fragile period of history.
No matter what has happened, what is happening or what may happen, time marches on and March, the month named for the Roman god of war, is the beginning of the end of a cold winter and a springtime when the warmer weather will usher in the hope for new growth, the perennials starting to bloom, leaves returning to the trees and spring rains to green up our lawns. Time marches on and so do we in our Christian walk. My prayers all begin with thanks for God's provision and protection and gratitude for Jesus and His life, death, resurrection and promise to return and begin a period of New Life for all who accept Him as their Lord and Savior. Come, Lord Jesus, and march with us, as we march with you. For the good, the not so good, but always for You……..Thank You, Lord.

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February 24, 2022. Holiday Island, AR. A Season of Rest

My last blog was a remembrance of acquaintances who have gone to rest with The Lord. Their efforts and accomplishments for The Kingdom are a legacy which remains for us still laboring in His Harvest. But, for me, the past three months or so have been a season of rest from the Passion Play and my duties there. I have committed to leading Holy Land tours on Wednesdays, but for the past eight weeks, I have led just three tours due to weather cancellations on the other five Wednesdays. My recovery from Covid has left me with decreased stamina and even work around the cabin has been minimal, and this season of rest and recovery, has been somewhat welcome to me. I have some upcoming appointments at the VA and I look forward to visiting with the doctors to find a medical reason for this season. But, in reality, I think it is God's plan to possibly point me in a new direction for my duties at the Passion Play, church ministry or even something different.
Today's Streams in the Desert devotional talked about those who labor for The Lord behind the scenes or in efforts which seem mundane or inconsequential, but are still essential for His Kingdom's impact on others. This season of rest may be just what The Doctor, the Great Physician, has ordered for me. It may be a time to listen more, speak less and let my personal desires take a back seat to His. Enough said. Thank You, Lord.

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February 14, 2022. Holiday Island, AR. Rest In Peace

Over the past few months, and even before that, we have said goodbye to a number of friends and acquaintances. Most have not been Covid-related, but due to other causes and most have not been very old in relation to us. We know that they knew Jesus and are resting in peace in His presence, so we rejoice for them, while we miss their presence here.
The way we honor those who have left us is to stand in the gap by finding a peace on earth to rest in; and that is to continue to serve God in whatever way He guides us and do what we can to lead others to faith in Him. Life is truly practice for the life we will have after we leave this one and enter our eternal Home.
We remember Jim, Roxie, Nicole, James, Darlene, Rob, Tim, Charles, Bud, Ken, and others who's names escape me now. Thank you for being part of our journey. Rest In Peace and let us all Rest In Peace on earth with the knowledge that one day we will all be together in a better place. For all this……………..Thank You, Lord,


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