About a month ago I embarked on the journey of finding a job. We searched around a bit, considered a few positions, and then...one came up.
For those of you who don't know, I was a competitive gymnast for about nine years. So I have experience in the area. It just so happened that a newer gym had opened up about five minutes from our home. New gyms generally need new coaches. So we called in to see if they could use me there.
To make a long story short, I ended up getting the job without an interview because of connections I have. So I now am a gymnastics coach. And what an interesting job it is. Everyday at work I get a worldview lesson, being as my fellow employees are not all the most Godly people. I get a workout lifting little girls so that they can get over the bar...or the mat, it all depends. I also get experience working with children. The well behaved and the not so well behaved. All of them are there. I do love working with the children, seeing the smiles on their little faces when they get a new skill (and are quite pleased with themselves, might I add). This job also gives me a reason to get back some of my old skills :) The only down: my face when I see how much tax is taken from my paycheck.
I learn something new everyday. This is for certain. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Paige
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Oh Give Me A Church...
"Laaaaate is the hour", as Grima Wormtounge once said in a deep English accent(for your LOTRingers out there). I'm sitting at the little "nook" in the kitchen, surrounded by the dark and writing on the girls' laptop. Mine's in the bedroom where Mrs. A is experiencing deep REM stage sleep right about now. Something I'll be back to doing momentarily, just after I rid my mind of this little conundrum.
For the life of me, I haven't decided where to settle into a "church home" with my family. We've pretty much pulled away from the Church of Christ congregation where we'd attended for the past 3.5 years, due to unresolved youth ministry issues and other things having to do with our incompatibilities. Sad in a sense, but we did manage to make a few good friends while attending there.
We've since attended services with another Church of Christ, the Baptists, the Hyper-Calvinists and have held home worship (which we all enjoyed). I even sat in with the local "Church Of England" when I was traveling out of town on a Wednesday evening. In a few short weeks, we've been privy to Predestination, procrastination, singing with musical instruments or without (note...a pitch pipe is still a musical instrument), communion every week or quarterly, preachers being called "pastor" or just "brother so and so". Women doing nothing at all in worship, except sitting there quietly...or not. Having a choir or only congregational singing, separate classes segregated by age or family integrated worship? Prayer books or extemporaneous prayer? Doctrine abounds.
What ever happened to meeting with the saints/sinners on Sunday morning for an actual "worship" time, where that's what we actually do. Just worship. You know, plain old singing, prayer, communion and scripture being read by different men (possibly within the framework of a weekly theme, but not shackled to that). The worship is the centerpiece and not the preaching. Those who desire sitting through a lectureship, may stay for such an event to be held after worship. Others who desire to study alone or with a smaller group or go and eat or rest or go about their lives, may leave and not be chastised for doing so. Why are we bound to evening services on Sunday and Wednesday, which in my opinion are there as a way to make us feel pious toward our brothers and sisters, who do not attend these "extra-credit" services. My work takes me away from my family at times and I have no desire to get in my car and drive to a building, only to be separated from them for another hour or 2 on Sunday and Wednesday evening. Nor should I or my family be held accountable for not holding to such a schedule.
Isn't "church", the collective body of believers...no matter where they meet? It's not a building, for the love of Pete. When I hear the term "the Lords house" my Catholic Radar goes into overload. It's one of those descriptions that sound holy but need some defining before being thrown around loosely.
In retrospect, some of us hold our doctrines/traditions a little too close to the vest...in idolatry. A doctrine or tradition may or may not be based in truth. And what is relevant or even true at one point in history, may not be relevant or true in current times. We need to realize that 2 roads from 2 different starting places can and do lead to the exact same destination. That is a truth. There are common laws that must be adhered to on both roads but both roads offer different scenery and a different experience than than the other. Some of us get the scenery that we experience on our journey, confused with the destination itself. We can even become convinced that our particular journey is the ONLY way to the destination. No others will do. This is a lie. For although there are common laws that apply to every journey, many roads can and do lead to the same destination.
More on "the journey" later. For now, the sandman has crept up behind me and daylight is fast approaching. I need a warm blanket and a bit of sleep. Good morning to you all.
-The Arkanblogger
For the life of me, I haven't decided where to settle into a "church home" with my family. We've pretty much pulled away from the Church of Christ congregation where we'd attended for the past 3.5 years, due to unresolved youth ministry issues and other things having to do with our incompatibilities. Sad in a sense, but we did manage to make a few good friends while attending there.
We've since attended services with another Church of Christ, the Baptists, the Hyper-Calvinists and have held home worship (which we all enjoyed). I even sat in with the local "Church Of England" when I was traveling out of town on a Wednesday evening. In a few short weeks, we've been privy to Predestination, procrastination, singing with musical instruments or without (note...a pitch pipe is still a musical instrument), communion every week or quarterly, preachers being called "pastor" or just "brother so and so". Women doing nothing at all in worship, except sitting there quietly...or not. Having a choir or only congregational singing, separate classes segregated by age or family integrated worship? Prayer books or extemporaneous prayer? Doctrine abounds.
What ever happened to meeting with the saints/sinners on Sunday morning for an actual "worship" time, where that's what we actually do. Just worship. You know, plain old singing, prayer, communion and scripture being read by different men (possibly within the framework of a weekly theme, but not shackled to that). The worship is the centerpiece and not the preaching. Those who desire sitting through a lectureship, may stay for such an event to be held after worship. Others who desire to study alone or with a smaller group or go and eat or rest or go about their lives, may leave and not be chastised for doing so. Why are we bound to evening services on Sunday and Wednesday, which in my opinion are there as a way to make us feel pious toward our brothers and sisters, who do not attend these "extra-credit" services. My work takes me away from my family at times and I have no desire to get in my car and drive to a building, only to be separated from them for another hour or 2 on Sunday and Wednesday evening. Nor should I or my family be held accountable for not holding to such a schedule.
Isn't "church", the collective body of believers...no matter where they meet? It's not a building, for the love of Pete. When I hear the term "the Lords house" my Catholic Radar goes into overload. It's one of those descriptions that sound holy but need some defining before being thrown around loosely.
In retrospect, some of us hold our doctrines/traditions a little too close to the vest...in idolatry. A doctrine or tradition may or may not be based in truth. And what is relevant or even true at one point in history, may not be relevant or true in current times. We need to realize that 2 roads from 2 different starting places can and do lead to the exact same destination. That is a truth. There are common laws that must be adhered to on both roads but both roads offer different scenery and a different experience than than the other. Some of us get the scenery that we experience on our journey, confused with the destination itself. We can even become convinced that our particular journey is the ONLY way to the destination. No others will do. This is a lie. For although there are common laws that apply to every journey, many roads can and do lead to the same destination.
More on "the journey" later. For now, the sandman has crept up behind me and daylight is fast approaching. I need a warm blanket and a bit of sleep. Good morning to you all.
-The Arkanblogger
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Speaking of Arkansas and Things Southern...
Mrs. Arkanblogger "mugging" for me at one of the childrens' birthday parties.
Photo taken by Mrs. A. Taken at Silver Dollar City in the Ozarks.
Aunt Phyliss and Mrs. A preparing for the Thanksgiving feed in the den.
The first morning of last years' hunt. We did leave the neighborhood. Photo by Mrs. A.
The White River at Gastons' Resort. Photo taken from the top of the Dam.
I've been noticing a little dialogue of late, which concern the good and bad traits of our fair state of Arkansas. So, being myself a 4th generation Arkansan and more specifically of Arkansas county itself, I thought I'd take a couple of minutes to weigh in on the subject.
It is true that Arkansas is widely known a place where broods of mostly toothless hillbillies reside deep in the woods, stilling their moonshine and searching for spouses at their family reunions. It is also the general belief of the rest of the country that Arkansas women walk around in public sporting both bare feet and the condition of being pregnant. The town of Harrison has in the past been known as home to the national headquarters of the KKK and we shan't forget that there is still a place called "Hope", which spawned the likes of our former president William Jefferson Clinton. Our current Governor Mike Huckabee lived in a triple wide trailer while having the gov's mansion renovated, which prompted a quest spot on the Jay Leno show and made for fodder at the office water cooler for months on end. This is also the birthplace of Wal-Mart (which many good folks have held in favor and contempt over the years), although it's founder, Sam Walton, was born in our neighboring state of Oklahoma, just to the west of us. We're even home to the Arkansas Razorbacks, whose many fans will very proudly and spontaneously offer up the "hog call", consisting of a long and loud, "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....PIG...SOUIXEE!!!", to complete strangers in airports, grocery stores and in church (I've been there when it happened), should the spirit so move them. Bearing in mind those little highlights, we have somewhat of a history of being maligned...and sometimes painfully and truthfully so.
Now there is another side to the story, as the man once said. Let me say that I have lived in Oklahoma and Colorado and then had extensive dealings with customers as I traveled the states of Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska. I have also spent time, some of it considerable, in Florida, Washington, California, Nevada, Montana, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina, Maryland, along with Washington D.C., the Bahamas, Cabo San Lucas and The Florida Keys. So we can safely say that I've been around the "block" a time or two....not as much as some...but I also know folks that have never left the state. Bearing all this in mind, I can say that Arkansas has some of the nicest people and prettiest countryside in the U.S. Yes, the Rockies and the Tetons are majestic and the Smokies are green and luscious. Our domestic coastlines offer captivating views and even the "plains" states have their vast beauty and cleanliness. I'll admit being quite taken with such places as Key West, FL, Bozeman, MT, Sheridan, WY, San Francisco, San Diego and Sonoma Valley, CA But as much as a cliche' as it is, for me, there is simply no place like home. Some people spend their adult lives escaping from their place of birth for one reason or another. Others embrace it. I've done a bit of both.
Let me share with you some of the places I love and things I love about Arkansas...
The Boston, Quachita and Ozark mountains must certainly they look as if they are mere foothills, if set aside the rugged mountain ranges of the west, but their colorful peaks and rolling beauty is quite engaging....and I've stood atop Mount Evans, Colorado on many occasions, which at it's peak is over 14,000 feet, so I have a pretty good frame of reference, as mountainous beauty is concerned. Arkansas' notable mountains include, Mount Magazine (often called the highest point between the Alleghenies and the Rockies at 2,753 ft.), Mt. Nebo and Mt. Petit Jean State Park. Another beautiful spot is Gaston's Resort, which is located on the White River just a few miles south of the Missouri border near Flippin, Arkansas. Gaston's sports world class trout fishing (with or without guides) , lodging and a fantastic restaurant located on the bank of the White River. I've been twice and I highly recommend it. There is Blanchard Springs Caverns, which is a 3-level cave system and is the only cave currently administered by the United States Forrest Service. Also the Ozark Highlands Trail roams some 180 miles around north west Arkansas and will eventually link to the Ozark Trail in Missouri. The future combination of the two trails will result in approximately 700 miles of trail in the Ozark mountain range.
Some towns worth a visit are Eureka Springs, which is a Victorian village with a European flavor with steep winding streets, lined with cottages and manors. It is the only city in the United States where none of the streets meet at right angles. The city is dominated by a 7-story 2 million pound white statue of Jesus, which sits across the valley from the downtown area. I'll admit that I could do without that one...but Thorncrown Chapel is most certainly worth a visit. This chapel in the woods was designed by E. Fay Jones, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. A retired schoolteacher purchased the land for his retirement home but felt that the land was too beautiful not to share and commissioned Mr. Jones to design a structure where folks could feel welcome and close to God. Take the highway east out of town and follow it for a couple of hours and you'll find Mountain View, host of the annual Ozark Folk Festival. This celebration, along with the Arkansas Bean Fest and Great Championship Outhouse Race, causes the population of the city to swell from it's 2,800 folks to 100,000. It's not uncommon to find musicians playing and "jamming" together on the downtown square at all times of the year...weather permitting.
There is much more to say regarding the north part of the state but I am a child of the "Grand Prairie", which borders the delta region of the eastern part of the state, which has it's own beauty. The delta, running north and south, along the Mississippi River, variates between massive rice, soybean and cotton farms and thick hardwood forests. Stuttgart, my hometown, is in the heart of the Prairie and is known as the "Rice and Duck Capital of The World". The city is home to Riceland Foods, the world's biggest rice miller and is named after Stuttgart, Germany, which is also a leading rice producer. There are world class waterfowl hunting facilities throughout the Delta region and the "Cabelas of Waterfowl", known as Mack's' Prairie Wings and Rich N' Tone Duck Calls are both headquartered in Stuttgart. Dividing the northern and southern regions of Arkansas is our state capitol, Little Rock, which has become a vibrant city that's highlighted by The Clinton Presidential Library and is the headquarters of Alltel, Axciom, Heifer International, Family Life, TCBY and Stephens Investments. The opening of our River Market District was part of a very successful revitalization program for the downtown area of Little Rock and just last month The Big Dam Bridge was opened to the public. The bridge runs parallel to a lock and dam on the Arkansas River and spans 3,463 feet, making it the world's longest specifically bicycle and pedestrian bridge. Little Rock is also now home to a Peabody Hotel...where every day at 11:00 a.m. the Peabody ducks are escorted from their penthouse to the lobby via elevator. The ducks, accompainied by a Sousa march, proceed across a red carpet to the hotel fountain. Then at 5:00 p.m., the ducks are ceremoniously led back to their penthouse.
Now I don't have a southern accent, nor does my wife or our children...maybe our son has a "tad" of a twang...never the less, I love the many eccentricities about Arkansas' Southern Culture. Such as the fact that farmers and country folk wave at you when you meet them on the highway. You need to wave back. Grandpa's pass down pocketknives and shotguns to their grandsons...and granddaughters. In fact, a man without a pocketknife is probably a yankee or "one of those Californians". This is a place where many grandmothers still hand down family recipes and teach the younger generations how to cook such delicacies as fried green tomatoes, smothered steak and fried chocolate pies. Food is very important here. Much of our gathering and socializing takes place around a meal, laid out buffet style. Sweet tea is a staple for us...like folks having milk in the fridge. When we meet a hearse on the road and it becomes obvious to us that there is a funeral procession approaching, we pull over out of respect for the families and friends of the departed. I love that. Deer hunting season is such a part of the culture here, that school districts have recognized it and have at times, closed their doors, so the students can participate in the sport with their families. Camo clothing is always in style. If we're doing our jobs, we teach our children to say "yes sir", "no ma'am", "please" and "thank you". Another part of doing our job is to write thank you notes. The good southern men open doors for women, children and older folks. If someone treats us poorly, we call it "being ugly to us". When grandpa dies, unless one of the family moves in and takes over the property, we don't tear down his old country home. We'd rather let it sit...as sort of a conduit to the past. That explains the old houses, sheds and barns that you see littering the landscapes of the south, particularly in rural Arkansas. This is also a place where, though they are few, old country stores still exist. You can stop in have a homemade bologna (beef and sliced thick please on white bread only) and cheese sandwich, a doubledecker Moon Pie and Soda Pop. These establishments also generally offer a smattering of fishing and hunting gear, fuel, a selection of canned goods and frozen foods, a bit of hardware and tools, along with some local conversation. If you see one of these little "mom and poppers"...stop in a make a purchase, so they don't disappear from the landscape altogether.
It is true that Arkansas is widely known a place where broods of mostly toothless hillbillies reside deep in the woods, stilling their moonshine and searching for spouses at their family reunions. It is also the general belief of the rest of the country that Arkansas women walk around in public sporting both bare feet and the condition of being pregnant. The town of Harrison has in the past been known as home to the national headquarters of the KKK and we shan't forget that there is still a place called "Hope", which spawned the likes of our former president William Jefferson Clinton. Our current Governor Mike Huckabee lived in a triple wide trailer while having the gov's mansion renovated, which prompted a quest spot on the Jay Leno show and made for fodder at the office water cooler for months on end. This is also the birthplace of Wal-Mart (which many good folks have held in favor and contempt over the years), although it's founder, Sam Walton, was born in our neighboring state of Oklahoma, just to the west of us. We're even home to the Arkansas Razorbacks, whose many fans will very proudly and spontaneously offer up the "hog call", consisting of a long and loud, "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....PIG...SOUIXEE!!!", to complete strangers in airports, grocery stores and in church (I've been there when it happened), should the spirit so move them. Bearing in mind those little highlights, we have somewhat of a history of being maligned...and sometimes painfully and truthfully so.
Now there is another side to the story, as the man once said. Let me say that I have lived in Oklahoma and Colorado and then had extensive dealings with customers as I traveled the states of Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska. I have also spent time, some of it considerable, in Florida, Washington, California, Nevada, Montana, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina, Maryland, along with Washington D.C., the Bahamas, Cabo San Lucas and The Florida Keys. So we can safely say that I've been around the "block" a time or two....not as much as some...but I also know folks that have never left the state. Bearing all this in mind, I can say that Arkansas has some of the nicest people and prettiest countryside in the U.S. Yes, the Rockies and the Tetons are majestic and the Smokies are green and luscious. Our domestic coastlines offer captivating views and even the "plains" states have their vast beauty and cleanliness. I'll admit being quite taken with such places as Key West, FL, Bozeman, MT, Sheridan, WY, San Francisco, San Diego and Sonoma Valley, CA But as much as a cliche' as it is, for me, there is simply no place like home. Some people spend their adult lives escaping from their place of birth for one reason or another. Others embrace it. I've done a bit of both.
Let me share with you some of the places I love and things I love about Arkansas...
The Boston, Quachita and Ozark mountains must certainly they look as if they are mere foothills, if set aside the rugged mountain ranges of the west, but their colorful peaks and rolling beauty is quite engaging....and I've stood atop Mount Evans, Colorado on many occasions, which at it's peak is over 14,000 feet, so I have a pretty good frame of reference, as mountainous beauty is concerned. Arkansas' notable mountains include, Mount Magazine (often called the highest point between the Alleghenies and the Rockies at 2,753 ft.), Mt. Nebo and Mt. Petit Jean State Park. Another beautiful spot is Gaston's Resort, which is located on the White River just a few miles south of the Missouri border near Flippin, Arkansas. Gaston's sports world class trout fishing (with or without guides) , lodging and a fantastic restaurant located on the bank of the White River. I've been twice and I highly recommend it. There is Blanchard Springs Caverns, which is a 3-level cave system and is the only cave currently administered by the United States Forrest Service. Also the Ozark Highlands Trail roams some 180 miles around north west Arkansas and will eventually link to the Ozark Trail in Missouri. The future combination of the two trails will result in approximately 700 miles of trail in the Ozark mountain range.
Some towns worth a visit are Eureka Springs, which is a Victorian village with a European flavor with steep winding streets, lined with cottages and manors. It is the only city in the United States where none of the streets meet at right angles. The city is dominated by a 7-story 2 million pound white statue of Jesus, which sits across the valley from the downtown area. I'll admit that I could do without that one...but Thorncrown Chapel is most certainly worth a visit. This chapel in the woods was designed by E. Fay Jones, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. A retired schoolteacher purchased the land for his retirement home but felt that the land was too beautiful not to share and commissioned Mr. Jones to design a structure where folks could feel welcome and close to God. Take the highway east out of town and follow it for a couple of hours and you'll find Mountain View, host of the annual Ozark Folk Festival. This celebration, along with the Arkansas Bean Fest and Great Championship Outhouse Race, causes the population of the city to swell from it's 2,800 folks to 100,000. It's not uncommon to find musicians playing and "jamming" together on the downtown square at all times of the year...weather permitting.
There is much more to say regarding the north part of the state but I am a child of the "Grand Prairie", which borders the delta region of the eastern part of the state, which has it's own beauty. The delta, running north and south, along the Mississippi River, variates between massive rice, soybean and cotton farms and thick hardwood forests. Stuttgart, my hometown, is in the heart of the Prairie and is known as the "Rice and Duck Capital of The World". The city is home to Riceland Foods, the world's biggest rice miller and is named after Stuttgart, Germany, which is also a leading rice producer. There are world class waterfowl hunting facilities throughout the Delta region and the "Cabelas of Waterfowl", known as Mack's' Prairie Wings and Rich N' Tone Duck Calls are both headquartered in Stuttgart. Dividing the northern and southern regions of Arkansas is our state capitol, Little Rock, which has become a vibrant city that's highlighted by The Clinton Presidential Library and is the headquarters of Alltel, Axciom, Heifer International, Family Life, TCBY and Stephens Investments. The opening of our River Market District was part of a very successful revitalization program for the downtown area of Little Rock and just last month The Big Dam Bridge was opened to the public. The bridge runs parallel to a lock and dam on the Arkansas River and spans 3,463 feet, making it the world's longest specifically bicycle and pedestrian bridge. Little Rock is also now home to a Peabody Hotel...where every day at 11:00 a.m. the Peabody ducks are escorted from their penthouse to the lobby via elevator. The ducks, accompainied by a Sousa march, proceed across a red carpet to the hotel fountain. Then at 5:00 p.m., the ducks are ceremoniously led back to their penthouse.
Now I don't have a southern accent, nor does my wife or our children...maybe our son has a "tad" of a twang...never the less, I love the many eccentricities about Arkansas' Southern Culture. Such as the fact that farmers and country folk wave at you when you meet them on the highway. You need to wave back. Grandpa's pass down pocketknives and shotguns to their grandsons...and granddaughters. In fact, a man without a pocketknife is probably a yankee or "one of those Californians". This is a place where many grandmothers still hand down family recipes and teach the younger generations how to cook such delicacies as fried green tomatoes, smothered steak and fried chocolate pies. Food is very important here. Much of our gathering and socializing takes place around a meal, laid out buffet style. Sweet tea is a staple for us...like folks having milk in the fridge. When we meet a hearse on the road and it becomes obvious to us that there is a funeral procession approaching, we pull over out of respect for the families and friends of the departed. I love that. Deer hunting season is such a part of the culture here, that school districts have recognized it and have at times, closed their doors, so the students can participate in the sport with their families. Camo clothing is always in style. If we're doing our jobs, we teach our children to say "yes sir", "no ma'am", "please" and "thank you". Another part of doing our job is to write thank you notes. The good southern men open doors for women, children and older folks. If someone treats us poorly, we call it "being ugly to us". When grandpa dies, unless one of the family moves in and takes over the property, we don't tear down his old country home. We'd rather let it sit...as sort of a conduit to the past. That explains the old houses, sheds and barns that you see littering the landscapes of the south, particularly in rural Arkansas. This is also a place where, though they are few, old country stores still exist. You can stop in have a homemade bologna (beef and sliced thick please on white bread only) and cheese sandwich, a doubledecker Moon Pie and Soda Pop. These establishments also generally offer a smattering of fishing and hunting gear, fuel, a selection of canned goods and frozen foods, a bit of hardware and tools, along with some local conversation. If you see one of these little "mom and poppers"...stop in a make a purchase, so they don't disappear from the landscape altogether.
We like for our friends to come on up, down or over, as it were and depending on the season, sit in front of the fire, the wood stove, at the kitchen table, on the porch or in lawn chairs under the shade of the big pin oak in the backyard and talk about politics, religion, northerners or whatever comes to mind. We want to connect with you here....just at our own pace. We want to know who your people are and where you're from. Not to size you up...but to have some empathy with you and find some common ground for discussion. So, we'll see you soon and you be sure to give your mama a big hug around her neck and tell your daddy hello for us.
p.s. Deer season (guns) started last week.
p.s. Deer season (guns) started last week.
-The Arkanblogger
Friday, November 03, 2006
Look Below this post for Film Festival pics! (This one is "The End is Near???")
The head Arkanblogger posted a short paragraph on the rapture awhile ago. Since there were no comments and it was so short, I wanted to furthur this discussion.
Have you ever seen on of those people standing on the side of the road holding a sign that says something like "Be Prepared, the end is near"? Or "Repent, the end is coming"? A message much like the one that Jon the Baptist gave in Matthew? Well, it occured to me that the message on the sign might just be the best advice we can find on that other than the Bible. If you disregard the "end is near" part, that is. The Rapture is becoming one of the biggest topics in the world of Christianity. I don't think I'll ever forget pulling up to Mardels and seeing a big poster advertising the latest rapture book. As I skimmed it over I stopped at the date. Guess when it was scheduled to come out? 6/6/06. I know people who pour over rapture books, love the "Left Behind" series, etc. I have one question, where does it say some people will be left behind? If it is there, please tell me. I seem to have missed it. Back to the message on the sign...you see, I don't really know how our Savior will return, when, or the circumstances. I do know that He will come like a theif in the night. Not on the date that a "rapture countdown clock"is set to. Or perhaps by chance He might. I really don't know. But as long as I am living my life in a way that is pleasing to my Lord and Savior, it really doesn't matter. He may come today, tomorrow, or long after I am gone. But I will be focusing on here and now, and living a life that is glorifying the Lord. It doesn't matter to me in the long run how He comes. Just as long as does.
Paige :)
Have you ever seen on of those people standing on the side of the road holding a sign that says something like "Be Prepared, the end is near"? Or "Repent, the end is coming"? A message much like the one that Jon the Baptist gave in Matthew? Well, it occured to me that the message on the sign might just be the best advice we can find on that other than the Bible. If you disregard the "end is near" part, that is. The Rapture is becoming one of the biggest topics in the world of Christianity. I don't think I'll ever forget pulling up to Mardels and seeing a big poster advertising the latest rapture book. As I skimmed it over I stopped at the date. Guess when it was scheduled to come out? 6/6/06. I know people who pour over rapture books, love the "Left Behind" series, etc. I have one question, where does it say some people will be left behind? If it is there, please tell me. I seem to have missed it. Back to the message on the sign...you see, I don't really know how our Savior will return, when, or the circumstances. I do know that He will come like a theif in the night. Not on the date that a "rapture countdown clock"is set to. Or perhaps by chance He might. I really don't know. But as long as I am living my life in a way that is pleasing to my Lord and Savior, it really doesn't matter. He may come today, tomorrow, or long after I am gone. But I will be focusing on here and now, and living a life that is glorifying the Lord. It doesn't matter to me in the long run how He comes. Just as long as does.
Paige :)
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Film Festival 2006 (yes, it's finally here)
After much frustration (uploading photos, writing numbers of photos, etc) we are finally posting about the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. These are 18 of the around 200 photos taken. Enjoy! This photo was taken the morning we left just before we pulled out of the drive way. We later stopped before we were even out of Little Rock to get Marie's phone. (long story) You can't see, but we filled the trunk to about 6'' below the brim I don't know what happened to the text here... Below we did a commentary by us Arkanblogger sisters. I will try and get Emma Joy and Marie's on here soon. (If you are reading it, could you please send them to me?)
Caitlin says: Oh what a beautiful mornin'!
Paige says: Lovely.
Elizabeth says: I love penguins.
Grace says: It's freezing!
Welcome to The Gristmill! The chicken fried steak was wonderful, and the mashed potato's were fit to die for. We are all a bit blue, being as it was rather chilly. We must mention the scrumptious strawberry shortcake. Mmm.Caitlin says: The food was wonderful! (you guys, remember your manners!)
Paige says: Brrrrr.
Elizabeth says: I want my jacket back!
Grace says: No way.
This is the cabin where we stayed. The inside was very nice. And most certainly big enough. Oh, we were on the right hand side of it. When we got there, we all thought that we were barging in to someones home. Caitlin says: It does look like a barn, doesn't it?
Paige says: The Christmas lights were so pretty at night!
Elizabeth says: I loved the kitchen.
Grace says: Howdy y'all!
We took a break after our first session for some Tazo tea and planning. We were all still a little sleepy after the rush that morning to leave on time. We were an hour away from the convention center. Yes, comfort does sometimes require sacrifice.Caitlin says: Ahh...the sweet taste of intellectual stimulation in the morning!
Paige says: I think I was looking for "The Oath" times...
Elizabeth says: Oh what a loverly morning!
Grace says:Hey, I took this one!
Caitlin says: Oh dear!Paige says: I don't see anything wrong with this picture.
Elizabeth says: I'm not even in this picture!
Grace says: I took this one too!
A lovely picture of the program, featuring the logo of the film festival. Such memories that are awakened! We might have taken a picture of something a little bigger though... Caitlin says: How inspiring.
Paige says: I kept mine. (it has autographs and markings)
Elizabeth says: You have no idea what this means to me!
Grace says: Thank you Caitlin, I took it.
This is the Dugger family playing the their violins. I don't think that is all of them though. Seeing them all up there and hearing them speak was a wonderful experience.Caitlin says: (undecided)
Paige says: What an inspiring experience!
Elizabeth says: I thought my family was big...
Grace says: It sounded so pleasant.
The River walk was just down there. This was taken on the bridge that goes from one part of the convention center to the next. We got to walk by the water later. It was so pretty!
Caitlin says: The florescent green color of the water was quite lovely.
Paige says: Someone had a wedding on one of those boats!
Elizabeth says: I feel like I am in Italy.
Grace says: That's one picture I didn't take.
This is our picture with the famous authors of The Rebelution blog. They were there as press members, I believe. It was so wonderful finally meeting them after reading their blog and seeing them online for so long. (If you want more on the festival you can see their blog at therebelution.com/blog) Caitlin says: Sigh...at least you can't see my braces.
Paige says: I don't think the tallest should be in the middle...
Elizabeth says: Hey, some of us are matching!
Grace says: Did I miss something?
Grace says: Did I miss something?
Sweet Joy, the lovely Grandma Sue, and me, Paige. This is just before we left for the convention center on the second day. We were thankful that the temperature had finally warmed up, though it doesn't look like it did, being as we are all a bit pale. (we were also wearing walking shoes that day, we had learned our lesson from the day before)Caitlin says: I see that look in your eye Paige...
Paige says: I know...it's TEXAS.
Elizabeth says: Lovely.
Grace says: What gloomy weather.
I believe that Caitlin took this one. We had just seen a wonderful documentary on biology (where we learned about roots and fungi) and were trying to pick a film to see next. We had to be quick too, our time in between films was very short. I tried to capture the moment on film.Caitlin says:
Paige says: I should have been looking at the video camera...
Elizabeth says: Decisions, decisions...
Grace says: Hmm...
It's Grace and Joy waving their fake Iraq money for the camera. I believe the money was used as an advertisement. Oh, they are in one of the rooms that were used for showing films. All of them were very nice.Caitlin says:
Paige says: If only they weren't shaking it...
Elizabeth:
Grace says: You just wish you knew how much it was :)
This is the upstairs part of one of the buildings that was being used to show films.There is a very interesting mosaic over there along with some people we met. There in the blue dress is cousin Joy.
Here we all are dressed up for the Jubillee Awards. This was the last night of the festival. :( But the award ceremony was wonderful! It was so awesome seeing all of those people dedicating their talents to God, and giving him all the glory.
This is the wonderful moment when "The Oath" won the Jubilee Award. (YAY!!!) Up on the screen is the director/producer, to his right is his wife (who acted brother to the man on the directors left) I hope you got that. If you get the chance to see this film I HIGHLY suggest it. Oh, this film also got the audience choice award. (it was wonderful!) I think I'll stop now before Caitlin stops me...
There you have Grandma Sue, Caitlin, Marie, and other random hands cheering for one of the films. I don't think it is "The Oath" though, we would be standing up (at least I was) All of the films deserved applause for sure.
On the forbidden staircase (thank you Grandfather...). This is the last picture that was taken after the award ceremony. Grandfather found the best staircase (which just happened to be roped off) and took our picture there. I believe our moods are reflected through our faces. Our last memory of the festival. Parting was so sad! But we do have next year to look forward to :)I will try and get the rest of the comments up there if possible. Sorry about the short report. There you have it, a pictorial review of the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. We hope that you enjoyed it!
Caitlin, Paige, Elizabeth, and Grace.
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