The campus is on fire!

Great things are happening at MasterWorks. I'm very pleased with our actors, and we have high expectations for The Crucible (MasterWorksFestival.org).

MasterWorks Theatre

The theatre program has begun!

Pray for those coming from Texas, London and South Africa.

A very talented CAST

I just finished directing the Salvation Army's Creative Artist Service Team (theTAMjam.com, click on CAST). The play was 30 minutes, so in the 2.5 days I had with them I hoped to finish blocking in time to have our first run-through last night for invited guests. With God's help we actually finished blocking before dinner a day earlier! We had the first run-through that night. Unbelievable! We were able to spend the whole second day fine tuning, and during the run through for invited guests the actors only called for lines a handful of times: Maraculous!

The play "New Testament Rewind" will mostly be performed at summer camps. It is a race from Christ's birth to the Revelation. In the photo CAST members are flying like X-Wing Fighters into formation for a Star Wars-like opening.

It was so much fun. I don't remember when I laughed so hard!

Sioux Center Sudan

I was in the control booth at Moody Bible Institute, getting ready for my performance for the national Christians in Theatre Arts (CITA.org) conference. In the auditorium below a college drama showcase was starting up. The piece that started it off was a play by Jeff Barker called Sioux Center Sudan, as it unfolded it became clear that it was about a woman who went to Africa as a missionary in 1955. Here I was, in the alma mater of my grandmother, my greatest spiritual mentor, who went to Africa to serve as a missionary in 1948. I also talk a lot about Sudan after my play A Clear Leading (RichDrama.com/AClearLeading). I was sucked in.

An encouragement

I'm in the Moody Bible Institute Museum, which contains 2,500 signatures requesting that Dwight L. Moody and Ira B. Sankey come to Scotland. I hope there are many in Scotland today that want to hear more about Eric Liddell, one of their national heroes, through Beyond the Chariots.

Congratulations Cindy!

Cindy Sebring has been bringing me down to the DC area to perform and teach at her public school since the mid-90s.  She was just awarded a very significant prize...

News Release

For Immediate Release

Cynthia J. Sebring Named Cambridge Who's Who

Professional of the Year in Secondary School Education

Annandale, VA....May 18, 2007-Cynthia J. Sebring, MA, a teacher at Annandale High School for Fairfax County Public Schools, has been named Cambridge Who's Who Professional of the Year in secondary school education. While inclusion in Cambridge Who's Who Registry is an honor, only one member in each discipline is named the Cambridge Who's Who Professional of the Year. The Cambridge Who's Who selection committee hand picks these special Who's Who honorees based on their accomplishments, academic achievement, leadership and service. 

Sebring joined Annandale High School in August 2006 and currently teaches three levels of English. In previous years she conducted SAT preparatory courses and sponsored the film, German and Bible clubs. She has 21 years of experience in the education industry and previously taught five levels of German to high school students. Sebring turned down seven offers before joining Annandale because, as she explains, "I heard great things about the students and faculty." She has extensive consulting and editing skills and translated press releases from German to English for The Kennedy Center. Sebring is also credited with hiring Broadway actors Rich Swingle (an internationally known performer of one-man shows) and Bruce Kuhn (Les Misérables, Chess and Gospel of Luke). to perform for the English and Drama departments at the schools where she has taught. Annandale High School is committed to developing young minds in preparation for higher learning and success in future endeavors in the business world.

Sebring is pursuing her Masters degree in theology at the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College. She earned a Masters degree in English from George Mason University in 1987 and a Bachelor of Arts in German and English from George Mason University in 1981. She received the Congressional Youth Leadership Council Award 1999 and 2000 and was a member of the German Textbook Adoption Committee. In 2003, she held the position of consulting-in-house reporter on behalf of the American Anglican Council at their general convention.

About Cambridge Who's Who

The mission of Cambridge Who's Who is to ensure that Cambridge members receive recognition, support and credibility to advance their careers. Cambridge Who's Who is also committed to delivering the highest quality networking resource for job recruitment, career enhancement and new business development. See who's making news and how Cambridge Who's Who is making a difference at our news blog: http://cambridgewhoswho.blogspot.com. 

Cambridge Who's Who members have exclusive access to the biographical information of more than 200,000 successful executives, professionals and entrepreneurs at http://www.cambridgewhoswho.com, where they use the database to share information, knowledge and services.  Communication via the Cambridge Who's Who Registry travels in two directions, enabling Cambridge Who's Who members to reach out when they have a business need or opportunity as well as receive information on exciting new ventures.  

Contact: 

Ellen Campbell

Director of Media Relations

mediarelations@cambridgewhoswho.com

-###- 

Amazing Grace opens today in Australia

Amazing Grace opens in Australia today.

Ken Wales is the producer who started the ball rolling on Amazing Grace. He wants to make a film on the rest of the Chariots Of Fire story. He mentions the upcoming film, With Wings as Eagles in an interview with Christianity Today: Save the Wales.

If you have any friends Down Under urge them to see Amazing Grace this weekend. The better it does opening weekend the more chance it will open in more theatres next weekend, etc. The better it does at the box office the more momentum there will be going into the production of With Wings as Eagles.

Also, Christy, the television series that Wales produced, is now on DVD: place an order.

Christy on DVD

Christy, produced by Ken Wales, is now out on DVD...

Christy: The Complete Series, DVD Set By Fox Faith Now the television series based on Catherine Marshall's award-winning novel comes in one affordable boxed set! Christy: The Complete Series features 19 episodes about Christy Huddleston's life as a schoolteacher in the impoverished Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Determined to make a difference, 19-year-old Christy left the comfort of her home to help the children. Christy is home entertainment at its best, these wholesome programs star Kellie Martin, Tyne Daly, LeVar Burton, and many special guest performers. Four double-sided DVDs. Approx. 15 hours total. DVD Features: Fullscreen English and Spanish Audio English and Spanish Subtitles Region 1 Closed captioned

Songs My Father Taught Me

One of my students, Kathryn Ballantine, just came out with an album. Not that I taught her anything about singing... Songs My Father Taught Me.

Joyce got one, too!

We're throwing them back now, so we didn't measure it, but it was close to my first one. My second was 25".

First catch of the day...

...an 18" rock fish.

Out to sea

DC at sunrise

We're in Washington DC to celebrate Joyce's father's 70th birthday. So why are we seeing the Capitol at sunrise? We're en route to go deep sea fishing.

in Vancouver

Lloyd Smith attended my performance of Beyond the Chariots in Vancouver, Washington. He snapped 53 shots, including this one of me in the jacket given to me by Eric Liddell's sister-in-law, Louise McLean. To see all the shots click here.

Front Page today

The Metro New York District has this picture on the front page of their site today: MNYNaz.com. They mention my performance at District Assembly and that I'm planning on doing the piece on the road.

Ananias Off-Broadway

My agent, Dale Savidge, is directing an Off-Broadway one-man play about the Ananias that prayed to return sight to Saul after his Damascas Road encounter.  It runs June 1-3: Ananias.

A Walking Miracle

I was in Singapore in October of 2001 to perform in the musical Judah Ben Hur. Before I met Art Sanborn I was told that I would never guess that he was a quadraplegic and had no feeling in much of his body. I thought, "Yeah, right!" It was well into my conversation with him at a dinner thrown for newly arrived cast members that his name came up and it dawned on me that the guy standing before me, munching from his plate of hors d'oeuvres, was the quadraplegic, Art Sanborn! He'd been injured to the same severity as Christopher Reeve, but his strength, coordination and feeling were miraculously returning.

Today he's running 12-minute miles and continues to have feeling return. He's just come out with a book about the experience: A Walking Miracle.

Thousands of names memorized

In his book The Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell claims that humans are only capable of remembering 150 names and relationships at any given time. Traveling and meeting as many people as I do I know this number can be expanded. Rich Liedtke (father of my good freind Fritz blows my list out of the water! He was recently featured on NPR because he knows the name of a majority of more than 3,000 people that attend his church: Vancouver Man's Persoanal Touch Encourages New Members.

Wheels in Poland

A friend of ours is gearing up for some great work in Poland:

I have been involved with an organization called Joni and Friends. This organization was founded in 1978 by a young woman who sustained a spinal cord injury in a diving accident. This group ministers to people with disabilities both in the United States and abroad. One part of the work that they do is to deliver used and refurbished wheelchairs and other equipment such as walkers and canes to parts of the world where these items are difficult to obtain, if not impossible, without outside help.

I have been on three separate trips to Cuba and one trip to Peru as a seating specialist. It has been my responsibility to help each person to receive the wheelchair that they need. Many people come to us with difficult circumstances, crawling or being carried. Some have very little opportunity to leave their home or their bed because they have no means of getting out. One young mother described to me that she went to school with her child every day and held him on her lap so that he could learn. One man, in his 50's scooted in on his bottom. There are so many stories. Often family members, and the recipients cry tears of joy when they receive their gift of a wheelchair. In addition to the gift of a wheelchair, each person is cared for by team members from their country. They are offered the gift of a Bible and spiritual care and support. People and their families are touched by the gospel, and there are many who receive salvation.

I am currently planning a trip to Poland for June 8-21st, 2007. I am going with a small team of seating specialists, mechanics, and support persons to do deliveries of 400 wheelchairs in 8 different cities. Poland is a country with a struggling economy, and a health system that experiences many shortages in supply and personnel. I would be extremely grateful if you would pray for this trip- that God's will would be done, for spiritual, emotional and physical protection for the group, and most of all for the recipients- that they would come to know the love of Christ and be fit especially well for their new wheelchair. If you are interested in contributing to the cost of this trip (It will be around $3,000) you can make a check out to: Joni & Friends (put my name and Poland 2007 on the memo line).

Sincerely,

Teresa Smith

Mail checks to:

Westchester Chapel Community Church of the Nazarene

214 Central Avenue

White Plains, NY 10606

100 on our 100th

The Metro New York Church of the Nazarene is celebrating its centennial anniversary. As a part of the celebration we're receiving 100 new members just from the Spanish speaking churches. I can count 17 flags representing their home countries.

From the Prairie Schooner in Texas to a City Flat in New York

Friday night I'll portray CB Jernigan for the District Assembly of the Metro New York Church of the Nazarene. We're celebrating our centenial, and Jernigan was the District's superintendant in the 1920s. He, like I, moved from the country to the biggest city in the US. Most of the words of Jernigan's speech on Friday is taken directly from his book From the Prairie Schooner in Texas to a City Flat in New York. I stumbled upon the text of the book online. Click here.

At Multnomah Falls

There are some advantages...

...to flying at dawn.

Another Chariots of Fire moment

I had an unexpected booking in San Diego. I'm sad that it's too cold for body surfing, but I'm about to run through the waves. If you read the post below, you'll be relieved to know that I have on more than when we did this in college.

Full circle

We got to have lunch with Mel and Carol Schroeder. Mel was one of my professors of theatre in college. I remember exactly where we were when he encouraged me to write. He reminded me that Beyond the Chariots brings my association with Chariots of Fire full circle. I had forgotten that I introduced a tradition to our touring drama troupe that our youth group had done. When we were on the Oregon Coast, planning the year's dramas, the fellows would sneak down to the beach in the night. We would run through the waves as they do in one of the opening sequences of the film, wearing somewhat less than they did. Though Mel is now retired, he thinks the tradition may still stand.

If we lived in Portland...

...we would attend The Well (TheWellChurch.com). We joined our friends Fritz and Shannon Liedtke (FritzPhoto.com) here and were blown away by this wonderful community. The average age is about 30, though in a Mothers Day competition for a Starbucks gift card we learned that the oldest mom is 75. There's great art everywhere. The body seems to be a reflection of the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the city as a whole. The pastor, who used to live in Tunisia, doesn't look like he's 30 yet. He's filled with passion and totally connected to the scripture (Eph 4:25-29) and to the congregation. Before delving into how we ought to live, he made it crystal clear that living a good life in order to earn God's acceptance is just as wrong as living totally for self: The biblical reason for righteous living is as a reaction to what Christ has done for us to liberate us from sin. Click "My passion" in the right margin of RichDrama.com to find out more about that.

Gorgeous on the Gorge

Joyce and I had a wonderful afternoon on the backroads along the Columbia River Gorge. We got off I-84 at Troutdale, stopped at the first gas station to find out where the old highway was. He gave us a free map with all the parks and waterfalls leading up to Multnomah Falls.

Eric Liddell runs in Edinburgh again!

We're bringing Beyond the Chariots to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest arts fest in the world. We secured a venue on the Edinburgh University campus, where Eric Liddell studied.
If you've always wanted to get to Scotland, mark your calendar for dates between August 13 and 27. Tickets go on sale June 11.
There is the potential to share the inspiring story with people from all over the world.
There are producers looking to pick up shows, and we're hoping for some to catch the vision for taking the play to the Beijing Olympics.
We're investing about $US6,000. We're going as an outreach of our church, so if your interested making a donation, make checks payable to Westchester Chapel. In the memo line write Emmaus Arts--Fringe. Send to:
Westchester Chapel
214 Central Ave.
White Plains, NY 10606
USA
Thanks!
Rich and Joyce

Nothing Short of Amazing

Last year the MasterWorks theatre program was blessed to have John Kirby as one of our master class instructors. He has 30 years of experience in Hollywood running his own acting studio and working on 17 feature films including Narnia, Deja Vu and The Count of Monte Cristo. He's launched the careers of Cameron Diaz, Jim Caviezel and many others. For all this and much more, he's considered one of the best acting coaches in Hollywood. Despite his weighty credentials, John made every effort to encourage students in and out of his master classes. His great wisdom is delivered with great care. I was thrilled to see that he enjoyed his time with us so much that he flew himself and his assistant Nathan Nesbitt back from LA to see our final performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. I figured if he saw our vision that clearly he might be open to returning, as indeed he will be. Patricia Mauceri of One Life to Live, will put her Julliard training to work directing us in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. When I was a college student our school's production of the play impacted me so strongly that I wrote a play directly influenced by Miller's brilliant work. The themes of justice, morality and guilt are quite powerfully penned, and it's my prayer that many will come away inspired as I was at my first encounter with it. Ken Wales is returning to teach some master classes. He was the producer of Christy and a dozen films. Most recently he produced Amazing Grace, the powerful story of how William Wilberforce spearheaded the abolition of the British slave trade. Ken will teach a couple of master classes and is looking forward to spending time with individuals talking about their dreams. It's no wonder he enjoys giving back: Walt Disney himself did the favor for him when he was a budding artist. Our annual improv night is about to kick it up a notch. We're bringing in Mark Oppenlander, who was the team captain of the improv troupe for Taproot Theatre, the professional Christian theatre company in Seattle, which has sent us a number of great artists in the past. Mark is going to spend several sessions getting us up to speed and will take part in the final performance himself. Susan Somerville Brown, who performed on Broadway in CATS will lend her buoyant spirit to the faculty once again. I so wish I could have attended something like this when I was a young actor! The deadline is extended to May 20. Apply now, and/or forward this to someone who might be interested. Go to MasterWorksFestival.org for an application and more info.

Looking south

The view at dawn

Sunset over the family farm

This is the view I saw every day growing up.

Thesis mentions Liddell

Peter Anderson just posted a thesis, which mentions Eric Liddell: Communicating the News in  China today.

Back for the night shot

After dining along the amazing River Walk I came back.

I just heard from AIA registrars from Montreal staying in our hotel that there are about 20,000 architects and related vendors at this conference. That speaks to how quickly we're growing.

The Alamo

I'm here in San Antonio to teach presentation skills at the American Institute of Architects' National Conference.

I never realized how the city grew up all around The Alamo. It's literally right down town. That's a hotel on the other side.

Dad smudging in 1965

This is a picture of Dad smudging (protecting the fruit from frost damage) four years before I was born. It's taken by Lloyd Smith, who's been a friend of the family since Dad was a boy. You can see all the shots he took that night by visiting his online gallery.

I helped smudge a handful of times once I was old enough, but Dad graciously let us have enough sleep to study well. It was just on the incredibly cold nights that my brother Bob and I needed to get up and help.

Ken Wales' latest book

I met with Ken Wales last week while I was in Southern California. He's agreed to be a master class instructor at the MasterWorks Festival! He signed a copy of his latest book, which he co-authored with his wife, Susan, and Ted Baehr. There are numerous photos from the film and a great shot of Wales and Ioan Gruffudd, who played William Wilberforce in Wales' film, Amazing Grace. The film opened on February 23 and is still in the top 25. Wales told me that because of the limited release its opening at 10th place doesn't point out that it was #2 in a per theatre breakdown. Wales said it won't be in theatres too much longer, so get out soon. To find out where it's playing, visit AmazingGraceMovie.com. The book also includes a copy of the letter John Wesley wrote on his deathbed to Wilberforce. My friend Roger Nelson includes the letter in his one-man play The Man from Aldersgate, about Wesley. He performed the play alongside my Beyond the Chariots Off-Broadway last spring.

The Amazing Grace of Freedom: The Inspiring Faith of William Wilberforce, the Slaves' Champion By Ted Baehr, Susan Wales & Ken Wales, comps. / New Leaf Press * Meet the man God used to eliminate slavery in England! This lavishly illustrated companion book to the motion picture celebrates the powerful legacy of Christian abolitionist William Wilberforce. Behind-the-scenes stories about the film's production plus in-depth essays from respected scholars demonstrate Wilberforce's far-reaching impact on his time---and ours. 140 pages, hardcover from New Leaf.

In the middle of everywhere

Our presentation this morning marked the 14th event in 8 states in 14 days: a personal record! I'll wait a few days before taking them down from RichDrama.com/Itinerary. The Lord was SO good to set up all these opportunities and to keep me strong the whole way through!

Watchin' the planes take off

I'm lying in the grass alongside the Patomic with my shirt & shoes off.

Skytop

We just had an amazing Graceworks (GraceworksInc.com) experience in the Poconos.

Ain't it grand?

En route from Chicago to San Diego we were well positioned to see the Grand Canyon.

Chattanooga to Chicago

I'm flying almost due north with a window facing east at sunrise. So much for a nap!

The diagonal line is the wing.

The Miracle

My friend David Sanborn, who produced, directed and starred in Judah Ben Hur, the musical in which I performed in Singapore in 2001-2002. He paid to change his ticket so as to leave a few days later for Asia (turns out we were there, in different countries, during the same time period) so he could help his folks on their new ministries. During those extra days he happened upon a casting call for a show in Pigeon Forge. He'd never heard of the place and went on about his business. Later his mom, Ellen Sanborn (another Judah Ben Hur producer, director and star), asked him if he'd seen the call. He said he wasn't interested, but she said, "David, did you read the breakdown? They're looking for you." He met with them and they cast him in the lead role of Jesus on a one year contract. He's rooming with the guy who plays Judas. They get along quite well.

I was passing through, so I caught a show. It was phenomenal. They've used their $15 million budget well. Not only do they have the expected donkeys and horses, they had three camels (which double for animal rides between shows). They also had massive sets, extensive video work and lots of flying angels. The wings pictured here actually articulate. Pretty cool.

If you're in the area, check it out: MiracleTheater.com. Get to town early. Traffic is almost as bad as New York. I turned the wrong way out of the parking lot, so I had to drive through town twice. It added an hour to my journey.

Chariots of Fire makes the top ten sporting moments in film

IndiaDaily.com reports that the scene in which Harold Abrahams beats the clock running around the square in Chariots of Fire was the fifth greatest moment in films about sports: ...film sporting moment...

Finally a rocking chair I can rest in

I'm in the South

If we could wait at our airports in white rockers I wonder if us Northerners could slow down. I'd better not or I'll miss my flight to Ashville!

Free on iTunes this week

The Easter Story:

The Bible Experience (Unabridged) Inspired By Media

iTunes for Mac and Windows

Copyright © 2007 Apple Inc. All rights reserved

Greetings from Princeton University

We had the privilege of coaching future architects on their presentation skills. What potential!

Anniversary of Fire Off-Broadway

At our Easter dinner tonight one of our pastors made mention that last year John Wesley was with us. It was the eve of opening Fire Off-Broadway in which Roger Nelson (who portrays John Wesley) and I alternated performances at Theatre 315 in NYC. For some snapshots from that remarkable adventure click on April '06 in Archives.

Kenya and Israel

I have a good friend who's a professional photographer. He just got back from a trip for Open Arms International to Kenya and then Israel. The shots he just posted to his blog are breathtaking.

Welcome to the Upper Room

I was blown away just walking into the space our church created as the upper room, where Jesus at his last meal with his disciples. I got to play Jesus, and I had such fun welcoming people and greeting each person. The night started out light: "Celebrate!" I encouraged them. Later, I joked with Peter, before washing his feet, about not needing a whole bath since he'd had at least two or three in the past month. I even got to lead them in a song and dance (of sorts) with our host for the evening: Shoshanah (aka Pastor Linda Warren). As the night progressed the monologues became increasingly serious: "Stop arguing about who's the greatest." Simon, Satan has asked to sift you." By the time I told Judas to go and do quickly what he must do it was quite somber. Then our "servants" (close to 20, all dressed as they would have been in the original upper room) snuffed out the candles one by one. Mike Hood, who does too much at our church to give him a title, directed a piece he wrote. Pairs of people discussed the upcoming crucifixion: Romans, looking for the latest entertainment; zealots wondering why this guy is stealing the limelight from their hero Barabbas; true believers, of the religious leaders of their day, worried that stories of Jesus' miracles are turning too many heads away from the truth; followers of Christ, mixed about how to respond. Finally the Sadducees swing the crowd into chant: "Crucify him! Crucify him!" One by one each pair added their voice (except for one of his followers) and then our servants, now sprinkled throughout the room added their voices until it was a cacophony in the dark on every side.

Out of the ensuing silence I pounded a spike into a board.

I tend not to rely on method acting because I generally shift from one character to another without sufficient time to "get into character." Tonight, in the dark, I identified with his solitude and pain at a level I haven't experienced in my life. Afterward I had to be alone to cry for about twenty minutes, and even after that I was a mess. In the moment when the hammer fell I really was in an agony in every way but the flesh. After "It is finished!" there was silence...

Volunteers being saught for Olympic Games

The Olympics website announced that they're looking outside of China for volunteers: Beijing 2008: Volunteer recruitment goes international.

If you're there, watch for performances of Beyond the Chariots.

It felt like a busy year!

I finally found some time to assess '06. I performed, taught or directed about 225 times in 15 states, Canada and Hong Kong. Pray for stamina as this year seems just as packed. I'm gearing up to perform and teach in 8 states in 18 days: RichDrama.com/Itinerary.

Amazing Grace opened at #5 in the UK

More photos from China and Guatemala

These are shots Joyce took on her camera:

The The Ming Tombs, factories, Great Wall, Olympic Pavillion
The Forbidden City, Old Beijing
Old Beijing, Tiananmen Square, Tientsin
Tientsin, Shanghai, Guatemala

To my friends in the UK and Canada

I'd like to encourage you to see Amazing Grace, opening in theatres this weekend. The film has been open in the US for a month now and it made the top 10 on two weekends: not bad considering the competition. Even now, it's hanging out at #11.

I loved the film and wrote a review: "Can one film change the world?"

I've been doing a one-man play about another hero of the UK: Eric Liddell. The play, Beyond the Chariots, tells the rest of the Chariots Of Fire story.

Ken Wales is the producer who started the ball rolling on Amazing Grace. He wants to make a film on the rest of the Chariots Of Fire story. He mentions the upcoming film, With Wings as Eagles in an interview with Christianity Today: Save the Wales.

I encourage you to see Amazing Grace this weekend. The better it does opening weekend the more chance it will open in more theatres next weekend, etc. The better it does at the box office the more momentum there will be going into the production of With Wings as Eagles.

It's just a little snow

68 degrees

...That's what my Treo told me the temperature was yesterday. It also said in bold red, "Winter storm warning." Yep.

By the way, the picture is taken in the middle of NYC, in Central Park.

Carrying the broken heart of God

Mark Yaconelli is encouraging us to minister from our weaknesses. He pointed out how much we were ministered to by the children in the sites today. We showed up to minister to them, but they sang and danced for us, they hugged us and kissed us and loved us.

Mark spoke to a woman who has brought many into her church by bringing food to people in need. He asked her what that was like, and she said, "It's like carrying the broken heart of God."

On site

We're at the Compassion site Lluvias de Gracias (Rains of Grace) at Linda Vista (Pretty View). This is one of 125 Compassion sites in Guatemala. At this site about 350 children are served.

I can't repay you

Danny Oertli gave gifts to a sponsored child. They spent $15 at Target: not much in the US, but the girl wept to receive it. She whispered to the translator who struggled to put it into English: "I can't repay you, but God will."

Slides on Philippines and Guatemala

Tonight I'll be giving a slide show from recent trips to the Philippines and Guatemala at our church.  At 6:30 we'll have free Filipino food, made by Filipinos from our church.  I loved the food there, so I'm sure you'll enjoy it.  The slide show will begin at 7:15.

For directions go the WestchesterChapel.org, or if you're coming up from NYC, click here.

That's spelled N-O.

World Magazine tells how 14 year old Elliot Huck is standing up against E. Mayer Malone Jr., publisher of Bloomington, Indiana's Herald-Times, who insists on holding the town's spelling bee on a Sunday. Huck has made the finals the last two years, but is setting aside hopes of success in order to keep the Sabbath holy. Eric Liddell would have been proud.

The first part of the artice can be read by clicking: No spelling on Sunday.

Early One Morning

I've seen Early One Morning at least three times.  It's poignant and powerful.

   Early One Morning, words and music by Jersey Boys' Music Director Ron Melrose, will be presented March 23 and 24 at the Salvation Army's Theatre 315 as part of its "Set Apart" series. The one-woman musical produced by Lauren Yarger follows the faith journey of Mary Magdalene.

   Curtain each night is at 8:00. Tickets priced at $18 (discounts available for students) are available through SmartTix http://www.smarttix.com. Cindy Marchionda* will play Mary Magdalene. Jeff Lisenby will accompany.

   This is a great opportunity to reach out and invite friends, family and co-workers to experience first-hand how a life can be changed by the love and forgiveness of Jesus.

   Theatre 315 is located at the Salvation Army Times Square, 315 West 47th Street.

   For more information, email masterworkproductions@yahoo.com or call Theatre 315 at 212-975-9988.

#11

Though it dropped out of the Top Ten charts, Amazing Grace only missed it by one place. It's still ahead of 90 films in theatres right now, so it's quite possible for it to climb back into the pull-down menus this coming weekend.

The view that launched a career

Well maybe it didn't launch my career, but this view atop the Sears Tower certainly started the travel bug in me. I haven't been up here since third grade, but the view is still quite impressive. Back then it had a profound impact. There were many things the Lord used to prepare me to do a lot of travelling, but this view was the first. Since that excursion away from our farm in Oregon I've been to most major cities in 49 US states (I would have crossed the river into North Dakota, but I thought I'd already been there!) and 23 other nations. Thank you Lord, for this view!