The Swingles' Dramatic Developments

2008-07-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

We're missing the fireworks...

2008-07-04T23:01:00.000-04:00

..but we caught this great view!

God's prelude to our fireworks

2008-07-04T22:21:00.000-04:00

Guest conductor

2008-07-04T21:33:00.000-04:00

Stephen directs the theatre dept. in cheering the Star Spangled Banner.

Superman saves the day!

2008-07-04T21:27:00.000-04:00

At tonight's concert they played the theme song to Superman. The theatre dept. was invited to get in on the action. Kayla Winston played Lois Lane, Josh Knox played the bad guy, and Danny Cornett played the Man of Steel.

Happy Fourth of July

2008-07-04T21:15:00.000-04:00

It's taken two weeks and an outdoor concert for me to finally have time to post from MasterWorks. We're now half way through and having a great time! The play (Tartuffe) is coming along well and should be a hoot!

The Streets of New York...

2008-06-18T20:11:00.000-04:00

..at sunset.

2008-06-18T15:35:00.002-04:00

John Keddie's biography on Eric Liddell, Running the Race has been translated to Chinese and is now available in China.

Here's an article that's been translated into English by Google: Running life - dedication, born in China: China's Olympic champion

Have fun!

2008-06-10T14:11:00.000-04:00

I'm staying with my friend, Alex Walker, while here in LA. He had friends over for breakfast today, and one of them rides this Honda Shadow. it has 750 cc's, and I told him my dad had an 800 cc Honda, but that he sold it before I was big enough to ride it. Alex's friend tossed me the key and said, "Have fun!" I had a most delightful spin around the block. Woohoo!

Greetings from John & Nathan

2008-06-09T21:05:00.000-04:00

I just left the John Kirby Studio in Hollywood, where I had a great meeting with John & Nathan in preparation for MasterWorks.

Lunch meeting with John Kirby

2008-06-09T17:01:00.000-04:00

We're prepping for Tartuffe at MasterWorks ( http://RichDrama.com ).

A canyon above Malibu

2008-06-09T00:19:00.000-04:00

Malibu

2008-06-09T00:17:00.000-04:00

The view from Bel Air Pres

2008-06-08T22:07:00.000-04:00

New members

2008-06-08T15:46:00.000-04:00

I attended Bel Air Presbyterian Church, near Santa Monica, CA. This morning they welcomed 15 teens into membership in the church, and four of them were baptised. The theme of the day was "Flipp'd", based on Acts 17:6, which refers to how followers of Christ were turning the world upside down. These young people were declaring that they want to be about that.

Touchdown LA

2008-06-07T23:07:00.001-04:00

Pulled away from the gate

2008-06-07T14:43:00.001-04:00

It already pulled away from the gate. Thankfully they already had me booked on the next flight. Now I have five hours to experience Denver. Well, at least their airport.

Late flights at LGA

2008-06-07T14:19:00.001-04:00

They're down to a single working runway at LaGuardia Airport, so I'm landing in Denver minutes before my flight for Ontario, CA, is due to take off. And I thought I wouldn't get a workout in today!

I'm heading west for the Christians in Theatre Arts National Conf ( http:CITA.ORG )

Last time I sprinted through a mile-high terminal I was coughing up a storm. I only have to cover 14 gates this time, which is much better.

If I don't post again before 1:33 Pacific Time I made it.

A miraculous view!

2008-06-06T08:46:00.000-04:00

For all ten years of our marriage Joyce and I have been on the waiting list to reside at Manhattan Plaza, which offers subsidized housing to those who make over half of their income in the performing arts. About a month ago we got a rejection letter because we make too much money. Because Joyce is in grad school ( http://RichDrama.com/ReconciliationRoom ) and my income as an actor varies wildly but has never been impressive, Joyce was surprised when she read the letter. She called and found that they base part of our income on a percentage of our savings, but the number they calculated was actually below the limit! So they looked into it and discovered that they had assessed our income the very day that the limit was raised! if they'd made the assesment the day before we couldn't have gotten in. If they'd assessed us the next day we'd never have known how close we were. We knew eventually that Joyce would leave the workforce and that our income would plummet. We sensed that the time was right, and if we'd waited much longer we'd be back at the bottom of the list for another decade.

Yes, that's the Empire State Building we can see from our window. We move in soon.

We found a great translation

2008-06-04T13:03:00.002-04:00

We've found a wonderful translation of Tartuffe by Donald M. Frame for the MasterWorks Festival.

Another drafts folder

2008-05-31T10:49:00.000-04:00

I found another folder of drafts I'd started but never posted. The next three posts are from trips in January and February.

This one was from our planning session for MasterWorks, which starts in three weeks! I understand Winona Lake, IN, is now looking much more like the summer haven we all love!

So much for warming up down South

2008-05-31T10:44:00.000-04:00

From my trip to Atlanta in March. I was hoping to, well, warm up.

Psalm 98

2008-05-31T10:43:00.000-04:00

This mural at the Charlotte Airport features Psalm 98.

The Year of Living Biblically

2008-05-28T17:19:00.002-04:00

Joyce enjoyed, and I'm still enjoying, The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs.

So I was glad to see a condensed version in Relevant Magazine: My Biblical Year.

The Miraculous Surgery

2008-05-28T14:09:00.000-04:00

On May 17 my wife, Joyce, was a part of a prayer team praying for her sister, Amy, who was going to have a brain tumor removed on May 20. The doctors had told her that part of the tumor was wrapped around nerves that control swallowing, so they were going to leave that part of the tumor and treat it with radiation. Joyce felt led to pray that the tumor would cluster so that the tumor could be completely removed. Before the operation the surgeon reconfirmed the need to follow up with radiation. I was there when the surgeon came out, and he told us that the tumor had somehow clumstered together and they were able to remove it completely. No radiation will be needed, and he won’t need to see her again for another year.

The next morning Amy’s husband, Wallie said to the surgeon, “So, I understand there’s a chance that you won’t need to do radiation?” The surgeon replied, “There’s no chance we’ll do radiation. We got it all.” Wallie pressed, “Will you have to do another MRI to make sure it’s all gone?” The surgeon said, “I was in there. There’s nothing left.”

On May 24 Amy was released. Her kids, who were quite excited to have their mom home again.