Email Scam

If anyone received an email from me saying that I was in Scotland, had been mugged, and needed you to send money via Western Union, it is a scam, and you need to report it to your local law enforcement officials.

Razorback Basketball Expedition

Great news!!! The Razorback basketball team beat the Alabama Crimson Tide team today in Walton Arena, at the University of Arkansas, in Fayetteville. GO HOGS GO!!! If you have never been to a University of Arkansas Athletic Competition involving the Razorback Sports Teams, it may be hard to understand the full impact of "Razorback Spirit". However, once you have attended a "home" HOGS game, and felt the roof nearly come off the building from the cheers, the applause, the foot-stomping, the band playing, the announcer talking over the loudspeaker, and the gigantic score board flashing "LOUDER! LOUDER! LOUDER!!!", you may not fully appreciate the feelings behind the term "Razorback Spirit". In a similar fashion, if you have never experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life, you may not fully appreciate the feelings behind the term "Holy Spirit" either.

The photo above is an enlargement of a ticket for a Razorback basketball game, and shows that the price of the ticket was twenty-five dollars. Just as it takes a ticket to get into Walton Arena to experience in person that feeling of Razorback Spirit, so it takes a "ticket" of sorts to experience the feeling of the Holy Spirit in your life. Jesus paid the "price" for that ticket by dying on the cross for our sins. The way we use that "ticket" is by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Once you have made that decision, and asked forgiveness for your sins, then you have the necessary component for experiencing the Holy Spirit in your life. In fact, it is because of the Holy Spirit that I am involved in a program (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) that puts into practice the truth found in I Corinthians 6:19-20 that says "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." Once I heard a sports broadcaster refer to Walton Arena as the "Temple of Basketball" in the South. When I walked into this "Temple of Basketball" for my game, the heat was working; the lights were working; the food areas were clean; the bathroom facilities were in proper working order, and the sound system was working properly. But Walton Arena would not function properly if there were not an ongoing program of preventive maintenance. So it is with our bodies----also known as "the temple of the Holy Spirit". We are commanded to care of our bodies---not just say "It's my body and I can do with it whatever I want". I would love to write more, but I have to go now to do some preventive maintenance on "my temple"!! Miles of smiles! Tricia

Rainbow Arch Bridge & Family History

I learned alot about bridge terminology when I wrote about the Sundial Bridge in Redding, California, in the March 13, 2009, post on this blog, but when researching the history of the Cotter, Arkansas, bridge pictured in these photos, I found out there were some additional definitions that I needed to add to my vocabulary. For example, I found out that when the bridge was completed in 1930 by the Bateman Contracting Company, it was the world's largest "Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge". And no, it is not named after marshmallows. Rather, it is named for James Marsh (1856 - 1936) who patented the reinforced-concrete rainbow arch design in 1912. According to the 1988 publication Great American Bridges and Dams, a rainbow arch bridge is "An aesthetically pleasing design popularized by James Marsh between 1915 and 1930. Marsh actively promoted the technology and became responsible for the vast majority of rainbow arch bridges built in the Midwest and Great Plains." This last statement probably explains a well-known bridge familiar to Route 66 aficionados. A Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge spanned the Spring River between Galena and Riverton, Kansas, on the highway nicknamed "America's Main Street". Unfortunately, it was dismantled in 1986. However, that state did have the foresight to preserve another Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge---the one in Baxter Springs, Kansas; it was restored in 1992, and you can still drive your car across it. Likewise, a Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge in Fort Morgan, Colorado, has been restored as a hiking and bicycle bridge over the Platte River. I am very thankful for the preservation-minded folks of Cotter and the surrounding area, who started the work several years ago that resulted in the preservation of the Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge at Cotter. Thanks to their efforts, the bridge is not only listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but also as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. This last title is given to recognize "exceptionally meritorious achievements" and "civil engineerings' greatest accomplishments" and to "preserve our rich heritage for future generations". It is also listed on the Historic American Engineering Record established by the National Park Service, the Library of Congress, and the American Society of Civil Engineers to document important engineering events.

The railroad has played a significant role in the development of Cotter, Arkansas, and this photo shows the location where the tracks go under the Rainbow Arch Bridge before travelling onto the massive metal railroad bridge across the White River, that is several yards upriver from the Rainbow Arch Bridge. Although those tracks have not been used to carry passengers since 1960, they still service the area for freight and cargo transportation.

On the Baxter County side of the Rainbow Arch Bridge is a lovely park called "Big Spring Park" where you will find a covered picnic pavilion, a building for indoor functions called "The Spring House", restrooms, a gazebo, a railroad train car and statue, boat loading/unloading area, a swimming hole, and hiking/walking trails---some of them, wheelchair accessible. Also, friends of mine named Ron and Debbie Gamble, own and operate (along with their son Dylan) the Cotter Trout Dock there, which I would highly recommend for your White River outdoor adventures (www.CotterTroutDock.com). Just as the bridge was built by a company named "Bateman", so Ron Gamble can be thought of as the "Baitman" for all your trout fishing questions and needs! Be sure to check out their website for more great photos of the area.

Hopefully, by now you're wondering, "What does all this have to do with YOUR family history?" Here's the connection: Before my mother and father were married, they had what they would later call their "first date" on a Lead Hill High School field trip (via school bus) to visit the bridge, before it was officially opened to traffic. Mother would always tell that story to me anytime we crossed the bridge as I was growing up. She said she and my father shared a picnic lunch under the bridge that day, and "the rest, as they say, is history"! I have deduced that "first date" probably occurred sometime in September of 1930. That is because the official dedication of the bridge is listed as November 11-12, 1930. So even though I was "just a gleam in the eye" of Joe and Benita back then, I feel a strong connection to this bridge! (They were later married in August of 1932 at the Boone County Courthouse.) The photo above shows that one can clearly read the year "1930" on the overhead span as you drive your car across the bridge. Another reason the bridge is significant to me is because the last hike my husband and I took together before his sudden death in November, 2000, was when we walked the trail together along the White River, that links the Rainbow Arch Bridge with the new Highway 412 Bridge, further upstream. It was a beautiful, autumn day and I cherish the memory of that time together. So now you know why the title of this post has the phrase "family history" in it. But wait---there's more!!! I can't let such a great visual aid opportunity pass without making this analogy: Just as the Rainbow Arch Bridge connects Baxter County to Marion County, so Jesus Christ is the "bridge" that connects God to us humans here on earth. Through Him, we can "cross over" from living in this world, to that place called "The Kingdom of God" and "Eternal Life" (John 3:16). Now THAT is family history we can all relate to and be thankful for! Miles of smiles! Tricia

Snowy Roads & Schedule Changes

Since the roads in "The North Woods" of Baxter County are still snow-covered, and more snow is predicted for Wednesday, The First Place 4 Health Orientation that was described in the January 1, 2010, blog post has been rescheduled for Wednesday, January 13; all the other information is the same. Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! Tricia Turner

Sunday Snow Hike

I was completely taken by surprise by what I saw as I stepped out the door early this morning to head to town to attend worship services. I was all dressed up in my high heels and"Sunday-go-to-meeting" clothes (that had been given to me as Christmas gifts, and begged to be bragged on) when I opened the door and saw everything was covered with a deep blanket of snow. It was clear I was not driving anywhere, and certainly not with high heels on! A check on the Internet showed a message from my small group leader that all FBC activities had been canceled for the day. Listening to the radio gave the news that most churches throughout the area were canceling services as well, and traffic officials were advising people to stay off the highway.

Fortunately, I have enough lettuce (my drug of choice) to last me a day or two, so I decided to give up any thoughts of trying to drive into town, and use the time instead, to do some "snow photography".

I started off down into the valley, and as I reached the creek, I was reminded once again of the devastating effects of the January 2009 Ice Storm. It seemed there were as many trees in the horizontal position, as the vertical position, due to the heavy load of ice last year that caused them to tumble to the ground. The great thing about the snow today is that we still have electricity! Let's pray it stays that way!

At various photography seminars I have attended, the instructors emphasize to the students, the importance of looking for PATTERN when composing their photographs. This might be patterns in architecture, patterns in people groups, or, as in the photo collage above, patterns in nature. It is easier to distinguish patterns in nature when snow hides the background clutter, and makes the patterns easier to see. I Timothy 1:16 tells us that Jesus Christ has given us a pattern by which to live our lives. But sometimes, all the "background clutter" of real life interferes with the pattern that I want others to see in my own life. But thankfully, God is forgiving of our shortcomings, and points us back to the pattern given in His Word, so that we can keep pressing on and keep being transformed by his power. Miles of snowy smiles! Tricia

Celebrate Success in 2010!

Many of us look upon a new year as a time to refocus on what is important in our lives. Often when we look back at our past behaviors, we realize we could have done a better job in making choices that contribute, rather than detract, from a healthy lifestyle. The problem is that it is so difficult to persevere in our pursuit of such a goal. That is where First Place 4 Health can be of assistance. It is a program format that calls for weekly meetings with other adults, who have similar goals. The program that I am facilitating in the coming months uses a new book entitled "Celebrate Success". I took a photo of the cover of the book to help you visualize it.

The back cover of the book has this to say: "CELEBRATE SUCCESS, a new Bible study created for First Place 4 Health, explores what God's Word has to say about celebration and will help you discover ways to celebrate your life's milestones and victories in a way that glorifies God. All too often, it is easy to try to measure success by the world's standards and get caught up in the mindset that you can only celebrate success when you have finally achieved some long-anticipated goal. But for those who strive to live a life pleasing to God, celebrating success can be a daily experience, not just an isolated event. In God's kingdom, celebration is always intended to reaffirm the commitment to a life lived in conformity to God's Word, which always gives reason for celebration regardless of the occasion!" The script goes on to say that the book contains 12 weeks of daily study to help you put Christ in first place, as well as weekly Live It Trackers to document your progress. Also included are Scripture memory cards, a coordinating Scripture memory music CD, and two complete weeks of menu plans with grocery lists, recipes and detailed nutrition information.

I have been a Registered Dietitian for over thirty-five years, yet in all my years of experience with numerous kinds of wellness programs and weight loss systems, none of them have helped me, personally, more than First Place 4 Health. First Place 4 Health helped me create balance in the four core areas of my life---emotional, spiritual, mental and physical. That is why I am such a proponent of the program, and volunteer my time to facilitate First Place 4 Health classes in Mountain Home. Orientation for the "Celebrate Success" session will be Wednesday, January 6, 2010, at 6 PM, in room 1203 of the Christian Life Center, of First Baptist Church, 400 Club Blvd., in Mountain Home, Arkansas. The Orientation provides an overview of how the First Place 4 Health program offers assistance to participants, and gives those who decide to participate an opportunity to enroll in the program, and learn about the written health books and Bible study books that are used during the program. The materials can be purchased at most major bookstores or over the Internet. Persons who do not want to purchase the written material may use a copy of the book available for check-out use at the church. The actual classes for First Place 4 Health will start on Wednesday, January 13, at 5:30 pm - 6:45 pm, and will meet consecutively for the next 13 weeks. There is no charge to attend the classes. For more information about the history/development of First Place 4 Health, log onto www.FirstPlace4Health.com or email me at triciaturnerfirstplace@yahoo.com Wouldn't you like to take an expedition in this all-new decade to a healthier lifestyle? Just like the old song made famous years ago by K.C. and the Sunshine Band, let's "CELEBRATE good times", and miles of smiles this year! Tricia