Born in the Big Sky Country of Montana and now living in the Buckeye State of Ohio, Richard is the creative mind behind Big Sky Buckeye. Retired after 40 years of teaching, I enjoy writing, photography, traveling, and following a healthy lifestyle.
Pete visits the local movie theater one night to catch one of his favorite animated films, “The Road Runner Meets Bugs Bunny.”
He hasn’t been to the old theater for several years because he is usually in bed early each night. He’s pleasantly surprised to find the old, uncomfortable chairs have been replaced with loungers.
The film begins promptly, and Pete finds an extra comfortable lounger smack dab in the middle of the theater—a perfect seat! He places his extra-large diet cola in a convenient cup holder while holding a jumbo tub of seasoned, buttered popcorn on his lap.
The film continues for the next 90 minutes or so, and the theater is filled with hilarious laughter except for one patron. As the movie ends, the house lights are turned up, and the audience exits.
A young usher walks up to Pete, still snoring and catchin’ some winks. His popcorn is scattered all over the floor as the tub has fallen from his lap.
The boy taps him on the shoulder, “Sir, the movie is over.”
From Micah 6:8: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Photo by Paulo Mu00e1rcio Dos Santos on Pexels.com
From the words of American pastor and Christian author, Charles Swindoll: “Grace operates apart from the response or the ability of the individual. Grace is one-sided. Grace is God giving Himself in full acceptance to someone who does not deserve it and can never earn it and will never be able to repay.”
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot love.
From Job 1:20-22: “Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.”
This is the second post of a relatively new feature here at Big Sky Buckeye. Every couple of months or so different snapshots about the Buckeye State of Ohio will be featured.
The month of October brings images of bountiful harvests and the pumpkin patch as found in the memorable comic strip “Peanuts.” In central Ohio, the month also means the annual Circleville Pumpkin Show is approaching.
The Pride of Pickaway County is billed as the “Greatest Free Show on Earth.” Sadly, this year’s celebration has been cancelled because of Covid-19, but let’s still check out this festive event.
“The Pumpkin Show” was first held in October, 1903. From its humble beginnings, it started out primarily with displays of corn fodder as well as pumpkins cut out as Jack-o-Lanterns. Now the show has grown into the sixth largest festival in the United States.
This outdoor mural, which celebrates the founding of the Pumpkin Show, is located in downtown Circleville on the side of an office building.
Yearly features include traditional favorites:
Parades (a total of seven)
Miss Pumpkin Show
Little Miss Pumpkin Show
Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest
Local and Regional Entertainment
Over four days and nights, nearly 400,000 people attend, with free admission. Circleville, with a population of about 14,000, really pulls together to make this event the success which it has become. The annual celebration has been continuously held every year except for three years during World War II.
Remaining photographs courtesy of Pinterest.
Numerous contests are organized every year around a harvest theme as well as the star of the show . . . pumpkins!
Art Show
Baked Goods
Flower Show
Canned Goods
Fruits and Vegetables
Home Arts and Crafts
The show begins on the third Wednesday of October and runs through Sunday. Local community groups and charities provide food vendors as a way to raise funds for their causes. If a person wants something uniquely made with pumpkin, he or she has come to the right place.
For the creation of a masterwork of literature two powers must concur, the power of the man and the power of the moment, and the man is not enough without the moment.
Poetry is simply the most beautiful, impressive, and widely effective mode of saying things.
An elderly man steadily works in his backyard, raking up some of autumn’s harvest of red maple leaves. The quiet, afternoon air is punctuated by angry and upset mumbling coming from the neighbor’s yard.
Walking over to the fence, the former teacher listens while a much younger man unsuccessfully tries to start up his lawn mower. The neighbor, in his late twenties, has been facing extra pressure and longer hours at the small business he operates.
Pausing and then sending some words of encouragement over the fence, the quiet man offers some advice, “Does the mower need a new spark plug?”
A quick reply comes back, “I never thought of that.”
The conversation continues back and forth for a few minutes. The young man confesses his frustration at work has brought a heavy burden on him as well as his family. He is married with a young daughter.
The wise neighbor adds some gems of wisdom before they both go back to their separate chores, “Hang in there. God’s using these difficult days to prepare you for a more successful tomorrow. He’s equipping you with tools which will help you to bear fruit.”
The young man replies back, “Thanks. I appreciate your advice as well as your testament from the Lord.”
With the rake in his hand, the elderly man prepares to step away from the fence, but he returns and offers a prayer for the young man, “God, grant Tim the serenity to accept the things he cannot change, the courage to change the things he can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Both men say their final words, and return to their respective yard work.
As the retired teacher continues to rake more of the stubborn leaves into a series of small piles, he hears the lawn mower start up with a roar. Obviously, the young man has changed the mower’s spark plug, and it is now running as it should.
At the same time, Tim feels the spark of God’s Word bringing him patience and encouragement for today as well as for tomorrow.
From 2 Peter 1:5-7: “For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.”
Salvation is an unfathomable treasure for which we will spend eternity praising, thanking, and worshipping God.
From 1 Peter 1:3-5: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
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