March 24, 2013: Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday. This is the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a hero on the colt of a donkey that had never been ridden. Less than a week later the people who cheered and laid robes and palms in his path would scream for his crucifixion but on Easter Sunday Jesus triumphed over death, hell and the grave when, on the third day, he arose from the grave. Christmas gets a lot of emphasis on the Christian and secular calendar but this period between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday is the crucial lynchpin in all of human history. The world is different before and after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Before Jesus’ resurrection, mankind looked with hope to the day that man could be reconciled with God, we offered up sacrifices and hoped to stay the penalty of sin but after Jesus offered himself as a perfect sacrifice and proved his worth through his resurrection, we no longer look forward to hope, we have hope. Hope. What a wonderful word that makes the world a wonderful place. At Walt Disney World you hear a lot about dreams, wishes and magic, and fantasy is a wonderful thing, but the real thing is a blessing from God that offers us an eternity of peace instead of an eternity of punishment because of our disobedience. There had to be a sacrifice and only Jesus was fit to be that perfect sacrifice that truly brought “Peace on Earth and good will to men.” Every Sunday The House of Blues in Downtown Disney offers a Gospel Brunch with a fabulous buffet and wonderful Gospel music. Spend a Sunday celebrating true, eternal happiness at the happiest place on Earth.

Two of my heroes were born on this day, Ernest Rutherford in 1871 and Harry Houdini in 1874. Rutherford was an amazing physicist who not only won the Nobel Prize in physics but also, as a teacher, taught several Nobel Prize winners. Harry Houdini, through his physical prowess, mental acuity and a little misdirection performed great feats of magic and escape artistry. Let’s go to the Animal Kingdom and ride Expedition Everest, a grand physics lab that gives us the opportunity to escape the clutches of the Yeti.

Walt Disney is the name we all recognize but there were many other important members of the Disney team responsible for the success of the studios and one of the greats, Ub Iwerks, was born on this day in1901. Ub was an adept and speedy animator and mechanical genius instrumental in so many pieces of Disney success. Ub animated the first Mickey Mouse silent cartoon, Plane Crazy, entirely by himself (Plane Crazy was held back and Steamboat Willie, complete with sound, was released first. Plane Crazy was released later with sound added). Ub developed special effects for movies such as Song of the South and Mary Poppins and was named a Disney Legend in 1989. Go to the Magic Kingdom, walk down Main Street USA and look for the following window,” Iwerks-Iwerks
Stereoscopic Cameras
Repairs – Modifications
“ "No Two Exactly Alike”
Ub Iwerks
Don Iwerks.”

Look for Ub's window on Main Street, USA.

Remember, your best excuse is always: waiting for your dreams to come true.