Introduce Yourself : I follow rules. The site suggests I introduce myself so I introduce myself. by Stuart Stokes

Last year I left a full time job as a pastor in a local church for several reasons. The biggest reason was to finish editing a feature length documentary about a dear friend of mine who decided to move to Thailand for his last days of life. He was a Christian missionary who moved to Thailand in the late fifties with his young family. After a few years there his faith was challenged as it related to many of the dogmatic practices and rules set forth by his specific denomination in the faith tradition. The spiritual journey he set forth on for the rest of his life challenged our assumptions of hell, eternal punishment and who's in and who's out? (among many other things.) It was a beautiful experience. Another reason I left the world of working in organized religion is that the spark and wonder of life in telling stories from behind a camera got under into my being and I just couldn't imagine NOT doing this for the rest of my life. So, here I am, forty years of age, starting over, following a passion that has been bubbling in me since I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark as a young man and realized someone is actually working behind this "fourth wall" lighting the rooms, dressing the characters and pulling the lever to make the big boulder roll. I must say, at this time, while editing and trying to take on side jobs to keep the food on the table, I am amazed at how scared and fulfilled I am at the same time. I am trying to learn as I go in efforts to find funding for another documentary, this time in the world of developmental disabilities, while exploring avenues to get distributorship for the movie I'm finishing now. I like the potential of this site. At this time I don't see how much I can offer from an experiential standpoint but I certainly have a creative mind so, at least I'm among peers. Here's a temporary preview of "The Journey of Ajahn Ken." https://vimeo.com/121808114 Stuart Stokes