Meet Gracie!

Meet Gracie! 

Many of you know that our dog Lacy died last August. On October 29th, my family brought a new dog home. Gracie is a Shih-Tzu  puppy and is just as spunky and adorable as can be. :) She was a small fry, only 12 weeks old when she joined our family. She has grown alot though, and loves chewing on things (and eating things she's not supposed to ;)   ), chasing the chickens, and playing with her toys. 

 

She loves to spread out like this on the floor.

I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people. 

~Psalm 77:11-14

A Christmas Vacation to Kentucky part 2

We finished out our mini vacation by spending Wednesday at the Creation Museum. Our family visited it once many years ago, but since then, they have changed and added many displays. 

Deborah and I had the privilege to go zip-lining. The weather was perfect for it...sunny and cold with a slight breeze. It was a blast.

The outside of the museum was decorated so beautifully. 

I love how the museum is set up. Each visitor experiences walking through the 7 Cs of History: 

Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, Consummation.

This picture of a cave bear is just one example of the animals that lived during the Ice Age. How would you like to live around one of these guys?

(To read this picture, click to enlarge.)

This is an Allosaurus named Ebenezer. This skeleton is assembled from a combination of the real fossil bones and castings made from other Allosaurus fossils. It is rare to find Allosaurus skeletons that are more than 50% complete, and few adult skeletons are found with their skulls full intact. This skeleton is almost 50% complete with 139 bones recovered out of a possible 250, making Ebenezer an exceptional find.

This is Ebenezer's real skull. The reason that the skull is in a separate case is because fossilized dinosaur skulls can be too heavy for a steel armature to support.

This quilt containing the 7Cs of history was hanging in the stairwell.
That afternoon, we got to meet Buddy Davis before his singing session. Our family has watched his Creation Adventure DVDs and we girls have been listening to his songs on youtube for a while, so it was exciting getting to meet him. :)  If you're interested in the resources, Answers in Genesis carries books, CDs, and DVDs for all ages.

The sun setting cast some brilliant colors through the trees.

This waterfall was so beautiful..we sisters had a lovely time "photo-shooting" each other. :)

At the petting zoo again...more animals were active this time, including the zonkey and the zorse (pictured above.)

This final picture closed out our evening. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at both the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum. I think it is a wonderful and encouraging place that Christian families would enjoy visiting and where non-believers can be educated about creation, the flood, and the gospel.

I would love to know, have you visited the ark or museum before? If so, what was your favorite part?  

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

~John1:1-3

A Christmas Vacation to Kentucky

Hello to you all! 

I hope each of you are doing well and enjoying the new year. 

 Right before Christmas, we girls took a mini vacation with our mom to Kentucky to visit the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter.  On the way, we stopped in Tennessee to visit Crown College and were able to take a tour.

 The inside was pretty...it reminded me of a museum. Alot of antique items are displayed, like Billy Sunday's car (pictured above). 

We arrived at the Creation Museum on Monday (Dec. 17), and enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the garden of lights at Christmas Town.  Enjoy the pictures.

Since the weather was frigid, there was a large fire pit at the entrance of the garden...it provided much welcomed (and needed) warmth.

Everything was beautifully lit up with Christmas lights.

Not very many animals in the petting zoo were active.

Early Tuesday morning, we arrived at the Ark. The size is just incredible; this picture was taken from the parking lot. A bus drove us from the parking lot up the ark.

The first deck contained many displays with signs that explained how the food and water systems for the animals might have  worked while Noah and his family were living on the ark. 

I should just mention, every display was done superbly and the workmanship was excellent. The attention to the smallest details was amazing.

Animals that were on the ark (both extinct and living) were in cages scattered throughout the three decks.

There were so many signs that answer questions people may have about the ark. This above picture is just one example. If you want to read about how freshwater fish survived during the flood, just click on the picture to enlarge it. 

There were a few displays that showed what might have been going on in the earth before the flood. The world was in such a sad and wicked state...Genesis tells us "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." (Gen. 6:5-6)

In this particular display, women were worshiping this false god by offering their babies as sacrifices.

These ramps led to the second and third stories. 

 This exhibit, called Fairy Tale Ark, explained the 7 D's of Deception. To read about each D, click on each picture to enlarge.  

 

 This is one massive door...can you see the cross in the middle? A sign nearby explained how Jesus is the only door into heaven, just as there was only one door into the ark. This song by Buddy Davis talks about the Ark.  In John 10:9-10, Jesus said,  "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

We took a lunch break at a picnic table outside with this view behind us. 

After lunch, we visited the petting zoo.

These goats were so friendly...Deborah sat down on a log and goats wanted to sit on her lap. :)

The rest of the day was spent looking at and reading the various displays.

A beautiful sunset at the close of the day...

 When we left in the evening, the ark was lit up prettily with rainbow colors.

The next day we visited the Creation Museum, but I'll save those pictures for another time and another post. :)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
~John 14:6