The Creation and Ark Adventure ~ Blog by Chloe

We had a great time at the Creation Museum!

When we arrived at the museum entrance, there were two long-neck dinosaurs there to greet us. They were tall and still, (which wasn't surprising, seeing that they were statues.)

Then we entered the building. The ceiling was high, and hanging from it were two, very long Chinese dragons. They didn't have legs, though. :)

There were lots of neat things. Dinosaurs, statues of people that moved, lots and lots of insects, cool rocks, and much more. All of it pointing to God's wonderful designs in creation.

Later in the day we went the planetarium. It was one of my favorite parts of the whole vacation! It was quiet and dark, and we were all in soft seats that could lean back so we could see the ceiling. The screen was above us on the ceiling, and it felt like we were looking up into an upside down bowl.

The show was about the Created Cosmos. It started with earth, and then went to our solar system, and then moved on to our galaxy, all the way up to what we know of the universe.

The stars and planets were beautiful, and the animation was wonderful! It made us so amazed at how big God is!

We all had a very good time. Then, the next day, it was on to the ark!

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A life size version of Noah's ark!

We had a great time at the Ark Encounter. It was neat to look on the outside and see how huge it was for real. 

Here's the whole thing.

Though the ark isn't as neat in pictures as it is in person, it's the next best thing.

When we arrived at the parking lot, we got on a bus and drove down to the bus stop, and after a few minutes, headed to the huge thing we had come to see. (On foot)

On the way there, we saw statues of animals and tall, stone blocks with pictures telling a story carved on them.

The inside gave you some idea of what life for Noah and his family was like for the 370 or so days that they lived there. Here's a lot of pictures:

It can be hard to understand what you are seeing in these pictures if you haven't been there, so seeing it in person is best of course.

The whole trip was a very fun experience, and we learned some new things. God is very good to his children, in the past and present!

Well, that's all for now!
~Chloe

Introduction to Stories from 2018

Hello all!

Here I am to tell some stories of the past year, for the simple reason of...well, it's almost been a year since I've written :D But a lot of little things happen in life that take up time, and if we don't stop and care for the little things, then what good are we with the big ones?

Then again, it is good to have a habitual posting when you have a blog. I'm going to have to get better at that, and the fact that I have several posts lined up should help.

So. Summer and Fall of 2018 was really good. Traveling, love, worshiping the Lord with His people, family fun, friendships blossoming, and reminders of God's workings and God's goodness.

On the way to a church meeting we stopped
by a zoo. Fun times!

Snowy skies

Winter puppies!

Jonas dancing to his music :)

It hasn't been trial free, of course. Nothing ever is. We stumbled through two major family illness during summer, and we had a health scare regarding my Mom. But through it all we have been so, so, blessed. I can't even begin to tell you how much. Our church family has helped us out so much, bringing meals and lifting up prayers, and those prayers have been answered.

I think the Lord has been trying me through it all. I need more patience I think...to rest in His will and let Him take care of the flow of life.

A couple of things that we did this summer I will leave my sister Chloe to tell you. She's quite a writer herself. :)  Anyway, she wrote a few posts, and they'll be posted next.

~ Lindsey

Crumbs - A Short Funny Moment

I'm sweeping the dinning room floor. Aaron suddenly materializes close by, but instead of running through as usual, stops and looks at my work in progress with a bit of thoughtfulness and confusion. I am pulled from my thoughts as I notice him, and give him a curious glance. Sometimes I can see a glimpse of the future person my siblings might become, and it intrigues me to no end.

"Where do the crumbs come from?" Aaron suddenly asks as he examines my pile. The "crumbs", as it happened, was actually dirt that had been drug into the house.

Thankfully he was asking a question to which I have a ready answer. "Well, some of them come from outside, when someone walks in the house with shoes on. They fall off the shoes and get on the floor."

He frowns, and watches for a moment longer as I continue to sweep. I can tell he is thinking about it in great length.

Finally he asks, as if it were the simplest solution in the world, "Then why don't they just take off their shoes at the door and the crumbs won't come?"

Five sarcastic replies pop into my head at once, one of them being, You finally get it! After all those reminders!

I giggle inwardly, but I don't say any of them. Instead I nicely explain that sometimes, he and others forget to take off their shoes. He realizes this and nods understandingly, like the little man he is, and then runs off.

I melt into giggles, both at his four-year-old smartness, and at my sarcastic thoughts.

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I still laugh about it, even though it's been awhile. But then, I really do love to answer his questions about the world. Things like the solar system, or the global flood, or the way windmills work :)

I love to teach, and I've so grateful that God has given all of us the ability to teach. Helping others learn about Him and the super complex world He's given us is one of the best things we can do. I can't wait to do it as a mother :)

(And one thing I've learned is that you really don't realize how complex a thing is until you try to teach it, lol.)

~Lindsey

Goals to Aspire to, Things to Remember.

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good.

Be kindly affectioned towards one another in all brotherly kindness. In honor, preferring one another.

Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant prayer.

Distributing to the necessity of the saints; given to hospitality.

Bless those that persecute you; bless, and curse not.

Rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Be of one mind toward one another. Mind not high things, but condensed to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Recompense no man evil for evil. Prove things honest in the sight of all men.

If it be possible, with as much that lieth within you, live peaceably with all men.

~Romans 12, verses 9 to 18

I am trying to memorize this passage right now. Very good things to have floating around in your minds all day, so I encourage you to try it too! It's challenging, but worthwhile! I particularly love the last verse.

I've had a lot of people on my mind for the last few weeks. Friends, friends of friends, family...I just wanted to let you know that I love all of you and care more deeply than you may know. Everyone has trials in life, everyone passes through times of cold and emptiness. But don't give up, please don't give up! Don't live your life without purpose. You have people who love you, one of them being me, but I know so many others who are praying for you and think of you often.

So just keep trying, and remember.

Prayers for you all! 

Love,

Lindsey

Summer in the Vineyard

Here in the vineyard of my Lord,

I love to live and labor. 

And be obedient to my God 

until my dying hour. 

I love to see the lilies grow,

and view them all a-standing

 in the right in the place while here below,

just as the Lord commanded.

This song sums up the feelings I've had this past summer. It's one of my favorites.

Many of you know this already, but church is a big part of my life.

Our church is simple, we try to follow as closely to the Bible as possible.  The weekly assembly of Christians at that old wooden building just on the edge of Hinton ...the gathering together of people you care for, people who have the same essential beliefs as you, people who look at the world more or less the same way you do.

It means so much to me.

(Free internet pictures are great!)

I love to see lilies grow---all of them, young and old, maybe at different stages in their Christian maturity. But standing in the right place, worshiping God as he designed, never-mind what has been in their past or what is going on in their life.

It's interesting, I've heard jokes about "being the preacher's kid" and all that...but I think it gives me insight that no one else has. Insight into the importance of truth...and I'm so thankful. So extremely grateful that the Lord has seen fit to put me into a place in life that I can learn and grow and see things from this point of view.

Church is one of the few places that I feel completely safe and loved. And not just my local church, Rocky Fork. I have felt many of the same feelings at the churches we have visited over the years---there's a connection, a brotherly love in all those places, even though I don't know half of them. Being with others who share important beliefs and desire to worship the Lord warms my heart.

I mentioned in the last post how my summers have taken on a whole new light; and this is how. Our summers are filled with traveling to church meetings, some only an hour or two away, some nine or ten. Dad's an Elder, and when other sister churches invite him to preach for him, we normally go. We pack up half of our stuff in order to stay at someone's house, worship with them on the weekend, and drive back home in time to meet with our local church. It's amazing. I love it.

We've been to eleven states in all, I think. I have so many friends, old and young, all over the place. My closest friends (besides my siblings) are those in the faith, as well as my mentors, and quite possibly my future husband. :) The only down side to it all is having to say goodbye...

We oft-times meet both night and day,

a faithful band of soldiers.

We read, we sing, we preach and pray,

and find the Lord most precious.

But while we sing this song of love,

our hearts are deeply wounded...

Perhaps we all may meet no more, 

Here as a congregation.

This song is so bitter-sweet, and it practically reads my mind. I love singing it with my church family, both local and abroad.

But if on earth we meet no more,

we hope to meet in heaven.

Where congregations never break up, 

but dwell in sweet communion.

Where all the ransomed church of God 

shall meet no more to sever, 

With not a sorrow, sin, nor tear

But shout His praise forever. 

It is a blessing to know the Lord and his truth, because he first loved us.  We should never forget that.

Thoughtfully,
Lindsey

Looking Back A Little

Okay, you guys, summer is great. I'm sure you already know that. But my summers, in particular, have taken on a whole new light. I'll tell you more about that in the next post, but for now here's some pictures.

Sisters :)

Jonas with walkie-talkie

"Agent 5, this is Agent One-Year-Old. Break left."

(The story behind those last two pictures happened a week or two ago There was an air balloon event not far from here and they were flying right by our house. One guy came really close and shouted down to Dad, asking if he could land in our field. Dad shouted back yes. Very cool! None of us have been so close to one before.)

I've been enjoying life lately. Of course, there's great days and okay days and not-so-good days, but for the most part, I've been very thankful and happy. God is so good.

This year, like every year, has been busy with church meetings, school work, house & outdoor work,  and family fun. 2017 has also featured some life lessons and new experiences and a vision for the future.  It's exciting, yet a little scary, to think about what life could look like in a few years and can be overwhelming to think about the list of things I need to accomplish before then.

(I have like five posts in my head, but, like my stories, can't seem to find the time or the will to actually write them all down.)

See you next post!

~Lindsey

The Fire Within

(Author's note: Here's a post that I worked on a long time ago but never finished. At the moment I am typing up another post about more of my recent thoughts, but in the meantime here's this. Sorry for being absent for so long, but hey, my summer was great!)

Originally written: March 2017

I was thinking some deep thoughts about fire the other day...probably brought on by the campfire we had a few weeks ago. It was a lot of fun, of course, to crowd around it and snack on s'mores, shivering whenever the cold wind blew...but we always had to be careful to not get too close or else we'd be burned.

That thought set me thinking about other kinds of fire. Do you have a passion? A wish for the future? A hobby? A particular book or movie that you really like? I do, and most of the time those are good things have. But at this point I have learned that those kind of things can burn us just as much as a physical, roaring flame.

I spoke about chapters in life a few blog posts ago. I have named some of my chapters, including the one which I am about to relate. It is titled "The Fiction Obsession".

You see, about three or four years ago, I had a serious problem with writing. I've always loved to make up stories, and I still do, but at this particular episode in life, it had consumed me.

The story that I was writing at the time was all I ever thought about. I was always in a different world, always having conversations going on in my head, always rushing through the day so I could write. It messed with my schoolwork, my chores, and my family life. When I wasn't writing, I was reading a fiction book or wishing for a good movie. (Granted, our movie selection is rather small even with filtering.) 

 I'm sorry to say that I wasted a whole summer doing this. While my family spent the evenings outside, watering our gardens or playing ball, I was inside sitting at a computer, my fingers getting sore from typing.

And what do you know? In the end, I grew frustrated with discontentment and restlessness, and blaming it on the story's dullness, I trashed it. Just like the millions of others.

What I wouldn't give to have all that time back. (Not the story back...it was actually awful.) Think of it---a whole summer of learning, of growing, of loving! It was all my fault---all because I let a hobby, an ultimately useless thing, become too important. My parents had warned me of this, but I had completely pushed away their advice. 

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Annnnnd then they put me on a fiction fast. Both reading it and writing it. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy about that at the time. But guess what, it helped! 

Of course, over the years I have had to work on not falling back into it again, and learning what times are the right times to enjoy my hobbies. But for the most part, I've gotten much better at it. 

That's why you've got to involve your parents in your life, I've learned. Even if they do something you don't really like, it can really help you in the long run and give you perspective when you're older.

God wants us to have a plan for the future (Proverbs 28:19), and not waste our time in the present. It's a hard thing to balance sometimes, because we're also not suppose to always be thinking about what happens tomorrow. There's a "happy medium" as my Dad says, and it's our job---each one of us individually---to find it.  And making sure our true fire within is the Lord, guiding us in all we do.   

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