Road Trip for Six

30 Oct

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

For the first time in years, I went on vacation and didn’t take my laptop. I thought I might have computer withdrawals and was pleased to discover I could unplug. Of course, I wasn’t completely unplugged as I had my tablet and a mobile hotspot but I limited my online time to a quick daily check in on Facebook.

Our latest road trip began on a rainy morning, October 23, 2017 from our home in North Carolina. Husband and I along with two other couples loaded ourselves and our scant luggage into a rented Suburban. We were headed to The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky.

It was a rainy drive and we were happy to see some sunshine.

 

Kentucky welcome station

 

Check in at our hotel was smooth and we were pleased with our rooms. Whew! That was a load off of my mind as I was the one who chose and booked the hotel.

 

 

Tuesday morning we were up early. Three in our party needed to rent  scooters and we had been advised to be on the first bus from the parking lot to the ark if we wanted to be certain of getting one.

 

First in line!

 

We decided that once the group made it into the ark that each couple would explore at their own pace. But first we had to make a lunch plan! Here is a tip, don’t wait until noon to head to the restaurant.

 

 

I found the structure of the ark fascinating. It was built with hand tools as it was in the days of Noah.

 

 

The beams inside are huge.

 

 

The ark carried supplies for one year. Notice how securely they are stored. It seems Noah was prepared for stormy weather.

 

There were a lot of bird cages!

 

 

 

I’m not sure which creatures were in these cages but based on the cart positioned with the cages, I would suspect chickens or small animals.

 

 

Larger animals were fed from above and had an interesting watering vessel that serviced two cages.

 

The ark has three decks and we didn’t complete the third deck before our lunch time, but I was ready for a sit down!   By the time we went through the buffet line and found a seat, the line was out the door. We were glad we chose an early lunch time!  The buffet food was delicious and the cost included a beverage and dessert. The price for seniors is $9.99 and $12.99 for younger adults. Sorry, I didn’t notice the child price.

 

 

Emzara’s Kitchen

 

After lunch we returned to the ark to finish the third deck which contained the family living quarters as well as a garden area. It seems Noah was the original small space gardener! The roof of the upper deck could be opened enough to allow sunlight for growing food in containers and hanging pots.  As I stood in the family quarters, I felt the oddest sensation of being on a cruise ship. In the same way that a cruise ship is fully self-contained, so was the ark. One big difference is the ark had a crew of eight people versus the thousand or so on most ships.

The ark was built with three decks filled with scores of world-class exhibit bays. These stunning exhibits allow you to experience what Noah’s life may have been like and answers many questions.

 

 

 

One of my favorites was the door where the animals loaded.

 

 

If you are thinking of visiting The Ark Encounter, I would suggest an early arrival. It can become pretty crowded by the afternoon. There is a generous amount of benches for rest breaks and a snack bar on two levels. If you think you might want a souvenir, shop before lunch! The gift shop becomes very crowded late in the day and it is the one space that does not have a lot of benches. I ended up waiting outside for my party to finish and it was a cold and windy day. Our entire party loved visiting the ark. I think it would be an interesting destination for people of all ages.

Our last morning we faced the challenge of getting our luggage for six to fit back in the Suburban. Somehow we managed to tuck our purchases into nooks and crannies.

 

 

 

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Circuitous Travel~Part 10

29 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

 

This day’s trip into London was a bit of a busy one. According to my notes, we made our way to a Christian bookstore to purchase a copy of the book The Flying Scotsman, the story of Eric Liddell. If you remember, and according to Wikipedia:

  “Eric Liddell was a Scottish athlete, rugby union international player, and missionary, who chose his religious beliefs over competing in an Olympic race held on a Sunday.

 At the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, Liddell refused to run in the heats for his favoured 100 metres because they were held on a Sunday. Instead he competed in the 400 metres held on a weekday, a race that he won [in record time. His record held for 20 years]. He returned to China in 1925 to serve as a missionary teacher. Aside from two furloughs in Scotland, he remained in China until his death in a Japanese civilian internment camp in 1945 [of an inoperable brain tumor].

 Liddell’s Olympic training and racing, and the religious convictions that influenced him, are depicted in the Oscar-winning 1981 film Chariots of Fire…”

We had been most impressed with the movie about Eric Liddell, and wanted the full story about him, hence the purchase of the book. This is a picture from Google and Park Baptist Church that tells of his running philosophy. Amazing.

 

 

After that stop, we went to a china rejects shop to look for some replacement china pieces we had broken. Really exciting, huh?

After that, we found a Scottish House that sold Scotland garments, cloth (tartans) and other items from Scotland. We were looking specifically for Fred’s clan’s tartan (Gunn Clan),

 

The Gunn Tartan

 

and a Gunn pin.

 

The Gunn Crest. Credit Google search

 

 

I had intended to make some kind of tartan garments for our daughters. I’ve since made a shawl for each of them. The pin has been lost, unfortunately.

Our next stop took a bit of time, and we thoroughly enjoyed it all. We went to Madame Tussauds wax museum, and the Planetarium . That was such fun to wander through and see all the wax figures there. We were most impressed with the figures of the Royal Family. Here are some pictures we took.

 

 

Our final stop of the day was to head out to Wimbledon to see a Wimbledon tennis match, if possible. At first, we were only allowed admittance to the “nose-bleed” section, which is also the “standing-room-only” section. Later, as the day wore on, and people began to leave, we were permitted to go down to some of the seats and finish out the match. Much better!! What we saw that day, was a doubles match, between John Newcombe and Tony Roche vs. Casal and Hocevar (sorry, I can’t seem to find the first names of Casal or Hocevar).

 

 

It was such fun to be able to see it in person! Much as we enjoy watching tennis on TV, there’s just something about being “in the stands” to see it live that makes it more enjoyable.

It was a good day, but we were eager to get back to the B&B and rest.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

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So You Want to be a Sheep?

28 Oct

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

 

His Way

 

Reblogged 10.28.2017

 

Today, for you, our final guest blogger in our October series.

Sometimes we need to be humbled before God can do a mighty work in us. And sometimes we need to be lost before we find The One to take us to victory. Can you relate to Maureen’s story below?

 

October 27, 2017

Sheep are mentioned in the Bible more than any other animal; symbolically they refer to God’s people. All the sheep that belong to the shepherd are of one flock.

God has many names; each one describes an attribute of His character. A favorite name is Yahweh-Rohi – The Lord, Our Shepherd. Here is the description of the relationship our God wants with us. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want (Psalm 23:1).

What a beautiful picture of the rest we have in Him. Are you stressed today? Find rest in the green pastures of His finished work. Find hope and restoration as He restores your soul.

The Lord tells us in Isaiah 53:6 that most sheep will go astray and follow their own way. Are you a stubborn sheep, straying on the wrong path and in need of guidance and correction?

A shepherd’s rod redirects and corrects the sheep. The staff is used to lift and restore the sheep.  Trust and hope in the Good Shepherd to lead you out of the pit of despair.

I once traveled on the wrong path. This misguided search led me into a painful journey of drug addiction and life in a motorcycle gang. I was that stubborn sheep that got caught up in a violent gang war and became a broken victim. Crippling bullets forever changed my life.

Eventually, I encountered the hope and healing of God’s transforming love. A victorious life in Him is meant to be lived on the paths of righteousness and not in the past.

So why would you want to be a sheep? Like sheep, we need only to trust the Lord and follow Him. We need Jesus, our Good Shepherd to lead and guide us, to care for us, and to protect us from the enemy. What contentment and sufficiency we can have in Him.

Yahweh-Rohi leads us home. He lovingly rubs the healing oil on our broken and wounded hearts. The Shepherd knows our needs. He will restore us when we are broken, pick us up when we fall, and strengthen us in our weakness. Now that is a love I can trust!

John 10:27 (NKJV) “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

Source http://www.janetperezeckles.com/blog/so-you-want-to-be-a-sheep.html

 

Maureen Hager is an author, speaker, and blogger. Her passion lies in empowering women to receive hope and healing from their brokenness through the love of God. Her testimony of deliverance and restoration has impacted women of all ages. Her book, Love’s Bullet is available Fall, 2017. Website: www.MaureenHager.com  Blog: www.OutoftheBrokenness.com

 

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Circuitous Travel~Part 9

22 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

This day started out with another Tube ride into London. Surely was a good thing we were staying close to an Underground station! We certainly made good use of those Tube passes we purchased.

Our first venture this day was to the Tower of London.

 

So many neat things to see there. We went through the Tower, and saw the Crown Jewels. At that time – I’m not sure about now – we were not allowed to take pictures of the Crown Jewels. So we purchased a set of slides. They have changed color, so I’ve tried to “fix” them. Here they are. I really like the crown for Queen Victoria. It’s elegant and dainty.

 

Prince of Wales Crown
Imperial State Crown

 

State Crown of Queen Mary
St. Edward’s Crown 

Victoria’s Small Crown

 

I was also taken with the crown, orb, and scepter that is used during the coronation of the new King or Queen of England. According to Wikipedia, they are a sign of authority.

 

 

I was fascinated to find the following information concerning the crowns, etc., also from Wikipedia:

A symbol of 800 years of monarchy, the sovereign’s coronation regalia is the only working collection in Europe…and is the largest set of regalia in the world. Objects used to invest and crown the monarch variously denote his or her roles as Head of State, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces. Wives of kings are crowned as queen consort with a plainer set of regalia. Since 1831, a new crown has been made specially for each queen consort. 

….By the Tudor period it was usual for monarchs to inherit state regalia from his or her predecessor. Most of the present collection as a whole dates from around 350 years ago when King Charles II ascended the throne. The medieval and Tudor regalia had been either sold or melted down by Oliver Cromwell, a republican who overthrew the monarchy in 1649, during the English Civil War.

In addition to coronations, the Imperial State Crown is usually worn at State Openings of Parliament, where the Sword of State and two maces are carried in procession…

Although they are part of the Royal Collection and owned by the king or queen for the duration of his or her reign, the Crown Jewels do not belong to the monarch personally.

 

Here are some pictures we took of the Tower area. The courtyard includes barracks for the soldiers who guard the Tower.

 

 

Here is the entrance to the Tower itself.

 

 

Fred took this picture of the Tower Bridge from inside the Tower area. You will see ruins from the Norman time, which fascinated us!

 

 

And this picture of the site of the scaffold for beheading was interesting. At least eight people lost their heads here.

 

 

 

 

 

We saw the Tower Bridge, which is an amazing structure.

 

 

We also walked to St. Paul’s Cathedral. This is a beautiful church, and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring it.

 

The Chancel

I was pleased and touched to find the American Memorial Chapel within the Cathedral. It honors the 28,000 Americans stationed in the United Kingdom during the war, who gave their lives throughout the war. This picture we took of the pedestal holds the Role of Honour, under glass.

 

 

The inscription on the base of this marble pedestal states: This Chapel commemorates the common sacrifices of the British and American peoples during the Second World War and especially those American Service Men whose names are recorded in its Role of Honour. This tablet was unveiled by H. M. Queen Elizabeth II on 26 November 1958 in the presence of Richard M. Nixon the Vice President of the United States of America.

While preparing this post, I was able to find a video clip of the dedication of the chapel from back in 1958. It is quite moving.

It was a beautiful end to an emotional day.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

 

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Got Five Minutes? 

21 Oct

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

 

His Way

 

Reblogged October 21, 2017

 

Next up in our October guest blogger series is Letitia Suk.

We are so busy, we’re so productive and we’re so . . . stressed. Can you relate? Here’s Letitia’s practical way to bring back what makes victory shine in our days.

October 20, 2017

“Take five minutes to pray for your work each day and see what happens,” was the challenge proposed by our pastor to the congregation years ago. I remember thinking something like, “Duh!” Of course, I already pray at least five minutes a day for my work…don’t I? Surely all the praying-on-the-run I did each day for all the flying curveballs added up to more than five minutes.

The nudging continued so the next morning I grabbed a timer on the way to my prayer chair, set it for five minutes and began to pray specifically for my work. Wow, that timer took a long time to ding! Challenge accepted—I was ready to see what would happen.

Like many of us, my work is multi-faceted. So, I decided to give a minute to each of the five areas for my day-to-day projects. It seemed like one minute would be easier that five. I know, wimpy, right?

The first minute I gave to my coaching clients. They invested time with me to bring focus and intentionality to their lives and I wanted to give them my best work. My writing got the next minute. The current projects, the longed-for projects, my skill and wisdom in putting words on a page. Good thing the timer rang because it was easy to zone off into work mode instead of praying.

Speaking ministry was next. Events already scheduled and those I wanted to schedule. For my communication skills to grow and for lives to be changed. A lot for one minute.

My part-time chaplain work got minute #4. Patients, sensitivity, staff and overall blessing for the hospitals.

The last minute I saved for specific work stuff on that day’s agenda: marketing, blogging, networking. This time the five minutes flew by.

He was right—things happened! I felt more partnered with God in all aspects of my work. Not just that I was working for Him but with Him as I laid the concerns out each day. I saw clearer productivity and greater results.

All these years later, I still set my timer most days. My work depends on it.

Each day holds 1440 minutes…hard to claim a legitimate excuse for not finding five of them to invest in prayer over your work. You might be amazed at the return.

P.S.—The same five-minute principle works for other areas of your life too!

Source: Got Five Minutes? ~ Janet Perez Eckles

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Facts About Cats

20 Oct

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

 

 

 

CATS DO NOT COME!

Cats sleep an amazing amount of time-
close to three-quarters of the time,
counting, of course, the kind of nap
they have made famous.

 

I am a firm believer in the theory
that one of the ways in which
cats show happiness is by sleeping.
They don’t feel threatened,
so they can relax.

 

Cats do not “Come”.!
But they do respond to a treat!
Just rattle the bag
and they will come running to your feet.

 

Cat toys are not expensive-
a bottle cap will do.
A string or a ping pong ball
will keep them running to you.

 

Note- If I want to get this published,
I better stop being a snail.
I’ll give my cats a treat
and rush to put this in the mail!

 

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Road Trip~ Alabama to Arkansa

19 Oct

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

September 8, 2017 Day 2

 

Hurricane Irma continued to confuse the heck out of those in her path. Our daughter had offers of homes to share, should she decide to evacuate but like the storm, she couldn’t make up her mind.

Leaving Florence, Alabama (after getting a half-dozen of Krispy Kreme doughnuts for the road) we continued on US highway 72 .The road was for the most part, four lanes with a good distance between towns and light traffic. We marveled at the blessing of this laid back travel. Even though I had multiple books downloaded, should we become bored with the road or each other, I had yet to play one. After 46 years of marriage, we still found things to talk about.

Our back roads adventure ended in Memphis, Tennessee where we had decided to travel the rest of our westward journey on Interstate 40. Once we navigated through the city of Elvis, the interstate was not horrible.  We decided to stop at the Arkansas welcome center for a bathroom break. While I was browsing their brochures the hostess asked if we were evacuating from Hurricane Irma. I explained that we were on a planned vacation and was surprised to learn that the welcome center was seeing a lot of evacuees. This did not ease my “mother” heart.

Later,we enjoyed a late lunch at a rest stop. I had bought two pecks of apples before our trip and ate one everyday at lunch. We hauled those apples over 5,000 miles!

 

 

We arrived at our hotel in Fort Smith, Arkansas, tired and hungry. One of my goals on this trip was to not eat in chain restaurants but Denny’s was nearby and an Original Grand Slam sounded good. I was too tired to work at chewing!

 

 

When I made our travel plans, I scheduled in a rest day, every third day, so we spent two night in Fort Smith. My hope was to explore the nearby Adirondack mountains but hubby was exhausted and needed a rest. When we were going up to our room the first night we spoke with an older couple in the elevator. They were from Jacksonville, Florida and fleeing Hurricane Irma. They appeared dispirited and weary. My heart broke for them.  On our rest day, we visited the local shopping area and saw the couple again. I hope that meant they had decided to end their evacuation.

 

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America’s North Country Trip~Part 6

18 Oct

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

 

 

 

Day 6 (Wednesday)

 

I headed southwest on I-94 this morning. I had been noticing, for the last couple of days as I traveled through the North Dakota and Montana plains country, that the round hay bales were everywhere I looked! They were all over the fields, in huge stacks (40-50’ high & 200-400’ long) and even in the right-of-ways along the Interstate. This was a very unusual site for me, as I was used to the right-of-ways in Florida mostly being swales full of water.

 

 

My first museum visit today was the Range Riders Museum located in Miles City, MT. This was one of the most amazing museums I have ever seen! There were some 20 separate galleries under one huge roof, with 8 additional buildings outside. Every inch of every wall was covered with Indian, Pioneer, Homesteader, Westerner and Rodeo artifacts. I was informed that every single item in this entire museum had been donated by someone over the years, including the large main building.   I couldn’t begin to explain all there is or to try and show you about this museum adequately. Just Google “Range Riders Museum” and click on “Exhibits” to get a slideshow for a better idea of just how much there is to see.

 

 

On down the road a ways I saw a sign advertising the Brinton Museum Store located in Hysham, MT and decided to run up U.S. 10 a couple of miles to check it out. This turned out to be a one-room museum store consisting of a beautifully restored antique soda fountain and some local historical artifacts. The museum was closed but I was able to get a photo thru the front window.

 

 

Next I took a small side-trip, south on SR-47, to visit the Big Horn County Historical Museum located in Hardin, MT near the Crow Agency Trading Post. This museum is another frontier type museum with 24 relocated and restored buildings arranged to represent a 1850s Montana frontier village, with artifacts depicting those of that era in each building.

 

 

Another few miles down the road I visited the Battle of the Little Big Horn Monument, commonly known as the location of Custer’s Last Stand. This monument was packed to overflowing with visitors. At the battlefield there is a monument commemorating the 1876 engagement between the U.S. Army and the combined forces of the Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian tribes. There are headstones positioned on the hill where the 7th Cavalry solders died and were originally buried. There is also a new section set aside as a National Cemetery.

 

 

I was interested to learn that several relatives of General Custer were among those who died with him during this battle. There was Captain Thomas Ward Custer his younger brother, Boston Custer his second brother, 1st Lt. James Calhoun his brother-in-law, and Henry Armstrong Reed his 18-year old nephew. History seems to indicate that most of the Custer relatives (including General Custer) looked upon this trip as an opportunity to experience the west in all its grandeur and beauty. I think they got a lot more than they expected!

 

 

Now I headed northwest on I-90 to visit the Moss Mansion Historic Museum located in Billings, MT. I thought this was going to be a museum I could just walk thru, but no, it was a one-hour guided tour and I didn’t think my knees would be able to handle all those stairs. So I just took a couple photos and went to find the next place on my list.

 

 

That turned out to try to find the Boot Hill Cemetery there in Billings. When researching this trip I had discovered this location was going to be a little difficult to find, but I thought Greta (my Garmin) could handle it. However, now that I was relying on her to get me to the exact location, she was confused and was leading me in circles. I finally found it, using my trusty paper map, and was not impressed. I’ve seen much better Boot Hill cemeteries on other trips.

 

 

I tried to find the Rimrocks there in Billings, but here again Greta was unable to locate a specific address. I thought it was a city or county park, but as it turned out it was an area of high cliffs cut into the mountain side by the Yellowstone River that borders the east side of Billings.   I finally found the right road and enjoyed the natural beauty as I followed the road from the river level to the top of the high plateau.

 

 

By now it was time to head for the motel there in Billings, get checked in and relax while I enjoy my leftover CC’s Ground Beef Steak dinner which included green beans, mashed potatoes & gravy with Apple Crisp for dessert. Yummm!!

—–To Be Continued—–

 

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Hearts Like Wildflowers

17 Oct

A Life to Live

Melody Hendrix

 

 

I hope you are blessed
with a heart like wildflowers.
Strong enough to rise again
after being trampled upon,
tough enough to weather
the worst of the summer storms,
and able to grow and flourish
even in the most broken places.
Nikita Gill

 

 

I am retired and enjoying life. My hobbies are my 5 grandchildren, son and daughter, and my loving husband. I am a photographer and extreme nature lover. I love spending time in my garden or in the wilderness connected to God my Creator.
Melody

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Circuitous Travel~Part 8

15 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

Following breakfast at the B&B, we again took the Tube into London.

Although I don’t have a lot to mention for this day’s events, what we did took quite a bit of time.

We did manage to be at Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard. Unfortunately, we were so far back that we couldn’t see very much, as these pictures will show. But it was enough for us to claim to have seen the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace!

 

 

 

Victory Monument in front of Buckingham Palace

 

I don’t remember how long we stayed there, and how much we saw of it, but it was thrilling for us to be there.

In my memory notes that I wrote at that time, I said that we had lunch at Pizzaland! Perhaps that is a pizza restaurant that is wholly British, as I don’t remember a “pizzaland” in the U.S.

One other event we took in was wandering through the British Museum.

 

Credit Google Search and Wikipedia

 

I suspect our girls weren’t too interested in it, but Fred and I certainly were. While we, neither of us, are terribly interested in paintings, we both thoroughly enjoy sculptures. And the British Museum has quite a few of those for us to admire. Here is one picture of a stained-glass window – I’m not sure just where it was located in the museum, but it looks like the angel Gabriel telling Mary that God had chosen her to bear His Son, the Saviour of the World. Really beautiful.

 

 

When we first went to Heidelberg in 1980, Fred began asking what countries/cities we thought we would like to visit. Our Karen, at that point in time, was fairly interested in Egypt, even thinking of becoming an Egyptologist. We thought, since we were already half-way around the world from the U.S., we might just do that. We never did, unfortunately, but it was a good thought. And Karen never became an Egyptologist, either. All of that to say, that I have one picture we took of the Egyptian room in the British Museum.

 

Credit Google Search

 

 

I had been interested in Greek culture for quite a few years – Fred and I had even made a trip to Greece in 1969 – and so we were rather surprised to find many Greek “artifacts” in the British Museum. We’ve been told that there are more Greek antiquities in the British Museum than in Athens! Much to the Greeks chagrin! This one is a “Winged Victory Temple” and rather beautiful.

 

 

 

While I’m sure we saw many more things in the British Museum, unfortunately, these are the only pictures we took there.

Following that lengthy wandering around the museum, we headed back to the B&B to do some mundane thing like washing clothes! After all, we had already been on the road for over one week, and we were just about out of something clean to wear! So we found a laundromat and did that chore. But it was nice to have clean clothes.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

 

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