Tour the Ark Encounter - Part 1

Not long ago we had the chance to travel to Kentucky to check out the Ark Encounter. Let me tell you, there is nothing like pulling up and seeing the massive size of the Ark! Even with Noah's Ark being such a familiar story for most of us you can't really grasp the enormity of what that would have looked like until you see it built to scale. It was amazing to see in person how the ark would have looked and how it could have operated. Because of how many pictures I have to share I'm breaking this up into two posts, and even then there is so much more to see! Ready for a look?

 For perspective, that red dot on the other side of the lake is a person. That ramp is built for vehicles to drive on.

 There were gift shops, coffee stands, and music stages outside. Most of these were closed during our visit in early April (We went during Matzah Week).

 Standing beneath the ark and looking up.

 Cages for smaller animals and containers for water.

 What it could have looked like to store the amount of grains needed to feed the animals.

 While Scripture provides many specifics about the construction of the ark, we are left to wonder at how the inside might have looked with practicalities like animal cages, food storage, living quarters for Noah's family, objects they might have brought along, and so on. They emphasized that what you see is their interpretation of what that could have looked like and how things might have worked.

 In the 600th year of Noah's life all the fountains of the great deep burst forth and the floodgates of Heaven opened. -Genesis 7:11

 One theory was the family could have propagated moths to feed the amphibians and reptiles.

Standing in the center of the ark and looking upwards.

 There were likely many animals on the Ark that are extinct today.

 The animals looked so real and many of the cages made noises while you went past. It was convincing!

 Everywhere you turned there was information - we learned a lot.

Water jugs for the people and animals.

 The Ark wasn't as big as the Titanic but it was longer that the Statue of Liberty is high!

 A glimpse of what the world might have looked like pre-flood and explanations of why YHWH brought judgment on it.

 There were many miniatures depicting the wickedness of the world before the flood, like in this gladiator like scene.

The giants/Nephilim of Scripture was briefly touched on as well.

Recently a celebrity musician dressed up to look like this goddess.

 They answered all the common questions about Noah's story.

 How the smaller animals could have been housed. They shared about ventilation, cleaning, and feeding as well.

 So Noah here is a Sculpture but he moves and talks. There are buttons you can press to ask questions and then he explains.

I never thought about this but they depicted a library on board. 

See more pictures in part two! Have you visited the Ark Encounter? What did you think of it?

Keeping the Law - A Covenant with God

The argument goes like this, "But we can't keep the law perfectly." 

Have you ever heard this? Or thought this yourself? Many times hearing of someone who is attempting to follow Scripture's less popular instructions like not eating certain animals or recognizing that the Sabbath day is actually the seventh day of the week and not the first, calls to mind the words from James 2:10.

"Anyone who guards the Torah, and yet stumbles in one point, he is guilty of breaking it all."

Mostly we've heard this and thought, "Eh, there's no way I could do this 100% perfectly, so why even try?" Or, "I know I'm going to break it in this area so why go out of my way to keep it in another?" And that's been an incredibly unfortunate and incorrect way to view this passage.

Imagine if we carried this same logic to our wedding day, would we admit that we won't be able to love our spouse perfectly so we're not going to bother making an effort?

Despite our best intentions with our marriage there will be slip ups. Frustrations can lead to harsh words. Communication won't always be clear. Requests are easily forgotten. Actions can be hurtful. Frustration is inevitable in marriage and that's okay. I don't expect perfection from my husband and he extends that same kindness to me. It's okay that we aren't perfect spouses. Does that mean we should say, "Well I can't love you perfectly so it doesn't matter if I am faithful to you,"? Of course not! Realizing we are not perfect does not let us off the hook of the basics of how to treat your partner. Is a frustration from an honest mistake from your husband or wife different than he or she intentionally doing something you asked them not to? That's how it is for our Creator as well. Like in a healthy marriage, we should do our best to love and honor YHWH to the best of our ability.

Similarly, a business owner doesn't hire someone for a job expecting a flawless performance every week. But that doesn't mean the employee is off the hook with his work duties either. The employer holds the employee accountable to show up on time, have a good attitude and complete the tasks required of the job. Not being perfect doesn't mean we should neglect what is asked of us.

To go back to the verse from James, the point isn't that there's no point in trying. The point is that no matter how seemingly insignificant the instruction is to us, it matters to the one who gave it to us. Don't give yourself permission to break even the lesser commandments. Yes, slip ups happen sometimes. But as in relationships and job situations we are still expected to do our best. As with the guideline of marriage vows for how to treat our spouse, the commandments are given so that we can know how to live. Like with marriage, it takes effort on our part to have the best relationship possible with the Creator.

Menorah + Blossoms

It's a beautiful time of year and I decided to have some fun with it. I can't resist Spring weather or the smell of the apples blossoms and the lilacs so I set up a lovely little nook for some Bible study. It was a fun change of pace and so refreshing. There's nothing like reading in the sunshine.

DIY Shavuot Cupcake Toppers

Here's a simple way to add some Shavuot festivity to your upcoming feast! You can make these at home in just a few minutes. You probably have everything required. Just some tape, wooden skewers or toothpicks, and the printout of these cupcake toppers is all you need. I intentionally made it something that would print out well on a regular home printer using plain paper. Nothing fancy needed at all.

You will need:
Shavuot cupcake printable
Scissors
Double sided tape
Small wooden skewers or toothpicks

What to do:
First you'll need to cut out the hexagons. This shape makes it easy to cut and get nice edges. You will need two per cupcake topper, so print the appropriate number of sheets. One sheet will get you six toppers.

Flip over one hexagon and place a skewer in approximately the middle. Use double sided tape to secure it and then grab another hexagon. Connect the backside of it with the double sided tape. You may want to experiment with different skewer sizes to come up with a height that you prefer. And voila, you have your topper. Repeat as many times as you'd like and you're finished!

Use these to top cupcakes or dessert. Or use as you would toothpicks for snacks or appetizers at your Shavuot celebration.

Looking for a dessert idea to make? Try these milk and honey recipes for Shavuot!