Suprise! Surprise!

The news
   It was a casual Wednesday. I'd finished my studies, and I was at war once again with the tangles in my hair. Then Mommy called my name, so I came. She had a very interesting look on her face. Her smile and laugh portrayed that she had an enigmatic surprise. Perplexed, I asked "What is it?" She just kept laughing instead of replying. My suspense had heightened at this point, but I would never have even begun to speculate what  she was about to inform me of. Our dear friends, the Williams, had invited me to go to Kentucky with them to the Creation Science Museum!

   I'd been hoping to go to the museum ever since I'd heard of it. Upon receiving this announcement, I was thrilled! The decision to take this trip was very spontaneous! The Williams said they'd be arriving to pick  me up in about two hours, so I hastily packed for our five day trip.

Our First Stop
  On our way, we stopped at Mammoth Cave National Park and toured the cave. Of course we did not see all of it considering the fact that it spans hundreds of miles. We toured for two hours and still only saw a small fraction of the cave. Without our guide and without the lights in the cave we would be lost. For a few moments our guide turned off all the lights in the cave so that we could see just how dark it really was inside the cave. There was no light at all! It would be impossible to find your way around in the cave without lights. There were deep  pits and tiny passage ways. In many places crouching was necessary and in some places there were enormous rooms such as the Rotunda. God's word must be our guide and our light in this life. God's splendor was displayed in intricacies of the design of mammoth cave!

Memory Making
   Sleeping arrangements were quite comical. Anna Clair, Sarah Grace, and I all shared a queen sized bed one night. We decided to sleep horizontally on the bed so we'd have more room; our feet, however, hung off. I slept well every night because I was really tired, and we all enjoyed being together.

The Ride
   The car ride was pleasant and I enjoyed it! We watched videos on worldview, apologetics, and history. We had great conversations about politics, history, and religion. I learned a lot from their family just by traveling with them. It was in the car that we ate salt and vinegar flavored crickets, and I watched in disbelief as Anna Clair ate her lollipop with a real scorpion in it. We got lost a few times in Cincinnati, which was an adventure too.  I was glad that I wasn't responsible for getting us to the destination; I was just in for the ride. God should be in control of our lives. He never gets lost, but sometimes he takes our lives on a different course than we'd planned. This can be difficult if we're still trying to "drive"; there can be only one driver though. We just have to trust him and submit to his plans.

An Unexpected Visitor
One evening as we were eating our dinner, a man pulled up a chair and asked us about our modesty. We explained that we are Christians, and as Christians we value modesty, want to glorify God by the way we dress, and don't want to cause others to stumble. The way we dress sends others a message. In the same way that a Muslim  can easily be identified by his or her attire.

Leaving Bread Crumbs
We stayed in several hotels. Before we left, if I had time, I would gather all the towels, and remove the bedding and place it on the bed to make it easier for the maids to clean our room. I also left a tract for them. I wanted it to be obvious that a Christian had stayed. Leaving little acts of kindness is like leaving bread crumbs that lead the way to sharing the gospel.

The Museum
I greatly enjoyed the museum! It was very faith strengthening! There was so much to see and do! It dealt with a lot of the popular oppositions to the Christian faith, and "evidences" for evolution. I could have spent hours just looking at the books and resources in the gift shop! I would highly recommend this museum  to all people of all backgrounds. It simply lays out the evidence for God in creation, and shows why we can depend on God's word.

The Aquarium
We also visited the Newport Aquarium! It was amazing to see God's fingerprint and master craftsmanship in his creation that he made to inhabit the water! The creatures were so vibrant, elegant,  and intricate! I knew also that  I was only seeing a small fraction of his creation, and I was blown away! I enjoyed seeing yet another part of God's creation!

My Overall Thoughts
I was very grateful to the  Williams family for inviting me to join them. At each stop, I was able to observe, explore, and enjoy God's glorious creation, but how much more glorious is the Creator! I have rich memories and my faith was enriched! I know that everything God has planned for me is to conform me to his image. This was one of the more exciting and pleasant things that he used! God does use unpleasant things too. He is working all things together for the good of those who love God. I'm just excited to see what He is going to do next on this journey of becoming more like Christ.