Tag: children

Passages: Biblical Museum Vacation Review

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While on our vacation adventures we took time to go to the Passages Biblical Museum, which is on tour in Colorado Springs, Colorado temporarily. After touring the country the display will finally make its home in Washington D.C. only a few blocks from all the other tourist attractions surrounding the White House.

We wanted to share with you our experiences at the museum and encourage you, that if you have the time, or are in the area to visit!

We highly recommend Passages to everyone!

Biblical history is awesome by itself, but the museum really brought to light how God has perfectly preserved His Word for generations and how you can easily teach your children the blessings of God’s truth!

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

We bought our tickets online at the Passages website and paid the extra for the headphones and listening devices, which was worth the money! It cost our family of 6 (2 adults, 3 children, and 1 free baby) $44 to attend. That may be a lot of money to some, but I assure you that it is well worth the investment.

What made it fun for the kids?

  • Head Sets. On the head sets that the kids received (for free) they were able to go on a scavenger hunt with Louie the Lion. They searched for marked paw prints in the exhibit areas and found codes in which they could punch into their device and it would play Louie telling a joke and then giving them a clue to the item to find in the room. Once the scavenger hunt was filled out then it could be turned into the front desk for a prize. Our 7-year-old got the most out of the scavenger hunt, our 6-year-old liked listening to him, but the scavenger hunt was a bit over their heads. I think this is geared toward older children.
  • Animatronics! There was Louie the Lion and about 4 other animated people throughout the displays that spoke and told their stories of how they related to Biblical history. *Note: One was of a man tied to the stake with fire underneath him that was dying as a martyr. We skipped that one.
  • Children’s activities are spread throughout the displays.This helps keep them occupied with an activity while you can venture a few feet away and read the information on the displays. Our children tried their hand at writing Latin words on a piece of paper by copying it with ink and a feather, then they were able to use stamps to make words and transfer pictures onto paper. In another area they could pick up an activity and try to find the errors in the Biblical text. (When men began to copy the Bible on the printing press often times there were human errors made by accident.)
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  • They can experience live demonstrations and see realistic videos that explain the life and times through the centuries that are relevant to how the Bible came to be how it is today. Our children (and even my husband, as you can see) enjoyed watching a man demonstrate how the Gutenberg Press worked. The video that stands out to me was of Martin Luther making a stand to colleagues about how he can no longer stand with the Catholic Church. The Battle Hymn of the Republic room had holographic people who amazed the kids also. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
  • The Wilde World of the Bible Children’s Play Area. Our kids went in and played games, cut out puppets, dressed up as Bible characters, looked at books, colored on a digital coloring screen, played with a puppet stage, and sat for a few minutes to watch a video.

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What made it great for adults that love the Bible?

  • The museum is packed with information, great displays, and you will be amazed at all the things you can learn about God and His Word. The time to tour all the displays is around 3 hours, which may seem like a long time, but you simply can not soak it all in by a quick run through. Your ticket allows you to come in and out through the museum all day long. If you need to leave and go to lunch then you can simply come back and an attendant will escort you back where you left off.
  • The Bibles will amaze you! There were pieces of the Bible that were so old that they could only be lit for 15 seconds every minute because they were so fragile and sensitive to light. There were Bibles of every type and size as they began from scrolls to printed works. We even saw a Bible that they believed Christopher Columbus brought on his voyage to the Americas. There were Bibles in beautiful displays, some with intricate drawings on the outer pages, Biblical texts that the Nazis had attempted to burn and destroy to insult the Jews in World War II… the Bibles are amazing!
  • The museum is organized. Each display has a number which correlates to information you can read about the items in the display case. Most cases contain a special number you can type into your listening device and will tell you more about the objects inside. For me, being able to listen to the person tell me about the display was easier than reading it because I could still walk around with our children without having to stay directly in front of the case.
  • There are plenty of places to sit and rest.
  • You can learn more about the Jewish culture. It’s one thing to read about it in the Bible, it’s another thing to see how important God’s Word was to the Jews and the elaborate coverings they made to honor God and the importance of every dot and tittle in the copying of God’s Word by hand. This museum takes what many of us imagine and brings it into the light of reality so it can now become an experience we can use for future reference and in our relationship with God.
    OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA*For Your Information: The museum does include the Catholic, German, and other histories of Biblical translation, which were not made from the Textus Receptus, including Jerome’s history , where we wrote Latin with pen and feather and saw him in the cave (above with Flat Stanley). As you go through the passages of time in the museum it all begins to point to the translation of the King James Version of the Bible, which put God’s Word into the English language, which our family believes to be the entire and complete translation of the Word of God.

Tips for attending Passages with Children

  • Plan your day. It takes a long time to go through the museum. If you need to plan to go in the morning and go out for lunch and a little play time before returning, then do! It is a quieter atmosphere than what some kids may be used to, but there are plenty of things that can keep them busy along the way.
  • Take photos in approved areas. No photos are allowed in certain areas of the museum. We were able to take a photo at the Gutenberg Press and with some of the animatronics because they were not artifacts. You can take your photos in the Wilde World Kids area.
  • Sit on a bench and let them play quietly. If you buy the headsets (headsets for children are free) then push the number of the display you like, then sit and listen. This can free up space around displays. You can give them a toy or book to look at while you learn.
  • Take time to watch the videos and sit when you can.
  • Help your kids with the scavenger hunt if they need help. It may keep you from looking at a few of the displays but it will encourage them to learn more about Bible History. This entire museum is a tremendous teaching tool. *Note: Your headset can also pick up the clues from Louie the Lion along the way, punch in the number and he’ll speak to you too.
  • Choose the displays you want your children to see.  Look at your museum directory and skip the unnecessary for their age group. If possible, take turns with your spouse in taking care of the kids if you are interested in something specific.
  • Remember what it’s like to be a kid. Show them the things you think are exciting. Read some of the information you find valuable with an enthusiastic voice. Take them to the play room for a break if they become restless and return to your tour when they get the wiggles and giggles out. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

When we build our life and ministries around the Bible, then we need to use tools like the Passages Bible Museum to reinforce what we have taught to our children. How often through teaching and preaching we want to convey the message of God so they can make it come alive in their minds and understand it in their hearts.

This experience helped us in many ways to make the Bible come alive!

We may never be able to travel to Washington, D.C. to see Passages when it makes its home there, but we were able to see it when it was on our vacation route.

If you have the opportunity then go, it is “an experience of Biblical proportions!”

How to Help the Fatherless Child on Father’s Day

How to Help the Fatherless

How many fatherless children do you know? Fatherless children come from married homes, unmarried homes, single homes, they’re orphans, and almost anything in between. Men can father children easier than they can truly be a father. It’s a part of our society and a problem in our society that the Bible addresses very clearly.

One fatherless child may not have ever met his father. Another fatherless child may have had many bad experiences with their father in the past. And another fatherless child may only see their father when he wants something from them. Yet another fatherless child may live at home with his father every day but not have the love and attention he needs or deserves because of his father’s preoccupation with other matters in his life. The scenarios are limitless.

A child living without their father is greater than those that live without their mother. Gasp! I am sure that some of you may not agree with statement. The Bible does not address a child being without a mother as much as he does children being fatherless. There is something about the male leadership and spiritual role that is needed in a person’s life. When the father is not there to be the authority, protector, and provider, God steps in and gives Biblical instructions for God’s people to help them and plead their cause. (See Exodus 22:22-24, Deuteronomy 10:17-18, 24:17,18, Proverbs 23:10,11)

Fatherless children tend to have heartache and problems on Father’s Day. Their hearts hurt and yearn for a father that will love them and care for them and listen to them. Here are some ideas, as many of you will see fatherless children on Father’s Day in your churches, on how you can give them encouragement.

  1. Recognize the void. Look for those that are fatherless in your church. They will be of all ages, some people never outgrow the void that growing up fatherless gave them. Their void is having love, spiritual guidance, and physical needs met.
  2. Acknowledge their struggle.   If there is not a physical struggle in the child’s life then there is probably a spiritual struggle. They ask themselves questions about who their father is, why he does the things he does, why God does not see their hurt and address their needs quickly, and if they are worthy of being loved. You do not have to say anything specifically to them about this struggle, but acknowledge that it is there in your heart. This is a genuine and Biblical void.
  3. Point them to the Heavenly Father. One idea is to ask them if they are doing alright on Father’s Day. Then lovingly remind them that God is a Father to all of those that need one. Give them a scripture or two in a note or on a notecard so they can take that reminder with them. They may even keep it in a special place and look at it now and then. Sunday School teachers can take special time in their class to remind children of the Heavenly Father’s unconditional love and care for them even if they are not able to talk to each child one on one.
  4. Pray with them if possible and pray for them as often as you think of them.
    If God allows you the opportunity, without making a spectacle out of the person or situation, ask them if you can pray with them. Then simply pray for their needs and thank God for being the best Heavenly Father a person could ever ask for. Be wise though, remember not to isolate yourself with a child or teenager in a room alone. Men should pray with boys and ladies with girls unless it is a husband or wife together, to prevent any type of false accusations.
  5. Provide any physical need they may have.  Ask God to help you see the need of fatherless child in your church. If you see they need shoes then bring them a pair of shoes or a gift card so they can go buy a pair. Then let them know that God cares for them. Doing this will help them be reminded that God does care even though their earthly father may not. The church does not carry the responsibility to provide for those in need, He encourages us not to shut up our bowels of compassion for the needs of others.

I John 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

That verse is very powerful in motivating Christians to help others in need. Helping a fatherless child is no exception.

Another thought, if you are a Sunday School teacher and you know a child does not have a father or a regular father in his life then be mindful when you are having your class make crafts. You could make your craft point to the Heavenly Father or give them an alternative to make their gift for a grandpa, uncle, or other father figure in their life. Sometimes these types of activities will isolate the child and make them feel sad. Instead of allowing someone to leave church feeling discouraged, make it a positive experience where they felt loved by you and their Heavenly Father.

We have the wonderful responsibility of being able to point people to Jesus Christ and Father’s Day is just one of the opportunities we can have in showing fatherless children about a Heavenly Father. May you stand in the gap and be an encouragement to the fatherless around you! Happy Father’s Day to you all!

Birthday Boy

My second son, who I like to call Dos on the blog, turns 6 years old today!

He is a blessing all wrapped up in a great big smile! He is one of the smilingest kids you will ever meet. He has a tender heart and way about him that will melt your heart.

God has created him with an awesome ability to put things together and take things apart. He may be a future mechanic! He also is very artistic and can draw amazing pictures. He has just finished Kindergarten.

Birthday Collage

With my oldest son I guess in some ways I expect him to grow up but then I look at Dos and think, where has the time gone? Our sons are 18 months apart and my oldest wrote him a birthday card that told him that he was his best friend. I know life changes but I really cherish these times where they are close friends. I hope they always stay close.

Dos loves giraffes and was able to have a special birthday cake, well, interesting should really be the way to describe it. My homemade icing really did not want to participate with being spread on the cake, but he was happy, so that’s all that matters!

I know God has special plans for him, like all of our children. I just hope I am the mother he needs to help him get to where God wants him to be. I do not want to stand in the way or discourage him. I hope he follows God when the road is tough and the future seems dark.  I know his smile will encourage many people in his life.

I love you dear boy! Thank you for being a little sweetheart!