Creation Museum: The Fall, The Curse and The First Murder

Eve giving Adam the fruit. 

 The first blood sacrifice. 

Work became laborious as a result of the fall.  

Cain and Abel

Creation Museum: The 6 Days of Creation

We got to walk back in time back to when God created the world.

 My favorite part of the walk...walking through the tunnel of stars!

6 days of creation video. 

 Garden of Eden 

Creation Museum: Authority of the Scriptures

 I'm in the middle of taking General Bible Introduction and walking through this display solidified everything that I've learned this semester. 

The Prophet Isaiah  

 Moses holding the Ten Commandments

David playing his harp. 

 Peter and John looking in the tomb where Jesus used to lay.

The Apostle Paul  

 Martin Luther nailing his thesis to the door.

 Codex Vaticanus

 Old Testament Scrolls

 Replica of the Gutenburg Press. 

 Sad but true for our world today.

Creation Museum: Fossils and Dinosaurs

Digging up a fossil.  

All of us kids took a selfie with the dinosaur!  

 The face of the ape with different hair and skin color. 

How to accurately sum up...

As I sit here thinking about how to to accurately sum up the year 2016, the first thing that comes to mind is God's patience. Truly though, the theme "God's Patience" has summed up my life since my first surgery on my foot on December 10, 2014.

As many of you know, on December 10, 2014 my doctor placed hardware in my foot to try and fuse the foot because of some pain I had been having. The plan was to be non-weight-bearing for 6 weeks, then go to partial-weight-bearing for 6 weeks and then finally be full-weight-bearing. 

So, *I* had it all planned that *I* would be back on my feet right in time to work at camp and then on the weekends, *I* would look for a job and get one all lined up for after camp. Then *I* would work through my senior year of high school and save money so *I* could pay for college.

But...if you hadn't noticed, there are a lot of "*I*s" in that last paragraph and no mention of doing anything through God's strength. Don't ever do that...I know from experience that that doesn't work and it's painful. 

I'm going to be blatantly honest here. From December 10, 2014 til this last summer, spiritually I was not ok. I was ok on the outside but on the inside, I was a mess. Most of the time I did my devotions and was active in my church because I knew that that was the right thing to do...that's how I was raised. I wasn't doing it because I had a desire to draw closer to God. My mindset was: "Yeah, I'm saved but...I can handle this...I don't need God's constant guidance." Now, if I would have realized what it was going to take to change my mindset, I would have changed my mind right then and there but...it took five surgeries, almost a year's worth of time in a wheelchair/on crutches and many spiritual wake up calls before I realized what I was doing and that I needed to turn back to God. 

I'm so thankful for the patience that God has had with me over the last two years. I don't know where I would be today if it wasn't for His constant care and mercy. Even throughout the time when I wasn't focused on God, He provided the money for my first year of college and through that I have grown and learned so much more of Him. I can't thank God even for being patient with this rebellious lump of clay. 

I pray that through being blatantly honest in this post, that this will encourage some of you and maybe even prevent someone from turning their focus away from God. It is when we go through the darkest times in our lives that we need God the most. Don't do what I did and turn away from God in the midst of trials. Run to Him and see what He is going to do through the trial. 

~ Ruby James 

What did it take for this girl to survive her first semester of college?

About 1,100+ ounces of coffee. 

7 jars of peanutbutter.

Lots of time in God's Word. 

Many care packages from home.

Lots of Bible memorization.

Lots and LOTS of piano playing.

And lots of encouragement and memories with old friends...

...and new friends. 

One more thing that I couldn't have survived college without is my parents and all the encouraging texts and phone calls. 

Here's just a few pictures from my first semester of college. I had a wonderful first semester. It was hard to be away from home but God is stretching me and preparing me for what lies ahead. I can't wait to see what He will teach me during this next semester. :)

~Ruby James

Who Shall Stand...

I just love it when God just drops an awesome truth in my lap! Last night as I was reading Psalm 130 for my devotions, verse 3 popped out at me. It says:

"If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, 

O Lord, who shall stand?" 

This verse hit me like a ton of bricks. Even as a Christian, if Christ kept track of my iniquities (sins) everyday, I would have no hope of having a personal relationship with Him or of spending eternity with Him in Heaven. 

But, because of how awesome God is, He promised us in Psalm 103:12 that 

"As far as the east is from the west, 

so far hath he removed our transgressions

 from us."

If you were to start walking north, eventually you would have to head south again but no matter how long you walk east, you'll never start heading west and vice versa. 

I can't explain how thankful I am for this truth. God knows just when we need to be humbled and awed by Him. 

(Sorry this post is very short but, it's short and sweet. I also apologize for having not posted in forever...I said I was going to post stories and lessons from camp but the two weeks I had between camp and coming to college was crazy busy. Sorry!) 

~ Ruby James