Christmas at Creation Museum, 2014

Late this afternoon my friend Jim McGruder, his wife Esther and I visited the Creation Museum at Petersburg, Kentucky to see the Garden of Lights, view Christmas town and attend Christmas with Ken Ham and Buddy Davis in the Legacy Hall. We also enjoyed a Turkey Dinner in Noah Cafe. You have to understand that I love the Creation Museum and all that it represents. The hour long presentation of Ken and Buddy was entertaining and inspirational. Ken and Buddy traded jabs at each other in a fun manner. Ken being from Australia and Buddy from "Hen Peck, Ohio" served as the basis of a lot of funny jokes. Buddy performed a number of his song as he played his guitar, mandolin and Appalachian Dulcimer with Ken joining him on the piano and one time playing the drum after some comical coaching by Buddy. The set was the interior of a log cabin represented as Buddy's home.They often encouraged the audience to join in clap and sign along with them creating a most joyous time. The legacy hall was packed with several hundred people. Some of the songs Buddy sang were Holly, Jolly, Christmas, Little Drummer Boy, The Hands That Created The World, Go Tell it on The Mountain and others. Of course Ken often would break in with key comparison between the biblical view and the secular view of creation and always presenting the true story of the Christmas Story and the plan of salvation always encouraging people to accept Christ as their savior.

 Ken Ham Creator and CEO of the Creation Museum

Ken and Buddy Davis. Buddy is an accomplished musician, song writer and entertainer. He plays 8 instruments and has done many of the displays in the museum. He has been working with Ken for 

20 years. Here Ken is talking to Buddy about one of his many CD. Incidentally they were selling a Buddy Bear with a couple of his Cd's which I bought. I just could not resist the temptation to put the Buddy Bear beside my Santa Guard Bear on my bed. They make a good paid and do a good job.

These were some bushes in the edge of the parking lot I just could not resist taking a photograph

Next we went to Noah's Cafe where we had the Turkey dinner which they were featuring as a special at $6.99. The plate included slices of turkey, mashed potatoes topped with gravy, green beans and a dinner roll and your choice of a drink. It was a delicious meal which fueled me for the hour or so worth of walking through the lighted gardens. The temperature was mild for this time of year but if you were not wrapped in pretty warm cloths it got chilly pretty quick. The lights were spectacular and the only thing that would have made them more beautiful would have been if we had some snow on the ground and the trees. But you can't have everything right? Now lets look at some Christmas lights.

 Jim and Esther McGruder

Grandpa Bill

 View from patio of Museum

 The beauty is doubled by the reflection in the lake

 Green Dinosaur in distance

 The tower in the background is one of the many Zip Lines. They were busy tonight.

 Green Dinosaur in distance

 Green Dinosaur in distance

 Zip Line towers on the left is the landing place for the zip line that goes over the lake

 Back side of the Creation Museum

 Green Dinosaur

 Green Dinosaur

Actor proclaiming the coming of Christ

 Actor proclaiming the coming of Christ

 People waiting to buy popcorn, hot chocolate and other goodies. The hot chocolate was delicious. Nearby was a long line for the camel ride.

 Water feature reflecting the lights

 Green Dinosaur

 Reflection of the museum and lights in the lake. The tallest structure is a zip line tower that sends you over the lake. This one is set up with parallel lines for racing.

 Waterfall

 Green Dinosaur

 All along the trail by the lake in the distance are coin operated machines from which you can buy a hand full of food to feed the large Japanese Koi fish in the lake. They hang around these areas
because they know they can get food.

 These are wire frame balls about 3 - 4 feet in diameter

 Green Dinosaur

 Live Nativity scene. No room in the inn. This was portrayed as a typical Inn

Portrayal of Mary and Joseph with Baby Jesus in the inn

 Live Nativity Scene

 Sheep. Notice the rock trough filled with straw for Baby Jesus to the left of Mary

 Donkey and cow

Christmas Town

 The second chapter of Luke describes the events leading to the birth of Jesus Christ. It happened that Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire world. This meant the parts of the world controlled by the Romans.This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone was required to go to their home town to register so Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem the town of David because he was of the lineage of David. Mary was expecting her first child, Jesus. While they were there the time came for her to give birth to the child. She wrapped him in swaddling cloths and placed him is a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

We have all read and heard this story of the birth of Christ and the different translations and interpretations of the bible as well as traditional story of the birth of Christ often kind of get the story all muddled up.  It would appear that Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem a few days before the birth. We have understood that the "INN" referred to a larger building  like a motel and that they were turned away because there was no room for them so they went to a stable where Christ was born. Recent archaeological finds and the Greek language tend to show that in inns at that time were more like the one pictured above. The owner and his family occupied the upstairs and the animals on the ground floor and that area would be the area occupied by Mary and Joseph. The reference was made to Baby Jesus being placed in a manger which was an animal feeding trough . These were typically troughs carved out of rock and the animal feed placed in them. While there is a lot of different interpretations of exactly what the accommodation were the indisputable fact is that Jesus Christ was born to Many in Bethlehem as prophesied to be the savior of mankind.

This was a most enjoyable evening and I was pleased to meet Esther, Jim's wife. Plan a trip to this area and visit the Creation Museum at any time or see the lights at Christmas time. Look forward to 2016 when the life size Noah's Ark area will open. I can't wait. 

Grandpa Bill