SCRIPTURE GARDEN EXPEDITION!

I recently had the opportunity to visit the (somewhat) new addition to the outdoor campus of College of the Ozarks (www.cofo.edu), in Hollister, Missouri.  The arch in this photo marks the beginning of the sacred space.

 This close up photo of the sign shows that one is entering a "Scripture Garden".

The photo below shows that the sign can also be read by looking at its shadow on the sidewalk.  I would like to think that the metal artist who fashioned the sign, knew this would be a benefit of cutting the letters out of the metal, instead of just painting them on the sign.

I am part of a healthy living program (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) that encourages memorization of the Holy Scriptures, in that we are given the challenge of learning one new Bible verse by memory each week.  This "Be still"verse is always a favorite for young parents to learn, so they can train a fidgety youngster "in the way they should go"!

There is a gazebo on the property, and the view it provides is breath-taking!

 

 

Ever wonder about the definition of the word "faith"?   This Hebrews verse answers that question!

Every garden needs a water feature, and this one has a lovely pond, with a butterfly sculpture within it.

I need lots more Godly wisdom, so I ask God for wisdom very often.  And even though my lack of wisdom sometimes causes me to make mistakes, God does not point out my faults in condemnation!

If a student wants to "get away from it all", to study or meditate, all they have to do is tie up their hammock to one of the numerous trees adjacent to the scripture garden!

This verse is a reminder that I should be pure in heart, not prideful.  

When I was doing photography at the scripture garden, this pretty lady came strolling through.  When I saw that she had on a College of the Ozarks shirt, I asked her what her connection was to the school.  She told me she is a volunteer ambassador for them, perusing the campus to help visitors find what they are looking for, and to answer their questions. She is also happy to take photos for people who want to remember their visit to this amazing campus, but do not want to try to do it by taking a "selfie"!

The dedication plaque at the garden, lets me know the name of the "human" behind the gift of these scriptures carved in stone.  Thank you Helen D. McVey!

I want my bones to be healed, so it is better for me to speak pleasant words, than mean words, according to Proverbs 16:24.

This verse from Proverbs 5:5 references "directing our path", which is what the black fence is doing near the edge of the bluff---directing out path!

 

Directing my path was this decorative black fence, that silently tells visitors, "Do not go past this fence"!

 The body of water one can see behind me is called "Lake Taneycomo".  Although it may sound like an Italian word, it actually comes from abbreviating the words "Taney County Missouri".  (The standard abbreviation for the state of Missouri is "MO".)

How thankful I am for this promise, that no matter what happens, God can turn it around for good, for those who love God, and are called according to his purpose.

This verse from the Psalms tells the reason we memorize scripture:

 

 

Beside the gazebo, is a pleasant seating area, that looks down on farm property managed by the College of the Ozarks. 

The way I remember the digits of the verse below, is by saying "to 911", as in when one calls 911 to get help.

This reference of Jeremiah 33:3 is sometimes called "God's Telephone Number".  I use this admonition so frequently to help me find "lost things", that I finally realized, this could also be a reminder to pray for "lost people", who have not yet made the decision, to accept the salvation provided by Jesus.

Saying the Philippians 4:13 verse out-loud, over and over, has gotten me through some very touch situations, including the time I got stuck in my kayak on the edge of a small waterfall in a Missouri river. God answered my prayers for help, and his Divine Strength, finally enabled me to free myself from the torrents of fast-moving water, that were on either side of my kayak!

The Scripture reference of this Bible verse from the Old Testament book of Numbers, is the one I am using as the visual aid to help me remember one of our First Place 4 Health memory verses for our current session.  Numbers 12:11 says, "And he said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed."  It refers to when Moses' brother is asking to be forgiven for making the golden calf to worship, while Moses was up on the mountain for forty days with Yahweh.

The First Place 4 Health name originated from the verse shown here, of Matthew 6:33. That is because the verse advises what people should seek FIRST!  In the program's beginning, it was simply called "First Place", because its mission was to train people what was the FIRST, and most important, goal for a healthy life. 

The Hebrew word for praise means, "Hands upward toward God", which is what I am doing here---praising God for the beautiful world he has created! Seeing the College of the Ozarks Scripture Garden gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia

SIGHT AND SOUND EXPEDITION!

The Sight and Sound Theater in Branson, Missouri, opened in 2008.The theater is so expansive, that I could not get all of it to fit into my iPhone photo frame!

Most people get to the theater long before the production starts, so they can stroll in the beautifully-decorated lobby, have food from their concession areas, and shop the gift shop:

The Moses production was one of the first performances I ever attended at this theater, and I was able to hear the actor that played Moses, reference this verse, that is one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses: "Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today',  Exodus 14:13".  Although it is no longer showing in Branson, this photo shows the DVD you can purchase in the gift shop theater, or on line.

The gift shop also has a plethora of Queen Esther-related gifts, including a costume for Queen Esther and King Xeres "wannabes".

The costumes, when displayed on mannequins, show they are designed for children.  The photo below also shows there are coloring books designed for children, that reference popular Bible stories. 

The Book of Esther in the bible was originally written on scrolls, and replicas are available in the gift shop.

Megillah definition is also explained in the gift shop.  This blog will not tell "the whole megillah" of Sight and Sound Theaters, but I do want to mention that it had its beginnings over forty years ago, because Glen Eshelman had a passion for photography.  Likewise, this blog started about fifteen years ago, partly because of my passion for photography!

This Queen Esther mug, available in the gift shop, would feel good in your hand, as you sit down with a hot beverage and your Bible, to read (or re-read) the book of Esther.  I found it helpful to review the book of Esther BEFORE the performance, and then again after the performance.  When I read it afterwards, I could better visualize the sentences on the written page.

This Esther 4:14 artistic wall hanging is a reference to this verse:  "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"

A fun photo opportunity for guests, is to have their picture taken with something indicating their presence at the Sight and Sound Theater.  This year, it is a large banner, and I was able to get a photo with it:

On a previous occasion, when I attended the Samson production at Sight and Sound Theater with my grandson, he agreed to pose with the statue of Samson, to make his grandma happy!

There is a permanent statue inside the theater lobby (no matter the subject of the performance), you can use as a photo opportunity, if you have a hankering to be photographed with an angel:

I was trying to get my 10,000 steps in before the production, so I took the stairs (there is also an elevator) to the second floor balcony:

There are banners from previous productions up on the balcony:

The balcony gives you an overall view of lobby:

At the balcony level, you can also see a model of what the stage for the Noah production looked like:

You can also see the ticket box office from upstairs.  At the box office, one can purchase their tickets in person, or pick up a ticket one purchased on line with their credit card.  If you have a group of 15 or more, be sure to inquire about the group price discount.

Be sure to visit the rest room BEFORE the production starts, because the line is very long at intermission!  At intermission, the theater had female staff members inside the women's rest room to direct guests as quickly as possible to one of the dozens of stalls available, as soon as it became available.  But even with their help, the line seemed to go on forever!  However, waiting in line is a great time to visit with like-minded ladies who enjoy seeing the Bible come to life on stage!  (You might even make a new friend!)

About 45 minutes before the actual starting time of the performance,  guests can go inside the theater to their designated seat.  I liked where my seat was located, behind the sound board, with no one in front of me to obstruct the view:

One can request a listening device at no added cost, which I did:

 

While waiting for the performance to begin, a graphic was shown on the curtain, about the Sight and Sound Conservatory.  The purpose of the conservatory is to mentor  the next generation of Christ-centered performing artists through classroom instruction in acting, singing, dancing, and other relevant courses.  The conservatory also provides an opportunity to perform in Sight and Sound Theaters Professional Stage Productions.  Their overall goal is to cultivate a lifestyle of character, commitment, and competence, whether in the secular or Christian realm, of performing arts. 

Although no photography is permitted during the show, photos inside the theater are permitted at intermission:

These colorful lanterns are lowered from the ceiling, above the audience, during one of the scenes depicting nighttime, and they stay visible during the intermission.  I have been at previous productions at Sight and Sound where angels were lowered from the ceiling for a Christmas production, and also a gigantic whale, for the Jonah production.  You do not have to be a dramatic arts professional, to come to the realization that the scenes being portrayed before us, took a VAST amount of skilled and creative work to accomplish---engineers for lighting, sound, and animations; carpenters for set construction, costume designers and seamstresses/tailors; musicians; live animal trainers, concession workers; ushers; parking lot attendants, landscaping workers; box office workers; writers, website managers, etc., etc.!  Yet, at the end of every performance, they give all the glory to God, and have volunteers/staff available for anyone who wants to remain afterwards for prayer or conversation.  Just as these lanterns are providing light, Sight and Sound has the goal of providing light to a world in need of redemption.   

I am hoping these photos and this information will make you want to travel to Branson to see the Queen Esther production.  You can find out everything you need to know by visiting their website at www.sight-sound.com .  For information on other Branson attractions/lodging, check out www.ExploreBranson.com . Being a visitor  in this magnificent facility, and seeing a Bible story portrayed on a magnificent stage, by magnificent performers,  gave me magnificent "MILES OF SMILES"!! Tricia