Come to A House Museum

Have you visited the Billy Graham House Museum? The site is officially called The Billy Graham Library, and there is a library, but it is much, much more than that. Even those not overly fond of Mr. Graham will find the trip to the house and grounds in Charlotte, North Carolina well worth it.  I was there last summer with my husband, two daughters and some friends who had just moved to the area.

A visit will include a tour of the modest home Mr. Graham grew up in, replete with original furnishings and wallpaper, right down to several thousand bricks--which is remarkable considering that the house has been transplanted to this site from miles away, where Mr. Graham grew up. (How they do that, I'll never fathom!)

Even before entering the home, visitors are greeted outdoors with lovely hymns, as if an angel choir is hovering about somewhere. It turns out that the music is wafting out of fairly hidden speakers, and these are scattered about the walking paths so that one is never too far away from the peaceful, happy sounds.   On a beautiful day, you might think you're on heavenly grounds!

As you enter the house, it is immediately apparent that Mrs. Graham (not Ruth Bell Graham, the wife of the famous evangelist, but Billy's mother) had an eye for tasteful decor. I couldn't help snapping photos as we moved along.

Victorian Lady. (from the Billy Graham Homestead)

Dining Room (Billy Graham Homestead)

It may not be overtly apparent in the photos, but upon entering the house you can't miss an abundance of creamy light-blue, present in the painted walls, the drapery and upholstery and in other accessories. It was Mrs. Graham's favorite color. (I like a lady who knows how to please herself in her decorating style--especially when it is so esthetically successful.) ;) 

We were only given access to the first floor rooms, and even some of them were tantalizingly roped off so that you couldn't see the whole room. (Must be what makes me an avid researcher for my novels--a really well developed sense of curiosity!) Those we could view, however, were lovely. The kitchen was small and definitely low-tech. Not a granite countertop in sight, but it had the winsome charm of days past, which is what I enjoyed throughout the home.

Right Wall in Dining Room (Billy Graham Homestead)

More Victorian vignettes. (Not a great picture, unfortunately!)

Georgian Vignette. I could not get this photo without the reflection, much as I tried. 

  Once you complete the short tour of the homestead, you follow the path, still enjoying the hymns along the way, to the Barn. This is where the real tour begins, with state-of-the-art animatronics in the huge "reception" room and bookstore, where it all starts. There is no charge for any of this, by the way. Admission is free, which is a delightful surprise, considering the cost of even small museums, today.

Once you listen to an animatronic cow give you a little amusing introduction, you follow a mostly self-guided tour from room to room. "Self-guided," because no one rushes you, but there is a presentation or short film in most every room, so that, even though no one is moving you along, the tour goes in order of Mr. Graham's life, and you learn, not only about him and where he traveled to preach the Word of God--these things seem almost incidental--but about the various countries he went to. There is political, social, and spiritual information, so you don't feel as though it is all about him. Instead, it is a great testimony of what God does with a willing soul, and even a history lesson for anyone willing to listen, read, and learn.

Exhibits range from written paraphernalia, pictures, films, recorded excerpts, artwork, and a couple rooms full of personal artifacts, letters, and other things of interest. I don't think I spent a boring moment. Then, at the very end of the tour, we went through a wonderful doorway, which (if I remember correctly) is meant to represent the door we all hope to pass through one day--the gateway to heaven. (See below.) It is actually like going through a short tunnel--fun!

Notice the Cross: Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the light. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Afterwards, you can browse the bookstore or get a bite to eat. 

And outside, follow the trails to see a few memorials, including the gravesite of Ruth Bell Graham. [Gotta love that lady. On her stone is an inscription she saw one day near a construction site and immediately wanted for her own memorial: "End of Construction. Thank you for your patience."] Beside her stone is an empty spot for Mr. Graham, but trust me when I say there is nothing macabre or sad about it. (As Paul the Apostle says, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.") 

For more information on the Billy Graham Library, hours of operation, and more, see the website HERE.

Wonderful friends, Javier and Beth Buch, with my youngest daughter. I love combining out of state visits to see friends with trips to museums, homesteads, and the like. Don't you?

MARCH GIVEAWAY WINNER:  Chaplain Debbie! As one of my very faithful blog readers, I couldn't have been more delighted by the pick of the draw. (Winners are always chosen using random.org.)
Debbie wins a three-tin set of English Teas. Congratulations, Deb! Enjoy a good cup of tea before it gets too hot outside! :)

NEW GIVEAWAY: Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment after any post. Please include your email so I can notify you if you win!
This month's giveaway is the hardcover: English Country House Murders and, the British CD "More Tea, Vicar?"

English Country House Murders is an exciting collection of some of the very best writing in the genre by top-notch writers of the past century (and the 19th). You'll find names like P.D. James, Wilkie Collins, G.K.Chesterton, and even P.G.Wodehouse. Dame Agatha Christie  is here, of course, as well.  As the insert of the book says, this is the "first hardcover anthology devoted entirely to mystery, crime, and detective stories set in the specialized and surprisingly dangerous world of the manor."

The dust jacket is a bit dog-eared but otherwise, English Country House Murders is in perfectly eerie-reading shape. 

More Tea, Vicar?-- "Gentle Teatime Classic". "Music on the theme of tea, with a hint of coffee thrown in for those who like their caffeine from beans, not leaves! A light-hearted brew of old favourites and familiar songs for tongue in cheek listening while sipping the glorious nectar which is tea!"
 
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment. Start off by telling us of a lovely house-museum you've visited, or perhaps how you may have been influenced by Billy Graham at some point in your life.

Warmest Blessings,

Linore
Billy Graham Library and Bookstore photos from BillyGrahamLibrary.org. All other photos copyright 2013 of Linore Rose Burkard.     

Why Are Pastors Afraid to Influence Congregations to Vote?

Disclaimer: This is my second political rant in a week. As a Christian, I believe we belong in all areas of the culture, including politics.  As Noah Webster said,

 ...if the citizens neglect their Duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted.

If you dislike political blog rants, please don't read any further! 

I look forward to this election being over so I can go back to sounding like a mild-mannered romance author! If you're feeling intrepid, by all means read on.

A dear friend and I discussed recently how we'd both come across pastors who were afraid--or just plain unwilling--to influence their congregations to vote this election.

I visited a church recently that I miss. We used to attend regularly, but when Sovereign Grace Ministries began a church plant in the area, my husband, a theology geek, moved our family there. It's a great church. Nevertheless, I love this other church. Love the pastor. Love his wife. Love the worship music.

I enjoyed that worship began with a reminder to pray for our nation. I believe it was mentioned again, how important it is to pray for our country. But there wasn't a word about voting, and especially not a word about which way to vote.  

Being an ex-New Yorker (that's my excuse, anyway) and therefore not afraid of speaking my mind (read: I can be blunt), I took a moment to speak with the pastor after the service.

I told him I was glad his church prayed for our nation. But it troubled me that I could have sat through the service, been an Obama supporter, but never got a clue that perhaps my choice wasn't the best, from a VALUES standpoint only.  (This was a Christian church, so we're talking Christian values here.)

He seemed proud of the fact that in more than 30 years of pastoring, he'd never once influenced a congregation how to vote. He said he left it in God's hands to influence people.

That has the sound of piety, doesn't it? Hey, I like this guy and he's as sincere and wonderful a human being as you'll find behind a pulpit. He's really gifted at speaking, too. His messages are tight and to the point.

I just wish he'd THINK THROUGH that answer closely.  


My dear friend had asked her pastor when he would be giving a sermon about voting. His answer? Never. He wasn't going to do it.

His reasoning was that neither candidate is wonderful and both would probably not keep all their promises. But does this justify silence?
(It rather boggles the mind.) 
This is as lame an excuse as the Christian who doesn't vote because they can't wholeheartedly support either candidate, uses.
You can still choose the one who MOST aligns with your values.
You can encourage your congregation, if you have one, to do the same.


There is a choice to be made this November.

Even the candidates themselves recognize the vast difference in their platforms, encouraging Americans to make a choice for the future.  


So what are these grown men afraid of? Legal action? There are limits, from what I understand, to how much they can say, but we're not talking about naming names, here. The issue is that they have a platform where they can encourage people to get out and vote their VALUES. That isn't endorsing a candidate by name (although anyone with a brain knows there's one candidate who is automatically out of the running if we use a values standard. Heck, use just about any standard, and he's out.).

The venerable Billy Graham ran a full-page ad recently in which he encouraged Americans to vote their values. He said it was the first time he was coming out and saying this. He is 94 and felt it was time. (I'd say: ABOUT time!) But even Mr. Graham felt the stakes are just too high this election to remain silent. 


If Billy Graham can do it, why can't our local pastors and ministers do the same?    

What about you? Has your pastor encouraged the congregation to vote their values? Did you, or would you  appreciate it if he did?

Today's "guest post" is from a friend who sent me the following in an email. It's refreshing, though eerie in a way, to hear someone finally calling the kettle black.
Our nation is attempting to hide its sins by euphemisms, but Christians are called to be "truth and light." Read the following short prayer for a little light today.
Also, adopt the burden of praying for this sorry state of our country!

Linore

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbour's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honoured values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'
With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God!'