Ewwww---I don't like Branson!

Rockaway Beach, Missouri

I just posted several pics of the Branson, Missouri area on FaceBook. None were of the "strip" & shows. I have had so many people say they "don't like Branson" because it is so much of a tourist trap. My response to that is that you may not have REALLY visited Branson. There's so much more than the shows and t-shirt shops and mini golf!

IF you are one of those people, I encourage you to visit again. But this time--get out of town. Long before the town was there, there was the Ozarks. This is one of the most beautiful parts of our country. From the views along the ridges to the valleys and hollows to the clear lakes and streams, beauty abounds.

So you go to Branson...what's there to do if you don't just stay "in town?"

*Hiking! Did you know there's some awesome trails--a few that start right in town! You can find trails that wind around out into the woods and down by Lake Tanneycomo, through parks and away from the neon lights of Hwy 76. Check out https://www.branson.com/trails/ for more information.

*Boating! Bring your own or rent a boat or pontoon or kayak. Taneycomo, Table Rock and Bull Shoals offer many amenities for you--and then there's the streams and rivers.

*Ziplining and Alpine Slides! Zip across the forest or a lake. Zoom down the side of a mini-mountain. Either way, you'll enjoy nature.

*"Sunday Drive"--Any day of week! Go for a drive to any of the quaint towns and villages surrounding Branson--each is unique in its own way. Hollister, Reeds Spring, Rockaway Beach. . . any direction you go, you'll have plenty of photo ops!

Don't just stay in town. Book a condo overlooking one of the lakes. There are many rental options (check out VRBO and HomeAway) or directly through the resorts. Many of the condos have swimming pools, private beaches, boat docks, fishing, etc. Your options are many--everything from rustic camping, glamping, condos to luxurious homes.

Whatever you do--if you visit Branson and don't go outside the city limits, you really haven't visited Branson.

Sunrise on Table Rock Lake

Rural Branson Barn

James River--Sycamore Church Road, Branson, MO

Sanctuary

Sometimes it takes a while for something to hit you in the face.  Sometimes you see it, it hits you, and you walk on.  And then it hits you again.

And again.

And again.

Then your head spins.

Sanctuary.

I entered church through the back door and up the stairs.  The door was closed to the sanctuary.  And there was the sign:

"Sanctuary."

I've probably been through that door many times but that day I stopped.   Sanctuary.  A place of safety.  A place of security.  A place to be held in the arms of God.  I took a photo.  That's what I do to remember.

Our nephew contacted us about a church he is helping to plant in the Washington, DC area.   A church in the midst of sojourners from every nation.  A place to learn about God's love for all people.  A sanctuary.

Three weeks later I'm in the nail salon having my nails done.  The most unlikely place to have God speak about sanctuary--but there on the tv, no sound--close captioned, was a show about churches across the country giving sanctuary to those seeking shelter in our country.  Over and and over as I watched, the word appeared again and again.   Sanctuary.  I don't know what show it was--I searched once I was home and couldn't find anything about it.  But it touched my heart.  Sanctuary.  God didn't say we are to close our doors but to open them.  God didn't say we are to worry about the sojourners taking our jobs but to help them.  We are to be sanctuary.

And now the song is playing over and over in my head:

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

It is you, Lord
Who came to save
The heart and soul
Of every man
It is you Lord
Who knows my weakness
Who gives me strength,
With thine own hand.

Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and Holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving I'll be a living
Sanctuary for you

Lead Me on Lord
From temptation
Purify me
From within
Fill my heart with
You holy spirit
Take away all my sin

Lord prepare me to ba sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

I don't know how or where--but prayer is that God will allow me to be a living Sanctuary for Him.