A Special Tribute to a Special Lady

This week has been a week of tears and rejoicing for many staff at Answers in Genesis. Longtime friend of the ministry, Sheila Selby, was called into the presence of her Lord on Monday, January 25, at 2:30 p.m from complications of open heart surgery.

Here is what one of our staff members, Vicki Eggert (who knew Sheila well), sent to me:

Coming to Christ at 45 years of age, Sheila’s spirit was filled with a contagious love and joy for her Lord, the Chief Designer, and His creation. Her greatest delight was to glorify the Lord in the beauty of the gardens whether at home or at the Creation Museum/AiG.

For the past five years, Sheila spent 2–3 weeks each year working selflessly in the ministry gardens with her hands in the dirt, helping Tim Schmitt, director of horticulture, and his team. Anyone who knew Sheila knew that she was not happy unless she was working and her hands were in dirt!

Vicki added:

Her gift for coordinating plants, color, and a vision of the gardens was unparalleled for a layman, and her footprint in the gardens can be seen today as a result of the tens of thousands of plants she personally planted. Each visit to the ministry would bring Sheila excitedly off the plane to exclaim whom the Lord had “planted” next to her on the plane, so she could do some “gardening.”  While her love for the Lord was exemplified by her gift to work with her hands in dirt, her greatest passion was to sow the Word of God in the hearts of friends, loved ones, and strangers.

As an avid Bible student, Sheila loved to teach the Word of God to her ladies groups. She was equipped with a library filled with Answers in Genesis books, magazines, and DVDs. Vicki says:

Starting in Genesis, she meticulously laid the foundation for the authority of God’s Word to each student before continuing through the rest of Scripture. Only eternity will show the fruit of this mighty little warrior for God!

In a conversation with her just prior to her surgery, Sheila excitedly declared, “I feel like a bride getting ready for her wedding.” She laughed with a child-like wonder at the idea of meeting her Lord.

We will miss her joy and love for Christ, but we praise the Lord that her legacy lives on through her contribution to Answers in Genesis and that this child of God has now met her Lord. I also praise the Lord I was able to pray with Sheila over the phone just a couple of days before her surgery.

Here are two photographs of Sheila—taken at one of her very favorite places—the Creation Museum gardens:

Behind the Scenes Special Event

For the first time since the Creation Museum’s opening, we will be hosting a Behind the Scenes event on Friday, February 12.

The evening begins at 6:00 p.m., when I will give a presentation about the history of the “creation” of the Creation Museum; afterwards, you will have the opportunity to walk through the museum where artists and scientists will be on hand to answer questions and give additional insight into the museum’s exhibits. Come see the museum in a whole new light!

The cost for this exciting evening is only $14.95 (additional household members are just $9.95), and you can add on gourmet desserts for $8.95. The registration deadline for dessert tickets is February 5. Space is limited; so, call customer service at (800) 778-3390 today to reserve your spot.

Devotion

There were liers in wait abiding in the chamber

(Judges 16:12) Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.

Sin is so blinding as to make a person think that if he closes his eyes that no one can see him, but even what is done in locked, private rooms can be seen by many.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying, Ken