questions

this weekend i went to visit shelly in ann arbor! it was so much fun, even though we really just hung out all weekend. we did the usual shopping, because that's just what we do ;) we found a borders' closing sale and had to go in, and we found a beth moore bible study on paul that we both bought. i'm really excited to work through it; i took a class at calvin on paul's letters and really learned a lot. and i've been struggling in my own devotions lately, so i think it'll help to have somebody else going through the same thing at the same time!

i feel like the older i get, the harder it is for me to connect with God. there are so many things cluttering my life that just seem to edge him out. eventually i'll realize it, and i'll get frustrated about that distance, but i never really make dramatic changes. how do you work on your relationship with the Lord? how do you keep that connection strong amidst your busyness?

and is it bad that i think reading the bible can be so boring?

shelly also bought rob bell's new book, love wins. i've heard people talking about the controversy over it, and i've heard some say that he takes things out of their biblical context and also that he misuses some of the greek. one of my coworkers mentioned that she didn't see why it was such a big deal; she believes that everyone who believes in "God" will have salvation... whether they see God as being the Christian God, or as Allah or whatever... that was interesting to hear. shelly and i were talking about it, and we were struggling with the idea that people grow up in Christian homes and communities and maintain those beliefs... but what about people around the world who grow up in other religions and traditions? do we receive salvation because of the families and culture that we grew up in? what about others who never get to hear about jesus? even if they believe in a "higher power," are they damned because they don't "know" him?

and then i look at the bible passages talking about people's sins being punished for generations and generations, and i wonder if this is why so many people have never heard the gospel?

i'm not much of a philosopher, nor am i all that knowledgable about the bible and its teachings, but i'd love to talk more about this! maybe my disconnectedness as i'm getting older is a result of my increasing questions. i don't have doubts; i just have lots and lots of things i'm curious about. i hate never having concrete answers. but going back to john 3.16 is a great reminder...

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."