Artificially Sweetened Pudding Vs. Homegrown Meat

My mom has become interested in going to our church. So far she hasn't been able to make it. Mainly because her significant other is resisting. He doesn't want her to go for whatever reason.

This is a huge thing, my mom having a desire to go to church. She has wanted to go to church over the years, but since Mrs. So and So damaged us to very badly for fourteen years, it has been difficult. My mom has tried a couple of other churches but ended up being hurt so she stopped going.

We've been going since June and I have just talked a little about our church and what we've been learning. Most of it has been eye-opening. Some of it has been hard to accept right away and has taken some time and much study of the Bible to come to the same conclusion. A lot of it has been a comfort and confirmation. Then Mom met our Pastor at the memorial service and she felt comfortable around him as a person. He is like a regular guy.

My mom has a few television ministers that she watches and it occurred to me this morning that she's been watching the vanilla ice cream ministers. The ones whose sermons are about being happy and they smile a lot while they minister to you and they never read from the Bible.

I think this has served two purposes for her. To alleviate her guilt over not attending church, and not having to listen to ministers who will only exacerbate her guilt.

But that's the thing about learning to rightly divide the Word of Truth - it's studying the Bible and learning how to figure out what instructions are given to us (the "Gentiles").

It becomes very interesting. No fear, or guilt. No pressure to give money. No railing about hell and damnation. Just studying the Bible and I tell you it is just fascinating to see the all the places in the Bible that correspond to each other. I thought this was fascinating, to see how prophecies were fulfilled. Learning the Pauline teachings makes me want to read the Bible. All my life I pretty much feared and dreaded reading the Bible. Because it was always used as an instrument against me. One of my favorite things to do in life is read and yet the Bible was not on my favorite reading list, because I was taught to read it wrong. When I read the Bible, it was out of guilt and it was difficult to pay attention. My mind would wander.

The other thing is I actually want to go to church. I don't like missing the fellowship with my "family". You see, this dispensational teaching is not embraced by all churches, so some Christians that I speak with have 1) never heard of it, 2) don't believe it, 3) can't begin to look into it.

I do have some feelings cropping up which has to do with people being people. I sometimes feel like "they" don't like me. The other women in the church. Maybe they think I'm too fat. Maybe they don't respect me because dh and I aren't yet married. At least the pastor's wife talks to me and seems to like me. And the older women are nice. I'm also realizing maybe they are just shy. I am also shy. I feel like since they have been going longer (some for years) it is more their duty to approach me. But I decided last week to stop looking at it that way. I decided to renew my commitment to introducing myself and meeting one new person each Sunday.

In watching one of the "happy" ministers this morning, one that my mom likes, it occurred to me that listening to those guys is like having a steady diet of artificially sweetened pudding. Almost no nutritional value. Compare that to eating real organic, delicious homegrown beef. The nutritional value to the soul cannot be compared. I'm learning things I've never heard and it's right there, in the Bible!

For example, how many animals of each kind did Noah take on the ark? Take my poll at the top right side of my blog.

Until next time.