Okay first of all this is Jonathan, not Jennifer, I don't do this too much but I had a thought that I shared with Jennifer and she asked (told) me to blog it so because I love her dearly here it is. The other weekend my family and I were at the mall spending all of those great gift cards we got for Christmas. While we were walking through the mall we stopped into Bath and Body Works. While this is not my favorite store in the mall (I am a pretty big fan of the food court) I do enjoy Jennifer shopping there because it adds plenty of interesting scents at home. From the lotion, the candles, the bath additives, and my personal favorite those things that you plug into the wall that produce aroma in your house. We walked in and began to pour through walls and islands of smell. We found the things that we wanted and made our purchases and left. A few days later I began to think about this. The only reason that Bath and Body Works is in business is because people are trying to cover up a smell. Not all smells are bad smells, but people still want a different smell then the one they have. To me that is just like religion. If you were to look at Genesis 3:7 we see the first picture of religion. "And the eyes of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves apron." Adam and Eve realized that there was something that they had to cover up. So they in there own way tried to cover themselves before they met God. They used a temporary means(fig leaves) to cover up a fundamental issue (there sin) that they did not want to deal with directly with there creator. Just like we use a temporary means (The stuff from Bath and Body Works), to cover up a fundamental issue (the smell we don't like). The truth is that we live in world that tells us that belief in something, anything is okay as long as you are sincere. That covering yourself in a religion, denomination, a man made form of worship is good enough to cover up the bad smell that our sin and imperfection permeates in our life. I don't know if that makes sense but I have to end this thought with a quick bit of good news. A true walk with the Savior has nothing to do with Religion. It has to do with dealing directly with the Savior and letting him take that fundamental issue (the stink of our sin) and cleanse the way that only he can, and that is through his precious blood that he freely spilled on Calvary. I know that pretty much just family and friends read these blogs. But I would be remiss if I did not take the time to tell you this. God Loves you all very much. He loved you so much that he realized that your sin will permanently separate you from Him for all eternity. God never intended this to happen, mans sin caused this, so God has given us a way to deal with that sin directly and that was through the shed blood of his Son Jesus Christ. In John 14:6 the bible tell us that "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: and no man cometh unto the Father but by me." What that tells me is that it is not about a religion. Religion may cover the smell but believe me that smell is still there. Jesus will clean that smell and take it permanently away. Don't just be religious. Religious people still stink! I really do hope that you are not confused or you don't think I'm to crazy. This really started off as just a simple thought. I love you all very much!!
