Reading Ruth

I guess the first thing that I should state about the book of Ruth is that I am reading it as an assignment of sorts from my Sunday School class.  That's right I go to church.  I am still in the struggling phase of self doubt when it comes to religion which is what has spawned this blog.  I want to know that God is real.  I want to feel him to be able to sense his power washing down over me.  I hear these stories of people feeling that but I think that a lot of it is wishful thinking, imagination, and a lot of persuasion by others who are in the room (ministers, fellow Congregationalists, and just the overall hype and hysteria that comes from being in a crowd). 
Right now I guess I am doubtful but I try not to show my doubt or voice my thoughts for fear of what others might think.  I have been saved and at the time I profess to be a Christian but I am really trying to study and search and see if in the end this is what I really believe is out there.  I want to know that God exists through and through with no doubt in my heart.

So you see, this journey has been a long time coming.  It is not a journey that I am taking lightly and I am hopeful that by writing it all down it is going to help you on your own journey as well.

First off I guess I will share what I think that Ruth is about.  I know that Ruth was a great woman, one that was willing to follow her beliefs and thoughts and a woman of strong value.  I know when I have heard in Sunday school in the past where it has been suggested that we act more like Ruth I thought that this was something that I would quickly be failing at and was not something that would have me finding much success.  I am honest about my downfalls and being able to follow someone blindly is not something that I have often thought that I was capable of.  In fact I would be honest if I were to say that I am generally more of a leader and less of a follower and I rarely follow anyone regardless of whether or not it is the right thing or something that I should do.  I have a rebellious spirit and am the type of person that if you tell me I have to do something, I am going to fight doing that because I can't be told what to do.

I hope that I learn something from Ruth and that you can see what I learn as I write about what I am reading.

I prefer to read the Bible in the King James version.  I wish that I was able to read it in its original translation but since that is not possible I will choose the oldest version that I can read, believing that this is the closest choice to what it is really saying.