DISCOVERING YOUR OWN FAITH THROUGH THE BIBLE
Foundation
Most of our basis for our faith stems from our childhood and upbringing. I grew up Catholic, we attended church on occasion when I was very young but were by no means devoted Catholics. I started in public school up until 3rd grade when my mother placed me in a catholic school but this did not contribute much to my foundation. To a kid, it was just simply a school where we all wore uniforms and recited formal prayer in the morning.
Where I consider my faith foundation really comes from my parents reading my children’s picture Bible I had as a child. This is an early introduction to the main characters and stories in the Bible and this is the best way for kids to learn about God. As a child, I looked forward to hearing the stories before bed and now I carry this tradition on with my daughters.
Religion vs Relationship
I was baptized as a baby and later received my communion, in traditional Catholic fashion, but I never followed through with my confirmation. I’ll be honest, I viewed some of the formal religion as more doctrinal based and I feel in many dominations, this doctrine prevents us from intimacy with God.
I always believed in God but it wasn’t until high school that I began to get confused. I remember sitting in theology class and the teacher trying to scientifically explain the Holy Trinity. They made things worse and too complicated for a teenager to grasp or care about. As I placed God on the back burner, my life sort of just continued with him having what I viewed as a distance presence(there but not active on a daily basis). It wasn’t until my struggle with health and PTSD related symptoms that like many people, my pain and suffering drew me to seek God.
Why reading the Bible is Important