Rob Bell Live

Seeing Rob Bell last night was alot of fun.  It was quite a small venue (couldn't have been more than 500 people there) and we were in the fourth row from the front, so it really felt like a small church service or something.  Except it was pretty different from church.  Haha.  Nathan and I hadn't read his latest book yet, but Nathan bought the coffee table version half an hour before the show started and we managed to read the whole thing!  It's really not a long read. 

After seeing Rob in LA back in 2007, I thought I would feel kind of like we'd been there, done that.  But it was SO different in a small venue, like I mentioned earlier.  He really engages with the audience alot more when there are less than 1000 people there.  Not that 2007 was bad in LA.  He is still an amazing speaker, no matter how many people there are...but there's something about that more personal contact that makes it fun.

Rob Bell spoke on his newest book, Drops Like Stars.  It talks alot about pain and why bad things happen and how those bad things shape us.  A point that stuck out to Nathan and I was how pain can either make us bitter or better.  It really had us looking at whether our struggle with infertility has made us bitter or better.  At points, I/we have certainly been bitter, but overall, I would have to go with better.  Our faith has been refined through this like it would never have been if we'd just gotten pregnant right away.  And while I'd rather already have a babe or two in our home, I AM glad for how God has been working and shaping us and will continue to shape us into who He desires for us to be.

We drove 1 3/4 hours to get to the show and with it only starting at 8pm, it ended up being a late night.  We got out of there (with our signed copies of books and anti-Rob Bell propaganda) just after 10pm, went and picked up our friends' daughter who was being watched by her grandparents and arrived home at 12:30.  Now that wouldn't have been too late a night if we'd been able to get ready for bed right away.  But we hadn't cleaned the student center yet.  We hoped it would only take 10 minutes to quickly tidy up, but we were WRONG.  45 minutes later it was 1:15am and we were done, and TIRED. Poor Nathan had an 8:30 class this morning.  I, on the other hand, enjoyed my freedom and slept until 9:30.  Aah.  When else in life will I be able to do this?

So overall, a good evening was had by all.  Lots of jokes about heresy and how we couldn't be seen coming out of a place like that, lest someone from the seminary saw us. (Rob Bell gets alot of criticism thrown at him...as we were standing outside in line, waiting to get in, we were all handed a "Rob Bell is a heretic" informational postcard with sadly out-of-context quotes from his books...we proceeded to get this postcard signed by Rob Bell himself which made him laugh)

Not much on the menu for today.  Nathan is still in class...I still haven't showered, so I will do that before too long and get ready for the day.  Then who knows...  Hope you all have a wonderful day!