Ninjaly Awesome
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« on: February 22, 2011, 01:23:44 AM » |
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I've attended DL 3 times, the third one being this past Sunday. There the priest and several lay members talked with me and my wife for two hours after the service and gave us several books to read from the church library (including the "rainbow books"). I've been reading, "Thirsting for God in a Land of Shallow Wells" by Matthew Gallatin. Yesterday after church me and my wife talked and read for a long time. I feel as if many of the major obstacles in my mind have been removed (though I will admit that I still have hang-ups with certain teachings). The book by Matthew Gallatin has especially helped me see the many errors within Protestantism. I have been losing my faith in it for some time, but I definitely have a much clearer view now. I'm not quite ready to ask the priest if I can become a catechumen, but I feel miles closer to it. Also, what's better is that my wife is even more open minded than she once was. When we talk, we keep saying, "If we convert to Orthodoxy, we'll do (fill in the blank)." Even a month ago I would have never considered that we could possibly convert at the same time. God is good.
Pray for me, a sinner.
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饥 渴 慕 义 的 人 有 福 了 ！ 因 为 他 们 必 得 饱 足 。
馬 太 福 音 5:6
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Ortho_cat
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« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2011, 01:30:04 AM » |
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Glory to God! Lord have mercy on your Servant and Handmaiden!
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SolEX01
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« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2011, 01:30:26 AM » |
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Lord have Mercy on your servants.
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PrincessMommy
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OCA
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« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2011, 08:16:47 AM » |
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I've attended DL 3 times, the third one being this past Sunday. There the priest and several lay members talked with me and my wife for two hours after the service and gave us several books to read from the church library (including the "rainbow books"). I've been reading, "Thirsting for God in a Land of Shallow Wells" by Matthew Gallatin. Yesterday after church me and my wife talked and read for a long time. I feel as if many of the major obstacles in my mind have been removed (though I will admit that I still have hang-ups with certain teachings). The book by Matthew Gallatin has especially helped me see the many errors within Protestantism. I have been losing my faith in it for some time, but I definitely have a much clearer view now. I'm not quite ready to ask the priest if I can become a catechumen, but I feel miles closer to it. Also, what's better is that my wife is even more open minded than she once was. When we talk, we keep saying, "If we convert to Orthodoxy, we'll do (fill in the blank)." Even a month ago I would have never considered that we could possibly convert at the same time. God is good.
Pray for me, a sinner.
That's wonderful news. |
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LizaSymonenko
Христос Воскрес!!! Christ is Risen!!!
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« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2011, 10:06:48 AM » |
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 Excellent news. Lord, have mercy!
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Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.
—St. Isaac of Syria
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PeaceSerenity
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« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2011, 10:21:26 AM » |
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Lord have mercy, may He guide your journey!
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Benjamin the Red
Recovering Calvinist
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Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
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« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2011, 11:46:06 AM » |
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Glory to Jesus Christ.
I came out of the PCA myself, and it took me quite a bit of wrestling with myself before I would commit myself, then several more months of trying to convince my then-girlfriend. When we finally split (it was a long time coming, even before I discovered Orthodoxy), I enrolled in the catechumenate.
I don't know really anything about the particulars of your remaining issues, but mine were mostly theological, and I spent A LOT of time in books (about history, theology, etc.) and in front of my whiteboard trying to figure it all out. That definitely did help me, but something that finally made it click in my heart was reading the wisdom of the Fathers (particularly the Saying of the Desert Fathers) regularly attending the daily services and establishing a small, steady prayer rule for the mornings and evenings. It did wonders for my soul and aligned my heart with Orthodoxy.
My stubborn head took a little while longer, but because I struggled to live alongside the Church, I eventually stopped examining Presbyterianism vs. Orthodoxy on equal footing, and started studying on how to disprove my own Protestantism and align my mind with my heart (which had already fallen in love with the Church). If it doesn't sound scholastic...it's because it isn't. It didn't make sense then, and it doesn't now...but it brought to the point of desiring communion with the Orthodox Church. It honestly felt like scales were (metaphorically) falling from my eyes.
My prayers are with you and your wife. Lord, have mercy.
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"Hades is not a place, no, but a state of the soul. It begins here on earth. Just so, paradise begins in the soul of a man here in the earthly life. Here we already have contact with the divine..." -St. John, Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco, Homily On the Sunday of Orthodoxy
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katherineofdixie
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« Reply #7 on: February 22, 2011, 05:10:28 PM » |
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The thing that really opened my eyes was reading Fr. Thomas Hopko who said (paraphrasing) that Truth exists and we can know it.
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"If but ten of us lead a holy life, we shall kindle a fire which shall light up the entire city."
St. John Chrysostom
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quietmorning
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« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2011, 05:21:23 PM » |
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And it only keeps getting better!!
Praise be to God!
Lord have mercy on you both!
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Thankful
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« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2011, 07:01:37 PM » |
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Very nice! Matthew Gallatin's book was very instrumental in pushing us over the edge (to seriously considering Orthodoxy) too. I enjoyed reading your post, and am glad about your wife's heart in it too.
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nrse
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Act justly. Love tenderly. Walk humbly with God.
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« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2011, 10:03:56 PM » |
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same book...same response here as well...
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