Please pray for me

[Zacharias]

Please pray that everything works out and I will be able to attend an Orthodox Church. :crosseo:

[Eusebios]

My prayers are with you. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v408/greymooncrest/OrthoPrayer.gif. You are in a difficult situation, particularly since you are likely living with your parents and as such are bound to respect their wishes. Prayer is a powerful tool however, and you can be assured that many here will be praying for you.
Could you share your first name, I don't recall seeing it anywhere, so that we may pray for you by it rather than by your screen name?
His unworthy servant,
Eusebios.
:bow:

[Zacharias]

My prayers are with you. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v408/greymooncrest/OrthoPrayer.gif. You are in a difficult situation, particularly since you are likely living with your parents and as such are bound to respect their wishes. Prayer is a powerful tool however, and you can be assured that many here will be praying for you.
Actually my parents are okay though saddened (they're Charismatic) because I might lose the Holy Spirit. My Uncle and his family were Charismatic and good Christians (they treated us nicely). Now that they're Orthodox you can't tell that they're Christians (they treat me and my family poorly). But my parents said that I may become Orthodox. The biggest problem, at the moment, is that the closest parish is 26 miles away and that's a lot of gas to use.

Could you share your first name, I don't recall seeing it anywhere, so that we may pray for you by it rather than by your screen name?

LOL! I've only posted my once, and that's because Marjorie didn't want to refer to me as Freak. :P My name is Brent. :)

[Marjorie]

Although it is funny to be like HEY! FREAK!

Do you drive?

Are you a senior?

In IC XC,
Marjorie

[Zacharias]

"Do you drive?" Yes I do.

"Are you a senior?" I will be this year.

The problem is gas money.

[choirfiend]

My Uncle and his family were Charismatic and good Christians. Now that they're Orthodox you can't tell that they're Christians.

Can you explain what you mean by this? Also, do your aunt and uncle live anywhere near you that they could take you to church with them

[gzt]

If it's only 26 miles away, there might be families in your town that commute. Call the priest, see about carpooling.

[Zacharias]

Can you explain what you mean by this?
My Aunt and cousins treat us VERY poorly and my Uncle doesn't care.

Also, do your aunt and uncle live anywhere near you that they could take you to church with them


They live 917 miles away. :)

[Zacharias]

If it's only 26 miles away, there might be families in your town that commute. Call the priest, see about carpooling.
Thanks for the idea, but I don't think I should ask my parents this. At least not for a while. :)

[gzt]

Understandable. But, when it comes time, it's an option. It's allright to move slowly.

[choirfiend]

My Aunt and cousins treat us VERY poorly and my Uncle doesn't care.

Have you spoken to your relatives about their path to Orthodoxy? I'm sure they have stories and info that could be valuable for you. There's always two sides to any tale.

[MariaRegina]

My Aunt and cousins treat us VERY poorly and my Uncle doesn't care.


They live 917 miles away. :)

It sounds like a typical family squabble. We have the same situation in our family, where my relatives feel that I am not saved because I do not believe in Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura and Sola Christus. They believe that baptism and prayer are works. Go figure.

Have you sent your Uncle a letter explaining that you are interested in Orthodoxy?

Does he even know this? See if one of your cousins would be willing to sponsor you in the Orthodox Church. This might help to mend family relations.

You are allowed two sponsors, so you can also have one sponsor near by who is from your local church, perhaps a person your age or slightly older who is solid in the faith.

If you can, call the local church and speak with the priest. He may have a youth group or even a son your age. It could be that there may be a mission starting in your vicinity.

[RobNJ]

You've got the prayers!!








(SEE. I told you, it wouldn't be long!! ;) )

[Zacharias]

It sounds like a typical family squabble. We have the same situation in our family, where my relatives feel that I am not saved because I do not believe in Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura and Sola Christus. They believe that baptism and prayer are works. Go figure.
Actually the problems have nothing to do with beliefs. Here is one minor example: My 17 year old (Orthodox) cousin was playing with a lighter and burned my 9 year old brother's hand they started laughing at him. He started crying and she said you're fine (her parents didn't even care).


That's some of why parents fear that if I become Orthodox I could cease to live a godly life.

There are tons of other bad problems that I don't want to publicly discuss here. :)

[choirfiend]

That sort of thing has nothing to do with Christianity and certainly nothing to do with Orthodoxy. That's about how people discipline their kids and run their families, which, while certainly tied into a family's beliefs, is definitely not determined by them. Blaming someone's religion for them being less than great people is wrong.

[Zacharias]

That sort of thing has nothing to do with Christianity and certainly nothing to do with Orthodoxy. That's about how people discipline their kids and run their families, which, while certainly tied into a family's beliefs, is definitely not determined by them. Blaming someone's religion for them being less than great people is wrong.
The fact is they were nice untill becoming Orthodox. And it doesn't help that they (my relatives) cheat on their fasts.

[choirfiend]

I'm willing to bet my hat that becoming Orthodox is not what changed. What they, or anyone does for fasting is super private business. Do they cheat when they're visiting? Their own fasting rule is surely individual to them, and they may practice eating whatever they are offered as guests instead of drawing attention to the fact that they are fasting. There are two sides to any story. How long ago did they become Orthodox? It must be a fascinating story.

[MariaRegina]

Ask your cousins if their church sponsors a Bible bowl?

It might change their life. Seriously. My son was involved in it and the kids study for months preparing for it and in the process learn a lot about their faith. When they come into contact with other teens who are committed to the faith, it makes a big difference.

They have the Bible Bowl divided into two groups: Junior High and Senior High. The students are asked the same questions in a group and there are two winners, one from each group. The students record their answers on a sheet of paper which is handed to the adult chaparone for each team of contestants (a parish can have several teams). The first group to raise their hands gets to answer. Once the answer is recorded, it cannot be changed.

We had teens from Nevada, Arizona and California all meet for the Bible Bowl and it was pan-Orthodox with the OCA, Antiochians, Greeks, Serbians, Romanians, etc.

Positive Peer Pressure

[choirfiend]

And tell your rents to not worry about losing the Holy Spirit. You get sealed with the Holy Spirit at Chrismation.

[Zacharias]

I'd like to stop discussing my relatives. I told all that I did to explain my parents view. I feel that any more would be gossiping. :)

God bless, Freak4JC

[Zacharias]

And tell your rents to not worry about losing the Holy Spirit. You get sealed with the Holy Spirit at Chrismation.

"So the Orthodox Church says." ;)

[choirfiend]

Yupyup. They're a good resource for you, though, so see if you can talk to them about Orthodoxy. What better place to share Christ than in family?

[Zacharias]

What better place to share Christ than in family?
:amen:

[Kolya]

Brent,
I'm praying for you. 26 miles is a lot of gas.:) I have to sponsor my son to come visit and he's 40 miles away.
Please don't judge Orthodoxy bt what happened in your family. It has nothing to do with us, and each of us has to answer to God individually one day.
I'm sure an opportunity for you to attend Liturgy will arise soon - just keep your eyes and ears open.
Many years to you.
Kolya

[Zacharias]

Please don't judge Orthodoxy bt what happened in your family. It has nothing to do with us, and each of us has to answer to God individually one day.
I don't, if I did I would be here. ;)

I'm sure an opportunity for you to attend Liturgy will arise soon - just keep your eyes and ears open.
I've actually, over the course of a year, attended the Liturgy about 15 times with my relatives. :)

[MariaRegina]

Do they know that you are interested in becoming Orthodox?

Would having one of your cousins as your sponsor help the situation? Do they feel shunned by your parents?

Remember, you could always have two sponsors. My son had two sponsors, and they were both from a different Orthodox jurisdiction.

[Zacharias]

Do they know that you are interested in becoming Orthodox?

Would having one of your cousins as your sponsor help the situation? Do they feel shunned by your parents?

Remember, you could always have two sponsors. My son had two sponsors, and they were both from a different Orthodox jurisdiction.

I'd rather not discuss my relatives right now. Just pray that everything works out. :)

[Zacharias]

My dad said that he can't promise, but will try to take me to the Orthodox Church this Sunday. Please pray that everything will work out. :clap:

[Monica, child of God]

Excellent!

BTW, you're dismembered again.

Monica

[Zacharias]

BTW, you're dismembered again.
What do you mean? :confused:

[RobNJ]

What do you mean? :confused:

Your cross, sheild & thurible are in the post ABOVE yours!!

[Zacharias]

Your cross, sheild & thurible are in the post ABOVE yours!!
Erwin said that it's a Firefox bug. :P

[Monica, child of God]

Actually, this is what I see:

http://www.geocities.com/abayeap/freak.gif

[Zacharias]

Oh...

I just wrote Erwin about it. :)

[Khaleas]

You look normal to me :D !


Monica, it might be a Mac thing...

[Monica, child of God]

Monica, it might be a Mac thing...


I thought that at first but he looked okay in Safari.
Then he started looking normal in IE.
Now its all screwy in IE again and Safari looks like what Rob described.

M.