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ChildoftheCreator
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| Joined: | Tue Jul 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Minnesota USA |
| Posts: | 16 |
| First Name: | Hillary | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Lutheran |
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Posted: Wed Jul 11th, 2007 01:40 am |
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Hello everyone, this is my first post on this site so I thought I'd say a little about myself and where I am in my faith.
I am a little younger than most of you on this site--I'll be a senior in high school next year. To be quite honest, my journey started when I was five years old. My dad got a job overseas and we moved to Japan. My parents sent me to an International school which Catholic and we attended the Catholic Church which was affiliated to the school. It was during this time that I began to realize that there were different denominations that people belonged to--my mother was Catholic and my dad, my brother and I were Lutherans. I had friends that were Baptist. I remember asking my mom why we couldn't go to my friend's church and also why my dad didn't go up to communion. I guess I took it for granted that dads were one religion and moms were another. When we moved back to the USA I entered a private Lutheran school. This school gave me a love for God and His Will.
My dad often went on overseas business trips and my mom would take my brother and I to a Catholic Church on Sundays where my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandma went. I loved to go to that church, and would beg my mom to take me there. It had a richness about it that my Lutheran church did not. I'm not sure what it was, whether it was the family, the liturgy, or the presence of Christ, I don't know.
Going to an ELCA Lutheran church, I had first communion in third grade. The presents that I recieved were not those typical of a Lutheran--among them were a Rosary and a book on how to pray the Rosary. My mom and aunts told me that the Rosary was a very powerful prayer and that the beads were never to be worn as a necklace. That was about all I knew about it.
Undoubtedly, since I went to a Lutheran school, the issue of Catholics eventually came up. People wondered if they were Christian, and said that they worshiped Mary and idols, that it was silly to think that the pope was infallible and other stuff. I had loved Catholic Churches but I began to see how erroneous they were (or at least I thought that they were.) There was also a comment that my teacher made that really struck me in fifth grade. She said that God had made all the different denominations so that people could choose which one they liked best. At the time I took it for Biblical truth.
In eighth grade I found a book in the basement about the Virgin of Guadalupe and was simply amazed that the Mother of God would appear to a peasant and rather resently, too, compared with the old testament prophets to whom God appeared. It made sense. I'd always wondered why God and His messengers had stopped speaking to people as soon as Jesus came. The thing that convinced me that it was real was the zoomed in picture of the eye with the reflection of Jaun Diego in it, plus the fact that the substance that the "paint" was made out of could not be identified.
I graduated from eighth grade and had to go to a public school the next year. I prayed to God that I might not lose my faith and that I would go to heaven. The following year, courtesy of the basemen library, I happened across a book about Medjugorje. Since it was written by a Lutheran, I could identify with the author. I found that Rosary my aunt had given me six years earlier and began to pray it, although it seemed rather uncomfortable since for me prayer was like worshiping. The thing was I always knew that the Rosary was a really good prayer so I just prayed and felt that I just didn't understand it now but I would later on.
After learning about Medjugorje, I went on the internet and found whatever other material I could on other apparitions. All these websites eventually led me to Catholic apologetics. At this point in time I was feeling very split. I believed in sola scriptura, but my beliefs were falling down around me. I felt so lost. After all, if all of the denominations based their interpretations on the Bible, how could I just assume that Lutheranism was the correct religion, or how could I assume any of the other denominations were right. Plus there was this verse that said that not every who called Jesus Lord would go to heaven. Why would that be if we were saved by faith alone? I was looking for authority, something that I realized the Lutheran church could not give me. I became convinced that the Catholic Church was the true church. Then the realization hit me that if I believe in these things then I must become Catholic. I talked to my mom about it. Eventually, when I had worked up enough courage, I told my dad, but he didn't talk to me for a day or two and I haven't brought it up since. I hope that I will be able to go to RCIA this coming fall, which will be easier once I have my own car. The only thing is, I don't know how to tell my dad, brother, friends, or youth group. And that is where I am in my faith journey now.
God Bless,
Hillary
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Credo Catholic
Member
| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 1268 |
| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Jul 11th, 2007 02:08 am |
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| Dear Hillary, I have enjoyed reading your faith story very much. It gives me a good feeling of hope that someone your age is giving this serious thought to God and the Catholic Church. It seems that God is beckoning you to come to Him. I hope you will share more with us and that your journey of faith will be blessed here.
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BettyBoopToo
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Camas/Washougal, Washington USA |
| Posts: | 538 |
| First Name: | Betty | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Fist Baptist/Calvary Babtist/Secular Confusion/ Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Jul 11th, 2007 02:28 am |
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Dear Hillary
Welcome to the forum, we are so happy to have you here with us. I have found it very inspiring, as lately I've ran into several young people on the search for truth.
It sounds like you have enjoyed some of the stories of the aparitions of our lady. She is wonderful and can really be of great assistance and help along your journey.
You have a much better start than I, You already know how to pray the Rosary, I hope you continue to visit here with us and join in on our conversations.
We will have our Live Chat tomorrow evening, if you'd like to join us. One room will be open chat and the library will be about confession. You can get all the information on the live chat in the Fellowship area of the forum. You will use your same user name and password as you use for this forum. Hope to see you
God Bless and welcome
Betty
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Patience
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
St. John of the Cross
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5079 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Wed Jul 11th, 2007 02:14 pm |
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ChildoftheCreator wrote: I am a little younger than most of you on this site--I'll be a senior in high school next year.
Unfortunately for me, you could be my granddaughter!
Welcome to the Coming Home Network and to the Catholic faith. We're excited to have you here with us, and for the opportunity to share our faith with you. We promise to be gentle and to treat you like a "grown-up" at least most of the time (we don't always act very grown up ourselves!).
There are a few near to your age who drop by from time to time, so you'll be meeting them as well. Please let us know if we can help you in any way on your faith journey.
Welcome again to CHN, and we look forward to your active participation.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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susiedear
Member
| Joined: | Thu Oct 12th, 2006 |
| Location: | Twin Cities, Minnesota USA |
| Posts: | 186 |
| First Name: | Elizabeth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Pentecostal / Evangelical / Catholic! |
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Posted: Wed Jul 11th, 2007 04:22 pm |
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Dear Hillary, I'm impressed with your determination and strength. I was received into the Catholic Church on my 48th birthday, so while you couldn't be my granddaughter, you could easily be my daughter! I'm especially impressed that you have begun to discern truth from fiction. As a high school English teacher, I have regular contact with students your age whose thinking skills are lacking; such is obviously not the case with you.
As others have said, I look forward to your active participation on this forum. Welcome home!
Elizabeth
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But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. St. Augustine
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ChildoftheCreator
Member
| Joined: | Tue Jul 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Minnesota USA |
| Posts: | 16 |
| First Name: | Hillary | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Lutheran |
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Posted: Fri Jul 13th, 2007 02:16 am |
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Thank you for replying and also for the welcome. I am so glad that I found this forum—it seems like I am alone right now in my faith walk and it’s wonderful to hear so many inspiring stories on here from people who are having similar struggles. I am so grateful that God never gives up on us no matter how blind we may be at the time and keeps on nudging us in the right direction, toward the truth.
Credo Catholic wrote: It gives me a good feeling of hope that someone your age is giving this serious thought to God and the Catholic Church.
Well, I'm glad that I can give you hope for us teenagers. It does seem like a lot of us only think about gossip and boys, but we'll grow out of it, hopefully, lol. Please just pray that others' hearts might seek the truth and stop thinking that truth is merely relative.
BettyBoopToo wrote: She is wonderful and can really be of great assistance and help along your journey.
She definately is. I know that she has been guiding me toward the Catholic faith and when I pray the Rosary a peace always seems to come over me.
CajunRick wrote: We promise to be gentle and to treat you like a "grown-up" at least most of the time (we don't always act very grown up ourselves!). I'll hold you to that promise, lol. That last part made me giggle.
susiedear wrote: As a high school English teacher, I have regular contact with students your age whose thinking skills are lacking; such is obviously not the case with you. Actually my 10th grade Literature class helped in my conversion. We had to do a lot of literary analysis on novels, short stories, and poems—it was getting to be a little over whelming at times, but oh well—and no matter how clear the main theme seemed to be, there were a variety of thesis statements and interpretations. That got me wondering about the Bible and how I could be sure that Martin Luther had interpreted it correctly. After all I saw a lot about works and how we would be judged after we die, which contradicted the part of my beliefs that said it was faith alone that got one to heaven. To think that everything Martin Luther wrote in his catechism was right is to think that he was infallible (and we have no proof that he was). Plus, the Lutheran church is split into three different synods which all believe different things. I was so glad when I found that the Catholic Church had unity.
Again, thanks for reading this and I will see you all around,
Pax Domini Vobiscum,
Hillary
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Br_Carlo
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tyler, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 150 |
| First Name: | Br_Carlo (Vince Brach) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Presbyterian, Episcopalian, CATHOLIC |
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Posted: Fri Jul 13th, 2007 08:16 am |
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God's peace. Hillary, your posting struck a chord with me! AUTHORITY was the big issue in my conversion from the Episcopal Church, and if I can offer you any advice, it's this: don't lose this perspective when other issues such as Mary, purgatory, indulgences, and so forth seem to loom large. I posted the "goodbye" letter I sent to my conservative friends in the Episcopal Church under the "Things Keeping Me From the Catholic Church" thread in this forum (the second posting there); you might want to look at it, since it has a lot to say about the authority issue.
At the public high school where I teach biology and chemistry in Texas I am also the faculty sponsor for a rosary club. Would you believe, the president-elect for next year is not even a Christian? She is a seeker, but it may just be that the Blessed Virgin Mary's sweet influence will be what brings her into the Church--as it may with you.
All of us here welcome you and will be praying for you. Blessings, ~Br_Carlo~
Last edited on Fri Jul 13th, 2007 08:23 am by Br_Carlo
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5079 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Fri Jul 13th, 2007 09:25 am |
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ChildoftheCreator wrote: CajunRick wrote: We promise to be gentle and to treat you like a "grown-up" at least most of the time (we don't always act very grown up ourselves!). I'll hold you to that promise, lol. That last part made me giggle.
You were at our chat Wednesday night. We have no more secrets, and we certainly can't pretent to take ourselves too seriously! 
But watch out, your free pass ends on Christmas day! 
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Lisa
Member
| Joined: | Tue Jul 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Kennerdell, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 41 |
| First Name: | Lisa | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Lifefime Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Sun Jul 15th, 2007 02:16 am |
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Hi Hillary!
My youngest son is your age! And from my experience with him, questions come much easier than answers! And, about the car - he is hoping to have one too, we shall see - time will tell!
Anyway! Welcome home! And, if I may, one word of advice... Place all your questions, your fears, your thoughts and your smiles in the tender care of Our Lady in the Rosary! I am sure she will know what to do with them - Moms always seem to know!
May God Bless you and keep you throughout your senior year, and in every step of your journey!
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Don't be afraid to try something new! Professionals built the Titanic, and Amateur built the ARK!
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Lisa
Member
| Joined: | Tue Jul 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Kennerdell, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 41 |
| First Name: | Lisa | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Lifefime Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Sun Jul 15th, 2007 02:21 am |
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...Oh, and one more thing! Thank you for your wonderfully inspirational story! You touched me with your words, your dedication and most of all for your desire to seek and to know the truth, no matter what! It is obvious the Holy Spirit is working within you. Trust in Him always!
Thank you!
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Don't be afraid to try something new! Professionals built the Titanic, and Amateur built the ARK!
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