Mary and Martha

AAARGH!!! People! Why do so many of you seem to be jumping on the bandwagon and adding the little gadget on your side bars that automatically starts playing your favorite song(s) whenever the hapless reader scrolls by???? PLEASE! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL WHO READ THESE BLOGS, TURN THEM OFF!!!!!! It is annoying and distracting to have the same song play every single time we open your page, especially if it doesn't happen to be the reader's favorite style of music. I ask this only to help you, because I love you: TURN THEM OFF, PLEASE!!

I told my mom today about my decision to (most likely) convert to Orthodoxy. She didn't freak out, thankfully. She said that she understands it's my decision and wasn't going to try to stop me; she just wanted to make sure that I still believed in Christ's sacrifice on the cross and accepted Him as my savior. She did ask, though, why I don't simply convert to Catholicism, since that would send my extended family into paroxysms of joy (all of my extended family, on both sides, are Catholic and my mom was raised as such) and I said there are just too many doctrines in Catholicism with which I can't agree. Granted, there are many things in Catholicism that I now see the truth of - just from an Orthodox perspective. She doesn't know much about Orthodoxy (hence the Catholicism question), but, then again, neither did I until a few months ago. This will be an excellent opportunity to share with her some of the things I've learned. =) I hope I haven't offend...

I want to know that I'm doing this for the right reasons. Am I pursuing Orthodoxy because it is exotic and unfamiliar? Will my interest cease once it has become routine? I find that, after much struggle, I am able to accept and embrace many of the Orthodox teachings that differ from protestant ones, such as the Eucharist and saints (I feel a particular connection with St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine). I don't want to embark on this journey alone. I want EJ to want it, too. I want to discover Christ's church with him. My decision will create yet more waves. There is so much drama in my family right now and it's mostly because of me. I'm tired of trying to explain everything I believe and do to a group of people who won't accept it (there's more to this than just the headcovering issue I've mentioned in the past.) Right now I'm emotionally drained and spiritually whirling. I need Christ's power to settle over everything.