Mary and Martha

Yay winter! 13" of snow and climbing! =D Yay Christmas Break! Yay EJ coming home tomorrow (today, if we're lucky and the weather doesn't shut down the airports)! *does a happy dance*

EJ just bought us our new car insurance. (o.0) For serious: joint bank accounts, same car insurance, same cell phone plans.... It's like we're married or something...

Coming hard on the heals of my last post, this one will probably seem disjointed, but what I'm about to write actually occurred exactly one week ago. I eloped. That's right, I've covenanted with God and with EJ to be his wife until death takes one or both of us - and I mean it. =)

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.

I'm so lazy. I'm so mean to those I find different. Where is Jesus in me? Why can't I look at someone everyone else considers "a bit off" and see a fellow brother or sister in Christ instead of whatever imperfections they carry with them? How can I seek to go further in my walk with Christ when I can't even like "the odd ones", let alone love them? I'm an odd one myself. I'm one everyone else ignores. So why do I feel I'm justified in conspicuously ignoring others? Jesus, help me to see each person through Your eyes and with Your love. Help me mortify my own flesh so, with it, I can reach out to others with humility and mercy. Beat me down, Lord.