Not Quite Sure Where To Put This...

[justfran]

Any converts have any advice to offer?

I don't NOT want a Baptism, it's just that it wouldn't feel "real" since i'd have to lie to get there in the first place.
Better off waiting til independence.

Edited July 23, 2004 by justfran

[RemnantRules]

if you go to the main page of the phorum there is a posting for Converts Anonomous section, i think it's the last one.

[justfran]

I quite like [url="http://phorum.phatmass.com/index.php?showtopic=9457&hl=conversion+stories"]Dojo's[/url] story

[Phazzan]

[quote name='justfran' date='Jul 23 2004, 01:58 AM'] Any converts have any advice to offer?

I don't NOT want a Baptism, it's just that it wouldn't feel "real" since i'd have to lie to get there in the first place.
Better off waiting til independence. [/quote]
Just get baptised. I got baptised and I hardly told anyone in my family. I wasn't trying to keep it a secret, I just didn't see any real reason to tell them, since it was between myself and God. They don't go to church or anything like that, so I can't see why they would've cared, or understood for that matter. My decision at the end of the day, not theirs.

The whole point of baptism is to be cleansed of original sin, not whether it feels "real" or not. As long as you repent of your sins, renoucne the devil whatever, and mean it, your baptism will be valid. If you want my advice, don't put it off, do it now.

[justfran]

I don't want to push them away from the faith by running off and doing it now "because I just have to" - I want to wait awhile, because my mum still reckons this is just a phase - and who knows, it could be just a phase for me, too. I'm willing to wait it out as a sacrafice to prove that I'm for real. I REALLY want to be cleansed of all my sins, trust me. And I want to respect my parents at that, too. My parents got quite sensitive when i told them i wanted to get baptised. What religion are your parents, and what attitude do they have towards religion?

[ClaireBear]

I think the family situations are most difficult of all, because we care so incredibly much about them, yet there are times they just don't understand. It's virtually impossible to explain how you feel about your faith to someone who doesn't share the same beliefs (it's like talking with your friends after getting off a really awesome retreat- mine usually think I'm crazy . One of my favorite quotes is by Mother Teresa. She says "Keep the joy of loving God in your heart, and share that joy with everyone you meet- especially your family." For me, when I went on my first retreat at Steubenville, I definitely wasn't attracted to Jesus through all the Praise and Worship, masses, talks (actually, when I saw people dancing and laughing and doing hand motions I thought I was in for the absolutely worst weekend of my life ... It was sitting and talking with girls, and hearing them talk about the insane joy Christ brought into thir lives. They literally just kind of glowed, ya know? They were so happy all of the time, and I wanted that kind of joy too. That's what brought me into our faith. I am definitely praying for you and your family, that Christ's light will just shine through you to them. I guess that my advice to you would simply be to literally share the joys of living out our faith and of loving Jesus with them every single day. It is so not easy , but that's the only thing I do at home right now (though not anywhere near as bad as what you're going through, my parents aren't exactly supportive all the time either), and very slowly (it's been over a year), my parents are starting to understand, or to at least accept that my priorities and theirs are just not quite the same. May God Bless and Keep You, justfran! You are definitely in my prayers.

[cathgirl]

I will definitely be praying for you! Remember, God will never give you any responsibility unless he knows that you can do it! :hearts:

[justfran]

Right now I'm just doing what cmotherofpirl has mentioned - talk less to my family about God and talk more to God about my family. It worked for St. Monica!

[justfran]

please keep praying for my family - i need all the prayers i can get!

[Mickey's_Girl]

Still praying for you, justfran! :wub:

MG

[Phazzan]

[quote name='justfran' date='Jul 23 2004, 08:59 AM'] I don't want to push them away from the faith by running off and doing it now "because I just have to" - I want to wait awhile, because my mum still reckons this is just a phase - and who knows, it could be just a phase for me, too. I'm willing to wait it out as a sacrafice to prove that I'm for real. I REALLY want to be cleansed of all my sins, trust me. And I want to respect my parents at that, too. My parents got quite sensitive when i told them i wanted to get baptised. What religion are your parents, and what attitude do they have towards religion? [/quote]
When I say "do it now", I don't mean right now, as in today, or tomorrow for that matter. You have to do a program called RCIA first (Rights Christian Inititation bla bla bla), which starts August I think and ends in May. These classes prepare you for baptism, which will take place at Easter Vigil. That means you have approx 8 months to "wait awhile". I reckon you should do it now, cause if you think this is just a "phase", you might end up losing interest down the track and not getting it done at all. On the other hand, if you attend Mass regularly and start going to these RCIA classes, then your parents will realise you're serious about your faith.

I live with my old man, he believes in God and that's about it. He doesn't give it much thought.

[justfran]

[quote] I guess that my advice to you would simply be to literally share the joys of living out our faith and of loving Jesus with them every single day.[/quote]

It is really hard to talk about it w/ my parents. How do I teach them if I never know what to say? It's not just the language barrier. I just have no idea how to express it to them! (Dad always steamrollers me in debate)

Edited August 5, 2004 by justfran

[justfran]

*bump*