How Orthodoxy Helps my A.D.D.

So I went to visit my grandmother's house a few days ago, and the subject of the Rosary came up.

My Grandmother is a Methodist so, she was a bit concerned when she heard that I was praying the Rosary almost on a regular bases.

I explained to her that the different prayers come from scripture as I have mentioned in a previous post.

She's still doesn't get the Rosary, but she told me something that made me think a bit.

She said she was having a conversation with one of my aunt's about me prying the rosary and my aunt told her this:

"April likes praying the Rosary, the written prayers, and the structure of the Anglican Catholic church because it's organized, and the organization helps her focus better with her A.D.D."

It got me thinking.

You see, I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder around the age of seven. This thing has been a pain in my butt ever since.

School was awful for me. I'm was a smart kid, but you couldn't be able to tell by my standardized tests scores. I was always losing books, binders, papers, and homework assignments, I could never keep my room or my backpack clean, and it always felt like a million different things were going on in my head all at once.

In fact, if you notice any spelling errors or grammar mistakes in this blog, that's due to my A.D.D.
I know my grammar (I actually did really well with English and Grammar at school) and yes, I know how to spell, but when I'm writing, it just doesn't come out.

If anyone wants to volunteer to be my editor, let me know.

The medication they put me on helped me focus a bit better, but around the age of 11, they noticed

that it wasn't really having an affect on me anymore.

They tried different medications, and all they ended doing was making me fall asleep. So I stopped taking medication and learned how to control in on my own.

And for the most part, I have. Though there were times that I found it hard to pay attention.

It's hard for my mind not to wonder while I'm sitting, listening to an hour long sermon. I just don't have to attention spam for that long. I would hate it if someone asked me what was the sermon was about, and I didn't really have an answer because I was of in my own little world. And I would feel bad about it because I was just sitting in church, not soaking in God's word.

However, things started to change after I started attending the Anglican Catholic.

In the Liturgy, I'm not just sitting there. Everyone is in full participation. You stand, you kneel, you ake the sign of the cross, you chant, your recite, you take communion, you are not just observing. Your there Getting fed the word of God and the Body and blood of Christ, but you are also in a full act of worship.

For my non liturgical friends may be wondering "What about the sermon?"

There is one. But it's only 15 minutes. Now when I first visited, I thought "How can you "get fed" in 15 minutes". Then I started really listening to the sermons of my priest and was blown away. You see, my rest can preach something, and later through out the week you'll still be thinking about it.

Now, not every priest is the same, when it comes to preaching, but so far, I haven't been disappointed by the 3 I have heard.

Even the crucifix's and the icons all around the sanctuary help me focus. It's easier for me to say my Hail Mary's when I'm looking at a statue or painting of Mary.

Or easier to say the general confession when I am looking at Christ on the Stained Glass window or on a crucifix.

The liturgy was something I had to get used to after being used to the loosey goosy of the Charismatic and Evangelical churches, but after a while, I noticed, I like the Liturgy better.

And I liked the fact that The Church understands that everyone's minds are different.

When I was going to the Charismatic church, my pastor at the time would kind of roll his eyes whenever the subject of A.D.D would come up. He didn't believe it existed. (Which I find funny, because looking back on those days, I'm almost convinced he has A.D.D. himself) and when his mother held a revival, I went up for prayer because I was having a very difficult time in school. In front of everyone she said

"You just need to study!"

OH REALLY? Wow, why didn't I think of that. Oh wait, I did, but I suck at studying and no one really taught me a good way to study until I started taking classes to get my G.E.D.

If it sounds like I'm bitter at the people, I'm not. I grew up hearing it all my life.

You see, I've noticed a pattern in some dispensational churches that mental disorders don't really exist.

In fact, a friend of mine who grew up in the Independent Fundamentalist Church was once told by a church member, that if he just had more faith, he wouldn't need to take medication for his Paranoid schizophrenia.

Yep, not even joking.

So you can imagine the joy I had when I heard my priest recently obtained his Master's degree in Counseling.

Anyway, I think I might be getting sidetrack, but at the same time, made a good point. (My A.D.D in action).

The structure and the devotions, and even the repetition of the prayers and services help me stay out of LA-LA Land, and focusing on God. I could sit down for an hour long sermon and not get a single thing out of it.

I wasn't involved, and certainly not paying attention, so what was the point of being there?

I feel like for the first time in my life, that I'm an actual Bible Student. I'm worshiping God, but at the same time, I've been getting a real education, and the devotions and written prayers assist with that.

Some people may find the Liturgy Boring, and redundant, but it has helped me so much with getting to know Christ and getting to know what it means to be his servant.

The Lord be With you.

Discovering My Spiritual Gift in a Perpetual State of Prayer

The past two days of been warring on me spiritually and emotionally.

No doubt you have heard about the terrible, senseless act of Violence that happened at an African- American church this past week.

Like many I was shocked and sadden, and felt anger.

I've seen it all through out my Facebook newsfeed.

Everyone has theories and is pointing fingers on who to blame.

I've been sad by the environment that I have seen. A Tragedy that should be uniting us, has causing division.

But this happens every time there is a tragedy or spark of controversy.

I used to jump right in and make my stance known.

I used to argue and post my opinions on the cause of things and get in arguments with people of opposing views.

This weekend, however, has been different. This weekend I was in what seemed like a perpetual state of prayer.

I have had my head covered almost the whole time, I found myself on my knees in prayer frequently, when I would pray the rosary I would find myself mentally and physically exhausted. I wept while praying.

And for the first time in my life, I took a fast.

This weekend, I finally figured out what I believe is to be my spiritual gift. Prayer.

You see, when I was in the Charismatic movement, I remember a woman tell me that she thought I was an intercessor.

I always wondered if that was true for many years, but this weekend confirmed it. In the past, I thought how silly. Not me being an intercessor, mind you, but that my gift was just to pray.

I know from experience that at times, prayer can seem like you are doing nothing useful. I thought "everyone prays. What makes intercessors so special?"

And it took me a while to figure out that it's actually a good thing.

You see in times like these, it seems like everyone has a hill to die on and grabs their sword to wage war.

Sad thing is, lately it seems, that they are not fighting their enemy, but their brothers.

Left vs. Right, White vs. black (heck, lately I've been seeing white vs white) North vs. South. Pro gun vs Anti gun.
And it's maddening!

But in the midst of all this turmoil, I saw the most beautiful sight that, again, brought tears to my eyes.

It was newsfeed from the courtroom. The South Carolina shooter was completely stone walled. No emotion, not the slightest bit of remorse and the families of the victims had to face him.

I don't know what I would do if I was in their position. Many people I know would have told this man that they hope he hangs and burns in hell for what he did.

But what they did was the exact opposite.

They told him they forgive him. They begged him to repent. They told him to search for Christ,

  This man took away everything precious they had. Their children, friends, relatives, and pastor, and their main concern was that he find forgiveness in Christ so that he may not perish for eternity when he leaves this life and goes to the next.

At the memorials, there were no riots, no shouting, or blaming. There was weeping, and candles lit, and prayers said, and human beings helping their fellow man in this desperate hour of need.

So I prayed more.

I have been praying for God's comfort and peace for the families, and for God to soften this man's heart.

And that's what I decided to do for now on.

I don't know what pushed this man over the edge. We still have many racist groups in the entire world, let alone this country. But many of them never kill or even think about killing. Many people I know hate their own brothers. I see it on their facebooks. The word hate to describe feeling towards someone is sadly more common than anyone would hope for, but they do not commit acts of violence.

So what did it? And what made him like a stone?

I don't know. This whole blame game, is not my personal fight. Maybe it's yours. and if it is, that's fine. Just please remember who the enemy truly is. And trust me, it's not your facebook friend that might have the confederate flag hanging in their living room. Or the leftist Liberal who wants to repeal the Second Amendment.

My personal feeling is that this young man may be suffering from some sort of demonic oppression, but again, that's my own theory.

All I can do is pray. Pray for peace. Pray for comfort. Pray for repentance. Pray for God's will.

I can't be on the world wide web's battle grounds anymore.

So, like a Carmelite nun, I cloister myself and find quiet and search for the peace of God.

I'm not saying everyone has to do this, but if you feel yourself angry about this whole mess and cannot seem to find peace, I would highly recommend a session of prayer.

And if you do feel that prayer is not enough, remember this:

God has given us two of the most powerful tools in his arsenal:

Prayer and Love.

Something I haven't seen a whole lot on facebook lately. just blame, anger and hatred.

I actually found a very useful prayer for this time:

Gracious God,
surround us and all who mourn this day
with your continuing compassion.
Do not let grief overwhelm your children,
or turn them against you....
When grief seems never-ending,
take them one step at a time
along your road of death and resurrection
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

May the Lord be with you. 

Five Styles of Headcoverings

So While at an Inquirer's class at church this week, the topic of Headcoverings came up.

Turns out there are actually quiet a few women at my parish who really want to practice headcovering while attending mass.

Not covering to my extreme, mind you, But there are some women who miss the days of hats and doilies.

I've been asked before "what do you think counts as a headcovering?"

It's simple...something that covers your head.


In 1st Corinthians, Paul doesn't go into a lot of detail of what counts as a headcovering, do we cover all of our hair, some of our hair, our necks, etc.

I think it's because God doesn't really care what you use. The point is not so much covering as it is a sign of submission.

And in that, we have freedoms and liberties to choose our own covering.

And trust me, there are PLENTY of coverings to choose from.

So, I'll go ahead and list some, shows some examples, and even provide some links to wear you can purchase your favorite style.

 

1. THE CHAPEL VEIL

(A.K.A The Mantilla)



 

This is probably the most familiar in any denomination in the more orthodox style churches.

Light weight, usually see through (typically lace) veils that you just place on your head (can be clipped in if needed).

To purchase this one, or see more in this style, check out Liturgical Time's FACEBOOK , ETSY STORE, And WEBSITE .

 

 

2. HEBREW TICHEL

A Headwrap traditionally worn by married Orthodox Jewish women (Though the tradition is becoming less with wigs) Tichels (Pronounced TICKLE) typically covers all of the hair as Orthodox Judaism teaches a Woman's hair is alluring and sensual.

You can however wrap it in styles that let some hair exposed. I have my very own tutorial on how to do such style HERE!

You can use pretty much any scarf you want to wrap your own tichel or you can find a wide variety of tichel scarves and accessories at WRAPUNZEL.COM 

3. HATS

Hats are a great to start off with, especially if you are concerned about looking different, and very traditional in the Anglican church.

Big ones, small ones, colors, shapes, etc. Hats can fit into any woman's style.

I personally have a more appeal to scarves because of the way the very and form to my head, but that's just me.

If you are looking for ornate and Unique, I highly recommend MS. PURDY'S

4. WIDE HEADBANDS

Simple, elegant, and easy to put on, the wide headband tends to be a favorite amongst headcovering women.

You can also just take a thin scarf and tie it around your head with the tails hanging or tied in a bow.

For various headbands, check out GARLANDSOFGRACE.COM .

 

5. HIJAB

(Full Veil)

My personal favorite and here's why:

It's the most modest, it's (in my opinion) the closets style to the original early church, and when I first started attending the Anglican Catholic church (while wearing the full veil) all of the female saints on the stained glass windows wear similar style coverings. Now this is not a style for everyone, but it's the style ,that when I wear it, as a full act of worship.

Some people have asked me if I am from the middle east while wearing it, but I have had a few people ask if I was from Romania, Hungry, and Greek Orthodox.

A long enough scarf can become a hijab with the help of safety pins.

For a tutorial on how I wrap mine, click HERE!

 

There are other various styles out there, but these are my five favorite and the five most used in the Headcovering Community.

 

Feel free to try any of them or create your own.

 

May the lord be with you.



Why I No Longer Need to Speak in Tounges

For the past month my mind was in a bit of turmoil on the subject of tongues.

 I remember first hearing about tongues by a teacher of mine that was part of the Holiness church when I was a Presbyterian.

I found it fascinating and wanted to try it for myself.

I would pray to God to bless me with the gift of tongues, but it never happened.

Then I went to the Charismatic church and I heard it spoken my second visit. I was in awe. I wanted to speak tongues so bad but it didn't happen.

Finally, after a year attending, it happened and I was filled with joy.

After that I prayed in tongues as often as possible.

But even during my time in the charismatic movement, I noticed some things that were a bit off.

People would pray in tongues out loud, they would before a large crowd without an interpreter. Which 1st Corinthians say is a no no.
(1 Corinthians 14:27-28)

When there was an interpreter, things were still off. Someone would say like they were saying the same five words over and over again, but the interpreter would give a long speech. Even then I wondered "How did you get that from that?"

After we left the Charismatic church and started to attend the Evangelical Baptist church, my family and I kept our praying in tongues private.

The church we were going to didn't necessarily have issues with tongues per se, but just ask not to do it aloud. It can cause division and distraction. We understood and kept it private.

When I met my husband, I let him know I was a firm believer in tongues... My husband on the other hand was a firm skeptic.

I waved it off at first. I thought "Well, he just never experienced it."

But he has. He's been in the Charismatic movement before and has seen people being "slain in the spirit" and "pray in tongues" and even then, after looking in the scriptures, he saw it was not Biblical.

I stopped bringing it up. As I was only using it as a private prayer language, I didn't see the fuss in it.

Even attending and then getting confirmed in the Anglican Catholic Church, I still had no issues with praying privately in it. But after attending the A.C.C., I noticed it kept getting infrequent. After my confirmation, it stopped all together.

Speaking in tongues didn't seem to enter my mind until last month, I saw a video by a Lutheran Pastor talking about Charismaticism on his channel called Worldview Everlasting.

In the video he explained about the beginning of the Charismatic movement (which only has been around since the early 1900's) and verses discussing that speaking in a "Heavenly Tongue" that sounds like gibberish is not exactly Biblical.

I was in shock. I talked to my husband.

My husband is a firm believer in tongues, but as he sees it, tongues has to be an actual language. The Lutheran Pastor even explained that the "Language of the Angels" that scripture at times refers to may actually be Hebrew. My husband even told me a story of a Friend of his Father's began to pray in Aramaic with two Arabian men. The friend nor my father in law heard the Aramaic, but the Arabian men heard it perfectly.

I did research on my own, but I still ended up confused. I came to the conclusion that speaking in tongues in a room full of people who all speak the same language is not Biblical. But I still wasn't sure about tongues as a private prayer language.

I didn't want to speak to someone who was one extreme of the argument or the other. I also wanted to speak to someone who KNEW their Bible.

There was one person I had access to that I knew that they knew their Bible cover to cover and knew how to dig deep.

The Archbishop of my church (who's office is located at my Parish. Thank God).

I set up an appointment with him.

When I finally got to sit down and talk with him, I was a bit nervous and rambling.

Though the Archbishop has never acted high above anyone, and is pretty laid back, at times, can make me a bit nervous.

This man is our Archbishop. The head of our church. Our Version of the pope. The highest authority in our church under God.

And yet he is one of the most approachable, easy going, and personable man I have ever met.

So I told him a bit of my background and asked him what his thoughts on tongues where.

I was mostly getting confused by scriptures 1 Corinthians where Paul was giving guidelines for the use of tongues (Guidelines that some in the Charismatic movement seem to like to ignore) but I was having a hard time trying to figure out if Paul was talking about tongues as the way I knew it, or foreign languages, as my Husband knew it.

He gave me a bit of context of the Corinthian church.

As he described it, the Corinths were eccentric. They were the Charismatics of the age. So Paul gave them some guidelines as to not go off the deep end.

He also explained to me that the way he saw it, that this language unknown to men is not Biblical.

This was the way he explained it to me in an email before we spoke in person:

" I do not think the idea of tongues as the neo-pentecostalists understand it is heresy. However, I also think the experience is not normative. The Corinthians, after all, were nuts. Where a church is sick, the charismatic movement can be a sign of health. Charismatics believe strongly in the reality of God, the power of God, and the goodness of God,  But by putting the premium on personal religious experience, the movement also tends to breed individualism, subjectivism, and factionalism. Where the Church is healthy and doctrine is balanced, therefore, the charismatic movement tends to be a problem. If you've benefited from it in the past, that's good. Your disappointment in most of the leaders you encountered is understandable - again, by emphasizing the individual and private experience, they set themselves up for a fall."


I told him about some of the major leaders of the Charismatic movement I had encountered and did research on and was almost heartbroken by what I found.

 But that is one of the issues I have with the Charismatic/ Evangelical movement. It quickly becomes about the individual leader and not the church on the who.

However, he also explained that maybe God lead me to that moment because at the time, I needed it.

As I mention in a previous blog, before I attended the Charismatic church, I was so close from walking away from God altogether and was ready to find another religion because I was doubting what I was raised to believe in and beginning to think I had it wrong this whole time.

The Charismatic movement saved me from leaving God. It was then when I truly started my walk with God. So, I needed to know God existed.

My Archbishop also explained to me that he believes that when we begin our walk with God, he gives us signs to show that he exists. But after a while he makes the signs infrequent because we need to be able to Walk by Faith and not by site.

I can't rely on that warm fuzzy feeling anymore because there are going to be those times when I still need to believe without relying on my feelings, but my faith.

It reminded me when I was covering my head full time. Covering one's head all the time is not a biblical command, however I was going through a transitional period to where I needed to remember God was always with me. After a while the headcovering became smaller then non existent outside church. Because I was walking by faith and no longer by feeling.


So, was I actually speaking in a language that God gave me or was it just some kind of gibberish

coming out of my own head?

Well, to be honest, I don't know.

And yet, I have peace about not knowing.

But I do know this. I know, that no matter what happens, God does exist, and he is with me always, even when it doesn't feel like it.

I also know that I don't have to "speak in tongues" in order to obey God and have a relationship with him.

I'm a big girl now, and I don't need daddy to hold my hand 24/7 to know that he still loves me and cares for me and is always watching out for me.

May the Lord be with you.

Call NO MAN Father?

NOTE:
This is a repost from a former blog I used to write on, but I have still been asked the question on why we call our priests Father.

 Though, one common question that has been popping up lately is why we call our priests "father".

So, I decided to repost it on this blog to clear up some things:

I get asked a lot by protestants why not call our Priests and "Father" instead of "Pastor".

In fact, many of them think it's a really bad thing that we refer to them as "Father".

For example:

 When my husband and I brought a Baptist friend of ours to our church for a visit, he asked "So what do I call your priest?"

(Note, for the purpose of this blog, I'm changing the name of our priest for privacy purposes)

We said "Call him Father Nate*."

He said, "I can't do that!"

"Why?" I asked.

"Because, I will only call my heavenly Father and my earthly father, "father".

I was a little confused, but so to not make him uncomfortable, we told him, that if he needed to address him, he could try calling him "Vicar".


I've actually heard this statement before and was a bit confused.

So, I decided to do some research.

You see, most protestants (particularly ones of dispensation theology) have this same philosophy. I wondered where, when I found a verse in Matthew 23:

"And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven."

Only thing is, if you take the verse THAT literally, then you shouldn't even call your earthly father, "Father".


However, that is not true, because the Bible references the male parent, as "father" many times.


Most famously is the ten commandments "Honor thy FATHER and mother".


To understand this verse, you must understand the context.

So what is the context?

Well, to find this out, I had to turn to the Roman Catholics.


I went online and found an explanation from a Roman Catholic Priest. Unfortunately, I can not find the article anymore, but here's what it said:


 "Jesus, in this context is using, a figure of speech known as a hyperbole.

Definition of a hyperbole is: exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

It doesn't mean that we cannot call our own earthly father, "father" because that would deprive The symbol of God's fatherhood meaning.

Jesus in this context is trying to make a point?

So? What's the point?

Christ was using this hyperbole as a way to show the scribes and Pharisees how sinful and proud they were for not looking humbly to God as the source of all authority and fatherhood and teaching, and instead setting themselves up as the ultimate authorities, father figures, and teachers.


He's telling us not to confuse our heavenly father, with any father like figure on this earth.

Because God is the ultimate authority above all."
So you can still call your earthly father, "father".

What about calling Priests/ pastors "father". Is it Biblical?


Actually, yes! It is Biblical to refer to a religious authority as father.

Where you may ask?

In Acts, The old testament prophet Abraham is referred as Father by Saint Stephen.

Acts 7:2
"This was Stephen's reply: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran."

And in Romans 9:10, Saint Paul refers to Isaac as "our father Isaac"

In fact, during Paul's Ministry, he himself is referenced as a father.

in 1 Cor 4:17, Paul refers to Saint Timothy as "my son whom I love".

In Titus 1:4, He calls Titus "My true son in our common faith".

 Neither of these men were Paul’s literal, biological sons. Rather, Paul is emphasizing his spiritual fatherhood with them.



Now, with all this being said, does that mean that every Christian in Every denomination call their pastor "Father".

No, not necessarily.

Pastor comes from the Greek word, "Poimen" which means "Shepard". And we all know the context



And if, you still feel uncomfortable using the term "father" when addressing a priest, that's fine. I do encourage that you continue to do research, but if you are more comfortable to address a priest by "Vicar" that's fine.


I just ask that at least now you understand why Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Catholics use this term. It's not just tradition they do because they've done it for centuries. They do it because there is biblical truth to it! 

 and the symbolism the Bible uses between a shepherd and his flock.

Why I Veil Part 2 of 2: Covering My Body and my Disgust with the Fashion Industry

Oh boy....

The Subject of Modesty. A bit of a hot topic in today's society.

I've been thinking very carefully on how to approach this subject because the last thing I want to do is come across as if I was "Slut Shamming".

I want to make this abundantly clear:

Women have the right to adorn themselves in anyway they see best. Whether that be a burqa or a bikini.

No one has the right to dictate ANYONE on how they should dress. Male or Female.

This blog is not my views on how other women dress or why some choose to dress modest and others don't. This is just my own reasoning to why I dress modestly.

For the most part, I've always been modest. I experimented in my late teens and early 20's in showing off a bit more skin then I normally would.

Low cut tops, short skirts, fish nets, etc.

Why did I do that?

Well, because I was lonely and wanted a boyfriend and I liked the way guys would look at me...at that time.

Looking back on it now, I'm disgusted with those haunted images of their faces. Looking at me with only one intention for me. They didn't want me as a girlfriend, they wanted me as a hook up. They looked at me as if I was a piece of meat.

I began seeing their intentions, and just went back to my normal look of jeans and a T-shirt.

A few years past and I met the love of my life. I dressed how I usually did, and all was well.

Then the headcovering epiphany happened.

On Palm Sunday, I wore a hijab, long sleeve blouse, and a long skirt.

I figured, when if I was going to wear the hijab, I might as well cover the rest of myself as well.

We went to the mall after church I think that was the day that everything really changed for me that day, based on what I observed.

Here in Georgia, even in the spring it gets HOT. So naturally, the higher the temperature, the smaller the outfits get.

I was surrounded by teenage girls with shorts so short their butt cheeks hung out and shirts so low cut you could see all the way to Florida.

It was like this everywhere in the mall. I felt a bit out of place. When you are the only one covered head to toe in a shopping mall, you almost feel like the one who decided to wear a ball gown to a pool party.

Only two other women who did not expose the same amount of skin, were two Muslim women in niqabs.

I pondered. I knew it was hot, but was it really THAT hot? I wasn't dying of over heat in my headscarf and layers. When did shorts and skirts get this small?

And that's when I started looking in the store windows. There were signs in every window about "great New Spring looks" in every display with Mannequins showing off said fashion.
The clothes on the mannequins were just as small, if not smaller. For the female ones anyway.

The male Mannequins were dressed differently. If they wore shorts, they were down to the knees.
They weren't cut or ripped like some of the girl shorts, but most of them cargo or Khaki.
Usually paired with a nice button up shirt with fancy logos emblazed on the chest. The shirts had long sleeves, but would be rolled up to the elbow.

The same thing with evening looks. One display I saw showed the female wearing a short, lace dress that was practically see through with high heels that would make my feet fall off. The male ones were dressed in fine trousers, smart button up shirts, and a blazer with logos on the chest. I kept looking at the mannequins and just didn't get it. The men were covered in logos from head to toe and the women where wearing hardly anything.

When my husband and I got back home, I told him what I observed and wondered allowed why the mannequins were dressed like that.

He simply said:

"Because they Fashion industry knows how to appeal the eye of both genders. For men, it's the beauty and body of a woman, for Women it's the man's wealth. Hence all the logos."


I pondered this for quiet sometime. After looking at numerous fashion magazines, I had determine that what my husband said was true. and it made me sick to my stomach.

In today's society, we look back at cultures of old and like to think how different we are from them. But in reality, we're really not.

In the Victorian era, for example, when a man and woman started courting, the woman would pull her corset so tight so her waist size would not be more than her age. She would curl and pin her hair, and wear fine clothing and jewelry to make herself beautiful and worthy of being on a man's arm.

The man would wear smart and dapper clothing, talk about his estates and family's wealth, to show he would be an acceptable provider.

And the fashion industry is still pushing those "values" to this day. A woman is valued by her pretty face, bust and waist line. While a man is valued by his wealth.

If you're a woman and you look at the magazine rack, you see how this industry pushes you "value" when you see covers that say:

"How to get a man and keep him." or  "100 sex positions that will never make him leave!" or "How

to lose 4 dress sizes by summer!" or "How to make your bust look fuller" and the list goes on.

When ever I would see these it would make me feel cheap.

I believe this part of the reason why we have so many people with low self esteem, Body issues, Eating Disorders, and various cosmetic surgeries. Because we are constantly told we are not enough.

But when I found my husband, he saw my beauty inside and out. He thinks I'm the hottest thing on the planet whether I wear sweat pants or a little Teddy.

But more importantly, he sees the beauty in my soul.

I told him before we even started dating that I was a virgin and wished to remained so until my wedding night. He respected me for it and honored it. He got to know who I am inside and out. It was the person I was that made him want to vow before God to love and honor me and treat me as a precious jewel till death do we part.

Just as it was his good soul and caring soul that made me want to pledge myself to him.

So when I finally saw the real face of the fashion industry, I decided I was not going to let them dictate what I do with my body anymore.

I was no longer going to feel bad if my waistline was more than they prefer. Or if my bust size wasn't big enough.

I was done letting someone else tell me I was not enough.

I am a child of the one true king and made in his image. He knows every hair on my head and knew me before I was in the womb.

I am his work of art. And I was no longer going to dishonor the artist any longer.

So I cover. In respect to my creator and respect to my husband.

No man on this earth besides my husband who has vowed is entire being to me deserves to see my body.

My body belongs to no one except for myself and my husband.

And before anyone says "Your body doesn't belong to him!" read 1 Corinthians 7:4

"The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does."

His belongs to me and Mine belongs to him. And to honor my God, my husband, and myself, I cover it.

My body does not define me. My beauty does not define me. My soul does. Because I am not a body with a soul, I am a soul with a body.

What's on the inside is the most important thing about me. So my waist size, my skin, my bust line, should matter to nobody.


And that's why I cover. My modesty is a bit more..erm...extreme, I guess you could say, than most.

I prefer to wear at least 3 Quarter sleeves, I prefer to wear long, flowy skirts that go down to my ankles (Not only are they modest, but they are SUPER comfy), If a shirt as a low neckline, I wear an under shirt with it. If a blouse is short sleeve, I like to wear a shrug with it.

On occasion, I'll wear jeans and a t-shirt, but I like to dress how I feel is most honoring to my body.

Is this the way everyone is supposed to dress?

No, of course not.

But it's the way I am supposed to.

May the Lord be with you.

Why I Veil Part 1 of 2: Headcovering- The Full story

So since I was sick today, I wasn't going to blog, but one can only lay in bed and Play the Sims 3 for so long.

As I explained in my first entry, I cover my head when I attend church, pray, and certain special occasions.


You know by now how I became an Anglican, so I think it's time I told you how I became veiled.


Well, for reasons I could not explain, I felt like God wanted me to cover my head since I was 13 years old.
It kind of came up out of the blue and I didn't know why. I tried to ignore it, but the feeling kept getting stronger.
I tried talking to my parents about possibly headcovering. Even once about covering my hair for lent when we were Presbyterians.

My parents said "Don't do that, people will think your Muslim."


So, I didn't and continued with my life. The feeling went a way, then years later I found a youtuber by the name GothMummi . A Christian Woman who wore a Hijab.

I thought it was interesting, but I still repressed the need to cover.

So when did I finally decide to take the plunge?

When I got engaged to my husband.

I started covering 2 months before my wedding, but let me give you a little background story:

Five months before our wedding, my husband and I was in a terrible car accident. Basically the steering Wheel locked up, we hit a drain pipe, and flipped the truck 4 times before landing upside down.
I got knocked in the head a bit, so all I remember is one flip and then all of a sudden, I'm hanging by my seatbelt upside down, and my fiancé is already out of the truck trying to get me out.

I was in excruciating pain. A trip to the emergency room determined that I had broke my collar bone and gashed a finger open (which needed stitches) but miraculously, that was it.

Even the doctors were amazed that we were in decent shape as we were ( My husband just had a couple of scrapes) while the truck it self was totaled and took a beating.

The doctors also said they were amazed by my positive attitude. I told them

"I'm alive. I'm happy."

They sent me home with a sling and 3 different types of painkillers.

For the first couple of weeks, my attitude kept positive. But when it was time to wing me off the meds, that positive attitude went out the window.

My system had to get used to not having that warm and fuzzy feeling the pills were giving me, and the first week, everyone was walking on egg shells around me. The littlest thing would set me off. I would cry or curse at the drop of a hat.

Then, the nightmares started to happen. Car crashes. I was constantly dreaming about car crashes. I would jolt up in the middle of the night in a cold sweet because they were so vivid and seemed so real.

The thought of riding in a car with anyone driving but me was a terrifying thought (which is odd, because I am not the greatest driver in the world).

If someone slammed on the breaks, I started having panic attacks. I got real mopey around the house and just wanted to be left alone.  Around that time, was when Jacob was talking about only going to the Anglican church instead of the Baptist church my parents and I was attending.

I was frustrated and didn't know what to do, so I just stopped going to church for a few weeks.

I hated feeling so Miserable all the time, so I prayed "God, take this away. Let me be happy again! Let me know you're still there!"

Yep, my depression was getting so bad, that it felt like God was so far away and I just felt so alone.

When I prayed that, I felt the need to cover my head again. But yet again, I couldn't figure out why.

So I went on youtube, to see if I could find other women out there like GothMummi who covered and why they felt the need to.

Boy, did I ever get an answer. I found so many women who felt the same I did, with various different types of coverings, for different

and multiple reasons.

But one reason they all had in common, was a chapter in Corinthians.

1st Corinthians 11:

"I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. ³ But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man,^[a] and the head of Christ is God. ⁴ Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. ⁵ But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. ⁶ For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head."

I was astounded. I spent my entire life in church and yet, I didn't even know this verse existed. Why had I never heard about this before? Why don't I ever see women in church cover?

So I talked to Husband. Though the verse has specific instructions for covering when praying or prophesying, I felt a specific instruction to cover whenever I left my home.

I told him how I felt and what I felt like God was leading me to do. I asked him how he thought.

Knowing he was the one that was going to be seen with me, I didn't want to be embarrassed of me. Also, I wanted to see if this was a real calling. The great thing I could tell almost right off the bat that Jacob was my other half, is that if God is leading one of us, he's leading the other as well.

He smiled, held my hand and said

"Baby, if this is what you feel God is commanding you to do, I can't stop you."

And that was all it took...

I started off small, with knit caps and bandanas, but it was long till I went to Hebrew Tichels and Arabic style Hijabs.

I whenever I veiled, I felt like I was veiled in the Glory of God. I began praying more, reading my Bible, and for the first time in my life, I began to feel like I was a servant of God.

This feeling was new to me. As a young child, I saw God as more of a parent. Then in my teens, as something I was scared to anger, in my evangelical years I proclaimed Christ was my best friend, and almost felt like a magic Genie that granted me numerous wishes.

But not this time. This time and to this day, I still feel like I am his servant. I was made to serve him, not the other way around.

Then I started attending The Anglican church. I got a lot of compliments on the scarves I would wear, and all the interesting questions.

The most memorable moment for me, was a fancy dinner our parish had for the south eastern diocese synod. We had Anglican Catholics and priests from all over the south come.

As I made my way into the gardens with my black and white scarf in the style of a hijab, and quickly noticed eyes and whispers. But not in a judging sense. More in fascination.

I later spoke with my priest, and he said many of the priests were asking him if I was Coptic (Egyptian Orthodox).

When they did come up to me, they would ask me where I was from.

I would say "Oh, (insert name of my town here), about a half an hour away."

They would reply "No, where are you from from?"

They all asked if I was from different countries. Syria, Egypt, Israel, etc.

When they found out I was 100% American, and my reason for covering, they were astounded. Most remember the doilies and hats from long ago, but never anyone my age who fully covered as I do.

One even came up to me and asked "Do you do this for religious purposes?"

I replied "Yes sir."

He smiled, pat me on the shoulder and said "You're an inspiration."

I couldn't believe it. All this from a scarf.

The headcovering Also helped keep me in mind of my actions.

I knew when people first saw me, they knew I was religious. So I had to make sure that if I am to be an ambassador of God, my actions and words need to reflect my appearance. My language cleaned up, I stopped flipping the bird in traffic (Yes, I did this. Not proud of it, but I did, and have repented.).

Months went on, and after a while, the coverings got smaller. Usually thin scarves or headbands where I would have most of my hair exposed.

Then, slowly, I stopped covering full time.

I still cover when I attend any church service and private prayers and Bible Study at home, or at times when I feel like I'm needing to but I had the feeling God was letting me know that full time was no longer needed.

I often wondered why he wanted me to cover for almost a year.

Then it hit me. That year was a huge, life changing transition period.

I was changing churches, I was getting married, I was moving out on my own for the very first time, I was changing programs at the call center where I worked. EVERYTHING was changing what seemed all at once.

I'm not the greatest with change. We all like our comfort zones, and some adjust better than others.

I think the reason why I needed to cover was to remind myself, that even though I was stepping out as a full fledged adult, God was still right by my side, and he wasn't going to desert me.

Last Month was my one year wedding anniversary, this past March marks the one year that I have

attended my parish, and I can tell you, it's been a wonderful, yet crazy year. Yet God was still there through it all.

May the Lord be with you.

The Significance of Rosaries in the Anglican Church

Around the time my Confirmation was coming up in the Anglican Catholic church, I had found there was a devotion thought I had always found fascinating, yet never tried.

The Rosary.

I came upon a youtube video (which I can no longer find) of an Episcopal priest praying with an Anglican Rosary.

I didn't even know there was such thing.

He explained it's purpose and the different prayers he used for it and I found the devotion beautiful.

Naturally, I went on Etsy and purchased one right in time for my confirmation.

You may be wondering "What's the different between an Anglican Rosary and a Catholic Rosary?"

I'm glad you asked.

There are two Rosaries. The Anglican (Or Chaplet for my Roman Catholic friends) and the Dominican (Also known as the Catholic Rosary).

Here is a picture of the two I own:

The small one with the Peach colored beads is my Anglican. The large red and gold one is my Dominican.

What's the difference between the two besides their sizes?

Anglican prayer bead sets consist of thirty-three beads divided into groups. There are four groups consisting of seven beads with additional separate and larger beads separating the groups. The number thirty-three signifies the number of years that Christ lived on the Earth, while the number seven signifies wholeness or completion in the faith, the days of creation, and the seasons of the Church year. The four beads that spate the four groups are in a cross formation.

The Dominican or The five decade rosary as it's also known, is the one most people picture when they hear the word rosary. It consists of a crucifix, then a short set of 5 beads, for praying the Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, and a Glory Be, and then a rosary center, followed by a loop of 5 decades (sets of ten beads) to count the Hail Marys prayed as one meditates on the mysteries of the rosary, with a bead for praying the Our Father between each decade.

Another big difference between the two is that where as you say Hail Marys on the Dominican, there are no set prayers for the Anglican rosary.

"Then why have an Anglican Rosary if those no prayers set to it?" you may be wondering.

Well, it's simple. The Anglican, just like the Dominican, is meant as a tool for focus and meditation on God.

The best times to recite or pray with a rosary is in the morning for morning prayers, anytime right before you read your Bible, and in those few minutes before mass.

Now I have had some people say:

"The word Rosary is not in the Bible".

These are usually my dispensationalists, so I usually reply back:

"Well, neither is The Rapture or the Sinner's Prayer."

A little snarky, but it gets the point across.

Is the word Rosary in the Bible? No. But many of the prayers are.

Let's take some examples of the Dominican.

Some People have issues with Hail Mary.

It goes:
"Hail Mary! Full of Grace! The Lord is with thee! Blessed art Thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus."

Guess what! That is from the Bible.

Luke 1:28 and Luke 1:42.

And to answer a question that comes up a lot: NO! WE ARE NOT PRAYING TO MARY!

Roman Catholics also do not pray to Mary or any other saint. The hail Mary continues by saying:

Holy Mary, Mother of God (Which she is. She is mother of God the son. Not God the Father or Holy Spirit. But Jesus is God and she's his mother). Pray for us sinners now and at the time of our death.

We are asking Mary (and at times the other canon saints) to pray for us. Typically, the saints are called out for prayer by Anglicans if you are struggling with a particular sin. The same way as you'll go to a church member or family member and say "Please Pray for me".

Is it Biblical? Actually, you maybe surprised, but yes.
As Lazarus dying, he called out to The Prophet Abraham to intercede on his behalf. And that is where the custom comes from.

Not every Anglican asks for a Saint to intercede for them, and that is alright. However every Anglican still prays directly to God all the time.  It's just a matter of personal preference.


Now back to the scriptures used in the Dominican.

Before your Hail Marys, you pray the Lord's prayer, which can be found in Matthew 6:9-13.

Even The Magnificant (Also known as Mary's Song of Praise) can be found in Luke 1: 46-55.


With the Anglican Rosary, many of the prayers from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer comes from Scripture. Our you can use it to pray some of the Psalms.

One I personally like is my own take on the Hail marys style to wear I call it "Lord, I am not worthy".

With my Anglican Rosary, I first like to start of making the sign of the cross and saying

"In the Name of the father, Son, and Holy Spirit."

Then I do The Lord's prayer, and then The apostles creed.

Then with my seven Peach colored Beads I pray "Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof, but speak the word only and my should shall be healed."

That comes from Matthew 8:8.

That repetition is a great way to get my mind cleared out and focus solely on God's word alone and not on anything else that might distract me.

Then with the four beads that separate the 4 groups of 7, I pray

"As it was in the Beginning, is now and shall be, world without end".

Coming from Revelation 22:21

I hope to upload a video of me explaining that particular rosary on Youtube sometime this week.


So, as you see, though the beads themselves might not come straight from scripture, the prayers and devotions do.

It's not about the beads, it's about what they are and what they represent.

The Rosaries are tools for devotions to God and his gospel.

Don't knock em till you try them.

May the Lord be with you.

The Church is a Whore and She's my Mother: From Bitterness to Peace

I've met quiet a few people who have made the Similar transition that I have. People who have bounced around from church to church, and then finally feel right at home in the more Orthodox churches.

When I was in my younger years, it would seem odd to me when I would meet people who have been attending the same church (or denomination) since the day they were born.

I found it a little odd, but at the same time, I envied them.

How nice would it have been not to change customs or worship styles.

Go from Liturgy to hour long sermons with flashing lights and loud music or Vice Versa.

Switching from Praise and Worship with drums and the lyrics appearing on a giant screen behind the band to 200 year old hymns that you read in a book accompanied by a piano or an organ or Vice Versa.

There is a phrase I use to describe myself.

I call myself a foster Child of the church.

I bounced around from church to church, and just when I was getting used to how things were at one, something would happen and it was time to go another home.

If it sounds like this was a bad experience, don't feel bad. I'm glad that I went to the different churches I did.

I met a lot of wonderful people, had some wonderful pastors, I got to learn a lot about the different parts of the Body of Christ, and in the more Liturgical churches, I got great lessons in Church History (A subject that still fascinated me to this day).

But there are times I think back and see a few regrets.

You see, my parents were married in a Charismatic church in Atlanta. A church they still to this day refer to as a cult. It got national news about a huge scandal where the Pastor (Though he refer to himself as "Bishop") told many of the women and young girls that it was God's will for them to sleep with him while his wife was ill and bed ridden.

My parents left before anything came out in the open. Nothing happened to them or any other family members that attended, but my parents were beginning to get suspicious.

They didn't really want anything to do with the Charismatic churches after it hit the news. So they stuck with more traditional Churches. (Methodists and Presbyterian)

I on the other hand, kept getting attracted to the more Charismatic/ Evangelical churches.


I was invited by a childhood friend of mine to her Baptist church. They did a mixture of Hymns and Praise and Worship and liked to raise their hands during praise. Though I had some friends there, I still felt a bit of an outsider. But then again, I was becoming a teenager and going through those awkward years of trying to figure out who I was. Turns out, I'm a bit of a spastic weirdo, so I wasn't exactly "Popular".

Not to mention the fact that I was a bit of a loner because I was dealing with Suicidal thoughts and tendencies as depression was a constant thing for me in my teen years (but more on that in another post).

But I did have a small group of Tight knit friends, Some that I had since before Kindergarten and was grateful for.

But there I participated in lock ins, hand raising during praise and worship, sobbing at the alter call almost every Sunday, and every other Sunday, go walk around down Town Passing out gospel tracts.

Yep! I passed out tracts and told people "If you read this, it could change your life forever!"
Tracts that looking back, I wish I could have burned so they never saw the light of day.

Then we moved towns and it was hard to attend the Baptist church, so my family and I started attending the Presbyterian church just down the street from our new home that we attended when I was little because my Grandparents attended.

Going from Baptist from Presbyterian was a bit of a culture shock. Though I attended from ages 7-10, it had been a while and I had to get used to no one raising their hands, saying "Amen" whenever The Pastor had something good or profound to say, reciting the Lord's prayer and the Apostle's creed every Sunday, Women were allowed to be Pastor's, and the only time I cried in service was when Pastor Tim* asked for a special prayer during a service for my Grandfather who was dying from Cancer.

I think the last part might have been the main reason why I started to do some soul searching. Years of on and off depression, my grandfather dying, and the fact that none of the kids in the Presbyterian youth group liked me because I was the weird kid, started making wonder if God actually existed at all.

I started looking at other options when It came to religion. About Different Religions all together.

I went though the list of some of the big ones. Judaism, Islam, Wicca, Hinduism, etc.

Even thought about just being an agnostic even an atheist.

The last two, I Quickly realized weren't going to do.

Thought bad stuff was happening all over the word and seemed to constantly loom over me, I couldn't just believe that everything that exists on this earth happened all just by chance.

And just being an Agnostic wasn't that much of an option to me because I couldn't be content with just saying "I don't know". Now some Agnostics I know actually try and seek out truth for themselves, but most I've known just have the attitude of "I don't know, and I don't care".

I just couldn't do it.
It's like my husband said to me the other night:

"Honey, you're a Truth Seeker and you won't be content until you've found it".

Then just when I had almost given up on church altogether, I found this tiny little store front Charismatic church.

I found my way inside because I saw kids playing air hockey through the window.
My parents were concerned of the fact I didn't have many friends and encourage me to see if they had a youth group.

And that was all it took.

I started attending on a regular bases, and my parents started to come with me to make sure I wasn't getting wrapped up in a cult that they did all those years ago. Eventually, they became members as well.

It was at that church that I began to have a real relationship with Christ. The suicidal thoughts and depression began to quickly fade (It would rear it's ugly head every so often, but it never stayed for long.

We stayed there for a few good years.

But we left again because we felt the trust we had with the pastor was breaking at the seems.

after a few months of the church growing, he felt like he was on the path of becoming a mega church millionaire.

He preached the prosperity constantly, wanted to make sure the spotlight was always on him, encouraged us to listen and follow fat cat televangelists that always made sure their audience had the warm and fuzzies right before the collection plate got passed around, and the thing that broke the camels back for my family, was that they were sure he used money that they had donated for the building fund and used it to build a Christian bookstore and coffee house.

So we left and began to attended a Charismatic light church which my parents still attend to this day.

Now reading this, you might think there is some bitterness I have to the Charismatic movement.

Well, there was for a bit.

I started doing research on some of the charismatic movement and saw the manipulation some of the major figure had and was disgusted. My heart began to harden.

But God quickly started to soften it.

I have to remember, if it wasn't for the Charismatic movement, I probably wouldn't be a Christian to this day, let alone an Anglo-Catholic.

Does the church has it's flaws? yes, what church doesn't.

But it was that movement that taught me how to have a relationship with God along with having a religion.

I'm going to take a twist on a classic quote by St. Augustus now.

"The (Evangelical) church is a Whore, but she's my mother".

I've met a lot of people like me who have transitioned from Evangelical to more Orthodox denominations. And yes, I have met some people who hold bitterness to there old churches as I did

when for a brief time.

Can the Evangelical church be an unfaithful bride of Christ? Oh yes. Without a doubt... But she's also my mother.

I am very much convinced that I would not be attending mass most Sundays, saying my prayers, and doing my devotions if it wasn't for her.

To be honest, if it wasn't for the Evangelical church, I would have probably committed suicide all those years ago and be buried 6 feet underground with my parents mourning always asking themselves why I did it, because I always kept my feelings secret at that time.

So am I bitter of the Charismatic movement. Not really. Will I pray for them? Absolutely.

Does that mean that all Charismatics are fake? Not at all. There are so many of them that truly love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and Mind.

But in any group of people out there, the fakes and the crazies are always the loudest. And I can't judge an entire group of people, by a few heretics.

May the Lord be with you.

Christianity IS a Religion AND a Relationship!

You've probably heard the following Phrase before:

"Christianity isn't a religion! It's a Relationship with God!"
Or
"Religion is man made
Or
"Religion says do! Christ says done!"

And the list goes on.

I've heard these kinds of saying SO MANY times while I was in the Charismatic/ Evangelical and even some Baptist churches. That Christianity had nothing to do with Religion.

I used to say it, in fact, quiet often.

There's even a video of me from one of my old Youtube Channels kind of Babbling on about it.
You can see it by clicking HERE. (Though I have to warn you before you click that link. My audio was awful and created a robot voice in the middle of the video. Plus, I wasn't that great of a Vlogger because I tend to babble on, so it is a bit long. Again, just fair warning).

Yep, I was that kind of Christian.

Now before I continue, I just want to say, if you are that kind of Christian, I'm not dogging you. I'm just looking back at my own personal experiences. However, IF you are that type of Christian, please continue to read this entry with an open heart and mind and see where I'm coming from.

For YEARS I refused to even acknowledge the word "Religion" unless I was bashing it.

When I started the process of becoming an Anglican, however, that began to change.

So what caused the change?

Well, It started when we invited our Priest over to our Apartment for dinner and a house blessing.

Along with dinner and prayers, we also talked for a LONG time. We asked him many Questions about the Anglican Catholic church. We wanted to know what we would be getting ourselves into before we officially joined.

There was a term he kept using quiet frequently. "Our Religion" seemed to come out of his mouth quiet a bit. With my church background it made me slightly uncomfortable, but I didn't speak up or try to correct him by saying "It's not a religion!".

If I were to call this man my father for now on, I knew I had to show him the honor and respect which he is deserving of.

But it kept rattling in my brain. So I did some research.

I first looked up the definition of religion:

"the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods."

I thought to myself "Okay. I believe in and worship God. This makes sense" then I went on youtube to see what others had believed what Religion is.

If you've been on social media for the past few years, you probably remember the Spoken Word Youtube video called Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus. To this date it has almost 30 Million views and shares. I used to be a big fan of this Spoken Word. I shared it when it first came out and would say "This is the Truth!". But during my transitioning to Anglo-Catholisim, I found a response video from a Roman Catholic priest.

It was called Why I love Religion, and love Jesus.

There was a particular verse from the Spoken Word response that really stood out to me.

He said "When Jesus said it was done, that's absolutely true, but he also gave us a mission with many things to do".

The reason why that line in particular stuck out to me. I've heard youth Ministers say "Religion says Do, Jesus says done!" and that moment it clicked that saying is not exactly true.

You see, when Christ said "It is Finished" on the cross, I believe that he meant that the act was finish. from then on forward there was no need to follow the ceremonial law. There was no need to sacrifice animals for our sins because he was the ultimate sacrifice.

But that time on the cross was not the only time Christ spoke in the new testament.

He told us to Love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.

He told us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
(Matthew 22:37–40).

He said To go and Baptize all nations in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

(Matthew 28:19)

He told us to be Servants.
(Matthew 20:26–28).

He told us to Repent.
(Matthew 4:17)

He told us to Follow him.
(Matthew 4:19).

These are just a few examples. There are so many more. You can view them all by clicking HERE.

So once we except the Grace of God, we have a list of many things to do and yes. Even many things we are not to do and to avoid at all possible cost.

If you're wondering where the relationship comes in, well it comes in Christ's Religion and commandments.

In order for me to obey God, I have to love God and Trust God with my whole being. How can I love and trust someone if I don't know them?

How am I supposed to be willing that if the time ever came for it, to die for my God if I don't know my God or Trust my God?

You can't have Christ without his church. You can't fully love God if you don't keep his commandments in your heart.


Does this mean I keep every commandment he has given me every second of the day? No. But that's the beauty of my Religion. Is that even though I am a sinner, Christ suffered and died for me so I would not have to suffer. 

He broke his body and spilled his blood for us and made the ultimate sacrifice, so I would not have to do it myself.

But in return, he has some regulations, rules, and commands for me to obey. And I do so willingly.

I don't try my best to obey his laws for fear of hell. I keep the commands in my heart because he knows what's best for me and that I may live a full life.

My religion give me life to the fullest.

Because in my religion, I have a relationship with my God.

The Lord be with you.