| Author | Message | ||
| Marysroses Registered user Username: Marysroses Post Number: 1 Registered: 4-2007 |
Hello All! I’ve been a lurker for over a year, I feel like I already know many of you. There are many Adventists in my extended family. I had a more varied upbringing, going through several churches until my family settled with an SDA church. I left the Adventist church in 1981. I was a senior at SAC (now SWAU), and just couldn’t reconcile SDA teachings with what I knew of Christian history and the bible. I thought leaving a state university to attend the SDA school would answer my questions, instead it only created new ones and increased my ‘dissonance’ as I’ve seen some here call it. I began to feel trapped, college is such a time of beginnings, I felt like a career choice or serious relationship could mean I’d be committed to Adventism for life. I decided I did not want that to happen so I left the denomination and went back to the state university. I ignored Adventism after that for years. I married a Catholic and was confirmed Catholic myself. Living hundreds of miles away from family meant I didn’t have to deal with the comments and questions very often. I now live in my hometown. My mother’s SDA church is conservative and traditional Adventist. A large, framed, print of a painted portrait of Ellen White has a prominent place in their fellowship hall. Its been actually interesting reading here that not all SDA churches today are like that, that some are more liberal. As you might guess, I’ve been getting the full treatment as far as pressure to ‘come home’ to the Adventist church. I didn’t expect that I’d still have this much emotional baggage 25 plus years after leaving the SDA church! My child has a serious chronic illness and I’m being told by my relatives and their friends things such as "God is trying to tell you something....." or "If you'd get back in the church and keep the sabbath like you know you should....." I don't think they mean to be so cruel, I think they are just grasping at anything that might give me a reason for converting (reverting?). UGH... People who have not been Adventist cannot really understand. Its like therapy, having to deal with all the issues I thought I had buried and left behind. My own spiritual growth has been rocky at times, and I’m coming to understand that many of my struggles over the years have a lot to do with my Adventist background. Thanks so much for a place to vent and grow | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 3584 Registered: 3-2004  |
Marysroses, Thanks for coming out of the lurk mode. You are in the right place. I will pray for you and your child and your husband and your adventist family. I just put them on my prayer list. Keep coming back. You will find that God is so awesome. Diana | ||
| Toria Registered user Username: Toria Post Number: 111 Registered: 2-2006 |
Marysroses, This is indeed a place to vent, and share and grow. Welcome. Toria | ||
| Cathy2 Registered user Username: Cathy2 Post Number: 266 Registered: 2-2006 |
Welcome, Marysroses! You will find others, here, who understand the feelings of "...pressure to ‘come home’ to the Adventist church.", as you put it. We have been there and, some, are still there with their SDA families. I am so sorry about your child. I have 3, whom have chronic illness to some degree. Marysroses, do not listen, at all, to these people, who say that if you went back to the Adventist church--etc., etc.--things would be better for you and your child. IT IS A LIE FROM THE DEVIL!(no matter how 'loving' the SDA may put it or, even, feel it. They are blinded and deceived.) I, too, have had this malarky thrown at me because I stopped being an SDA and keeping the Sabbath--"God cannot bless you because you do not....." Bla, bla, bla...It is just horse manure and not Biblical. We choose Christ. No matter how hard it can get. And Jesus never, ever, ever promised that this life would be easy and trial free; just the opposite, in fact. At times, just because we love Him and stand for Christ, the trials and sorrows come ('Darkness' hates the Light of Christ within us). But, he promised to never leave us, either, and He overcame the world. Jesus will see you and your child through to the time when Evil is ended for good. I feel for you (and others do too, here) and I will pray for you Marysroses. Chrsit is risen! Cathy | ||
| Blessed Registered user Username: Blessed Post Number: 32 Registered: 1-2007 |
Welcome Maryroses. This is truly a place to vent and to grow. Many of us have had the "you need to return to the "truth" challenge and at times it can be unnerving even when one is solid in the Lord. A former Adventist shared with me recently that her mom had passed away from cancer a couple of years after she had left Adventism. A family member told her that it was her fault that her mom had died because the stress of her leaving the "truth" had brought on the cancer. My heart ached for this person and also for the family member who is hooked into this religion. Praying for you and your family. Blessed | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 5741 Registered: 12-2003  |
Marysroses, welcome to FAF! I'm so sorry for the pressure you're facing...but know, as Cathy said, that it's not pressure from God. When we choose Him, we take the arrows for Him. Our struggle is not with flesh and blood. We are the tangible targets for the arrows aimed at the reality of Jesus. We are so glad you're here and look forward to talking with you more! Colleen | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 906 Registered: 8-2004  |
Welcome to the forum Marysroses, Your screen name brings a very pretty picture to my mind. I look forward to reading more of your posts. Blessings, Mary | ||
| Bobj Registered user Username: Bobj Post Number: 136 Registered: 1-2006  |
Welcome Marysroses, Glad you're here! I'll be praying for you and your family. Bob | ||
| Marysroses Registered user Username: Marysroses Post Number: 2 Registered: 4-2007 |
THANKS for all the kind words. I look forward to joining in the conversation.  MarysRoses | ||
| Lucybugg Registered user Username: Lucybugg Post Number: 22 Registered: 2-2007 |
Welcome! I don't post here often, but I lurk a lot. You will definitely find loving, caring people here who truly understand what you're going through. | ||
| Robby Registered user Username: Robby Post Number: 7 Registered: 2-2006 |
Hi Marysroses, Welcome to FAF. I'm not a frequent poster but I have found a family of real God seekers on this forum. I too married a Catholic, and though we have recently joined a evangelical church, I have fond memories and still miss the weekly sacraments. Just don’t let the good works and ceremony get in the way of a personal relationship with our Savior. I say this from experience, and mine may be different than yours. A great book on the subject is “How Good Is Good Enough?” by Andy Stanley. Small book, but powerful. I’ll post a link if anybody’s interested. I’ll pray for you and family Marysroses. So glad you’re here! | ||
| Jeremiah Registered user Username: Jeremiah Post Number: 215 Registered: 1-2004  |
Welcome Marysroses! I enjoy reading your posts on CAF and am happy to see you here. If I can be Eastern Orthodox and get along here then I'm pretty sure you should be fine as a Catholic. Former SDAs go many directions and this forum is a demonstration of that fact. Jeremiah | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 5748 Registered: 12-2003 |
Marysroses, just by way of understanding, have you read Dale Ratzlaff's book "Sabbath in Christ" or Greg Taylor's book, "Discovering the New Covenant"? If not, I'd like to recommend that you begin with Greg Taylor's book. I believe it will help you understand your Adventist past and will also clarify what you're up against with your family. The book is his story of how he came to leave, and it's an easy read while also very informative. You can get it from Dale at his website: www.LifeAssuranceMinistriesl.com. I think you'd really enjoy the book! Colleen | ||
| Patriar Registered user Username: Patriar Post Number: 301 Registered: 3-2005 |
Welcome Maryroses. I don't think Colleen will mind that I re-post the link to Dale's web site. An extra 'l' found it's way into the last link. www.LifeAssuranceMinistries.com Patria | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 5751 Registered: 12-2003 |
Thank you, Patria!! (I so need a proof-reader!) Also, check out the new website Richard has been working on: LifeAsuranceMinistries.org. (Note the .org—.com is Dale's bookstore website.) This website is dedicated to Proclamation and LAM studies, articles, etc. Colleen | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 526 Registered: 6-2006  |
Hi Marysroses - welcome!! You're among friends. Thanks for joining us! Looking forward to reading more from you. Leigh Anne | ||
| Marysroses Registered user Username: Marysroses Post Number: 3 Registered: 4-2007 |
Thanks again everyone! I do love the Life Assurance Ministries website, lots of good material there, thanks Colleen. And glad to see you here Jeremiah MarysRoses | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 1762 Registered: 10-2004  |
Hehe, Colleen, you left out an 's'--I think you meant www.LifeAssuranceMinistries.org  Jeremy | ||
| Mwh Registered user Username: Mwh Post Number: 572 Registered: 4-2006  |
Hi Jeremiah I have stumbled upon this site not so long ago, and I think you might find it very interesting as well. http://www.exorthodoxforchrist.com/ In His mighty hand, Martin | ||
| Jeremiah Registered user Username: Jeremiah Post Number: 219 Registered: 1-2004 |
Hi Martin, I found this site a couple years back. If you want to dig deeper in this issue, try reading the letters of Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, Clement of Rome, Sheperd of Hermas, Justin Martyr, and others, and compare with what is said about the Eastern Orthodox on this website. I think you would have to conclude that either the website is off track, or the Great Apostasy was in full swing by 100 AD. This is especially noticeable in the attitude of the early Christians about assurance of salvation. Again, if you want to find out, read their writings. Or maybe there was a conspiracy and the Roman Catholics edited all the extant writings from early Christianity to make everyone look Catholic. The Jesuits did it! I better stop here or this thread will get put in members only! Jeremiah |
