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Rick S
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| Joined: | Tue Apr 29th, 2008 |
| Location: | North Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 17 |
| First Name: | Rick | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Baptist, Presbyterian, now Episcopal crossing the Tiber |
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Posted: Tue Apr 29th, 2008 05:11 pm |
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I have been on my journey home for about a year and a half now. My wife is still "not interested". Please pray that she will open her heart to the truth. I feel the calling of the Holy Spirit to the church but I am praying that we can enter together. We have two children so we need to be unified in our faith. PLEASE PRAY!!
God Bless,
Rick S
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Didi
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| Joined: | Mon Mar 3rd, 2008 |
| Location: | Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 182 |
| First Name: | Didi | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Catholic; almost left; Now an On-Fire Catholic! |
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Posted: Tue Apr 29th, 2008 07:28 pm |
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Hi Rick, and welcome to the forums! 
I'm fairly new here myself. I think you'll find everyone to be very helpful and supportive. There are many others in your situation.
You have my prayers.  God bless!
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Christine Ann
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | An Hours' Drive From Cincinnati, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 118 |
| First Name: | Christine Ann | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | former Lutheran, Baptist, now Catholic. |
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Posted: Tue Apr 29th, 2008 08:26 pm |
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Hello Rick,
You are most certainly not alone. I have a husband who is also "not interested". It can be discouraging, but I'm trusting that he will hear the Holy Spirit's call at some point. I believe we are meant to worship together. I am a new convert so I've not waited for him; however, we have no children to consider. I understand your reluctance to press on ahead. However, now that I am fully Catholic, I do have the opportunity to "live" my faith before my husband and hope that this too will draw him.
Does your wife attend another church? My husband was raised Baptist, but no longer attends. He seems to be disillusioned with all denominations right now. Maybe that's not a bad thing. He really hasn't given the Catholic Church a close look.
I will certainly pray that the Holy Spirit will draw your wife to the one, true Church and that your entire family will follow you on your journey home. It is nice to "meet" you on the Forum. I don't post too often, but I couldn't pass up your need for prayers and encouragement.
In His Love,
Christine Ann
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BD
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| Joined: | Wed Mar 26th, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 46 |
| First Name: | Brett | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Non-denominational evangelical, Mennonite (Anabaptist), now Evangelical-Anabapti-catholic |
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Posted: Tue Apr 29th, 2008 08:55 pm |
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God bless you Rick. I am in the same boat.
I think our wives will be interested if they see us as men of profound love. I'll get nowhere if I try to argue my wife into the Church...but wooing her with my testimony of how God's love is transforming me...that is another matter. It is also much slower...
There are some hard conversations ahead. I will pray for you. But one other thing: I found it helpful to speak joyfully about what God is doing in my life. In effect, then, you will be inviting her into that joy. My first reaction however was to speak of wanting to convert as soemthing that was scary (because it is!) and daunting. But that was not what my wife needs from me at this early point. Invite her into helping you discern God's call in your life. Ask her to pray for you.
Peace, Brett
____________________
Non abbiate paura!
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cyanheaven
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| Joined: | Tue Apr 8th, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 71 |
| First Name: | Callie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist/ Bapticostal/ Baptist/ "BaptoCatholic" |
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Posted: Wed Apr 30th, 2008 04:58 pm |
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Just another voice in the choir/closet offering prayer.
I know this is hard, and even scary Rick. But please remember you are not alone.
Hebrews 12:1
Weherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race set before us.
We and your fellow brothers and sisters are cheering you on, even now.
Your Sister and fellow Pilgrim Home,
Callie
Last edited on Wed Apr 30th, 2008 04:59 pm by cyanheaven
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Rick S
Member
| Joined: | Tue Apr 29th, 2008 |
| Location: | North Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 17 |
| First Name: | Rick | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Baptist, Presbyterian, now Episcopal crossing the Tiber |
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Posted: Wed Apr 30th, 2008 05:20 pm |
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Christine Ann,
My wife does attend church with me faithfully, (now Episcopal), and is a very dedicated Christian woman, but will not take the last step to the one true church. She still reads and interprets scripture through Baptist lenses. I DO appreciate ALL of you who are praying for us.
God Bless,
Rick S
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Pani Rose
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| Joined: | Fri Oct 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Irondale, Alabama USA |
| Posts: | 553 |
| First Name: | Rose | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Ruthenian Byzantine in a Melkite Greek Catholic Parish, raised ... |
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Posted: Fri May 2nd, 2008 01:50 am |
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Maybe Joy Pinto can help...
As an Episcopalian and wife of an Episcopalian Minister, Joy's life was complete. She couldn't ask for anything more. Her happiness soon turned to sadness and confusion when her husband, Jim, announced that he was leaving his ministry to return to his roots - The Catholic Church. Joy, with her great gift of humour, will recount her battles and uncertainty as she journeyed into the church. You will laugh and cry as you listen to this emotional journey as Joy discovers the love of The Catholic Church, the love of The Eucharist and the Love of The Blessed Mother. Joy is the pastoral associate with Sanctity of Life Ministries and a founding member of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life Lay Association.She resides in Fairfield, Alabama.
http://www.sanctityoflifeministries.org/AssociatesBio/JoyPintoBio.htm
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
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Rick S
Member
| Joined: | Tue Apr 29th, 2008 |
| Location: | North Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 17 |
| First Name: | Rick | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Baptist, Presbyterian, now Episcopal crossing the Tiber |
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Posted: Sun May 4th, 2008 04:23 am |
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I want to thank all of you who are praying for us. We had a somewhat calm discussion tonight and though she still doesn't get it, she may be starting to understand that there are things that may be worth reading about. Keep praying!! I, meanwhile, ask you to also pray for me to be patient and not push her.
I do appreciate all of the suggstions you have shared with me. Keep them coming.
Also I would appreciate your prayers about a church position I have been asked to consider (organist/choir master - Episcopal)
Thanks again.
God Bless you all,
Rick S
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Steven Barrett
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| Joined: | Tue Nov 14th, 2006 |
| Location: | Hadley, Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 974 |
| First Name: | Steven | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic, Episcopal communicant, Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Sun May 4th, 2008 05:22 am |
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Rick,
Relax: I've been through this "struggle" so-to-speak for many years, but it's NOT, and I repeat, NOT at the stage where you think things have really gone to pot. I've been through a lot worse and my wife and I are getting ready to celebrate our 25th this summer, with or w/o a big shebang, etc.
What's most important whether it's an anniversary, make-up session, or simple talk like you had to tonight -- is that you're talking, and talking civily, and of course, lovingly.
That was a stretch for me in my younger and more headstrong years. Talk about a thick mick, that was me, 110 pct. Yes, I joke now, but I'm not in the least bit proud because of the hurt I brought on and I'm very sorry I was so obstinate in my own ways. Let me say from experience: no matter what her faith is, she'll NEVER GET IT if she thinks for even a nano-second something's being poured into her head and heart against any inclination otherwise, much less getting a husbandly version of President Johnson's famous (or infamous) "let us come to reason" arm-twisting sessions.
Twisting arms to get an important civil rights package is one thing and fully understandable; twisting your wife's to get her to come around to your religious convictions and church. Well, you might as well stop right here and save yourself and her a lot of unnecessary woe. If she's going with you, and even though she can't bring herself still at this stage to cross the tiber, be thankful and believe me, if you both share the same thoughts on hot button issues like homosexual marriage, women's ordination, messing around with scripture to suit the times, and so forth -- it's only a matter of time, especially if she looks around and sees the evangelicals going too far on the schlocky side and (almost overly jingoistic in some churches, not to mention materialistic) and many of the other mainstream Prot. churches, getting blander by the years--there's only so much of that she'll want to take in either.
Our old Episcopal parish is the first in the nation (and I hope still the only) that dropped weddings because its new rector chose to push the national denominational "leadership" to come up with gay wedding liturgies.   (Whoopie, that church has been under reconstruction for a year so it didn't really make that much of a sacrifice, just a lot of convenient hot air in an already beyond the pale diocese.) It's been a royal pain for my wife because she's a COngregationalist Yankee, and confirmed Episcopalian who really misses the Liturgy. Really does. But she doesn't feel comfortable there any longer as far as I can tell yet she's not ready to accept Rome yet; and she's certainly not going to join up with another "yahoo church" (contemporary praize n' worship) style church, of which she is rightly concerned is becoming more and more de-rigeur at the Baptist church (my family) belongs to. I'm the house Catholic. I'm very pleased that we don't argue any more about my desire to return to Rome. It was a big and painful issue which for a while led her to hurtful confusion ("You're never making your mind up!!!, etc "What do you think this is telling the kids." Good points, too. But when Rome calls and you've grown up in the Catholic Church, it's time to come home.--Sorry, no plagiarism intended, Marcus.)
I'm every bit confident you know where I'm heading on this, and it all rests on patient love.
Take my word for it, a "word" based on the pangs of many hard knocks to my thick skull (and sad to admit, at times, heart) that loving patience will get you through this. Read I Cor 1-13 over and over. Then keep this in mind: William F. Buckley, Jr., the leading Catholic mind and writer of our times in the US was married to a very devout Episcopalian, and losing her in 2006 or 7 eventually took so much out of him that he died not long later, just this past February; so dedicated he was to his beloved Pat. (Read First THings, May 2008, Fr. Neuhaus' section in the back.)
I'm here for both of you.
In His Holy Name, Steven 
Last edited on Sun May 4th, 2008 05:27 am by Steven Barrett
____________________
For anybody interested in reading commentary from a Catholic's socially conservative/fiscally liberal viewpoint, go to my new blog at http://www.politicsramble.com/ .
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Rick S
Member
| Joined: | Tue Apr 29th, 2008 |
| Location: | North Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 17 |
| First Name: | Rick | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Baptist, Presbyterian, now Episcopal crossing the Tiber |
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Posted: Mon May 12th, 2008 02:14 pm |
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May 11, 2008
Hello everyone,
Keep PRAYING!!
My wife was reading her Episcopal devotion book and ran across a reference to a book of the Bible that she had never heard of (apocrapha). Remember , she was raised Baptist and is a new Episcopal. I calmly explained to her the history of how we got the Bible and the protestants changed it. She then read, for the first time, the last two chapters of Daniel (from my Catholic Bible ). She then asked why they were taken out. I told her that I had no explaination, but there's more than Scripture verses that have been removed from the faith.
The point of all this is, there was a calm discussion that hopefully, with the help of the Holy Spirit, will raise questions for her. PLEASE PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!!
God Bless,
Rick S
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sewnsew
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Arizona USA |
| Posts: | 849 |
| First Name: | Kim | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | cradle Anglican, Episcopal /Catholic-04/07/07 |
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Posted: Mon May 12th, 2008 02:34 pm |
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Ah those baby steps forward...
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Rick S
Member
| Joined: | Tue Apr 29th, 2008 |
| Location: | North Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 17 |
| First Name: | Rick | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Baptist, Presbyterian, now Episcopal crossing the Tiber |
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Posted: Fri May 30th, 2008 03:13 am |
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Hello all,
There has been very little progress lately. My wife is still "not interested". She is telling me to do whatever I feel like I need to do. There is a problem. When she was very young, she married a man who turned out to be a real loser, ending in divorce. This was not a marriage centered on Christ or by His leading. She could probably have the marriage annulled, but she I'm sure she won't understand the need. If I understand correctly, I would not be able to receive the eucharist because of her earlier marriage and divorce. This is very saddening to me and it makes my decision that much more complicated. Please pray for the Holy Spirit's leading in this.
If this is not enough, I was told today that due to a shortage of finances, my job has now ended.  Please pray that I can find employment, and soon! We live check to check.
Thank you all for your prayers!
God Bless,
Rick S
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tedjenczewski
Member
| Joined: | Thu May 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Richmond, Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 268 |
| First Name: | Ted | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic, Presbyterian, revert Catholic |
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Posted: Sun Jun 1st, 2008 12:14 pm |
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| May God bless you, sustain you, uphold you and encourage you today, tomorrow and forever. Amen
____________________
"...the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth." 1Tim 3, 15
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DrDave
Member
| Joined: | Mon Nov 6th, 2006 |
| Location: | Mildura, Australia |
| Posts: | 228 |
| First Name: | Dave | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Cradle - Lapsed - Renewed Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Jun 2nd, 2008 02:48 am |
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Rick S wrote: My wife was reading her Episcopal devotion book and ran across a reference to a book of the Bible that she had never heard of (apocrapha). Remember , she was raised Baptist and is a new Episcopal. I calmly explained to her the history of how we got the Bible and the protestants changed it. She then read, for the first time, the last two chapters of Daniel (from my Catholic Bible). She then asked why they were taken out. I told her that I had no explaination, but there's more than Scripture verses that have been removed from the faith.
Rick, your wife has identified an area of your "faith knowledge" that is lacking, that she even asked shows at least some level of interest in this 'peripheral' subject.
I would suggest that you get yourself a copy of "Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger: The Untold Story of the Lost Books of the Protestant Bible" by Gary Michuta, primarily as a means of educating yourself on the subect, but secondarily as a way of showing your wife that her concerns and questions have merit on their own, and that you respect them.
Regards Doc
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