My Spiritual Journey

[icequeen]

jbsmith:

Yes, Mike and I were talking about RCIA the other day. We were talking about entering the process together and studying together. By the way, did I mention that Mike is an ordained Protestant minister? It makes his conversion even more astounding, in my opinion.

No, you did not mention that. I saw that and said,“Whoa!” This makes things more interesting. Maybe we could get Mike on The Journey Home! Just kidding! I bet that he is really good refuting the anti-Catholic propaganda. From what I’ve seen, former Protestant ministers make really, really good Catholics.

 

[jbsmith]

icequeen:

No, you did not mention that. I saw that and said,“Whoa!” This makes things more interesting. Maybe we could get Mike on The Journey Home! Just kidding! I bet that he is really good refuting the anti-Catholic propaganda. From what I’ve seen, former Protestant ministers make really, really good Catholics.

No, I’m not going to tell Mike about “The Journey Home.” He’d monopolize the entire thing and not let anyone else have any (name removed by moderator)ut! (I’m just kidding. If you knew him, you’d understand why I typed that. He loves to talk at times. Alot. )

Mike has learned a lot about church history, but he has a long way to go. Still, he’s gained quite a bit of knowledge.

The former RCIA teacher at my former parish told me last year that Protestant converts tend to make the best Catholics because they tend to take the most time to learn about the faith. She said this was because they actually have to research church history and the early Church Fathers in order to discover that the Catholic Church actually is the original church. She said a lot of cradle Catholics just accept the faith without ever really investigating it or learning more about it. This makes some sense to me.

 

[jbsmith]

My father is being rushed to the ER as I write this. He suffers from heart failure and can’t breathe right now. He’s not a Christian. He walked away from church and God about 30 years ago. Please pray.

 

[Edwin1961]

jbsmith:

My father is being rushed to the ER as I write this. He suffers from heart failure and can’t breathe right now. He’s not a Christian. He walked away from church and God about 30 years ago. Please pray.

You got it Jeff!

 

[pappagena]

jbsmith:

My father is being rushed to the ER as I write this. He suffers from heart failure and can’t breathe right now. He’s not a Christian. He walked away from church and God about 30 years ago. Please pray.

I am praying for him.

BTW, I am fairly new here and you probably won’t hear from me often, but thank you for posting your story.

 

[Dorothy]

jbsmith:

My father is being rushed to the ER as I write this. He suffers from heart failure and can’t breathe right now. He’s not a Christian. He walked away from church and God about 30 years ago. Please pray.

I just read this message Jeff, I’ll pray for your Dad. May our Lord Jesus Christ surround your Dad with peace, and may that peace penetrate his heart as You reveal yourself to him Lord! Amen

 

[krysianka]

I’m praying, Jeff. Placing your father in Mary’s Immaculate Heart. Also praying to St Joseph, Help of the sick, and patron of a happy death. If he is in imminent danger of death, we can petition heaven to allow your dad to turn to Jesus, even if he says nothing and does it in his own mind, privately.

 

[icequeen]

I will say a rosary for him.

 

[Edwin1961]

Jef, I placed your message on the Prayer Intentions Thread here.
That way you can get the most prayers said for your father.

 

[Rammy]

jbsmith:

My father is being rushed to the ER as I write this. He suffers from heart failure and can’t breathe right now. He’s not a Christian. He walked away from church and God about 30 years ago. Please pray.

Jeff my friend…i am still here. Imagine a ten foot kitchen countertop (my sons desk top in his room) with THREE computers on it…and none working! Grrrr! So on i come, this is the first thread i checked out, and seen this. It is a day or so late, and there is not post update. I hope your father bodes well in the hospital. It is a scary thing when the heart is unstable like that. Take heart that enought people will and do pray for all extensions of your family and friends anyway…hopeing that your Journey be a solid one of faith and direction. We pray that you find your truth, and we be not pushing anything, but rather be your support team when you call on us.

Rest ashured that when our internet family is hurting, scared or in need…this is when we can be the strongest…Prayer DOES work! You are proof of this. So we ask that as you are a new child in the arms of your holy family, that the comfort Our Loving Mother Mary, see your fears and help you to endure what is Gods will. We also ask all his heavenly guard to watch over him, to wisper of the love he has around him…and someday act on these “feelings!” Any one, especially you, knows that life can stay, change, or move on…on the turn of a dime. I believe him seeing God working in your life is making him think more than he has been willing to say outloud. No man makes a move like that…without some inner hope. He loves you!

Prayers are in bloom…for you and your father dear Jeff!

Lana

 

[Zooey]

Jeff, I have prayed & continue to pray for you, your father, & all your family.
I had open heart surgery nearly 2 years ago, after going into congestive heart failure, so I know exactly how that is!! By the grace of God, a wonderful surgeon was able to give me a new aortic valve. When the subject of heart failure comes up, even if I don’t always post, I still pray!!!

 

[LilyM]

jbsmith:

My father is being rushed to the ER as I write this. He suffers from heart failure and can’t breathe right now. He’s not a Christian. He walked away from church and God about 30 years ago. Please pray.

jb, hope you see this message soon. I’m praying for your father. If you can, say the Divine Mercy Chaplet in the sickroom when you visit your father - it’s a powerful prayer especially when said in the presence of a sick person.

 

[jbsmith]

Edwin1961:

You got it Jeff!

Thank you, Edwin.

 

[jbsmith]

pappagena:

I am praying for him.

BTW, I am fairly new here and you probably won’t hear from me often, but thank you for posting your story.

Thank you for your prayers, and I’m glad you appreciated my story. Please post here as often as you like.

 

[jbsmith]

Dorothy:

I just read this message Jeff, I’ll pray for your Dad. May our Lord Jesus Christ surround your Dad with peace, and may that peace penetrate his heart as You reveal yourself to him Lord! Amen

Thank you, Dorothy.

 

[jbsmith]

krysianka:

I’m praying, Jeff. Placing your father in Mary’s Immaculate Heart. Also praying to St Joseph, Help of the sick, and patron of a happy death. If he is in imminent danger of death, we can petition heaven to allow your dad to turn to Jesus, even if he says nothing and does it in his own mind, privately.

Thank you for the prayers, and for enlightening me about something I didn’t know. I still have a lot to learn.

 

[jbsmith]

icequeen:

I will say a rosary for him.

Thank you. By the way, how does that work? Do you announce the person’s name at the beginning of the rosary?

 

[jbsmith]

Edwin1961:

Jef, I placed your message on the Prayer Intentions Thread here.
That way you can get the most prayers said for your father.

Thank you, Edwin. It didn’t even occur to me to do that. I had to rush out of here so fast that night.

 

[jbsmith]

Rammy:

Jeff my friend…i am still here. Imagine a ten foot kitchen countertop (my sons desk top in his room) with THREE computers on it…and none working! Grrrr! So on i come, this is the first thread i checked out, and seen this. It is a day or so late, and there is not post update. I hope your father bodes well in the hospital. It is a scary thing when the heart is unstable like that. Take heart that enought people will and do pray for all extensions of your family and friends anyway…hopeing that your Journey be a solid one of faith and direction. We pray that you find your truth, and we be not pushing anything, but rather be your support team when you call on us.

Rest ashured that when our internet family is hurting, scared or in need…this is when we can be the strongest…Prayer DOES work! You are proof of this. So we ask that as you are a new child in the arms of your holy family, that the comfort Our Loving Mother Mary, see your fears and help you to endure what is Gods will. We also ask all his heavenly guard to watch over him, to wisper of the love he has around him…and someday act on these “feelings!” Any one, especially you, knows that life can stay, change, or move on…on the turn of a dime. I believe him seeing God working in your life is making him think more than he has been willing to say outloud. No man makes a move like that…without some inner hope. He loves you!

Prayers are in bloom…for you and your father dear Jeff!

Lana

Thank you for your prayers, Lana. My father is home now. He was given breathing treatments and oxygen which helped his breathing. Of course, he’ll have to go to the ER or be admitted again to the hospital for a few days eventually. His heart failure is getting worse, and he now suffers from emphysema. I’m just thankful that my mother is in excellent health and loves God. She’s been trying ever since they got married to get him to come to faith in the Lord, but he won’t.Sometimes I wonder if his heart has been hardened like Pharoah’s.

Edwin told me you’ve been having computer problems. I’m glad they’ve been resolved. It’s good to have you back here. It sounds like things were a bit crazy there for a while. I can relate, having dealt with my own computer problems many times in the past. It’s enough to drive you crazy.

 

[jbsmith]

Zooey:

Jeff, I have prayed & continue to pray for you, your father, & all your family.
I had open heart surgery nearly 2 years ago, after going into congestive heart failure, so I know exactly how that is!! By the grace of God, a wonderful surgeon was able to give me a new aortic valve. When the subject of heart failure comes up, even if I don’t always post, I still pray!!!

I’m glad your surgey went so well. My father had a triple bypass ten years ago. Thank you very much for praying for us. Please continue. I’ll pray for you as well.