Post by Susan Peabody on Dec 13, 2022 13:31:50 GMT -8
In 1982, I had a spiritual conversion. I describe this is my books, Addiction to Love and Where Love Abides. I went to the library to study the different religions. A friend of mine, Father Tom, told me to "take what I need and leave the rest." I took this to heart and it changed my life forever.
Soon after, at a 12-Step meeting I was hoping the meeting topic was God. It was not. I was disappointed. A voice in my head said, "Go to where they talk about God every week."
I started to explore. I went to meet a guru. I then went to several Protestant Churches. I ended up at the Quakers who believe men and women are equal and serve God equally in harmony with men. They are also pacifists and do not baptize or have communion. This was a good "beginner" religion for me, and I found a home. But I do believe in just wars and the sacraments of communion and baptism.
Ten years later, I joined my daughter's church, the Seventh Day Adventists, to help take care of my granddaughter. Here I took communion, got baptized, and washed the feet of others like Jesus did at the Passover (Last Supper) over 2,000 years ago.
I left because they were homophobic. I stopped attending organized religion.
In 2015, Jesus said to me in a dream, "I am real. I died for your sins and was resurrected."
I was so full of joy, but my Christian friends thought I was high/crazy and did not want me in their church.
Then the suffering began. Migraines that never go away and cannot be treated. Homelessness. Depression and now cancer.
To cope with this, I recently turned to Catholicism. I am a quarter Jewish, so I identified with Christ's religion. My Higher Power manifests herself as a woman like the many Catholic saints. So now, I am studying to be confirmed in the Catholic Faith. There are some great revelations and some disagreements. Here is my email to my new friend John who takes me to mass and Catechism.
Dear John: I agree with you. This is exactly how I feel at this moment in time. The future, and my beliefs will change like the tide. This is my one true belief that more shall be revealed until the moment we go home to our Creator. I love God, who told me in 1983 (at an AA meeting) that he loved me. I love the Son who came to me in 2015, and I love the Holy Spirit who talks to me every day in the voice of a woman. God made us in his image. He made us male and female. So, there is no doubt in my mind that while God is energy, he is also a shape shifter and appears as male, female, light, wind, etc. I am going to accept what is given to me today at Catechism. I like the sacraments and the concept of saints. I now believe that men and women are called to different ministries and that is ok with all my personalities. But in the earthly world women are equal to the tasks of men when it comes to jobs like politics, business, nursing, etc. In heaven, men and women are equal but have different jobs. I was born to teach like Mother Teresa, to write like Teresa of Avila and to suffer like Christ suffered for me. John, I am so blessed to have you on this journey with me for now. I am learning to live in the moment and to stop trying to put labels on everything. But remember, writers have to put labels on images to differentiate them from one another. That is what writers do. They try to clarify the wishes of the Trinity. Take care. Susan
Soon after, at a 12-Step meeting I was hoping the meeting topic was God. It was not. I was disappointed. A voice in my head said, "Go to where they talk about God every week."
I started to explore. I went to meet a guru. I then went to several Protestant Churches. I ended up at the Quakers who believe men and women are equal and serve God equally in harmony with men. They are also pacifists and do not baptize or have communion. This was a good "beginner" religion for me, and I found a home. But I do believe in just wars and the sacraments of communion and baptism.
Ten years later, I joined my daughter's church, the Seventh Day Adventists, to help take care of my granddaughter. Here I took communion, got baptized, and washed the feet of others like Jesus did at the Passover (Last Supper) over 2,000 years ago.
I left because they were homophobic. I stopped attending organized religion.
In 2015, Jesus said to me in a dream, "I am real. I died for your sins and was resurrected."
I was so full of joy, but my Christian friends thought I was high/crazy and did not want me in their church.
Then the suffering began. Migraines that never go away and cannot be treated. Homelessness. Depression and now cancer.
To cope with this, I recently turned to Catholicism. I am a quarter Jewish, so I identified with Christ's religion. My Higher Power manifests herself as a woman like the many Catholic saints. So now, I am studying to be confirmed in the Catholic Faith. There are some great revelations and some disagreements. Here is my email to my new friend John who takes me to mass and Catechism.
Dear John: I agree with you. This is exactly how I feel at this moment in time. The future, and my beliefs will change like the tide. This is my one true belief that more shall be revealed until the moment we go home to our Creator. I love God, who told me in 1983 (at an AA meeting) that he loved me. I love the Son who came to me in 2015, and I love the Holy Spirit who talks to me every day in the voice of a woman. God made us in his image. He made us male and female. So, there is no doubt in my mind that while God is energy, he is also a shape shifter and appears as male, female, light, wind, etc. I am going to accept what is given to me today at Catechism. I like the sacraments and the concept of saints. I now believe that men and women are called to different ministries and that is ok with all my personalities. But in the earthly world women are equal to the tasks of men when it comes to jobs like politics, business, nursing, etc. In heaven, men and women are equal but have different jobs. I was born to teach like Mother Teresa, to write like Teresa of Avila and to suffer like Christ suffered for me. John, I am so blessed to have you on this journey with me for now. I am learning to live in the moment and to stop trying to put labels on everything. But remember, writers have to put labels on images to differentiate them from one another. That is what writers do. They try to clarify the wishes of the Trinity. Take care. Susan