Blogger has a lot more to offer I suppose, and I hate how selfish this conversion was... is it for the best of both of us? Probably just for me. If even. Sometimes I question this decision I made, but hey... do you blame me? The beautiful simplicity of Blogger vs. Annoying Xanga Updates and the stupid idea of Xanga to give users a billion options... what else is there to say?
I've had a Xanga since age 10, if even that old. It's sad that this is how things are.
It's been a slow conversion, but I have been phasing xanga out. Blogger has had my most intimate entries, even if they were.. monthly. I am getting to writing on it more regularly and in complete honestly, I prefer it. Xanga holds many memories and it was tough to say, "I am not so into you", but... it's the truth.
I might pop my head in here, check my subscriptions, see who is checking the xanga, or even write a little entry, but blogger is where it's at. And well, I encourage you to do the same.
This school year was pretty confusing, spiritually. For literally five months, I was bouncing back from Christianity to Unificationism. I debated and debated within myself, but I constantly felt the tug of the Spirit towards Christ. On my road back to faith in Jesus, I tried to find the right denomination. And I realized that none of them satisfied me doctrinally, but I thought, "well at least I'll go to a service I'll like." So I chose the Methodist faith. I told myself I'd eventually settled down in the United Methodist Church, mostly for I liked the services setup and the hymns are fantastic. Plus, they serve food at the end.
(Fact: Food at church is definitely a plus. I pretty much went to the Young Men's activity at the LDS Church for the cookies, not gonna lie. They asked me to come and I vomitted "I don't know" all over the place until they mentioned cookies. I cleaned off my lips and said "Alright".)
Well we know I never became a Methodist. Soon after I went to a Jr. STF workshop and told myself I'd work out my faith in Unificationism [for as long as I could] and I did in public practice the Unificationist faith, and I continued to push out my faith in True Father, etc., but that all eventually pushed me towards the Mormon faith. I do, though, have very fond feelings towards the Methodist Church. Despite the liberal leanings of the local Methodist churches, my heart gains warmth over the history, the traditions and the general concept of the Methodist Church. Apparently Joseph Smith felt the same way about the Methodists. Interesting.
I look at my life, and it's all such as a goofy road to God. It always will be. I'm such a goof. It's filled with dozens of personal revelations, flirting with a bunch of religions, falling away out of loss of hope, and I jump back up a Mormon.
In 2008, there were 4 left adherents of the Shaker faith. At one point, thousands of people labeled themselves Shakers and lived in isolated Shaker communities, where they danced, sang, spoke in tongues, worked up strong economics, and lived celibate, relying on the fruit of self-control. These 4 women keep alive the last active Shaker community and continue in faith in Mother Ann Lee and the Divine Truths they hold.
Their theology may be seen as progressive, especially to a Unificationist. Shakers believe the fall was sexual, and see God as one of dual characteristics, and they believe Mother Ann Lee, the Messiah and Second Coming, was the manifestation of the feminine Holy Spirit.
Well, I want to visit them. ASAP. In New Gloucester, Maine. These women are old... I have to meet them before their faith goes instinct. I wish, oh I really do wish, that people would join the Shaker faith. They need to improve their evangelizing... like, they need to do it.
The Gospel seems so tiring to live in at times. Sometimes I live by the Law, and not by the Spirit. And I go through the motions of the faith without experiencing the Faith. But when I fall out of the Gospel, even when I live by the Law and not by the Spirit, I realize something is missing. And I realize there is a Freedom in living in the Gospel. I am protected by Christ and the joys of life are so much greater.
My salvation is in Christ alone; Solus Christus.
In Christ alone my hope is found; He is my light, my strength, my song; This cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My comforter, my all in all— Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh, Fullness of God in helpless babe! This gift of love and righteousness, Scorned by the ones He came to save. Till on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied; For ev'ry sin on Him was laid— Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain; Then bursting forth in glorious day, Up from the grave He rose again! And as He stands in victory, Sin's curse has lost its grip on me; For I am His and He is mine— Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death— This is the pow'r of Christ in me; From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand; Till He returns or calls me home— Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.
True
