Thanking my friends via email!

I get by with a little help from my friends

     I am feeling a bit nostalgic since I will soon be received into the Church. I tend to look back when I am about to embark on something new and/or important.  This is a long time coming and when I reflect on my first thoughts about Orthodoxy, even before I had the nerve to walk into a Church Building, spending the first few years just investigating Orthodoxy on the Internet, I realize I am grateful for all those who stood beside me as I continued on in this journey. 

     I feel like I should thank them. So I will.

     I am writing letters of gratitude to different people who had a profound influence in my journey (whether they knew it or not) and will send those letters/emails out simultaneously with the publication of this post.  If you see your name on the list below, please be looking for an email or letter from me.  This list is NOT complete. There are so many who have encouraged me along the way but these people have had a profound effect on me, even though many of them didn't know it....and I feel compelled to say thank you.

• FROM THE INTERNET:
• Fr. Andrew Stephen Danmick
• Steve Robinson
• Rev. Peter Preble
• Brian Biggerstaff
• Fr. Joseph Hunnicut
• Michelle Mimi

• FROM MY PARISH:
• Father Gary
• Father Ken
• Father Alexander
• Father Bohdan
• Marko
• Tammy (Tamara)
• Reader John of Blessed Memory and Tammy's Husband.

I will also include my former Pastor, Rev. Del Beiber, when I was a member of the Nazarene Church (30 years, baby!) He is a man who loves Jesus and loves people and he has had a hand in showing me the Grace of God in my life. 

I can't believe it's finally happening! This Friday morning before I go to work, I will be stopping at the Church to give my first confession. Hopefully, the list of sins won't be so long that I will be late for work 😁. Father Bohdan gave me some guidance regarding confession: Since I've been alive for 66 years, confess the "big ones" and then, at least once a month, go to confession so I can always be in a state to receive the Holy Mysteries.  My schedule is such that I get home from work around 2am and, since Saturday I'll be received into the Church, someone at work is picking up the last two hours of my shift on Friday so I will get home around midnight instead. This way I can be well rested for the big event. 

Fr. Bohdan announcing my Christmation

I spoke to a fellow Catechumen, Michael, and he said he would record the event using my phone. This way I can share with you some highlights.  God willing, the next time I post something in my blog, I will be an Orthodox Christian. Glory to God!