Anyone read this?

1,567 Views | 22 Replies | Last: 4 mo ago by PacifistAg
PacifistAg
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2:53p, 4/1/25
AG
Thirty Steps to Heaven: The Ladder of Divine Ascent for All Walks of Life



Also, I think I'll post a little more often now, so it's good to be back (to some degree).
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Quo Vadis?
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6:30p, 4/1/25
Nm
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dermdoc
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In reply to PacifistAg • 7:15p, 4/1/25
AG
PacifistAg said:
Thirty Steps to Heaven: The Ladder of Divine Ascent for All Walks of Life



Also, I think I'll post a little more often now, so it's good to be back (to some degree).
Will read.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
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TSJ
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7:51p, 4/1/25
AG
Have not read it yet. I have too many books I need to get through for my catechism to make it for Pascha this year. Not sure if I want to read this or go off the deep end go straight to the ladder of divine ascent.

How is it?
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PacifistAg
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In reply to TSJ • 8:01p, 4/1/25
AG
Just bought it. Hopefully I'll be a catechumen this time next year.
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TSJ
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In reply to PacifistAg • 9:37p, 4/1/25
AG
Glory to God!
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AggieRain
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In reply to PacifistAg • 11:44a, 4/2/25
AG
PacifistAg said:
Just bought it. Hopefully I'll be a catechumen this time next year.
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Serotonin
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In reply to PacifistAg • 2:34p, 4/2/25
AG
PacifistAg said:
Just bought it. Hopefully I'll be a catechumen this time next year.
Hey Pacifist,

I hope you and your family are doing well.

You've taken some big steps in your attempt to live authentically -- becoming a pacifist, transitioning to a woman, moving across the country, trying different churches, and sharing that journey through podcasts, articles, and maybe even a book.

And your family has walked that path with you, supporting you along the way.

Could it be time to return the favor for them?

If they've finally found an inclusive church home where they can feel welcomed, build community and have a little stability, then...could the next chapter of your life be supporting them and following their lead? Even if it's not your perfect fit?

Maybe there's a way to continue exploring the writings of the ancient Church on your own terms while supporting them and attending your current church as a family. I say this because they've followed you through a lot of big life changes, and asking them to join the Orthodox Church would be yet another upheaval.

Then of course there are the deeper questions around your identity as a woman and your marriage to another woman within an Orthodox context. That situation runs up against Orthodox teachings about the nature of the human person and marriage.

Even with a sympathetic priest those issues won't go away and there would be an underlying misalignment or conflict within the broader Orthodox community. I think it's worth considering what that might bring onto your wife and kids.
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PacifistAg
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In reply to Serotonin • 4:06p, 4/2/25
AG

Quote:
I say this because they've followed you through a lot of big life changes, and asking them to join the Orthodox Church would be yet another upheaval.

Oh, no doubt my family has been great, and they're absolutely supportive of this path for me because they know it's being driven by the Holy Spirit. That said, they also don't feel that same call, so they're staying in the church we've been in since moving here. As for the transition issue, I've talked w/ the priest about that. I have also been praying non-stop about it and just asking God to show me the path and I'll follow it no matter the cost. Honestly, becoming Orthodox is less an issue for them than my willingness, should the Spirit draw me to it, to detransition. But nothing is off the table.

I will say that telling God that you'll follow His will no matter the cost is dangerous, because He may hold me to that. That's a phase of discernment and intense prayer that I'm in.
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dermdoc
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In reply to PacifistAg • 4:10p, 4/2/25
AG
May God open the right doors and close the wrong doors my friend.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
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PacifistAg
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In reply to dermdoc • 4:24p, 4/2/25
AG
dermdoc said:
May God open the right doors and close the wrong doors my friend.


Thank you. Social media blew up (in my little niche) when I posted that I wish I had seriously inquired into Orthodoxy 6 years ago and wondering if different decisions would have been made. But I also know where I was at that time, and it did save my life in the moment. But if it's what the Spirit calls me to do, then I'll never put anything above my faith.
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dermdoc
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In reply to PacifistAg • 4:47p, 4/2/25
AG
And did you know the new thing is for empathy to be considered a sin?

Oy vey.
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PacifistAg
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In reply to dermdoc • 4:54p, 4/2/25
AG
Oh yeah. That was...something
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Serotonin
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In reply to PacifistAg • 8:31a, 4/3/25
nortex97
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In reply to PacifistAg • 9:33a, 4/3/25
AG
Thx.

I may be mistaken, but didn't you leave Texas because our laws changed and you believed you might be subject to being (legally) targeted in the future? I am curious, are there any actual 'victims' since that time of such laws you are aware of?

ETA: just curious if the outcome in Texas matched your concerns, which I can't recall precisely what they were.
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PacifistAg
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In reply to nortex97 • 11:16a, 4/3/25
AG
nortex97 said:
Thx.

I may be mistaken, but didn't you leave Texas because our laws changed and you believed you might be subject to being (legally) targeted in the future? I am curious, are there any actual 'victims' since that time of such laws you are aware of?

ETA: just curious if the outcome in Texas matched your concerns, which I can't recall precisely what they were.
We left Texas for many reasons. Even before transition, we had long wanted to move back to Alaska. I had even had a job offer up there back in 2016, but the pay was not sufficient then our parents became significantly older when I had the experience needed to get more money.

As for your question, I really don't talk about trans issues anymore. I became heavily involved in activism for a while, but have no desire to discuss that topic. To me, it's as interesting as discussing the fact that I'm right-handed.

**also, I am not intending to be curt, dismissive, or anything like that. It's just a topic that dominated my life for years, and I just no longer pay attention to it.
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The Banned
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In reply to PacifistAg • 2:39p, 4/3/25
PacifistAg said:

Quote:
I say this because they've followed you through a lot of big life changes, and asking them to join the Orthodox Church would be yet another upheaval.

Oh, no doubt my family has been great, and they're absolutely supportive of this path for me because they know it's being driven by the Holy Spirit. That said, they also don't feel that same call, so they're staying in the church we've been in since moving here. As for the transition issue, I've talked w/ the priest about that. I have also been praying non-stop about it and just asking God to show me the path and I'll follow it no matter the cost. Honestly, becoming Orthodox is less an issue for them than my willingness, should the Spirit draw me to it, to detransition. But nothing is off the table.

I will say that telling God that you'll follow His will no matter the cost is dangerous, because He may hold me to that. That's a phase of discernment and intense prayer that I'm in.
I don't want to harp on the trans issue, as you have already said it's not something you actively think about anymore. I'm only asking this question from the perspective of a Christian who never knows when they may have an opportunity to share the traditional faith with a trangendered Christian. I am trying to get a understanding your journey:

Are you saying that coming into EO has led you to re-evaluate your position on your transition?

Also, the way you have worded the issue for your family makes it sound like they would not be happy about you detransitioning. I may be reading that wrong.


Not trying to pry too deep, and hope it doesn't come across that way. But I do want to learn from whatever you're willing to share.
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PacifistAg
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In reply to The Banned • 3:10p, 4/3/25
AG

Quote:
Are you saying that coming into EO has led you to re-evaluate your position on your transition?

Also, the way you have worded the issue for your family makes it sound like they would not be happy about you detransitioning. I may be reading that wrong.
I would say the Spirit is drawing me to consider my position on my transition. I know it was a benefit when it happened, but I also wonder if I had begun inquiring into Orthodoxy beforehand, would the intensely "immersive" aspect of Orthodoxy (from what I've experienced so far) been able to help me avoid transition? But if I say I'll never place something above my faith, then I realize that the day may come when that's put to the test.

And yes, my family would be very concerned, at the least, if I were to detransition. My wife and kids remember very vividly the dark place I was in that precipitated the transition. They're afraid of that coming back.
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The Banned
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In reply to PacifistAg • 3:46p, 4/3/25
PacifistAg said:

Quote:
Are you saying that coming into EO has led you to re-evaluate your position on your transition?

Also, the way you have worded the issue for your family makes it sound like they would not be happy about you detransitioning. I may be reading that wrong.
I would say the Spirit is drawing me to consider my position on my transition. I know it was a benefit when it happened, but I also wonder if I had begun inquiring into Orthodoxy beforehand, would the intensely "immersive" aspect of Orthodoxy (from what I've experienced so far) been able to help me avoid transition? But if I say I'll never place something above my faith, then I realize that the day may come when that's put to the test.

And yes, my family would be very concerned, at the least, if I were to detransition. My wife and kids remember very vividly the dark place I was in that precipitated the transition. They're afraid of that coming back.
Thanks for sharing. Truly amazing to see that big of a shift in such a relatively short time. I will be praying for you on the bolded, and wish you well.

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PacifistAg
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In reply to The Banned • 3:53p, 4/3/25
AG
I'll gladly welcome all the prayers. I have several really good Orthodox friends who have been encouraging me to visit, talk to the priest, and just start walking a path while praying. The Lord has truly moved in me in ways I've never really experienced ever since my first visit on Pentecost Sunday last year. Met with the priest in October and we discussed the elephant in the room. I was pleasantly surprised, but also it was a graciousness that really opened me up to that internal wrestling.
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dermdoc
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In reply to PacifistAg • 4:31p, 4/3/25
AG
Sounds like you are on a good path.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
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Redstone
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5:41p, 4/3/25
AG
You seem to be genuinely seeking the will of God. I sincerely wish you the best in this, especially as a convert to the Apostolic from Southern Baptist in your same generation.

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PacifistAg
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In reply to Redstone • 8:06p, 4/3/25
AG
Just an update, but got a text this evening from the priest. He said it's been nice seeing me so often at church and invited me to chat with him. I'm excited because it'll be a great opportunity for some spiritual guidance, especially on certain issues.
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