| Author |
Message |
Flyinglady
Registered user
Username: Flyinglady
Post Number: 235
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 6:28 pm: |     |
Grace_g and Ladylittle, I will pray for both of you. God will guide both of you and will put the words in your mouths that He wants you to speak to your relatives.
God be with you in all you do and say.
Diana |
Jenntooth
Registered user
Username: Jenntooth
Post Number: 10
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 6:51 pm: | |
Welcome Grace!
I've had a difficult time telling my friends and family about our leaving Adventism too. So far, I haven't gotten much in response. I simply state that God led us to a bible teaching church and we feel that we belong there. I have told some friends about my findings about EGW and I've had mixed reactions on that too. My brother has probably been the most vocal person so far. He gave me a book to read about the Sabbath written by one of their former pastors. When I mentioned studying the covenants he had no idea what they were (big surprise there...I never heard anything about them in all my years in SDA schools either) It's funny that SDA's big claim to the Sabbath is that there is no evidence in the bible that Sabbath was ever changed to Sunday and all that Catholic church conspiracy theory. They have no concept of the New Covenant. When I told my mom that we were attending a non-denominational church (that meets on Sat night and Sunday) she said she was glad that I felt God had led us to that church but she'd prefer us in an SDA church! Aaack!
I joined a women's bible study at church about 6 months ago and have continued to meet with our small group after the study was completed. It has been so great to study the bible with other women who are going through the same things. There is another former SDA in my small group but her story is quite different from my 3rd Gen Adventism.
Anyway, my husband and I just returned from visiting various family members and managed to plan our arrival and departures to avoid sabbaths and being guilted into attending church with them. I don't know if my parents recognized it as deliberate but it helped avoid confrontation.
Like Susan_2 said, the less said the better in most cases. I just told one of my best friends a couple weeks ago that I had studied out of SDA. She changed the subject after that but previously I mentioned that Ratzlaf's book Sabbath in Christ is excellent and she is interested in reading it.
Again, Welcome Grace! We're glad you're here.
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Tealeaves
Registered user
Username: Tealeaves
Post Number: 70
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 8:31 pm: | |
warm welcome my friend!
i am so glad you finally got your password!
Talk to you soon!
-tanya- |
Esther
Registered user
Username: Esther
Post Number: 28
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 5:30 am: | |
Grace,
Welcome. I hope you find strength and encouragement from the support here. I joined not too long ago and "lurked" for awhile too. It's so nice being able to talk with others who are experiencing the same things, and have gone the road before  Glad you're here! |
Melinda
Registered user
Username: Melinda
Post Number: 1
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 5:11 am: | |
Hello,
I've been lurking for a couple of years and finally decided to join so I can participate. My husband and I and kids left the SDA church a few years ago. I guess what got us thinking was the local church we were attending hired us to do a Bible Study website. As I was keying in all the questions, I would think, "Where in the world do they get that from that text!" So in reality, the local church paid me to study my way out. LOL
One of the first things I did during the process of leaving was get my ears pierced. About a week later, my daughter who was in the 5th grade at the Adventist school, came home and asked me if I was an Adventist. When I asked her why, she said the teacher told her during Bible Class that "Adventists don't wear jewelry." My daughter thought what the teacher said was ridiculous and we had an excellent conversation about it. Needless to say, that was the kids' last year at an Adventist School.
The next few years we put the kids in a non-denominational school. It was better but still not great. We live in the Bible belt, and I remember my daughter's 6th grade teacher telling the class that they should not go shopping on Sunday, and they should prepare their Sunday meals on Saturday. My daughter said, "If I hadn't known better, I would have thought she was an Adventist."
I could go on with such stories but I'll save them for future posts. We now attend a small, non-denominational church. We praise God for how He has led in our lives. The first year and half or so after we left, God focused on teaching me grace and my identity in Christ. One book that greatly helped me was "Breaking the Bondage of Legalism" by Neil Anderson.
I was raised ultra-conservative and my parents were teachers at 3 different self-supporting schools. I think someone mentioned an academy in Oklahoma. I graduated from Oklahoma Academy and also went to Weimar for a few quarters.
When I think of where I used to be and where I am now, I praise God. The past 6 months have been very difficult for us, and I don't know how I would be today if I was an Adventist. We adopted 3 kids from Ukraine and the adjustment has been difficult, and only by the power of the Holy Spirit have we been able to pull through okay. I praise God for all He has done in my life. He truly is my Rock.
Melinda |
Chris
Registered user
Username: Chris
Post Number: 645
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 6:38 am: | |
Melinda, let me be the first to welcome you to FAF. Although you've been reading for a couple fo years, I am glad you have now joined us in conversation. I look forward to hearing more from you in the near future. May the Lord bless you and your family and give you the strength you need each day.
Chris |
Carol_2
Registered user
Username: Carol_2
Post Number: 259
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 7:10 am: | |
Welcome Melinda! Glad to have you here......I'm in the Bible belt also, Atlanta area.....
So glad you've joined us.....I'm sure you will find this site to be a great blessing to you. I'm so glad your kids are out of SDA schools!
I wish I'd left the church about 10 years sooner for my daughter's sake.
We look forward to hearing more from you! |
Esther
Registered user
Username: Esther
Post Number: 132
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 9:00 am: | |
Welcome to the group Melinda! Praise God for leading you and your family into a closer relationship with Him! |
Melissa
Registered user
Username: Melissa
Post Number: 724
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 9:19 am: | |
Welcome, Melinda. |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 1414
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 10:24 am: | |
I'm so glad you're here, Melinda! Welcome!
Wow, you've really been on a journey. From self-supporting academy and Wiemar to free in Jesus is a complete change of identity and direction!
We look forward to hearing more from you. (And isn't it amazing how God works in and through our children?!)
Colleen |
Sabra
Registered user
Username: Sabra
Post Number: 300
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 18, 2005 - 6:37 pm: | |
Melinda,
Welcome. Your post helped me out.
I just went today to check out a church school (Baptist) for my daughter. She is not doing so well in public school so I was considering changing her maybe next year but it just didn't sit well with me. It seemed very legalistic and almost cultish. King James Bibles only, dresses, small earrings, very moderate makeup, no teasing of hair, paddling if necessary for last resort---how weird is that?
I don't know, maybe I went overboard on the grace when I left Adventism but this school seems weird to me.
I've been praying about it and it seems the school you described could be close to this one.
Does God just want us to be salt and not excluded? It's hard to know what is best for these kids. Bad company corrupts good morals but so does too much sheltering, sigh.
Great to have you here! Glad you're posting.
Sabra |
Raven
Registered user
Username: Raven
Post Number: 204
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 18, 2005 - 7:05 pm: | |
About seven years ago when our kids were ready to start school, we checked out a local Christian school. I don't think it was any particular denomination but was a joint effort from several of the local churches. Your post, Sabra, reminded me of that school. They even had a form we would have needed to sign, giving permission to paddle if necessary. The school came across as very authoritarian and legalistic. If a student was called on in class by the teacher, they had to first stand up, say "yes ma'am" and then respond. Respect is one thing, military is another! Needless to say, we didn't enroll our kids! They went to the SDA school until about two years ago (we left the SDA church just last year), and now they're in public school.
By the way, I was very impressed with how "Christian" our public school was this week with their school activity for the entire Valentine's week--the students were encouraged to do random acts of kindness during school. They even distributed a paper explaining the concept and why it's a cool thing to do. |
Melinda
Registered user
Username: Melinda
Post Number: 3
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 8:34 am: | |
Sabra,
When my daughter was in the non-denominational Christian school, she had a friend in her class who was a Baptist's preacher's daughter. My daughter felt very sorry for this girl because she was so steeped in legalism. Once this girl invited my daughter to her church on Sunday, and then proceeded to tell her the dress code so that my daughter would dress appropriately! Unbelievable.
However, I believe that this school was an important part of my kids education. This year they are in public school but I think it would have been a big shock to go to public school straight from the Adventist school.
I am guessing that about 90% of the teachers in this area's public school are Christians. All of my daughter's 8th grade teachers are Christians. However, we are moving this week so I don't know what the new schools will be like. I have heard they are very good school, though. Plus I will have opportunities for IEP's which Christian schools don't provide.
Shortly after we enrolled three of my other kids in their public elementary school, a form was sent home for me to fill out saying whether I allowed the principal to spank them or not. One of my boys is very scatterbrained and often forgets to turn in his papers, and I told him he better remember to turn in it since it says I won't allow the principal to spank him! He turned it in quickly. LOL
I remember, growing up as an SDA, always hearing how evil public schools are. I can tell you that my kids are getting a better education this year then they ever did in the SDA school. And like you said, Sabra, my daughter has had many opportunities to be salt.
Melinda
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Sabra
Registered user
Username: Sabra
Post Number: 301
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 21, 2005 - 5:09 pm: | |
Melinda,
The more I think about it, the school is a little extreme, and not at all in the budget anyways.
I prayed the other day, told God I didn't see anyway I could afford it and asked that Ashlyn would have a great day at her school. She called that afternoon and said she had an awesome day at school and the one girl that was giving her the most trouble actually apologized......He never ceases to amaze me.
Great to have you here. |
Chris
Registered user
Username: Chris
Post Number: 658
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 21, 2005 - 9:41 pm: | |
Wow Sabra, my oldest daughter is named Ashlyn, spelled exactly the same. I haven't seen many others. I think we've doomed her to repeat her name for the rest of her life. People always think it must be "Ashley" or "Ashland" (a town near us).
Poor kid.....I had no idea it would be so hard for people to catch her name......I probably should have had a clue though given the reason I picked it in the first place. When I was a child I loved the the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I especially liked the Christ figure in the books, Aslan the Lion. Unfortunately I couldn't pronounce "Aslan" very well and always mispronounced it "Ashlan". So my daughter is named after a mispronounced character in a Christian allegory written in 1950. That might have been my first clue that the name wouldn't be very popular :-)
Chris
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Sabra
Registered user
Username: Sabra
Post Number: 302
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2005 - 6:47 pm: | |
Well, we just made it up but I've seen 3 or 4 since then, usually spelled Ashlynn, There is an Ashland City near Nashville and a lot of people up there called her that. She has always liked her name, though we do hear Ashley a lot. Her middle name is Raquel. I just love it.
Pretty cool hu? Great taste we have! |
