Welcome to The Orthodox Homemaker Blog

Oh where to begin...

Hi there! My name is Melania, and I am by no means an expert in being a homemaker... but that is the whole point!

When I converted to Orthodoxy from a Protestant background, I was amazed by the depth of the tradition and the beauty of the ancient Church of Christ. It was like stepping out of a comfortable cave, only to see the most radiant sunset, and discovering that it was what I had missed my whole life.

Shortly before my conversion, my non-denominational (Aka protestant) church was expanding; they had even started plans to add a new parking lot, and a sanctuary to worship in, and in my efforts to bring more believers in, I sought out places where, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I could convert and take the veil off their eyes. I was humbled to stumble upon the most exquisite Antiochian Church, which I didn't know was Christian at the time, just a block away from my Protestant church. I had passed it many times and had never seen the captivating Russian crosses atop those domes. For a long time, I thought it was some sort of Eastern church, but never Christian.

I attended a liturgy with the intention of converting others, but I myself couldn't understand the feelings I felt while being in the service. I would get chills and blame it on the cold atmosphere, I would start getting tired, and blame it on the endurance everyone else had practiced over time. I was only used to entering a church, swaying for 15 minutes, listening to a 45-minute sermon, and leaving after a few quick chats with my friends. Right after the liturgy, a beloved priest, Father Justin, called all the newcomers to the front of the fellowship meal line. I never thought I'd sit down with a dear Deacon, Deacon John, and interrogate him about the Bible.

That is where my humbling journey began, and my search for truth. I tend to look back and refer to myself as a brat. I questioned everything he said, and threw completely out of context bible verses at him, as if I would make a dent in his faith.

At times like those, he would know exactly what to say. And not only would he give me the context, but he could quote the whole passage! After a 3-hour-long conversation, I left feeling very confused but intrigued. I wanted to be loyal to my church, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was so much truth in orthodoxy. After months of attending Orthros, then leaving for my church, I started asking my pastors deeper questions. At the time, they couldn't give me the answers I needed; all I knew was that there was a deep disdain for orthodoxy, and I couldn't understand why.

I finally started attending catechumen classes and learning more about the truth. By that point, I couldn't deny it or refute it. I couldn't come to terms with the fact that I was going to orthodox orthros, then leaving to teach the wrong "truth" at Sunday school, so I stopped. I sent my pastor a message saying I was leaving the congregation and wanted my name to be taken off the records. Many people who cared for me tried to change my mind, as if I were joining some sort of cult, but I tried to instead share what I knew and invite them to "come and see." I met a wonderful woman within the church, who I deeply wanted to emulate and asked her to be my godmother. She said yes and helped lead me, and continuously helps me embrace orthodoxy and reach conclusions I never would’ve come up with myself in orthodoxy, by the grace and knowledge Gods give her thus far.

Early on, I knew I had been seeking the truth my whole life and had finally found it. As a child, my family practiced Catholicism but was also involved in Macumba, which is a Brazilian-Voodoo belief that was focused on doing rituals for specific things. It always creeped me out!! Later, we moved to Utah and became LDS. As a teenager, I stopped engaging with the LDS faith, and later looked into almost every other world religion, even new age stuff, believe me when I say collecting stones for certain things makes a dent in your pocket and your heart! In the summer of my freshman year of college, I became protestant in New York out of all places!

I never thought coming back to Utah would help me encounter the Orthodox faith so deeply, but I sometimes wonder if those Russian Orthodox crosses were hidden from my eyes on purpose. Once the veil came off, I couldn't unsee what I knew to be true.

I am by no means an aspiring theologian; I didn't grow up with the orthodox faith, but that makes this time of discovery even more intriguing to me. Through the grace of God, one day I might come closer to being the godly woman I desire so deeply to be. It's not an easy path, but as Saint Joseph the Hesychast said, " Even though you have fallen, get up again. You have been called to a heavenly road. It is not surprising for someone running to stumble. It just takes patience and repentance at every moment."

No matter the number of books I read, trying to live in the faith and continuously in repentance has opened my eyes to the love of Christ, and although I might sometimes fall, He brings me back up out of the mud and makes me new again. Through the sacrament of confession, I am continuously being washed clean from my sin and learning how to further my relationship with Christ. I might not be the Orthodox homemaker I imagine myself as yet, but I'm a work in progress and will be for the rest of my life. With a spiritual father and love of creation, I am trying to become the woman My Lord wants me to be. Thank you for joining me in this journey, and I can't wait to share it with you.

Your friend in Christ,

Melania.

Your friend in Christ, Mel

See what’s to come!

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