the zipper pull proved to be too small and her gloved fingers too slippery for her to keep hold of it…if she didn’t grasp it soon it would…what did her friend warn her about? Oh yeah, if she put the suit on and zipped it all the way up it would activate and she would be stuck. And the neural interface would bind to her nervous system and stimulate her pleasure centers…and the plugs would inflate…and the cerebral conditioning program would begin…
But surely if she just tried the suit on
just…just to see what it felt like
not to pull the zipper up only…
lust a little er,
just a little
just enough to get that tingle
just enough to feel the plugs…squishy and soft inside her
That hood is just wonderful! It’s an easy way to establish uniformity. Why look so different from others when we can achieve standardization and reduce the ability to distinguish between ourselves? Isn’t having a different face and body than others enough?
Maybe photoshopped but a truly arresting image. Imagine this creature being but one of invading hordes come to take over Earth, enslaving and incarcerating humanity for their use and pleasure.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton lost a lot when she converted. Numerous friends and family deserted her. Her husband’s death left her struggling to provide for their five children. Thankfully, she was invited to “found a school in Baltimore” which gave her a way to provide.
Raised in a well-to-do Episcopalian home, Elizabeth’s life outwardly looked worse after becoming Catholic. Life was hard and I imagine lonely at times.
But… her conversion gave her the greatest gift — Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. In reality, she had gained so much and she knew it.
“There is a mystery, the greatest of all mysteries: not that my adored Lord is in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar — His word has said it, and what is so simple as to take that word which is truth itself? — but that souls of His own creation, whom He gave His life to save, should remain blind, insensible. He has given the free, the bounteous heavenly gift [so that we] shall approach His true and holy sanctuary, taste the sweetness of His presence, feed on the Bread of Angels. My poor soul is lost in wonder at His forbearing mercy.”
I love that Catholics often greet converts or reverts with the phrase ‘welcome home’. It feels so familial and it reminds me so much of the prodigal son. It’s like ‘Yes, you’ve been away for a while, but we’re so happy to have you with us. Let me hug you.’
So I talked with Sr.Faustina of the Sisters of Life last night and she was so helpful and sweet and full of joy. She offered me this awesome insight: because I am so new to the Faith, it is better for me to continue to work to give my whole life to Christ before trying to discern a call to religious life. Right now it is natural that, by His grace, I would want to die to my old life and give this new life to Him. But this doesn’t mean that I am necessarily called to be a sister. Jesus is meeting me where I am, and this openness to God’s will is a grace that I need to embrace in order to glorify him in all that I do. It was so nice to have this reassurance that He is guiding me and it’s okay to take things one step at a time. She encouraged me to take a few years and then revisit this call if I’m still discerning it may be for me. I’m so happy I had the opportunity to talk with her. Soli Deo Gloria :)
I’m so proud of you! You have such a mature understanding and acceptance of vocation, which I think is often underappreciated.
I was in the same boat as you - in fact I was thinking about the priesthood before I had even finished RCIA - so I understand the excitement. I know the wait will drag on at times. But I also know it will be so much more fulfilling knowing that wherever we end up is truly where we are meant to be. There will be no wondering, no cursing our hasty decision, just pure peace and joy in the Lord.
May God bless you on your journey, bonaememoriae. Keep in touch. <3
Among many inspiring young Muslim leaders, Sh. Yahya Rhodus stands above the rest for his concise style of speaking and delivering advice to Muslims in how to balance family life with the constant search of knowledge.
Born in Missouri, at age 19 he embraced Islam and began studying with Sheikh Hamza Yusuf and after a time traveled to Mauritania to pursue full-time studies in Islam where he studied hadith, tafsir, fiqh and many other pursuits.
If you would like to read more about Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, please click his Facebook page here or his bio here, and if you are interested in more Youtube videos, please click here.
Lauren Booth is a sister who converted to Islam in September 2010 while visiting the Fatima Masumeh Shrine in Qom, Iran giving surprise to those who had not known her until recently. Her political connections in England made her conversion to Islam a big topic to discuss, since she is the sister-in-law of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, where she opposed his inter-faith working groups which were designed to “silence the voices of Muslims”.
As a journalist Sister Lauren has traveled through many Muslim nations and speaks often at events on how Islam helps humanity and the innate characteristics of the faith in pursuing peace and justice. She currently works for Press-TV in Iran.
Muslims for hundreds of years have been pioneers in art, doing exceedingly well in all forms of visual expression. This includes the modern age, where comic books have found their inner deen with creations like Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson.
Willow was born in New Jersey, USA to atheist parents but came to Islam and moved to Cairo where she married. An avid comic book reader, her childhood in comics influenced her as an adult. Leading her to expositions like Comicon and as a Muslim speaking about her conversion to Islam to youth in universities and in interviews. As well as writing her own memoirs and Alif the Unseen, she has written for DC Comics in the graphic novel Cairo. Her work is an inspiration to young Muslims and reverts around the world.
So I lost my original draft of this post (grr, Tumblr! No love!), but I wanted to get these things “down”, so to speak. Because I’ll forget, ALL too soon! MIKVA (and immediately after) DEETS.
The night before, [sponsoring-rabbi] calls to see how I’m doing, and asks “so, wanna go out for one last cheeseburger”? Hee. I’m good. And more of a meat lovers’ pizza girl anyway ;-)
Learning the prep run-down the night before with the kollel rebbetzin, who called me right after to make sure it had gone okay. She reminded me to actually DAVEN while in the water.
The ALMOST freak-out around my nose ring not coming out, and the one regular beit din rabbi who was there not feeling comfortable making a decision because it would have to be their policy; so they went to the top at the RCA to figure out if they could rule it wasn’t a chatzitzah. Which they did.
[Ima-extraordinaire] came with me. SO SPECIAL. If it were not for her and her family, I don’t know that I’d be here. They were my first exposure, my first standing Shabbat invitation, my safe space to learn and grow and figure it out without judgment or pressure, just pure unconditional support and love. Having her there was such a sweet recognition of the process coming full circle. The woman who taught me what it is to be a bat Yisrael, an Ima, who said “Amein” to my first shaky brachot, was there to say Amein when I said “v’tzivanu al ha’tevilah”. SO amazing.
So we had a final beit din meeting in the waiting room. One of them asked me “so what’s special about today?” (it was also rosh chodesh Av). I started talking about spiritual rebirth, etc. etc., and he looks at me… and says “okay… and what about the rest of the world who DON’T know this is happening?!”. HA. OKAY YES 9 DAYS I SEE WHERE YOU ARE GOING WITH THIS I PROMISE!
STILL being asked questions I didn’t immediately know the answer to. And then flipping it and talking about unpainted squares.
The sweet shomeret giving me a tour, showing me where the resevoir was, and explaining how the contraption that would “cover” me while the beit din were in the room would work. The “checking” part was nowhere near as invasive as I thought it would be, and she was so nice and really put me at ease.
The 3 questions once I was in the water (SUCH a comfortable temperature) and the beit din were in place… 1) do you commit to all the mitsvot - the ones you know, don’t know, understand, don’t understand; 2) do you commit to sending any children you may have to orthodox day school (!!!, okay, wow, that’s the ideal and I want to give them an education, absolutely, but this is a bigger conversation, can we maybe have that when I’m dressed?!), and 3) do you renounce all former philosophical beliefs/ideals etc.
Wait they want me to dunk now? THIS IS IT OH MY GOSH. (”Koisher!”) - I was shaking while I said the bracha. The beit din, [sponsoring-rabbi] and [Ima-extraordinaire] all said Amein, then left. I dunked twice more and just kind of stood in the water to take it in for a second. The shomeret said to take all the time I needed.
Got out, felt like my face was on fire, but SO HAPPY and couldn’t stop grinning! [Sponsoring-rabbi] read the paragraph giving me m name, then the beit din had me say shema. I stumbled a litle because of being totally overwhelmed, and plus it’s been a LONG time since I’ve *said* the words of v’ahavtarather than sung it.
One of the stand-in rabbis commented about wishing me hatslacha but that he could tell by my personality that I wouldn’t need it, or something to that effect..!
Went next door to shul where people were hanging out cooking for an event on shabbat and got hugs, said a bracha that OTHER PEOPLE WERE YOTZEI ON, and got more hugs.
Atshul that night (kabbalat shabbat), [sponsoring-rabbi] wished me mazal tov again and said that I was “glowing” and had been since getting out of the water. My response? It’s sunburn. :P
I’m sure there’s more and I’ll add to this/add a second post, but wanted to get this up before too much longer.
I am so, so priviliged, and blessed, and HAPPY to have made it through this process.
