Wicca, Me, and Salvation

Been quite a while since I've posted on here, and kinda figured I would give people some form of an update on how things have been going with me. I really wish I would post on here more often it's really nice for me to get somethings that go through my bipolar mind out and into the open.

I am now officially about 90 days away from getting out of the military which to me is a good thing. I am done with this experiment of military service, and ready to move on with the next stage of my life. Which I am hoping to have some of it almost finalized by time I leave California. I will post it on here as soon as I can get word back on if everything is going to go through or not.

One of the biggest challenges for me in life as I think I have posted on here before is the constant struggle, day in and day out, of my past with witchcraft and Wicca. It's that time of the year, where the leaves start turning and it starts getting colder outside. My internal instincts this time of year especially as it gets closer to Hallowe'en is to just say its too hard to live this Christian life that has given me so much joy and purpose in life, and just ditch it all for the easier path of Wicca. It's really hard not to go back to, after all it's witch season right?

I am going to touch on this more here than I have ever before because again, it helps me to be able to put fingers to keyboard and get things like this out. I hate myself for this constant struggle that I am in. There has been many times I have questioned God about why me? Why am I the only one that struggles greatly with this issue? Why no matter how hard I try to stay with Christ, I also seem to stumble and fail and sometimes even find myself thinking about going to a Wiccan ritual? Why me?

There was almost a decade of my life that I spent in Wicca. I had some really good times in it, but at the same time I had some really really dark times. There was many an occasion that I swear I have felt pure evil, and trust me when I say this it is not a fun time when that happens. It truly scared me to the core of my being when I swear I was in the actual presence of the demonic.

The stumbling block for me always tends to be that its the easier path in life. After all, humans try to take the path of least resistance right? It's easier for me to say, believe what you will there is multiple paths to divinity than for me to actually preach the truth, and that is that there is only one way and that is through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Its easier to live by a code of ethics that simply states "An' Harm Ye None, Do What Ye Wilt" then to live a Christ-like existence. The bible says that we are to emulate Christ in all that we do and say, but man it's so hard to do sometimes.

Right now I am almost at a loss of what to do. I know what is right and righteous and true, but how can I, someone who for almost a decade cursed the name of Jesus, ever hope to be saved. How am I worthy of the love of God? How am I worthy to be called His son?

I'm not worthy of it, plain and simple, no one is. It is by grace that I am saved, through faith in Christ Jesus. The faith that God the Father sent his own flesh and blood, think about that for a second, Jesus is God's own flesh and blood. Could you send your own child to die for an entire people who aren't worthy of your love? I know I more than likely couldn't do that.

But the Father did, sent Jesus to die on the cross so that you and I can be saved. He sent Him to die so that we may no longer be slaves to our sin. That right there is so powerful. That is the ultimate display of love for those who are not worthy of His love.

That simple message right there, is why time and time again even though I may stumble and fall, is what keeps me picking myself back up and following what is righteous and true. I have been through a lot these past couple months. Everything from going to an alcohol rehabilitation program to where I am today finding out that I am being medically separated from the military because of my bipolar, and the one constant throughout all of it has been the fact that I have a God who loved me so much, that He sent His son to die for me.

I am sorry if you couldn't follow my train of thought with this post. It is 12:30 A.M. and I haven't slept in over 48 hours. I just had to get this off my chest. I am hoping to be able to post on here more often now. As I said earlier, writing things out tends to help me somewhat get my thoughts in a logical order to me.

For now, your humble servant,

xtan.goth

Just a quick note...

So I promise to try and make this quick... Yeah how many time have you heard that from people, only to have to conversation last for a couple hours. This may end up one of those depending on how I get talking (actually more correctly typing). I just want to drop a quick not saying hi to all the readers and to say that I am now to co-villain in writing on this blog. Where to start, that is the main question.

I am xtan.goth, as you can probably tell by my name, I am currently serving my country in the United States Marine Corps. I have probably only a couple more months left in the military, then I start on my life outside the day to day operations of the military. I am currently thinking about going to become a minister in LCMS. I am still very big into the Goth Subculture out here in the lovely Southern California Desert, I am probably the only Christian Goth per-say out here the only other ones I know of are Pagan. Which brings me to my next topic, my past.

Up until, October of this year, I have been a practicing Wiccan/Pagan. I have spent around the last 10 years to some degree or another in the occult. Some of it in groups, and also some of it solitary. But something changed in me around August of this year. I just felt like no matter how much I did magick it just plain and simple wasn't doing it for me anymore. I just felt like there was this gaping hole in me that nothing could fill. Then I started getting into something really dark. The only way I can really describe it is Demonic. I knew it was evil pure and simple, but at the time I thought I could control it. How wrong I was. I ended up talking to a really close friend of mine about everything, and she simply started telling me about Christianity. (On a side note, I grew up in a Lutheran household before I decided to rebel and get into Wicca.) I was completely cautious about this. I had just spent almost the last decade basically knocking down Christians to some degree or another. I didn't know that he could forgive me, so she invited me to go to church with her that following Sunday. I was nervous I had always thought that they were going to basically get ready for an exorcism if they saw someone like me walking in. I was used to the weird stares that comes with wearing the clothes.

I was actually surprised when I went there, I didn't get any weird stares or anything. I felt accepted. It was that day that I decided to turn away from Paganism, and became a Christian. It was the best decision I made in my life. It was also around that time that I felt like my true calling in life was to become a pastor for the goths. Ask anyone who knows me I have become outspoken about my religious beliefs.

I am going to post again here in a couple days more on some of my past experiences with Wicca and Paganism. I just wanted to drop by quickly and say what's up, and give a brief introduction. I am also currently writing a demo for the band I am the only member of, I will post a link to the downloadable album on here as soon as I finish up on everything.

Merry Christmas and God Bless,

xtan.goth