Jenny (aka RetroHousewife)

Hello and Happy Saturday!

First up, I wish to thank Adam for his wonderful interview last week.
Thanks so much for sharing with us Adam!

Today we have a new interview so please welcome Jenny (aka RetroHousewife).
Jenny is a Christian and I know you'll enjoy her interview as well!

Here Is Jenny's Introduction:


My name is Jenny, I'm a Christian, a wife, a mom, a blogger and an artist. My life is crazy, my daughter has special needs, my husband has PTSD as well as a traumatic brain injury from his service to our country in Iraq and I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. If it weren't for my faith I think I would have crawled under the covers and not come out. God is good.

http://ahappyhomeisaretrohome.blogspot.com/



1) What religion do you practice?
I consider myself a Christian

2) Are you a convert/revert or were you raised within this religion? If you converted, what did you need to do to convert? And what did you practice prior to converting?
I was raised in this religion part time in that my parents were divorced and I saw my dad every other weekend and during the summer, he was/is Christian, my mom was/is not, although she does believe in God.

3)Within your religion are there degrees of observance (ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal)? What are the defining differences between the degrees of observance?
I think that there are different degrees of observance in any religion because people are not all uniform in their beliefs, faith, strengths and convictions.

4)Within your religion what degree of observance are you ((ie. Orthodox,conservative, moderate, liberal) ? Why did you choose this degree of observance?
I don't really know how to answer that question because I've never felt a need to classify myself into a category like that. I don't know that I can really answer that, I just don't feel like I could fit myself into one category.

5)What is the Afterlife within your religion? For example: what happens when a person dies? Are there places for reward/punishment? (such as a Heaven/Hell concept)
That depends on who you ask. The Bible says Heaven and Hell but different people interpret it different ways. I personally believe in Heaven and I believe in hell as well.

6) In your opinion, does everyone make it into heaven/paradise? If they do not, why?
No not everyone makes it to Heaven. Those who have asked Christ into their hearts and their lives do, those that asked to be saved receive that gift. Everyone has the opportunity and the gift of mercy and grace are free but they aren't automatic- you must ask.

7) What makes your religion a good fit for you?
I didn't pick my religion because it is a good fit, I picked it because I believe that it is what God wants, because it is the truth not because it is convenient, it's not like picking out a handbag.

8) Do you consider people of other faiths to be your friends?
Yes I have many friends of other faiths from Jewish to Buddhist to those who aren't even sure if they believe in god.

9) Would you ever join people of another faith to celebrate one of their holy days? Please explain why?
Honestly I am not sure. I would have to pray about it and make sure it wasn't dishonoring God in any way.

10) Are women allowed to hold religious office (priest, minister, rabbi, iman etc) in your religion and how do you feel about it?
It depends on the specific.

11) Does your place of worship segregate? If yes, how does this make you feel?
No, I didn't realize any place of worship segregated still.

12) How much does your religion affect your daily life and how much thought do you give it when making a decision? Does it affect in any way your decision on abortion, gay marriage, etc?
My religion definitely affects my daily life, when disappointments come my way I am able to take comfort in the fact that God has a plan for me and that even though I may have wanted something badly and not gotten it that He has a master plan, he sees all and he knows what is best for me and what I wanted wasn't part of it or wasn't part of it at this time. I honestly don't have to give much conscious thought to my religion when making a decision because my religion isn't something separate from me, its part of me, it's who I am. Sometimes I may be swayed by my human nature to make a wrong choice and sometimes I do because...well, I'm human but usually I will have a nagging feeling inside of me letting me know that its not the right choice, whether or not I choose to ignore that feeling or not is on me.

My religion doesn't affect how I feel about abortion, my own personal feelings do but they happen to go along with my religion. As far as gay marriage....this is something I struggle with, the Bible tells us that a relationship should be between a man and a woman and that anything else is wrong but I think that there are far worse things out there than to love another person. I'm neutral on the subject, I'm not for it, I'm not against it, I have had gay friends and I am sure I will again in the future, it is not up to me to judge.

13) How would you react/feel if your child wished to marry outside your religion?
I don't think I would have a big problem with it, of course I wish that she would marry a good Christian boy lol but ultimately it is her life and her decision and I would just have to pray that her spouse would come to know God.

14) In your opinion, if someone is not of your faith, will they go to hell?
I am not wise enough to even begin to broach that subject.

15) Have you ever been the target of a hate crime? Please explain.
No I have not.

16) Do you ever feel like your religion devalues you?
No I feel empowered by my religion, I feel precious.

17) Does your religion give you peace of mind?
Absolutely. God wants us to put our worries on him. God may let us feel the sting of our bad decisions but he will never leave us forlorn, no matter what I go through I know I am not going through it alone and I know God ultimately has a plan for me.

18) Do you believe in reincarnation? Why or why not?
No I don't. Because it is not taught in the Bible, I think God would have mentioned that, its sort of a biggie lol