now that I have time...

OK, so the Ph.D. is finally finished and I'm officially a mathematician.  Considering this has taken ten years of my life to complete, a few friends have light-heartedly asked what I plan to do for an encore.  This is the answer.  For a few years now I have had the urge to write the story of my journey and the journey of my family to Orthodox Christianity.  In a way, it is to get it out of my system...to lay out the honest reasons for the conversion, many of which would surprise those who, upon becoming disenchanted with their current church, go looking for another that is more in line with their personal taste.  However, it is also intended as a bit of research for me.  I want to be able to answer any question anyone has of me concerning Orthodoxy.  I know that my goal is unattainable even if I were to spend the rest of my life trying to achieve it, but aiming that high will allow me to get as close as I can.  So, over the next months I hope (God willing) to put together a series of posts that serve as my "spiritual autobiography."  If you find it informational or entertaining, fine.  If you find that it inspires you to assess your own spiritual foundations and beliefs, even better.  And if you find that it drives you to look at Orthodoxy for the answers to the questions you've been asking, that would be the best outcome of all.