If you haven't read My Journey Part 1, you should probably read it first.

    After I joined the International Community of Christ, I occasionally had some doubts, but mostly the doubts were not about the truth of the teachings of ICC.  They were more personal doubts about my abilities and if I was really worthy of training in an advanced spiritual school.  Over time, as I learned and changed, I was able to put those doubts to rest.
    One of the first changes I saw in myself was increased energy.  Not surprising since I was learning to energize all of my energy centers (chakras) with emphasis on the weakest ones (in my case, red, orange, yellow) rather than concentrating only on the upper chakras as some other schools teach.  That works fine for someone who is very materialistic and has strong red and orange chakras, but not when those are your weakest.
    Some development of psychic abilities was noticed next.  Using the methods provided for training by ICC, I developed a little psycho-kinetic ability, occasional visions or insights into the future, and an increase in the empathic abilities that I was already aware of.  On communicating with animals, all I have managed is to be able to send thoughts to them that they seem to respond.  I have not yet managed to understand their thoughts mostly because I simple don't practice enough.  Since development of our psychic self is a necessary, but one we need to get past and go on to the spiritual self, we are taught in ICC to not spend too much time developing psychic abilities.
    After six years, I had become sufficiently spiritual to be ordained a Deacon.  The International Community of Christ only promotes you when you are spiritually ready, not just when you have had a certain amount of training.
As a Deacon, I was assigned as an assistant minister at one of the churches in our sanctuary.  This is largely symbolic for those of us who do not live in the Reno area so can't physically participate in services at the sanctuary.  
    All things have cycles and while I have been a member of the ICC, it has had it's share of ups and downs.  Typically, these are three and four year cycles of growth and non-growth (or even loss).   I too have ups and downs, but overall continue to grow spiritually within the community.
    Last year, before the annual Convocation in October, the Church leaders made the decision to promote those
who had been deacons for some years, to Priests or Pastors and I was one of the group that was ordained.  Several other became new Deacons.  Also, last year, some emphasis was placed on outreach.  With a growth cycle now occurring, we held brainstorming sessions to come up with ideas to reach out for new members.  I knew even before the Convocation started that one of the suggested ways to do outreach would be to create a blog.  I decided to go ahead and start one as an example and that is how this blog got started.  As far as I know, this is the only blog so far for an ICC minister.  I hope others will start their own soon.