How did a New Age seeker wind up in the Eastern Orthodox Church?

Click here to watch a You Tube video of Veronica filmed in Platiina, CA where she wrote her book.

The Pearl of Great Price is the story of a unique Christian conversion. It is about the spiritual journey of a wayward Catholic New Age Baby Boomer to Jesus Christ and Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

• "If you don't believe in the reality of spiritual warfare,
• if you are convinced that miracles belong to a bygone era,
• if you have always assumed that all paths to the Orthodox Church are basically the same,

then you must read The Pearl of Great Price.

The book is likewise a precious gem—a moving memoir that you are sure to treasure for its grateful testament to the grace of God."

Bobby Maddex, Operations Manager, Ancient Faith Radio Senior Editor, Salvo Magazine"

Check out this wonderful video review of Veronica's book by David Withun released 12/28/11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWbnkCOkh1A&feature=digest_fri

St. Veronica, my other guardian angel! This is the woman with the issue of blood, whom the Lord healed (Matt. 9:20). She also wiped the face of Christ as He struggled to carry his cross, thus the napkin with his image on it.

About the Author

My book is about seeking and finding. It is a unique story of Christian conversion. "I journeyed long and far to discover my Pearl of Great Price." As many youths in my baby boomer generation, I became disillusioned with the Catholic Church. Eventually, due to a severe health crisis which traditional medicine could not effectively treat, I turned to alternative medicine treatment, the teachings of a guru, meditation, Eastern religions, and metaphysics. I became a massage therapist, spiritual healer and teacher. Yet for all my meditation techniques, fasting and praying; true inner peace eluded me. I was told "follow your heart", but the spiritual paths and meditation techniques I used and practiced in the end did not truly quench my inner spiritual thirst.

Through a series of remarkable relationships and deep reflection I realized I had to come to terms with my past and my issues not only the church, but Christianity in general. Not until I had healed and reconciled both personally and with the church could I move beyond judging it and myself to be able to touch the heart of my personal struggles to find the "Truth, the Way and the Light" in Jesus Christ and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. How God could bring me from a total immersion into Eastern Religions and the New Age to the Eastern Orthodox Church amazes me still!  I would not have imagined becoming Christian would have been the outcome of my struggles and spiritual journey, but this is the nature of true spiritual warfare. I was fighting a battle for the salvation of my soul on unseen levels and by the grace of God was saved.

I live in Marin County, California, with my husband, Gregory, and our two adorable dogs, Bisou and Bubba. We currently attend St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in San Anselmo, where I sing in the choir. I am quite involved in the study and spiritual practices of the early church.  I especially want to connect with other Orthodox women about how to bring others to Eastern Orthodox Christianity and how my book would be helpful in their Christian ministry.

For a more in-depth window into my book and my experiences you can tune into several podcast interviews:

The most recent podcast on Ancient Faith Radio:

http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/features/the_pearl_of_great_price

A two part podcast from 2009 - Kevin Allen interviews Veronica Hughes

Part One

Part Two

For dialogues or posing questions about issues from Veronica's book or podcasts check out my blog site: pearlofgreatpricebook.wordpress.com

About my latest book, The Pearl of Great Price

Life is truly a remarkable experience and gift. Travel with me through my journey to find The Pearl of Great Price, that treasure of spirituality, which I sold all to obtain. The first part of my book, My Labyrinth, begins with the description of my family' search for a better life in America, and the rich spiritual and cultural heritage I inherited from my descendants. My journey continues, taking me away from that heritage, God and the Catholic Church into the seeming serenity and release from suffering offered by Eastern religions and the New Age.

Eventually I begin to realize that majority of my seeking was in reaction to or avoidance of something, especially the Catholic Church, even Christianity in general, which is true for many seekers in our modern times.

Unbeknownst to me, I was truly not choosing my path in life. Instead, my unconscious beliefs and my reactions to life, religion and God directed the choices of my soul and ultimately smothered my spirit. In Part Two of my book, The Battle for my Soul, I explain how I finally learned to trust others; eventually I could choose to be with God and the Church, responding to the love I found there, rather than my fears.

The third part of my book, My Conversion, gives readers an in depth window into the process of conversion and the teachings of ancient Christianity while validating aspects of my former seeking. How profoundly God finds ways into our hearts through all the challenging events that befall us! I hope that my story will encourage you in your spiritual searching. As St. Matthew tells us, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

 "In her insightful memoir, Veronica Hughes has given us an original view of Orthodoxy: one from the perspective of a practitioner of Eastern and New Age religions. The spiritual contest is powerful, and the goodness of our God evident, on every page."

Frederica Mathewes-Green, Khouria of Holy Cross Orthodox Church, Author of Facing East: A Pilgrim's Journey into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy

Veronica will be donating a percentage of the net profit from the sale of her books to the Orthodox Church.