I finally got to meet my family after 20 years!!!!

by FreedomFrog 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  lisavegas420

  Go Gina,..Go Gina...and Happy Birthday. Glad you went, happy that you had fun.

  lisa
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  Junction-Guy

  My unlce in Kentucky married into the stapleton family. Any chance yours come from Eastern Kentucky too.
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  truthsearcher

  Hey Freedomfrog:

  I find it so weird that Witnesses are busy isolating themselves from non-Witness family, when the rest of Christianity is out there trying to shine their "light" among their family and friends (Matthew 5:15; Luke 11:33). Why do Witnesses feel that if they go out in field service, they have fulfilled their obligations ( to strangers), and are unwilling to do so with family, friends and neighbours?

  How cool to find out about your royal ancestry. Does this mean there is a family castle waiting for you somewhere in the UK? Here's some info on Edward II. My Scottish ancestors just wanted to remind you that they trounced your English ancestors!

  Edward II (1284 - 1327)

  Edward II Edward was a king of England whose reign was marked by conflict with the nobles until he was eventually overthrown by his wife in favour of his son. Edward was born on 25 April 1284, the fourth son of Edward I of England. He was the first English prince to hold the title prince of Wales, which was bestowed on him by his father in 1301. Edward I died in July 1327 and, his three elder brothers having pre-deceased him, Edward became king. He immediately recalled his favourite, Piers Gaveston from exile - Edward I had banished him to France for his bad influence on his son. Gaveston was given the earldom of Cornwall, previously a title conferred on royalty. Opposition to the king and his favourite began almost immediately, and in 1311 the nobles issued the Ordinances, which attempted to limit royal control of finance and appointments. Gaveston was twice exiled at the demand of the barons, only to return to England shortly afterwards. In 1312, he was captured and executed by the barons. In 1314, Edward invaded Scotland, only to be decisively defeated by Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn. Power was now in the hands of the barons headed by Edward's cousin Thomas of Lancaster, who by 1315 had made himself the real ruler of England. Yet Lancaster did little to initiate reform and parts of the country collapsed into anarchy. By 1318 Edward and Lancaster had been partly reconciled, but the King had two new favourites, Hugh le Despenser and his son. When Edward supported the two Despensers' ambitions in Wales, a group of barons banished both father and son, prompting Edward to fight back. He defeated Lancaster - who had appealed to the Scots for help - at Boroughbridge in March 1322, executing him and recalling the Despensers, with whom he now ruled. Edward's wife, Isabella of France, now emerged as a focus of opposition. In 1325 she was sent on a diplomatic mission to France where she met and became the mistress of Roger Mortimer, an exiled opponent of Edward. In September 1326 they invaded England. There was virtually no resistance and the Despensers were captured and executed. Edward was deposed in favour of his and Isabella's son, who was crowned Edward III in January 1327. Edward II was imprisoned at Berkeley Castle and murdered there.
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  freedomloverr

  That is so cool! I love that kind of stuff!
  
  I'm so happy for you and your kids. Isn't it amazing how our relatives open us back with open arms no questions asked? That is the REAL example of LOVE!
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  Cellist

  That's wonderful. It's great that you're able to connect with your family.
  
  Cellist
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  greendawn

  It's always very enjoyable when the clan gets together. To the JWs everyone outside their community has some fault and is therefore bad association, that is how foolish and isolationist they are.
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  FreedomFrog

  I wonder if only being nonjws made them so evil or if they had residual grudges that they hid behind the jw name. Did your nonjw family know they were branded as such bad people?

  Blondie, my non-JW family is about the best you can get from what I could see. If they are anything like my grandmother (she's the kindest soul) they can't be all that bad. One time I did ask my mom why we couldn't go...I was about 15 or so...she said, "I just don't like being around "worldly" people". The "sin" that my non-JW's have done is being in their own religion. Most of them are very liberal Baptists.

  My unlce in Kentucky married into the stapleton family. Any chance yours come from Eastern Kentucky too.

  JG, Could be...most of my family came from Kentucky. My grandmother moved here after great grandma passed away. Of course grandpa stayed in Kentucky. My sister lives in Greenup I think.

  Does this mean there is a family castle waiting for you somewhere in the UK?

  Truthsearcher,Yep, somewhere in the UK there is a castle that is a museum today. They had pictures of that too.

  My Scottish ancestors just wanted to remind you that they trounced your English ancestors!

  True...until King Edward III took over in his fathers place!!

  Edward III of England http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Edward_III

  Edward III (13 November1312 – 21 June1377) was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, he went on to transform the Kingdom of England into the most efficient military power in Europe. His reign saw vital developments in legislature and government—in particular the evolution of the English parliament—as well as the ravages of the Black Death. He remained on the throne for 50 years; no English monarch had reigned for as long since Henry III, and none would again until George III.

  Edward was crowned at the age of fourteen, following the deposition of his father. When seventeen years old he led a coup against his regent, Roger Mortimer, and began his personal reign. After defeating, but not subjugating, the Kingdom of Scotland, he declared himself rightful heir to the French throne in 1337, starting what would be known as the Hundred Years' War. Following some initial setbacks, the war went exceptionally well for England; the victories of Crécy and Poitiers led up to the highly favourable Treaty of Brétigny . Edward’s later years, however, were marked by international failure and domestic strife, largely as a result of his inertia and eventual bad health.

  Edward III was a temperamental man, but also capable of great clemency. He was, in most ways, a conventional king, mainly interested in warfare. Highly revered in his own time and for centuries after, Edward was denounced as an irresponsible adventurer by later Whig historians. This view has turned, and modern historiography credits him with many achievements.
• 

  FreedomFrog

  Oh, I meant to add...

  or if they had residual grudges that they hid behind the jw name.

  that could be...but my mom was very vocal when she had a grudge with anyone. I never heard my parents talk about anyone offending them other than when they would preach, my non-JW's would preach back and it was a losing battle. I did here my parents say that eventually all of our family would be JW's.
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  loosie

  I have some family that are in the "truth" that are bad association. LOL

  Good to hear you went FF!!!!!
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  changeling

  I'm so happy for you and glad you decided to go. I too was deprived of getting to know my relatives because they were "wordly". It's one of the things I resent the most.

  changeling