I remember

by ivoryroses4u 6 Replies latest jw experiences

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  ivoryroses4u

  I was 13 at the time that my only brother and his new wife introduced Jehovah's Witnesses to my family.. It was christmas time and we as a family were coming together to celebrate as we had done for as along as i could remember.. My brother said that him and his family would no longer celebrate and that we could discussed it at a later time..

  I was so upset.. My brother throwing away something that was so important too me...Well I needed to know.. So my sister-in-law took me to my bedroom and showed me where we as christian shouldnt celebrate a holiday that is not of God.. Again I was so upset and confused....

  Later the blood issue came up..My mother and father was upset by the thought that if anything happend to my niece and nephew that they would go to court to make sure they were taken care of.. and I told my mom why shouldnt she find out what they are being taught and then she would have grounds to fight if she had too...3years later my mother and father became a JW...

  I struggled with this.. I never felt worthly of Jehovah and his love.. I was so bad of a teenager.. So into the world.. How could he love me.....At 16 i was hooked on cigerettes and wanted to quit..

  I went to my parents and they went to the Elders of their congregation.... One of the elders agreed to speak to me.. WhenI went to the meeting i poured out my heart to this MAN.. and what he told me is that he could use me for time because i wasnt baptised... I was so hurt and turned off .. that it took many years and tears before i could get over that insult..

  Years pass quickly.. and I am now in my 30's . I just came out of an abusive relationship and was then practicing Wicca... I was in a battered woman shelter.. and met a woman of the christian faith..

  She gave me a book that talked about spiritual abuse.. Here i was feeling abused and used and this book told me because i wasnt sharing God with my children that i was committing spirirtual abuse against them.. I got so scared i called up the local kingdom hall and started a study with one of the elders wife.. it didnt take to long to quit smoking and dedicate my life to Jehovah... I was bapitised 5 months later and my oldest daughter bapitised a month after me.. Life was great.. except i still felt as if i wasnt doing what i should for Jehovah.. I was being told that i needed to get off welfare.. get a job.. when i did.. it was with a store that had catholic backing.. because it was tied to the beast.. i was made to quit as not to stumble a sister.. my daughter was working the field for 40 hours a week. and she was subject to people looking at unmarried brother lustfully.. when she said something. they teased her.. she soon stop going to meeting and field service..

  Shortly after... i met a man and he came over one day.. sitting in my kitchen with a cup of coffee i was witnessing to him about Jehovah.. I went to the bathroom. and 3 sister came by.. They saw the man and left. . 2 hours later.. the elders wife i was studing with called and wanted everything that she lent me.. I was marked.. that quick...No phone calls where except by me.. No visits.. Shunned that quick... Needless to say I stopped attending services and bible studies..I was faithful up until then.. it took 4 months for an Elder to call me. Asking me what was going on and why i had stop attending... A little too late... I still feel sad inside. My brother, we havent talked in 5 years.. And I have moved 15 miles from him.. We still dont talk...I still have question on doctrine.. Heaven, Hell etc. When a JW comes to my door i react in anger.. Sending them packing.. In a chat room. the same.. I just cant seem to get over all the experinces i had.. I still love Jehovah and Jesus.. I still need them in my life.. What is the next step? Is there life after being a JW? I dont know..
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  scumrat

  Yes, there is life after being a JW. It takes time to sort out everything.
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  ItsJustlittleoldme

  Yeah, all one needs to do is look in the scriptures for the answer to people celebrating Christmas:

  NIV Colossians 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

  The NWT version is almost the same, except they 'ominously' deleted the word RELGIOUS...

  *** Rbi8 Colossians 2:16 ***

  
  16 Therefore let no man judge YOU in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath;

  Edited to add the NWT version of the scripture

  Edited by - itsjustlittleoldme on 6 September 2002 16:32:13
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  Double Edge

  Hi Ivoryroses...

  Sorry to hear about what you've had to go through the first part of your life. This is a great board with a lot of wonderful people. All is well, REALLY. Stay on this board for a while, keeping an open mind... Alot of newbies have similar stories, stick with the board and a few weeks/months later they seem to become a new people.

  WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME.

  If there's any particular subject you'd like to read some threads on, go to the top lefthand corner and click on search...follow the instructions and Wah-lah.....
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  gold_morning

  Ivory Rose,

  What a beautiful name!!

  Ivory, I understand. I was raised a JW since i was a little girl. I knew nothing else and believed it was the truth. I was disfellwshiped in the early 80's and lost my family and friends. I did not have god in my life for 16 years because I believed what they told me. That God wanted nothing more to do with me and that he would not listen to my prayers. I lived in limbo away from God all that time.

  About 4 years ago I too wanted my questions answered. I wanted to know if there was a heaven and so much more. I began reading the bible. It was hard because of the guilt I felt..... but I just kept reading it. I could not believe how different the things in the bible were from what I had been raised to believe my whole life.

  Ivory.......just read the book of John like you would read a good book. Read it for enjoyment and read it WITHOUT the watchtower glasses on. You will be soooooooooooo amazed at what you read and how good you will feel. Most of all, even though it is hard, please try to pray. Just talk like you would to a friend. Talk to him just like you wrote in this post. God is working with you.

  The thing that amazed me the most was that God still loved me. He never left me.....I HAD LEFT HIM...because of them.

  Just listen to these couple of scriptures. They should cheer you up, fill you with hope and arouse your curiosity.

  Acts4:12.........."Salvation is found in NO ONE ELSE, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (see, it does not say there is no other religion by which me must be saved. It is only Jesus that we can be saved by)

  Ephesians 2:8......."For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is a GIFT of God....NOT BY WORKS, so that no one can boast. ( see, it is a gift, like a present. You don't have to do anything to receive a present. It is given to you out of love. It is not works that can save. I am sure you remember all the works that were required by the organization that we needed to do to have the salvation of everlasting life.Yet it is written that it is not our works that save us.

  Titus 3:5......."he saved us, NOT BECAUSE OF THE RIGHTEOUS THINGS WE HAD DONE, but because of His mercy.." ( there is nothing we can do to get brownie points to be saved. It is not about works. It is about accepting Jesus and having a personal relationship with him. Not knowledge about him...but a personal relationship!!

  John 8:51..."I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will NEVER see death." ( see what Jesus himself said. He did not say that you WILL DIE FIRST and then be resurected. He said that you will NEVER see death. In John 11:26 he also said that whoever lives and believes in him will never see death.

  2John 5:12......."He who has the son HAS LIFE....." notice the present tense. It does not say "will" have life..... but "has life".

  2Cor 5:8 the apostle Paul says he would prefer to be "away from the body and home with the Lord"

  Philipians 1:23.....Again paul says that he is living in the body but that he desired to depart and be with Christ.

  Acts 7:59 Stephan was being stoned to death and just before dieing he said this..."Lord Jesus receive my spirit."..............( he did not die and is waiting to be resurected. He asked Jesus to receive his spirit.

  there is so much more Ivory. Just read the bible. Do you have one that is easy to read. Get one if you don't that does not have the thees and thous. Let me know how you are doing. If you ever need help or have questions, please write me at [email protected]

  much agape love to you... gold_morning
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  AwakenedAndFree

  Hi ivoryroses4you,

  Welcome to this forum!

  Thanks for sharing your story with us here on the board.

  I'am a newbie here too!

  ROMANS 15:4 : " For all the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope."

  Christian Love,

  AwakenedAndFree
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  Sentinel

  Hello IvoryRose, and welcome with open arms!

  Oh, yes sweetie, there is a beautiful life out here, and it's full of true love and compassion. It will just take a bit of time to heal.

  You have been programmed into one of the most cultish groups around. Naturally, you are having left over guilt and problems with certain issues.

  Remember not to be too hard on yourself. You are worthy to be loved and you have a whole network of friends ready to be here for you as you make your journey. You don't have to do this alone, like I did, and so many others.

  Love,

  Sentinel/Karen