"rewards" for faithful service sometimes used to come in the most unlikely manner.
to illustrate; the "privillege" of being a young microphone handler occasionally yielded its wholesome dividends of an unexpected nature.
for example, when i was once on microphone duty as a young aspirant ministerial slave, i was rewarded with an edifying flash of theocratic tit when a sister leant forward to give her comment.
My best reward would have been discovering deep fried, battered cheese curds, while out in service. We stopped for breaks after about 2 hours of door-to-door. I had only recently moved to Wisconsin and my friends indocrinated me to the joys of A&W rootbeer, in frosty mugs, served with a side of melted cheese curds....mmmm.
Any wonder we have such a lard butt population here?
~A
If you meant spiritual rewards, then no. I only developed a huge fear of large, unchained farm dogs.
i have been here on the board a while.
posting away, commenting on other threads.
i have now been labeled officially an apostate throughout the circuit and district.
Puternut,
I've been on this forum all of two weeks, so I'm the last to offer you advice on how to pick yourself up. I have no children, but I once had a family.
I guess you're not looking for advice, though, are you?
So my question to you is, how do you feel spiritually? After spending so long with your life revolving around your religion, you must feel some void. How are you dealing with that area? I'm truly curious, as that is the main focus of my battle right now. I want to know where people go to fill up the emptyness of losing everything spiritual.
And what do I get out of this forum? I agree with almost every previous reply...I realize I'm not alone. It was total deja vu to see that Tex had been told he lacked faith. I remember that same conversation with my study guide. She refused to answer my questions past a certain point, saying I wasn't serious enough. No one was ever more serious.
And a personal note; other than the friends and "family" here, are you alone? You sound so hopeless I wish I had something more meaningful to say. Do those around you realize your pain?
You don't have to answer that last part if it's too personal, and I apologize if it is offensive.
~A
as the skipping rope hit the pavement, so did the ball.
look at me, charles.
"charles almost came out.
Excellent post, TD.
I just read A Wrinkle a few months ago, and had this nagging familiarity. I just couldn't place it, though. Your thoughts on it are really insightful and I thank you for them.
What is the history of the author, do you know?
I read the Narnian Chronicles when I was in grade school and was completely blown away when I put together the biblical parallels. Of course, in this matter I have the JW to thank for my early bible teaching. To this day, that series is the first one out of my mouth when asked what is my favorite book. Once I found out, later in life, about C.S. Lewis, I was a little worried that I'd crossed over into that "grey area" of allowable JW reading. But pushed that firmly aside, so as not to spoil my emotional image of the books.
On another note:
I have an interesting experience. Of course growing up I was highly discouraged from reading anything with magic and sorcery etc. My grandparents raised me and I'll never forget Grams saying "Be especially careful with things like J.R.R Tolkien books, and anything with magic. If you show interest in the demons, they'll show interest in you." I guess this scared the snot out of me ( I woulda been a sophmore in H.S.) because I didn't really know what the Hobbit, or Lord of the Rings was about, but seeing the books in the library made me feel like I was in the occult section.
Fast forward 6 years and its 1999. I had been out of JW for 3 years, and my new mother-in-law gave me a book store gift card. I was wandering through my favorite section and came across LOTR. It again made my stomach jump. But I stared at it for probably two minutes. I picked it up and read the back. It sounded beautiful. I was nervous, but anxious to get it home. I read all three books in a week's time. To think that those words from my dear Grams would have affected my thinking process so deeply, and may have kept me from reading one of (personal opinion here) the most beatifully written and poetic epics of all time.
<This all came about before I knew about the movies. They were a wonderful bonus and I was thrilled with their outcome. By the way.>
Also, were those other books mentioned in an earlier post from the same author? (I'm sorry, I forgot who recommended them...)
~A
you will never believe this, it is ridiculous.
we moved into the country 2 months ago.
since we moved into here, our neighbors accross the street never keep their dogs in their yard.
Dan-O,
I like your style. Honestly it seems that the dogs would be better off in the next life than living with crappy humans.
I would use a 12 ga. if we were out on the farm. Especially in mangy mongrel's case. But I live in town and the backyard neighbors are already nervous about random "gun shots". My pellet gun is a high powered one. It is so loud!
We have a serious infestation of Grackles (they're a black bird) and they piss me off. They chase my resident Mourning Doves out of their nest every year, and kill the babies. So I snipe out the kitchen window. By about mid june the Grackles are smart enough to avoid my yard. But in the mean time my poor doves only have maybe one sucessful family.
~A
my anger at the wt has been bubbling over.
under the surface.
i didn't even know what was wrong with me.
Hey, it really does make me feel better to wallow in all 'yalls pain!
Does anyone ever go up and talk to DF/DA'd members when you see 'em? I do just to show them that not everyone agrees with the "rules". Of course I was never baptised, so its not as big a deal. I just got my arse Removed. And was announced to be an unapproved association.
They (the lost souls) always seem to be uncomfortable at first, but eventually seem appreciative. I guess it would be like talking to some of you guys, had we been in the same congregation. How would you feel?
The other day I ran into a H.S. friend's mom. We'd always gotten along quite well. I asked about all the kids and when it came to the second daughter, she dismissed the conversation with a wave of her hand. "Oh, she's disfellowshipped." But I pushed and said......"yah, so how is she?"
The mom was taken aback, but answered, and we ended up chatting for a good 20.
It feels good, to do good, even when you had shunning taught to you as a family value.
~A
my anger at the wt has been bubbling over.
under the surface.
i didn't even know what was wrong with me.
Czar, make that two who would meet you at the caucases. I know this could easily turn into a "my scar is bigger than yours" kinda thing...but please allow me.
My mama was JW, so I was born into it. She divorced my dad when I was 3 'cause he beat her etc. She was disfellowshipped for going "off the deep end". She was reinstated, married dad #2. He left mom for her little sister (all of 19 years old at the time...what the hell?) and mom just quit going to meetings. So my whole life until this point has been dealing with shunnings of one kind or another. Mom disassociates herself and becomes, of all things, MORMON!?! Great so now she's apostate too. So in the mean time, auntie and dearest undad #2 (now uncle) get themselves reinstated. So they shun my Mom. Dear uncle becomes an elder and now no one talks to Mom except Granda, to her credit. But get this load of $hit. At my wedding (5/6 years after mom's great apostasy) uncle and auntie won't attend my wedding reception because mom will be there. But they go to the outdoor, non-denominational ceremony. See, uncle had to set a good example for his congregation.
Right, it had nothing to do with his guilt over that little stunt some 10 years earlier. And the fact that he can't be in the same room with mom because of his shame, and that was before her disassociation.
So here's the cherry, I don't even get along with mom. And I have this HUGE guilt complex over that fact. Because since I'm the oldest child I have to stick up for her.
How screwed up is this crap?
I despise shunning. Not that the Mormons have it, but at least when their members are "disfellowshipped" they don't go announcing it. No one even knows unless that person makes it public.
~A
Angry and bitter too.
you will never believe this, it is ridiculous.
we moved into the country 2 months ago.
since we moved into here, our neighbors accross the street never keep their dogs in their yard.
Oh yah, I meant to ask you where you moved here from? Some place really far away and foreign like..the UK?
~A
you will never believe this, it is ridiculous.
we moved into the country 2 months ago.
since we moved into here, our neighbors accross the street never keep their dogs in their yard.
I've got a Boston too, and for as much as I love dogs, I'd honest to god pop a pellet in its @ss if it mounted my little guy. In fact, I shot a mongrel dog that kept wandering into my yard, with my pellet gun. Problem was she was so mangy and hairy that she sort of "scowled" at me and loped off.
On a side note, since I love talking about the little Mister...
My in-laws have a german shepard and she beats the snot out of Mister. He promptly rolls off his back and begins snapping at her face and tail again. Have you found that Boston's aren't always the brightest bulbs?
~A
.
ten years is a long time, what changes has your life undergone in the last 10 years?
This is a great question. In the past 10 years....1994-2004. Well, I guess I was sure I'd never see 2004 in this system of things.
I graduated from HS. Left my congregation. Got married, which lead to this huge bullsh!t thing in my family. My mom is an apostate (Witness to Mormon??? Who woulda thought?) and so my aunt and her husband wouldn't attend my wedding reception because ma was there. I was so pissed. My aunt and I have been through so much crap in our lives, and we came through really tight. But then she pulls this stunt. It was the "straw". Her and uncle M shun mom, so I shun them. I know its so not christian. But I don't know what else to do. I feel like I have to stick up for mom because no one else does. She's had a hard life. Although admittedly by her own choices.
Anyway so now I'm up to 1999. I graduated from college and got my first real job. I am such an adult now. Do you know that I still call myself a "girl". I can hardly believe I'm technically a "woman". Maybe its just the denial thing happening because I'm suddenly closer to 30, than 20.
2004- this year sees me as a married girl with an awesome husband, a house, the world's cutest puppy (no honestly I think it was officially confirmed) and a garden. Everything is great. I have wonderful friends who love and support me and I'm so close to my in-laws it puts total shame on my blood relations.
But then there is that hole. I grew up with a huge family (meaning the congregation.) I left them and have taken no spiritual fulfillment since that day. I really feel empty. I saw "The Passion" and it was a complete slap in my face. I realized just how much I missed believeing in Jehovah, and Jesus. They were such a part of my life for about 17 years. To deny them now means I was misguided, mislead. And I really miss that spiritual side.
So obviously, at 10 years, I have most everything a blessed healthy person could want. My life now is so much better than 10 years ago (lets face it, highschool sucks total @ss, especially for Witness kids.) But I just feel like I can't make my transition into the next part i.e. motherhood, until I get this business cleared up.
So thanks for asking dh.
~A
something that is really vile but i am wondering if i'll acquire a taste for it.
i went into a very posh gourmet chocolate shop today, and feeling cheap got the cheapest chocolate in the shop.
it was still expensive.
Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum. I've been reading threads, kinda getting to know people, and the way rules work around here. I'm posting here because this one made me laugh. I thought I knew gross food, but that list a couple replys back, man that takes the chocolate shrimp covered cake!
Pretty much I'll just say "hi" and that I'm looking forward to getting to know you folks better. I think this may be what I've been praying for. I really needed discussion with people who understand.
~A
