Posts by Billygoat

20

Our new house guest

by Billygoat in

jw
friends

this weekend mozz and i went out of town to visit some of his family.

this morning on our way back home, we decided to meet some of them at a little truck stop restaurant to have breakfast.

we got there and noticed this little dog outside of the front door.

Oh my goodness I feel like a new mother. This guy is so adorable and it scares me to death that we might be keeping him. I'm already worrying about a million things. Will he be warm enough outside? Is he getting enough to eat? Do we have the money to keep him? Will my cats be okay with him? Will he get much bigger? How much does it cost to neuter? Are there clinics to do it for free? Does he have any health issues? What if we can't get him to behave? What if he gets my other animals sick? Will he miss his old friends back home? Is he scared by himself in the backyard? How do we housetrain a 6 - 9 month old puppy? Is it too late to put him in obedience classes? Will he tear things up when he's by himself?

Arggh. How on earth am I going to handle a CHILD?!?!?!

22

Cheap dubs no wheelchair ramp for sister

by DannyHaszard in

[the watchtower pr people are asleep at the switch allowing this to get on the news without their crafted embellishments].

a ramp could expand world.

cincinnati enquirer, oh - 7 minutes ago (see danny is ever vigilent).

Billygoat

I'm NOT a carpenter by trade and I could do this! It is ridiculous that the brothers and sisters in her hall cannot pull together $100 for scrap wood and a few hours on a Sunday afternoon to build this.

20

Our new house guest

by Billygoat in

jw
friends

this weekend mozz and i went out of town to visit some of his family.

this morning on our way back home, we decided to meet some of them at a little truck stop restaurant to have breakfast.

we got there and noticed this little dog outside of the front door.

Billygoat

Thanks guys! He really is a cutie. The fact that he's so well-mannered makes him even cuter. Someone's obviously played with him, because when you throw a ball, he'll catch it and bring it back. If it weren't for the fact that Mozz and I are so strapped right now, we'd have already taken him in as ours. But the jury is still deliberating. We'll see how he does tonight and tomorrow.

128

It Seems That My Children Are Not Trained

by Gary1914 in

jw
friends

i just returned home from the kingdom hall.

i am an elder.. after the meeting all the elders were called to the back room.

i thought this was an impromptu elders' meeting.

Billygoat

((((Gary1914)))) I am so sorry. Your children are very normal. It's the elders who are not. I really wonder why the elders don't follow the bible's instructions when there is an issue with someone. The scriptures say to take the brother aside privately. Being ganged up on by the elder body is ridiculous in my opinion and a gross misuse of their leadership. One brother could not have spoken on behalf of all of them? Why the need to humiliate you in front of your peers? Yeah, I can see Jesus doing that.

20

Our new house guest

by Billygoat in

jw
friends

this weekend mozz and i went out of town to visit some of his family.

this morning on our way back home, we decided to meet some of them at a little truck stop restaurant to have breakfast.

we got there and noticed this little dog outside of the front door.

Billygoat

This weekend Mozz and I went out of town to visit some of his family. This morning on our way back home, we decided to meet some of them at a little truck stop restaurant to have breakfast. We got there and noticed this little dog outside of the front door. It was a beautiful little male about 7 or 9 months old. We thought he was a little boxer mix. He was very friendly and nosed everyone coming in and out of the gas station. Since Mozz's family is full of HUGE dog lovers, the pup got tons of attention from our little group. Inside, we realized it was too late for breakfast...they were only serving lunch. We decided that we'd just go our separate ways and have breakfast on our own. But in the meantime we're walking out to our car and this pup's following us. The lady in the truck stop came out and said it was a stray that had been around for about a month. They started calling him Bones since you could see his rib cage. He gets fed by whoever gives him a scrap here or there and sleeps in her yard at night down the interstate. But that nobody had done anything about him yet. After a lot of discussion we decided to bring him back to Dallas and take him to the local SPCA. He'd at least have a better chance there than at a truck stop on the interstate.

So we put him in the truck and drove home with him. He wimpered a little and was anxious, but never did he bark. We fed him a bit of breakfast sausage, which he nibbled very gently out of our hands. So he's very well-mannered. We brought him home and put him in our backyard. He ignored our little Maltese who was not a friendly hostess and then chased our cat around a bit. I think he just wanted to play. I don't think he'd do any harm. I brought an old kennel out with lots of warm blankets and put some fresh water out. He sniffed the blankets and promptly laid down in the kennel. He has yet to bark at us and does nothing but nose us and stay right at our feet. Tomorrow we'll take him to a vet and get his health checked out.

He's the most well-mannered furry house guest we've had in awhile. I'm afraid he might make it hard for us to take him to the SPCA tomorrow. In my mind, I've already started calling him Bo.

27

The Roots of Christianity. What is the TRUTH?

by Sirona in

i've read a lot of theories regarding the roots of christianity, but being honest i have never gotten to the real "truth" about it.

if you believe that christianity was very deeply influenced by earlier pagan faiths, what real evidence do we have to support this?.

if you believe that christianity was not influenced by these earlier pagan faiths, how do you counter the claims that aspects of christianity are very similar to many aspects of earlier religious beliefs?.

Billygoat

Oh good, you rode the short bus too?

j/k

27

The Roots of Christianity. What is the TRUTH?

by Sirona in

i've read a lot of theories regarding the roots of christianity, but being honest i have never gotten to the real "truth" about it.

if you believe that christianity was very deeply influenced by earlier pagan faiths, what real evidence do we have to support this?.

if you believe that christianity was not influenced by these earlier pagan faiths, how do you counter the claims that aspects of christianity are very similar to many aspects of earlier religious beliefs?.

Billygoat

So much of this discussion is over my head, as I'm not a scholar. So I'll try to put in my blue-collar cents without sounding like I'm talking out of my butt.

As an active Christian, I realize my personal Christian beliefs are tinctured with some pagan flavor, mostly regarding nature. There is nowhere in my life I experience God stronger than when I'm immersed in nature. Be it camping, hiking, riding horses at my sister-in-laws, or just sitting in my backyard sunning with my animals. It is there in the silence (sometimes noise) of nature that I feel the presence of my Lord stronger than in many church services. I also believe there are layers of human psyche that can be "tapped" into, some have the gift to do it, others not, and many inbetween that experience it without realizing what they're experiencing. I've experienced that in nature, in orgasm, as well as in singing worship songs in my church. It is an experience of being separated, isolated and yet ONE with everything around me. It always leaves me understanding Life better. Less judgemental, more open, loved and more loving.

It doesn't surprise me that Christianity would be peppered with pagan beliefs, history, and mythology. But unlike many of my Christian friends, I try not to deny my Christian heritage. I embrace that my history would be flavored by other belief systems that teach the same core values of Christianity: love, live, let other do the same. *shrug* It seems so easy to me, but at the same time, I understand the uneasiness that some Christians have with knowing their history is peppered by pagan beliefs. Too many believe that pagan means occult, which I don't find the case.

Does any of this make sense to anyone else or do I sound crazy? I've never really come out to share these thoughts of mine before. I'm feeling a little vulnerable as I put these words down. Like I just walked into the AP class after having stepped off the short bus.

39

What was YOUR childhood dream?

by Golf in

being a professional baseball player.

i ended up being a professional golfer and teacher, one of the few hats i wear.

as a kid i lived for sports everything else was secondary, i love competition, in competition winning and losing is part of the game, it's a given.

Billygoat

I was very artistic as a child. I could draw, paint, sculpt and was very good at it all. As a freshman and sophomore I was in all the advanced art classes, which at that school wasn't heard of. My art teacher really took me under her wing and helped tutor me on the side. My father never had enough money for the toys I wanted, but he always had money for almost every art supply I wanted. I had a huge portfolio by the time I graduated high school. Which I promptly threw away when I moved out of state. (To this day I kick myself for that...makes me SOOO MAD! I think it was all that JW crap floating in my head that said I was going to be in paradise in a few years and wouldn't need a portfolio.)

But a side love I always had was photography. My father was a photographer, so I was always interested in it and always in front of the camera. As I grew older and after my DFing, the camera was in my hand more and more. I became the unofficial designated family photographer with all my friends and party photographer at all our little events. Almost two years ago, a friend asked me to photograph her wedding as a wedding gift. She loved my work and said I should really consider doing this for a living. I was a little surprised that she thought I was good enough to be a professional. And that's when it dawned on me...that's what I wanted to be when I grew up! And at that moment, Images by Andi was born. I've captured dozens of weddings since then, as well as babies, pregnant women, families, children, dozens of non-profit events and conventions. I love it! So I've finally become what I wanted to be when I grew up. But I just refuse to grow up.

Today I'm working part-time at a design job to make ends meet, but perhaps in two years or so, I'm hoping to do my photography full-time.

12

I got my first chance today

by oldflame in

a disabled friend of mine needed a ride today to an appointment, while i was sitting in my van reading the newspaper waiting for my friend a older woman walked up to my window.

i had in down 5 or 6 inches because i was smoking a cigg.

i could see that she had her bag full of watchtowers and awakes and so i said you must be a jehovah's witness ?.

Billygoat

I had in down 5 or 6 inches because I was smoking a cigg...

...she said well I can see that you know your bible pretty good and that I am not going to be able to change you...

She's probably thinking, "That poor goat. He thinks he has the Truth, but he really has no clue. I mean come on *chortle*, he's smoking!"

38

Shocking News!

by Blueblades in

jw
friends

what was the most shocking news you have ever heard ?.

for example: jfk assassinated in dallas!.

elvis found dead in bathroom!.

Billygoat

April 19, 1995... The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. After I finished my chores that morning, I called my mother just to check in, and she asked if I'd heard about it - she didn't realize that was the building my wife's sister worked in, and where her 18 month old son was in day care. I can say without a doubt that was the most shocking news ever for me. I went directly to my in-laws house, where it was an eternity 'til about 2 pm when we found out for sure my sister-in-law was ok. It was an even longer eternity (4 days) 'til we found out for sure that my nephew had been killed.

((((Cowboy)))) How could I forget that one? I was working at a photography studio that year. It was a small family company and we always had the tele on in the office. That day we didn't for some reason and I remember getting a call from a client telling us to turn it on. I just remember standing there eating a cookie, not being able to swallow. I remember what I was wearing that day too.

Even though OKC was physically close to me, and terribly shocking, I didn't know anyone there. 9/11 was worse for me personally because I worked for Dow Jones at the time. I lost several colleagues to the terrorists hands.

On the other hand, I'd have to say I was shocked when we were in for the first ultrasound of my wife's last pregnancy. The tech was showing us a baby on the screen - see the head... here's a heartbeat, a hand, another hand, a foot, another foot..... then she moved over a bit and said - And here's another head... Yeah, that was a shock alright, but a good one.

That is a shock! I remember feeling that same shock when my mom gave birth to twins. They'd had an ultrasound and it only showed one child. They didn't know there were twins until the day she delivered. Now there's a shock!!!