Two "sisters" from the hall came by today to see how the kids and I are doing, do I need anything, etc. They asked if I wanted my mags and I said "ok, but just my personal copies, not all the other copies that are there". They looked a little puzzled but agreed to bring them by (gee, did I make it a little obvious that I don't even want to try to go out in service?). lol At least this way I can see what the WTS is dishing out without having to go back to the hall and look interested.
I never paid for magazines either! And I never asked for money from people - that just sounds wrong after the WTS brags about not having collections at the Hall!
I've always thrown out the old magazines I didn't place (which was most of them) - mind you, I'd hold onto them for months or a year "just in case" I could place them somewhere. We had a ton of old JW books that we were never going to read, and multiples of books that we only needed one of, so we threw out a huge box of them (it was so heavy I could not even lift it and could barely push it along the floor!). I just went around and found my stash of magazines (kept a few that were relevant to keeping informed on the WTS policies, like the new Keep on the Watch brochure) so I've got another box to throw out. I agree it is too much clutter. I am only keeping last years' bound volumes and the basics like the All Scripture inspired book, the Insight volumes, Ministry School, Reasoning, and other "basic" to refer to, plus we have the 2003 CD Rom. It is insane how much space you would need to keep all that stuff.
2