.
i don't know where the tradition came from, but down here in the south, it's traditional to eat cabbage, black-eyed peas, ham....and since cornbread seems to go so well with it...heh....wonder what it means....i know the cabbage is for luck with money in the new year, but not sure about the rest.. anyone else make any new year's resolutions?.
frannie
I love black eyed peas....when they are made right....LOL
It is said that when eaten on New Year's day, they will bring you luck and prosperity. The peas are supposed to represent coins. My personal resolutions are to continue to live a more healthy live, strengthen my family draw closer to God, enlighten and help others, and enjoy each day with people I love...So anyway in that regard, whether you guys are eating them or not, I wish you all peace and unbounded blessings for the new year
did it reinforce your dedication to the cause?
or did it burden and disillusion you?
I hated FS with a passion! The worst part of it was being paired up with people u didn't like or barely knew...especially a "live and die for the truth" kind of brother or sister...like all of you basically said...nothing compared to going to a door where your schoolmates lived!! Especially when you didn't tell them that u were a witness. (this happened to me 3 times) I hated getting up early in the morning....especially as a kid....all u cared about as a kid was watching Saturday morning cartoons!....(at least i did anyway) I loved getting up for those....but not field service! It did nothing for my zeal for the truth...I didn't fully believe what I was preaching so I was never able to give a convicting presentation to my "householder"....I think my partners sensed this so they always took over after my 2 or 3 doors (which was part of my plan LOL)
Another thing that sucked was getting chased by neighborhood dogs, going to dangerous houses ( I went to one that said "Soliciters make good target practice" with one of those target practice boards on the front door). There were times when I thought I wasn't going to make it out of people's homes. I also hated the way we were bamboozled into thinking that the less time we spent in the field, the lower the favor was we had with God. Yet, another contradiction of His unconditional love and the huge WT discussion we had on Jehovah not being a partial God......
The only things I liked about field service was when I got to work with people I liked, and my family. With them there was minimal talking on my behalf. Depending on who you were with, you got to go to McDonald's afterwards.....
okay you guys here is my story.....it might be a lil' long winded, but please bear with me....it's interesting.... well i have been away for 8 years...i stopped when i was 17 and i'm 25 now.
it all started when i became a non baptized publisher at age 14. i was a very good speaker/reader.
the elders were waiting for me to get baptized and encouraged me to do so.
LOL...I actually used oil sheen....which is somewhat like afro sheen...but for the record yall...my hair is still fine and wavy (naturally as it always has been but u couldn't tell the brothers that)
I keep it trimmed low and nice and neat...AND....I sport a goatee!
Put me on that podium now!!! LOL
i remember one time at an assembly these two "brothers" were actually arguing over thier seats.
i thought they were going to go to blows.
isn't it funny how during the regular meeting nobody wants to set in the front rows, but boy at an assembly everyone wants to have that "showy means of display" by being in the front rows to be seen by all?
yes I definitely have seen that "Christian Compassion" at the assemblies...but have you guys seen this? When a visiting brother or the CO comes for a visit, the bookstudy groups altenates the hospitality duties (feeding the brother a meal after his talk at their respected homes) I've witnessed the "friends" actually arguing and debating enforcing that rule. Some honestly didn't want to do it anymore.....can you believe it? Shame on them...what if word got back to the CO?
okay you guys here is my story.....it might be a lil' long winded, but please bear with me....it's interesting.... well i have been away for 8 years...i stopped when i was 17 and i'm 25 now.
it all started when i became a non baptized publisher at age 14. i was a very good speaker/reader.
the elders were waiting for me to get baptized and encouraged me to do so.
WOW!! Thank you guys for all your positive feedback! That was really refreshing to hear. I wasn't expecting that response. I totally agree with what you guys said. And believe me, the story doesn't end there....there are so many other things that happened that scarred me...I just want to reiterate to all of you that there is still hope.....I'm still learning God's way and still cultivating a relationship with Him....but despite all that we have been through, and despite what's going on in the world today, we still have Him...in our final hours, He is there....He is with us until the end of time....these are things the orginization didn't focus on with us...before anything else, God wants us. It starts in our hearts. He can and will take the pain away...we don't have to be in the "club" to have His love....but when I said come to Him "stripped" i meant without the doubts, worries, and guilt that you had before. He knows you have that. Bondage. Ask Him to strip those chains and all that other mess that they drowned us in. He will. My heart goes out to StopthePain....don't give up my brother...I'm telling yall, get some good gospel/inspirational music! LOL....it's gone be alright!!! LOL
But this is so refreshing. I hope all of you got something out of this...because I feel blessed reading all of your posts and again I thank you all for the wonderful words. I look forward to sharing more with all of you.......
okay you guys here is my story.....it might be a lil' long winded, but please bear with me....it's interesting.... well i have been away for 8 years...i stopped when i was 17 and i'm 25 now.
it all started when i became a non baptized publisher at age 14. i was a very good speaker/reader.
the elders were waiting for me to get baptized and encouraged me to do so.
Okay you guys here is my story.....it might be a lil' long winded, but please bear with me....it's interesting...
Well I have been away for 8 years...I stopped when I was 17 and I'm 25 now. It all started when I became a non baptized publisher at age 14. I was a very good speaker/reader. The elders were waiting for me to get baptized and encouraged me to do so. I knew in my heart that I wasn't ready because in the far corners of my mind, I knew my heart wasn't in "the truth". But I was brainwashed since birth that this was the only way. So because of the short supply of brothers in the congregation, they needed help in areas. I still wasn't baptized and they were constantly on my parents about it. They never forced me but they wanted it just as much as the elders did. But they knew how important the decision was. I thank them for it to this day. You think that stopped the brothers? Hell no!!!
Can you believe they bent the rules for me (of course yall can it's law to them) I was nominated to do things reserved for baptized brothers....in addition to being signed up for the theocratic school AGAINST MY WILL ( can u believe my parents signed us up?) they had me reading the lesson at bookstudy, and carrying the mics!!!! I was on the school for talks EVERY MONTH, sometimes 3 times a month....plus school and a job....then...these bastards told me my hair was not acceptable.....WHAT!!! People, I am African American. I have what we Black folks call "good hair"....it's really wavy and fine...anyway, they told me if I didn't change my hair cut and basically the texture of my hair, I couldn't participate in any of the activities/privledges....My parents who gave me this hair, were so embarrassed.....so i got a different haircut and switched hair products (the brothers didn't like the shine the pomade put on my hair)...but the texture of my hair stayed the same....go figure....I've never seen my father so disappointed in me. (but he didn't give a damn about any other aspect in my life) then they damn near banished me for growing my beard....okay if God made man in His image...(think logically) why would He create men with testosterone giving us the ability to grow hair on our faces and call it detestable? How is it wrong that He created me to do this? How could it possibly be unclean? If that's the case, I should shave off all my body hair....No one could answer this for me. At this time I was at a religious war with my parents. We had heated debates frequently. Nights were filled with them giving me the tried and true J-dubisms and all kinds of religious psycho babble that left me more and more frustrated and misunderstood.....
So when I turned 17, I've have had enough....soon I was doing anything and everything to ditch the meetings....I started working late, and becoming "sick" on meeting nights..even when I had talks...let some other dude do it...."Impromptu hell!!! (yeah i picked up a cursing habit...guess i'm part of the world huh?) I was livid with the way they were using me...every week every month I had a talk...it got so bad my mother was writing the talks for me....and my father who was an dad absentee even though he lived with us got all the credit for me being a great speaker.....My speaking ability is a gift from God...my father never taught me anything....he just happened to be my biggest critic....everytime i got good counsel, he would tell me about what I really needed to work on....(ususally something the brothers gave me "good" on) So that summer, I had a turning point....One day my good friend and I had a heated religious debate...we covered everything from Jehovah, to Jesus, to birthdays, holidays, college....I stood my ground, standing firm on the truth...but I believed what I was saying less and less...everything, every objection she had was ON POINT!!!...It was EVERYTHING I needed to hear.....God sent her to me to hear the real deal....and it was on from there....I went to my senior prom, hung out with my "worldy friends", lost my virginity, and went to college....but it wasn't until I was 19 that I started to change spritually....for the first time in my life, I started to re-evaluate my understanding and relationship with God...I started listening to Gospel music and going to church....a very different experience, but a healthy, eye opening spritual one....
I married my high school sweetheart last year and she has helped me through so much....my outlook and beliefs are sooo different...for the first time in my life I realized God in my life...If it were not for Him I would not be where I am now....when I was a JW....i really didn't know Him...it was just a routine that was recorded in my head...with no real emotion..especially when I was taught that He wouldn't be there for me if I wasn't one of them....what a bunch of BS!!!! It's so evident that He's with me....I didn't realize it until lately but, people always come to me for advice because I give them the truth..and it's according to what He said. They even ask me what church do I go to just by looking at me.......because of this calmness and peace that He's given me..I treat people the way I want to be treated...and I know that He is with me...and His word is in me....regardless of everything...sometimes I don't see how He can be with them (JW's)....but that's just His way...We all are His children......His love is unwavering, unmovable, unstoppable, and unconditional....I have lost all contact with my former JW "friends" who were supposed to be my "real friends".....some have been in jail some are even homosexual now.....but i have had the same friends and some new ones, for almost 10 years...who said wordly folks couldn't be faithful? I have the best friends in the world...they are like my family...i see them more than my actual family...who are predominately JDUB!!! (on both sides) but in conclusion....Leaving the orginization was the best thing I could ever do!!!
To those still caught up and confused, in the end you have to do you! Be true to who you really are...and if you go to God,stripped, truthfully and faithfully, He will guide your heart to the place it should go. May God bless all of you!
i just discovered this board today and let me just say it is a breath of fresh air!
i should have joined this group a long time ago instead of today.
i have been an ex jw (unbaptized publisher anyway) for about 8 years.
Thanks to all of you.....i think i'm gonna enjoy myself here....talk about support!
i feel a sense of healing coming along....LOL
...on the phone.
should i have told her that "satan is the god of good and bad luck"?
hehe.
GASP!!!! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHH...she said luck!!!!
"instant destruction shall be upon her"! LOL
It's an estimated 59,000 now......
i just discovered this board today and let me just say it is a breath of fresh air!
i should have joined this group a long time ago instead of today.
i have been an ex jw (unbaptized publisher anyway) for about 8 years.
Hello to all the ex J-dubs out there!!!
I just discovered this board today and let me just say it is a breath of fresh air! I should have joined this group a long time ago instead of today. I have been an ex JW (unbaptized publisher anyway) for about 8 years. I have been dealing with some issues for as long as I can remember. I definitely have my reasons for walking away from the "orginization" but when both sides of your family are active members, it's not easy for one soul to take. But ever since I left, my life has NEVER been better. I will probably go into details of my history later but I am happy to say that I finally know the truth about God's love. It isn't conditional or partial to only JW's....like I was tricked into believing....I have been blocking ALL my blessings by staying trapped into a life and religion that tricked me into believing it was the way for all. I'm just so happy that there are more people like me who know that know exactly what I've been through and then some...although I have done things that all Christians should avoid (mostly fornicate LOL) but I try my hardest to apply ALL of God's laws in my life...and share His message with others....but yall are HILARIOUS on some of these posts ====> Articles you like to see in the WT/Awake!.....glad I found this spot.....
