Posts by Nellie

35

Where do you go for your spiritual needs?

by Blindbutnowisee in

jw
friends

i never was baptize as a jw.

i use to study with them for years, i even went as for as becoming a unbaptize publisher.

i gave up being a publisher because i did not feel genuine in my efforts to preach.

Nellie

I'm really shocked at the cavalier attitude that many of you have expressed to this question. . . Witnesses didn't create the phrase "spiritual need" - God did. That much I know is true - otherwise, millions of people wouldn't be involved in all the many religions there are worldwide.

I was raised a Witness (actually I raised myself since no one else in my house was one - and I was 8 years old when I began studying) so their religion is the only one I know intimately. Having left, I'm gun-shy of jumping into another "religion" - but I do recognize a spiritual need within me. I've come to accept (as many of the posters agree) that I don't NEED a religion to be spiritual, but there are times when I would like to be among others who share the desire to talk about God. I don't know where I'll end up, but I imagine it will be some sort of non-denominational place. In the meantime, I still try to live a life I believe God and/or Jesus would be proud of. Which at the end of the day is what I believe being spiritual really means.

9

Patterson shock

by Phil in

jw
friends

well i have been there and am back.. this has got to be the most "pleasing" wake that i have ever attended.

it was performed and organized by the watchtower organization with the precisness of an organized military operation.

day one: had our greaving period alone with my son-in-law in his apartment followed with a meeting of her closest friends with a small lunch.. the following day, with a caravan of cars, we went to wallkill where a reception was followed by a graveside burial service and return to patterson to my daughter's apartment for a rest from activities.

Nellie

Condolences Phil on your loss... please accept our love and sympathies

35

New Here, just want to introduce myself....

by lies all lies in

jw
friends

hi everyone, i never was baptized but studied for a very long time before i finally got my sanity back and realized that although the individual jws for the most part were good people and doing what they thought was right the org itself was total b.s.

anyway ive been lurking here off and on for a while and figured i would stop being lazy and register.

so hello, i enjoy everyones posts and hope to be around for a while!

Nellie

Just thought I'd add my welcome to the rest. When you get the time, tell us your story . . .

8

Bonus find!!

by RollerDave in

jw
friends

so, last night we were working in our garage, we want the whole garage as a banquet hall for our 4th blowout instead of only half like last year.

going through boxes, i found the mother-lode of old jw books!.

my old collection of lit!.

Nellie

Funny, I boxed mine up (including the various DVDs and VCR tapes) and put them in the trunk of my car. I intend to drop them off at the local KH after hours as a donation. I wonder if they'll throw them out wondering if they were left by an apostate - or do they think they're protected by Holy Spirit from us big, bad postates. Hubby thinks I'm crazy, I should either keep 'em or throw them out. Seems such a waste to junk 'em and I don't want to give them the space in the house. What to do . . . what to do?

20

This is how old you are

by JH in

your age by eating out.

don't tell me your age; you probably would tell a falsehood anyway-but your waiter may know!

your age by diner & restaurant math.

Nellie

Cool !!!

1

Seeing your loved ones post here. Odd?

by Mysterious in

jw
friends

is it odd for you to see people you are close to, kids, friends, family, parents, etc?

do you sometimes read things about their experiences in the organization that you find strange or that you had forgotten about?

or perhaps you didn't realize just what a whack job indoctrination your ex managed to pull off?

Nellie

I WISH my loved ones would post here! I love to hear about some of their experiences. Unfortunately, they don't see the need.

16

Wedding Anniversaries vs. Birthdays

by PopeOfEruke in

jw's often have big parties or "gatherings" to celebrate wedding anniversaries, esp.

for the big milestones (20th, 50th anniversary etc).. the process of these parties almost exactly mimic a typical birthday celebration: the couple of honour sit up the front, various people give speeches, show "honour" to the happy couple, there is a meal and drinks, usually an anniversary cake.. exactly the same as a birthday party.. so why is it ok to celebrate an anniversary of a wedding but not the annoversary of a birth??

when it's usually the "wedding" which sooner or later results in a birth??

Nellie

Ohh Frequent Fader If you could have seen my face when after 20+ years I discovered that people slipped the CO envelopes of money during his visit! I was shocked!!! My husband, on the other hand, couldn't believe I'd never seen it before. Apparently, it's a longstanding tradition amonst the R&F.

21

Doubting JWs ever approached you?

by greendawn in

while you still were jws did any doubting jw ever try to talk to you about the flaws of the org and instil in you some doubt?

someone had told me that he didn't believe the gb members were straight and honest people that many of their ideas were wrong and that they had a secret agenda to pursue beyond the one they publicly proclaimed.

at the time i thought he may be right since they seemed to control everything and didn't allow anyone to contribute even the (so called) anointed.

Nellie

Mrs. Smith - Nice to hear there are others who share my feelings. Even though we found out the water was dirty, we were able to save the baby when we threw out the bath water!

21

Doubting JWs ever approached you?

by greendawn in

while you still were jws did any doubting jw ever try to talk to you about the flaws of the org and instil in you some doubt?

someone had told me that he didn't believe the gb members were straight and honest people that many of their ideas were wrong and that they had a secret agenda to pursue beyond the one they publicly proclaimed.

at the time i thought he may be right since they seemed to control everything and didn't allow anyone to contribute even the (so called) anointed.

Nellie

I guess it's all perspective - I DO think it was a good life, especially when I compare it to the lives of many in my family who were not witnesses. But I must look at it a little differently than others - I've got a great husband, great kids, a nice life and I KNOW that in the difficult years it was the training that we received that made us stick it out together. Now while I can credit the principles that we learned with helping us get through that patch, I also know that the demands put on us as witnesses led to some of our stress as a couple. Having survived all that though, I still believe we are where we are today - because of where we were yesterday.

26

Positive changes in your life since leaving WBTS

by Mrs Smith in

jw
friends

for me it's the friendships i have made with people that would have been considered too wordly to be friends with while i was still a jw.

leaving behind the guilt of never been good enough or doing enough.

celebrating the birthday of my precious children making them feel like king and queen for the day.

Nellie

I hated saying to myself, "I would do that if only I wasn't a Jehovah's Witness." Now, if my desires lead me in a direction and my sensibilities tell me that there's nothing wrong with it - I go for it. I haven't changed who I am or what I think, now I just have the freedom to express it and do it.

I'm a walking NIKE ad - JUST DO IT!