Posts by Chia

I'm picturing an Apprentice-like show, with several male candidates, and me in the position of the Donald, like, "You're fired!" After the "interview" of course. Haha!

That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard! And don't get me started on being compared to cows.

46

Do you like your given name?

by Outaservice in

jw
friends

the bible attaches importance to your name, do you like yours.

if not, what would you change it to?.

i always hated mine, outaservice smith.

Chia

I always wanted to be Annabella or Olivia. I love long, romantic sounding names like that.

I also always liked the name Madison Elizabeth. But I definitely don't look like a Madison.

37

TIME WILL TELL (Did you fake your hours in Field Service?)

by Terry in

jw
friends

i know for certain that brothers in our congregation often lied about their time on field service reports.

(yes, we had to fill out quota reports back in the old days).

one brother, harry, would dump magazines in the storm drains!

Wow I'm impressed that you never lied. I lied all the time. Especially toward the end there. I know my book study conductor caught on too, because toward the end he'd say, "I lost your time. Can you turn it in again? Can I have your time for the last 6 months?" I'd say, "What? I don't have it! I don't know where it is!" He said, "Don't you keep track?" To which I replied, "Don't you?"

But now I take great pleasure in letting them know I haven't been out in service in months. Not a single hour.

46

Do you like your given name?

by Outaservice in

jw
friends

the bible attaches importance to your name, do you like yours.

if not, what would you change it to?.

i always hated mine, outaservice smith.

Chia

I hate my name and I always have. My mother thought I was going to be a boy, and had an adorable name picked out. But when she saw that I was a girl, she had NO CLUE what to name me. The nurses kept pressuring her to name me, so she gave me this name that she didn't even know how to spell, so she took a stab at it. My name is fairly unique and ethnic, and I have rarely seen it spelled the way my name is spelled. It leads to lots of mispronunciation. I definitely won't change it now though, it's too late for that. My middle name is OK, it's also unique. As for my last name, I've been told it's very British, though I am not British. I like it well enough, and I will keep my last name when/if I get married if I can.

12

Bookstudy - Ch30 "Go On Walking In Love"

by TheListener in

so this is the title of the chapter we'll be starting this week at bookstudy.

sounds promising eh?

well don't get excited.. here are some tidbits:.

Chia

I am so glad I don't have to go this week! Actually, my meeting would've been today. Free at last!

40

20 years ago..a talk concerning field service..sisters crying..eyes opened

by confusedjw in

well i can't recall now which public talks it was - one of my first - and it dealt with field service / preaching.

so i thought i would interview several people in the congregation about service and their thoughts and feelings on the subject, expecting something very different than what i got.

to my shock (i was an over zealous young buck who thought the sun rose and set on the wt) three sisters burst into tears as they told about their feelings of inadequacy and guilt over field service.

Chia

there was ONE good thing about field service (besides getting exercise), especially in the spring and summer months - you got the chance to appreciate everybody's flowers, lawns, landscaping, the smell of cut grass, etc.

Good observation! I had never thought about it that way but you are right. I remember once we went out preaching in this gorgeous neighborhood. The householder's mom had been a Witness. He wasn't interested, but he did give us a grand tour of the house and yard. His yard was so huge, that he gave us a ride on his tractor thingy to show it all to us. His garden was the most beautiful I had ever seen. It blew me away.

67

The most condescending thing said to you by the (sm)elders.

by diamondblue1974 in

i wasnt the most academic of children although i had some capability but i could read quite well by the time i was 4 years old at least for my age; i have always read as a child and still read now as an adult both professionally (research) and for pleasure.

i have always been able to write too...and pretty much advanced as well as my peers did in school...perhaps i am lucky, i certainly feel like i am when illiteracy amongst adults and children is rife at present...however.. i remember when i was 16 the wts in the uk were pushing through a scheme teaching those who were not as able to read and write...and an elder in the hall made a point of coming to me and suggesting that i should actually attend the training!!

!....i explained that i could read and write well enough and didnt need to be taught basic literacy... he said that i might learn something new and should respect jehovahs order of things and show appreciation...i did decline his kind offer rather abruptly....but wtf??

Chia

Some of these are truly awful. I think one of the most condescending things, though I can certainly think of many, occurred after an incident with my mother. Whenever my mother and I get into an argument, she runs straight to the elders. So I met with the elders, stupidly, and one of them said, "You have a bad temper. It seems very irrational. Have you considered medication for that?"

I wanted to say, "Have you considered plastic surgery for your ugliness?"

40

20 years ago..a talk concerning field service..sisters crying..eyes opened

by confusedjw in

well i can't recall now which public talks it was - one of my first - and it dealt with field service / preaching.

so i thought i would interview several people in the congregation about service and their thoughts and feelings on the subject, expecting something very different than what i got.

to my shock (i was an over zealous young buck who thought the sun rose and set on the wt) three sisters burst into tears as they told about their feelings of inadequacy and guilt over field service.

Chia

I hated service. I lied about my hours constantly. I'm relieved that's over.

47

Bookstudy Group Disbanded......haha

by Mary in

jw
friends

i just got word that the bookstudy attendance in one of the groups at my hall has dwindled off to numbers so pitiful that they're dissolving this particular bookstudy group and splitting up the remainder and shipping them out to other bookstudy groups.

Chia

Warning: Long story coming.

I remember when we had the book study at our house. First of all, I didn't even want it there. It was my mother's house, and she basically decided that she wanted to have a book study there, probably for some glory. I was ticked, because even though it wasn't my decision, I knew I'd have to suffer for it, and suffer I did. At the time my sister and I were pioneering and working, and my brother was working full time. My mom doesn't work, but is disabled. So we all would run around like maniacs trying to get the house tidied up in time for the book study. Also making things more complicated was the fact that my mom had to have some type of goody every night for them to eat. It frustrated me because I just wanted them to GO HOME. I remember one night they complained because my mom served cheese and crackers instead of an actual meal like she usually did. The last straw for me was when the elders called my siblings and I in for a meeting. In this meeting they told us that the brothers and sisters had complained that the house wasn't clean enough and that we had to do better to represent Jehovah. I was livid! We were the only ones volunteering our house for a meeting place, we had to put up with constant complaining (ie, "It's too hot! It's too cold! It's too loud!") and now you are telling us that the "brothers" and "sisters" are complaining more behind our backs? How about, "Can we help you with something? We realize you guys are so busy." But no, people always want to tear down and not build up. That incident helped lead me on the road where I am today.

So that's how I feel about the book study and attendance there.