AudeSapere

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Posts by AudeSapere

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  90

  Best way to step down from being a servant

  by RayPublisher in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hey i'm wondering if anyone can give some good advice on how to step down in the safest way.. i have served as an ms for a number of years, but can't do it anymore.

  i know too much i want to fade in the future when i get some family things straightened out.

  i can't move right now so that's out unfortunately.. what should i tell the body?

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  AudeSapere

  Depression and anxiety. Tell your wife and friends that you have headaches before the meetings. Arrive a little late, leave a little early and cut back on field service. Fake some hours, too if you want to fade slowly.

  Work on your marriage - and actually *do* some fun stuff with your wife. Maybe keep up a family study - but consider just reading the bible.

  If you have children - start doing more fun things with them. A weekly family hike. Just make sure that the activities don't put *more* pressure on your wife.

  Take a class. Maybe it's something related to work. Some companies will even reimburse tuition and book costs. Or take any class that you are interested - but tell people it's for work. Or that you are working on a degree (if you don't already have an advanced degree). I read here somewhere that if a servant's children were going to college (or that a servant was encouraging others to go to college), it was grounds for removal. I would imagine if the servant himself was attending... He would likely be expected to 'step aside' or be removed.

  I agree with the others about expressing doubts. Don't do it. It will cause more troubles than it solves.

  -Aude.
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  26

  untitled

  by Norcal_Sun in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i joined this forum a while ago and am mostly a lurker these days, don't have much time to post.

  but i have a conundrum i need some help with.

  i have mostly successfully faded from the organization, and i was a witness my whole life.

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  AudeSapere

  And what if you get invited to a meeting?

  Just say: "Thank you. We'll see." or "Thank you. I'll keep it in mind." and smile.
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  26

  untitled

  by Norcal_Sun in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i joined this forum a while ago and am mostly a lurker these days, don't have much time to post.

  but i have a conundrum i need some help with.

  i have mostly successfully faded from the organization, and i was a witness my whole life.

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  AudeSapere

  I inadvertently fell into a nice fade.

  I bought a home and moved out of territory but kept going to my original hall. People forgot about me because I lived 'so far' away - 5 miles. I did miss a few meeting because work kept me busy. Then a few times I went to the hall in the territory where my house was located. Sometimes I would visit my parents hall (30 miles in opposite direction).

  Then I started to feel out-of-sorts in my original cong so I attended the hall near my office a few times.

  When people asked, I could honestly say that I was busy and actually attending a few different places. And it got easier to miss more meetings.

  One day - I think it was a Sunday meeting - I got up from my seat and just walked out of the hall during a talk by one of the elders and haven't been back since.

  I ran in to my old witness friends less and less. For some I would just say I was 'here and there'. Others I would honestly say that I hadn't been for the past few weeks (months) citing illness, fatigue, work, etc.

  Two years ago was the last time I ran into a JW elder friend. He asked about my cong and I told him I wasn't going anywhere. Hadn't been in a long time. Turns out that his son had been killed in an auto accident the year prior so we mostly talked about that.

  No visits, no inquiries. I don't go into details with them and they don't ask me to many questions. And when I answer, I am vague and little evasive - but happy!

  There were just two instances where I got on someone's radar. One was someone who called on my from the hall where my house was in the new territory. We had a few nice conversations and I opening up to her a little. Then she brought the CO's wife on an RV and the woman was presumptive, dismissive and judgemental. I never answered the door again.

  The other time was when I was in the hospital and was called on by an elder whom I did not know. I wrote about it on JWD. I dodged his questions about whether or not I still considered myself a JW. Never heard from him or anyone else again.

  My publisher record cards are still with my original west-coast congregation.

  Not sure if any of my story helps, but thought I'd relate a bits again for you.

  -Aude.
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  22

  My sis and her husband are assholes

  by JRK in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i love my mother with all my heart.

  i purchased an airline ticket for her to visit my sister, one that hasn't spoken to me for over 7 years.

  my sis wants me to send her the itinerary of my mothers trip, asking her for it.

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  AudeSapere

  I'm not sure I understand the problem correctly.

  Are you upset because your sister asked for the flight itinerary or are you upset about something else.

  If I'm picking someone up at any airport, I always ask for the itinerary to be emailed to me. If the flight is delayed, there are numbers on the itinerary that are needed to quickly find where she is routed to.

  Also, when I (or family members) travel, several people are sent the itinerary. You just never know what can happen and it makes is soo much easier - especially when it's a child or older person who really needs someone to meet them on the other end.

  Maybe I missed something in the OP.

  -Aude.
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  78

  May 22, 1969 Awake! promises "you will never grow old" - Creative Writing

  by Mad Sweeney in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the year is 1969. faithful followers of the watchtower society are gearing up for the imminent end of the system of things just as they had been for the previous ninety years.

  a young witness named andrew is trying to decide what to do with his life.

  andrew is a smart kid and he has an entire lifetime ahead of him.

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  AudeSapere

  Mad Sweeney - I think the ending is good as it is. Maybe the sigh could be deeper and maybe he struggles with arthritic knees as he gets up from his chair.

  A follow up could reveal the he did marry early because he wanted to have sex. The marriage was rocky for a few years but they found a way to make it work, although after the first 6 months there was not much passion. They never had children because that would take away from spiritual interests. Besides, they were having enough trouble making ends meet as it was. A child would just be too expensive in this system. In the new system, the child would have a much happier life than anything they could offer in the old system. Andrew's arthritis is now getting worse but he cannot afford the time off for surgery. And his insurance is not that good. Eventually his wife has some health issues and he struggles to do the right thing to help her. Someone in the cong sends a casserole but not much more assistance is provided. When she recovers, Andrew has a heart attack. There is even less help. And since they have no children to assist them in their old age - and they did not really make friends with their neighbors - they struggle even further to cope with daily stresses. His wife hires one of the young men in the cong to help with the business and offers free room and board in exchange for his working the flooring machines. They give him a monthly stipend. This young man is 20 years old and anxiously waiting for this system to end. The assembly drama warns him of the dangers of college education. And the story repeats. Or does it???

  Enjoyed the story. It's sad but true.

  -Aude.
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  20

  Ambien vs Temazepam

  by ssn587 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  friend of mine out west told me his spouse has been having trouble staying asleep with ambien and now she has been prescribed temazepam which they said would make her sleep better and longer.

  has anyone out here had those and what is the difference, and do you knjow if the temazepam really works or not?.

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  AudeSapere

  OP wrote: she has been prescribed Temazepam which they said would make her sleep better and longer. Has anyone out here had those and what is the difference, and do you knjow if the Temazepam really works or not?

  I think different people have different reactions to different drugs.

  I have used both Ambien and Temazepam. I much prefer Temazepam (Brand name: Restoril. It's a cousin to diazepam which is generic valium.)

  Ambien sends me into a deep sleep with a little short-term memory loss. Too strong for my comfort level.

  For me, Temazepam (Restoril) gently lets my mind rest - almost like someone just gently stroking my temples. If something happens in the middle of the night - I *do* wake up and can function. It also clears cleanly so I don't feel groggy in the morning. For me, it does not 'keep me down'. For me, it works for about 4 hours. If I am in good room with no interuptions, once I am asleep, I can stay asleep.

  So I guess my experience between the two drugs is different than what has been suggested to your wife. But again, everyone is different and may have different responses.

  Of the two, my preference - when I occaisionally need something to help me sleep - is Temazepam.

  -Aude.
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  303

  I've been outed...

  by brotherdan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so this weekend my wife had a major grand mal seizure for the first time in her life.

  she was rushed to the er.

  a few hours later while i was at her side she had another major one.. it was the scariest moment in my life.

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  AudeSapere

  Good point, Aude. I'll start a new thread for that tangent... since I'm endorsed by Jesus and all.

  hehe
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  303

  I've been outed...

  by brotherdan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so this weekend my wife had a major grand mal seizure for the first time in her life.

  she was rushed to the er.

  a few hours later while i was at her side she had another major one.. it was the scariest moment in my life.

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  AudeSapere

  SBC wrote: I believe that means I'm authorized to make a final ruling on this silly God debate.

  But this isn't the 'God debate' thread. THAT would be the intellect and theology thread.

  THIS is the emotional thread. You might want to re-post your comments.

  -Aude.
• 
  303

  I've been outed...

  by brotherdan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so this weekend my wife had a major grand mal seizure for the first time in her life.

  she was rushed to the er.

  a few hours later while i was at her side she had another major one.. it was the scariest moment in my life.

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  AudeSapere

  Did Dan really log back on after a few days absence and just ignore this thread in favor of starting a brand new thread re-debating evolution (and posting on other threads relating to atheism, prayer and evolution)??

  That's just not normal, rational behavior for someone having such trying circumstances at home.

  -Aude.
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  5

  Saturday mornings as a young Jehovah's Witness

  by trevorbv in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  just found this today on reedit.

  pretty funny .

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  AudeSapere

  he was so happy he was going to be able to watch cartoons ... they ended up goin out with them door to door. He was heartbroken.

  I remember those feelings - getting excited about no field service and then having the 'reprieve' retracted. I think those were some of the WORST days in service.

  Best Saturday? One Saturday for some reason my mom and her friend decided that we would ditch the group after the meeting for service. We went to the new Great Adventure Wild Animal Park in New Jersey. Forget the name of it but we had soo much fun! It might have been a little drizzly. But us kids sure didn't care one bit. It's been almost 40 years and I still remember the elation~!!

  It was better than a 'Snow Day' from school.

  -Aude.