I am dealing with a chronic pain issue, and I have my "why me" moments, but I know I can't give in to self pity or wallow in my misery, that will only make things worse. I have to keep reminding myself that I have so many blessings in my life, a supportive husband, good friends, a business I feel passionate about. I look for the sacred in the everyday, I feel every person I meet has something to teach me, I just have to be open to it. I have seen over and over again in my life the benefits of serendipity, the chance encounter than can change your life, the unexpected little things that can happen. If you are so busy complaining about your life you will miss these unexpected joys. Thanks for sharing Lady Lee, it was just what I needed
LisaRose
JoinedPosts by LisaRose
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45
It's a miserable life --- Really?
by Lady Lee ini was at the check-out counter sitting in my wheelchair, listening to the customer behind me talk to the cashier.
he looks at her and says she looks tired.
she rings through one more of my purchases and she it has been a long day.
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Subliminal demonic images in Literature
by Newly Enlightened ini know that this was covered in 1993, but with newer technology and lots more pictures to deal with....go check out this website.
http://www.watchtowerlies.com/watchtowerlies_019.htm.
if no one wants to believe these as real then check it out in our own literature.
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LisaRose
I couldn't really see most of these images that are supposedly there. Even if it were true, it is the explicitly stated words of the Watchtower that are far more evil than an image of a goat that may or may not be there.
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How many of you followed the WTS direction on education years ago and have been screwed by it?
by Julia Orwell ini'm really interested in this question because i've heard for years that if you forgo further education and go pioneering, when you have a family down the track you will get a good job because jehovah will provide for you because you pioneered.
as long as i was a kool-aid drinker, even then, i thought, "how does pioneering pay your bills?
surely education should come first.
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LisaRose
I came into the lie in 1968, when I was 13. I did not go to college due to the influence of the organization. Being new converts, my parents and I did not even consider that I would go to college, who needs a degree when the world is going to end? Instead I got married at 17, that was quite common then. I was extremely immature and picked poorly, it was not a happy marriage and my husband could my keep a job, so I worked full time from the time my youngest was one year old.
I worked hard and had a bit of luck and eventually worked my way up to a pretty good career. I worked in manufacturing, and several other jobs, some good, some not. I finally landed in a company that I liked. I started as an admin, then auditor and finally systems analyst. I did well until a meltdown in that industry (telecommunications). I survived many layoffs, but eventually my number was up. So there I was, 50 years old, no job, and with no degree. Any job that was remotely in my career field required a degree and different skills than I had, my experience was too industry specific. And even though I contributed a lot to my 401k, I lost a most of it due to mismanagement and fraud, and all my company stock was now worthless. I decided to start my own business, as that had always been my dream. I have done this for eight years now but I have had to scale back due to health issues, so if I wasn't married, I would likely not even be able to support myself. I am 58 now, too young for social security, but too old to start over, considering my health, but not sick enough for disability, even if I had been paying into it. I consider myself lucky to be in a stable second marriage with a supportive husband, and money isn't a problem, but I still find it hard to not be contributing to the family income, as I was always self sufficient. I will get social security in a few years, and have a small amount of retirement savings.
I read recently that the path I took, starting with an entry level job and working up, is not even possible now. So many people have degrees that even the most low level job requires a degree now.
The WTBTS is doing its members a disservice by pretending a degree isn't needed. A 4 year degree is equivalent to what a high school education used to be, it is the minimum requirement.
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LisaRose
I remember when I looked forward to the memorial, I would get a new dress and get my children all dressed up. It was at least something different from the usual boredom. After a while it got old, it just seemed to lose its meaning. I was pretty disconnected from the congregation by then, I didn't enjoy it. I went once after I left, just to please my mother, that was 12 years ago. I can't imagine being able to sit through it now that I know TTAT.
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45
Even if its not the truth its still the best way of life!
by mtsgrad incomplete the following:.
even if its not the truth...... .
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LisaRose
Yes, it made me a little sad when I came across Oompas post. But it is nice that even though he is gone, his words are still around, so in that spirit:
Even if it's not the truth it gives janitors and window washers an excuse to wear a suit.
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61
Do you think those at the top realise that it's their fault - suicide as a result of being disfellowshipped?
by jambon1 ini have been stunned to hear of two suicides in our area recently.. this adds to the other 3 that i have known of from the past.. the two recent suicides resulted from 1-the person being gay & hearing a horrific talk at the kingdom hall & 2-the person with problems who was disfelloshipped & then took his life the next week.. it astonished me that jw's in general don't rebel against this sort of thing.
it's an appalling lack of support which leads people to feel distressed, abandoned & unloved.
how the witnesses in the locality can just sail on without giving the cruelty of these measures serious though is beyond me.
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LisaRose
They shoot their wounded.
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Black & White Thinking and Anecdotal Evidence Permeate the Governing Body's Teachings, Talks, and Reasonings
by frankiespeakin inthe governing body maintain the delusions that they are on a sacred mission as the biblical f&ds by gigantic leaps in logic, brought on anecdotal evidence and cherry picking facts or comfirmation bias, and these things are major causes of depression for those who indulge in this type of reasonings.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-tsilimparis/stress-and-dualistic-mind_b_978230.html.
""throughout our lives, we often inspire undue stress and anxiety by viewing our existence with a "dualistic mind.
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LisaRose
My daughter was diagnosed with Borderline Personality disorder as a teen. I can see some correlations between her behavior and the WTBTS as an organization. She saw everything as black or white, you were either her best friend or her worst enemy. The organization loves and needs you until you do something wrong, then you are toast, unless you have connections or are really good at groveling. A JC is very back or white, and they seem to be weighted more to DF than Reproof.
My daughter was a cutter - common with BPD. The cutting somehow relieved her mental pain. You could make a case that frequent disfellowshiping is a form of cutting, getting rid of members who make a mistake. It hurts, but it makes them feel better. That they are ruining people's lives does not seem to bother them, any more than my daughter cared that she was bleeding and ended up with scars.
In the long run though, I would have to say they are closer to Narcicism. When I converted in 1969, they talked a lot about Jehovah, but also mentioned Jesus a little. What little I have read recently shows they now talk more about themselves, sometimes mentioning God, but almost nothing about Jesus. The latest org chart puts them just under God, with no mention of Jesus. They are looking more and more like a crazy cult than a religion.
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16
I challenged a Dub out in service
by LisaRose ini was sitting in my car, finishing an egg mcmuffin before going to the grocery store when i noticed a dubbie going around talking to people in the parking lot.
i thought the chances were good she would approach me, and i decided i was going to do more than decline to take the pamphlet.. after i verified she was a jw, i said that i was a former member.
i said "do you know what the awake said in 1969?
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LisaRose
Thank you all for your comments. I was thinking, if I can't sit and eat my McMuffin in peace, she is going to get an earfull. The one thing I have that some other former Witnesses don't have is that I was there, I know what happened, whatever the Watchtower says.
I think I am going to write up a page of talking points in case this happens again. It will be my "presentation", and if they don't want to talk, I was thinking I would at least offer to take the magazines, if they will take and read my page. They would probably just throw it away due to fear, but who knows. They come by my house all the time, so I am going to reverse proselytize whenever I can. Bwwwaaaaaaa, Lisa the apostate will strike again.
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Since You Were In A Cult Do You Consider Yourself Still Dysfunctional?
by minimus inyes, i said "still"..
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LisaRose
I consider myself functional, for the most part. I have a few areas that I still need to work on. I recently came to the conclusion that the JWs taught me too well not to express my true feelings, to the point I didn't fully even understand what my feelings were. I believe it was because in Witness culture, you were not allowed to admit you were unhappy, as that is seen as implied criticism of the org itself. This was aggravated by a bad first marriage and my own nature. It has been difficult, but I have made improvement, more improvement needed.
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16
I challenged a Dub out in service
by LisaRose ini was sitting in my car, finishing an egg mcmuffin before going to the grocery store when i noticed a dubbie going around talking to people in the parking lot.
i thought the chances were good she would approach me, and i decided i was going to do more than decline to take the pamphlet.. after i verified she was a jw, i said that i was a former member.
i said "do you know what the awake said in 1969?
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LisaRose
I was sitting in my car, finishing an egg McMuffin before going to the grocery store when I noticed a dubbie going around talking to people in the parking lot. I thought the chances were good she would approach me, and I decided I was going to do more than decline to take the pamphlet.
After I verified she was a JW, I said that I was a former member. I said "do you know what the Awake said in 1969? It said I would not have time to have a career in this system of things. I am 58 and I do not have a job". She replied that it was a personal decision, a conscience matter. I said yes, but they said the end was coming, I believed them, and based my decision on their bad prediction. it was a very bad decision, and they were totally wrong.
She argued that it was never official. I said that I was there, it was said, they taught it and are now lying that they taught it. She said, well, we all make mistakes. I said yes, but they claimed to be directed by God, so how could that be, this was not the only bad prediction, but one among many. I asked her with all the wrong predictions, why would I believe them now? She said, look around, we are in the last days, the crime, earthquakes, etc. I said, actually crime is going down in many areas, and earthquakes are not actually increasing. She said there is immorality and lying, people cheat on their taxes, etc. I said, well I don't, nor any my family, JWs are not the only honest people. There have always been bad people, there is no proof we are in the last days.
I have to give her credit, she by now knows I am totally aposate, but didn't get mad, she actually considered what I was saying. I said, look, I know you mean well, but you are misled. There are a lot of things they are not telling you, do some research. I don't think she believed me, but hopefully I planted seeds of doubt. I was just happy, this is the first time I have ever challenged a JW, without getting rattled (that brainwashing takes time to wear off). I was polite, but said what I had to say.