so how many are not going to the regional convention this year?
it will be my first year not attending as part of my fade.. i remember going for all of my childhood into adult hood, participating in stage parts even.. however, last assembly i was already mentally checked out.
i remember looking around and seeing all of people bobbing & nodding at the program talks that had been previously repeated time and time again.. almost seemed like hypnosis.. i also had a hard time with the fact that we're all supposed to be "friends" and everyone had always seemed to be so judgmental.. especially at conventions & assemblies.. things like who had the best outfit for the days, who looked the prettiest, who can snag the single ms brother.. who took the most spiritual food out of the program, how many times can you tally mark jehovah's name.
I have been out for 16 years, so of course I haven't been in all that time. I don't miss it, it now seemed insane to spend good money on a hotel, gas and food, get dressed up and drive several hours just to sit in some uncomfortable stadium seats for hours on end, just to be bored silly and be made to feel guilty for not wanting to be a pioneer.
If I am going to spend that kind of money now there had better be a beach and some cocktails involved.
🍹👙👒
ok, i like to bake, cook, read and write.
my goal, short term is to work on a winning entry for the pillsbury bake off this year and other food contests.
i plan to write, maybe blog about the process.. my small problem with pillsbury is that i am a home baker.
I've been baking with coconut oil lately. I really like what it does to baked goods, it comes out tender like Crisco, but without the bad health effects of hydrogenation. Coconut oil is saturated, but it doesn't have the same effect as animal fat. And unlike butter it can be stored at room temperature, so no need to warm it up before using. It does have a very slight coconut flavor, but I actually like that. It makes a yummy chocolate chip cookie, or pie crust or biscuits.
time to take a break from debating religion.
take in a breath of fresh air and be healed by the wonders of nature around you.. how many of you have a garden?
how many have a nice flower patch to go with your vegetable garden?
I've really been into succulents lately, I started making these boxes last year and added more this year. Succulents are easy to grow and drought tolerant, plus everything is on a drip system, so the whole wall uses very little water. This fence is visible from my living and dining areas and I wanted to look out and see something green. The hanging pot is an old chicken feeder, I have two of them. 
i have thought about writing this article for many years, and the awake!
2014 no.4 was the final straw.
there it states that jehovah's witnesses show no prejudice towards homosexuals, and "they neither mock nor mistreat people whose practices differ from their own.
Very well written, this should be included in the "best of" topics.
let me start by saying that this forum has been helpful to me in many ways.
i haven't gotten involved in much commenting and i am not very assertive by nature so i've steered away from participating in debates.
but i have read threads often and had a sense of community.
i found out this morning that my brother died last night, he was also an ex jw, 73 years old and died of heart disease and kidney failure.
it was not totally unexpected, as he had been in poor health, but it's a blow, especially as i just lost another brother two years ago.
there were six of us, now only four.
I am truly touched by the outpouring of support from everyone, what a great group you all are. I talked to my sister today, it all just seems unreal to her as it is with me. We knew he was ill, but we did not know how bad, so it's going to take some time to come to terms with it.
But your support has been so helpful, so thank you.
i know i've started similar topics before but this time i'm serious.
my parents have been constantly pressuring me and after yesterday's watchtower study they asked me if i was going to be baptized this summer... and i said yes.
i probably should have thought about it more before making a final decision, but they're pretty much forcing me to do it anyway.
It's very hard not to give in to the pressure, I get that. But it's very hard for parents to force you to get baptized if you are firm in the face of that pressure. The trick is to be polite, yet adamant. Do not let them provoke you, but do not give in. Keep repeating that it is wrong to dedicate yourself when you do not yet feel you can be "whole souled in your devotion to Jehovah". Tell them that it would be hypocritical to dedicate yourself simply due to pressure from others. Tell them that it is such an important decision, that you take it very seriously and and that you must be sure and that you will pray to Jehovah for strength and wisdom to make that important decision, but that you will not do it until you feel convinced that he has responded to you with that wisdom and strength. Remind them that Jesus was thirty years old when he was baptized.
Repeat the above as needed.
this is my first time joining a forum like this.
i grew up in the jw religion.
i was baptized when i was 13 and started to fade out at 16 at least mentally.
It's extremely difficult to get someone to wake up. It's a cult, your sister has been systematically programmed over a period of years to think a certain way and to be afraid of anything critical of the organization. I recommend Steve Hassan's Combatting Cult Mind Control.
Steve has helped many people who were in the Moonies cult (he is a former Moonie). Basically he tries to connect with the non cult aspect of people, then ask them questions designed to get them to think. Confrontation and telling people bad things about the Watchtower never (ever, ever, ever) works. Direct confrontation just causes people to become fearful that they are being misled by Satan.
i found out this morning that my brother died last night, he was also an ex jw, 73 years old and died of heart disease and kidney failure.
it was not totally unexpected, as he had been in poor health, but it's a blow, especially as i just lost another brother two years ago.
there were six of us, now only four.
Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts, it really means a lot to me. I am the youngest on my family, so I knew that it was likely that others might pass away before me, but nothing really prepares you for the reality.
i found out this morning that my brother died last night, he was also an ex jw, 73 years old and died of heart disease and kidney failure.
it was not totally unexpected, as he had been in poor health, but it's a blow, especially as i just lost another brother two years ago.
there were six of us, now only four.
I found out this morning that my brother died last night, he was also an ex JW, 73 years old and died of heart disease and kidney failure. It was not totally unexpected, as he had been in poor health, but it's a blow, especially as I just lost another brother two years ago. There were six of us, now only four.
