November Is The Cruelest Month

by JRK in

jw
friends

i have been going through old papers and photographs since my mother passed away.

it has reminded me of some of the reasons that i really hate november.

this year has added to it obviously.. thirty-four years ago, my father passed away in early november.

Dagney

Wow, that is amazing she read CoC! That is very open minded of her.

It is weird isn't it to feel that you are truly now an orphan; doesn't matter how old we are. It took a long time for me to get over that. Probably because I looked after my own mom for sooo many years.

You were lucky to have such a good mom. They can instill so much in us with their mothering, in spite of the religious differences. Grieve and celebrate her as you wish. Remember you got to have her for almost your whole life, which is a gift. You were such a good son, and she knew it.

34

Another congregation bites the dust

by NikL in

jw
friends

went to the meeting last night with my believing wife.

the co was visiting and delivered a really cult-ish talk on loyalty but that's another story.. they made the announcement that starting january 1st they were going to have only 3 congregations in this town instead of 4.. they are dissolving one and growing the territories of the remaining 3. the reason given is that many of the elders are getting up there in age and can't do what they used to do.

basically not enough elders and ministerial servants...or even men reaching out for that matter.

Dagney

Very good news.

15

Free Minds Web Site

by garyneal in

jw
friends

anyone know what has happened to freemind.org website?

it's still up but it looks like a shell of the site i remember back five or six year years ago.

if i am not mistaken, i think randy may have taken ill over the years.

Dagney

His FB is still active, but it looks like his last post was in August. He's had some continuing health challenges lately and I believe he had to move after many years.

He is a true pioneer...the good kind.

9

Let's take a Bethel tour

by Bonnie_Clyde in

jw
friends

just got my flyer from illinois international travel.

tours to bethel, june to october.

"...includes all transportation to brooklyn, wallkill, patterson and new jersey.

Dagney

Woo hoo! I just received my 2018-2019 brochure in the mail today!

37

My Cognitive Dissonance is Eating Me Alive (Intro Post)

by pometerre21 in

jw
friends

i've been lurking here for a couple of weeks now.

i'm starting to "awaken" and it is all that has been occupying my mind.

i've always, always had doubts, some of which i expressed to family members who always had the same replies:.

Dagney

Welcome pom!

I echo all that have posted here, similar has happened to all of us you are in good company. I looked at this website from afar for about 4 years before I got the courage to post.

My advice is to take the time to find out what you want for your life. Your family is stronger than you think as regards to their reaction to whatever decision you make, to stay or leave. They WILL survive. There are tens of thousands of relatives of ours that prove it so. They will take it hard, but they survive just fine. Some will stay, some will look at how you live outside JW and will get the courage to leave as you did. It happens all the time.

Tomorrow is granted to no one. Life is meant to be lived now...not held in abeyance for some future paradise. Times will be hard and confusing...but it is so worth it. Ask anyone here.

I wish you strength for the journey...you can do it!

19

Long Beach School Teacher - you can guess the rest

by Dagney in

i'm speechless.

i know this guy.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-buena-park-arrest-20160630-snap-story.html.

Dagney

Wow.

33

How To Fade Away Cleanly?

by SplaneThisToMe in

jw
friends

this is my first post and hopefully i can get some advice and input.

i have been actively involved with the organization for a little over 10 years now.

i began studying in high school, got baptized and my family fortunately did not.

Dagney

Hey Splane, good on you for your decision to leave.

FWIW, I didn't know what I was doing when I left, and I wasn't ready to set the world on fire, but I still had to be truthful when asked by family and friends why I "wasn't going to meetings." What I said was I had issues with the corporation, and "I'm taking it to prayer/or between me and Jehovah at this time." That really worked for me because nobody wanted to "go there."

Not sure it would work in today's climate. I wanted to be clear to them it wasn't a passing fancy, and it wasn't personal as with a person or persons, I wasn't wounded or hurt or discouraged. I wanted them to know it was the policies of the corporation is what I had issue with and it was serious enough for me to take action.

I wish you strength and peace for the journey. It is so worth it.

12

Recent JW Literature Trolley Experience

by Athanasius in

the j ws have set up a literature trolley in one of our local shopping centers.

since the goodwill thrift store at the center has an excellent selection of second hand books, i stop by twice a month and buy a book or two that catches my interest.

as a result i've become friendly with the j ws who mind the trolley.. usually the minders are two 70 something j w ladies.

Dagney

So yesterday I flew back into LAX and was down in baggage claim retrieving my bag. I was rushing to get out to schedule an Uber when I had to return to the baggage claim area and take an escalator up to the departure area, where the Uber drivers pick up their fares.

And there they were. Along the wall, with the trolley, each hold more mags, chatting to each other were two "sisters." At first I was like "oh wow you are here" when I saw them. I stopped in front of them for some reason, they continued to chat about some "sister..." They didn't bother to acknowledge me so I hurried on. I had to get to work.

#1 I really need to work up something to say to them. Something short and sweet just to say something.

#2 Oh my goodness...what an odd place to stand. Just along a wall in a busy Southwest baggage claim area. I just can't even believe anybody would stop to talk with them there. Maybe that was the plan...

Odd times.

13