NanaR

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Posts by NanaR

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  34

  Do you like yourslef?

  by R.Crusoe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i find this question another i hate to think of!!.

  i view myself through others which is a reality of zilch so it is bad karma for me to consider it!.

  maybe its circumstantial of many life events but i'll bet exjws feel the power of the above dynamic as a negative force for humanitarian ectics and personal self worth!

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  NanaR

  Grace,

  Don't you know you're supposed to "love your neighbor as yourself"?

  You need to love yourself first! And yes, like yourself too.

  I love you ;-)

  Ruth
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  34

  Do you like yourslef?

  by R.Crusoe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i find this question another i hate to think of!!.

  i view myself through others which is a reality of zilch so it is bad karma for me to consider it!.

  maybe its circumstantial of many life events but i'll bet exjws feel the power of the above dynamic as a negative force for humanitarian ectics and personal self worth!

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  NanaR

  Yep!
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  49

  State A Simple Opinion About JWD Members

  by nicolaou in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we share a common past but have travelled many different roads to find each other here.

  our outlooks and perceptions of reality are varied and often fascinating.

  most of us are encouraging, funny, helpful and kind while others are still wrapped in bitterness and hatred or suffering from despair and privation.

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  NanaR

  Some JWDers are like prisoners who have been released but for whatever reason spend their time looking back through the prison windows from the other direction.

  And some are still, unfortunately, IN the prison.

  Some stand ready to help the released prisoners move on to a new life.

  Ruth
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  7

  JW relative still speaking to us - now feeling that warm Christian love...

  by besty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the background is that we have been df'd for apostasy and are mostly being shunned.

  the grandparents are all still speaking to us, some other relatives (on my side) are shunning us.. so only recently one of these grandparents gets a visit from two elders who inform them their relationship with us is a cause for talk amongst the congregation and it is viewed that they are in danger of becoming a sharer in our wicked works.

  perleeese.

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  NanaR

  Besty:

  I am bookmarking this for later reference. My grandson is presently in the custody of his Witness grandparents, and I fear this kind of thing happening to them (they have been very nice to me and I visit regularly).

  The elders' action in this case is deplorable.

  The Lord will hold them accountable for their actions.

  Pax,

  Ruth
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  47

  praying before a meal

  by megaflower in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i have stopped.

  it brings up too many memorys of having some elder pray for the cong before we partook of any food.

  it just seemd like a big production, all would gather around and bow heads in silence while some senior male gave thanks- no more- no thanks

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  NanaR

  Yes, I always pray before a meal. I pray out loud if the situation allows it, or I pray silently if circumstance dictates. But my prayers bear little resemblence to the ones I prayed as a JW.

  When the Catholic folk that I know get together, someone will start the prayer, and at the end all will pray together the usual blessing before a meal. Frequently, we are all holding hands until the end, when we all make the sign of the Cross together.

  At one point in the Mass, the priest says: "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God", and the congregation responds all together "It is right to give Him thanks and praise."

  I agree.

  Pax,

  Ruth
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  11

  How Important is Ritual in Your Life?

  by Dogpatch in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey gang,.

  how important is ritual to you?.

  many who leave the watchtower find ritual to be very healing and meaningful in our lives.. anyone here found the same to be true?.

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  NanaR

  Randy:

  How important is ritual to you?
  Many who leave the watchtower find ritual to be very healing and meaningful in our lives.
  Anyone here found the same to be true?

  I have found ritual to be very comforting. I am newly Catholic, and I love the wonderful prayers and rituals of the Church, many of which are very ancient.

  The article you posted is very interesting ;-) I have also enjoyed reading some of Thomas Howard's writing on the subject.

  Pax,

  Ruth
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  17

  Elders come to see me...

  by NanaR in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i am now roman catholic :-).

  the easter vigil mass (at which i was baptized) was 8 p.m. yesterday, and we had a meeting at the church yesterday morning.

  so i went home for the afternoon to get ready for the evening.. so who else would show up at our door (during the three hours or so i was home all day) but two jw elders.

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  NanaR

  Inquisitor:

  Our resilience will grow with time.

  Thank you, Inquisitor. I know I tend to be hard on myself. I just keep thinking how bizarre is it that a grandmother is hiding in her room so she doesn't have to talk to somebody LOL.

  nomoreguilt:

  Did he perhaps INVITE them to your home to talk and reason with you? Just a passing thought, as many spouses are well intended.

  nmg,

  I have told him on more than one occasion that I would not meet with/talk with the JW elders under any circumstances. I suppose it is possible that he invited them, but he didn't know precisely when I would be home so the timing is still bizarre.

  Hope4Others:

  I think it is just the inevitable to happen.
  

  I am now Roman Catholic

  Some how they have become aware of this, I think your reaction to the visit would be normal to many especially when it's unexpected.

  Hope,

  I became aware a couple of weeks ago that my conversion was now "common knowledge" in the congregation. This did not disturb me, I have not been hiding my Catholic pursuits from anyone.

  It is only inevitable when viewed from the mindset of the Witnesses. If a Catholic stops coming to Mass and starts going to a Baptist Church, for example, the Church takes no "action" against that person. They PRAY FOR THEM!! They WANT them to come back. They certainly do not shun them.

  The Witnesses pursue an us/them mentality that leads them to this rather bizarre behavior. In the final analysis, all they wanted from me (I am certain) is a clear statement that I am no longer a Jehovah's Witness. I chose to make that statement by being received into the Church, not by cooperating with the JW power structure. Behavior like mine makes them beyond furious, because it is beyond their control.

  choosing life:

  Congratulations on your baptism. Does your husband talk to others about your new faith? It seems rather unusual they would come at such a specific time, if no one tipped them off.

  Thank you, Choosing. My husband has been trying to avoid acknowledging my new faith. I started wearing a Crucifix last Wednesday and he has yet to mention it. I haven't taken it off, even once, and it is in plain view. So it is clear that he is ignoring it.

  I thought a Saturday afternoon visit was rather odd. As I mentioned above, I am certain they have heard about my conversion. But the fact that they caught me home when I was only there a relatively short time is odd.

  Gayle:

  But you know what,,last week two fellas came by, I answered the door, I dominated the conversation for 6/7 min., they don't know me in this area.

  Good for you!! I have lived here all my life, so I can't exactly hide out. But if I ever get the opportunity to talk to a Witness (in a circumstance where they are not trying to "hang me" LOL), I will try to make them think a little.

  Thank you all for your kind comments,

  Ruth
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  17

  Elders come to see me...

  by NanaR in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i am now roman catholic :-).

  the easter vigil mass (at which i was baptized) was 8 p.m. yesterday, and we had a meeting at the church yesterday morning.

  so i went home for the afternoon to get ready for the evening.. so who else would show up at our door (during the three hours or so i was home all day) but two jw elders.

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  NanaR

  I am now Roman Catholic :-)

  The Easter Vigil Mass (at which I was baptized) was 8 p.m. yesterday, and we had a meeting at the Church yesterday morning. So I went home for the afternoon to get ready for the evening.

  So who else would show up at our door (during the three hours or so I was home all day) but two JW elders. They were from the local congregation but I didn't know them (that's how long I've been gone). My daughter answered the door and I went in my bedroom and closed the door. My husband went out to talk to them (they didn't come into the house because my granddaughter had a virus supposedly).

  My husband came to the bedroom door and knocked. He said that the "brothers" wanted to talk to me. I told him that I did not want to talk to them. Then he insisted that I open the door, and told me I "had" to talk to the "brothers". I told him I DID NOT have to talk to them and that I would not talk with them and I closed and locked the door.

  My husband told them (according to my daughter) that HE was coming to the Memorial, and they left.

  I wanted them to know that they no longer have power over me. They can do whatever they want (and I am sure they will), but I will be no part of their kangaroo court. I was angry with myself that they engendered any feeling in me at all, but the adrenalin was definitely up while they were there. Fight or flight -- I chose flight.

  I have not presented myself as a Witness for many years. I didn't even attend Memorial last year. I have been inactive at least ten years. And still they came...

  On the plus side, they must consider me a pretty dangerous person if they feel they need to brand me as untouchable by members of the congregation. On the minus side, they are still trying to warp my husband's mind (he is not attending Church with me).

  More on the happy events of the day in another post.

  Pax,

  Ruth
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  56

  Were You Ever Counseled Because Of What You Wore (or didn't)?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after reading the thread about what is acceptable to wear and not wear in a factory run by jehovah's witnesses, i wondered whether any here ever got counseled or in trouble because of their fashion sense or attire.

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  NanaR

  Yup!

  I played piano for our Circuit Assemblies. In the Spring of 1977, a couple of months after the birth of my daughter, we had a CA. Since none of my pre-baby clothes were breastfeeding friendly (and mostly didn't fit anyway), my Mom helped me pick out a couple of outfits and she paid for one while I paid for the other.

  When I got to the Assembly on Saturday, the brother in charge of the music said that my clothing was "too casual". I had on a matching skirt and top, the skirt was a wraparound skirt with plenty of overlap and length midknee. The top buttoned in the front, had topstiching and pockets, and was belted. I would call it a "safari style", but with a skirt. He asked me if I would please go and change before the meeting.

  I told him that I didn't have anything to change into, and that he could either let me play or he could play the piano himself (I always was cantakerous LOL).

  I played in what I was wearing. Later I told my father what the brother had said and he thought it was ridiculous.

  Next assembly, there was a different brother in charge of music (thankfully!).

  To me it was an example of letting personal opinion get way out of hand. No way was I improperly dressed, except to this one brother (who was probably trying to figure out how to see what was behind that wrap-around-skirt *ugh*).

  I hate JW flashbacks...

  Ruth
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  42

  Did Prayer work for you, or not?

  by gaiagirl in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  jws, and christians in genreral, are taught that god answers prayers of sincere believers.

  on the other hand, there is a popular bumpersticker which reads "nothing fails like prayer".. what has been your experience in this regard?

  did god answer your most heartfelt prayers, or were they ignored?.

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  NanaR

  Yes...

  Ruth