Posts by SnakesInTheTower

It was just such a link from Freeminds that brought me to JWD a few years ago and I lurked as an elder.... these stories helped chip away at my JW foundation...

Paul, you have set a high bar with the quality of writing in your life story... with the major changes in my life happening, my story is taking awhile to write...I barely have time to log in here and post a bit.

Snakes (Rich )

42

I ran into an ex-JW on vacation. We're everywhere.

by MegaDude in

jw
friends

i took my summer vacation to grand cayman this year, a small island south of cuba.

i love the scuba diving there.

the island is small.

SnakesInTheTower

I loved the Caymans when I was there in November 2007. I did not get to go out with the stingrays because the winds were too bad until the day I left the islands for home...the rest of my family got to go out on the catamaran...they also got to do the turtle release.

Did get to see some great scenery (though there was still a lot of damage from Hurricane Ivan) and drink some nice island beer...Caybeer... and that harddough bread that they sell at the IGA stores there...especially when it is still warm from the bakery....man that stuff was great... heavy bread that you can really enjoy.

I have pics but not as good as yours... I wanna go back...maybe Toni and I will go there for our honeymoon...the family has a timeshare.

Snakes (Rich )

103

My life ... and how JWD came to be - Part 5

by Simon in

my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 1. my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 2. my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 3. my life ... and how jwd came to be - part 4. i swear, i thought it was only a couple of years at most since i wrote part 4 of "my life and how jwd came to be".

i re-read it after someone posted to it and brought it back on active topics and it was kind of prophetic in a way ... well, i had the 5 years part right if nothing else:.

it would be nice to visit the site (or whatever one is around then) in 5 years time to let people know how we're doing and find only a few of the same people still around.

SnakesInTheTower

Thank you for keeping the site running. I found this particular thread (and its links to the 5 year old 4-part story) on Freeminds today.... and Freeminds is how I found this board as a lurking elder a few years ago.

As you said, the JW-doctrine issues no longer interest me. I keep up with some of the latest news only because of my JW mom, otherwise I could care less about what the Watchtower and its namesake organization have to say.

Because of FM and JWD, I had the spine to leave the Borg....and found the love of my life ....as I have posted prior, Toni and I are engaged and will be married in a few months...

It is not a stretch to say....because of you and others on this forum ...I have true freedom, and true love..and for that I will be forever in your debt.

SnakesInTheTower (of the "ex-ex-JW" Sheep Class...aka Rich)

(ps... I have been in contact with Randy at Freeminds....it's time this comes full circle.....time to tell my story soon. I am working on my own exiting JW story and will consolidate some of what I have posted here over the last couple of years...and provide more details.....and my full identity.... it is on my mind but I am writing in bits and spurts...but with Toni and her son moving in next month.... well, it is like herding cats....lol.

22

About time to "Batten Down the Hatches"

by AK - Jeff in

my wife has been out of work now for over a year.

she is tail-ending her unemployment very soon.. our county is experiencing close to the worse rates of unemployment in the country right now [ elkart, indiana - obama's economic poster child ] is just 50 miles away.

our county has a rate nearly equal to theirs.

SnakesInTheTower

AK Jeff.... that sucks that you cannot move. There are a lot more possibilities if you can get out of the area you appear to be located.

I have a job but I actually had a week off for the first time in 4 years and a real light week last week....so I am getting hit too...

I finish my last class and final this evening in about an hour. Presuming I get at least a C in all of the classes, I am done with my AS in business.

That and about $2 gets me a cup of coffee at my fiancee's place of employment (Panera).

The Associates in Science degree is the new high school diploma. You better have it or you are up $hit creek.

A few years ago I could have had a sweet job with the Census Bureau (nice government job) that was FT permanent....not temp.... but I needed a degree.... never mind that I blew everyone else in the room out of the water on the exam.... they failed to ask me before if I had the degree. After, the people doing the hiring were disappointed that they couldn't hire me but their hands were tied..... they told me off the record that the degree requirement had nothing to do with the job itself and everything with being used as a filter to keep the so-called "undesirables" (ie, welfare moms, minorities with GEDs, etc) out of the pool of applicants. They allowed them to test knowing they either wouldn't pass or if they did they wouldnt have the degree...but they could point to the fact that all of these people were applying for and testing but not passing....

Now I have the degree but better stay with my current job...bill collector for a cable TV contractor. People want their cable and people have a hard time keeping up with the bill...so I should have a job for awhile..lol.............My fiancee wants to go back and finish her AAS as a paralegal...but she is holding on to her job too....if for no other reason to get insurance for all of us when we get married in a few months.

hang in there...don;'t know what else to say on your situation...just consider ourself lucky that you are still employed..... soon we all may be working for Walmart......

Snakes ()

61

What the Family Worship Evening Arrangement Really Entails

by cantleave in

jw
friends

as most people here know the combined book study allows an evening for "family worship".. the co visits march - august 2009 is really focussing on this.

if a jdub family head doesn't do a full evening of family worship and uses this time to do recreational activities he is as guilty as isrealite who didn't use the sabbath for worship.

the result, will of course be same as the unfaithful isrealite, death!!!!!!!!!

SnakesInTheTower

Even TV would be more mentally stimulating, don't ya think!

I would rather watch a SpongeBob SquarePants Marathon than have a 4 hour Family Worship session....

...oh wait.... scratch that.....I already do... I have an 8 year old boy that will soon be my step son who likes to have that crap on all the time........ ...

Snakes ()

ps...oh....and death to SpongeBob. Thanks.

30

Family Worship VITAL FOR SURVIVAL - Oct 09 WT Study Edition

by Hopscotch in

inspired by the other thread on the family worship arrangement and by a request for printed information here are scans from the latest wt about this arrangment.

the article starts off by using a favourite wts tactic - fear!.

hopscotch.

SnakesInTheTower

am I the only one creeped out by the whole "Family Worship" thing in initial caps, as if it is a proper noun or something?

These are the first WT articles that I have read nearly in their entirety in the nearly 2 years I have been out....it was like watching a train wreck... you pretty well know what's coming, but I could not take my eyes off it....sheesh...

...and the Writers are still encouraging Bethel service? Does Writing and Personnel not communicate these days? Why encourage this dead end job? Fresh meat to replace the aging fleet that has been put out to pasture? (how is that for mixed metaphors?).

..and parents are not to force their kids to read their little journals out loud...:"allow them a measure of privacy".....why...WT doesn't any other time...what's with that drivel...did they lay off the entire editorial staff? How did that get by the WT Borg censors?...

..and that loser single brother "Tony"?...."...That evening is my special time with Jehovah...For about two hours I study subjects that strengthen my relationship with Jehovah....Having more time for study allows me to linger on the Bible verses I read..." ah hell, I can't go on...who the hell are they kidding? Tony should drop his Family Loser Single Guy Worship Night, get laid and linger on a nice kiss...I highly recommend it.

lol....I found it sad and humorous at the same time.....no way I could ever subject my future 8 year old step son to that crapola.

Snakes ()

edited to add:.... two hours...yeah, when I was a JW loser single guy, I spent waaaay more time than that studying Bible (WT) Chronology....too bad for them I was using secular sources as another set of references.......because of that "Extra" research, the scales started to be removed from my eyes back in 91-92 before the 1995 "Generation" article...too bad it too me another 15 plus years to leave... one can only hope that this extra opportunity gives some more time to do real research.... did anyone else notice that they did not encourage singles or single parents to get together with others for "Family Worship" Night?

6

Michael Jackson's Last Will in PDF.

by Bangalore in

jw
friends

here is a copy of the last will of michael jackson in pdf.. .

http://www.wtvr.com/entertainment/la-me-michael-jackson-will-pdf,0,7115144.acrobat.

bangalore.

SnakesInTheTower

rebel8:

"fonner wife Deborah Rowe".

i believe that this is a bad scan of the will and the OCR conversion is not the best.. probably not a typo...lol

Snakes ()

17

Has anyone had Lasik Surgery?

by homeschool in

jw
friends

everybody whose had it says great things except their night vision is a lil off.

i went walking this morning & saw a duck but i thought it was a gopher at first .

do you know of anybody whose had lasik & is happy or unhappy with the results?.

SnakesInTheTower

I had the surgery a few years ago. Mostly great. I was nearly blind in my left eye growing up. I had a bad astigmatism and couldnt have Lasik for years. I wore glasses because I didnt like the idea of contacts (touching the eye, etc). The surgery went fine.

I am now 42 and had my eyes checked by a regular eye doc. I really need to get readers. Its not bad. After age 40, presbyopia (age related eye problems) start to kick in and I was told I would probably need reading glasses at some point for intermittent use (reading, computer work, etc). There are surgeries coming on line for presbyopia. CrystalLens (lens replacement) and its counterparts are another option that are often used for cataracts....

I highly recommend Lasik..make sure you go to a center where the doctor is involved from beginning to end. That was the one issue I had with my center. I didnt see the surgeon until an exam 15 minutes prior. I was seen by other staff for all other pre and post op exams. (My place was a chain, LasikPlus). If I had to change ONE thing, that would be it.

Oh...and I am glad I didnt watch other people having surgery on the waiting room monitors before....that would have freaked me out. The actual surgery is less than 4 minutes per eye and doesnt hurt. After you do have immediately noticable better vision...but the eyes itch a bit..and you use drops for a little while...

best wishes on this

Snakes ()

61

What the Family Worship Evening Arrangement Really Entails

by cantleave in

jw
friends

as most people here know the combined book study allows an evening for "family worship".. the co visits march - august 2009 is really focussing on this.

if a jdub family head doesn't do a full evening of family worship and uses this time to do recreational activities he is as guilty as isrealite who didn't use the sabbath for worship.

the result, will of course be same as the unfaithful isrealite, death!!!!!!!!!

SnakesInTheTower

white dove:

I remember the CO telling the congregation that if you haven't had a shepharding call, it means you don't need one. Huh?

as a newbie elder (and prior as a MS) I remember being told by a long time elder that 90% of the elders' attention was focused on 10% of the publishers. The other 90% didn't need as much attention. Of course, he didn't say it that nicely. He said: "90% of the problems are caused by 10% of the publishers and take up all of our time....we have no time for so-called "encouragement" calls."

I should have left/resigned then instead of 5 years later.

Snakes (Rich )