Be careful. Sometimes these "random" calls actually have more than one brother on the line so that they have "two witnesses", thus trapping you.
If you do get a call from a JW, my suggestion is to disconnect without saying a word.
as many of you know, i recently wrote a letter to the elders telling them to make sure the congregation stays off my property.
in the letter i mentioned that i "left the organization several years ago.
" i have not had any contact with any witneses for about 5 years even though i was not disfellowshipped and not even counseled; i just stopped showing up.. well last night a brother called me (not an elder, just a publisher) but i let the call go to voice mail.
Be careful. Sometimes these "random" calls actually have more than one brother on the line so that they have "two witnesses", thus trapping you.
If you do get a call from a JW, my suggestion is to disconnect without saying a word.
thanks for the mail...as they say, punctuality is the soul of business.
i believe promptness is key if any business is to thrive.
i want to thank you for your prompt response.
Google "Reshipping scam". Never mind. Saved you the trouble. Click on the link:
Edited to add: Make that paste in the link....can't find the little link-y icon to make the thing clickable.
you might enjoy this lady's experience with a jw visit.
she is too nice but also more smart!.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vgug6sbppy.
When they asked her if they could read her a Bible verse, she should have responded "Why?" instead of saying yes. "Why?" asks "What's in it for you?" and that's what needs to be understood to make a sound decision on whether to continue in a transaction (or relationship!)...not, "What's in it for me?" but "What's in it for you?" That simple "Why?" could have exposed the fact that JW's are there for their own benefit (saving their necks at Armageddon, not yours).
She also gave them 'wayyyyy too much personal information. What right do total strangers have to ask about someone's life and lifestyle? She lets two strangers in her house, then tells them exactly what she believes, how she lives, and how she is training her children? Why???
i am trying to contact my mothers elders in riverside ca, because my mother doesn't talk to her family.
since that means at least 12 phone calls to various kh's i thought i'd start with my aunt to see what the name of the congegation is.
unfortunatly she didn't know.
You can call WT HQ and tell them you're making vacation plans and need to know what KH serves <your mother's address>. They'll even give you meeting times and contact info.
Aside from that, if your mother is in the shape you say she is (not doubting you!), she isn't setting up the field service arrangements. She could stay at home and write one letter a month or make phone calls as she is able; even 15 minutes keeps an infirm publisher "active". It seems to me that someone is trying to climb the congregational ladder at your mother's expense, showing how much care they have for the congregation members.
Be careful: it may be that these "helpful" folk are siphoning off your mother's resources.
did he ever get his law degree (old thread) does he practice law?.
or did he take over his in-laws sell cars to the wtbts dealership?.
what happened to the book ?.
Is his name a patronymic, or is Ben short for Benjamin?
Ben, as in "Son of". Judah Ben Schroeder = Judah, son of Schroeder.
Nothing prideful there, eh?
those are just symbols that indicate a numerical value, but to me, they mean much more than that.. my clock showed 6:07 as the time a few minutes ago, and i immediately thought of 607 bce.. a friend's address is 1914 neighbor road - guess what comes to mind.. crazy, isn't it?.
lol..
I recently addressed a letter to PO Box 1915. Guess what I thought of?
my inspiration comes from the ingredients i have at hand, very often leftovers, and also home grown produce, herbs and spices.
i still have a lot to learn, but i have come a long way since i first started cooking for mr cedars.. i think the first recipe on this thread should by the one that oodad has posted on other thread.... .
shrimp scampi.
There are cooking boards for this kind of thing.
i have never been a jw, but my wife, two brothers and their wives and children are.
also, most of my wife's brothers and sisters are jw's.
since i have a close relationship with both my family and my wife's family you can deduce that most of my friends and associations are with jw's.
Make your daughter independent of the Witnesses: encourage her to go to college or university, to train for a career, to make life choices for herself that do not involve WT. I realize this may be difficult now that she has decided to join the organization, but she's young, and being part of a "divided" family may be a saving grace, she can "blame" you if any JW objects! :)
Desensitize: find ways to speak about disfellowshipping as though it were a "normal" part of living, teach her that at some point individuals will clash, and the result may be that those with power (not authority!) try to cause unbearable shame in efforts to control the life of another. Remind her that no human is her judge, that when (not if, but when) it happens to her, that she should stand firm (a WT expression), never relinquish control of her life to another human, and that you will support her no matter what anyone thinks, says, or does to mar her reputation. If you start now, while she is only 16, your daughter may not feel as alone as Elders will want her to feel if she should happen to be scrutinized in the future.
Additionally, if you have the wherewithal, make it clear to her and to any others that under no circumstances will you allow your daughter to be "counseled" without you being present, and that includes judicial matters. This is your legal right since she is not of age to be considered a legal adult. If you've been reading this board for any length of time you may already know of the horror stories, the intimidation, the extremely intimate and personal questions that are often and inappropriately asked during these sessions. Make no mistake; there is no such thing as an unintentional session; if a JW gets called in to talk with the brothers there will be intimidation and manipulation, no matter what the issue or how removed from it she may be. Train your daughter to say that she must get permission from her father before she is allowed to meet in closed session. (That one makes sense in a non-JW situation as well.)
If possible, slowly build the notion that being involved with JW's is an open-exit choice, that just as she made the choice to join, she can make the choice to leave whenever she finds that her views and theirs are no longer compatible. Don't let WT be the only one "indoctrinating" her on that point! The main message here is that she directs her life, that you are there to assist her until she reaches full maturity, and that there is no shame in trying out various options then letting them go when she finds they no longer fit.
The best hope you have is that she is still young and has lots of changes left to go through. The goal here is to let her know, in advance, that you are there to love and support her as she learns to stand on her own two feet. If she has that fixed in the back of her mind I doubt that she will put up with WT for the long haul.
Best wishes,
AnneB
that statement has been made to me recently - i think it is a sound-bite from the new dvd about jerusalem's fall.. hmm.. i need to reflect on a reply .
several thoughts come to mind but it has to be constructive and form a reasoned argument rather than a smart answer.. what blessings?
are we unreasonably obsessed with the past?
Why do you want to answer an unreasoning comment with a constructive statement? Isn't that the same as casting pearls before swine?
july 4th 2012 - 201 yards par 3 with my big driver.
i can die happy!.
i got mine!.
You know what I like about your post? That you said "My first...". Great attitude!
Congrats! from AnneB