hello all i am fairly new to this site even though i have been da since i was 16 years old i am now 35 years old.
i have had very little contact with my family since i left maybe a handful of times over the years.
i thought i put the past behind me and moved on i have 4 amazing kids of my own really supportive partner and great friends who have become my family.
Leela- I want to welcome you to the forum. I am so sorry that your childhood was marred by the treatment you received from your family.
Others have given you excellent advice. I just want to tell you that you are strong and have made a wonderful family for your children. Don't do anything that will upset you to such a degree that it will diminish your ability to have the happy future with them that you and they deserve, whatever you decide to do.
i was just sitting here on this beautiful saturday afternoon thinking about how thankful i am that i left the jws.
do i wish i had woke up and left sooner, sure.
but i'm definitely happy that i'm out period, and for so many reasons but i just will share a few.
OK so it's Sunday now where i live but i second the sentiment. I get a bit nauseous just thinking about getting dressed up and going to a KHall, sitting through a self-righteous talk, and dying to get home to eat because I am starving or worse yet-going out in serve-us for an hour before going home.
Instead, I will sit outside on a beautiful day, and have a conversation with hubbie.
james woods has been a long time regular on this discussion group in all of its incarnations.. he had some kind of "heart-attack" and has been in dallas' emergency ward for several days.
he also has a blood clot doctors are working to break up.. 972-261-4412 is his cell number.. he was in a talking mood yesterday afternoon.. i bet it wouldn't kill him to get some well-wishes.. james goes back a long way as an ex-jw.
he knows where the bodies are buried :).
bttt
Yes, we are wishing him well. Updates?
hello and thanks to everyone for participating on this forum it has really been of much value, for those of you that post here know that your words are not lost you never know who is reading your expressions, lives are being changed and nonsense challenged.
i’m not much of a writer so excuse my untrained writing style and grammar but i want to share my story to help anyone who is visiting here to see that we are real people, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters who have come here for answers, there is no agenda, just searching for truth.
i hope my story will help others as so many here have helped me..
Glad to have you here on the forum.
You are able to express yourself quite well. Your feelings brought back memories to my husband and I. Yes, bewilderment comes first, then anger, depression, hopelessness, anxiety-the full range.Then, you begin to appreciate the open door and your own ability to think and reason. To make your own choices.
Now is the time to set some goals. Education? I went to college and received my degree at 61 years of age. I am now a teacher.
Travel? I never had money to travel....only scrape together motel money for conventions, etc. We are planning our first trip to Europe this summer, a tour around the United Kingdom. i can't wait.
New job or hobby? What would you really love to do?
My regret is that I didn't find out the truth earlier. I drew back from my "worldly" parents and have to live with the guilt that they were lonely and I could have enjoyed their company instead of dutifully going out in the door-to-door work, attending every meeting, etc. as you mentioned-the treadmill of JW activity.
I sincerely hope that you and your wife can communicate in the coming weeks and months and all in your family can be freed from the WTS. Please be patient. It can take time.
i have been lurking on this site for 3 years and this is my fist post.
i would like to thank everyone for helping me wake up.
i was baptized at 24, married at 25, ms for 18 years mentally in for 24 years but started to wake up 3 years ago doing research to give public talks, and the actions of arrogant and narcissistic brothers and sisters did not help.
Welcome.
I am with the poster that said don't put anything in writing. They are never above using anything against you in the future. They are also masters at twisting words and this may set them on a course to hound you to find out if you are apostate.
Just slow down and smell the sweet air of freedom. Find out some things you would like to do; maybe a hobby, or maybe further your education (age does not matter for either). Just get out and enjoy some things with your family away from the meetings.
been lurking around here for several weeks.
posted once or twice but not too much.
i'm a covert fade at the moment.
Welcome. So glad your family is able to reason and is with you.
What you can do now is have patience, and just spend time with your family. Why not take a weekend or two and go someplace interesting together-camping, a trip to a nearby site?
Just put some distance between your family and the KHall.
Everyone needs time to think and plan. Ask your children what they'd like for their futures. Definitely emphasize education for them.
Wishing the best for your family.
on their chanel they are showing a video of a special assembly day in belgium i believe.
the jws are dancing dressed in black and red, satanic colores.
singing and playing worldly songs and kingdom melodies.
Knorr and Franz are rolling over in their graves right now.
Yes, they seem to be reinventing themselves-and for so long they accused Christendom of appealing to people by "worldly" music, etc.and condemned them for it! The times, they are a changin'.
i have been lurking here for about 6 months, and being the last day of the year, and ready to start the new one afresh, i want to share the story of our exit from the org.
i have found the personal experiences of others of immeasurable value, (and its been a while since a good exit story has been posted) that i hope this can be of benefit to at least someone.. .
my mother became a jehovahs witness when i was about 9 or 10. i remember initially hating all of the new sanctions put on our lives (no birthdays and christmas anymore) but for some reason i soon after joined her in attending the meetings and eventually got baptized at the age of 14. my staunch catholic father converted a couple of years later.
i have been lurking here for about 6 months, and being the last day of the year, and ready to start the new one afresh, i want to share the story of our exit from the org.
i have found the personal experiences of others of immeasurable value, (and its been a while since a good exit story has been posted) that i hope this can be of benefit to at least someone.. .
my mother became a jehovahs witness when i was about 9 or 10. i remember initially hating all of the new sanctions put on our lives (no birthdays and christmas anymore) but for some reason i soon after joined her in attending the meetings and eventually got baptized at the age of 14. my staunch catholic father converted a couple of years later.
Welcome to the forum. So happy that you and your husband are out together. After over thirty years in, my husband and I are also out together.
Welcome to the sweet air of freedom of thought.
it's been at least a couple years since i've posted anything on here, and much longer than that since when i was active.
ten years ago i first came here all in turmoil over my disillusionment of my beliefs.
i've been through lots of ups and downs since then.
Your wife will have no idea what she's dealing with if you don't tell her. She must love you very much to put up with your being "emotionally unavailable" to her.
First, tell her you appreciate all that she does, and mean it. Then talk with her. Really talk. Couldn't this clear the air? Please don't just leave and divorce and not give your family a chance.
Perhaps a lot of their happiness is up to you. I remember a quote from Abraham Lincoln, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds they want to be."
