Thanks for the encouragement Aussie Oz... I really appreciate the advice and the encouragement!
Best,
Expanded-Mind
Expanded-Mind
JoinedPosts by Expanded-Mind
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19
My son contacted me... need advise
by Expanded-Mind in2010 will go on the record as a great year for me!
in november i heard from my youngest son (a jw), who i have not heard from in 8 years (i am an exjw).
hearing from him was wonderful enough, but he added to that joy by telling me he was married (to a non-jw) and i have a grandchild.
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My son contacted me... need advise
by Expanded-Mind in2010 will go on the record as a great year for me!
in november i heard from my youngest son (a jw), who i have not heard from in 8 years (i am an exjw).
hearing from him was wonderful enough, but he added to that joy by telling me he was married (to a non-jw) and i have a grandchild.
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Expanded-Mind
Dear Gayle, jwfacts, itsacult, Finally-Free, shamus 100, Black Sheep, Penny2, Moshe, Snoozy, Satinka, GL Tirebiter, Tec and dssynergy,
Thank you all for responding! It is truly helpful to hear most of the comments... it defintely will help me to sort out my feelings so that I focus just on building a relationship, friendship with him --- and along with that build trust --- so that when/if he is ready, he may feel comfortable with talking about some of these things.
Again, I am very grateful for each of you taking the time to write...
Best wishes to each of you for a great 2011!
Expanded-Mind
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My son contacted me... need advise
by Expanded-Mind in2010 will go on the record as a great year for me!
in november i heard from my youngest son (a jw), who i have not heard from in 8 years (i am an exjw).
hearing from him was wonderful enough, but he added to that joy by telling me he was married (to a non-jw) and i have a grandchild.
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Expanded-Mind
Hi!
2010 will go on the record as a great year for me! In November I heard from my youngest son (a JW), who I have not heard from in 8 years (I am an exJW). Hearing from him was wonderful enough, but he added to that joy by telling me he was married (to a non-JW) and I have a grandchild. I have seen them several times and am ecstatic having them in my life again.
I will not make an issue of religion with him --- even as he was growing up I tried never to put him in the middle (between his JW mom and me) and have assured him that I respect his feelings. I really don't know "where" he is religiously, so I find myself being kind of cautious, which I guess is fairly normal under the circumstances. I suspect that he is no longer attending meetings (has a goatee and sometimes a beard). And of course there's the issue of his having a spouse that is not a JW (but is a fairly devout Christian). I feel that it would be helpful to understand where he is religiously, but I am nervous about asking him questions about this. Its not necessary to know this to have some type of relationship with him, but I am also thinking that if he DOES have any questions about the organization, I want to be available to help him (I left the organization over matters of conscience when he was only a few months old).
Has anyone else had a similar situation in their family? Does anyone have any suggestions about how to help him without alienating him? It feels weird to be so cautious with my son, but I love him so much and don't want to risk losing him again by saying something wrong. On the other hand, I want a deeper relationship with him and don't want to always avoid the "gorilla in the room".
I feel so lucky to have him, his wife and my sweet little grandchild, in my life again... it has been so healing. Any helpful advise will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks for listening!
Expanded-Mind
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Who is AGBM?
by african GB Member inthe purpose of this thread is to tell everyone on this board who i am and why i am so different.. first of all, i have already apologised on another thread for posting zero drivel topics here.. i am a 29 year old male, born-in, baptised in 1998, df'd in 2003 for fornication, reinstated in 2008. i want to make it clear that i have never been a ms. after my reinstatement i continued to attend meetings with the same cong.
but moved to another cong.
earlier this year, reason being, the continued shunning by some hardcore self-righteous publishers.. i am still with the same cong until now, i go to meetings regularly, including taking part as well as giving bible reading talks.
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Expanded-Mind
Hi!
I don't post much, but read often. I wish the best for you AGBM... if you're being upfront, then you'd had a difficult life.
Still... I don't think that AGBM has answered the previous posters question about whether he was just recently DF'd as his recent post claimed. I also am curious as to what the scoop is there.
What's the answer AGBM?
Expanded-Mind
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Life After '75 Reunion (Chicago Suburbs)
by Expanded-Mind inhello!.
a couple of months ago i posted about this "reunion" but since this event is now less than a month away, i thought i'd repost an invitation to attend.. to be held in schaumburg il (outside of chicago) on saturday september 18th 2010.. this is associated with the northwest suburbs transitioning jehovah's witnesses meetup group in the chicago suburbs.. http://www.meetup.com/exjw-429/.
if interested, please go to this website to get the details and to rsvp.. the more the merrier... hope to see you there!.
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Expanded-Mind
Hello!
A couple of months ago I posted about this "reunion" but since this event is now less than a month away, I thought I'd repost an invitation to attend.
To be held in Schaumburg IL (outside of Chicago) on Saturday September 18th 2010.
This is associated with the Northwest Suburbs Transitioning Jehovah's Witnesses MeetUp group in the Chicago Suburbs.
http://www.meetup.com/exjw-429/
If interested, please go to this website to get the details and to RSVP.
The more the merrier... hope to see you there!
Best,
Expanded-Mind
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Question for Billy The Ex-Bethelite and others who had forgone college sometime ago.
by garyneal ini was talking with my wife today about college and i asked her about why the society makes such a big deal about witnesses not going to college.
in typical dub fashion, my wife tells me that they do not discourage college, but they do not encourage it either.
instead, they encourage placing kingdom interests first.. now i told her about you (billy) and how you were at bethel and are now starting college at the age of 40 (i think that is correct).
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Expanded-Mind
Hi!
I also was a JW teenager during the 1970's and, especially before 1975, the stress was on the door-to-door work and not pursuing supposedly unnecessary higher education since the end of the system was so close. Desiring to be faithful to Jehovah I determined to pioneer upon graduation. My folks, who were not JWs, wanted me to go to college and would have paid for the whole thing, but it wasn't in my plans. Before beoming a JW (my Junior year of HS) I absolutely planned and desired to go to school.
But it is never too late if you want to go! I am currently in school full time and will graduate in the spring of 2011 and I'm in my 50's. Interestingly, I had a great job that paid fairly well, but I had this dream of completing my undergraduate degree, so I quit my job and.... now here I am. I am hopeful that it will open up some additional opportunities for me. But completing this will be fulfilling a life-long dream.
Best of luck to all of you considering going back...
Expanded-Mind
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Anyone currently attending a Kingdom Hall in Stockton CA?
by Expanded-Mind ini just googled kingdom halls in stockton ca and it appears there are several.
anyone go to any of these halls?
i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the witnesses in this area.
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Expanded-Mind
Hey Wasblind!
If you read my sentence in context, the word "unfortunately" relates to the shunning I've received from my family, not from the fact that I left the WT organization.
Its just a sad consequence --- in my case --- that because of following my God-given conscience (leading to the rejection of the organization) I lost the association and friendship of some very dear people.
Expanded-Mind
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Anyone currently attending a Kingdom Hall in Stockton CA?
by Expanded-Mind ini just googled kingdom halls in stockton ca and it appears there are several.
anyone go to any of these halls?
i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the witnesses in this area.
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Expanded-Mind
Thank you all for you replies and comments!
Yknot--- I can only hope that the girl with the blue streak in her hair was one of my relatives! <smile!>
Eveyone have a good fourth of July weekend!
Expanded-Mind
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Anyone currently attending a Kingdom Hall in Stockton CA?
by Expanded-Mind ini just googled kingdom halls in stockton ca and it appears there are several.
anyone go to any of these halls?
i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the witnesses in this area.
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Expanded-Mind
Hey Wasblind!
Unfortunately, because I disassociated, my relatives who are JWs will no longer speak or associate with me, so trying to aski them any questions about our mutual JW relatives in Stockton is not likely to happen --- and relatives that are not JWs have essentially been cut off by the JW relatives, so my guess is that none of them have any information.
Thanks for your welcome back... I appreciate it!
Expanded-Mind
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Anyone currently attending a Kingdom Hall in Stockton CA?
by Expanded-Mind ini just googled kingdom halls in stockton ca and it appears there are several.
anyone go to any of these halls?
i was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the witnesses in this area.
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Expanded-Mind
Hi again, Wasblind!
Hope you read my last post. I would never ask someone who wasn't comfortable with doing so, to discuss specifically which Kingdom Hall they attended or reveal any information that might expose them. And of course I would never want to cause a person undue hardship just because I want to know something (I think this is clear from my other posts). But if someone IS comfortable talking about it, then that is THEIR decision.
If I could ask my relatives, I wouldn't be asking for help. But I will NEVER say (in your words) "good riddance to 'em"... my family and friends are precious to me and my door and my heart will always be open to them....
Expanded-Mind