Posts by joannadandy

on the other hand it feels like i've been here forever, accumulating about 15,000 posts in the process.. it was a wednesday (12 september 2001) on a small island off the west coast of scotland .

in recent months i had experienced a spiritual awakening of such proportions that it caused me to question one after another of the beliefs that i'd been raised with as a jw.

I've always appreciated your honesty and bravery - you are someone to be admired, and I do. So thanful I've been able to read your posts here and meet you in person. You're a special person who makes anyplace he makes his home (be it online or in the real world) special just by your presence.

16

Dating an Ex-JW

by dyone in

i am dating someone who recently left the jw religion.

i am not a jw, nor do i align myself with any specific religious organization.. intellectually, it was very difficult for me to accept that he could be absorbed into what i believe is one of the strongest cults of our society, but in time i realized just how easy it was to be absolved in something that you are forced into out of fear.. he's at a point right now where he is reading/researching various literature and discussing his experiences openly *such as boards as these* and i encourage such discussions.

he does not see himself ever returning to the religion and is even willing to face that he may be shunned from his own family as a result.. here is where i am "stuck".

joannadandy

Generally these threads involve "I'm in love with a JW" - which make me a little pessimistic as to success...but the "I'm dating an ex-jw" is far more promising.

Yes - it's true his family probably won't be too thrilled with you. So what? There has never been a relationship where parental support was guranteed. You and your family could be of tremendous support and help for your ex-jw boyfriend. That's huge! Besides, I am sort of the opinion that while parents and extended family are nice - your relationship is not about them...it's about what you can now build together.

As far as with jw issues - well that's something a lot of blended families also have to consider - different ideas about parenting ideas. Who says you can't be excited about Christmas and Halloween? Of course you can! Will she share your enthusiasm - perhaps, perhaps not...that's part of raising a kid to think for themselves - that's something she will have to work out for herself...just like other kids.

The roadblocks I see for you two seem pretty do-able, and something lots of couples in similar situations to yourselves (extraneous of the JW issue) will face. Keep up the good communication - keep up the love and support for each other - and you'll be just fine...

My two cents...

24

Is It true what they say about you?

by OUTLAW in

your all apostates!..every last,god forsaken,one of you..you`ve left jehovah..thats why your all,so unhappy!

!...outlaw

joannadandy

I have a full belly and had a beer...I'm pretty happy rights about now! YAY ME!!

17

Hasta Luego everyone!

by Jourles in

jw
friends

you didn't think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?

(i'm sure some are going, "damn it, why doesn't he leave for good!".

we're heading down to cancun for a week.

joannadandy

Sure I just get back to posting here and you're leaving...pff...what-evah!

22

The Tapestry of Life

by cruzanheart in

jw
friends

i'm almost 51. lately i've "seen" things differently.

i don't know if i can express it properly, but i thought this forum might be a good place to start.. .

when i was in art class in 10th grade, i had a wonderful teacher, mrs. brown, who once upon a lazy warm day, showed us how to start a picture with a center: circle, square, whatever.

joannadandy

What a fabulous post Nina - I totally agree with you...I think everything we do and don't do effects our tapestry - other people even help us put stichest into it - even when they are gone, good or bad we see the work they've left us with. Taken as a whole it looks completely different then when we're up close. (Something one of my art teachers taught me - "You work too small - back up and look at everything you're doing and not just this small little spot" - who knew it'd be so helpful in the rest of my life too eh?)

Hooray for Cab!!

40

Meaningful Quotations...

by LittleToe in

i recently came across this one, and it resonated with me:.

"be the change you want to see in the world" mahatma ghandi.. how about you?.

.

joannadandy

Two I've just come across by Ursula Le Guin:

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it's the journey that matters, in the end.
To light a candle is to cast a shadow

My other favorite Ghandi quote:

joannadandy

Posts by joannadandy

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.