hi gang:.
i am having surgery tomorrow january 4th at 7:30 am central time.. please say a prayer for me and for me wife, kathy.. thanks,.
jeff schwehm.
Hi Gang:
The surgery went fine so now I will find out how much better life is without a defective gall bladder. I am feeling better every day.
Thanks for all of the prayers and well wishes.
God's blessings to you all,
Jeff S.
P.S. Hey Gumby....Jesus was not too mad at you. It appears he must have listened to your request. Keep praying for me....I need all the help I can get. ;)
i decided to start this topic when ozziepost shared the experience of a bethel representative telling him and mrs. ozzie "and don't forget, we've got your children!
it's important for us to hear these experiences and to share them with each other.
it helps us tear down the mistaken beliefs that the incidents that happen to us are not isolated ones, but are in fact par for the course when one parts ways with the jws and wts.
When I told my JW relatives that I was leaving the JWs, I was told that it would be better for me to be a drug addict or to have committed fornication/adultery than for me to leave the JWs as an "apostate".
I was an inactive JW at the time and my wife who was doing all she could to stay a JW was asked to stand in a JW wedding. It was my first time back with the JWs in months. One of the elders cornered me with a bunch of other JWs and asked me where I had been. I told them that I had been busy with school (I was going to college at the time) and that it was difficult for me to make all of the meetings with my school commitments. The JW elder told me in front of all of these other JWs (I guess I was being made an example of) that if I did not get my priorities straight that I would be killed at Armageddon with the rest of the world. Up to this point I was actually having a nice time with the dubs. That killed it and I even told my mother (who was so hoping I would come back to the organization) what this elder said. My mother had a talk with this elder about his comments and the poor coward did not even have the courage to apologize to me directly. He told my mother to tell me that he was sorry for the way in which his comments came out.
Also, there is the time that the JWs tried to break up my marriage while I was in the process of leaving the JWs, too.
The terrible thing is that I know I said awful things to people when I was a braindead and heartless JW. I always ask God to forgive me for being so stupid back then.
Jeff S.
the shunning has begun.......... i haven't talked with my mother who is less than 5 minutes from me, in almost a month.
not unusual though.
anyway, i went to my dad's place during christmas.
Hi Brooke:
I know it hurts.
When I first left the JWs, my parents threatened me with shunning. They even lived up to it for a little while. However, over time they have lightened up on this significantly and they even call me from time to time. And, last year they even came and visited me.
In any case, it could be that your sister and mother just had a knee jerk reaction due to the JW programming but over time her connection to you via blood and family ties will win out. I know that it does for many JWs. It just goes to show you how unnatural the shunning thing is for many people particularly over issues like buying Christmas gifts for your kids....
I think you handled the situation very well and over time your sister and mother may recognize how silly they acted with all of this.
You, your sister, and your mother are in my prayers,
Jeff Schwehm
From Sheboygan, WI
hi gang:.
i am having surgery tomorrow january 4th at 7:30 am central time.. please say a prayer for me and for me wife, kathy.. thanks,.
jeff schwehm.
Hi Gang:
I am having surgery tomorrow January 4th at 7:30 AM Central Time.
Please say a prayer for me and for me wife, Kathy.
Thanks,
Jeff Schwehm
just showing my new photo - this is my favorite cat 'whiskey'.
found him as a stray and 'revived' him, much like my own life.
kimkat
When we lived in Seward, NE we rescued a bunch of cats and found them homes.
One of the cats I have now is a cat we rescued when we lived in Nebraska.
Jeff S.
hi gang:.
i just wanted to say that i enjoy our time together here throughout the year.. it is great to be able to come to a place and discuss those things that really changed us as we were jws and those things that continue to change us after we have left the jws.. i thank god for all of you.. so, here is my christmas prayer for all of you (even those of you who do not believe.
"may the lord bless all of you, protect all of you from all evil, and lead all of you to eternal life.
i have an 80 year old cousin who has been a jesuit priest for a very long time.
here is his christmas sermon.
jeff s.
Hi All:
I have an 80 year old cousin who has been a Jesuit Priest for a very long time. Here is his Christmas Sermon.
Jeff S.
ONE GIFT FITS ALL
hi gang:.
i just wanted to say that i enjoy our time together here throughout the year.. it is great to be able to come to a place and discuss those things that really changed us as we were jws and those things that continue to change us after we have left the jws.. i thank god for all of you.. so, here is my christmas prayer for all of you (even those of you who do not believe.
"may the lord bless all of you, protect all of you from all evil, and lead all of you to eternal life.
Hi Gang:
I just wanted to say that I enjoy our time together here throughout the year.
It is great to be able to come to a place and discuss those things that really changed us as we were JWs and those things that continue to change us after we have left the JWs.
I thank God for all of you.
So, here is my Christmas prayer for all of you (even those of you who do not believe. So please do not be offended.)
"May the Lord Bless All of You, Protect All of you from All Evil, And Lead All of You to Eternal Life." Amen
Merry Christmas to you all,
Jeff Schwehm
i'm really glad i've found this site a week ago.
reading some of the stories and comments on here has really helped.
there are so many out there who's lives have been ruined by the so-called truth.. i was brought up in the truth as an elders daughter, youngest of 5, a brother and sister had been disfellowshiped, other brother had left as a teenager and my other sister is still sitting on the fence aged 40 going on 15, if she'd made a decision instead of sitting on the fence i'm convinced she wouldn't be the alcoholic mess she is today!
Yes, I know what you mean.
The first few times I entered a Christian church I became physically ill. I was raised a JW and I believe it was all of the programming. What made it worse in a sense was that the first time we went it was during Advent/Christmas season and that is when they read all of those scriptures about the Last Days and the End of the World so that made it worse.
In any case, it is perfectly understandable that you would experience this. I can certainly relate to it. It goes away as you learn more about what the Christian churches really teach and what they are really like (since the JWs have just given you a caricature of the Christian Churches) and what you learn about the real history of the JWs.
If you ever want to talk you can email me at [email protected]
God's blessings to you,
Jeff Schwehm
my beloved grandmother is dying.
i am going to see her and i will have to drive 1000 miles by myself.
i'm hoping i'll be able to keep it together.. i would really appreciate it someone could send some thoughts and/or prayers to my grandmother and i.. thank you.
If you need prayers for anything...just email us at [email protected] and at tell us what to pray for.
Jeff S.
