Posts by Reopened Mind

We are so happy to hear that your daughter Ali has had her surgery and is doing well. Having insurance that covered the expenses and a job that was kept open for her I'm sure has relieved a lot of pressure. She is so blessed to have you for a mother. The next couple months may be a stretch for you both financially but you willl get through it. Sounds like the worst is over.

Hubby and I have lived most of our married lives of 37 years without health insurance. We have survived despite his knee surgery last year.

Best wishes for a continued recovery.

Reopened Mind and TotallyADD

25

Spent last few days in Hospital with our 23 yr old son

by troubled mind in

jw
friends

severe abdominal pain turned out to be pancreatitis !

very scary .... his levels of enzymes should have been 180 ,but were 4,500 .

all the tests xrays , ulta sound and mri showed no gallstones or blockages just one mother of an inflamned pancreas .

Reopened Mind

troubled mind,

TotallyADD and I send our best wishes to your son for a speedy recovery. It must be heartbreaking to see your child in so much pain. Perhaps the flood is the key to the correct diagnosis.

The times TotallyADD was in the hospital his JW mother never visited him. He was very hurt by it.

From one longtime caregiver to another, get some rest and take care of yourself. You will then be better able to take of your son.

Reopened Mind

89

Want to quit Bible study

by confusedstudent in

jw
friends

hi i was just looking for some advice.

i have been studying with the jw's for over a year now, and attended 2 memorials and the district/assembly conventions.

at first, and up until very recently i truly believed what i was learning was the truth.

Reopened Mind

Dear Confused Student,

You have been given much good advice on how to gracefully bow out of your study. Getting a full-time job will help.

If you become an unbaptized publisher (hopefully you will decline) you will be told how to count your time. Believe me the sisters who study with you are turning in a report on you every month. They count the time they spend with you, they count you as a Bible study, and every time they visit you they count you as a return visit. You were probably counted as a return visit when the sister took you to the emergency room and she also likely counted that time spent with you.

I, like DagothUr, became a Witness as a result of a Bible study. Thirty eight years later I wish I had had the courage to say "no".

Do not worry about hurting their feelings. You need to worry about what is right for you and your family. I am sorry that you miscarried your twins. Think really hard about what raising children in a cult would be like. For starters there are no holiday celebrations, no birthdays, no Christmas, no mother's or father's days. The only thing the Witnesses "celebrate" is a death----the Memorial. You will be expected to keep busy with "theocratic activities", ie. meetings, field service, assemblies, conventions, to which you will be expected to bring your children. There are no activities designed for children.

You did a good thing by coming here. Now listen and learn from our mistakes.

All the best,

Reopened Mind

21

JW's attempt to sabotage a funeral was foiled (for now)

by TastingFreedom in

jw
friends

i had to share this sad experience... even if it's not in my top priority list.. my older brother from my mom's first marriage unfortunately passed away last night.

he had been struggling with health issues, the last few years.

this is a very sad time in the family as you can imagine, specially because my mother lost her youngest son just five years ago.

Reopened Mind

Tasting Freedom,

My deepest sympathies on the loss of your brother. Your SIL's attempt to sabotage the funeral was unbelievably crass!!! Do your best to hold your ground, knowing you are doing all you can to honor your brother.

(((((HUGS)))))

Reopened Mind

77

How HIGH did you climb the ranks as a JW? Did you like the STATUS?

by unshackled in

jw
friends

so what were your biggest jw accomplishments as a rank & file?

curious as to what level you climbed the r&f ladder while in the org, or if you still are in.. did you regular pioneer, or auxiliary pioneer?

bethel?

Reopened Mind

Unshackled:

Reopened Mind: Well that's cool...didn't know you and TotallyADD were married. Funny being "first lady of the congregation"....I observed that mentality in a few congregations. Being the PO wife seemed to include being the leader for other sisters. How did that title make you feel? Did you like it?

As I said I was simply amused by the comment. I never considered that I had a position by reason of being anyone's wife. I always thought a position should be earned. Actually I was a little uncomfortable and I never referred to myself as such. I was just Sister Reopened Mind.

Reopened Mind

39

Your Age at Baptism (into JWs, not Catholics or Baptists - duh)

by undercover in

jw
friends

leavingwt mentioned on another thread the age of his wife when she was baptized.

she was a child.

how can you expect a child to make such a decision?.

Reopened Mind

I was a teenage Bible study too. I was baptised at 20 after I left home because my parents didn't approve of my becoming a Witness. I married at 21.

I don't care what age one was when one was baptised. Nobody is told fully what he/she is signing on for or that "current truth" will become "past truth" to be replaced with "new light". Makes my head spin just thinking about it.

Reopened Mind

77

How HIGH did you climb the ranks as a JW? Did you like the STATUS?

by unshackled in

jw
friends

so what were your biggest jw accomplishments as a rank & file?

curious as to what level you climbed the r&f ladder while in the org, or if you still are in.. did you regular pioneer, or auxiliary pioneer?

bethel?

Reopened Mind

Another female here. I was the wife of an MS and an elder (TotallyADD). I auxiliary pioneered for 2 years, then regular pioneered for 2 years. I was amused when a friend called me the "first lady of the congregation" because my husband was the PO. I was interviewed on a CA and did a demonstration on a DC. TotallyADD forgot to mention that he worked in the baptismal department for CAs where I assisted in the sisters dressing room.

Reopened Mind

42

BIG-JW Sues over Blood demand

by Refriedtruth in

jehovah's witness battles in kansas court for bloodless transplant .... kansas city star - brad cooper-1 hour ago.

but she also would have to compromise her jehovah's witness principles, because she would receive a blood transfusion, something she believes violates god's ...transplant case pits religion, medicaid rules -kansas.com.

get in and comment expose deadly watchtower dogma shows how unpractical bloodless elective surgeries can be wants $250.000 k for operation.

Reopened Mind

The problem could be solved quite easily if and this is a big IF the Watchtower Society or at least her circuit or district would pay for her bloodless surgery. It would be the loving thing to do.

Reopened Mind

16

Things we have WANTED rather badly in our lives....

by Terry in

jw
friends

i was at work yesterday at the bookstore.. watching a mom and her little boy.... the kid was really really wanting something or other and the mom was drawing the line and telling him "no".. he was having a come-apart over it.

some little book or movie.

to him it was a big deal.. .

Reopened Mind

I was 12 years old and wanted a cat, a Persian, really really badly. Dad bought me a beautiful black kitty, but wouldn't let me keep him in the house. A week later I found him dead on the road. He had been hit by a car. I was heartbroken. My dad got me another cat and this time he allowed me to keep him in the house. I'm still crazy about cats. I currently have 4, including one who I have had for 22 years.

Reopened Mind