Posts by Cicatrix

the kids are very keen on having a christmas tree and some decorations.. is there any date these are supposed to go up or are we going to look really silly having it up mid november ?

Cicatrix

Els-

Ever consider those HUGE lighted snowman figures you can get at Kmart? lol

39

When to put up Christmas decorations?

by Simon in

jw
friends

.

the kids are very keen on having a christmas tree and some decorations.. is there any date these are supposed to go up or are we going to look really silly having it up mid november ?

I used to clean for a family that kept a Christmas tree up in their house year round. He was a contractor, and they built this big, beautiful home. The livingroom has a ledge about ten feet off the floor on which they keep the decorated tree, complete with gifts under it!

On my drive to school, I've seen a few families put up their decorations the day after Halloween.

I'm waiting till December first,though, for general decorations(it's just something about the word "December") and we won't get our tree until mid-December, because we're getting a live one and we want it to last until New Years.

26

As a JW Did you want Christmas?

by LovesDubs in

jw
friends

did you guys suffer the way i did every xmas?

did you want it as much as i did??

what things went through your mind and soul?

Cicatrix

{{{{Mouthy}}}}}

No, you shouldn't be silent. You've made a valid point.

26

As a JW Did you want Christmas?

by LovesDubs in

jw
friends

did you guys suffer the way i did every xmas?

did you want it as much as i did??

what things went through your mind and soul?

Cicatrix

Growing up, I lived for Christmas. I would start planning it in July lol. When I first joined at age 19, I missed Christmas very much. So much so, I actually wrote a letter and told the elders that I had to quit so I didn't "bring reproach to Jehovah's name".I celebrated with my family that year, but the new heavy indoctrination I'd just gone through before baptism made me feel guilty. I saw that as a sign that Christmas was indeed bad, and returned to the meetings.Because of that experience, I didn't miss Christmas for years.But when I started to realize that the so-called fruitage of love among the witnesses just wasn't there, and I was deliriously unhappy, I began to realize that I did miss Christmas. Not so much the gifts as the tree, the twinkling lights and music, and baking cookies with my family--that type of thing.

I agree that the gift giving can get out of hand. We have set guidelines for our family that take the focus off the gifts-each kid is going to get one coveted item and few small things. My extended family has decided that we will either make gifts, or get them from the dollar store because it's really the thought that counts and not the cost of the item.Most of us are struggling college students and lack cash, but we all have great imaginations.

I bought most of our decorations at yard sales this summer. I found some absolutely beautiful classic ornaments from the 1940s that I can't wait to see on the tree! I even found a two gallon tree stand at a community sale that was held to raise money for our local firefighters.

The neat thing is watching my family who were not JWs get excited about my celebrating again. We come from a Czech background, and my dad is going to give us some recipes for some pastries that require lots of work, that we plan to get together and make, just as generations of our family did before us.My sister kept my daughter's "Baby's first Christmas" ornament, which I'm sure she will give her for a gift this year:)

I agree that it's kind of phony to talk about peace and love at only one time a year, then go back to same old same old the day after Christmas, but I have found there are lots of people out there who volunteer year round to help others in the community, and I encourage my kids to do so (I do so when I can, but its hard because of my school schedule and homework load). My son just helped the humane society build dog houses a month ago. He had a great time. We used to help out various charities when we were JW, but always got chided for taking time away from "the good news"--what a crock!

28

Shakira Better Than..... Britney??

by Latte in

http://www.shakira.com/ .

i have just bought her new cd washed & dried...it's ace!

the video to objection is really good also.

Cicatrix

Comparing Shakira and Brittany is kind of like comparing apples and oranges. Brittany is just coming into her own, whereas Shakira, who is older, seems to be more at home in her own skin.

It's fun to watch Brittany experiment, trying on different personas to figure out who she is (be em all Brittany).Shakira's confidence and exoticism are really attractive, and damn can she bellydance--I wish I could dance like that!!

I vote for both of them, but as an "older woman", I relate more to Shakira's lyrics.

48

Have you joined another religion?

by freedom96 in

jw
friends

i don't think i will never join another organized religion.

that being said however, i have enjoyed going on occasion to non-denominational churches, watching the band play music, and the speaker.

if you did or would attend another church regularly, which one would you go to and why?

Cicatrix

Hi Freedom,

I've given this question a little thought, but have suspended any action for the time being because I'm pretty newly out. I figure I'll give myself at least a year's break before I even consider the topic of formal religion, then I will do lots of general study. I don't want to make the same mistake twice, so I want to investigate lots of religions from the perspective of their members and from what others have to say about them. I'm a little hesitant to get involved with any one denomination of anything, though.And because of my past experiences, I sometimes even wonder if there is/are a divine being/beings.Yet, because of other things that have happened, could believe that there is...well, suffice it to say, I'm pretty confused about the whole issue, but not really terrified.

The Universal Unitarian church mentioned on this board kind of sounds interesting to me, as does Wicca and Native American faiths. I would probably go to a Unitarian church just to check it out, but there are none in my area. However, I'm not sure if it's true faith or the comfort of ritual that draws me at this point.

41

My DA was announced

by LB in

jw
friends

my mole inside just e-mailed me that it was announced from the podium that i've disassociated myself.

funny thing though.

one of the girls that we took to maui a few years ago just called to invite us to her wedding.

Cicatrix

You can breathe freely now.

Congrats,

Cicatrix