Posts by Vanderhoven7

5

Dating with a guy

by Renee86 in

hi,.

if you date a jw guy do you say to each other you are actually dating or courting?.

Vanderhoven7

Yes, terminate and run for your sanity!

49

Military Service Confusion

by Sea Breeze in

can someone please call these three guys and tell them that the first gentile christian was an active duty roman military officer named cornelius.

these guys have been locked up for 25 years!.

I must say, Christians in the Russian army should not be in the Ukraine. In fact they should never have joined the army of a despotic country in the first place. Canadian soldiers tend to go on peace missions to prevent war. They were involved in Afghanistan and did take an active role in the second world war which I believe most would classify as a just war engaged in by the allied nations to liberate Europe.

I could be wrong, but I don't think most JWs would have or use a firearm, even in in self-defense, but would be the first to call in men with firearms (police) if their homes were being broken into by armed intruders.

68

GIVE AN EXAMPLE of the best writing you've ever read

by Terry in

is there one line of prose or poetry that stopped you dead in your tracks and haunted your mind for days on end?

is there a line, a paragraph or a book that feeds your soul and there is no end to its craving?

share it with all of us.

Vanderhoven7

This is from a man approaching 80

1. After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself.

2. I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.

3. I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.

4. I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am.

5. I stopped telling the elderly that they've already told that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane & relive their past.

6. I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.

7. I give compliments freely & generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me. And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment, never, NEVER turn it down, just say "Thank You.”

8. I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances.

9. I walk away from people who don't value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.

10. I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat & neither am I in any race.

11. I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human.

12. I have learned that it's better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone.

13. I have learned to live each day as if it's the last. After all, it might be the last.

14. I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be!

I decided to share this for all my friends. Why do we have to wait to be 60 or 70 or 80, why can't we practice this at any stage and age?

42

Should a Christian celebrate Christmas?

by Samsie in

hello, i'm new here and have woken up to the real truth concerning the org.

i'm sort of fading away at the moment.... i need help with something, i used to as a child celebrate christmas and have always had amazing memories of it (my husband hasn't as he was born into the org) but i gave it up when i learnt the "truth".

my interest was only in pleasing god and still is.

Vanderhoven7

@Tenyearsafter

"I suspect that everyone posting a reason NOT to celebrate Christmas celebrates wedding anniversaries. What is the difference? The Bible doesn't instruct us to celebrate anniversaries, exchange wedding rings or other "pagan" origin practices...but guess what, JW's are fine with that. The Bible doesn't tell us to not celebrate birthdays...WT instructs that because of two deaths occurring during a birthday celebration. The Bible makes no mention of Thanksgiving, nor Mother's or Father's Day (though it does tell us to honor our parents!). The hypocrisy of this is one of the things that got me started on the path to leaving the JW's. Use critical thinking and common sense...not leftover brainwashing from the very organization you are fleeing to make your decisions!"

Well said and worth repeating!

42

Should a Christian celebrate Christmas?

by Samsie in

hello, i'm new here and have woken up to the real truth concerning the org.

i'm sort of fading away at the moment.... i need help with something, i used to as a child celebrate christmas and have always had amazing memories of it (my husband hasn't as he was born into the org) but i gave it up when i learnt the "truth".

my interest was only in pleasing god and still is.

Vanderhoven7

Imagine being disfellowshipped and losing touch with your family and being marked for destruction at Armageddon because you unrepentantly celebrate Christ's birth on a particular day even if it's the wrong day. There is no excuse for creating and enforcing the commands of men. Watchtower religion is absolutely vain going beyond what is written and claiming moral superiority to others who love and serve Jesus Christ.

They do this because they have no fellowship with, nor do they know God's Son. Yes they know some things about Jesus, but they do not know Him. They never communicate with Him. There is something wrong when someone says they know someone but never have spoken to them. They "know" and have a "relationship" with Jesus Christ in the same way as they know and have a relationship with the apostle James or Peter.

Imagine, they cannot even say:

"Thank you Jesus for giving up your glory in heaven and taking on human flesh for our salvation!"

"Thank you Jesus for dying on Calvary for my sins; for taking my punishment!"

"I love you Jesus!"

68

GIVE AN EXAMPLE of the best writing you've ever read

by Terry in

is there one line of prose or poetry that stopped you dead in your tracks and haunted your mind for days on end?

is there a line, a paragraph or a book that feeds your soul and there is no end to its craving?

share it with all of us.

Vanderhoven7

The Lord is my Shepherd....

You know the rest.

42

Should a Christian celebrate Christmas?

by Samsie in

hello, i'm new here and have woken up to the real truth concerning the org.

i'm sort of fading away at the moment.... i need help with something, i used to as a child celebrate christmas and have always had amazing memories of it (my husband hasn't as he was born into the org) but i gave it up when i learnt the "truth".

my interest was only in pleasing god and still is.

Vanderhoven7

"And in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
Matthew 15:9

A perfect descriptor of Watchtower religion.

The Galatians were in danger of going back under the law for salvation. The Watchtower insists you go under their law for your salvation. You disobey their manmade laws and you will be disfellowshipped and shunned and lose your hope of surviving Armageddon.

Where did Jesus say you shouldn't celebrate Christmas or birthdays or Mother's Day?

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. II Cor.3:17

Where the Spirit of the Lord is not, you are in bondage to men and their man-made rules and man-made salvation.

49

Military Service Confusion

by Sea Breeze in

can someone please call these three guys and tell them that the first gentile christian was an active duty roman military officer named cornelius.

these guys have been locked up for 25 years!.

Vanderhoven7

I believe it was the Baptist who encouraged the soldiers to be content with their wages. But same difference.

42

Should a Christian celebrate Christmas?

by Samsie in

hello, i'm new here and have woken up to the real truth concerning the org.

i'm sort of fading away at the moment.... i need help with something, i used to as a child celebrate christmas and have always had amazing memories of it (my husband hasn't as he was born into the org) but i gave it up when i learnt the "truth".

my interest was only in pleasing god and still is.

Vanderhoven7

Samsie,

Welcome to the forum.!

Thank God you are awake and still believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Saviour of mankind who loves you to death, literally.

Let me tell you that celebrating Christ's birth is biblical. The angels celebrated and the shepherds celebrated. Do we need to know the right day of the year to celebrate..No we do not. You are free to join the angels any day of the year. And do not stop at at his birth. Celebrate His perfect life; celebrate His words, His sacrificial death His promises and His gift of life with your name on it.

Reclaim evey day of the year for Jehovah and don't worry about what pagans thought or did thousands of years ago. Remember what He did and act on that.

Only the pagans and the religious rulers refused to celebrate His birth

Oh yes, and celebrate you children's birthdays as well giving thanks to God for them.

68

GIVE AN EXAMPLE of the best writing you've ever read

by Terry in

is there one line of prose or poetry that stopped you dead in your tracks and haunted your mind for days on end?

is there a line, a paragraph or a book that feeds your soul and there is no end to its craving?

share it with all of us.

Vanderhoven7

Just read this tonight. Someone had posted an incomplete version and the author responded...

Update: from writer Suzanne Reynolds :

L This is my poem in its entirety..

*************************

SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL....

.... but she didn't know what that meant.

When she was a little girl

they told her she was beautiful

but it had no meaning

in her world of bicycles

and pigtails

and adventures in make-believe.

Later, she hoped she was beautiful

as boys started taking notice

of her friends

and phones rang for

Saturday night dates.

She felt beautiful on her wedding day,

hopeful with her

new life partner by her side

but, later,

when her children called

her beautiful,

she was often exhausted,

her hair messily tied back,

no make up,

wide in the waist

where it used to be narrow;

she just couldn't take it in.

Over the years, as she tried,

in fits and starts,

to look beautiful,

she found other things

to take priority,

like bills

and meals,

as she and her life partner

worked hard

to make a family,

to make ends meet,

to make children into adults,

to make a life.

Now,

she sat.

Alone.

Her children grown,

her partner flown,

and she couldn't remember

the last time

she was called beautiful.

But she was.

It was in every line on her face,

in the strength of her arthritic hands,

the ampleness that had

a million hugs imprinted

on its very skin,

and in the jiggly thighs and

thickened ankles

that had run her race for her.

She had lived her life with a loving

and generous heart,

had wrapped her arms

around so many to

to give them comfort and peace.

Her ears had

heard both terrible news

and lovely songs,

and her eyes

had brimmed with,

oh, so many tears,

they were now bright

even as they dimmed.

She had lived and she was.

And because she was,

she was made beautiful.

Photo credit: Nina Djerff

Model: Marit Rannveig Haslestad