As one who feels compelled to go to keep the peace in my family and not break my mother's heart, I too agree with what is posted above. While there, I know people will look at me with sympathy and ask how I've been. I plan on telling them that I have NEVER been better and that I feel great. Recently I've had a few people from the KH comment on my Facebook page about my new business and how great I look. Of course I look great!! I've stopped being filled with panic attacks, anxiety about armeggedon, anger at feeling required to go in service and report time. I'm calm now, don't beat myself up because I have to go in service. My nights are free and so is my heart. I'm enjoying my life and shows...that is the best revenge.
PaintedToeNail
JoinedPosts by PaintedToeNail
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31
Memorial Attendance: The Single Most Impactful TTATT "Witness" to Family and Friends
by AMNESIANO inanyone who has awakened to ttatt and conscientiously left the organization--especially a once-prominent individual from a prominent multi-generational tribe of jws-- after decades of devout, high-profile "serve-us," who continues to put in an annual appearance at the memorial thoroughly subverts and undermines, by this one act, any hope s/he may entertain that his/her departure will stir family or former friends to question the whole watchtower bamboozle.
by this one concession s/he assigns him-/herself by every single jw to their handy and dimissive purgatory: the "spiritually-weak.".
nothing blasts a louder, clearer, and more deliberate message to the jws who personally knew you and those familiar with your jw bona fides that you are not merely "not making the meetings" or "spiritually-weak" but that there is a conscientious reason you have rejected the entire watchtower society life than choosing to forego what they know you know to be their one-and-only holy and sacred event of the year, the lord's evening meal.
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Did anyone in the congregation discourage you from going to college?
by Trapped in JW land ini remember being out on service with an elder when i was 17. he asked me what i plan on doing after high school.
i told him i was thinking of going to college to be a teacher.
he then asked me, "do you think this system is going to be around that long"?
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PaintedToeNail
Trapped-Good for you! Yes, the elders and others feel free to ask personal questions all the time. When my son got into his middle teens, the elders and pioneers would ask him that question. He came to me, saying he didn't know what to say. They would ask him also what his spiritual goals were. I told him to answer this way, "That is a personal question between me and Jehovah". If the personal questioning persisted, to reverse the questions and ask them what their spiritual goals were and were they planning on quitting their jobs to pioneer. If they answered him and he was still being pressed, to tell them once again, "It is a personal matter between me and Jehovah."
He once had an elder, who was an appliance repairman, press him for an answer, when he told the elder finally, what it was he wanted to do, the elder disapproved of his choice and asked him if he thought park rangers were going to be useful in the 'New System'. My son responded with, "Well, I don't think there will appliance repairmen needed there either." That ended the conversation.
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75
HOME SCHOOL and the upcoming generation of scientifically illiterate kids
by Terry inwhen i worked for a book store i became familiar with beka text books for home school.. i spoke with the mothers who came looking for them.
i realized something didn't smell right.. then, i realized there are a couple of generations of fundamentalist kids who have had no exposure.
to the scientific method, science facts or any conversancy with physics or biology or history as a result of beka textbooks.. in a nutshell here is the situation:.
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PaintedToeNail
GrreatTeacher-My children were taught far more critical thinking skills than are taught at school. We had books, workbooks and discussions about assumptions, propaganda, general statements and so on. It is this critical thinking ability that has allowed my 10 year old to be selected to attend the Washington D.C. conference. The conference will examine the great leaders of the past, the great losers of the past and current leaders to evaluate their performances and so forth.
It makes a huge difference of whether you think President Lincoln fought in the Battle of Gettysburg, it makes you look like an unintelligent idiot if you thought he did. Who could take anything you said seriously? Also, not knowing basic facts prevents one from being able to form proper opinions on basic subjects. Memorization is important. It worked for thousands of years, and can continue to work to make a well-rounded mind.
I often feel at a distinct disadvantage when talking about world history, they rarely teach that in school. We have wonderful books now, because of homeschooling, that we dig out an read, often in reference to ongoing matters, such as the hatred between the Muslims and Christians.
Homeschooling can be far more successful than you give it credit for, as long as it isn't following a religious agenda, which we NEVER did. Terry is correct in that the Beka program is garbage. There are rotten homeschoolers out there, just as there are rotten public school teachers and horrible, violence riddle school districts and districts who exist solely to promote football.
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HOME SCHOOL and the upcoming generation of scientifically illiterate kids
by Terry inwhen i worked for a book store i became familiar with beka text books for home school.. i spoke with the mothers who came looking for them.
i realized something didn't smell right.. then, i realized there are a couple of generations of fundamentalist kids who have had no exposure.
to the scientific method, science facts or any conversancy with physics or biology or history as a result of beka textbooks.. in a nutshell here is the situation:.
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PaintedToeNail
I home schooled two of my children. The oldest went on to the young scholar program which partners colleges with high school students. He was the one of four students in the chemistry class to get an A. He also tested out of required math classes. The younger child went back into the public school system this year because of changed circumstances at home. She has been accepted by Johns Hopkins University to become part their special program for the top performing 95% elementary students in the world. She was also recommended by her school to attend a leadership conference for promising youth to be held for one week in Washington D.C. This honor is because of her intelligence, maturity, and leadership abilities.
Home schooling done correctly, using excellent text books, field trips which include museums, science museum, historical sites and the like, reinforce lessons. My 5th grade daughter just had a history question to be answered in essay form. She was the only one who could accurately name the generals at the Battle of Gettysburg. Most students thought President Lincoln fought there and didn't know that he actually delivered the Gettysburg address at the consecration ceremony of the cemetery.
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Why did God test Abraham?
by jws inwhen jws come around with their articles asking "is god cruel?
", i often point them to genesis 22:2:.
2 then god said, take your son, your only son, whom you loveisaacand go to the region of moriah.
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PaintedToeNail
Domi-Interesting. Once my son leave home he is no longer my son? Wow, I thought I was still my parents daughter, but apparently not with your reasoning. They are childless even though they had multiple children, as we all left home.
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Any seniors looking for association?
by cultBgone inlife is tough when you've spent your best years in the borg...how do you reconnect when kids are grown and you're close to retirement age?.
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PaintedToeNail
Just want to say Hi and and that I would like to join Gracie's Gang too. Just turned 50, 'the youth of old age' according to the saying. Started a business recently, which is scary at this point in my life, but it is energizing too. Enjoying my freedom from the Borg. Wishing everyone here the best and LisaRose-sending my positive thoughts to you and your brother.
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PaintedToeNail
I'm very sorry for the loss of your friend.
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19
Anyone Else Feeling Forced to Go to the Memorial?
by PaintedToeNail ini refuse to go to any meetings, assemblies, conventions, special talks or the like...however, i get coerced into going to the memorial every year.
because it keeps the peace at home with hubby and also makes my parents, who live elsewhere, have hope that i will come to my senses and become an active witness again.
there is no chance in hell of that happening, but it prevents the ties to my family from being severed.
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PaintedToeNail
redvip2000-Unfortunately, I need to keep the peace in my family. I've never felt that it makes it look like I'm telling everyone that I'm wrong and they are right, because I ONLY go to that. It is more like getting roped into going to a talent show at an elementary school, you don't want to be there and neither does anyone else, but you go because your kid is in the show.
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Anyone Else Feeling Forced to Go to the Memorial?
by PaintedToeNail ini refuse to go to any meetings, assemblies, conventions, special talks or the like...however, i get coerced into going to the memorial every year.
because it keeps the peace at home with hubby and also makes my parents, who live elsewhere, have hope that i will come to my senses and become an active witness again.
there is no chance in hell of that happening, but it prevents the ties to my family from being severed.
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PaintedToeNail
I refuse to go to any meetings, assemblies, conventions, special talks or the like...however, I get coerced into going to the Memorial every year. Why? Because it keeps the peace at home with hubby and also makes my parents, who live elsewhere, have hope that I will come to my senses and become an active witness again. There is no chance in hell of that happening, but it prevents the ties to my family from being severed. I hate the hypocrisy involved.
Just today while speaking to my mom, said "You are going to the Memorial, aren't you?" When I answered "yes", the relief in her voice was obvious.
One of the ironic things about this whole scenario is the fact that all of us have witnessed lots of people coming to the hall for the Memorial, and never stepping foot into the Hall until the next year's Memorial. Nothing ever comes of people going to the Memorial. I've never heard of anyone deciding to study or get baptized because they sat through it...so why does every one get so excited? It never made sense to me when I was in, and it makes even less sense now that I'm out.
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25
Need some advice...For my kids
by Jon Preston insince being out mentally and missing meetings my children mention people from the hall and i cant help but feel bad that they are missing the association.
my daughters are 4 and 2 and we live in a small town with not a whole lot to do.
what activities did you do with your kids?
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PaintedToeNail
Jon-At yur daughters' ages, the simpler the event, the happier they will be. Anything that requires a long ride anywhere starts kids off bored, so the end result must be hands on for them, like a children's museum where they can try out different things and touch everything.
Our local fire department had an exhibition where the life flight helicopters were available and we got to ride in a fire truck...my son still remembers this 12 years later, plus it was free. Airports sometimes have planes available for kids to check out. Anything involving water is fun. Do you have a YMCA in your area? It is cheap to pay for a swim with the kids one night a week. Just walking through the neighborhood at the kids pace would be fun, you could observe and comment on 'look at this daffodil, it is really ruffled like a lion's mane, but this one is hardly ruffled at all'. We dragged a magnifer out once and squated by the side of the road looking at different kinds of beetles.
In my small town, the newspaper still reigns as king versus online media, maybe yours does too. The paper often lists what is going on locally in the events section of the paper. A lot of those things are free.
Try also meetup.com to see if anyone in your area has started a meet up for parents with small kids, or singles with small kids, they may have structured events you can do...or you can start your own meet up.