outnfree

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Posts by outnfree

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  33

  It's almost Christmas!

  by under74 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anyone else excited?

  i'm not excited about everything...there was a family fight at thanksgiving that hasn't been totally resolved yet.

  not sure how it will all turn out.

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  outnfree

  (((((u74)))))

  Christmas is my birthday. That part sucks.

  Other than that, I love the carols best. I am planning to attend a secular carol singing event that takes place at a local mall next Saturday, just so I can sing them out loud with others. I wasn't raised a JW, so I know most all of the lyrics. In fact, one of the first things I did after leaving the JWs was to insist that the entire family (my husband was never a JW, but a Roman Catholic, and the kids attended parochial school) attend Midnight Mass just so I could have the joy of hearing the Luke 2 gospel reading (which I had been privileged to read myself in Third Grade), and singing the religious carols. It was momentous, and I may even go again this year if I can drag someone with me. (It never did become a tradition.)

  Now, something my ex- did with the kids every year was to go to a Christmas Tree Farm to choose and chop down a tree together. I, of course, didn't go, being a JW. Once I no longer was a JW, I went, but it is still not my thing. Too damn cold, too much arguing before the perfect tree is settled upon. And yet, when I suggested to my youngest that we'd just do what my family had done when I was a kid -- go to the corner lot and choose a tree -- he was sorely disappointed. He wants to keep that tree cutting tradition, even though he's estranged from his dad. So I guess I freeze my toes off again!

  What I WON'T let the kids dissuade me from is putting tinsel on the tree. My ex- HATED tinsel, and since I was a JW most of our married life, garlands were the rule as I didn't help with the tree-trimming. But tinsel and colored (not white) lights are part of MY pre-JW tradition, and I'm having both of those things on my tree this year. I will even try to be prissily particular about tinsel placement in memory of my late sister, who couldn't abide any "clumps." LOL

  Gift shopping is something I usually enjoy, but I've got a cold and am worried about exposing myself to the flu this year, so I'm not sure what I'll do, since I've barely made a dent yet. Maybe go earlier in the day and actually wear one of those masks?

  More than shopping, I like wrapping. My first job was as a stock person/wrapper and I like to make the presents look nice. This was a guilty pleasure of mine as a JW. While I wouldn't overtly help with the Christmas celebration, I always took pity on my husband and helped him wrap the presents on Christmas Eve. (Sometimes, I helped him shop, too. Only when he "commanded" me, of course!)

  PLUS, I'll have all three of my kids home for Christmas , which was not the case for Thanksgiving this first holiday season post-divorce.

  So what's not to like?

  Brenda
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  39

  What was YOUR childhood dream?

  by Golf in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  being a professional baseball player.

  i ended up being a professional golfer and teacher, one of the few hats i wear.

  as a kid i lived for sports everything else was secondary, i love competition, in competition winning and losing is part of the game, it's a given.

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  outnfree

  Golf -

  When I was really young, I wanted to go West and raise/break horses. (Now that my back is fixed, perhaps I'll ride again some day.)

  When I got older, I didn't know what exactly I wanted to do with it, but I wanted to learn to speak French fluently. I am a Francophile! So I did take French in Jr. and Sr. high school, and, finding I had an aptitude for learning languages, took two years of German in h.s. as well. I eventually went to Switzerland to immerse myself in French, passed my Alliance francaise and came back to the U.S. and got a job with Renault. I started as a bi-lingual secretary and moved up into Public Relations.

  Somewhere in there, I got married, raised a family, and only spoke French with the friends I had made at work.

  Now, I am pursuing a BA degree in French - Secondary Education part-time and am trying to decide whether to [double] major in Spanish or only minor in Spanish. Probably, I'll major in it, so I will be more likely to actually get a high school teaching job. The competition in French is tough and there is less and less interest in the language. Meanwhile, Spanish is likely to become the second official language in the U.S. in the next generation or so. I'm already at the 200 level in Spanish.

  I am almost 51 years old and it's taken me this long to decide that teaching French is what I want to do. And since I like high school age kids, I'll begin there. I'll likely be 54 before I've gotten my degree (having cancer and the finances mean only part-time attendance), and then will only work 10 years or so before retirement, but I take comfort in the fact that the median age of high school teachers in my part of the world is 45, so I still have a chance at being hired!

  Sometimes living one's dream takes a long time to come to fruition, but it is my firm belief that one is never happier than in its pursuit.

  Brenda/outnfree
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  8

  Brenda Lee's Response to Editor Regarding Christmas -"Every Day is Special"

  by Cocoon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  by alice mannette/staff .

  [email protected] .

  to jehovah's witnesses, every day is special.

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  outnfree

  I thought it interesting that Ms. Mannette reported this:

  Leteta Harris, who converted more than 30 years ago after being approached by pioneers at her front door, said that having her children remain in the faith was difficult.

  without explaining what "pioneers" are since it has a special connotation among the Witnesses.

  Does anyone else think that the reporter may be a Witness herself?

  outnfree
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  14

  Who is from Michigan? Plz check-in!!!

  by outnfree in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just noticed another poster who is from michigan (as am i).

  it was on jourles "name three posters you'd like to meet" thread.

  i have met a lot of jwd members, most of whom i got to know better in chat (those were the days!

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  outnfree

  BTTT as I sort of dropped the ball on this thread....
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  2

  Head of Vatican Observatory refutes Intelligent Design

  by jstalin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  this is why i'm a catholic church apologist - what other church has an observatory and a religious order that has so many physicists, astronomers, and phd's?.

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  outnfree

  
  
  [Modern scientific knowledge] reveals a God who made a universe that has within it a certain dynamism and thus participates in the very creativity of God.

  
  

  
  This statement reflects my personal beliefs. I believe that we human beings are part of that dynamic and that we all participate in creating our Universal future. May we create wisely and well in harmony with Love.

  outnfree
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  118

  Trouble For Richie

  by RichieRich in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as many of you know, i have a myspace.com account.. apparently, while i was out last night, someone called my mother and informed her of my activities on myspace.

  my mother called and asked me for my login info, and was shocked to see me, and around 40 witnesses in my area having active profiles.

  contents of these profile ranged from a few pictures to downright self-incrimination.

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  outnfree

  Richie --

  I'm sorry for your trouble, but believe that ultimately it will be the proverbial blessing in disguise. Meanwhile, know that I, too, have been cheering you on from the sidelines (not very "vocally", I admit) and admire your spunk!

  outnfree
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  12

  1001 Ways to Say... Happy Anniversary to Me

  by Aude_Sapere in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  1001 ways to say i'm not one of jehovah's witnesses.. and one year into my apostahood.

  this forum has been a 'godsend' to me.

  (i dared to know...).

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  outnfree

  Congratulations, honey!

  The "weather" is just fine "outside", isn't it?

  Glad to have renewed our acquaintance!

  Brenda
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  26

  I am lazy, and addicted to JWD, I need your help

  by horrible life in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  msmcdukets thread what do you do when this board isn't enough?.

  msmcduket, i seem to have forgotten that there is a life outside of jwd.

  i lost my job last christmas, so i lost my housekeeper.

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  outnfree

  (((HL))) -- The house that my ex- still lives in and that I sort of abandoned at the beginning of this month sounds like your place. It's so messy, I'd hestitate to have a cleaning crew come in! I am tackling it little by little from the peace and tranquility of my temporary digs.

  Meanwhile -- CONGRATS for what you've accomplished thus far, and good idea to recruit help! Who is carrying the stuff upstairs while you continue deciding on the prices of the items for sale? The young legs, I hope!

  Carry on! and GET BACK TO WORK!!!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!

  Love,

  out
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  14

  Who is from Michigan? Plz check-in!!!

  by outnfree in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just noticed another poster who is from michigan (as am i).

  it was on jourles "name three posters you'd like to meet" thread.

  i have met a lot of jwd members, most of whom i got to know better in chat (those were the days!

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  outnfree

  OK - Smarta$$! -- I KNOW where YOU live, Jourles! It's the Michiganians I haven't yet met, that I want to make sure are included.

  Like jstalin, here. Nice to meet ya!
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  17

  Quiz..Which World Leader Are You Like?

  by Legolas in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  http://similarminds.com/leader.html

  you have to pick how many questions you want to answer, i picked the 45 questions!

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  outnfree

  
  After responding to 27 questions:

  
  What Famous Leader Are You?
  personality tests by similarminds.com