In the early to mid 90's I was a part of a congregation as a ms and pioneer where we did this. The body enjoyed a very rare unity and chemistry. They were, we were all very tight knit and it felt like real teamwork. Those days were very enjoyable for my wife and I. Later when I became an elder I always strived to recreate that chemistry but it never happened. These guys all genuinely liked each other. Slowly the body changed as different ones moved away. Sadly it degenerated into disunity and discord. Those pioneer appreciation days were great though. One of the few good memories I take away from my time in the religion.
jeremiah18:5-10
JoinedPosts by jeremiah18:5-10
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Did your congregation have a "Pioneer Appreciation Day"?
by Coffee House Girl inmy mom (who is now a regular pioneer) has been laid up after having major surgery, and i assert my "biblical" rights as a daughter to do what i can to take care of her, so i have been trying to go to her house on my day off to vaccum and run errands for her since she is not supposed to drive.. she called me last saturday to tell me that i couldn't come by because she was driving to her pioneer appreciation day get-together, wtf .
i'm just curious if this only happens in my area (michigan, us)????.
chg. .
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The Christian Hope--Is it in Heaven or on Earth?
by DS211 inso is the christian hope in heaven or on earth?.
in acts chapter 1the question was raised: 6 so when they had assembled, they asked him: lord, are you restoring the kingdom to israel at this time?
7 he said to them: it does not belong to you to know the times or seasons that the father has placed in his own jurisdiction.. notice jesus never said thered be a change in venue, just that it wasnt up to them to know when..... so what is there from both sides?
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jeremiah18:5-10
IMHO, there is no answer to this question. If asking what is taught in the Christian Greek scriptures, I feel unreservedly only "heaven" is offered as a final destination or hope. But what I always come back to is, what is heaven? We know what earth is, we can totally imagine a better life on earth. Heaven though is entirely in the imagination of the beholder. Nobody can testify to going to heaven, nobody can describe it, nobody can tell you what the bible writer meant when referring to heaven. Most commonly heaven is referred to as a concept of perfection, a world without problems as we know them. This is the only thing attractive about such an idea, along with getting to receive answers or understanding of matters commonly postulated on like who is god, how did we get here, what is the purpose of life. I find no satisfying answer to what destination if any awaits Christians or non Christians. It takes an incredible leap of unfounded faith to believe in going to heaven because it can't be based on any known, established facts or testimony.
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would this work?
by jeremiah18:5-10 inhypothetically speaking, if you are dfd and witnesses call at your home and you give a warm reception and in the course of discussion tell them you had just been praying to jehovah to help you get back on track with him, would they go full force at helping you get back in, even fast tracking it?.
as with many who are dfd with family still in, at time i entertain the notion of returning just to get my family back.. so what do you think about this scenario, would it help or hurt?.
i ask because of how enamored they are with the idea that angels guide their efforts in service and lead them to the sheep.
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jeremiah18:5-10
I don't think I could pull it off. I think I would get physically ill. The fact is its trading one form of sensorship for another. A return to the previous relationship is an impossible pipe dream. The only real hope for a true relationship is for them to see the light and learn ttatt, since I can't unlearn it.
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would this work?
by jeremiah18:5-10 inhypothetically speaking, if you are dfd and witnesses call at your home and you give a warm reception and in the course of discussion tell them you had just been praying to jehovah to help you get back on track with him, would they go full force at helping you get back in, even fast tracking it?.
as with many who are dfd with family still in, at time i entertain the notion of returning just to get my family back.. so what do you think about this scenario, would it help or hurt?.
i ask because of how enamored they are with the idea that angels guide their efforts in service and lead them to the sheep.
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jeremiah18:5-10
Hypothetically speaking, if you are dfd and witnesses call at your home and you give a warm reception and in the course of discussion tell them you had just been praying to Jehovah to help you get back on track with him, would they go full force at helping you get back in, even fast tracking it?
As with many who are dfd with family still in, at time I entertain the notion of returning just to get my family back.
So what do you think about this scenario, would it help or hurt?
I ask because of how enamored they are with the idea that angels guide their efforts in service and lead them to the sheep. I could see this changing or impacting their approach.
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if i knew then what i know now....
by jeremiah18:5-10 inif you could go back and utilize the knowledge of ttatt that you have now, how would it have impacted your decisions?.
for me, i would've made some different choices.
i now see that my depression over losing my position in the congregation and watching what i perceived to be my entire world fall apart around me, left me highly susceptible to influence.
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jeremiah18:5-10
I hear Ya. Some days are better than others to keep such a focus. Good analogy though.
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if i knew then what i know now....
by jeremiah18:5-10 inif you could go back and utilize the knowledge of ttatt that you have now, how would it have impacted your decisions?.
for me, i would've made some different choices.
i now see that my depression over losing my position in the congregation and watching what i perceived to be my entire world fall apart around me, left me highly susceptible to influence.
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jeremiah18:5-10
If you could go back and utilize the knowledge of ttatt that you have now, how would it have impacted your decisions?
For me, I would've made some different choices. I now see that my depression over losing my position in the congregation and watching what I perceived to be my entire world fall apart around me, left me highly susceptible to influence. Thus I easily took up drinking and smoking. I felt I didn't have anything to live for anymore, so I threw all caution to the wind. I even compromised my wedding vows on multiple occasions.
Knowing what I do now, I would've embraced the free time I was just gifted. I would've made up for lost time with my wife and kids. I still wouldve made the friends I've made, but would not be as inclined to smoke and drink. Even if I had, I wouldn't have given the congregation authority over me. I so wish that i could've just faded and moved on as my wife did. I wish I had never given the elders the power to drag me to a judicial meeting.
With that being said, what ifs suck, and life can't be lived that way. I've made great moves since those early days. I moved on from a life of poverty as a janitor and jack of all trades, found a career, and now provide quite well for my family.
I've made some good, true, loyal, unconditional friends now and have a life with purpose. I just miss my family still in, mainly because they are forcibly removed from me, I'm not so sure I like them all that much, I just prefer to have a choice in the matter.
Anyway, just curious to hear about others who ponder the whatifs and if they would've done things differently, please share.
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The Astrodome DC's
by 5go ini sort of miss it.
though i am not missing the dc's, though i wish i could.(pun).
share you memories of the dc's held at the astrodome.. i alway sat in the grey sections.. i remember hearing about an attendant decking some one on the field during a baptism.
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jeremiah18:5-10
Went to many conventions there, including the international, was only 7-8 years old though. Got baptized there in 1987. Loved running around that place during pre-convention setups. I was, and still am, a big Astros fan. It was a dream come true to be on the field and in the dug out
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jeremiah18:5-10
Ex-elder from 1998-2005
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Survey: Who Here Believe In God/The Bible? Who Are Not Sure? Who Do Not Believe?
by minimus ini think there are many that still want to believe in a god but just aren't sure.. personally, do you believe in a god?.
are you a "spiritual" person?.
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jeremiah18:5-10
I'm finding myself becoming increasingly agnostic. I've stopped reading the bible, I haven't prayed in a long time, and I have trouble seeing a reason to do either at this point. I still ponder spiritual things and more than ever am intrigued by those with faith. Perhaps mine died due to lack of activity...
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help for a forum member
by jeremiah18:5-10 infrowned upon is a lurking member here.
he never posts, but actively reads.
he went home yesterday to attend a family wedding.
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jeremiah18:5-10
Thanks for the comments so far. I expect frowned upon will express his appreciation soon and hopefully his story. I think the actual wedding is today. Also his parents and family know he has doubts and has stopped attending, but hold out hope for him, thus the love bombarding, and intense pressure while they have him in a controlled environment.