Posts by LifesNotOver

18

I have no prblems with "new light"

by Doug Mason in

there is nothing wrong with accepting new ideas.

even apostle paul changed his mind when he "saw the light".

indeed, i hope to learn new things every day.

LifesNotOver

Personally, I was seriously doubting my intelligence, my ability to think and reason and figure things out. When I would mull things over for hours (like the overlapping generation) twisting my poor brain every which way to bring it in line with what I thought they were actually getting at, then for an instant I would have an "I got it!!", then it would twist out of my mental grasp. And I'd be back to square one, only not really because I'd begun to doubt that I'd ever really understand it, I wasn't smart enough, but I'd keep trying because everyone around me was saying "I get it!" Soon I was saying "I get it" just so I would fit in and people would stop trying to explain it to me! And then I found myself trying to explain it to others without understanding it myself - what a joke! LNO

19

YMCA?

by LifesNotOver in

my husband's gone to his meeting and i'm catching up with folks here on our forum.

i'm sure i'm having a better time :) anyway, was just following some posts regarding the un and there happened to be a copy of a magazine article stating brothers wouldn't want to be joining the "y" because it was "christian".

i think this was back in the 1950's (maybe not).

LifesNotOver

Holy moly you guys are thorough! Thanks! Dare I ask about the YWCA? This is all very interesting. It's difficult for me to keep my mouth shut about this with my husband. I admit it, I spend too much time wanting to prove myself RIGHT about things (where has the embarrassed ie blushing emoticon gone?)

19

YMCA?

by LifesNotOver in

my husband's gone to his meeting and i'm catching up with folks here on our forum.

i'm sure i'm having a better time :) anyway, was just following some posts regarding the un and there happened to be a copy of a magazine article stating brothers wouldn't want to be joining the "y" because it was "christian".

i think this was back in the 1950's (maybe not).

LifesNotOver

Data-Doug, thanks! I just remembered to do a search and this has been covered before. Sorry, should have searched earlier. Guess I mostly just wanted to join in some discussion without getting into all the heavy duty stuff that is going on around here at the moment. Thinking this over a bit, maybe my best approach would be not to say anything because he's not listening to me on anything much these days - it's all about "you've been on that apostate site again, haven't you?!" I know he's told at least one elder about having joined the Y and how he (the elder) should too. This is the same elder who gave him so much grief about his beard. So if the elders want to give him grief about the Y, better it comes from them than me, then he can get angry with them and not me.

Reminds me of the saying "pick your battles" - something like that. "Bigger fish to fry". Oh, lots and lots of sayings! LNO

19

YMCA?

by LifesNotOver in

my husband's gone to his meeting and i'm catching up with folks here on our forum.

i'm sure i'm having a better time :) anyway, was just following some posts regarding the un and there happened to be a copy of a magazine article stating brothers wouldn't want to be joining the "y" because it was "christian".

i think this was back in the 1950's (maybe not).

LifesNotOver

Hello! My husband's gone to his meeting and I'm catching up with folks here on our forum. I'm sure I'm having a better time :) Anyway, was just following some posts regarding the UN and there happened to be a copy of a magazine article stating brothers wouldn't want to be joining the "Y" because it was "Christian". I think this was back in the 1950's (maybe not). Does anyone remember hearing about this more recently? He's just joined the Y and I'm thinking about bringing this up with him. He's already encouraging me to do yoga if I want, for years he's had a small beard and refuses to shave, and says he'd support me if I were to wear a pantsuit to the meeting. So, small things, I know, but maybe just maybe someday he'll be willing to look at the bigger issues. LNO

12

How do i keep seeing my daughter when she turns 18

by agnosticnow in

hi.i have a 13 year old daughter that i still have for a limited time as she comes to stay about one night a month at present.the law here in australia is on my side in that the australian governments stand is that the child needs regular access to both parents .

i am currently arranging for mediation to have her more often .

her mother can not stand that i am living with another woman and doesn't want her here .

LifesNotOver

My two cents ... if your daughter sees you doing whatever you can to have more time with her, that will prove your sincerity. Be honest with her, but don't tell her things she can't yet understand. Always keep your word. Be her father first, her dad second, and her friend third. I just finished reading this novel where a teenage boy's father just for a moment decided to be "cool dad/friend" so his son would be happy with him, rather than be "responsible father", and it all went tragically wrong. It DID have a happy ending, though, and I love happy endings! Well, a bittersweet ending, actually.

I've raised 2 teenagers and made plenty of mistakes. I think professional counselling early on would have helped us understand each other and helped in communication. Nip problems in the bud sort of thing, rather than trying it later in the teen years when patterns are already firmly established and much damage has already been done.

And lots of "I love you's" and hugs! As I said, my two cents ..... LNO

30

Imagine living in JW's Paradise.

by James Mixon in

lets say you are able to go back in time to the first man( their belief adam) 7000 years.. now you are magically transporter back to adam time with the knowledge you have from.

todays world..would you make life a little easier for you and your family???

you may move.

LifesNotOver

How many here love their mates, but don't even want to imagine having to live with them for eternity (or even a thousand years?) Hands up!

44

Things I remember growing up in the 70s

by The Rebel in

jw
friends

i remember sitting on my daddy's lap and driving an imaginary car, i also remember sitting on my mummies lap on the front seat, without a seat belt whilst my dad drove a real car.

i remember we bought fish and chips from the chippy wrapped in yesterday's newspapers.

i remember bouncing up and down on my space hopper in the garden.

LifesNotOver

Jan: google "white dog poo" - I did! Fascinating

36

Brother & Sister-in-Law Return to Kingdom Hall After Two Decades, Quickly Get Stumbled

by TMS in

it was a mild surprise, learning that a brother and sister-in-law had began re-associating with jehovah's witnesses after at least 25 years of being away.

the couple, of hispanic ethnicity, are in their early 60's, with their five children all grown and independent.

the family had been considered nominal jws, infrequently attending meetings, rarely in field service, but using the annual convention as their family vacation.

LifesNotOver

My husband was invited to meet with a couple of elders to fill out a form for construction work at a new kingdom hall. He's been a journeyman for decades and was willing to help out - was excited to be included, actually, for a change. Then they proceeded to tell him he wouldn't qualify to "volunteer" and "serve Jehovah" unless he shaved his little beard. He might stumble others. What?! Well, we can't refuse you an application form, you can fill it out and hand it in, but there's no way we'll approve you. What?! Sneaky way to coerce him into shaving his beard. He got angry and stood his ground and told them just what he thought of their methods. I was very proud of him! There's hope for him yet :)

6

Let's call him brother.

by The Rebel in

jw
friends

door knocking has its occasional rewards, and if such a " newly interested one" advances to attend the " k.h" he will come in for a lot of complimentary praise.

in fact if he puts his hand up he is referred to us " our friend" .

" i am respected here" newly interested one " says to himself.

LifesNotOver

Man oh man! this brings back bad feelings. The love bombing felt sincere, well sort of .... I overrode my instincts, is what I did. I say trust your instincts, sometimes you read them wrong but there's a good chance you're right. Oh, yes, there's the old your heart is treacherous, and then there's also the old no independent thinking, so what can you trust? why trust us, trust what we're telling you, we know what's best for you, we're so smart we've done all this studying of the bible and we even have our own version of the bible we're that smart. We have the truth! I felt like I was making all these new friends (don't worry about alienating all your old friends and family, we'll be your new friends and family and we'll be better at it). Shortly after baptism I told an elder "now I'm baptized, I've been dropped like a hot potato". That felt good, that was before I was afraid to speak my true thoughts and feelings. I didn't know the trouble it could get me into, especially speaking my mind as a female and to an elder at that. He was very surprised, saw the truth in it I guess, and then he and his wife became good friends of ours. :)

Now that I don't care anymore, it feels so good to be myself again. I have to tell you a little story. The elders came by a couple of weeks ago to give me some encouragement ugh! of course it was early on a Saturday morning when they were out in service (wouldn't want to make a special trip, right?) I wasn't showered or dressed, we were just sitting down to a nice waffle breakfast, and there they are at the door. I wasn't going to let them in, but hubby was right there and oh! come right in, so nice to see you, we were just sitting down to breakfast but it's okay. Wife will make you some waffles. Not! I just sat there feeling so uncomfortable, didn't make waffles, didn't even offer them coffee. They finally caught on from my demeanor that I wasn't very pleased. Do they have no sense of boundaries? Oh, right, they knock on peoples doors early Saturday mornings and try to "engage them in conversation". And it feels good to be talking about "they" and "them" and not including myself. Well, after some awkward moments, well for me anyway, and for my husband too because he knew I would be suspicious why the elders were calling after they'd ignored me for so long and what had he said to them about me? Oops! long story here. Anyway, one of the elders looks over at me and says "I feel like maybe we're intruding" and I quipped back, looking over at the table where our breakfast's getting cold and down at my robe, "What gives you that idea?!" semi-sarcastically. Well, guess you had to be there to get the full effect :) It did get them out of here in a hurry, though, and it just felt good to feel free to let some of my smart-assed-ness come out again. I don't care what they think of me anymore.

What was the original post about again? Oops! LNO

10

Wife having lunch with her nosey Mother.

by Darkknight757 in

so my wife is really nervous about having lunch with her mother today.

she is an über-dub who is always asking probing questions as to our spirituality.

i think she knows that we are fading out.

LifesNotOver

Why not simply cancel? Or you cancel for her - "something's come up". I know my husband stood up for me in a very uncomfortable situation, and I appreciated it so much and I think he enjoyed being able to help.