Posts by Sentinel

24

Friends don't let Friends get eaten by Cicadas

by SixofNine in

jw
friends

.

at least not w/o a warning.

be warned: http://www.cicadaville.com/ (information clearinghouse on the cicada threat).

Sentinel

As long as I can remember, I've always enjoyed the song of the Cicada. We had not had any show up around our home until last night. One lone creature was on the roof right outside my window, rubbing it's wings together for half the night. It was gone this morning.

We have seen many all over the place the closer to DC we go in our travels. Most of them die as they are molting out of their shell on the ground. They are eaten by birds, or other animals, or stepped on or run over. No wonder they sing so much while they can!

/<

110

Apostates are very disappointing. I just found the WTS is true about them.

by reason in

your conduct, attitude, manner of speech, avatar, all of these shows what sort of hearts you people have.

i can't feel the holy spirit operating in you people.

the first time i exposed myself to apostates, i was imagining matured people, more matured than the jw's.

Sentinel

Reason,

We aren't practicing a religion here. Most of us are united because of our experiences being a JW ourselves or having family members of the cult. We are each different in the way we express ourselves, due to our own personal experiences in life; and that's why some posters might offend you. Finding out that we are free to be ourselves, and that there is no one to judge us for breaking rules and regulations set up by the borg-- we answer only to our own heart and our own conscience. We live this life in the joy and reality of each day. This is what the creator wants anyway. Anything else is fake and a lie.

Learn to love yourself first, and then you will be able to love others. I hope you can find your way.

/<

44

Hi all - another newbie!!!

by bull01lay in

jw
friends

i've been reading the messages here for some time now, so decided it's about time i joined and said hi!.

especially hi to "littletoe" - hope you're doing well.

luv ya bro!!.

Sentinel

Hi and Welcome.

I seem to have missed many "newbies" lately and want to welcome all of you. This is an excellent platform where you can "speak" freely and exchange your thoughts and experiences. Most all of us here have had the JW experience going on in their life, so we truly do understand.

I look forward to reading more of your posts here!

/<

10

Are You Contaminated?

by Sentinel in

i've been giving lots of thought to this life we have right now.

the choices we make.

the people that affect us and those that we touch in some way.. many "here" seem to be kind of stuck.

Sentinel

I've been giving lots of thought to this life we have right now. The choices we make. The people that affect us and those that we touch in some way.

Many "here" seem to be kind of stuck. They realized that the path they were on (the borg) was not giving them what they needed. They got out, either walking away, or doing something to get df'd for. Then once they were out, they were "shocked" at the seemingly cold reality of life. There were feelings of being "awake", yet not knowing what to do. It was scary.

If we are going along, unaware of something, then things are okay. Once we realize something is wrong, and we become very much aware, everything changes. An emptiness overtakes us that is difficult to fill, because we just don't know what to fill it with. The reactive mind has always just done the "expected". Now the new mind needs to be trained to rely on personal reality. To be fully alive and aware is big and raw and there is no protection. It's no place for wimps. There's no place to hide. So we either fall back into a mental sleep, or we forge ahead on a path of self discovery. Our whole lives we have bought into what others have said. We fit into that box, but this is second hand knowledge, and that's why we feel so incomplete.

Once we free ourselves to learn and to listen, we will have a much deeper level of experiencing the real truth. Facing the illusion is painful and so many stay stuck, afraid to move. What a sad place to find oneself. There is hope for our situtiation and it's called "love". Without love in your heart, which in turn begets patience and tolereance, we can find ourselves unable to handle these new emotions. We either get "holier than thou", become introverted and pull away; or we cultivate this love and let it flow naturally through every area of our life. While going through our metomorphesis, we "contaminate others", either in a positive way or in a negative way.

This forum gives us a platform to show love. I see it here all the time as I read the threads and posts. We each have the means to give love and to accept love, and that is a very beautiful thing.

/<

18

Please....I need your knowledge on this......

by cameo in

jw
friends

i know this young couple; the wife is a jw and the husband is not (and has no desire to become one).

the wife was baptised after they got married.

she has been a jw for almost a year.

Sentinel

As far as I know, the JW's really want marriages to work. I was a JW who married a non-believer when I was in the df'd stage (at 20) and then I began trying to get back into the "group" soon after. Of course I wanted my husband at the time to study and attend meetings, even now and then; but he only showed interest for a brief time around '75 when they were trying to convince everyone that the end of the world was at hand. When he saw that didn't occur, he stopped studying.

It's always better if a couple has similar standards of living and somewhat similar spiritual views. The JW's are just too far out there for most divided marriages to work. I would have to say that no brother/elder ever gave me the advice to leave my husband. They in fact cautioned me not to divorce him unless I could prove by "visual sight", that he was commiting adultery. I stayed in a very abusive situation for way too long because of that directive. Divorce was just an absolute "no-no" unless certain situtions were met. They always felt that the "other" mate could be "won over" by the faithful JW in time. Sometimes that did work, but most of the time, the wife just stuck it out in a horrible situation with no way out.

I have no clue how things have changed since I left in '83. I know of many marriages from my old congregation that did not survive--many of those where both started out as JW's together ended in divorce.

/<

25

Confrontation has its place

by Maverick in

i know most of you wouldn't read this, after-all it might improve your life and you don't want that do you?.

no sane person enjoys confrontation.

we like to be liked and thought well of.

Sentinel

As long as certain boundaries are set and maintained by both parties, I believe that confrontation is a healthy way to resolve conflict. However, both parties have to be reasonable and acknowledge the "event"; otherwise, one thing may be resolved, only to snowball into something else. In committed relationships of marriage, family, friends, work, etc., I believe it is important to nip things in the bud and not allow them to fester beneath the surface. Sometimes its a personal issue that only the individual can work through; but other times, it does involve behavior, attitude, etc., and has affected someone else.

/<

26

20 Years Ago Today .......

by xjw_b12 in

20 years ago today, you said "i do".

20 years later, i say "i do love you forever".

it's been a wonderful journey, and i think we are just getting started.

Sentinel

True love is a maricle that keeps happening over and over.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

/<

32

Going to the hospital alone...right or wrong?

by Maverick in

i am having a hard time figuring out the best policy on this.

so i need some input from y-all.

monday night after retiring for the evening i got very sick very fast.

Sentinel

People like to be needed--especially women. I suppose when you "decided" they didn't need to know, they felt that you were distancing them. You didn't do anything wrong at all. People tend to want things to go "their way" no matter what. Sometimes we make decisions that we are perfectly comfortable with, only to find out later that we have offended someone.

However, in saying this, I know very well about kidney stones. I've had separate episodes myself. The first one hit me when I was at this work conference. I didn't know what was going on with me and they wanted to call the ambulance. Being stubborn, I decided to drive the fifteen miles back home--since I'd driven there in my car. It was the most horendous drive of my life, and I truly didn't know whether to drive myself to the hospital or to head home. I had to stop and pull over several times, but I made it home. I went to bed with the clothes I had on and could not bear to move for hours. It finally passed. I later learned what it was, so the next time when it hit me again--like lightening, I went to the ER by myself early one morning. I did let my husband know, but there was nothing he could do for me, by leaving work. I also drove myself home after I got checked out of the hospital.

My husband has had some bad episodes too, and moreso lately since his other major surgery. His were so bad that he could not drive, so I was right there with him through each episode. It was only his first episode that I missed back in '99, when he left work and went to the ER. I didn't know anything until later on that day. I was concerned that he had not contacted me, but he said he didn't want to bother me at work. I told him that we need to at least let each other know what's going on. Since then, we show that consideration to each other as best we can.

We are going to a Urologist tomorrow, because in all the tests they've done, no one has seen these latest "stones", yet the excruciating abdominal agony and the blood in the urine, the low grade fever with the diareah and sick stomach is right on the mark with past episodes. I agree, that the pain is very much like childbirth as I can best remember it. Having this agony every other day or so, is sapping the strength right out of him.

I'm hoping you are feeling better now. Just remember that you can always let your friends know what's going on out of courtesy. Whether or not they come to be with you, etc., is their decision.

/<

6

She wants out

by zilent in

after reading various threads and thousands of messages, spending long days and longer nights thinking of this (which is absolutely nothing compared to what she's been through because all of this) i finally understand her silent call for wanting out.

all the signs.. they've been there, visible all the time.. you guys, all of you have been so helpful just by existing and sharing your thoughts publicly here.. thank you.. but it's just beginning, she's still scared, i know.

i will be there for her, but tell me every possible way i can help her with this, please.. zilent

Sentinel

It will be a rough road, but she has you. Sounds like you both will be just fine.

/<

14

HOW DO U GET AND KEEP YOUR CARPETS CLEAN?

by wednesday in

how do u clean your carpet?

we have beber, and own a hoover steam clenaing machine.

the saleman told us that b/c we had light colored beber, we could use bleach/water to clean it.

Sentinel

We also have the "please leave your shoes at the door" rule. Most everyone in our family follows this same rule when we visit each other. However, there are some who will NOT take their shoes off, even though we ask nicely.

I've noticed that if you request delivery people or repair people to cover their shoes/or remove them, they do usually have these booties that they can put over their shoes if they need to walk through the house. Most are very glad to do so. I have a habit of looking down at their shoes, and if it has been raining, or they are dirty and muddy and have nothing to put on, I go grab two plastic bags for them to put over their shoes. They don't seem to mind at all.

/<