Posts by talley

9

I am rubbish at Christmas cards.

by Peppermint in

jw
friends

this is the first year i have sent any at all.

i have just got one from the neighbour two doors down, last minute so to speak.

tell me what is the etiquette here.

talley

Yes, vittvin, I have had/am having a wonderful Christmas, especially after being a WT Christmas Grinch for 35 years. So now I am really enjoying the Season, and it seems as if it is no 'chore' at all, but rather exciting fun.

I started sending cards in '02, at that time tacked the cards I got to the wooden mantel over the fireplace, and last year got out my mom's artifical 3 foot tree and put it on the coffee talble in front of the picture window and bought ornaments for it. This year I bought a string of 100 little lights for the tree - looks really good.

Hubby cought right on in '02 when he saw me make that Christmas Card List and then send them out. That year he surprised me with the computer. '03 was with the neat computer station that has a keyboard drawer wide enough to hold the keyboard, mouse pad, AND ashtray! This Christmas he had a BRAND NEW set of Goodyear tires put on my car, and gave me money to specifically buy a good winter jacket. This morning he opened his presents, and got a real kick out of it (mine were already on the car - goody, goody, goody!)

The 21st we went to a small gathering of Hubby's siblings and a few cousins to celebrate the Solstice. And Jan 1 we will gather with his sister again and her kids, grandkids, and one greatgrandchild.

It is really nice that his side of the family always includes us, as we have no children, and I am an only child, and all of my relatives are in Michigan or further away.

I have learned the secret of a Happy Holiday (after exiting the cult) is to approach it with a positive viewpoint and just 'let it happen' and enjoy it.

vittvin, tell me now about your Christmas, please.

talley/Judy

9

I am rubbish at Christmas cards.

by Peppermint in

jw
friends

this is the first year i have sent any at all.

i have just got one from the neighbour two doors down, last minute so to speak.

tell me what is the etiquette here.

talley

YES, YES, YES! You send the neighbor a card right back, maybe even walk over and put it in his/her mail box. Write a brief note on the card thanking them for sending you a card, something like, " Thank You for thinking of me this Holiday Season. Merry Christmas and wishing you and yours good health and happiness in the comming New Year."

Then you start making a Christmas Card List.

name & address of those who sent you cards

" " of those who you know would like to get a card from you, and maybe a special few you 'want to skick it to', hehehehe

I started sending out cards in '02, and for some reason had kept the envelopes from cards recieved in previous years, so I had a begining base.

Peppermine and vittvin, your list can begin with this season for next season.

Neighbor 2 doors down '04 (the '04 meaning you sent one, the underline/or circle around '04 means you got one from them

Widowed Uncle Joe '04 ( again, you sent one, but did not get one. Ok, he's a widower, cards are not a 'guy thing' and you think he would like to be remembered, so you send him a card, year after year.

As the years go by you can refine the list.

20

Do you become empty inside after leaveing the witness's?

by PinTail in

jw
friends

i find myself feeling empty inside sense drifting away after my being shuned, and my divorce from my wife who was a witness, and after my daughter had been molested by a stupid brother in the hall that my ex-wife started living with after my becoming disabled.

i am newly married now to a good women who is not a witness, but she is honest and kind to me and understands what i have been through, but still i feel a empty somewhere in side of me.

of note during this time of pain, i fell hit my head and lost a major portion of my brain which left me disabled, and very emotional at times feeling like all is lost, i just can't throw it.

talley

(((PinTail)))

It appears that your 'empty' feeling has more to it than just leaving the witnesses, but that could very well be a part of that feeling too. To address the 'witness' part I suggest that you read Ray Franze's book Crisis of Conscience. That book is what finally set me psycologically free from the WT. After reading that book, my drifting/empty feeling became rather like a great weight lifted off my shoulders ( a weight or drag I was not even aware of until it was gone), and a freshness of outlook toward life and the GOOD things around me.

Ray's book can be found in many Public Libraries, and if yours does not have it, you can request 'an inter-library loan' and they will get it for you.

Wishing you and yours good health and happiness always.

talley/Judy

26

LCD screens, do you have one?

by JH in

jw
friends

this week, i'll go and buy a lcd screen for my computer.

try to fit a 4:3 ratio picture into a 5:4 ratio screen, and it will distort.

i'd like to have your feedback on this, if you noticed any distortion in your pictures when you changed from a crt 4:3 ratio to a lcd screen 5:4 ratio.

talley

I have a View Sonic brand ViewPanelVE150B that Hubby ordered with the computer back in Dec. of '01, and I really, really like the monitor.

For a couple of years he asked me why I had not begged for a computer, or gone out and bought one, and I said I was waiting for the price of LCD to come down.

I was in grade school when TVs were intoduced and still remember the directives about not letting the kids sit too close to the screen.

My logic was and still is, that I am not about to 'cook' my boobs and eyes in front of a cathode ray tube.

BTW, the red circle 'looks round' to me.

talley/Judy

15

Annanias and Saphira - only record of Christian executions?

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

the new testament only records the execution of two christians, annanias, and sapphira his wife.. they lied about the amount of money they made when they sold their field, and secretly kept some of the price back.. acts 5 tells the story.... acts 5. .

1 but a certain man named ananias, with sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

3 but peter said, ananias, why hath satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

talley

This fable of Annanias & Saphira, along with the fable of Cain & Able are both examples of the lack of inspiration of the Bible to me; that the Bible is a collection of books written by just men, and men who had ulterior motives.

These are just two of the many examples of why I no longer have "faith" in the Bible.

talley/Judy

25

What would you like to do if you knew it wouldn't kill you?

by Elsewhere in

jw
friends

.

...or hurt you.. as an example: drive your car off a cliff like in the movie groundhod day, just for the hell of it.. basically something that would normaly kill you or leave you messed up real bad... but in this case you could "reset" all new again.. don't be shy... i won't think your weird if you want to blow your head off just to see what it's like.

.

talley

Take up horseback riding again.

21

ATTENTION ALL! RE: Talia Balleta Memorial Info.

by Valis in

jw
friends

i assume simon is still bringing the site down for upgrade and since it would be good to keep everyone informed i have taken the liberty of hosting the lates infor that mario gave us and ldh has for the florist.

please make a copy and pass it along to people if jwd is not operating.

http://www.sassquatch.com/balleta.

talley

bttt

8

How do you get them out of your head

by what_Truth? in

about 7 years ago i was woken out of a sound sleep by a deafening siren and a blinding light.

startled my first thought was "holy shit, armageddon has come i'm about to die".

the truth was, of course, that a fire truck had passed very close to my second story apartment to put out a fire in a neighboring building.

talley

My experience was that I really could not get "them" out if my head until I read Crisis of Conscience and In Search of Crhistian Freedom. both by Ray Franze. It was like a heave weight had been lifted from my shoulders, a weight I was not even aware that I was carrying.

The next "breakthrough" came after reading about Muhamid and then read a translation of the Koran. That stuff was all 'makeeupee" and caused me to look further into Biblical criticism. Put that all together along with my very own life experiences and my personal conclusion is that all "religion" is man made. The only book of the Bible worh reading is Ecclesiastes. Some interesting thoughts and ovservations there.

To sum up "religion"; it is all vanity and a striving after the wind.

For the first time I am enjoying the little things in life and valuing every day.

10

The Bible VS the Koran

by JH in

here is an interesting link that compares the bible's teachings versus the koran's teachings.

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~dbates/koran0.htm.

is there a way to know for sure which out of the two books is more credible?

talley

Actually, after having read a translation of the Koran and being very well 'versed' in the Bible, I think both books are figments of mens' immagination with a little history thrown in.

The book that most closely represents actual life as I have known it for 62 years is Ecclesiastes.

I second wallflower's opinion.

9

setfree .......introduce yourself

by kat2u in

tell us what you would like us to know about you.

talley

Welcom, setfree. To make you name, 'setfree', a bit more meaningful to you in a positive way - the way Jesus ment it, I suggest you read the book "Crisis of Conscience" by Ray Franz.

Ray Franz was a member of the governing body of the Society for many years and did a lot of writing for the Society. He exposes many of the unscriptual dictates and practices of the Society based on the authority of the Bible. Sort of a real inside view.

Why I am so impressed with this book is that I was 'inactive' from 1989 and read Crisis of Coscience in the summer of 2002. I was amazed that I had carried so much man-imposed guilt and the feeling of 'never being able to do enough' too. I cannot beging to express the feeling of liberation from the Society and yet good will from God that I felt after reading Ray's Crisis of Conscience.

He has also written a second book, "In Search of Christian Freedom"

Ray Franz's books can be found in many public libraries and if not at your local one, they can get it for you through 'inter-library loan'.

From my experience, this would be a good place for you to start your real spiritual healing.

Best wishes to you and yours, talley/Judy