Faithful Witness

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Posts by Faithful Witness

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  20

  Our teenagers first Christmas tree

  by truthseekeriam in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we had fun putting together our first artificial tree last week, it came out so pretty!

  the lights and cheap ornaments just add to it.. we have been careful to close our blinds at night to avoid our jw neighbors from calling in the elders, that worked for a few days until we decided to go out for an early dinner and yes, i forgot to close the blinds!

  as we drove up to the garage door i could see the tree in the front room and started to freak out a little.

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  Faithful Witness

  My mom is now a JW, so my kids will never get to experience a Christmas with grandma... But it is what it is, as they say.

  When we were growing up, we always made sugar cookies to celebrate the first snow. She would get out on that same Christmas album, and we would listen to it over and over, while we sang along and decorated cookies. It was a huge, messy great time.

  We always got to open one present on Christmas Eve.

  As adults (before the JW's ruined our only fun family event of the year), we used to put gag gifts in stockings... Pregnancy test for my sister, incontinence pads for my mom, strange little gizmos or "as seen on TV" gimmicks. Fake lotto tickets. Hahaha you get the idea.

  Those really were the days.
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  20

  Christmas presents

  by Hortensia in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i like a lot about christmas, lights, music, smells, food.

  i like the idea of lots of presents, too, but i totally don't like the idea enforced by advertising that all of us must spend loads of money buying gifts for everyone we know.

  and i think that gifts for adults should be consumable, a bottle of wine, candy, that sort of thing, a token of friendship, a little treat, but nothing grand.. so, i've made about four dozen jars of jam from wild grapes i picked in the fall, and i'm going to make lots of cranberry bread and pumpkin bread.

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  Faithful Witness

  In years past, I have spent hours in the kitchen, preparing and packaging homemade treats to ship to family. Then I found Wine Country Gift Baskets. This year, I shipped gift baskets of teas and treats to all the distant relatives. Free shipping! The funny thing... They rave about the commercial gift baskets, but I barely got a reply when I asked if my homemade peanut brittle, fudge, cookies and jams made it to my in-laws. This was so much easier and cheaper!

  I went a little overboard this year, and sent a tower of boxes full of chocolates to my JW sister and her family. I also sent small gifts from amazon to my JW niece and nephew. I really hope they Let Them have the gifts...

  For my 12-year old niece, I got a wall calendar: "What cats teach us." It inclures cute cat photos, and inspirational phrases for each month. I'm hoping maybe one phrase will inspier some independent thought for her. She is ready to rebel anyway.

  For my 10-year old nephew, I got a building set for machine levers and pulleys. I heard he was getting into some structural engineering workshops, and thought this might keep his mind off the JW brainscrubbing for a few hours. He is lost, at this point, right along with his father. I think the JW's give preferential treatment to the males, and so does his father.

  Anyway, I'm sending gifts to the kids, because of something someone here wrote a few months ago. They have no idea we are thinking of them. God knows what they are telling these kids about us... I hope they at least SEE the gifts, even if they are forced to reject them.

  What do you think will happen?
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  33

  DEC 2013 WT Article - Slave for Jehovah - warning: ranting ahead

  by ohnightdivine in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this morning's wt study almost made me vomit, stand up, pick up my bag and rush to the door.. of course it never happened.

  instead, i was able to make some nice drawings on my tablet and notepad.. if you replace the name jehovah with watchtower, or the governing 8 men, it would really make sense.. what's up with all that nonstop guilt-mongering about education and having a decent job?!.

  most people look down on the uneducated, and i remember, when i didn't have a job, nobody cared!.

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  Faithful Witness

  Haven't read this article.

  When we were studying and examining the JW religion, we stumbled upon TTATT and asked our study conductor (big wig elder) about it. His reaction caused us to quit attending meetings and he transferred our study to another, less experienced JW.

  The elder came by about two months later, read us the parable of the seed sower. He accused us of being choked out by weeds, and too busy "chasing riches" to progress in the kingdom. My husband pointed out that a man is supposed to provide for his family, but of course that argument did not hold water.

  Funny comment about "dressing up," since the JW's all dress beyond their means. I never met such flashy people. Living in a rural county, they really stand out in their spike heels and skirts. The knee high fashion boots in wintertime... I remember sisters who had several pairs of expensive boots, always wearing them with skirts that showed their knees.
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  18

  Today I received my first ever birthday gift!

  by NVR2L8 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i received a parcel at work from my daughter and her boyfriend.

  it contained a birthday card in the shape of a motorcycle leather jacket and a book on rides you can take using the back roads in my part of the world!

  my eyes filled with tears as i was reading the card.

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  Faithful Witness

  Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear NVR2L8, happy birthday to you... And many more!!

  Thanks for sharing your fun with us.

  Bittex, You are so right. Planning and giving gifts to someone you love, is so much fun. I think the parties are often more exciting for the guests, than for the birthday person.

  happy birthday to all you December babies!
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  4

  Saturday mornings are the best!

  by Faithful Witness in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am just sitting here, reading some posts on jwn.

  my kids are playing upstairs, and i can hear them laughing.

  the snow is falling gently.

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  Faithful Witness

  I am just sitting here, reading some posts on JWN. My kids are playing upstairs, and I can hear them laughing. The snow is falling gently. It is a cold day in Michigan. I am relishing this easy start to the weekend.

  I think of my JW family, out in field service. I would love to take the kids to visit their grandparents, but know they are out fighting the bitter cold and slippery roads, all to prove their dedication to theocratic work. I think of my niece and nephew, forced out into the cold, to sit in cars, enjoying twisted chatter about Armageddon and how wonderful it is to be among Jehovah's chosen people. I'm sure not a thought is crossing their minds, about the activities they are not allowed to join with the other kids at school. I wonder if they try to find interesting things to tell their friends on Monday, or if they even are allowed to have friends outside the KH. Does my brother in law realize that his children are exposed to public school indoctrination for 30 hours a week?

  I am shopping online for last minute Christmas gifts. I think I will send them a big box tower of treats, trimmed in non-holiday colors. I doubt they will refuse food. I should pay extra for Saturday delivery, so the kids at least see it and know we are thinking of them.
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  7

  North Korea vs Watchtower

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a self appointed dictatorship.

  removing anyone who dares to question.. deleting from literature and history anything embarrassing to the movement.

  zero tolerance, functioning & appearance of the movement is worth more than an individuals life.. .....but am i talking about north korea or watchtower?

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  Faithful Witness

  Band on the run, Don't you want to have a pet panda?

  I have never thought of this before. What an excellent point. When JW's make that twisted comment about how the 144,000 need someone to rule over on earth... Is this the kind of ruler you want to serve for eternity? And if everyone is now perfect, what need will there be for 144,000 judges?
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  20

  Our teenagers first Christmas tree

  by truthseekeriam in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we had fun putting together our first artificial tree last week, it came out so pretty!

  the lights and cheap ornaments just add to it.. we have been careful to close our blinds at night to avoid our jw neighbors from calling in the elders, that worked for a few days until we decided to go out for an early dinner and yes, i forgot to close the blinds!

  as we drove up to the garage door i could see the tree in the front room and started to freak out a little.

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  Faithful Witness

  Yes, we do have a German Shepard ornament for Sasha. We also have a black lab ornament for our other dog, Martha.
• 
  20

  Our teenagers first Christmas tree

  by truthseekeriam in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we had fun putting together our first artificial tree last week, it came out so pretty!

  the lights and cheap ornaments just add to it.. we have been careful to close our blinds at night to avoid our jw neighbors from calling in the elders, that worked for a few days until we decided to go out for an early dinner and yes, i forgot to close the blinds!

  as we drove up to the garage door i could see the tree in the front room and started to freak out a little.

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  Faithful Witness

  Our tree is mostly decked in cheap ornaments. Each year, we take our kids to a big Christmas store and let them choose a special one. There are also several homemade ornaments, that the kids made in preschool. We make some together. We also lose a few cheapies along the way, as some break or we discard them. We look forward each year, to getting out the ornaments and hanging them on the tree, like memories. We love our memory tree. It gets better every year. There are even ornaments for pets gone by. Haha.

  (BTW we have a pre-lit tree, and love it hahaha)

  Good for you! It is wonderful to hear a story of Christmas spirit. Do you watch any Christmas movies? Make cookies? What other traditions are you starting or continuing?
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  37

  Help me...!

  by OneDayillBeFree in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  lost my job, just a week before making the final arrangements to move into my very own apartment.. got a speeding ticket on the following sunday for trying to make it to the meeting "on time", (never made it to the hall, just parked in the back of a shopping center for 2 hours in silence).. marked by the elders for quitting pioneering, no more commenting and "failing to adhere to bible counsel".. jw family sees me as a disappointment.

  non-jw family is too far away to care.. found out ex-girlfriend got df'ed and is now pregnant.

  puts some of the blame on me for how things turned out.. realizing that she's not entirely wrong as i was still an ignorant, kiss-ass, die hard jwdub when we started dating, always putting the "kingdom interests first" never having time for her since "the end was so freaking close" and then warping her up in the mess of me learning ttatt.. dwelling night after night in "what could have been" if i had never been a jw.. alternating between being a theist, atheist and agnostic on a daily basis to the point where i don't care anymore yet getting creeped the f*ck out when facing my own mortality and the thought of me dying alone.. always coming to the same conclusion, when i find myself alone on friday nights and weekends, that i have no actual friends, only two conditional jw "friends" which are both currently out of town for about a month and 0 real, non-jw friends.. haven't been able to sleep well in literally weeks now.

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  Faithful Witness

  One day,

  You did the best thing, posting your feelings here. We all go through times of hopelessness. It sickens me to see how many people have dedicated their lives to this organization. You are in a time of growth and change. I know it hurts, but you will come out better from this challenge.

  Have you ever seen those polished stones, that have been through rock tumblers? When they go into the tumbler, they don't really look that special. They get tossed around and around with some grit and bounce off other stones for long enough, and they come out shining. You can see all the little details of the colors and even the flaws in the stone make them look more unique. A simple rock turns into a small treasure.

  I am reminded of the story of Joseph. If you're feeling like reading the Bible, read the last few chapters of Genesis. He got tossed around a lot, and look how he came out. I don't know you personally, but I can sense something spectacular happening here.

  Hang in there, and the practical advice that has been given here will serve you well. You are among friends. Your feelings do matter, and you won't be judged or reprimanded for thinking or expressing yourself here.

  Keep posting. I think your story is going to help others, who may not yet be brave enough to speak out loud.
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  9

  Does this Site get more Newbies than WTS gets Baptisms?

  by skeeter1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just wondering on whether jwn gets more newbies that the wts gets bapstisms?

  are there any statistics?.

  this site's newbies usually lurk for a month or two, with no interaction with us.

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  Faithful Witness

  We "left," but we were never really there in the first place. Since then, I have met so many people whose lives have been touched (or torched) by the influence of the WTS.

  You asked a great question, and I do agree that people are underestimating the power of the Internet in reaching people.

  Many people will pass right by, or right through, the organization and not give it much thought afterward. Others have their entire social and support network demolished, leaving them so devastated and alone, having "nowhere else to go."

  I honestly didn't take any action for a couple years after changing my mind about the JW's. It was not until my tree got shaken more violently, that I realized I should actually take another look (with open eyes).

  I am so grateful to find this forum, and all the people here who are willing to share their experiences. I am learning a lot.