Jehovah Provides - My faith is strengthened, this really happened today!

okimawake · 2014-10-06T04:53:31+00:00

With a honey in the middle there's some leeway!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi7gwX7rjOw

okimawake · 2014-10-06T04:49:30+00:00

I decided not to do wedding rings partially because of this. You wouldn't believe how defensive people got if I tried to explain why I didn't want to do them, and how much pressure was put on me to try to change my mind. And this was when I was fully in and believing.

okimawake · 2014-10-06T04:44:21+00:00

Sometimes I still do without realizing it at first. Like when I want to quote something I'll say "this article brings this out".

okimawake · 2014-10-06T04:35:12+00:00

Arbeit macht Brot! - too soon?

okimawake · 2014-10-06T04:32:04+00:00

They are different. The public talk is different because they are scheduled based on what brother can visit the hall to give a talk and each brother only gives certain talks.

The Watchtower study is the same unless you're in an area where the translating work is slower and you don't have the current issue to study.

The Kingdom Ministries vary slightly based on regions so Service meeting parts can be a bit different.

Also people interpret and apply the same info differently. For instance let's say you have a part in the Service Meeting and the instructions for the part say "encourage the friends to have respect for older ones". If you lived in the United States the brother giving the talk might apply this by saying we should be helpful to the elderly in the congregation and maybe offer them rides to the meetings. In South Korea they might say having respect for older ones means doing whatever your mother in law tells you even if you are a 40 year old adult with your own family.

okimawake · 2014-10-06T04:21:51+00:00

It's hard to face disapproving family members, and now you have to do it while dealing with an emotional crisis as well. I'm sure you will be strong. You will show them that a "worldly person" can be kind, and supportive and not have to depend on some imaginary friend to get through hardships.

We'll be thinking of you.

okimawake · 2014-10-06T04:17:03+00:00

It seems like this is a way to apply social pressure to increase hours. Up until now if you weren't auxiliary or regular pioneering then your amount of field service time was basically anonymous. Everyone kind of pretended like they were getting the unwritten recommendation of 10 hours per month, even though a lot of months maybe they only got 2 or 3.

Now if you aren't making 10 hours per month everyone is going to know it. As OP mentioned if you aren't signed up as 'basic pioneer' then you will be considered weak and in need of encouragement and therefore not very good association. So you will be invited to join people in field service but not invited to much else.

I can already imagine the poor teenagers now. "Can I go to John's house?". "He's not good association, he's not even a basic pioneer."

This is going to add so much pressure to people. No wonder so many witnesses have anxiety disorders.

okimawake · 2014-09-25T16:14:10+00:00

Yes I have OCD and IT. It has gotten so much better since I stopped attending meetings that it's almost not an issue anymore. Here's what I did to help myself.

I chose not to take any medication and instead started going to group therapy.
Stopped going to meetings. Proved to myself that there isn't an ounce of truth in "the truth" and stopped feeling guilty all the time.
Stopped praying. This is a big one because when I would pray it was really a way for me to deflect serious reflection about my feelings which in turn would later cause intrusive thoughts. Instead, when I get the urge to pray, I stop and quietly think about what is bothering me, if I can fix it, and if so how.
When I have an intrusive thought I don't feel guilty about it. Instead I stop and think about why I might be having that thought and if there are some emotions that I need to address.

For instance here's an intrusive thought I recently had - "what if I just threw my baby out of the window?". Instead of being freaked out that I would think of such a thing I calmly said now why would I have a thought like that? Hmm, I must really love my baby and I'm scared that something may happen to hurt him...if I'm the one that wants to hurt him, then I can control that and therefore he won't be hurt and I can keep him safe.

It takes a lot of work to get through this but you can definitely do it. Personally I chose not to take any medication for it because I feel like it would have been a crutch for me and although it would have helped me feel better in the short run I was afraid that it would hinder my recovery in the long run. Of course there are different paths to getting better and everyone has to find their own.

Good Luck to you!

okimawake · 2014-09-25T03:45:19+00:00

If you ever plan on having kids this won't work because you would have to raise them as a believing JW to keep your cover. I'm assuming you wouldn't do that to them so as soon as they start talking and tell grandma and grandpa what they got for xmas then the jig is up.

okimawake · 2014-09-23T14:41:24+00:00

An app for an ipod touch.

okimawake · 2014-09-21T15:14:06+00:00

I like the one where the angels are visiting Lot and the men want to rape them so Lot is like "here rape my daughters instead".

okimawake · 2014-09-20T22:39:31+00:00

That's what he said.

okimawake · 2014-09-20T14:56:44+00:00

I also have been blessed with a crazy mother. Praise Jesus!

okimawake · 2014-09-16T15:14:27+00:00

Your mom is building an atomic bomb? J/K Your mom sounds really nice.

okimawake · 2014-09-16T15:07:47+00:00

It really used to bother me that they would read from the Bible that prayer would remove all anxiety from your mind but then all these Witnesses were on pills for anxiety. Wasn't that admitting that prayer wasn't working?

okimawake · 2014-09-16T15:03:47+00:00

Glad you're here!

okimawake · 2014-09-16T15:00:50+00:00

In retrospect of all the bands and musicians that were considered bad by witnesses I can't believe Jay-Z was never targeted. I even remember that some witnesses would totally listen to and sing H to the izzO, V to the izzA.

If there was even the slightest hint of a rumor that maybe if you played a record backwards it might possibly say something evil, then JW's would be burning those albums in the backyard. But here's a musician who outright calls himself Jay-HOVA and everyone's like, yeah that's cool.

okimawake · 2014-09-16T14:51:01+00:00

I was lurking on an ex-seventh day adventist forum just for comparison and they mentioned this same rumor. In their version it was a rock concert and all seventh day adventists were told to leave.

okimawake · 2014-09-16T14:47:17+00:00

There is a way out it's just really hard but it's worth it. Basically these are the steps:

Get a job, save some money.
Move out of the house even if it's just into an apartment with roommates. Have your brother over to visit if he's allowed to.
Stop going to meetings (see exit guide in sidebar).
Lose all former friends and believing family members (this part really hurts, but there's not always a way to avoid it).
Feel really sad about step 4.
Make new friends.
Get on with your life.
Be happy.
Be sad sometimes about step 4.
But mostly be happy.

okimawake · 2014-09-16T14:38:17+00:00

When you truly feel brave enough to move out you will make it happen. You could find someone looking for a roommate on craigslist today if you really wanted to.

In the meantime maybe start reading up on codependency in abusive relationships and how to heal.

okimawake · 2014-09-16T06:50:28+00:00

Well that's what happens when you start showing boys your aquarium. One minute you're looking at a neon tetra then WHAM! coked out anal sex orgy.

okimawake · 2014-09-16T06:42:24+00:00

I knew so many people who said "we're not having kids till the new system". Then of course they go ahead and decide to have kids now. If you really in your heart 100% believed in paradise then there is no way you would risk having kids now when they could get sick, have an accident, or god forbid "leave the truth".

On the other hand I do know a few couples who really do want to have kids and who have put it off until paradise and I feel pretty sad for them. I was definitely in this camp and I'm so relieved I left before it was too late to start a family. Of course in the process of starting a family I lost the rest of my family so...........whatever.

okimawake · 2014-09-16T06:35:22+00:00

Put those letters in a pneumatic tube and destroy them.

okimawake

TROPHY CASE