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Thank you so much for this. I have prayed in tears "don't you see me" and wondered what Jehovah was waiting for to relieve my anguish. I have recently come to a few realizations myself that I may share one day. The peace it gives is a gift. I hope you are feeling that peace from Jehovah now.

Developing super El Nino contributes to floods in the US. It's supposed to make the upper Midwest hot and dry. Most of Wisconsin and Minnesota and the Dakotas are in drought, and most of Michigan is dry. Ogle, Boone, Winnebago and Stephenson counties in Illinois close to Chicago are dry. Most of the US as a whole is pretty darn dry. The bottom of the Great Lakes to the Ohio Valley to upstate New York to the lower Missouri Valley is the only large area with very little to no dry areas. California doesn't have much drought but it has a lot of dry.

That's nice except I wouldn't be able to use it as I don't have nor want a smartphone.... So no WhatsApp for me apparently....it saves a lot of hassle and issues for me. The friends can send regular text messages to my regular cellphone, as the friends have been doing for quite awhile now.

“My Sheep Listen to My Voice” John 10:27 Imagine this scene. It is early in the morning. A flock of sheep is moving through the Neckar Valley. On one side is the river, on the other a country road. The night has been cold, and a thick mist lies over the meadows and the river. You can hardly see a few metres ahead. The shepherd knows the way. The sheep follow him. Everything is quiet. Until suddenly, a large truck drives past. The driver sounds his powerful horn. A tremendous noise! The sheep are frightened. And suddenly something happens that could become deadly: Panic. They stop thinking. They stop looking at their shepherd. They simply run. And unfortunately, they run in the wrong direction. Straight toward the Neckar. The mist hides the river. They cannot see the steep bank. They cannot see the freezing water or the strong current. All they know is: “Get away from here!” The shepherd immediately sees the danger. He calls out: “Stop! Stay where you are!” And then something remarkable happens. The sheep stop. Why? Not because the mist has disappeared. Not because the danger is suddenly gone. But because they recognize the voice of their shepherd. They know that voice. They have heard it again and again. They know: “That is our shepherd.” And suddenly his voice is stronger than their fear. The panic loses its power. Because something much deeper is there: Trust. The shepherd also told a sad story. A friend had asked him to take five of his sheep into the flock. But those five sheep did not know the shepherd. They did not recognize his voice. And when the danger came, they kept running. They ran into the Neckar and drowned. That story is deeply moving. Those five sheep were not worse than the others. They were not deliberately disobedient. They simply had never become familiar with the shepherd’s voice. And that makes Jesus’ words especially meaningful. At John 10:27, he said: “My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Jesus did not simply say: “My sheep know the rules.” He said: “My sheep listen to my voice.” That is much more personal. It is not just about knowing something about our Shepherd. It is about knowing his voice. Now think about our own life. We may never stand in the mist beside the Neckar with a flock of sheep. But we know what it is like when life suddenly becomes very loud. A bad report. A disappointment. A conflict. A family problem. A decision that overwhelms us. Someone hurts us. We feel treated unfairly. Or we become afraid of what tomorrow may bring. And something similar can happen to us. Fear becomes loud. Disappointment becomes loud. Our own thoughts become loud. Our heart may say: “Run away.” “You can’t do this.” “There’s no point.” “You’re alone.” “No one understands you.” “Why would Jehovah help you?” If we listen only to those voices, we can easily start moving in a direction that takes us farther and farther from our Shepherd. Maybe not all at once. Just little by little. We pray a little less. We read a little less. We trust a little less. We have a little less connection with the congregation. And one day we realize: “I have come a long way.” Not because we intended to. But because fear became louder than the Shepherd’s voice. So we need to ask ourselves: Would we recognize Jehovah’s voice if everything around us suddenly became loud? The Shepherd will not always remove the mist. He will not prevent every “truck horn” from sounding in our life. We will experience problems. We will become frightened. We will sometimes be afraid. But perhaps Jehovah does something far more valuable: He helps us become familiar with his voice. Long before the crisis comes. Think about a little lamb. The shepherd explained that during the first week of a lamb’s life, he carries it in his arms as often as possible. While talking to it, the lamb becomes familiar with his voice. It learns: “That voice belongs to someone who cares for me. I am safe with him.” A bond develops. And that is a beautiful picture of our relationship with Jehovah. We do not learn his voice only when we are in the middle of a crisis. We learn it beforehand. When we read his Word every day. When we pray. When we think deeply about his thoughts. When we experience how he carries us through difficult times. When we meet together with our brothers and sisters. Each time, we are, in a sense, hearing our Shepherd’s voice. And each time, our bond with him grows stronger. Perhaps one day our life will become misty. We cannot see clearly. We do not know what will happen next. We cannot see the danger. But then we hear a familiar voice. Maybe through a Bible verse. Maybe through a thought at a meeting. Maybe through a brother or sister. Maybe through a sentence we have read a hundred times, but suddenly it reaches our heart in a completely different way. And we realize: “That is the voice of my Shepherd.” We may not know what lies beyond the mist. But we know who is leading us. And perhaps the most moving thought of all is this: The sheep did not simply hear the shepherd’s voice. The shepherd knew his sheep. Jesus said: “My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them.” Jehovah knows us. Not just our name. Not just what others can see. He knows our thoughts. Our fears. Our disappointments. Our struggles. He knows when we appear strong even though we are exhausted inside. He knows when we smile even though we feel like crying. And that is why Jesus’ words are so comforting. He did not simply say: “My sheep know me.” He said: “I know them.” Then comes another beautiful thought: “And they follow me.” That may be the key. The sheep did not say: “We trust the shepherd,” and then run in the opposite direction. They heard his voice. They recognized it. And they followed him. Because trust is not shown only by what we say. Trust is shown by where we go when we are afraid. Maybe one day we will find ourselves at our own personal “Neckar.” There is mist ahead. We do not know what is coming. Behind us is panic. And somewhere in the mist we hear the voice of our Shepherd: “Stay where you are.” “Trust me.” “Follow me.” What will we do? Maybe we still will not see the river. Maybe we will not know the solution. Maybe the fear will still be there. But we can do something: We can follow the voice we have spent our life learning to recognize. So perhaps we should not ask only: “Do I hear Jehovah’s voice?” But: “Do I know his voice well enough to recognize it when my life becomes loud?” Because one day we may not be able to see everything clearly. At that moment, we do not need a Shepherd who explains everything. We need a Shepherd whose voice we know. The story at the Neckar ended tragically for five sheep that did not know the shepherd’s voice. But our story does not have to end that way. We can choose today to become even more familiar with that voice. We can listen. We can trust. We can follow. And then the words of John 10:27 can become a thought that stays in our heart for a lifetime: “My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Maybe the mist will come again. Maybe life will become loud again. Maybe we will become frightened. But when we hear the voice of our Shepherd, we can say deep inside: “I know that voice.” “That is my Shepherd.” “He is here.” “I do not have to run away.” And perhaps that is the difference between a sheep that blindly runs away and one that is saved: It has learned to recognize the voice of its Shepherd. So may we never stop listening. Because one day, that voice may be life-saving.

Maybe time for the organization to reconsider WhatsApp ? Switch to Telegram or Signal? I use WhatsApp daily. I have the Telegram app, but I (as good as ) never open it.

Hey brother, I can help you with danish. Brotherly love Kenneth Bang Ingvartsen

Been to 3 funerals this past year. Each played "Unfailing Love". However, the comments from the unbeliever relatives about the song, how lovely a song it is, they were really moved by it. The song is a good witness in itself. Song 139 - See Yourself When All is New. When this song was released, it seemed like nearly every speaker choose this song. It still is a great song. Song 76 - How Does it Make You Feel. This seems to be an assembly favourite. There is a radio segment on one of the stations here called "Hidden Treasures". Listeners can call in to request songs that don't get played often. Sometimes the songs at our meetings are like that. Some songs we sing over and over, while others get played once in a blue moon.

Hi Tim, It took a lot of humility and courage to finally admit there is some "hidden" anger inside you toward Jehovah. So I sent you a PM. Please let me know if you received it, thanks!

Permit me to digress. If you were angry at Jehovah, Jehovah understands it's normal. Like one shouldn't be ashamed to say, "oh am hungry." Being angry is a normal reaction when: 1. You don't understand why a situation persists that is not to your liking (see Habakuk) 2. Or you understand but you don't know why it's allowed to continue (first century Christians must have expressed that sentiment hence 2 Peter 3:15,16). 3. It's more painful when events seem to be out of your control (that's why Elijah ran away even after killing 70 prophets of Baal). And you have Jehovah, you know he's the Sovereign of the universe, the all powerful, most powerful that no one can ask him, "what have you been doing!?" That's ironic and contradictory. So Jehovah understands why we're angry if and when we say we're angry. Sincerely I have been in the past until I realized I am not the only one. Righteous servants of God in the past shared my sentiment. But what helped me get a balanced view of the situation. Just one word: Trust. Do I trust Jehovah is acting for my good even though I might not understand how? Do I trust Jehovah always does the right thing? Do I trust that Jehovah that Jehovah's love covers me, an imperfect ant, that does wrong once in a while who has no right to even be angry at such Holy of Holies? When I decided the definite answer was YES to all 3, tears came to my eyes. I realized it was my little perception of events or anxiety due to world conditions and mine. I learned to trust more. To believe the vision will not delay. It's panting towards its accomplishment. I just need to handover control to Jehovah and que sera sera. So it doesn't bother me anymore. Whether the mountains tumble into the sea, or the Sun misses a rotation for a second (forgotten who said that), I just seat at the back seat, knowing my driver is the best driver in the world. So I do my best and leave the rest into his arms. Just to share. Because we all love you. 🫶

Don't worry, the list keeps increasing and options keep coming every now and then. We don't have to like all the songs the same way but we have to remember that they are all designed to praise Jehovah. As long as they are still doing that we're fine. Even if we don't get to sing our favorite songs at the meetings as often as we'd love to, we can still sing them when we're alone enjoying our personal time or doing chores.

Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts. 🩵

My Dear Brother, thank you for sharing this with us. Just know that Jehovah loves you and so do we, you are never alone or forgotten, Jehovah see's you, he sees your heart, your tears, your pain, he just hasnt spoken yet. We must all have patience my friend and hold on until he does speak. Don't give up because what is the alternative, we arre too far into these last days, Paradise is right around the corner. May Jehovah Be With You Always. Sent from my SM-G990U2 using Tapatalk

Good Night!! We love you too!!

"Are you angry at Jehovah?" After being asked this on my last post...I have been mulling this thought over and over again in my mind. Honestly, how on earth am I supposed to address this question...no, please...hear me out...how am I REALLY supposed to address this question? (And I'm not mad that it was brought to my attention...please keep reading...you'll see!) What does it really mean to be angry at Jehovah? Realistically, it sounds as stupid, (and as pointless), as being angry at the sun shining...at the wind for blowing...at myself...for existing. But am I? Am I REALLY angry at Jehovah? Truthfully...yes...yes I am. I didn’t want to type those words. I didn’t want to see it in writing. But pretending I WASN’T angry...wasn’t making me any more faithful. It was just making me more tired...more worn out...and the hurt and the pain just continued to bleed through. I didn’t know what to do with that. How do you talk to Jehovah...about being angry at Jehovah? How do you engage in that conversation with him without feeling like you’re crossing some invisible line? Honestly... I didn't even know if I WAS truly mad at Jehovah...I just knew I was worn down, and every new delay of dealing with these feelings...felt like another layer of weight on my chest. Then the strangest thing happened, (and at the strangest place, ironically enough, AT THE MIDWEEK MEETING), a brother reached out...someone who’s currently wading neck deep through his own terrible life circumstances. Now, please understand...this brother didn’t know about this question being addressed with me. He didn’t know what I had admitted to myself. He didn’t know the place I was in. But, after the meeting, he approached me, gave me a quick hug...and handed me a slip of paper with a verse written on it. Now, please believe me when I say that this was not one of the usual "comfort" verses. Not something polished and familiar that we all love to hear when we're facing times of distress. No, this was all together different. I didn't have a chance to look at it until I got home that evening, but after I read it...I simply had to call him and find out WHY he had recommended that particular verse. It was something gritty...something raw...something so unexpected and off-putting that honestly, it almost felt WRONG. What's the verse? You guys know me by now, I'm not going to leave you hanging: Job 7:19: “Will you never turn your gaze away from me, or leave me alone until I swallow my saliva?” In all my years as a Witness, I have NEVER seen that verse used to encourage ANYONE. I had to do some digging, because on the surface, it sounds obvious: I mean...it SOUNDS like Job is pushing Jehovah away, like he’s had enough of being under God’s gaze. But the more I sat with it, the more I tried to really put myself in his "bare feet"...the more I started to FEEL like Job wasn’t trying to get away from Jehovah at all. He wasn’t saying, “Stop looking at me.” He was saying, “If you’re looking at me this closely…then WHY am I still like this?” Job wasn’t asking Jehovah to look away. He was asking WHY BEING "SEEN"...DIDN'T MAKE ANYTHING BETTER. That’s not distance. That’s someone who still believes Jehovah is close enough to do something, and is hurting because he hasn’t done anything YET. This new line of thought made me think about my own anger in a way I wasn’t expecting. I kept trying to figure out what it meant that I was angry at Jehovah. I kept wondering if that meant I was slipping, or drifting, or losing something I didn’t want to lose. But the more I think about Job’s words, the more something quiet has started forming in the back of my mind...something I didn’t see coming...and the more I think I'm starting to understand what that brother was trying to tell me. If my pain still turns me back in his direction, then I haven’t lost him. If my frustration still causes me to reach towards him, then I don't hate him. If I’m still speaking to him...even in anger...then I’m still searching for him. No, Job wasn’t trying to get away from Jehovah. He was simply trying to UNDERSTAND why being held in God’s sight...didn’t STOP the hurt. Friends, that’s not rebellion. That’s someone who hasn’t let go of the only person who he feels can save him It’s strange how that realization settled in. I spent quite a bit of time over the past few days thinking my anger means I'm drifting away...when the truth is that anger like this only moves TOWARD someone you still believe is there...someone you still expect something from...someone you still think can change the situation. And that’s when it finally clicked for me...the reason this brother gave me that particular verse. He looked at me and saw the same hurt and anger in my eyes as he felt himself...and after speaking to him...he straight out admitted that he didn't come up with that verse on his own, his wife had given it to him just before she started slipping away into dementia. He struggled to get the words out over the phone...but he reminded me that his wife was a nurse and therefore she KNEW what was coming for herself...and she wanted him to prepare for the anger that HE was going to feel towards Jehovah. He said that she spent more time with him in those last couple of months then they had in years...he said it felt like they were dating all over again. I honestly don't know which one of us was crying the harder at this point...he was struggling to get the words out, I had never seen him like this. He seems like a very stoic brother...but he opened up to me on the phone in a way I didn't expect. He said he could tell when she started phasing out, there would be times when she would be lucid and he said he started to treasure every single one of those moments. We finally reached a point where neither one of us could really talk...we just sat on the phone and had a few seconds of mutual silence. Finally he said that one of the last real conversations he had with his wife involved them discussing Job again...and he said she absolutely floored him by saying..."When you start to REALLY feel the pain...please don't mistake Jehovah's silence for distance...you're just in the part of the story where Jehovah hasn't spoken yet." And that's where I'm going to end this post...I'm going to go to sleep tonight with that thought on my mind...I'm just in that part of the story where Jehovah hasn't spoken...yet.

Look, I KNOW the Biographies online are OPTIONAL. I am aware of that.....Optional or not, I don't think Kindergarteners need to know about Chaz Bono, Billie Jean King or Harvey Milk. My son will probably get curious about the people on this list and why they are on the list. Crazy thing is...I'M IN SOUTH CAROLINA. I didnt even know we were this wild. Thing is, i wonder how many parents have even looked into the book. Now i'm wondering what's in my other son's text books @_@. My son is 5, he doesnt need to know about this stuff yet (I am fine if he learns about it eventually, i mean lgbt people exists, he'll probably go to high school with people like that i'm sure. But right now, IMO kids (That arent around it naturally (Like have parents in that category)) dont need to know this stuff. This is as bad as when he told me last year that girls can have wackers (penises) (teacher didn't teach that, he got it from another student)....anyways i'm done with my rant.....for now....I dont know where else i can talk about this at where i'm not going to get ridiculed (Or yelled at because its 9PM where im at and i'm sure people are wanting to go to bed) https://www.californiafamily.org/2017/11/new-california-curriculum-seeks-to-transform-how-children-view-gender-and-their-sexual-idenity/ <---- a run down of who some of the people featured in this book are

I mean its possible especially if they have speakers coming from different congregations and they all have the same song in their heart. If that was an Elder..... Chairman: The speaker has requested song 437... Me: NO....NO...PLEASE......not again....this is the fifth week in a row, please.... And this is why Jehovah made me a girl because he knows i cant keep my mouth shut and not have salt mouth, or whatever the phrase is...speak with grace or something...idk

Wouldn't they be played the same everywhere? We all follow the same spiritual program every week. Unless your public speakers are choosing the same songs every week. 😂 🤷🏻‍♂️

Monday, August 24 My God is my rock of refuge.—Ps. 94:22. Jehovah is a refuge. Just as a huge rock can be a person’s hiding place from a threatening storm, Jehovah safeguards us when we face situations that threaten our well-being. He keeps us safe and prevents us from suffering lasting harm. And he promises even more: He will eventually eliminate whatever threatens our peace and security. (Ezek. 34:25, 26) One way we make Jehovah our rocklike Refuge is by praying to him. When we pray, Jehovah gives us “the peace of God” that safeguards our heart and mind. (Phil. 4:6, 7) Jehovah is always there for us. We can trust him because he is “the eternal Rock.” (Isa. 26:3, 4) He will always be alive to keep his promises, hear our prayers, and give us the support we need. We can also depend on Jehovah because he is loyal to those who serve him. (2 Sam. 22:26) He will never forget what we do, and he will always reward us.—Heb. 6:10;11:6. w24.06 27 ¶4-6

That's a newish song, so i gave it slack, it's also a banger ❤️ I try to not dislike any of the songs (even the boring ones that just reminds me of like an old school version church (Think Little House on the Prairie). There's a song we sung a few months ago, it doesnt have a chorus, and it's really slow. It's like 4 minutes long, I was not happy about it ;-; (I THINK it was a song we sung near the time of the memorial, which explains why i dont remember it, its one of those once a year songs) That's a middle of the road song for me. I don't love it, but i dont hate it, it's like "Yeah i can vibe with it", I think the melody itself keeps it on my good side. Yes, this past week midweek meeting, first song. My other favorites: Throw Your Burden on Jehovah, Give Me Courage, Our Joy Eternally, With Eyes of faith (This song actually grew on me, i did not care for it at first), Peace at Last, It Will not be late, Give Jehovah Glory, Good News, To Do Your Will is my Delight (100% it's because of the music with "This Joy I feel, This joy is real", i dont know why but that riff...amazing). Life without End At Last the crescendo with the chorus......<3 yes please. I probably have a few more favorites (Searching for Friends, Reaching Out, but they are songs from when i first joined so those are more because of nostalgia.)

We used to sing Give jehovah glory a lot some months ago 😂

I have irrational dislike of several songs, okay probably a little more than dislike. I won't mention them but when they are played I cringe and cannot make myself sing out like I usually would. I don't know why and I can't explain it. I just do not like some of them.

Agreed! Listen, obey and be blessed is not a favourite of mine, and I think we sing it too often, at the expence of other, very beautiful songs. The one that is being played over and over here, is "Gaining Jehovah’s Friendship". It's a wonder I don't know it by heart. (Nope, not a favourite that one either) (I don't remember the last time we played "Unfailing love". ) I wish we would use ALL the songs more, not the same ones over and over. I LOVE Lightness in a dark world! ❤️ Didn't we just sing it at a meeting? Other favourites: 159 Give Jehovah glory ❤️ (Maybe best song ever) 26 You did it for me ❤️ 156 With eyes of faith ❤️ Just to mention a few.