All Activity

Select Your Language Languages: 1,111

Never have I ever watched Survivor, Housewives, or Naked and Afraid

Never have I ever eaten a Twinkie.

TIPOS Tofu is pretty often soft. OFTEN

The UN, like every government, is rife with waste and fraud. I think what the administration is doing is to end it by cutting off the money. The more programs the UN adopts, the more opportunities for waste and fraud. So, the US has quit almost all programs that aren't directly connected to the core mission of maintaining P&S. Owing money is somewhat of a paradox (or irony, I can't tell). On the surface, it would seem the creditor (the bank) has the upper hand over the debtor. But, it can be the opposite. Because if you owe me money, I need to help you stay solvent, because if you fail I will never get my money. For example, (and I'm pretty sure this is irony), whereas you owe me money, I may loan you more money to keep you afloat until you can start paying me back. This seems to be the strategy of the US owing the UN so much money. The UN needs to accommodate reforms that the US wants if they (UN) are to get the money owed to them. The tail wags the dog. But, what all of this points to is a real shake-up of the status quo. The UN will make some real reforms, there will be a new Secretary-General by December (Guterres has been described as the worst SG ever), perhaps the UN will re-calibrate and focus on peace and security and not so much on diversity/equality/inclusion. And, at the perfect moment, Jehovah will put his one thought into their consciousness to carry out His purpose. I believe the GT will start while Trump is president.

Jesus placed forgiveness in the rhythm of daily prayer. Bread for today. Mercy for today. That teaches us something sobering: imperfection is ongoing, so dependence must be ongoing. Yet Jehovah has already made the legal provision. As John 3:16 states, “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” The ransom is not sentimental kindness; it is justice satisfied by love. Notice also the boundary at Psalm 49:7-9. No man can redeem even a brother. We do not repair our standing by effort; we approach Jehovah on the basis of His arrangement. And in the same prayer, forgiveness received is tied to forgiveness extended. That balance keeps humility alive and trust properly placed.

Dogs often nip uptight trainers. TIPOS

Sounds like a good plan - I will be happy to follow along as your project grows.

"I should visit the Australian branch"

1) There aren't many characters that have active roles in both. 2) Aside from James in Acts 12, they all appear or are mentioned very early in Acts. They could easily get on a plane and spend a short time at Ramapo getting those scenes filmed. I hope they do, but I understand if they don't.

The australian brothers would need to move to Ramapo.

I come upon my own words as if I were a guest in a familiar house built while I slept. They are sound. They are careful. They honor truth. And as I read them, I feel something deeper than recognition — I feel gratitude. Gratitude not for my recall, which is imperfect, but for Jehovah’s generosity. He allowed accurate thoughts to be formed, expressed, and used, even when my mind no longer holds every step of the process. The wonder is not that I forget. The wonder is that Jehovah remembers — and continues to bless what was done for His sake long after my hands have let it go. I noticed something that caught me off guard. I went back and reread a few things I had written on the forum — posts that brothers and sisters had appreciated and commented on. As I read them, I agreed with what was written. The reasoning was sound. The scriptures were used correctly. The tone was balanced. Nothing felt off. But I did not remember writing the details. I remembered posting. I remembered the occasion. I remembered that it was me. What I did not remember was shaping the thoughts line by line. That unsettled me more than I expected. Not in a panicked way — more like a quiet pause that makes you reread something twice. My first instinct wasn’t fear. It was confusion. Why don’t I remember this? How much of my writing do I remember? Is this normal? Am I missing something I should be paying attention to? I sat with that. I didn’t rush to conclusions. I didn’t jump to explanations. I just noticed the oddness of recognizing my own voice without recalling the act of speaking. And then something else became clear. I didn’t feel disconnected from the thoughts. I didn’t disagree with them. I didn’t feel like they came from somewhere foreign. They felt right. They felt faithful. They felt like something I would say — even if I couldn’t replay the moment I said it. That was the turning point. I wasn’t reading something alien. I was rereading something finished. One concern I had was whether using AI assistance somehow meant that it was doing the teaching instead of me. But AI does not believe, does not reason morally, does not have a conscience, and does not act with faith or intent. It cannot choose truth, apply Scripture, or take responsibility for what is said. Any use of such a tool reflects only the intent, judgment, and convictions of the person using it. The content stands or falls on my beliefs, my approval, and my accountability — not the tool that helped organize the expression. That also doesn’t mean AI is neutral in every possible use. It can reproduce wording, echo publications, or assemble ideas it has been exposed to if someone prompts it carelessly or without discernment. That is precisely why intent and direction matter. The output I receive is shaped by the questions I ask, the boundaries I set, and the standards I insist on. Without those, the results would be generic or even misleading. The tool does not choose the lane — the user does. Once I saw that, the unease loosened. The question shifted. It was no longer, “Why don’t I remember this?” It became, “What does it mean that this was done, done well, and still useful — even if I don’t relive it?” Memory does not store every act of care the same way it stores moments of fear or delight. When attention is steady, purposeful, and given away for the good of others, the mind often records the work as a process rather than preserving the finished picture. Once the task is released, there is no emotional need to replay it. The index goes quiet, even though the content remains intact. Retrieval softens, not because something is broken, but because nothing is demanding rehearsal. (Modern neuroscience consistently shows that emotionally meaningful experiences are consolidated more strongly than routine cognitive work. See McGaugh, 2003; LaBar & Cabeza, 2006.) Meaning strengthens memory. What we linger over, we keep. What we give away freely, we often do not. The Scriptures put it simply: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept making it grow. So neither is the one who plants anything nor is the one who waters, but God who makes it grow.” (1 Corinthians 3:6–7, NWT) That is the wonder. The fruit remains even when the sower does not remember every seed. Truth does not depend on my recall to be true. It stands. It helps. It grows — sometimes most clearly when I encounter it again as a reader rather than the writer.

I look forward to seeing who they pick to portray Jesus after his resurrection, when he appears in different forms. I hope they manage to capture his essence or mannerisms. Also, since the Acts of Apostles series is going to be filmed at Ramapo, and there isn't a lot of cross-over with the Gospels, as far as characters, I hope they re-use the actor who plays Peter and keep that continuity.

Couldn't find a topic for news: 14 gloves found within miles of missing person's home in UTAH. My impression is that authorities already know the outcome of this tragedy. Criminalist investigator says it could take years of investigation and may not have an accurate answer. (especially if they are looking for DNA connection to someone with 7 pair of bare hands.) Sorry, this is frustrating.

Not sure if it's been mentioned earlier, but Ep 9 is underway now, or so I was told when I visited Bethel a couple of weeks ago. My first visit there, and was very impressed with the film set - well actually the whole Bethel branch for that matter 😊

If UN returns to its original protocol, well that was to immediately form a military and get into war.

Husband: Did you know that scientists say women use 30,000 words a day, while men use only 15,000? Wife: Obviously, because we have to repeat everything we say! Husband: What?

We've seen that it's the same actor in the preview at the end of the 2025 convention

She means bring it on because hopefully it will take us closer to the GT

Monday, February 16 Forgive us our sins.—Luke 11:4. Is it possible for us to regain all that Adam and Eve lost? Not on our own merits. (Ps. 49:7-9) Without help, we would have no hope for a future life or a resurrection. In fact, our death would be just like that of animals. (Eccl. 3:19;2 Pet. 2:12) Our loving Father, Jehovah, has given us a gift that pays for the debt of sin that we have inherited from Adam. Jesus explained it this way: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Additionally, this same gift allows us the possibility of establishing a good relationship with Jehovah. We can benefit from this amazing gift and have our sins, or “debts,” forgiven. w25.02 3 ¶3-6

The only real promise is… As of early 2026, the U.S. has significantly slashed voluntary funding to United Nations agencies and humanitarian aid, reducing contributions from roughly 17 billion to a pledged 2 billion. According Yahoo News The United Nations said on Monday it is waiting to find out how much of the nearly $4 billion the United States owes the world organisation the Trump administration intends to pay, and when the money will arrive. The US owes $2.196 billion to the UN’s regular operating budget, including $767 million for this year, according to a UN official. The US also owes $1.8 billion for the separate budget for the UN’s far-flung peacekeeping operations, a figure that is also expected to rise. UN officials have said 95% of the arrears to the UN’s regular budget are owed by the United States.

The brother portraying Jesus is still there, as is his 'mother' and his 'brothers'. There are (were) 4 Jesus-es to portray different ages. But that is behind us now. One couple I know moved to Sydney for 7 years. I see him on the episodes now. So I have no doubt they wish to keep them there for the length of this project. (He is one of the 12.) And I can confirm all the 'same' main characters are still there in episode 10... And keeping the same looking characters draws us to them. I am connecting events and the various apostles personalities together with their actions with their words. I'm loving Peter more and more...

It seems to me that the entire project would begin with an approved script. Then it would be a matter of location, costumes, and the actors knowing their lines and filming. So, I can't think of a reason why translation couldn't have begun even before filming was finished. Because the script wasn't going to change. It would be a matter of recording the script with voice-over actors in the 500+ languages. Anyway, the brothers will do things to the highest standard and efficiently as well.

I'm confused on how a cemetery can raise it's funeral prices and blame it on the cost of living!

In an article about the Trump administration pushing for major reforms, the US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz said "I see, and I think what the President sees, is a much more focused U.N. that we have taken back to the basics of promoting peace and security around the world and enforcing peace when conflict breaks out through its peacekeeping forces".