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If I remember correctly, Leonard said the Cohanim in the congregation - cannot remember if this was during a particular holy day - would raise their hands in this manner towards the congregation, and then speak the words at Num. 6:24-26.

Notice the phrase “thinks he is standing.” The danger is not instability. The danger is perceived stability. We begin to measure strength by recent performance. A temptation resisted. 'I changed the channel! Not going to watch that.' A reaction controlled. 'Traffic no longer frustrates me.' A season of calm. 'My wife and I are so much closer. Our marriage is tight. Nothing can ruin this' None of those are wrong. In fact, they are evidences of growth. But growth can quietly mutate into self-trust. A structure can appear firm when no wind is blowing. The absence of visible stress is not proof of anchoring. Foundations are tested by pressure, not by stillness. We may feel steady simply because circumstances have been favorable. Remove the pressure, and stability can be mistaken for maturity. The most reliable footing is not confidence in progress; it is humility in the present. Standing shows itself not by yesterday’s victories, but by today’s reliance.

Wednesday, February 25 Let the one who thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.—1 Cor. 10:12. Likely, we can rid ourselves completely of some imperfect tendencies. But we might find that other inclinations continue to give us trouble. Consider the case of the apostle Peter. He gave in to fear of man when he denied Jesus three times. (Matt. 26:69-75) Peter seemed to have overcome that fear when he gave a bold witness before the Sanhedrin. (Acts 5:27-29) However, some years later, “fearing those of the circumcised class,” he temporarily stopped eating with Gentile Christians. (Gal. 2:11, 12) Peter’s fear had returned. Perhaps he was never completely free of it. We might find ourselves in a similar situation. However, we can resist a persistent tendency by following Jesus’ counsel to “keep on the watch.” (Matt. 26:41) Even when you feel strong, continue to avoid situations that can lead to temptation. Keep applying the strategies that brought you success.—2 Pet. 3:14. w24.07 18-19 ¶17-19

Sitting every day for 8 hours or more will cause premature death just as surely as smoking cigarettes will.

Here is a new one with a JW theme Empty Chairs

You may be able to satisfy his needs by the way you set up the S-13 report. (See S-13_02.png) If you make sure to select records for 2 service years, the actual S-13 assignment blocks will show everything he needs to know. He needs to count how many territories have not been worked in last 12 months. So if he has assignment records for current (partial) service year and the previous full year, he can easily make his count. The column marked "Last Completed Date" makes it even simpler for him: The program grabs the 'Completed' date from the last time the territory was turned in, and places it in this column for him. The CO can just examine this one column: If he sees a date that is older than the current date 1 year ago, then he knows the territory has not been worked in last year. (See S-13_01.png)

O and when the warning expires tonight (Tuesday) at 7 pm then we’re under an advisory till 7 pm tomorrow. The way this winter has been going they’ll either extend it or upgrade it. 🙄

I only have two people who have sharing enabled and are in #1433, and the data loss I described occurs every time.

It's a known issue the NWS brothers are working on. You'll see the following alert when you go to report this issue from their website..

ok, I saw in the "problems" section that I am aware of the problem, let's hope they solve it quickly, hugs

Sorry, dear brothers, but are you having the same problem? The maps are no longer visible... stiamo usando openstreetmaps

A Reactive, Privacy-First Architecture When developing Baruch, architecture is not just a technical concern — it directly affects trust, stability, and peace of mind. With Baruch, I've made a deliberate architectural shift. A foundation that is: Deterministic Privacy-conscious Offline-first Maintainable long-term Here I explains the architecture behind Baruch — and what it means for elders, planners, and publishers who use it. State-Driven, Not Event-Driven Traditional software applications often grow organically: UI events mutate domain objects Services update databases Sync logic reacts afterward State is spread across layers Over time, this leads to hidden side effects, fragile flows, and increasing complexity. Baruch takes a different approach. Instead of letting changes happen everywhere, we centralize change into structured state modules. Baruch v2 is built in six clear layers: 1. User Interface Layer The UI layer is intentionally simple. It: Sends user intents (e.g., “NameChanged”) Reflects application state Handles layout and visual validation It does not: Contain business logic Manage persistence Handle synchronization This keeps screens predictable and stable. 2. Reactive Module Layer Each bounded context — such as Congregation, Assignments, or Families — has its own module. Each module contains: Immutable State (record types) Intents (user-driven actions) A pure Reducer (state transition logic) Every change flows through a single deterministic pipeline: Intent → Reducer → New State No hidden mutations. No silent side effects. This makes the system transparent and testable. 3. Domain Core Layer This is where the real congregation logic lives. Examples: Assignment calculation engine Qualification rules Rotation algorithms Availability rules The domain layer is: Pure Side-effect free Independent of UI and storage Given the same inputs, it always produces the same outputs. This is essential for fairness and reliability in planning. 4. Application Services Layer This layer orchestrates use cases: Generate next schedule Import existing data Export reports Migrate data It coordinates modules, domain logic, and persistence — but contains no UI or business rules itself. 5. Persistence & Sync Infrastructure Baruch is designed to be offline-first. Local storage is the primary source of truth. Cloud synchronization: Uses anonymous identifiers Does not store personal identifiable information (PII) - implicit GDPR compliant Operates as a synchronization layer, not a master database This greatly reduces risk exposure. 6. Privacy Boundary A key architectural decision in Baruch is explicit separation between: Local-only personal data Names Phone numbers Addresses Notes and Cloud-safe data Anonymous IDs Assignment structures Scheduling metadata By design, sensitive personal data is never centralized in the cloud. Why This Architecture Matters for Us Architecture is invisible — until it fails. Here’s what this approach means in practical terms for elders and congregation members. 1. More Reliable Scheduling Because planning engines are deterministic: The same input always produces the same schedule There are no hidden side effects Assignments are calculated consistently This improves fairness and predictability in congregation responsibilities. 2. Fewer Errors and Surprises When state changes are centralized: There are fewer race conditions No unexpected overwrites Reduced risk of conflicting updates This leads to smoother coordination. 3. Offline Stability Baruch does not depend on constant internet access. If the internet connection fails: Planning continues Data remains accessible No interruption to congregation work This is especially important in regions with unstable connectivity. 4. Reduced Privacy Risk Because personal data remains local: There is no central database containing congregation member details The impact of a cloud incident is significantly minimized Compliance complexity is reduced For elders, this lowers administrative and legal burden. For members, it increases trust. 5. Long-Term Maintainability A deterministic, modular architecture ensures that: Features can be added without destabilizing existing ones Bugs are easier to isolate Future modules can integrate cleanly This protects the investment congregations make in adopting the system. 6. Foundation for Future Growth Baruch’s architecture supports: Undo/redo capabilities Advanced reporting Smarter assignment engines Expanded mobile capabilities Without needing to redesign the core again. Technical note: I use MAUI.NET in combination with Rx.NET for implementation.

*DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS* _Greetings to you all, my dear brothers and sisters. Hopefully we are all doing well under Jehovah’s loving care._ *Truly* , _the times we are living in are not easy. The pressures of these “critical times hard to deal with” can weigh heavily on many. 2 Tim. 3:1_ _But how comforting it is to know that we are not alone. We belong to a loving spiritual family._ _The Bible reminds us at Hebrews 10:24, 25 that we should “consider one another so as to incite to love and fine works… encouraging one another.” Now more than ever, our brothers and sisters need to feel that love and support._ _Sometimes, a simple message — “How are you doing?” — can mean so much. A short phone call, a visit, or even sitting beside someone quietly at the Kingdom Hall can strengthen a heart that is tired. As 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says: “Keep encouraging one another and building one another up.”_ _Let us remember that some may be fighting silent battles — health challenges, financial pressure, family problems, or emotional stress. We may not see their struggles, but Jehovah sees them. And he can use us to be a source of comfort._ *Isaiah 41:10* _assures us: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you… I will really help you._ _When we remind our brothers and sisters of Jehovah’s promises, we strengthen their faith and our own as well._ _Dear brothers and sisters, let us:_ *Check on one another regularly* *Speak kindly and listen patiently* *Pray for one another* *Be quick to forgive and slow to judge* _A congregation filled with encouragement is a strong congregation. Even a small act of kindness can Make a big difference._ _May Jehovah continue to bless our efforts to love one another deeply from the heart. Let us keep holding on — the best days are ahead of us._ *With warm Christian love* .♥️

I agree with Floyd that your cirduit overseer is a little mixed up. The only thing that is supposed to be entered in that column is the actual true date that the territory is completed. He may be misinterpreting the question on the CO report he sends in - "How many territories have not been completed in the last year?" (Or simildar wording if it hasn't changed)That doesn't have anything to do with the service year, it means a calendar year. If the circuit overseer checks the records on February 24, 2026, he would determine how many territories have not been completed since February 24, 2025. In the U.S. there are rural congregations that have not completed their territories in 2-3 years. There are other congregations that work their entire territory every week. The Branch is just getting a broad idea of areas that need help.

Sine it just dropped, there is probably no way that all of your shared brothers have updated to #1433. We have started to cease all editing in NWS until all elders and ministerial servants are updated to the current version. Please let us know how it is working for you after all of your brothers have updated.

Remember when we used to get the report in printed form? It used to appear in the Jan 1st Watchtower each year. When did that stop? Also it appeared in the annual yearbook. The last yearbook we got was 2017.

I am not against the use of LLMs (Large Language Models ~ "AI"), but at least prompt your agent to use simple and concise terms :-) In the end, the "proof is in the pudding", as they say.

Why is Paul always portrayed as a bald man while the rest of the apostles have a lot of hair? I know 2 Corinthians 10:10 For they say: “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his presence in person is weak and his speech contemptible.” SOURCE ARTICLE BELLOW: The Apostle Paul’s Appearance Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses depict the apostle Paul as being bald or having little hair? [...] “As to Paul’s personal appearance: . . . In the ‘Acts of Paul and Thecla,’ . . . written about A. D. 150, there is a description of Paul which is probably the best, and a true tradition. In this he is described as ‘small in size, bald-headed, bandy-legged, well built, with eyebrows meeting; rather long nosed.’” [NOTE: For copyright reasons please do not copy whole articles, much less with images.]

The Short Link generator is currently down. I do not know the cause as of yet, but I am attempting to rescue it.

I think your CO is wrong about that. The last actual completed date could be any service year. The last completed date is the last time the territory was completed which could be last week. The whole idea is to make it easier for him to see which territories have not been completed in the last year. By making the date the previous service year he is only making it harder on himself to find the actual completion dates which will be in the other columns. I don't even know how you could make up a date other than the actual completed date. I can tell you what I would do but you may not have the personality type to do it. I would very respectfully ask him if we could both call the Service Department and ask them for clarification. If he doesn't want to do that then ask another elder to make the call with you. I was even bold enough to tell one CO that "You realize you are only here for 3 years and when you are gone I am going to go back and do it the right way according to every other CO that has come before you." But that wasn't very respectful. I would word it a little differently now. But the thought is still there.

Sometimes I explicitly ask for user input on some components. This mainly concerns how the screens work and the best layout I can implement. Other components concern the core of the system. Here, I explain how the system works and its advantages. This last component is not easy to understand. You really need to be a software architect to properly assess it. Nevertheless, I choose to share these parts and architectural choices as well. The audience of this forum is very diverse. Some brothers are technically proficient and have a better understanding of the lower layers of software, design patterns, and software topology. Others approach the software more functionally and can provide input on user interaction. Both are essential for a good end result.

I don’t think so. Jesus was portrayed by different actors in our productions.