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Some years ago while studying intelligent design, I came across what is to me, 1 of the coolest benefits of these total solar eclipses, this amazingly perfect 400-to-1 match by the Grand Creator. In the early 1900s Albert Einstein made a shocking prediction about the universe. A prediction that all light will bend or curve when near a massive body like the Sun! That prediction sounded "crazy" to even some scientists! And Einstein could not prove this in some lab. So in 1919 guess what happened? 2 scientists went on an "eclipse expedition". They went to 1 of the best locations on Earth to observe the solar eclipse in 1919. This gave them a rare opportunity to verify if Einstein's shocking prediction in general relativity was actually real, the bending of light by gravity! It would only be possible to confirm Einstein's theory by the solar eclipse because the Moon could cover the Sun well enough to show the stars in the background. Their test was actually simple. During the eclipse, they just photographed star positions near the Sun. Then they compared these with the normal positions of the stars taken at night. And if the positions of the stars were different, meaning they had shifted, that meant the Sun’s gravity was deflecting or bending the starlight! This "eclipse expedition" proved something that was really beyond most human comprehension, that light from stars amazingly will change its path, bending wherever gravity was bending the "fabric" of Spacetime! So is it possible that 1 of maybe many reasons that the Grand Designer created this "400" ratio with the Sun and Moon was to allow humans advanced study of the universe, of light, of gravity? Even today scientists use the Solar eclipse to study things like: the Sun's corona helping to better understand it's structure, temperature, magnetic loops, etc how the Sun’s sudden dimming during an eclipse affects Earth’s atmosphere, weather systems, etc. to improve predictions of the corona and space weather, which affects satellites, radio signals, power grids. I really like how the FDS asks this thought-provoking question in various "design" articles. So I will try to copy it for this topic: How did the remarkable 400-to-1 perfect relationship between the Sun and Moon happen, by chance or by design?

I am so grateful I work from home. I barely go anywhere- I haven't filled my tank since the beginning of March ☺️ My current job ends June 30. I am praying for another remote role. Driving is barely worth the effort anymore 😔

Nope nothing running to kill in the task manager that has to do with WT Lib. The only hunch I have is that this was an update from win 10 to win 11 and WT Lib was installed under Win 10. It looks like an isolated case but I will wait with the uninstall until the next content update and if they update both then I wait until there is a compelling reason to uninstall.

You can go to the Task Manager and locate the WTLIB Installer that may still be running in the background and kill it. This seem to be an isolated case and I can't seem to reproduce this issue.

I thank you so much for sharing. I know you know not are not alone. And now others know that are not alone in these distressing times. 🙂💚

Thanks for your detailed explanation as this will definitely help many especially some Apple users. The update procedure of updating the app and also the library/catalog works similar with anti virus programs. Like my Bitdefender software does regular AV protection updates and then also separately the app itself and when it updates a restart is required but not for the signature updates. What I was not expecting was this pop up message after a power up and clicking on the new WT Lib installer: On my Surface Pro 11 with Windows 11 it went straight into the uninstall cycle and then installed the new version. Because for me the WT Lib is essential for serious research I hoped this would help others that might be perplexed about this pop up message box. To correct this you have to manually uninstall the original WT Lib.

Costco is usually the best value for gasoline in our area. A few gas stations will match the Costco price and sometimes be lower than Costco, but Costco has Top Tier gasoline so I try to get gasoline there as often as I can. Gasoline in our area is close to $6 a gallon. The Chevrons are over $6 and Costco is around $5.49.

I guess it does. 👍🏻

Does that make me a "trend-setter"?...😎

This might be the first time I’ve ever seen an American flag on a post on here lol

I am sure there will always be those who deliberately refuse to register. And once registered there will be many who forget to update the SSS about address changes within 10 days. But the government figures the number will go up and the cost of handling the personal registration paperwork will go down. When Armageddon comes, it will simply go away...🧡

I love how your really pour out your heart, Tim. It makes the rest of us feel like we are not alone even though our circumstances may be entirely different. Its very faith strengthening to feel Jehovah’s hand in our lives, something we can always hold on to, knowing that he listens and understands. In your case he gave you an empathetic brother to give you comfort. Thanks for sharing.

*SIGH* Here I go again...I'm always so full of drama...aren't I? For once...I wish I could just post something light hearted...something that didn't feel like I was unburdening the weight of the world from around my shoulders. (Maybe I have, in the past...but honestly...the past FEELS a million miles away right now) I have hesitated about posting this for like a week now...honestly it is starting to feel like I'm using this site for "therapy sessions"...but I feel compelled to do so this morning...because if it helps even one single person who is struggling with something similar...then it's worth it. Okay...where to begin? How to begin? How can I say any of what I need to say...without sounding whiney...without sounding pathetic? Oh well, here it goes: I pulled into the Kingdom Hall parking lot early on a Sunday morning...around 8:30. The sun was out...it's brilliant rays filling my car with natural warmth as I shut off the engine and gazed at the building devoted to worship of my God. I was alone...and thankfully so. I just needed space...I needed time...I needed time to think. A cold breeze swept past my car, rocking it gently as I listened to the fading *tick tick* of my engine. Here I was...needing space...needing time...and yet, I could feel my eyes start to close...I could feel my inner walls start to crumble as, inside my head...words began pouring out to my heavenly Father. Everything was jumbled and broken...shards of love colliding with bricks made of hate and rage. Weeks and weeks of unspoken feelings began pouring out...in my head I could almost see them rising into the air like smoke...I could almost feel myself growing more and more confused, overwhelmed...lost. How can I get anyone to understand what was happening in my head...when I don't understand it all myself? I only know that it all came roaring out of me...and I just clung on...praying to Jehovah to unravel it all...to make sense of it all...to help me deal with it all...before it broke me. I knew I was in a safe place...near Jehovah's house of true worship. I knew Jehovah heard me...I knew he understood. So I kept praying...I just let it all out...and then out of nowhere...I heard the sound of another car pulling into the parking lot...and within seconds, I could tell it was parking right next to mine. Keeping my eyes closed, (I had been praying for roughly about 10 minutes), I waited...praying that I wouldn't be interrupted...and yet, at the same time...praying that I would? I'm sure I don't need to tell you what happened next...you already know: a soft gentle knock on my window. Opening my eyes, I saw a brother standing beside my car...concern written plainly across his face. Smiling, I indicated that he should come over to the passenger side and join me...unlocking the door so he could slide into my car and join me, away from the early morning chill of a Wisconsin April morning. We exchanged greetings and then he gently inquired as to what had brought me to the meeting this early. I hesitated...then looked away from him out towards the open field near our Kingdom Hall laying all sparkly from the early morning dew...and told him. To his credit...he just listened, nodding occasionally and waiting until I had given him a cliff notes version of what I had just said to Jehovah. When he saw that I had finally deflated enough to actually take something in...he finally spoke...and though I am not going to sit here and share the entire conversation...I WILL share the two verses he shared with me that have been filling me with comfort for the past week. He said it is natural that we are all experiencing feelings of increased fear and tension with everything going on right now...he said Satan's system is so bloated with hatred and evil...it's like a huge red zit on someone's face...you KNOW it needs to be popped...you can visualize what is going to come out🤢...but it's not OUR job to do anything about it...we have to wait for Jehovah to get rid of it. He took me to Isaiah 40:31: "But those hoping in Jehovah will regain power. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary; They will walk and not tire out.” Truth be told...I almost looked at this dear brother with pity. I know this verse so well...it's one I use CONSTANTLY as a source of strength...what new thing could he POSSIBLY point out? And that's the moment I got schooled...and humbled...all at the same time. "Look at the word "hoping", Tim...what does it mean to hope in Jehovah?" He let me explain it...then nodded and added a new thought...taking me to the Strong's definition of the word...pointing out that the root meaning of the Hebrew word "Qavah" is actually to bind together, perhaps by twisting! During his personal research into this verse, he felt discouraged by seeing that some versions used the word "wait" here...instead of "hope"...until he saw that a metaphorical meaning of this word could mean to pull something tight, like the strands of a cord! He said the idea is: by standing firm in our spiritual hope...we are actually, (in a way), providing tension...and this tension interweaves, (so to speak), with Jehovah's holy spirit and creates real visible strength within the organization. What a profound thought: With each prayer, with every single meeting, assembly and convention we attend...every single time we participate in any spiritual activity...or just reach out and encourage someone near us...we are actively pulling those strands tighter and tighter...almost as if we are weaving our "hope" into this beautiful thing we call our "spiritual paradise". Then he took me to Colossians 2:2 and read it from the American Standard Version: "That their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ," "Knit together in love"...what a beautiful thought. Then he asked me a very serious question: "If Jehovah is weaving us together, Tim...why is it that sometimes we feel we must keep ourselves "together"...all alone?" He said Jehovah never asked us to be fearless...he just asks us to allow ourselves to be bound to him through our "hope". That's what keeps us strong...it's what allows us not to break...even when we feel like we are down to our very last strand...a strand that is being frazzled...at it's breaking point. If we "hope" in Jehovah...he will cover that strand with the glowing strands from our brothers and sisters prayers...from their encouragement...from their strength...and we will feel ourselves getting stronger...because that's what Jehovah promised...that's his guarantee! And now here I sit, in the comfort of my home, thinking about the following: Isn’t it funny how a simple early morning parking lot conversation can end up stitching a person's very last heart string back into the very fabric Jehovah has been weaving around you all along?

Of course, this is not a fair comparison since Costco uses gas as a loss leader.

But, one of the advantages of WOL at the moment, since I have a login account, is to access older publications and other publications not available to the general public. Just wished I had access to those offline in jw library or WTL.

@bvr I have there macOS 26.4 and watchtower is working fine (and syncing between two libraries (languages)) on wine, crossover, vmware and parallels desktop. I've used the WTL while attending the SKE and was a life saver. Much faster to find the references the instructors gave us.

Hi Tamara. You should be able to find this content by: Going to JW.ORG® Navigating to Library → Videos → Bible Accounts / Dramatizations Searching for “Acts” or “Stephen”

In the UK, diesel is now around £2 a litre. There are talks of protests. So what a paid to fill up the tank before, will now only get me 2/3 of a tank. And since money is tight, I am only using the car for essentials, like getting the meetings.

My dear brothers and sisters, there are moments in life that seem so small… and yet contain such a deep truth that they can change our heart forever. Today I would like to share with you a little experience. Someone once said: “I heard my mother ask our neighbor for some salt. Surprised, I asked her: ‘Why are you doing that? We already have salt in the house.’ She smiled and said: ‘You know, our neighbors often ask us for little things. They are poor. And I do not want them to feel inferior or think they are a burden to us. So sometimes I purposely ask them for something small— so that they feel that we need them too. So that it will be easier for them to ask us for help when they need something.’” When hearing these words… perhaps one has to swallow hard. Because this is not simply kindness… this is love on the highest level. Why? Because this mother understood: True love does not only help… true love also protects the dignity of others. And that is exactly how Jehovah loves. Jehovah Never Helps in a Condescending Way Think about this for a moment: Jehovah is the highest God in the universe. He owns everything. He needs nothing from us. And yet he never treats us as if we were little worthless beggars. No. Psalm 113:6, 7 says: “He stoops down to look on heaven and earth, raising the lowly from the dust.” Is that not beautiful? Jehovah lifts people up… but never in a way that makes them feel small. He helps… but never in a way that makes them ashamed. He gives… but never in a way that causes us to lose our dignity. Is that not remarkable? Because sadly, we live in a world where people often help in such a way that the other person feels even smaller afterward than before. Perhaps someone was helped… but then heard: “Without me, you would have been lost.” “Be glad I was there.” “Do not forget who did this for you.” But Jehovah is not like that. When Jehovah gives… he gives with love. With warmth. In a way that does not break our heart… but heals it. Love Means Noticing Feelings Philippians 2:4 says: “Look out not only for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.” But that means more than just seeing what someone needs materially. It also means recognizing: How does this person feel? How can I help without embarrassing them? How can I show love without hurting their pride? This mother understood exactly that. She knew: “My neighbors need help. But they need more than bread or salt. They need the feeling that they are not inferior.” And that is exactly why she asked for something herself. Not because she needed it… but because her heart understood what love truly is. First Additional Illustration: The Fallen Person Imagine someone stumbles in public and falls down. Two kinds of people gather. The first person runs over, helps him up… but loudly says: “Oh no! How clumsy you are!” “Everyone look, this poor man is lying on the ground!” Yes, he was helped up… but his dignity stayed on the ground. Then another person comes. She also helps him up… but quietly kneels down, smiles warmly, and says: “It’s okay. That happens to everyone sometimes. Come, let me help you.” Which help hurt more? And which one healed not only the body, but also the heart? That is exactly what Jehovah does. And that is exactly what we should imitate. Jesus Perfectly Lived Out This Love Jesus was the perfect reflection of his Father. And how often did he help people without humiliating them? Think of the sinful woman in Luke 7. Everyone looked down on her. Everyone judged her. Everyone wanted to make her feel small. But Jesus? He treated her with dignity. With love. With warmth. He made her feel: “You are valuable. You are not just your mistakes. You are not just your past.” Oh, how her heart must have wept… not from pain… but because at last someone saw her without condemning her. Sometimes People Do Not Need Great Help – But Loving Help It is not always enough just to give something. The question is: How do we give it? 1 Corinthians 13:4 says: “Love is patient and kind.” Love is not only generous… love is kind. And kindness often shows itself in little things: In the tone of voice. In the look. In the way we help. In being considerate of feelings. Second Illustration: The Gift With Fragile Contents Imagine you have a beautiful, valuable glass vessel. Someone brings it to you. But he roughly throws it into your arms. Yes, he gave it to you… but he almost broke it. Another person brings the same gift… but carefully. Gently. With both hands. With care. Which one shows real love? Brothers and sisters… human hearts are more fragile than glass. You can help someone… and wound them inside while doing it. Or you can help… while preserving their heart at the same time. The Most Beautiful Form of Love The mother in our opening story understood something many never learn: The highest form of love is not simply giving. Rather: It is giving in such a way that the other person still feels valuable. Helping in such a way that the other person does not feel ashamed. Loving in such a way that the other person does not feel small. Is that not exactly Jehovah’s way? How often Jehovah forgives us… without constantly reminding us afterward of our mistakes. How often he lifts us up… without pointing out our weakness. How often he loves us… even though we can give so little in return. And yet he makes us feel: “You are valuable. You are loved. You are important.” Conclusion My dear brothers and sisters, perhaps we forget many great speeches. Perhaps we forget many words. But we never forget how people made us feel. And sometimes it is exactly the smallest gestures… that show the greatest love. A mother… asking for salt even though she has enough herself. Why? Not because of the salt. But because of a heart that understood: “Love does not only help… Love also protects dignity.” So let us all try to love more like Jehovah. Not only by helping… but by helping without hurting. Not only by giving… but by giving without shaming. Not only by loving… but by loving the way Jehovah loves. Because sometimes… the greatest love is not what we give. But how we give it.

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all doing well. I’m trying to find an audio drama based on the early chapters of Acts, especially the part about Stephen. I remember listening to it in Spanish when I was younger. We had it on a cassette at my parents’ home, and it sounded like a copy of another cassette that someone had shared. It had different voices, and Stephen seemed to be the main focus. It really stayed with me, but I haven’t been able to find it again anywhere. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Or does anyone know where I might find it? I’d really appreciate any help 😊 Thank you!

Evolution (development of life) is a bit of a different topic then having a surrounding habitat which makes life possible in the first place. Both evolution and creation require a "sustaining home" but differ in how that came to be. I think the real question is "how chance plays a role"? Most scientists will say: There are many galaxies, with many stars, with many planets. Life came to be on that planet with the rigth circumstances. We could say: Jehovah created this specific eart, this specific moon, this specific earth to make it all possible. There is a third option tho illustrating his limitless and infinite power: Jehovah created near infinite galaxies, with endless stars, with near unlimmited amount of planets. So he created Adam and Eve on the one that sustains live best. We call that planet Earth. Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-A356B met Tapatalk

I always interpreted "naming all stars" as an indication of his ability to know everything, all at once, everywhere. Universe creates stars on a "daily" basis, even our sun being a second generation star etc. Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-A356B met Tapatalk

Officially, Watchtower Library is only supported on Windows computers running Windows 10 or later. However, it can also be used on macOS just like what I am doing at the moment, but this requires more advanced setup and is not officially supported. macOS (Intel Macs) If your Mac is running an Intel chip, you have a few options: Boot Camp You can install Windows directly on your Mac and run Watchtower Library natively. Parallels Desktop (paid) This allows you to run Windows inside macOS. Wine / Whisky / CrossOver (advanced) These allow you to run Windows applications without installing Windows, but setup can be more complex and may not always work perfectly. macOS (Apple Silicon – M1, M2, M3, etc.) If your Mac is running Apple Silicon (ARM), your options are more limited: Parallels Desktop (paid) This is currently the most reliable way to run Windows and install Watchtower Library. Wine / Whisky / CrossOver (advanced) Possible, but more experimental and may require additional setup. Future (macOS 28 and later) For Macs running Apple Silicon with macOS 28 and later (expected around mid to late 2028), support for some current methods may change. At the time of writing, the only reliable option is: Parallels Desktop (paid) However, this may change in the future, and new solutions could become available for running Windows applications on macOS. Here is the Image of Watchtower Library app beside the Watchtower Online Library web app.

La Niña is no more, We are in ENSO neutral heading towards El Niño. EL NIÑO/SOUTHERN OSCILLATION (ENSO) DIAGNOSTIC DISCUSSION issued by CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER/NCEP/NWS 9 April 2026 ENSO Alert System Status: Final La Niña Advisory / El Niño Watch Synopsis: ENSO-neutral conditions are present and are favored through April-June 2026 (80% chance). In May-July 2026, El Niño is likely to emerge (61% chance) and persist through at least the end of 2026. During the last month, ENSO-neutral conditions emerged, as indicated by near-average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific Ocean [Fig. 1]. The latest weekly Niño-3.4 index value was -0.2°C, with the westernmost (Niño-4) and easternmost (Niño-1+2) indices at +0.3°C and +0.6°C, respectively [Fig. 2]. The equatorial subsurface temperature index (average from 180°-100°W) increased for the fifth consecutive month [Fig. 3], with above-average subsurface temperatures extending across the Pacific [Fig. 4]. Westerly wind anomalies were observed over the western equatorial Pacific at low levels, and were evident over the eastern Pacific at high levels. Convection was near average over the Date Line, with suppressed convection over western Indonesia [Fig. 5]. Collectively, the coupled ocean-atmosphere system reflected ENSO-neutral conditions. The North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) average, including the NCEP CFSv2 [Fig. 6], favors ENSO-neutral through April-June 2026, with a transition to El Niño thereafter. El Niño is likely because of increasing subsurface temperature anomalies and recent westerly wind anomalies over the western Pacific Ocean. However, the possible outcomes range from ENSO-neutral to a very strong El Niño during the upcoming Northern Hemisphere winter [Figs. 7 & 8]. The possibility of a very strong El Niño (1 in 4 chance of Niño-3.4 ≥ +2.0°C) largely depends on the continuation of westerly wind anomalies across the equatorial Pacific throughout the Northern Hemisphere summer months, which is not assured. In summary, ENSO-neutral conditions are present and are favored through April-June 2026 (80% chance). In May-July 2026, El Niño is likely to emerge (61% chance) and persist through at least the end of 2026. This discussion is a consolidated effort of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NOAA's National Weather Service, and their funded institutions. Oceanic and atmospheric conditions are updated weekly on the Climate Prediction Center web site (El Niño/La Niña Current Conditions and Expert Discussions). A probabilistic strength forecast is available here. The next ENSO Diagnostics Discussion is scheduled for 14 May 2026.

yes i heard on the news that one reason for this proposed change is that only about 85% of men between the ages of 18 and 26 register. So with this new change those registered would potentially be 100 percent thus bolstering the ranks in case of need.