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Our brother Aaron McLamb was just 20 and volunteering at Brooklyn Bethel when he captured what became one of the most remembered photographs of September 11, 2001—Ladder 118 crossing the Brooklyn Bridge toward the burning towers. All six firefighters aboard lost their lives while helping others escape. This moving article shares how Aaron took the photograph and how his desire to help others led him to share it with the firefighters’ coworkers and families. Read the full article here.

Jenny, everything is pointing to the GT and the end of this system of things. Will it get better? Not until we get into the NW. The Great Tribulation is still ahead of us and closing in. Do not be overly consumed with the news. Stay focused on your ministry and the Kingdom. Do not lose your grip. Remember when Jesus walked on water in a storm? Peter saw him and asked him to command him to walk on water too. Jesus did but, Peter started to look at the storm and took his focus off Jesus. What happened? He began to sink. He cried out to Jesus for help and Jesus said...."oh you with little faith, why did you gave way to doubt"? He took his eyes off Jesus and started to look at the storm. Let's not focus on the storm around us but, on the Kingdom. Jehovah has all things in control.

Liquid Glass and the unique iOS design for the iPhone Duo probably mean even more work for our JW Library® developers at WHQ. With a new JW Library update coming soon, We really appreciate all their hard work to keep our apps up to date, running smoothly, and secure.

In the meantime China reduces oil usage while caring for over billion people. All I Can say humans aren’t designed to rule over themselves and when they try we all suffer.

Revelation 6:6 I heard what sounded like a voice in the midst of the four living creatures say: “A quart of wheat for a de·narʹi·us and three quarts of barley for a de·narʹi·us; and do not harm the gasoline and the diesel.”

I keep thinking about whether it would be useful to be able to create a playlist with publication articles. With this feature, imagine a brother wanting to research a quality, like patience. He would put both videos on the subject and specific publication articles about the quality he’s researching into his playlist.

A brother mentioned during the Watchtower study: ‘People are worried about modern technology but If the Israelites can beat Ai then so can we!’ 🤦‍♂️

And do not harm the chocolate too.

What I can say for now is that LY, commonly known as WTLIB, is getting some major improvements behind the scenes. These changes will also affect jw.org. It’s been a busy few weeks for me ahead of AM. Hehe. I’ll let y’all spot the changes, not just in LY but across the website too. Some are already starting to show, so you just have to look for them.

Last year it was a week before the AM and they announced the Yeartext and the new song.

Skyrocketing fuel prices spark protests around the globe https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/15/world/fuel-prices-protests-iran-war-intl

Every time I see gas prices go up on my way to work I think about the GT starting. If I worry about the prices now, how much will I worry about the future TRIBULATIONS we are promised to be GREAT? But we don't know what state the world will be in when the GT breaks out: -It could be record low gas prices and hope filling the air as the Nations give their power to the UN - then it goes really bad. -It could get worse until the Nations give their power to the UN, followed by a brief period of hope and relief until the GT goes into full swing -It could go better and worse, like it has since Eve ate the fruit, until the Nations decide to give their power to the UN. We don't know, but it seems wise to practice living simply and prayerfully while we wait because at some point it will get all the way to Armageddon. Instead of thinking about how stressful it might be, ask yourself if you are prepared. I've run through the scenarios I have seen in our publications, including losing my job, surviving with no income, being hated by co-workers, going to prison, preaching a difficult message etc. I feel confident that my strength will come from Jehovah - and so will yours.

In my city alone, there are already 18 suicides deaths mostly men since January 2026. People are getting hopeless.

Our congregation in Southern New England, was invited to an international convention in 1978. I was 11. We had to drive 6 hours to reach the convention, in another country (Canada). I remember so much of the entire experience. Including that was when the release of My Book of BIble Stories was released. We stayed in our camper in what was was referred to as 'tent city.' We were packed so tight, that if the brother and sister next door, opened the door to their camper as the same time as us, the doors would hit. The ingenious way of providing sanitation and showers was a cool thing to see in action. When you used the restroom in the camp, all the waste would fall in a trough. and roughly every 5 minutes the trough would flush with a 5 gallons of water, taking all the waste to the sewer system. Our 'hot' water consisted of a swimming pool full of water exposed to the sun. No one really got hot water from it. But it was better than straight cold tap water. We did not swim in the pool. that was the water pumped to the showers. The night before the convention there was an event I believe it was a soccer game at the stadium. So at 10 or 11 o'clock at night, we walked from where the camper was set up approximately only a mile from the stadium. and there were thousands of us walking to the stadium to clean it. So it will be ready for the convention the next morning. I don't know what time it was when we got home. Or back to the camper rather. If you walked around the outer concourse all the way it was exactly one mile. My only experience attending an international convention.

Wednesday, September 16 Shepherd the flock of God under your care, serving as overseers.—1 Pet. 5:2. Elders today are busy men. They are evangelizers. (2 Tim. 4:5) They take a zealous lead in the field ministry, organize the preaching work in the local territory, and train us to preach and teach effectively. They also serve as merciful, impartial judges. When a Christian commits a serious sin, elders strive to help him repair his friendship with Jehovah. At the same time, they are careful to keep the congregation clean. (1 Cor. 5:12, 13; Gal. 6:1) Primarily, elders are known as shepherds. (1 Pet. 5:1-3) They deliver well-prepared Scriptural talks, endeavor to get to know everyone in the congregation, and make shepherding calls. Some elders also assist with Kingdom Hall construction and maintenance, convention organization, and the work of Hospital Liaison Committees and Patient Visitation Groups, in addition to other assignments. Elders work hard for us! w24.10 20 ¶9

I think the underlying problem is just consuming too much media, to be honest. It just goes to show how strong the influence of media can be on us.

6 months before 9/11, a new TV series called The Lone Gunmen had an episode about a remote hyjacked plane hitting the World Trade Center..

I was 11 years old. I thought for sure Armageddon would start soon and all those people would be brought back shortly. It kept me from feeling the full impact early on, but it faded quickly when I saw footage of people jumping out of the upper stories to escape the fires. I hope they all wake up in a field of flowers.🌹🪻🌸🌺🌷🌻🌼 Come, Lord Jesus!

The moderators felt this topic is just best closed. Humans will name what they want and in the New World we can find out what stays and what Jehovah has us rename and when. We know He has named all the stars. I wonder what He has named ours. He likely has planet names too. We all have a lot learn.

God’s servants refuse to be pulled into identity based disputes, factional labels, or pride driven quarrels. Instead, they choose peace, mission, and spiritual focus. An example .. When asked whether Jews should pay taxes to Caesar (a politically explosive question), Jesus refused to join either political side. Instead, He reframed the issue spiritually…Render unto Caesar… and God’s things to God. He sidestepped the naming, labeling, and factionalism of the Herodians vs. Pharisees …a direct parallel to refusing political bait. Christ is our exemplar…

I was in the hospital when I was born, I don't remember being there but I saw the paperwork. Other than that, I remember the Kennedy assassination, moon landing and a lot of the events you listed. I'd love to meet anyone here that was around when Lincoln was assassinated

While I see what you both are saying and I can agree, I also have to admit it's Jehovah's one thought. I have no idea how that idea will be implemented. I've grown to be open to something unimaginable.

Interesting. So an AI company "randomly" has an ex-employee saying their product is dangerous [ie super powerful] and the company says that the best solution is for the government to create a monopoly that gives primary power to that company. 🧐 Is it a whistleblower trying to take them down or is it a well-planned marketing strategy designed to benefit said company over their competition? You decide. All I know is there was a documentary about Blood Diamonds that talked about the brutal treatment of Africans and the diamond business boomed because women came to the conclusion that diamonds must be very valuable if they are willing to mistreat people for them. Could the same be true by calling AI powerful? Possibly. In other news, it would be interesting if the "dangers of AI" were the excuse the Nations used to give power to the UN because they "need to be united to face this global threat".

I got a special invitation to . . . a regular Convention in Montreal!

Are churches being killed? I feel like I have seen a lot more religious fervor in recent years. On social media I follow people for fashion, sourdough etc. A lot of the more homesteader sourdough people tend to be churchy, republicans. The fashion people tend to lean democrat. At least that's how my algorithm is showing up....I never heard either one talk politics until recently. I unfollowed one of the sourdough people because she started sharing stuff from some religious convention in Texas that was for women only. I looked at what the convention was about. It was encouraging the christian woman to get into politics. The female speaker even mentioned that people use the excuse 'Jesus didn't get involved in politics' and then basically said Jesus isn't here and he is giving women a voice to bring the church into government. It was eye opening to see how the evangelical movement justifies what they do. Like I said, it was an IG clip and I unfollowed after that. I was just there for sourdough content. LOL What is weird to me about the religious right is how they are against homosexuality, gay marriage etc, but then you see them wanting to accept 'everybody' into church because 'Jesus loved everyone'. And of course the left has been shoving the alternative lifestyle into everyone's face for years. "If you don't accept me as I am, you hate me". Swaying with the wind, getting their ears tickled differently each day....The left and the right literally just cannot seem to stand each other any more. They are violently opposed. Now it looks like the same thing is happening in Germany. What they call 'radical right' is gaining power which will just cause more deep division. I think it will be fascinating to see what brings both sides together enough to give power to the beast. Lately I've been wondering more about the AI angle because it certainly doesn't seem that it will be social issues.

Remember this? 😁

The US is 18 times bigger than France and uses a lot more fuel to transport goods across the nation. The price of diesel severely impacts everyone here.

Should there be a forum specifically for 9/11 ?

I was shopping at a large mall in Dearborn Michigan when the WTC attack occurred. Store employees were updating customers on events as they were happening. We were told to evacuate the building, go straight home and shelter in place. Dearborn is home to the largest Arabic community not only in the US but in North America. Some people had the mistaken idea that copycat attacks would occur in the area but those rumors were false. Tensions and fear were running high. It is interesting that we had an Awake magazine, May 22, 2001 issue "The New Look of Terrorism". We also received a special Awake dated Jan 8, 2002 about the 9/11 attack. Jehovah always provides comfort in times of distress and prepares us through direction ftom the FS.Those 2 Awake magazines can be found on our website. I highly recommend looking at them. It's still timely even after 25 years have passed.

Maybe we know that moment: Someone asks us: “How are you?” And even though things actually feel completely different inside, we automatically say: “I’m good, thanks.” A quick smile. A little nod. And we carry on. But sometimes, we simply don’t feel like smiling. Sometimes we’re just tired. Sometimes disappointed. Sometimes sad. Sometimes everything feels like too much — and we don’t even really know why. And that’s exactly when it’s important to remember one simple thought: You don’t always have to be okay. We’re not machines. We have feelings. And feelings change. There are days when we feel full of strength. And there are days when we just want to withdraw somewhere and be alone. That doesn’t make us weak. Quite the opposite. It makes us human. Maybe sometimes we think: “I’m not allowed to be sad right now. Other people have it much worse.” Or: “I have to be strong for everyone else.” Of course, we don’t want to burden others with our problems. But we don’t have to wear a mask either. Because Jehovah doesn’t expect us to wear a mask. We see that beautifully in Psalm 34:18. It says that Jehovah is close to those who have a broken heart. What a comforting thought! Jehovah isn’t only with us when we’re happy. Not only when we have everything under control. Not only when we appear strong. He is especially close when our heart is heavy. Imagine a little boy coming home after a long day. He doesn’t say anything. He takes off his shoes, sits down, and simply stares into space. His father immediately notices: Something isn’t right. Maybe he doesn’t even ask many questions. He simply sits down beside him. And after a while, the boy moves just a little closer. No big conversation. No clever advice. Just being there. And perhaps that is sometimes the most beautiful thing we can give another person: “You don’t have to explain anything right now. I’m simply here with you.” Isn’t it comforting to know that Jehovah knows us that way too? He doesn’t just see our smile. He sees the tear that nobody else notices. He knows when we’re tired. He knows when something has hurt us. He knows when we’re struggling inside, even though everything looks completely normal on the outside. That’s why we never have to pretend in front of Jehovah. We can even tell him in prayer: “Jehovah, I’m not doing well today.” And maybe the situation doesn’t change immediately. But something else does: We no longer have to carry it alone. And there’s something else that’s important: When we’re not feeling okay, it doesn’t mean that we are worth any less. Our worth doesn’t depend on how productive we were today. It doesn’t depend on how warmly we were able to smile today. And it certainly doesn’t depend on whether we always appear strong. Jehovah doesn’t love us only on our good days. He loves us even on the days when we may barely understand ourselves. So we can give ourselves permission to simply be human sometimes. To be sad. To be exhausted. To be quiet. And perhaps today, we need these words ourselves: “I don’t have to be okay all the time.” Because if Jehovah won’t let go of me even when I can barely hold on to myself, then I have a reason to hope again. And this is the thought I would love for us to carry with us, long after this is over: You don’t have to be strong every day. You don’t have to smile every day. You don’t always have to be okay. But never forget this: Even on your hardest day, you are never too much for Jehovah.

I have no idea what words are you referring to. I’m afraid I can use it without knowing it can offend someone.

Beautiful!- Toby looks like my Lucia Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thursday, September 17 Just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive.—1 Cor. 15:22. In the Bible, the word “redemption” refers to the releasing, or acquittal, that results because of the payment of the ransom. The apostle Peter expressed it this way: “You know that it was not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, that you were set free [lit., “you were ransomed; you were redeemed”] from your futile way of life handed down to you by your forefathers. But it was with precious blood, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, that of Christ.” (1 Pet. 1:18, 19; ftn.) Because of the ransom sacrifice, we can be set free from the oppressive rule of sin and death. (Rom. 5:21) Certainly, we have good reason to feel deeply indebted to Jehovah and Jesus for the redemption that comes from the precious blood, or life, of Jesus. w25.02 5 ¶15-16

Gas is 5.89 a gal, the cheapest. Diesel, over $6. I think we will be forced to simplify, which has been something the society has already suggested. If we are not frivolous with our money, putting things in the right perspective, Jehovah will take care of us. He knows we need gas to get to the hall and go out in the ministry. This is an integral part of our worship. We need to take care of business, but not ourselves sick over this nonsense. Jehovah will take care of us. That’s a fact. I have a 22 Subaru Outback with less than 37,000 miles on it. My husband has been pushing for me to get another rig. I’ve hesitated because I really enjoy that Subaru. But, we make electricity, and sell it back to PG&E. So a hybrid is starting to look pretty attractive. I’m letting him handle it. He knows what I need and he knows what he wants. But I suspect we won’t be getting another vehicle with all the bells and whistles.

I edited this list WITHOUT using AI. Can you tell? For the Hugging Face breach.....they literally TOLD IT to find a vulnerability and breach it. It was instructed to do what it did. Yes AI exhibits characteristics of self-preservation if you threaten it. Funny thing is....so do humans. 🤔 Don't threaten it and it won't want to hurt you. 😉 The news loves to sensationalize things. If they didn't...would you even watch it? 🤔🤔🤔 Which grabs your attention more?...."AI is getting smarter by the day!" or "AI is getting SO smart, it may very well KILL us all soon!" Our brains are literally programmed to pay CLOSE ATTENTION to threats...because threats can mean our life. So by making something threatening, the news KNOWS they got your attention.

I would say there is lots of flavors of kool aid. I see friends here supporting the democratic/socialist flavor also. definitely a fine line

I am on a fixed income from SS benefits. We will get a small increase and the last 3 years since I started it only covers the increase of part B so I don't look for it to be different this year. May I ask how you are coping with the increase in fuel since most need it for work and service? It's mostly retired pioneers out in our hall during the week because the others are working and have families. I'm curious as to how fuel increase will effect our ministry? I always contribute to the gas fund because some are not able. We had an announcement a month ago re contributions being a little shy , you could tell it was an uncomfortable part the elder had to address.

If I’m calculating correctly, We are about $9 or $10 per gallon here in Scotland.

Monday, September 14 Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves.—John 6:53. Back in Noah’s day, God prohibited humans from consuming blood. (Gen. 9:3, 4) Jehovah repeated that restriction in his Law to Israel. Anyone eating blood was to “be put to death.” (Lev. 7:27, ftn.) Jesus upheld that Law. (Matt. 5:17-19) So it is unthinkable that he would urge a crowd of Jews to consume his actual flesh or drink the blood in his veins. Jesus was speaking in a figurative sense, as he had done earlier when he told a Samaritan woman: “The water that I will give . . . will . . . impart everlasting life.” (John 4:7, 14) Jesus was not suggesting that the Samaritan woman would get everlasting life simply by drinking certain literal water. Similarly, he was not saying that the crowds he spoke to in Capernaum would live forever if they ate his literal flesh and drank his literal blood. w24.12 9 ¶4-6

You will have to make your own travel arrangements to go from Brisbane to Sydney. Its around a 1.5-2 hr flight or a 12-15hr train ride. Then you have to either catch a train or hire a car to travel out to the Branch. If I was coming from overseas I would fly into Sydney stay a few days to tour not just the Branch but other places. Then fly from Sydney to Gold Coast or drive if that is your thing as there are lots of lovely towns and beaches on the drive north. If hiring a car drop off at Gold Coast and then catch the train to Brisbane. Public transport in Qld is 50c one way. Then fly home from Brisbane. Or you could do it the opposite after flying into Brisbane for the convention at the start of your trip. Overseas delegates don’t realise Australia is a big country and to enjoy it you need to come for a few weeks. Whenever we travel to either Europe or USA we go for a minimum of 4-6 weeks or longer if able. Of course $$$ is always a factor. The USD and £ and € are worth more than the $AUD so you will do ok. If anyone wants suggestions for travel email me and I’m only to happy to assist. We love doing road trips when we travel and get off the highway and visit the towns and congregations not usually visited by the tourists.

9$ per gallon in Poland.

NASA figures are in and it is Warmest month on record for the second consecutive month in a row. Now the race between 2026 vs 2024 for the warmest is on and you can see from the chart below 2026 is picking up speed. August 2026 Global Temperature Update, Warmest August on Record +1.66°C Temperature Mean August (1880-1920)NASA Current Record (2026) (+1.66C) Second (2024) (+1.56C) Third (2023) (+1.45C) +1.51°C👆 For the Year Hottest year (2024) 1.56c Second hottest year (2025) 1.46c Third hottest year (2023) 1.45c +1.49°C👆 Last 12 Months

Dang, me too! 🤣

Now I'm going to spend the day wondering what the "d word" is 😄

Why do I keep trying? Over and over again, I keep beating myself up with this question. No matter how many different ways I try to work things out, I always keep coming back to the same conclusion: there simply are no answers. Recently I bought a package of very strong magnets for my eBay business, using them to hold posters and pictures open so I can take pictures of them without the posters rolling back up on themselves. Yesterday afternoon I sat at my desk, idly playing with two of the magnets. Placed far enough apart, they are simply two small circular pieces of metal...tiny and insignificant...but as soon as I begin to creep one of them a few inches toward the other...the laws of physics take over and instantly they snap together, sometimes with such force that it actually stings my fingers. The amount of work that it takes to force those two tiny magnets apart is unreal, it almost feels like they're glued together. And I guess that's a fitting metaphor for how I feel about my wife. Apart, we're just two tiny insignificant specks...both of us lost and alone...fighting against forces that neither one of us truly understand or fully comprehend. But the other day we were able to have our first real conversation in several months...and during that magical hour and 40 minute conversation...I remembered WHY I had chosen this woman to be my wife. It took a few minutes for the conversation to really start to flow...but once we hit our groove...we snapped together in a way that only two of Jehovah's servants who have that threefold cord ever COULD. We were both exhausted: mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually...we were both worn out. And yet, as soon as the "comfortableness" took over...we started to laugh and joke a little, the conversation grew and blossomed right in front of our eyes until suddenly it BECAME something else...something that neither one of us had expected. It became our comfort...and it was almost as if I could feel Jehovah's presence settle in...bridging the gap of all those miles between us...like two magnets snapping together...like two sparks combining to become a raging fire. The conversation dipped and darted...disappearing around corners only to peek back out at us and suddenly come roaring back into the room. It felt nostalgic in a way...like slipping into that old comfortable pair of slippers that look beat up and worn out...but feel incredibly warm and soft as soon as they touch your feet. The conversation was a beautiful thing, but eventually it came to an end. We said our goodbyes and hung up...two tiny insignificant pieces cruelly being ripped apart once again. That was Saturday evening...and early Sunday morning I was sitting at my desk at 4 am...my steaming mug of Maxwell House coffee nearly gone...engulfed by the soft glow of my computer screen as my personal research project sat staring glumly back at me...when suddenly a few familiar words reached out from the paragraph I was reading and hooked me instantly, although not for the reason I was expecting. Grasping the mouse, I started clicking on various scriptures, growing more and more attentive as an idea sprouted inside my head and began to take shape. Throwing caution to the wind, I opened up to the chapter of the Bible that I had been perusing and just simply started to read from verse 1...my memories of the account forming in real time in my head as the words danced off the page and started swirling around inside my brain. Finishing the chapter, I started opening up multiple tabs in my browser, pulling up article after article about the person, the place, the time, and the words that had originally captivated my mind. Another 30 minutes later found me pulling out my private notes regarding the account...and yet over and over again I kept coming back to a point I had never seen, something I had never noticed before...something that somehow changed the landscape of this entire account in my brain...yet AGAIN!! First, please allow me to share the verse that ALL of us know, the verse that will more than likely have every single one of us punching the air in utter joy and excitement...and anticipation: 2 Chronicles 20:17: "You will not need to fight this battle. Take your position, stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah in your behalf. O Judah and Jerusalem, do not be afraid or be terrified. Tomorrow go out against them, and Jehovah will be with you." How well we know this account...how many times has this verse stirred our hearts and minds because we KNOW what is coming...we KNOW what Jehovah will soon do. But what did it take for Jehoshaphat to hear these words from Jehovah? What did he have to do FIRST? That's the part I hadn't noticed...that's the part which had escaped my attention until now. To find out, please join me in rewinding a few verses back to: 2 Chronicles 20:12: "O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless before this large crowd that is coming against us; and we do not know what we should do, but our eyes are toward you." LOOK at that phrase: "WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT WE SHOULD DO." Jehoshaphat didn't whisper that in a private prayer. He said it in front of the entire nation. He stood there...a king, a commander, a man surrounded by seasoned fighters...and he openly admitted that he had dug deep inside himself...and found absolutely nothing!! No strategy...no instinct...no courage...no big final plan. Just...emptiness!! And that’s the part that really hit home with me. Because it was only after he said that...only after he stopped pretending he had answers, (or that he could find them)...that Jehovah stepped in. Only then did Jehovah say, “Don’t worry about this. Just stand still, keep your head up, and watch what I do.” So I guess the whole reason I made this post was simply to say that I surrender...that I am going to do my best from here on out to STOP looking for answers, for solutions...because there might not BE any in this system. And maybe if I say it loudly enough...maybe if I say it publicly enough...maybe Jehovah will be moved to do something for us in the short amount of time we have left in this system of things. But even if he doesn't...I'm striving hard to be okay with that...because I know it won't be long until Jehovah says those words for all of us...and THAT'S when my wife and I will finally be united again...only this time NOTHING will be able to pry us apart ever again.

A roman soldier went into a bar, held up two fingers and asked for 5 martinis. ————- (separate joke) a roman soldier went into a bar and asked for a martinus. The bartender asked ‘dont you mean a martini?’ The soldier responded with “i only need one”

Yes, AI is becoming more and more advanced quickly! I use chatGPT and they just released GPT Astra and I was able to have it make a JW app for my Samsung TV. It did it in like 15 minutes. This app is for my personal use, not to be distributed. The only official app is for the ROKU but I was wanting it on my Samsung TV and chatGPT Astra helped a immensely. Sorry not trying to make this an ad for chatgpt.

Even I, during a brief moment of distraction, got startled by the AI video. I thought, “Oh my God, it’s happening now!” Then the brother went back and explained it, so I rewound the whole part and watched it again. It really shows how important it is to stay focused — you never know when an AI video is going to scare the life out of you! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂