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While preparing for the Watchtower study this week, I looked at a question from readers in this issue of the Watchtower (for February), and the last paragraph caught my attention here: In the meantime, what matters most is, not the timing of the future proclamation of “peace and security,” but our standing before God. We must “stay awake and keep our senses,” so that we may be fully prepared no matter how events unfold.—1 Thess. 5:6.

Some things to consider: We are not just called to be neutral, we are called to show respect and honor. If the comments you make in real life or online were told to the President, would it hinder your ability to preach to him? Would it cast a bad light on Witnesses? Would they say we only pretend to be neutral?

Jesucristo taught a crucial distinction that every true Christian must guard in both heart and speech: rejecting what is wrong is not the same as despising the person. The biblical principles make this very clear: * In Matthew 5:22, Jesus warns that contempt expressed through words (“You worthless…”) is not something minor, but an attitude of the heart that God takes seriously. * In Colossians 4:6, we are taught that our words should always be gracious and respectful, even when we disagree. * In 1 Peter 3:9, we are reminded not to repay evil with insult, even when others act wrongly. * And in Matthew 5:44, we are commanded to love even our enemies, which leaves no room for mockery, contempt, or a closed heart toward others. Therefore, the issue is not having a negative opinion or recognizing wrongdoing. The real danger lies in this subtle shift: From “I don’t like what he does” to “this person is repugnant” Once that line is crossed, the focus is no longer on judging actions, but on despising the person. And that kind of contempt—though common in the world—does not reflect the spirit of Christ. A true follower of Christ can be firm about what is wrong, but will always strive to speak and feel without losing the respect, dignity, and love that God expects.

(1 Peter 2:17) 17 Honor men of all sorts, have love for the whole association of brothers, be in fear of God, honor the king. https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&pub=nwtsty&srctype=wol&bible=60002017&srcid=share Honor men of all sorts. Including the icky ones. Honor the king. Including the bad ones. Where does the Bible say we can pick and choose? Please show me.

I’m afraid that no other president in history has been like Trump… and I think that it’s perfectly ok to say that you dislike the guy, he is a cringeworthy raging narcissist!! Does that mean that I’m not remaining neutral? Personally I don’t think so… I don’t even know the name of the party he represents… I’m that interested in it Lol As a person I don’t like him I find myself laughing and cringing at him in equal measure I do feel that he will possibly be in power during the GT and how that will go down is interesting in itself!

Its super corrupt.. billions of corruption of the govt.. the have and the have nots has wider gap.

And its getting closer.. with the fuel crisis and its impact . In our midweek meeting last week, we were told to store water, fuel and food.. I can feel that things are getting worse.

Another great article is the current headline ~ "My Kingdom is No Part of This World". I love the statement "Jesus refused to accept political power and stayed completely separate from the politics of his time. He never supported efforts to establish a human government , even under his own leadership".

I wasn't calling you out - they were just rhetorical questions for reflection. The topic of neutrality gets brought up frequently and we should remind ourselves of the edges. “Render to all their dues… to him who calls for honor, such honor.”

Seriously!! I’m saying I don’t like the man I didn’t once say that I don’t respect him, I don’t need to show this man honour.. I honour Jehovah. i am also not American, I live in Ireland… maybe we just have a very different outlook here and I suspect that’s the case and as Tortuga said I would love him to come into the truth, do I think he will? As Richard said it would be a modern day miracle. Sorry if I offended you.

I feel the same way Aine does, I dislike Mr Trump as a person, but I would control those feelings if I was able to witness to him. I would love to see him come into the truth, it would be a modern day miracle....

7,5 is no joke but there is not much damage as far as we know. Not there could be more quakes in the following hours/days, so people are careful.

Nice comment Sister! I have wondered how the slave can be neutral and at the same time publish articles like "No More Corrupt Politicians!" You just explained it very well. We point out the failure of imperfect, evil, greedy human leaders. But we don't judge individuals.

We were told the same here in Portugal

Strong earthquake hits off Japan’s coast, tsunami warning issued https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/20/world/earthquake-tsunami-warning-japan-intl

Lu 13:32 And he said to them: “Go and tell that fox, ‘Look! I am casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will be finished.’ Some of the suggestions in the Study Note for the meaning of this are not really complimentary. But Jesus had the perfect measure of the man.

It flew?

But I still wouldn't invite Trump to my house for dinner...

I heard this when Bush Jr and Obama were in power sis. Do not be in shock if Trump is not. We need to remind ourselves that Jesus is in power. Revelation 11:15

Daniel's Prophesy of 1999 and Watchtower 2000 make reference to NATO at a time when there were 19 member nations. The King of the South has always been understood to be primarily the United States and the UK along with their associate allies. That would be allies who are members of NATO and allies who are not. Today, there are 32 member nations of NATO. When Finland joined in 2023, it doubled NATO's direct border with Russia. The expansion of NATO from 19 to 32 has not received any attention in our publications that I can see. I cannot recall any speaker even using the acronym NATO in a talk. So, yes, it came as a surprise to me when the local brother at the Circuit Assembly with Branch Representative said "while the King of the South is NATO and its allies". Apparently, no one else here heard that at their assembly. As I already said, he could have skipped a line of his manuscript. I don't believe he leaked anything that the FDS may share in the near future. I'm happy to wait for whatever the FDS has to say. But the expansion of NATO is a serious topic between the two kings. As of today, 6 NATO members share a direct border with Russia when you factor-in the enclave Kaliningrad. The "pushing" continues.

Pot, meet kettle.

Brothers and sisters, sometimes we carry something inside us that no one else can see. On the outside we smile... we greet others... we attend the meetings... but deep inside, we may be struggling with worries, with disappointment, with hurt, with loneliness. And at some point we notice: My joy is gone. We still serve Jehovah... we still keep doing what is right... but our heart feels heavy. Why does that sometimes happen? One reason may be that although we go to Jehovah... we do not stay with him long enough. Imagine this: You are thirsty and pour yourself a glass of water. But when you are about to drink it, you realize: It is warm. So you place the glass in the refrigerator. You close the door. But only one second later you take it back out. Is it cold now? No. Why not? It was in the refrigerator. Yes... but not long enough. If you leave it there longer, it slowly becomes cool. And if afterward you place it in the freezer and leave it there long enough, its whole form changes. It becomes ice. And that is exactly how it is with our heart. When worries “heat us up” inside... when problems drain us... when pain steals our joy... then we need Jehovah’s presence just as that water needs the cold. But brothers and sisters, sometimes this is what we do: We say a quick prayer... maybe 20 seconds... maybe one minute... and then we go on again, back to the stress, back to the worries, back to the battle. And then we wonder: “Why do I still feel so heavy?” Because some things only heal when we stay long enough in Jehovah’s presence. Psalm 62:8 says so beautifully: “Pour out your hearts before him. God is a refuge for us.” Jehovah does not say: “Quickly mention your problem to me.” No. He says: “Pour out your heart.” Pour out everything. Not just the pain— but the tears behind it. Not just the worry— but the fear behind it. Not just the problem— but what it does to you at night. Jehovah does not just want to hear what happened. He wants to hear how it feels to you. Perhaps we can compare it to a little child. When a child is afraid at night, it runs to its father. But what would happen if the father held the child for only one second and immediately put it back down? The child would hardly calm down. But if the father holds it close... if the child remains against his chest... if it hears his heartbeat... if it feels his warmth... then slowly it becomes calm. Not immediately. But little by little. And that is how it is with Jehovah. Sometimes he does not heal our heart in the first 10 seconds of prayer. Sometimes he lovingly waits for us simply to stay. To remain seated. To keep talking. To keep crying. To take our time. And while we remain in his presence, something beautiful happens: Our heart slowly becomes calmer. Our thoughts become clearer. Our burden becomes lighter. And sometimes Jehovah changes not only our feelings... but our entire inner self. Brothers and sisters, if your heart is heavy... if you are tired inside... if you no longer feel joy... then do not pray only briefly. Stay. Stay in Jehovah’s presence. Stay until you feel peace. Stay until your thoughts become calmer. Stay until your heart feels warmth again. Because perhaps Jehovah has been waiting a long time for you not just to knock on his door... but to come inside... sit down... and simply stay with him. Because the one who stays long enough in Jehovah’s presence rarely leaves the same way he came.

I agree that the imagery is not worth sharing. However, they do seem to illustrate the speedy and barely imaginable descent into madness and destruction this system is headed. Who could even think of these things ten years ago? Not favoring anyone... but I cannot recall this level of gleeful public (at least) degradation, cruelty, and ignorance depicted in words or pictures by any other president or his administration; and I can remember back to Nixon. Yes - they are all bad, absolutely. The madness displayed every. single. day. of the current administration is one for the books, however. 😕 These are very good points and definitely something for us all to constantly keep in mind. It *is* the news of the day and some do pay attention to the news. I know it's challenging for me because I like to be informed... and this circus of world politics lately is dangerously entertaining. It's like watching a car wreck. I am so grateful to know where all this is heading and I do pray and work hard to keep my eyes off the newsfeeds. It's tough sometimes - because I can barely believe what I'm seeing. But, I have no doubt that among other things, Satan is delighting in making this system die embarrassed and humiliated. Future generations will hardly be able to believe the inanity we will tell them about these Last Days..

(This post was made especially for those who feel low, depressed, worthless or suffering due to a trial, or you have a chronic illness or disability) Mephibosheth (we will nickname him Mephib (for short) The son of Jonʹa·than, from King Saul (Grandpa) We remember the account, when he only was 5 years old, his nurse picked him up fleeing from danger, she was fleeing in panic, and he fell and was crippled." (2 Samuel 4:4) But then when we hear next about Mephib, he is living in some town called, "Lo-debar" So where is Lo-debar? After the tragedy when he was 5, Mephib thereafter lived in the house of Machir, at Lo-debar. This was far north of another town, Gibeah, which evidently was the first capital under King Saul. So likely Saul's family, including first son Jonathan, were living in Gibeah with their father the King, and therefore possibly this is where Mephib was born/raised So how would young, crippled Mephib ever be able to return home from far away Lo-debar? In Lo-debar Mephib may felt this his life was basically over before it really began! - Mephib's grandpa, Saul, was wounded in battle and then killed himself! - His father, Jonathan, was murdered in the same battle! - And Mephib was now permanently lame, crippled! - All these tragedies happen at a very young age. How traumatizing! - There were no hospitals, no Disability Services, No Disability Income - No help for depression and PTSD But when Mephib prayed for help, his life finally got better right? - Well his feet never miraculously healed - He was still stuck in a far away town in Lo-debar with no family - No family or relatives came to bring him home - The great "family business"(Dynasty) was destroyed, so no money or resources from the family business - His overall family situation was very tragic and super-complicated - Mephib likely developed very low self-esteem, deep "depression", childhood PTSD (before these words even existed) But then something that must have seemed like a miracle happened to him!!!! "Cheʹsedh" arrived! Cheʹsedh took the initiative to find and bring Mephib all the way back home! Cheʹsedh did not wait for Mephib to clean himself up, get "UN-depressed", and get more rehabilitated from his handicap Cheʹsedh did not wait for Mephib to somehow prove his loyalty to the new king Cheʹsedh did not wait for Mephib to do certain acts that "earned" favor Cheʹsedh sent for Mephib as he was, accepted him as he was Wow! So who is this awesome "Cheʹsedh"? Cheʹsedh is not a person Cheʹsedh is a multi-faceted GEM of a quality that is inside our loving Father Jehovah and was inside King David! Cheʹsedh is the Hebrew word for a humble quality, an exquisite blend of loyal love, loving kindness, mercy, which means then... that it was really Jehovah and His Cheʹsedh through King David's Cheʹsedh who then took the initiative to find and bring back Mephibosheth! Today it is Jehovah and His Cheʹsedh that does not wait for you to get your life fully together first before He comes to your side to help you It is Jehovah who does not wait for you to "earn favor" first before He will show loyal love to you It is your dear Father Jehovah who takes the initiative and seeks you out and finds you when you are in your lowly "Lo-debar" That town should have been called "LOW-debar" right? And it is your loving Father and His beautiful Cheʹsedh that will find you in your LOW-debar where you feel like nothing, worthless, and He will save you just like He did with little Mephiby! Do you feel lately... like you are in LOW-debar? that you have little to no future? do you sometimes wonder, "Why would the King care about a weak person like me? "I cannot do much for Jehovah, I can't pioneer, I can't attend all the meetings due to my sickness/weakness/disability? I can't donate very much! So why should Jehovah care so much about me?" Well the cheʹsedh inside Jehovah proves you so very wrong!

I cannot speak for the brothers that work on that app, but I can tell you from observation, They don't do anything that is beyond what the organization has directed the brothers us to do within the congregation. about six or eight years ago, the congregation was directed to stop holding copies of of persons, healthcare proxy or advanced medical directive. That was not the responsibility of the congregation. That is a person's personal responsibility between them and their emergency contacts. I wonder now, as I write this, if it also has to do with HIPPA. Dave

I don't have that answer but it does show that Hebrews was updated in 2025, however I checked an older device that doesn't have the recent update yet and the Title page is the same. So the Title page didn't change with the recent update.

https://www.jw.org/finder?srcid=jwlshare&wtlocale=E&prefer=lang&docid=1001070101 Its the Title page

Tuesday, April 21 I will come again and will receive you home to myself.—John 14:3. Only genuine, faithful anointed ones will be received by Jesus into the heavenly Kingdom. Any anointed ones who do not remain spiritually alert will not be gathered with the “chosen ones.” (Matt. 24:31) By extension, all of God’s people, regardless of their hope, should view Jesus’ words as a warning to keep on the watch and remain faithful. We have come to know Jehovah well, so we trust his judgment. We are not concerned if Jehovah has chosen to anoint some faithful ones in more recent years. We recall what Jesus said about the 11th-hour workers in his illustration of the vineyard. (Matt. 20:1-16) Those who were invited to work in the vineyard later in the day received the same wage as those who began working in it earlier. Likewise, no matter when anointed ones are selected, they will receive the heavenly reward if they are judged faithful. w24.09 24 ¶15-17

That statement caught my attention this morning. 🤣 thank you for the morning smile.

Sadly, the opposite happened when some angels materialized human bodies and took wives on earth. It seems that life on earth has its own unique attraction, including @Dustparticle’s chocolate 😁.

What do I think .. I think.😎 I’ve always appreciated how clearly the Scriptures describe the hope of the 144,000. Their home, identity, and assignment remain heavenly forever. But at the same time, Jehovah has always been able to bridge the gap between the heavenly and earthly families whenever he chooses. Nothing limits him. And whatever Jehovah arranges for eternity will leave no one, heavenly or earthly, feeling distant, deprived, or wishing for something different. I often think of how Adam spoke with Jehovah “in the breezy part of the day” (Gen. 3:8). That shows how close the heavenly and earthly families were meant to be. There’s also the precedent of angels visiting numerous Bible characters in fully human form ..Abraham, Lot, Gideon, Manoah, and others. Those were temporary materializations, not a return to human life, but they show that such interaction is completely within Jehovah’s power. And look at Jesus. Even though he is now at Jehovah’s right hand, he is deeply connected to this earth and to the people he loved …including close friends like John the Baptist. His affection didn’t disappear when he returned to heaven. So will the heavenly and earthly families be deeply connected forever? Absolutely …. more than we can ever imagine. We are one family. A scripture that really captures this is 1 Corinthians 15:28: “But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.” That’s the moment when the entire universe ..heaven and earth…. is perfectly united under Jehovah’s sovereignty. I can imagine a family reunion where every relationship is healed, every misunderstanding is gone, and every member feels completely connected, understood, and loved. Now magnify that to a cosmic universal scale. Mind blowing. As a side point, a close friend of mine Chris Tyler was of the anointed. She once told me that when the resurrection comes, she was going to ask Jehovah to be present when her daughter is raised. To me, that was a pretty good ask. .. it simply reflected the depth of love and connection that will always exist in Jehovah’s family. Just as Jehovah was involved with his sons resurrection .. a special time.

Our potted pups, Chip & Bruno, toy poodles

Dear brothers and sisters, One day, a little boy looked up at his father and asked him a question that sounded so simple… and yet was so deep: “Daddy… how big is God?” The father did not answer immediately. He looked up into the sky. There, high above, an airplane was flying—far away, barely visible among the clouds. He pointed upward and asked his son: “How big is that airplane?” The little boy looked up and said: “Very small, Daddy… almost impossible to see.” Then the father took him by the hand and brought him to the airport. There they stood directly beside a huge airplane. The boy looked up in amazement, his eyes growing wide. And his father asked: “And now? How big is it now?” The little boy said in awe: “Daddy… it is huge! You can’t miss it!” Then the father knelt down beside him and said: “That is how God is. Depending on how close you are to Him, that is how big He becomes in your life.” Dear brothers and sisters… isn’t that one of the most beautiful truths we can learn about Jehovah? Because Jehovah does not change in size. HE always remains the same. Infinitely great. Infinitely powerful. Infinitely loving. But how big HE appears to us… often depends on… how close we are to Him. There may be times in our life when Jehovah feels so close. So real. So loving. We feel His guidance. We see His hand. We sense His peace. But then there are also other times… Times full of pain. Times full of worries. Times full of tears. Times when problems suddenly seem bigger than our faith. When fears seem bigger than our hope. And when difficulties seem bigger than our trust. And in such moments… Jehovah can seem to us—figuratively speaking—as small as that distant airplane. Not because HE has become smaller… but because we have drifted away. Let us read James 4:8 “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.” Notice: Jehovah does not say: “Maybe.” “Possibly.” “Sometimes.” No. He promises: “If you take one step toward me… I will take one toward you.” What a loving God. But why do people sometimes drift away from Jehovah? Not always out of wickedness. Often it happens very slowly. Through stress. Through worries. Through disappointments. Through hurt. Maybe we still pray… but not with the same heart. Maybe we still read… but not with the same depth. Maybe we still attend meetings… but inside we feel far away. And suddenly… we realize: “Jehovah used to feel closer to me…” Perhaps someone here today… feels exactly that way. Outwardly everything looks normal. But deep in your heart you wonder: “Where is Jehovah right now? Why don’t I feel Him the way I used to?” If that is how you feel… Jehovah lovingly wants to tell you today: “I did not leave.” “I am still here.” “I am only waiting for you to come closer again.” Think about Psalm 34:18 “Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted.” Not to those who are perfect. Not to those who have everything together. Not to those who never struggle. But to those with a broken heart. Those who cry at night. Those who fight battles inside. Those who sometimes wonder if they are still strong enough. Jehovah is especially close to those ones. Sometimes we think: “If Jehovah only knew how broken I feel inside…” But Jehovah says: “Precisely because I know how broken you are, I am near you.” Isn’t that comforting? Maybe someone today feels like a little child in the storm of life. Everything is too much. The pain. The responsibility. The disappointment. The loneliness. And you ask yourself: “Jehovah, where are You?” But perhaps Jehovah lovingly asks back: “My child… where are you?” “Because I have not moved away.” Do you know what this reminds me of? Peter. When he walked on water. As long as his eyes were fixed on Jesus… his faith was greater than his fear. But the moment he looked at the wind and the waves… he began to sink. Why? Because suddenly the problem seemed bigger than the Savior. And isn’t that sometimes true for us? When we constantly look only at problems… only at worries… only at pain… those things eventually seem bigger than Jehovah. But they ARE NOT bigger. They only seem bigger… because our focus has changed. That is why we read Psalm 121:1,2 “I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From where will my help come? My help comes from Jehovah.” How beautiful. The psalmist did not say: “I stare at my problems.” He said: “I raise my eyes.” In other words: “I lift my focus upward again.” And perhaps that is exactly what is needed today. That someone lifts their eyes again. Away from fear. Away from worries. Away from self-doubt. And back to Jehovah. Because the closer we come to Jehovah… the bigger He becomes to us again. Then His love becomes bigger than our guilt. Then His strength becomes bigger than our weakness. Then His hope becomes bigger than our fear. Then His peace becomes bigger than our pain. And that does not mean problems disappear. But it does mean: Jehovah becomes bigger than the problems. Imagine a small child afraid of a barking dog. As long as the child stands alone before it, the dog seems huge. But the moment the father lifts the child into his arms… everything changes. The dog did not get smaller. But suddenly the child feels safe. Why? Because now someone bigger is with him. That is how it is with Jehovah. Our problems do not always disappear immediately. But when Jehovah carries us… our problems lose their power over our heart. Let us read in closing Isaiah 41:10 “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be anxious, for I am your God. I will fortify you, yes, I will help you, I will really hold on to you with my right hand of righteousness.” What loving words. Jehovah does not simply say: “I see you.” He says: “I am holding you.” Dear brothers and sisters, if Jehovah seems small to you today… if you barely feel Him right now… if worries seem bigger than your faith… that does not mean Jehovah has gone away. It may simply mean: You need to come closer to Him again. In prayer. In His Word. Through meditation. Through trust. Because the closer you come to Jehovah… the bigger He becomes in your heart. And one day you will look back and say: “My problems were great… but my God was greater.” Never forget: Jehovah has never become smaller. The only question is: How close are you to Him right now? If you stay close to Him… His comfort will be greater than your pain. His love greater than your doubts. His strength greater than your weakness. And then every day you will feel anew: God is huge… you cannot miss Him. Thank you very much.

The same with my update however once I powered down and powered it back up the icon changed and the only way for me to tel which is which is by opening the app and whatever icon appears in the top left corner will tell you which version you run.

I don’t want to get involved with this discussion… but we do have guidelines on the use and misuse of A.I .that can be referred to.

I agree with this idea (using the same designation used on the DPA: 'Health Care Agent', in our state). It would make it a lot easier for elders to verify that each publisher had the needed information on hand. We had a real-life situation a few years ago where this would have helped. An elderly sister with no immediate family ended up in the ER unconscious, and no one knew who her Health Care Agent was. Yes, she should have had her DPA in her wallet, but she didn't. It took several hours of effort before the elders could locate her DPA at her house and get someone to authorize her treatment. There is a simple work-around, though, in NWP. In setting up an emergency contact, there is a field called "Relationship". The user can simply make entries like: "Sister and Primary Health Care Agent", etc.

Yes. And I thought of another comment but it was too late to edit. We don't judge individual authorities nor should we mock them.

I think it would be good if one of the Emergency Contacts in NWP was designated as Medical Emergency Contact. The elders would know who to contact if there was a medical emergency and the AHCD information wasn't available.

Afternoon all, I've neglected this thread that I started so thought I'd post a little update of where I am currently this year. As previous years, I have overwintered Onions, Garlic, Shallots and Broad (Fava/Faba) Beans to which I have so far added Potatoes, Leeks, Cauliflower, Turnips, Carrots and Beetroot (both unsuccessfully due to erratic weather, so more sowings required). I have also got Tomatoes and plenty of flowers to go out on 1st May (Calendula, Cosmos, French Marigold and Zinnia). At least the wife will be happy to have the conservatory back! Many of the spaces in the garden will be filled by the aforementioned flowers meaning by summer it should look colourful at least. On a personal note, I have been absent for many months due to tiredness and a bereavement in the family. Whether I've said previously, my wife and I lived with and cared for her grandmother for the past five years. Last October, her health deteriorated due to a number of urinary infections that also had a significant impact on her dementia. She passed away quite quickly in late January and those last few months and in particular weeks were extremely tiring. We are both okay, just getting used to the new reality without her and living in a big house by ourselves. I look forward to hearing about your gardening endeavours for the coming year!

I don't think Jesus would invite Trump to dinner either, unless there were a lot of birds waiting....

This is sad to hear. It's also enlightening. Oh, I know all countries are corrupt. Some moreso in appearance than others. Still, sad.

What if it made you discontent with living on earth?

Visit as "being transformed into a spirit to really be "there"" or just "visit in a vision like all the prophets" ? I think the vision thing could happen very quickly in the New World. But being changed into a spirit to go up there, woooahh... That would be nice

Saturday, April 18 If anyone does commit a sin, we have a helper.—1 John 2:1. The most important decision that any person can make is the decision to dedicate himself to Jehovah and to become part of His family of worshippers. Jehovah desires everyone to do so. Why? He wants them to enjoy a friendship with him and to live forever. (Deut. 30:19, 20; Gal. 6:7, 8) However, Jehovah does not force anyone to serve him. He allows each individual to decide what he will do. What if a baptized Christian breaks God’s law, committing a serious sin? If he does not repent, he must be removed from the congregation. (1 Cor. 5:13) Yet, even then, Jehovah fervently hopes that the wrongdoer will return to Him. In fact, that is an important reason why he provided the ransom—to make forgiveness possible for repentant sinners. Our loving God warmly appeals to wrongdoers, urging them to repent.—Zech. 1:3; Rom. 2:4; Jas. 4:8. w24.08 14 ¶1-2

1120 [emoji288] Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-S911B met Tapatalk

Exactly…. Hope this doesn’t bother you.

If the president himself posted racist imagery, would you choose to share it with your brothers and sisters? I would not and I doubt you would, too. If the president himself posts pornographic imagery, would you choose to share it with your brothers and sisters? I would not and I doubt you would, too. Just because the president created and posted propaganda does not mean we need to share it. I don't want to see propaganda and I don't think my brothers and sisters want to, either. Trump did this. Trump did thst. I can't believe he dud this and that. Look how disgusting. Did you see the disgusting things? Here, let me show you the disgusting things. Did our brothers and sisters share the disgusting things Obama did? Or do we, in our hearts, feel Trump is so much worse than Obama? Were we as obsessed with Biden, Obama, Bush the 2nd, or Clinton as we seem to be with Trump and sharing every disgusting move made? If not, then maybe our neutrality is affected. If we treat or view this president any differently than previous presidents, then maybe our neutrality is affected. If this president affects our emotions (positive or negative) more than a previous president, then maybe our neutrality is affected. Sorry, I don't understand. Why is that any reason for Christians to spread propaganda generated by the King of the South? Are we it's mouthpiece? I know, it's just the news of the day. How does it affect others around you? If it doesn't register, good for you. It must be registering for others, though, because here we are discussing it on a forum dedicated to Christians. It graced my inbox on Facebook first thing this morning.

*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?