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Last week, during morning worship at Bethel in the USA, the announcement was made. 😢I don't have any more details at the moment.

Burnt out, out of gas, fatigued, exhausted, spent, drained, worn out, enervated, run down, bushed, stressed out to the nines...pick your poison...but every single one of those feelings have attached themselves to me like leeches recently. Pulled in different directions, worried about saying too much...scared I'm not saying enough. Avoiding certain obligations due to stress and my ADHD while digging deep into my personal distractions of chess and personal research. Working more hours due to weather conditions in the winter, not spending enough quality time with my wife. The ability to give good advice to others while simultaneously somehow conveniently forgetting to apply it to myself. Attending more meetings on Zoom then in person, feeling disassociated through absence, experiencing lack of love and empathy due to exhaustion, frustration, anger, hurt, and pain. All of this is what I expressed to an elder yesterday as we sat in two chairs on the back room of his empty Kingdom Hall, our ears perked up occasionally by the sounds of the howling wind and driving snow outside...and this is what he said in return: SIX BILLION TONS!! That's how much just one teaspoonful of a single star weighs...and that's how stupid, (my word, not his), Tim really is. All this time, I've been reaching for stars...trying to stretch out on my tippiest of tippy toes in order to grab just one and SHOW Jehovah that I am a capable man...a good man...a man he could love and respect. I was trying so hard, for so long...but to Jehovah...I must have seemed as pathetic as a tiny ant reaching out to carry the whole muffin back to it's colony...when all it was ASKED to do was carry a crumb. As this very kind elder pointed out to me yesterday...Jehovah never asked me to carry the whole muffin...he never required me to grab a star and carry it around...he only asked me to take his hand...hold on tight...and allow HIS light to penetrate deep into my mind and heart. He didn't ask ME to be the "source"...and he never told me to "reach" for it...like I had to carry around the source myself...he simply asked me to reflect HIS light. Those are MY expectations...those are my OWN personal thoughts and feelings about what I felt I should be doing...not Jehovah's. After a few minutes of listening to more of my excuses and self lies...he quietly, gently...led me to a set of scriptures I know very very well...or at least...I THOUGHT I did. Matthew 11:28,29: "Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for yourselves." Refresh: In Greek, the word is anapausis...and it means rest from burdens...or refreshment... that's true. But this brother pointed out that the meaning is deeper, especially when you look at how this word is used in the Greek Septuagint at Exodus 23:12: "Six days you are to do your work; but on the seventh day, you are to cease from your labor, in order that your bull and your donkey may rest and the son of your slave girl and the foreign resident may REFRESH themselves" The Israelites didn't JUST receive refreshment by pausing physical labor...here the word means SABBATH rest...restoring equality!! It means relief from pressure, a pause that restores a person's dignity and self-worth. THAT'S the "load" that Jesus offers...and here's why: https://www.jw.org/finder?srcid=jwlshare&wtlocale=E&prefer=lang&docid=502300130 Under "I will refresh you"...look at HOW Jesus provides relief: "Jesus promised to give relief, or rest, to those who accepted his kind invitation. He did so by helping them to understand what God truly expected of them. In other words, he was relieving them of all the unfair rules and restrictions that had been piled upon the Israelites by the Pharisees...and this brother pointed out that, while we don't have physical Pharisees doing that today...each one of us has a "Pharisee" INSIDE us...constantly piling on added rules and restrictions to ourselves, criticizing our every move, condemning our every thought...and all in the name of US attempting to be self righteous. "I should be doing more because..." "I'm not good enough because..." "Jehovah expects too much from ME, because I just can't do what everyone else can do!!" 😔 This dear dear brother then gave me a piece of paper and a pen and asked me to write down ten things in which I felt I am not "ENOUGH". After I had finished, we went over them one by one. In each and every instance, I was absolutely shocked to see how my inner "Pharisee" was condemning me...piling on small and subtle "adjustments" to Jehovah's actual requirements. I always knew I would have to face reality one day...I just didn't think that reality would take the form of a Pharisee. Starting now, I am going to strive every day to see myself as Jehovah sees me...not as I THINK he should see me. Starting now, I am going to improve where I can, pray about what I can't and allow Jehovah to work out the details. Starting now, I'm going to listen to Jehovah's voice more than my own and stop piling up unrealistic expectations based on where I think I SHOULD be in Jehovah's organization...not where I actually am. If Jehovah opens the door, I'll walk through it. But I'm going to try my best to stop creating my own doors...I'm going to stop reaching for a star...and be content with reflecting Jehovah's light.

I will attach the photo.

Awww... much love and prayers for brother Lösch

In the talk that Brother Price gave, look at the expressions he used, which led me to conclude that he is not one of the anointed ones: John chapter 5, verse 28 and 29. It reads, do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things, to a resurrection of life. Let's pause there. Can you picture that moment? The day when Susan hears Jesus' voice and wakes up? Let's just use our imagination. You know, she'll look around and then she'll see familiar faces, those who loved her so deeply. And we can imagine you watching this, Brother Lett, from your place with Christ. Watching Susan stand again, smile again, laugh again. Can you imagine the joy? We'll laugh with her, sing with her, maybe even share some dark chocolate and a glass of wine, just the way she enjoyed. And I can only imagine that over time, the memories lost to that terrible disease and the experience she couldn't fully enjoy because her mind couldn't retain them, they'll all be restored. She'll be able to tell us how she felt in those moments, the things she loved, and how deeply she appreciated all who cared for her, especially you, Brother Lett. Revelation 21 describes the anointed as a stunning, symbolic city, New Jerusalem. And during the thousand-year reign, New Jerusalem will bring countless blessings to obedient mankind.

2025_12_06_Memorial_Merete_Loesch (1).pdf

Brother Peter Price delivered the funeral talk for Sister Susan Lett, and as far as I remember (if my memory serves me right), he referred to her as being one of the other sheep.

My opinion: I see what others see outside of the US and I'm in the US. 1) A nation isolating themselves and 2) the collapse of a dual empire. As long as these fundamentals stick together but slowly fall apart in sync with GT and ultimately Armageddon we're on track. Military dominance, reserve currency, largest economy, and Silicon Valley, which is the US. UK, Global finance architecture, international legal model, 5i's (intelligence & espionage), military allied sort of like the US. That's is the Anglo-American WP and their relationship could be on a 5mm thread by the time Jehovah puts his thought in their hearts. Like someone said above. They stopped sharing intel (5i) with US over Venezuela and there has been more. Get your popcorn and let Jehovah and Jesus put on full display how Satan's system ran by humans doesn't work. Think Jerusalem, nobody got along internally. Pharisees and Sadducees hated each other. Zealots and priestly class were wild. Herodians supported Rome. The common people were suffering. It was wild internally but now it's global. No different in my view. It'll fall in-sync and on-time. Again... popcorn please.

We had a great time this morning using the new tracts

In my daily Bible reading, I'm finishing Luke and I've been thinking about the movies and how it could be done. I was meditating on the moment Jesus was entering Jerusalem on the donkey. I could imagine a view of Jesus on the donkey with the crowd around, everyone smiling, Jesus looking at all of them, and looking at his apostles with a big smile, looking at the city in front of him. Then, a view from far away, uphill, to see the whole crowd, but the camera is passing behind a "stauros". Then, a view on Jesus still smiling, looking right and left at the crowd, and facing the city, his eyes then turn to the previous camera angle (the stauros uphill offcamera, but the viewer understands what he is looking at), then his smile fades. He is now looking right and left at the crowd with a growing sadness and emotion, shaking a bit his head as the donkey continue to advance, the camera is still on his face but we can see the tears coming up as he says : If you, even you, had discerned on this day ... because you did not discern the time of your being inspected...

What identifies the kings of north and south: *** w20 May p. 3 par. 4 “The King of the North” in the Time of the End *** 4 The titles “king of the north” and “king of the south” were initially given to political powers located north and south of the literal land of Israel. Why do we say that? Notice what the angel who delivered the message to Daniel said: “I have come to make you understand what will befall your people in the final part of the days.” (Dan. 10:14) Until Pentecost 33 C.E., the literal nation of Israel was God’s people. From then on, however, Jehovah made it obvious that he viewed Jesus’ faithful disciples as his people. Therefore, much of the prophecy recorded in Daniel chapter 11 involves, not the literal nation of Israel, but Christ’s followers. (Acts 2:1-4; Rom. 9:6-8; Gal. 6:15, 16) And the identity of the king of the north and the king of the south changed over time. Even so, several factors remained constant. First, the kings interacted with God’s people in a significant way. Second, they showed by their treatment of God’s people that they hated the true God, Jehovah. And third, the two kings engaged in a power struggle with each other. https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=2020400&srctype=wol&srcid=share&par=10 There s only one time of truce mentioned in the prophecy: When both kings cooperate to create the disgusting thing (UN in 1945) At the very end of Daniel chapter 11 we don’t see mentioned engagement of eachothers in conflicts. merely the acts of the KOTN alone. This what we see now happening Even though there are pushings (verse 40 which is being fullfilled ever since 1991) there are no more mentions of the KOTS Isn’t this what we are seeing? Instead of focusing on what we don’t understand let us focus on what we are seeing now: Daniel prophecy is in full fulfillment. Its possible that there won’t be any more conflict between those two kings before Armageddon where all of them will be destroyed

Those who go before us into their future assignments; whatever they will be, may they take the remembrance of our loyal love with them.

Went to the Kingdom Hall today and guess what we’re being handed out… Everyone was so excited! Think the Circuit must’ve got them cause more than 1 local Cong also got theirs this week.

I think the translator didn't translate my idea correctly and I didn't have time to check, but I meant that Brother Peter was referring to himself as being one of the other sheep.

A STRANGE DAY... FIRST I FIND A HAT WITH SMALL CHANGE IN IT, THEN I GET CHASED BY A MAN WITH A GUITAR.

In many parts of Africa, investments and migration from China have sparked tensions with local residents—but some Chinese migrants are finding a welcoming community in Mandarin-speaking Zambian Witness congregations https://www.sapiens.org/language/chinese-migration-zambia-xenophobia-jehovahs-witnesses-belonging/

so the mini tracts have arrived and put on the display unit

Imagine the sign above Jesus carpenter’s shop “Joseph and Sons … Bespoke Yokes” “Measured with care, crafted with love…Our yokes are kindly.” Kindly….Not harsh, not crushing, designed with care and compassion. Yokes were always a symbol of partnership,two oxen sharing the load, just as Jesus shares his. He invites us to take his yoke, not that he would share ours, but that he provides one that is kindly and light. The emphasis is on “learning from him” ( the hard part) and finding refreshment. So it seems to me this brother in his conversation with you.. was able to help you find refreshment… but more importantly you accepted the counsel. You didn’t just hear it; you stepped into it. That’s why it brought refreshment. Well done

There have been two 7.0+ quakes in the past 48 hours.

I'm using the tract about Jesus advice. Starting by commenting about how it will soon be Christmas, or that people are preparing for it. Then move the conversation to Jesus, and ask the question, Does Jesus advice works today?

My educated guess would be it is the return of the same land that dropped out of the Service Year Report a couple of years ago, namely Norfolk Island?.... FWIW the other changes over the last couple of years include both Lebanon and Russia no longer reporting individually, but instead being included in the 'other lands' where the work is restricted; Swaziland being renamed Eswatini; and Macedonia being renamed North Macedonia.

Went to the doctor with a suspicious-looking mole. He said they all look that way and I should have left him in the garden.

I love your imagination. However, I am pleasantly surprised by us all. We have read these accounts many times. (maybe hundreds of times). Yet now that it is portrayed in a new format, we have all re-read the account with fresh eyes. I love all the new options we consider... love it...

Fabulous advice, fabulous brother!

Hey my brother, I really appreciate your trust in reaching out to me. I wanted to be upfront with you though — I won’t be able to search for online jobs on your behalf. You know your skills, work history, and interests far better than I do, and brothers in your own area are in a much better position to help you with opportunities that fit your situation. I also just don’t have the time to take on something like this right now. What I can encourage you to do is keep applying the suggestions I already shared, and make it a matter of prayer. Jehovah can absolutely guide your steps, but you’ll need to take the lead in the actual searching. And honestly, if you’re going to work remotely, being able to search, apply, and follow through on your own is an essential part of that kind of job. 🤔 I’m still cheering you on, my brother, and I know Jehovah will help you as you put in the effort.

Just a small thought, sister — you expressed that beautifully. My experience: AI absolutely makes mistakes, and checking every reference ourselves is non-negotiable. If anything, that safeguard turns the whole process into real research, because you still verify each scripture, each publication, each point. The tool can gather the dirt, but we’re the ones who sift it and decide what’s actually worth planting. Used that way, it just speeds up the digging. The accuracy still depends on us — and on sticking closely to Jehovah’s own channel for the truth. 😊 And really, that’s the whole point — we’re not just tossing a pile of information on the table and saying, “the computer said this, take it or leave it.” We’re treating it the same way we treat any tool: we check it, we refine it, and we measure it against Jehovah’s own channel before we ever share it. 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Attached is the talk in memory of Merete Lösch. Talk - Merete Lösch.pdf

Possible mega quake according to Japanese Officials. Advisory was issued today after yesterdays earthquake. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/japan-earthquake-megaquake-advisory-tsunami/

I always think of what Jehovah told Gideon - "go with what you have". He wasn't told to try and rustle up what he didn't have.

I like that the longest ones so far are Paradise scenes. The whole point of the New Earth series was that Paradise was the central character.

I went to see a Psychiatrist today... She told me I had a split personality and charged me $200... I gave her a $100 and told her to get the rest from the other idiot!

THANKS FOR HELPING ME ,,OFTEN FELT SAME WAY , DUE TO EXTREME DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, GOING THROUGH AT THE MOMENT.😔

A lot of wives complain that their husbands do not listen. I have never heard my wife say this. She may have.

Three rings of marriage: Engagement ring Wedding ring and...

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' tenure ends December 31, 2026. About his 10-year appointment, one person said "The former socialist prime minister of Portugal's tenure has been beset with major wars and crises that have led to accusations of bias against him, especially when it comes to Israel". With just over a year to go for the selection of the next Secretary-General, member states have begun to nominate candidates who best fit their national interests. Sounds like a dis-United Nations, doesn't it? It's reported that there's an appetite to appoint a woman next time. The election of the next SG is described as a "three-ring circus" of an irrelevant and unmanageable organization. It's rather amazing that this election of a new leader at the UN falls smack-dab in the middle of Trump's second term (Trump could have had two consecutive terms as president without this UN election ever coming up on his watch, but NO, that's not what happened), AND following the new understanding of Rev 17:17. I think we are in for a very interesting year!

Saturday, December 6 By wisdom a house is built up.—Prov. 24:3. In our race for life, we must love Jehovah and Jesus more than we love our relatives. (Matt. 10:37) This does not mean, however, that we can neglect our family obligations, as though these were holding us back from pleasing God and Christ. On the contrary, to be acceptable to God and Christ, we need to fulfill our role in the family. (1 Tim. 5:4, 8) When we do, we will be happier. After all, Jehovah designed families to thrive when husband and wife treat each other with love and respect, when parents love and train their children, and when children obey their parents. (Eph. 5:33; 6:1, 4) Whatever your role is in the family, trust in the wisdom found in the Bible instead of relying on mere emotions, culture, or what so-called experts may say. Make good use of our Bible-based publications. These contain practical suggestions on how to apply Bible principles. w23.08 28 ¶6-7

...and you found what point(s) from this article worth discussion? Please, when links are posted, explain, point out or at least mention why the link was posted.

At 4:30 in the morning, the world feels different. The sky is still ink-dark, the air has that sharp little bite that sneaks under your jacket, and the thermometer has slipped a few extra degrees just to keep things interesting. A light breeze drifts across the Kingdom Hall remodel site, rattling tarps and whispering through scaffolding. Four of us are on security duty—just a handful of sleepy volunteers wrapped in hoodies, reflective vests, and good intentions. I’m already wearing my “Kingdom smile”—that quiet, contented warmth that comes from knowing why you’re here and who you’re serving. But I keep thinking: What else can I do for my three fellow volunteers out here in the cold? Foot washing crosses my mind for half a second🤔. Then I feel the wind, glance at the dusty ground, and laugh to myself. Yeah… no. That’s not happening at 4:30 AM. Then it hits me. Coffee. Not just coffee—coffee. Somewhere inside the hall, there’s a Keurig machine waiting for after-hours use. It’s convenient, it’s fast… and it’s absolutely not what I’m going to use. Not tonight. Not for my brothers and sisters standing guard in the cold with me. I’m a pour-over person. Ritual, patience, and care in every cup. So if I’m going to show love, I’m going to show it with a kettle, a dripper, and beans that still remember the roaster’s hands. The Quiet Joy of Preparation My routine starts long before I get to the site. I buy fresh-roasted beans from roasters all over the US. Not supermarket tired, not “roasted sometime last month,” but beans that are never more than five days off the roast. Just enough time to degas and mellow, but still brimming with aromatics waiting to be released. Before each shift—three or four nights a week—I pull out my burr grinder and set it to that perfect grind, somewhere between sand and sea salt. I grind only what I need, just before heading out the door, so every cup will bloom with fresh oils and fragrant steam. I have eight different ways to brew coffee at home, but for the project, I keep it simple and reliable: my Kalita 102 dripper. Kalita makes decent paper filters, sure—but I’m picky. I bring Cafec filters instead. They’re my favorite: beautifully made, consistent, and forgiving enough at 5:00 in the morning. “Pour-Over Bar Opens at 5:30!” By the time the others are shuffling their feet and blowing into their hands for warmth, I’ve already set up my little makeshift coffee station—kettle, scale, dripper, cups lined up like eager students. “Hey crew,” I call out, smiling, “pour-over station opens at 5:30 AM!” Suddenly, the cold doesn’t seem quite as brutal. My recipe is simple but precise: 15 grams of coffee 250 ml of purified water Water at about 190°F, just right for a dark roast First, I pour 50 grams of water and let the grounds bloom—forty-five slow seconds while the coffee swells and releases trapped gases, the aroma rolling up in warm waves. Then a second 50-gram pour at thirty seconds, and another at the next thirty. Finally, a last gentle pour to reach 250 grams total, and we wait for the drawdown—watching that steady, reassuring drip. In the dim pre-dawn light, steam curls out of the cups like little signatures of comfort. A Different Origin in Every Cup Last week, the star of the show was a Costa Rican, Black Honey processed, medium roast—sweet, layered, and luminous in the cup. This week, I’ve brought something bolder: a blend of Ethiopia, Sumatra, and Vietnam—medium-dark roast, with tasting notes like a breakfast menu: bananas foster, French toast, wild bergamot, cacao nib. Someone takes a sip and closes their eyes for a moment, and I know the late-night drive and careful packing were worth it. Next week, if the mail cooperates, it’ll be Organic Sumatra, deep and dark, ready to stand up to any cold morning on-site. That one’s already on its way, quietly traveling across states to end up in our hands, in these cups, on these nights. And of course, I don’t forget those who prefer to skip the caffeine. For them, I’ve got a decaf blend: Ethiopia and Papua New Guinea, dark roast, with tasting notes of chocolate ganache, New Orleans–style beignet, and orange zest. Just because it’s decaf doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be an experience. More Than Just Staying Awake Out here, in the chilly stillness before sunrise, the coffee is doing more than keeping us awake. It’s warming hands wrapped around cups. It’s softening tired faces into smiles. It’s turning a simple security shift into a small act of hospitality and love. When the word gets out that there’s real coffee—thoughtful coffee, carefully made coffee—suddenly 4:30 AM doesn’t feel quite so harsh. There’s laughter, there’s teasing about flavor notes (“Did you say French toast? In a cup?”), and there’s that easy, quiet joy that comes from serving one another in small, practical ways. Life can be tough, no doubt about it. But with good friends, a shared purpose, and a pour-over in your hand while the first hint of dawn lightens the sky? Well… life can be pretty wonderful, too. ☕ Cheers....🤣

Well this thread got high jacked rather quickly!

I cook and pack my lunch because they use bad oils at resto.. I used cocnonut oil.

Sunday, December 7 Read it in an undertone day and night, in order to observe carefully all that is written in it; for then your way will be successful and then you will act wisely.—Josh. 1:8. A Christian woman needs to develop practical skills. Some skills that a girl learns in childhood will continue to benefit her throughout her life. For example, learn to read and write well. In some cultures, reading and writing are not considered to be important skills for women to learn. However, they are essential skills for every Christian. (1 Tim. 4:13) So do not allow any obstacle to stop you from learning to read and write well. How will you be rewarded? Such skills may help you to find and keep a job. You will become a better student and teacher of God’s Word. Best of all, you will draw closer to Jehovah as you read his Word and meditate on it.—1 Tim. 4:15. w23.12 20 ¶10-11

Thank you for sharing.🧡 I needed this.

I would like to have a "Download All" option for various categories ... like the Original Song videos

I would love a JW widget that showed the day text.

Some are saying beef fat is healthy now; has immunological properties to it. Some also say reducing fat intake causes brain issues. Can't tell you who lies more on health issues. 🫢

Ha! We had someone answer the door with a big knife in hand a couple of weeks ago. He was holding it back behind him but as we got further into the conversation he started waving it around. Finally he apologized for it, he was butchering a pig for a party that weekend.

With no questions being asked and the encouragement to start 'publishing' right away could lead to embarrassing door-front situations. Nobody told my father he couldn't smoke at the door during a witnessing session (some witnesses still smoked then). The householder was startled when a witness lit up a cigarette during a sermon. My father quit smoking that morning when he found out, back at the car with a brief discussion. Another brother was taking turns with a new publisher (a sister who had studied for a couple of months). The householder said, "I can't understand why you people don't believe the Trinity!" Before the brother could answer, the new publisher said, "Yeah, I've been wondering about that myself."...🙄

The one "standard" that I recall from the early 1950s was the required ability to call on homes "by yourself". Even our 1950s films show two sisters going door-to-door and the narrator explains that the new one is being trained but soon she will be taking the doors by herself. It was a tough situation for a little kid like me. Since 1953, I had been going with my father to had out invitations and handbills and reading a scripture for him at the door. But I was not counted as a 'publisher' until a young special-pioneer brother took me (a little kid from the 4th grade) out with him, had me practice giving my presentation and then sent me to the door by myself. He stood out on the sidewalk by the road, pointed me down the walkway to the front door of the house and gave me a gentle push to get me going. That was 1957. After that presentation they started counting me as a publisher. April next year will finish 69 years as a publisher...♥️