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I hope we see this....

I was gathering my things after the meeting last week when a brother, we'll call him Brother "Halvorsen", approached me. He moved slowly, the way he always does now, but his eyes were still bright and warm. After asking me if I had a moment to chat, he told me he wanted to show me something and pulled his phone out of his pocket and started squinting at the screen. Finally locating what he was after, he opened his photos and began scrolling through picture after picture of him and his wife from decades ago. Moving closer, I began to watch as his screen filled with black and white photos...pictures of him and his wife when they were young, vibrant, full of energy. In one photo they were standing beside a literature cart downtown, smiling like they had just discovered the truth. In another they were hiking a trail I recognized from our local area. In yet another they were sitting at a table with a group of young ones they used to study with. His wife had passed away years ago, but he spoke about her as if she had only stepped out of the room for a moment...as if she would come join him at any second, taking his arm and moving close against him. Minutes felt like seconds as he recounted story after story...telling me how MUCH he looked forward to seeing her again in the new system. But then, in the midst of his reminiscing, he said something that surprised me...although I don't really know why. He said he appreciated what Jehovah still allowed him to do NOW, even if it was nowhere near what he used to be able to do. He talked about how he tries to greet every single new person after the meeting, how he makes it a point to compliment the young brothers and sisters who give talks and other various parts, how he checks in on sisters who sit alone. He said all of this with not a single bit of pride in his voice...just a quiet gratitude that Jehovah still lets him contribute SOMETHING...that Jehovah still finds him useful. Suddenly I decided to ask him a question, a question that came out of nowhere...but a question that I suddenly found NEEDED an answer: I asked him HOW he keeps going? I didn’t mean it unkindly. But he is in the beginning stages of losing his eyesight. His hearing is fading. His joints hurt so badly that he sometimes winces when he stands. And yet he still moves through the hall with purpose, as if he has a mission. All of a sudden he got this mischievous little grin on his face and patted me on the shoulder. Then he told me that, since he knew I loved Jehovah and that I particularly love researching the deeper things of Jehovah, he was absolutely certain that I wouldn't take any offense at his next words. “Tim, go look up Genesis 48:17–19, and 1 Kings 1:1–40. Check them out, sit with them for a while and I PROMISE you that you'll find the answer to that question!" While I was in the midst of reeling from that answer along with hurriedly trying to type those two accounts into my phone's notebook application....this dear brother looked back down at his phone screen and his eyes locked onto a picture of him and his wife standing in service, both of them young and strong, vibrant and healthy...and suddenly he said very quietly, very heavily, “That used to be me.” I went home that night and opened both accounts. I read them once, then again, and then yet again. Genesis 48:17-19: "When Joseph saw that his father kept his right hand placed on Eʹphra·im’s head, it was displeasing to him, so he tried to take hold of his father’s hand to move it from Eʹphra·im’s head to Ma·nasʹseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father: “Not so, my father, because this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father kept refusing and said: “I know it, my son, I know it. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will become greater than he will, and his offspring will become the full equivalent of nations I didn’t see it." (I'm not going to post the whole chapter of 1 Kings 1:1-40 here, but I can promise you that it is an incredible read!) I read the footnotes. I checked the Research Guide. I looked up every cross-reference. I read the Watchtower articles connected to both accounts...but I still didn’t see it. For days I kept going back to them, trying to understand what he was pointing me toward. (I mean I had POSSIBLE answers, but all of them felt too trite, too simplistic to be what he was getting at...so I kept digging.) I read about Jacob...old, blind, frail...leaning on his staff. I read about Joseph trying to correct him, assuming Jacob’s age had confused him. I read about Jacob crossing his hands intentionally, choosing the younger son over the older. I noticed the Hebrew word used for Jacob’s “insight,” the one that means to perceive deeply even when the eyes cannot see. And then I read about David...old, cold, unable to stay warm, lying in bed while the nation moved on without him. I read about Adonijah rising up, gathering support, acting like David was finished. I read about how Jehovah still used DAVID...not Nathan, not Zadok, not Bathsheba...to make one of the most sacred decisions in Israel’s history. But I still didn’t understand what tied these two accounts together. They were powerful, but I simply couldn't see the thread. Then one evening, while reading through several articles about how Jehovah views his servants...articles about loyalty, endurance, and the way Jehovah measures faithfulness...something finally clicked. I guess it wasn't a single sentence in one article that finally clicked. It was a theme that kept appearing in different ways, in different contexts, almost like Jehovah was whispering it directly into my ears through the pages. The thought crystallized so clearly that I had to stop reading and just sit with it for a moment. Jehovah has never chosen or kept someone because they were the most capable. He has always stayed close to those who are faithful. Suddenly both accounts opened up in a very unexpected way, and that is what caused me to write this post. Jacob wasn’t chosen because he was strong, sharp, or capable. He was chosen because he was FAITHFUL, and Jehovah gave him insight that Joseph's youth could not produce. Joseph saw an old man who couldn’t see. Jehovah saw a servant who possessed wisdom shaped by decades of faithful service that could see something clearly which youth could not. And David... David wasn't used because he was powerful, energetic, or capable. He was used because he was FAITHFUL, and Jehovah saved a sacred assignment for a moment when everyone else thought he was finished. The nation saw an old man who couldn’t stay warm. But Jehovah saw the only man he trusted to make a decision that would shape Israel’s future. And THEN I understood Brother "Halvorsen's" point. It may be true that he isn’t able to do what he used to do. He isn’t strong. He isn’t healthy. He isn’t capable in the way he once was. But he IS very very faithful. And Jehovah is STILL providing him with a deliberate purpose...a purpose that younger ones might overlook, but one that Jehovah specifically does not. And then something hit me so hard that it made me sit back in my chair and breathe for a moment, something I don't think even he realized...(and I know he didn't because after I was through with my study I called him up and told him...and he said he had never looked at it that way): This brother wasn't showing me pictures of who he used to be...he was actually showing me PROOF that Jehovah still sees who he is NOW.

Then you hear from the back of the room. "Don't worry, here, we will give you all of our power and authority"

I have always thought this. Unfortunately I live in a very small seniors unit--total 550 sq ft with my two small companions. I have started prepping on a small scale but I have NO room to store. I go between buying some things I think will be necessary in order to share with friends. Then I think as I step over and move things around why am I doing this? Don't I believe Jehovah will provide for his people and recall the manna miraculously provided. Then I think well, we have been cautioned to have a few things ready because wouldn't we be short sighted not too? You can see this weighs terribly on my mind. I have no water saved. I live in a senior complex of 80 individual units and there are 9 of us that are witnesses. All the rest of witnesses here are in my neighboring shared hall. I think this will be my basement buddy scenerio. I have all ready shared special meals with them and am disappointed because no one has ever come by to see me. But I will be ready to share. I bought a sterno stove and 12 cans of sterno that will last 6 hrs each. I have life water straws and a hand crank radio, a solar phone and iPad charger . A back pack full of whatever came in it. I don't want to open it because I fear I won't get everything back inside. I am thinking about buying a bed tent. Google them. I lived in an RV which was very nice-FP, dishwasher , washer)dryer, etc for two years after Rick died. There was a whole winter I wish I knew about a bed tent. Propane does not last long, then everything would freeze. My hair on top of my head froze to the wall one night. Decided that would be the last winter I would stay in an RV. Not to mention living in tornado alley. I figure if I have no electric due to any number of possible reasons the tent on my comfy bed would hopefully allow my two furries and I an enclosed small shelter out of the weather and maybe we could possibly provide enough body heat to stay warm. Poppy is only three pounds so it is unlikely he will be much help but GOSH IS HE ADORABLE! MAGGIE MAE my 10 pound Boston Terrier well it just goes without saying. She is a snugglers delight . There are so many old hippies here I guess I could always open windows and breathe in the weed fortified air if I get to down and depressed. It's really eye opening to see three old codgers sitting around in camp chairs passing a joint around, they are honestly 12 feet from my kitchen window. I never imagined a senior complex looking like this! I have never smoked dope (except for two occasions when I was in my 30s) but I might be forced into changing that. If you ever want to check on me and I'm talking out if my mind just blame it on my neighbors.

“Also, at 82, I do not "just run around" like 60 years ago. I put less than 3,000 miles a year on it now.” Quoted from James. 👋 You and I are about the same age. I’ll turn 83 in November. My husband has ordered a vehicle for me. It’s a Toyota Crown Signia(?) white with a black top. It’s a hybrid, so it should average out at 38 miles per gallon. It looks like my trips to the kingdom hall, (round-trip around 50 miles) might be almost free. And for the most part, that’s why I put mileage on my rig. We bought it on the Internet from a dealer three hours away, inland. And it was complicated. He’s changing it from low profile wheels to normal normal profile wheels. We have to clear things with the Tribe., (we pay no sales tax) and last, but not least WeatherTech mats for front and back. Never mind the financing. You’ll be able to put almost half of it down because of the sale of the Subaru. Now, my traveling partner, Paula, will probably be putting the most miles on it because she drives us to the convention and the assembly. Now we get to give her rig a break. You cannot imagine how stressful this has been for me. Well, not really. When this whole thing started, I started praying to Jehovah because I can get anxiety attacks, lose sleep, have a hard time following a decent train of thought. You get the picture. Pretty much will make a mess of me. And I noticed that my anxiety was pretty much not there. And I’m so grateful. This is in spite of the fact I have to have surgery on an esophageal hernia come Monday. Never mind I have a small part in the assembly on 18 October. That’s 20 days after my surgery. And two weeks of that 20 days will be liquid only diet. I shall be svelt. If I’m able to walk.😕 I think this is the last huge event in my life, I hope, until the Memorial next year

Dear brothers and sisters, isn’t it amazing how quickly we can sometimes come up with an excuse when we don’t really want to do something? “Now isn’t really the right time.” “I can’t do it.” “Maybe someone else would be better suited for this.” And sometimes we tell ourselves these things so often that eventually, we actually start believing them. But you know what? We’re not the only ones who have done that. Even faithful servants of Jehovah sometimes tried to find reasons to avoid doing what Jehovah asked them to do. Think about Moses. Jehovah gave him a big assignment. Moses was supposed to go to the Israelites and to Pharaoh. But Moses had one objection after another. “Who am I?” “What should I tell them?” “What if they don’t believe me?” And finally he said: “Please, Jehovah, send someone else.” Moses was afraid. And yet Jehovah did not give up on him. Jehovah helped him step by step. I find that very touching. Because perhaps we know that feeling too. Deep down, we know what Jehovah wants from us — but immediately a little “but” comes into our mind. “But I’m not strong enough.” “But I’m afraid.” “But this is really difficult for me.” And perhaps Jehovah doesn’t say: “Why are you so weak?” Maybe, instead, he is saying: “I am with you. Trust me.” Jonah also did not want to listen to Jehovah at first. Jehovah gave him a clear assignment — and Jonah went in the opposite direction. But Jehovah did not give up on Jonah. He helped Jonah correct his attitude. And eventually, Jonah went. That teaches us something very beautiful: Jehovah does not expect us never to be afraid. But he does want us to be willing to listen to him and to allow ourselves to change. Because sometimes, that is actually our problem with God’s Word. We read something — and immediately we know: “That applies to me.” And then our mind starts working. We start looking for an explanation. For a “but.” For a reason why, in our particular situation, it might be different. Imagine going to the doctor. The doctor examines a patient and honestly tells him: “If you want to stay healthy, you need to make some changes.” The patient may know perfectly well that the doctor is right. But on the way home he starts thinking: “It’s really not that serious.” “Other people do it too.” “I’ll start next week.” The doctor has spoken. The patient understood what he said. But understanding something by itself doesn’t change anything. Something only changes when we actually do something about it. And it’s similar with Jehovah’s Word. The Bible doesn’t just tell us what is right. Sometimes, in a very loving way, it also shows us: “This is something you need to change in yourself.” If someone has been stealing, the Bible says: “Let the one who steals steal no more.” If someone has a habit of lying, he can’t simply say: “It was only a little white lie.” And when we realize that an attitude doesn’t please Jehovah, it’s not enough to say: “I know.” At some point, we need to say: “Then I want to change.” And that is where we show how seriously we take Jehovah’s voice. At 2 Corinthians 4:12, Jehovah said to Moses: “And now go, I will be with you and teach you what you should say.” What loving words! Jehovah didn’t say: “Moses, you have to handle this all by yourself.” He said: “I will be with you.” Maybe we need that reassurance too. Perhaps we already know what the next step is that we should take. Maybe we have been putting it off for quite some time. So perhaps today we could honestly ask ourselves: “Do I really have a problem understanding Jehovah’s voice — or is my real problem doing what I already understand?” That is a very personal question. But it can draw us closer to Jehovah. Because Jehovah isn’t looking for perfect people. He is looking for people who are willing to listen to him. Maybe you have made excuses before. Maybe you have been like Moses. Maybe even like Jonah. But Jehovah has not given up on you. And so today we can say to him: “Jehovah, I understand. Please help me to act on it.” Because sometimes we don’t need another explanation. We don’t need another excuse. We simply need the courage to listen to Jehovah’s voice and take the next step. And when we do, we will experience something wonderful: Jehovah doesn’t expect us to make the whole journey on our own. He simply wants us to trust him and begin following him.

Had an amazing 10 days in Belfast! Hundreds of Bible studies started just in the 1st week 727edd9839ed48678d2a2ca933180a56.mov

You are only 54 lbs from being a ton! Come on! You can do it!!!

Put the chocolate down, then get back on the scale.

Wow, we switched from the UN topic to smart TVs, I love you guys 😄

I watched the UN press briefing from yesterday. The litany of world issues he listed off was incredible but not even everything going on. Right before he left he said, see everyone Friday if we are all still standing. I was like woah….they are worried. He would probably deny he thinks anything catastrophic will happen but they also know all it takes is one nuclear event to kick off the firestorm.

Hi Tim, Your nice story made me think of this illustration. I hope this connects to what you have been thinking about concerning this dear older brother ENTROPY In physics, scientists came to learn there is a very profound but negative law about the universe they termed "Entropy". I say it is a "negative law" from the human perspective. Because every human dislikes that everything in the universe is fading, weakening, deteriorating, as time passes. YET all the sterling qualities that Jehovah has so unselfishly given to us -- like faithfulness, loyalty, love, etc -- are the only these things in the universe that improve with time! So is it possible that Jehovah designed the entire universe with entropy so that His human creation could observe the universe and gain great wisdom if they could come to the accurate conclusion that... "Since everything in the universe fades, weakens, deteriorates, with time, these material things must not be very important. So therefore the things that only improve with time --- MUST BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE --- faithfulness, loyalty, love!!"

Put on your glasses Dusty, its 194.6 🤣

It's a smart move.

It does feel very Babylonish right now, doesn’t it?

Absolutely!! I had just never thought of Jehovah kind of looking over our shoulders so to speak as we looked at his photos, it kind of hit me that, to Jehovah, he still sees this dear brother for what he is, which is extremely faithful. I guess what I was getting at is that sometimes it's easy for a person to see what they used to do and feel bad that they can no longer handle all of that weight or responsibility. But to Jehovah, it's like he still sees that dear brother as being just as faithful now as he was then, even though his activity has lessened greatly. I know that's not a new thought, but it was just very encouraging for me because of what what I'm going through as well.