Ludwika

Yes, same here in New Zealand, this look would most definitely keep you from being approved on the carts etc. And yes, you would be spoken to by the brothers.

For when they started looking old 🤣

It probably depended on who they married! 😂

We've had an elder here who lived a distance out. He didn't take care of a group, but he managed the responsibilities he did have. And did zoom when he couldn't get into town. And years ago we lived out at a hydro dam, I did the 2 country maps on my own for 5 years. It's possible.

Dentist, Doctor, psychiatrist.

To be honest, that's how I feel, and that would be the general consensus here. But there's no hard and fast rules.

Personally, I do keep abreast of the news, because how else could I talk to people on the doors about what's happening in the world? I find it very useful to be up to date, because then I can tell people " the news tells you what is happening, the Bible tells you why".

I pulled into the garage, the attendant filled up with petrol, I hopped out and paid, and discovered my car wouldn't go. So the attendant told me to pop up the bonnet, he was looking at the engine, said "put your foot on the accelerator", I did and said "see, nothing!" Then I suddenly realized I'd forgotten to turn it on! I slunk out of there feeling a right idiot! 🤣

Exactly why poor Jabez was named 'pain'? 😂

Reading through this topic, it's normal for human beings to want to feel 'part of the pack', generally accepted in the wider society. After all, Jehovah intended us to all be part of a global family in the first place. After Adam sinned, from Abel onwards, faithful people have had to stand out against the current of disobedience, and customs that displease Jehovah. Whether it was the fringe on an Israelite's garment, which made a person instantly noticed, to first century pressures put upon the early Christians, it's been a difficult road. https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/w19930701/The-Early-Christians-and-the-World/ So perhaps it's normal to want to fit in as much as possible. I know, when I came into the truth, it would have been so much easier if I could have continued to celebrate my mother's birthday! It caused friction and hurt feelings. What must be kept in mind is that little compromises in ancient times eventually led to child sacrifice, an unimaginable cruelty. They began to feel Jehovah's requirements were overly oppressive and unreasonable. They didn't want to starkly stand out from the surrounding Canaanites. They wanted to be accepted. And they lost sight of true worship. Anything contaminated by even a smidgen of spiritism, such as astrology and horoscopes, is as unacceptable now as it always was in the past. Even a drop of filth will poison a whole glass of pure water.

Yes, it's still the same, and very relevant to our modern day; birthday's are an intrinsic part of astrology (which is popular with many. People ask "what's your sign?" referring to the zodiac), and since this is spiritistic, it's not a conscience matter. It's something Christians want no part of. Interestingly enough, many have experienced outright persecution for refusing to celebrate birthdays. If it doesn't matter, they wouldn't have felt Satan's hot breath on the back of their neck, putting them under intense pressure to compromise.

My personal feeling about these adjustments is that, just as the Law was a tutor leading to Christ, we've been under certain "rules" that are being refined more into principles that fit individual circumstances. Why the adjustments now? Again, only my own thoughts, but I think we could be being readied for the GT, when we could find ourselves alone and we have to make decisions for ourselves. In fact, that's basically what was said: we're being trained to be "grown ups", able to stand firmly in the truth when it's going to matter the most, and we may find ourselves isolated for one reason or another.

That's amazing, thank you for showing us these beautiful creatures! 🥰

No, he can combine justice with love and mercy, for example; deserved judgement with undeserved kindness, depending on the circumstances. Manasseh absolutely merited, and had worked hard to earn, his punishment. In fact he should have been put to death for sacrificing his children to the Baals, it was outright murder. But because he was genuine in his repentance, Jehovah balanced that with forgiveness. David was also granted forgiveness, but at the same time he didn't escape Jehovah's judgement in that it affected his family for the rest of his life.

It's cold here 10.30 in the morning and 5% centigrade. A damp, penetrating cold today.

Beautiful pictures 🥰

Immortality.

Hey Ronald, your first post in the topics, nicely said! 😊

Mine too! We'll all miss his wonderful talks!

I love ChatGPT! Not for study, but if I want to know the source of a quote; I've read one line in a poem for example, or where and when an ancient writer said this or that, and is the quote correct... It's a brilliant tool for checking the authenticity. It's great too for science questions and so much more. And it talks to me like a real person, asking me if I want more information etc, I find myself saying thank you as if it is! 😂😂😂😂

That's true. And it's because they didn't look at what the Bible itself says: the light of understanding would get brighter. So they lost faith in Jehovah's promises, which means they lost faith in Jehovah himself. Not for nothing did Jesus say " the one who has endured to the end will be saved".

Amazing pictures!

I kind of think both hats fit!

I do, I'm 5ft! 🤣

That's lovely!