Beggar for the Spirit

I like this good article Sister Hannah @TheKid23 found about modesty and humility. 👍 I appreciate many of the older articles like this one from 1962. And while we of course need to make sure when reading older articles that the teachings are in agreement with today’s current understanding, it seems most points in this article seem to still be current. Now although the article mentions there are some different shades of meaning to “modest”, if we keep reading there is an important paragraph that gives an explanation that likely the FDS of today would very much agree with: Now a question some might have is, “But how about 1 of the other shades of meaning such as, “Modest” and “modesty” are also used in the sense of chasteness, decency and propriety”, Jehovah is chaste and decent right? So then couldn’t Jehovah be modest also in this sense?“ Yes Jehovah is chaste, upright, etc, but here is the reason why we shouldn’t define Jehovah as being “modest” in this other sense of the meaning: I put those 2 important points from that article in “bullet points” because while we might initially think that because Jehovah is chaste then He must also be “modest”. But the reason this is not correct is because we are “creations” of Jehovah and so we strive to be modest or display modesty in the sense of chasteness according to a “standard”, Jehovah’s standard. But Jehovah is not subject to anyone’s standard as to what should be decent or chaste or modest. So I believe that this is why we have not seen any explanation by the FDS that states something like, “While Jehovah is not modest in the sense of having limitations, Jehovah can be considered modest in the sense of chasteness, decency, etc.“ No, this would seem to be an incorrect way of viewing Jehovah because He is subject to no one’s standards of what should be decent or modest. So as the article stated, “… the concept of modesty simply does not apply to Jehovah.”

Lance shared with us that article that shows how some want to believe that President Trump is the, “New Constantine” Similarly, certain religious leaders or groups have influenced their followers to have more faith in President Trump by comparing him to the great leader in the Bible who although pagan and not a worshiper of the True God, became a vessel or “anointed one” of God, the Persian King — Cyrus the Great. A question some followers ask in order to defend their spiritual belief in President Trump is, “If God in the past anointed a world leader that was pagan to ensure that His will be done, then why couldn’t God also use or anoint a modern day leader like President Trump to ensure HIs will is done today?” Has anyone heard this kind of argument or heard Trump being compared to Cyrus?

Good topic Richard 👍 It seems you were wanting to use this “5 Why” technique to discuss the difference between possibility vs probability when seeking answers, and that is a really good topic! But I wanted to add that this technique can also help address spiritual problems overall. So I will try to add to your topic the best I can. I will share my longer post with more in-depth thoughts in the hidden box below if anyone would like to read it, but to just briefly summarize: To me, the idea behind the “5 Why” technique or just any method that causes use to dig deeper is to move beyond “surface problems” to try and uncover the underlying “root cause”. So whether a person chooses to use this technique or another, as Christians we should not be wanting “fast food” answers, “fast food” guesses or speculations, nor “fast food” surface answers that do not touch the heart of the problem or are not based on Jehovah’s superior ways. For me personally, asking “Why” questions one after another has motivated me to go beyond surface answers or just speculate, and to dive deeper in nature and in the Bible to find answers in the deeper wisdom of Jehovah If each of us does our best to not just use our imagination to guess or speculate about ”possibilities”, and if each of us does our best to dive deeper into spiritual questions or spiritual problems by researching in our publications,, then this can help “peel away” layers of surface symptoms or surface-level explanations to discover and reveal Jehovah’s wise thinking on matters! Then JWtalk will be an even greater resource because there will be less guesses, less speculations, and deeper answers and understandings that will help all of us grow stronger spiritually! 🌟 (More in-depth post)

JEHOVAH MAJESTIC, RADIANT, MAGNIFICENT

Here is hopefully a very encouraging and motivating thought to really consider during this memorial season. In the JWBroadcasting 2025 update #1 there was an example shown of an update to the “Study Pane” in the JW app. It explained how our personal notes will come first in this study pane. But I stopped the video in order to see if I could read the personal study note someone had written in the example that was being shown, and it turned out to be a little gem💎. This personal note turned out to be a quote from a WT article based on LK 2 which tells us that Baby Jesus had a “manger” for a bed. What was this manger? Was it a very soft and beautiful crib made for a prince? Here is a picture from the Study Notes in LK 2 of what this manager may have looked like? Wow, so what was the 1st bed that the Messiah, the precious Son of God slept in as a newborn baby, a “feeding place” for animals, made of rocks or stone! How many parents who are unbelievers in the world today would have been content in providing a crib of hard stone for their precious newborn? So with all this in mind, now here is the quote of the personal study note from that video: I thought this was an excellent point! While Jehovah had to protect His son, the Messiah, from certain dangers/attacks by Satan and the demons, Jehovah did not shield His Son from many challenges, including poverty. Jehovah, the best Father imaginable, did not provide great accommodations for his son who was to be royalty, a future King! Why? What can we learn from Baby Jesus’ bed of stone, a “manger”? At times a brother or sister may feel that Jehovah should be providing more for them. For example… A brother’s car is older and has problems, and when he sees others in the congregation who have better cars he wonders, “Why doesn’t Jehovah provide better for me as I am one of His loyal servants, I need a better car” Or a sister is tired of her job, and in recent months she has heard of several sisters getting good jobs, so she complains to herself asking, “I do my best to attend all the meetings, go in the ministry regularly, so why doesn’t Jehovah help me get a better job?” Jehovah tells us in the Bible that “…having food* and clothing*, we will be content with these things” (footnotes: sustenance, covering, shelter) But there are multiple degrees or definitions of what being “content” means, let’s look at 3 degrees and ask ourselves, “Which definition or degree is Jehovah wanting to see in us when He is asking us to be “content” for now with basic necessities?” “content” = accept as adequate despite wanting more or better ”content” = willing to accept a particular thing “content” = a state of happiness, peaceful It would seem that Jehovah is hoping we are #3, being in a state of peace and happiness with “the daily bread” we have received. To a non-believer, this kind of thinking might be considered unacceptable as the culture of today has a mindset of always reaching for more and not being satisfied. In fact, many famous athletes, entertainers, CEOs, claim in their books or in interviews that the mindset of never being satisfied, never being “content”, is what helped them to achieve their dreams and goals. But is not definition #3 of “content” the mindset of a truly appreciative person? Yes, our Father wants us to be at peace, happy with what He has provided. So a spiritual person is “content”, being very grateful and appreciative for what our Father in the Heavens has provided for us, and not just “accepting as adequate despite wanting more or better“. So I need to ask myself sometimes, “Am I content, at peace and happy with the “manger” or “daily bread” that Jehovah had provided for me? And 1 final thought based on that personal study note from the video: Have not many wealthy or powerful people throughout history, including Kings, provided the very best for their child? So then why didn’t the greatest King, Jehovah provide much more for His beloved son? Far greater in importance than a comfortable lifestyle is being surrounded with love and peace and with those who love Jehovah. That describes the human parents Jehovah chose for His son right? Jehovah knew that not many years after his son was only a newborn, that even as just a child, Jesus would begin to be involved in the greatest legal court case in history! So Jehovah giving His precious son better accommodations, providing a more comfortable lifestyle was not even close to what the FDS says is of more, “supreme importance”, spiritual matters! Baby Jesus was going to become the primary Witness in this grand court case, that was of “supreme importance”. And so here is the wisdom we can gain from how and why the greatest Father Jehovah provided for his beloved newborn son a life surrounded with 95% love, peace and spirituality but with only 5% basic material needs. (Several articles are combined that I put in quotes)

Hi Tim, I sent you a PM of comfort, please let know if you received it, thanks 😊

There is another aspect of gas prices going up that I never thought of before, until recernly. I had only heard of a few reports over the years in which gasoline was being stolen from vehicles in various parts of the US. But then this became more of a reality to me as I have now had the gas stolen from my vehicle 5 times in the past year! 😞 I have an older truck, so I guess I was naive in thinking that an older truck would not be a target of theft. But apparently older trucks are an excellent target by thieves because Older vehicles usually have no alarms Older vehicles usually have no lock on the fuel door But even if you have lock on the fuel door or add a “locking gas cap”, trucks are high enough off the ground for a thief to slide underneath and make a hole in the gas tank Last year I had to clean up the street area where my truck normally is parked because gas had been pouring out underneath my truck! I had never dealt with a gasoline spill, so I was really nervous and worried. This caused me so much trouble and then when I took it to the mechanic for a replacement gas tank, which was quite the cost along with expensive labor, the mechanic never mentioned anything to me that this could have been the result of someone trying to siphon gas directly from my gas tank! Instead I thought and told the mechanics that since the truck was older, the gas tank must have been rusty maybe and then possibly it easily cracked open when I had accidentally driven over something? But maybe mechanics are getting more business with cracked gas tanks and so some may not bother showing the customers that their gas tank had a hole in it caused by thieves? So when I left the mechanic shop with the replacement gas tank, at least I felt comforted that no longer would I leak gasoline because I had a new gas tank. But just last month, guess what happened? My neighbors told me that there was a strong gasoline smell from under my truck that they could smell from their house! That’s when I realized that my previous broken gas tank must have been a result of thieves, because since that first gas tank replacement last year, I also have had the gas siphoned out from the fuel door 3 times! The last time was just a few weeks ago. 😞 So now I feel that I have no choice but to try and sell my truck as I can no longer afford to keep repairing or replacing the gas tank or even afford to keep losing all the gas in my truck each month, as my older truck has become a special target of thieves 🎯 I thought I would post about this personal situation so that all of you will at least be aware of this latest criminal trend. I hope this does not happen to any of you. If you do not have a truck or SUV, then hopefully thieves will not try and crack a hole in your gas tank as cars are lower to the ground and there is little room for a thief to slide under. But cars are still having the gas siphoned from the gas door also, so please be aware and maybe adding a “locking gas cap” will be a good preventative measure. Sadly if gas prices rise, there will be more stealing of gas. Here is a link to an article in Arizona where this trend has started very recently and is being noticed by the police and local mechanics. https://tucson.com/news/national/thieves-costly-new-tactic-puncture-vehicles-gas-tank/article_98bf67c9-0015-57e2-b4bd-97cfab86491b.html

Hi Jeremy, When Jesus told his disciples how they should pray, the request for God’s Kingdom to “come” is not about timing or a date, but about expressing to God your personal desire and how you are in agreement that this heavenly government which you believe is Jehovah’s means of expressing His rightful sovereignty over the earth and is His instrument to sanctify His name! Our prayer for the Kingdom to “come” is directly connected to what Jesus told us to pray for also, “let your name be sanctified”. Also when we pray for His Kingdom to “come”, we are not focusing on the timing of when the Kingdom will come, but we are supplicating for divine intervention! This shows Jehovah that we are in heart harmony with His Sovereignty and that we believe that His Kingdom is the only solution for all the problems on Earth. Also when we pray for His Kingdom to come, we are acknowledging that we are sinners and that we are exercising faith in the Ransom! How is this so? Because the Ransom is linked to the Kingdom because it is by means of the Ransom that 144,000 humans are saved and will make up this Heavenly Kingdom with Jesus, and they will help administer the benefits of the ransom. Similar to how a picture is worth a 1000 words, when we pray for His Kingdom to “come”, this 1 simple word has great worth to Jehovah as it expreses our full support that Jehovah’s will takes place, “…as in heaven, also on earth.” 👑

1 of the explanations for the new update on JW Library stated, With this update, now in any article, whether a WT study article or any Awake article or a paragraph from a book, if you highlight a word/phrase on let’s say Paragraph #3, and THEN you also CREATE A NOTE from the word/phase you highlighted, now this note will be ADDED to the new “STUDY PANE” on the right with the same color with the #3 on top of the note! Here is an example below I made of just 3 notes for this week’s WT study lesson. (I just added a bunch of letters to each note to create quick notes so I could show this example) So now we all can create notes on any article or book, just like before, BUT NOW thanks to this update our notes will all be saved together in a visible study pane, exactly like in the Bible where we have been adding notes and these are saved together in the study pane on the right along with the “Study Notes” that are provided by the FDS. Especially for our books will this be helpful, as we can go back years later and quickly examine all the notes on the “Study Pane” if we are looking for a thought we wrote down from years ago. But before this update, we would have had to go back and open each colored “square” like this 🟨 that contained a note inside we had created and this would take a long time to go through each square/note one at a time. So this new study panel will help a lot when we go back and review articles/books in the future! 👍

When our Grand Creator designs and creates something, in his great wisdom He always has more than 1 reason behind why He chose to design it. So for example, some people may not understand why there is salt in the oceans? In fact some might say, “Hey if there were no salt in the oceans look how much drinking water there would be?” But who is wiser, us imperfect, slow thinking humans or Jehovah? There is not even a close comparison, so notice here just a few of the reasons why Jehovah wisely designed the oceans to have a high “salinity”. “Ocean Circulation” I will try to add to Brother Carl’s post as he already touched on this very positive benefit. So how do the all the oceans have such a balanced distribution of nutrients, heat and oxygen? Our first thought might be, “Ocean currents” and that is pretty much correct, but how are ocean currents created? I think of ocean currents like "ocean conveyor belts" and these currents or “belts” are driven by differences in water density caused by changes in temperature and salinity. For example, saltier water is denser than fresher water, so the cooling of warm surface waters and the formation of sea ice increases the salinity and density of the surrounding water, causing it to sink. And therefore, this sinking of salty water drives deep ocean currents that move across the globe, while being replaced by warm surface currents, creating a continuous circulation pattern. So the oceans are like a huge factory that have inside them many “conveyor belts” that run in a pattern and distribute everything where it needs to go. Without salt, there are no ocean conveyor belts! And this would result in a very UNbalanced distribution of nutrients, heat and oxygen hurting all life in the ocean! “Osmotic Balance” Salt plays a big role in maintaining the osmotic balance and regulating the water content inside marine life, enabling them to survive and even thrive in the ocean! Having the proper water and salt balance within the bodies of marine life is essential for their survival! So a high salt concentration in seawater prevents excessive water loss from their cells and tissues. So thanks to Jehovah designing oceans with such high amounts of salt, it is like the high salt levels in the ocean serve as a “shield” on the outside for the cells and tissues of every sea animal and organism! “Buoyancy” Sister Ying Ching also mentioned this in her post and she is right, the oceans are so deep that it would be difficult for many of the marine life to get to the surface if not for “buoyancy”(the ability of something to float in a fluid, like water). So guess why so much of life and organisms in the ocean can reach the surface? Because high amounts of salts in seawater increase its density, providing buoyancy that supports the floating and movement of marine life. So here is a wonderful benefit of ocean’s salt and buoyancy: Every single life in the ocean that needs to move to survive and needs to reach the surface does not have to spend much as much energy! If you have swam in the ocean before, you know how tiring it can be just to swim for a little while, so imagine if Jehovah did not give marine life this major “boost” in the ocean to help them? “Helping Outside of the Ocean” Here is more evidence of great wisdom by our Father, the ocean's salt plays an important role in the regulation of the Earth's climate by influencing the absorption and release of heat! Plus, the ocean’s salt assists in the formation of clouds and precipitation patterns! So what wisdom! The salt inside the oceans provide help outside of the ocean, ingenious! ⭐️ HUMANS Since humans live outside of the ocean, why would Jehovah design the oceans to help us? Well because Jehovah knows our hearts, He knows that we would be inticed and drawn to the ocean for many reasons. So Jehovah made the oceans, to not only benefit marine life, but to benefit us too! Here are a few benefits: Trace Minerals: Adding to Sister Ying Chang’s good post, because of salt, seawater contains various trace minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iron, which are essential for marine life and can be beneficial for human health! But wouldn’t we have to drink the saltwater to benefit from all these healthy minerals and elements? No, minerals/elements are “bioavailable”, meaning they can be absorbed thru the skin and utilized by any organism in the ocean, including us humans when we are playing the ocean water! The various biochemical processes and functions inside all marine life, organisms and us NEED these trace minerals, and salt helps to provide these. Such wisdom and love behind the craftsmanship of the oceans wouldn’t you agree? Therapy Sessions: Every time you have ever swam or played in the ocean waters, you have went to 1 of “Jehovah’s Therapy Sessions”! Meaning that the oceans offer “Therapeutic Benefits” and SALT plays a vital role. Salt water has been used for therapeutic purposes, such as alleviating respiratory issues, improving skin conditions, and promoting relaxation and even stress relief! So what do you think happens when you are surrounded by salt water when playing/swimming in the ocean? You are getting a full therapy session thanks our Grand Creator who knew we would be drawn to the oceans! “Grounded”: Have you ever been “grounded”? No, not when your parents disciplined you and grounded you to your room. But there is a “grounding” when it comes to the ocean/beach. Ocean water is highly conductive due to the dissolved salts and minerals it contains, so when we are walking barefoot on wet sand or in shallow ocean water, this allows our body to absorb negative electrons from the Earth, a process known as grounding. Meaning that when positive electrons in the form of free radicals have been building up in our bodies, but then when we come into direct contact with the sand and salt water at the beach, which have negative charges, our bodies are “balanced out”! This is why you and me feel more energized and relaxed anytime we go visit the beach. Just another reason why so many of us just love the beach and ocean and could stay there for days or weeks! There are even more benefits to the salt in the oceans, but then my post would be longer than the book of Genesis. 😃 So I hope this post has given Jehovah further honor and glory that He so rightly deserves for His masterpiece of the ocean. The bad part about making this post however is that I feel sad that I cannot just go to the ocean right now! I need to check for some cheap flights ✈️

There was a post where someone asked the question, “Elders at a judicial meeting have to recognize/assess whether someone is repentant. Repentance determines whether someone can remain in the congregation. But is a 2-3 hour meeting enough time for straying sheep to repent, "produce fruits that befit repentance?” Hopefully the following thoughts will add some clarification and help to answer this as well as to show another “angle” regarding elders involved with a judicial hearing. Repentance BEFORE the hearing: A brother or sister may have already started showing evidence and “works of repentance” before meeting with the judicial committee. Then when the elders in the hearing see how this person who committed a serious sin/sins has been showing evidence of being genuinely repentant, then judging becomes so much easier for imperfect elders. But the main point here to realize is that a judicial hearing is not needed for someone to develop a repentant attitude. In fact, a number of brothers/sisters who committed a serious sin felt so terrible and regretted their actions, that they had a change of mind and started repenting BEFORE they came to the hearing, So we can see that it is a misunderstanding to have the idea that 2-3hrs is not enough time for a person to repent. So then what might be the meaning behind the new adjustment? Repentance DURING the hearing: Since judges are imperfect men, there have been occasions where some elders during a judicial hearing would feel so bad that this brother/sister was not repenting, but thinking or hoping that the brother/sister would somehow repent, that some elders would ask to have additional meetings/hearings even though there was little to no evidence of this person being repentant. I remember one judicial case very vividly, a sister who all of us elders knew well since she had grown up in that congregation, was listening to everything we said, reading all the scriptures with us, answering questions, so she seemed very obedient and agreeable. YET in a nice calm way, she basically told us that she refused to change her ways! She had become firm in her desire to continue on in her course. When I realized this after several hours, tears started flowing down from my face involuntarily, I couldn’t stop them! In my mind I thought, “Of course we will help this younger sister in her 20s to repent!”. So I guess when I realized that we were not changing her mind and that we would have no choice but to disfellowship her, I had to grab a paper towel to wipe my entire face and kind of hide it! When I did this the other 2 older elders saw me and realized what was happening with me and so did the sister! (Even though I thought I was hiding well what was happening) 😢 So in the past when some elders started trying to have more meetings to almost force repentance, the GB asked the elders to try and keep the judicial hearing to just 1, and not more, and they emphasized in many schools that elders cannot force repentance on someone. In the wonderful scripture that Bro. Sanderson menitoned how the GB had been analyzing it (Revelation 2:21) where Jesus said, "I gave her time to repent", if we read further, guess what? That woman, although shown much mercy by Jesus/Jehovah giving her more “time to repent”, she did not repent! So we can see that in most cases, further meetings with an unrepentant one are not needed. But in some cases, there will be confused ones, or ones who want to repent but need much help in doing so, and therefore these one can really benefit from an additional meeting where the elders follow Jehovah’s beautiful example of “leading” ones to repentance. 💕 So I thought some or many here would appreciate hearing about the other side of being a “human judge”, showing another side of elders/judges! Showing the human side, the emotional side, that yearns for their brother or sister to repent and they will almost do anything, even spending many hours on 2 or more different hearings of many hours each, just trying their best to convince and almost force a person to repent! So this new adjustment seems to be telling elders, “The GB wants you elders to be as merciful and as compassionate as you can be within Jehovah’s ways & principles, so while Jehovah and us are not encouraging trying to force someone to be repentant by having multiple judicial hearings, we are however encouraging that if a brother/sister needs additional help or is asking for some help/time as they want to repent, and the elders see this, then meeting with such a person, giving them an additional opportunity may help certain ones to finally understand fully why they sinned and how they can repent. So not forcing, but just “leading” them to repentance like Jehovah does!” 💗

Hi Kyle, Thanks for your help. But please notice in my post that there are some videos that don’t have a “Show Transcript” option when you hit the 3 dots button. So then how does a person get a transcription of these videos? Maybe someone has found a free app or website that can transcribe the videos that YouTube does not?

More specifically, how do you copy/download a YouTube Transcript when the “3 dots” button that you hit to go to “Transcript” does not offer this? Some videos only show “Report” when hitting the 3 dots button as there is no transcript available. I have seen apps or websites that require payment, but does anyone know of a free app/ website that will transcribe Youtube videos? I appreciate your help, thanks.😊

Brother Lloyd, please keep us updated with your experiences with Vision Pro, it looks very interesting! To be honest, when I first saw this, it seemed so futuristic, hard to believe that such technology is already available. And I think this may even be more beneficial for those who have any disabilities making researching and computing much easier. Look forward to your future posts, thanks. For those who have not heard about this, below is a detailed video I had watched on it’s capabilities. (Scroll down several pictures on the website until you see the picture below, then hit “Watch the film”) Link: https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/

Hi Greg, Thanks for your post. In classical physics/science, this definition your provided is very helpful. However, as I wrote in the OP, “I have come to understand that this term "spin" is just an analogy for scientists as the proton doesn't literally spin like a ball or a planet. Spin apparently means that it is just the intrinsic property of the particle which makes it behave as tiny magnets even when they are at rest. So in classical physics, if we take an electrically charged object and spin it, we get a magnetic field. But apparently a proton or electron doesn't need to physically spin to create magnetism, physicists say that this is "intrinsic" in the particle, like it's mass.” So for me this is so very interesting, actually amazing to me that what is required in “normal” physics for anything to have angular momentum or magnetism is JUST AN INTRINSIC PROPERTY inside A SUBATOMIC PARTICLE! 😯 So while outside forces and circumstances cause something to be “magnetized” in normal life/physics, it is cool how Jehovah designed these invisible particles with what might be called “self-magnetism”, not needing any outside force to make it magnetized! To illustrate, it is like how a sailboat must have an outside force, a wind, to make it go forward on the ocean. But what if someone could design a sailboat that needed no sails, no wind, but was designed with an INTRINSIC PROPERTY that makes it sail fast on its own! Wow 😯 That’s what Jehovah did with these marvelous particles!

Hello Brother Olayinka, Please consider carefully this illustration: What are some things you consider beautiful? The ocean? Mountains? Art? Who are some people you love? Your mother? Grandparents? A special Friend? The reason I asked you those questions is because if you consider the ocean beautiful and a certain piece of art beautiful, if you spend time talking with a person who hates the ocean or hates art, eventually if you spend enough time with that person, you will begin to view that art piece differently, and view the ocean differently. You will start thinking things like, “I used to think the ocean was so beautiful, but now all I see is a huge body of liquid that I cannot walk on, I cannot play soccer on, and it has way too much salt!” Spending time with people who hate can cause you be infected with an eye disease. Once you are infected with the hate and negative views, this disease causes you to see things that you once saw as having beauty as now ugly! You may love your mother or you may have a special friend who you care deeply about. But if you spend time with someone who hates this special friend you have and keeps telling you all about your friend’s flaws and all the negative things they see about your friend, eventually you will no longer see any beauty in your friend! And that is what APOSTASY is like, apostates HATE this organization, many of them have become vindictive, vengeful, and so do everything in their power to cause others to see ugliness! So they speak half-truths, telling you things that sound true, as they speak about certain true things, but then you aren’t aware of certain lies that are hidden in what they are telling. I speak from experience, not because I started reading apostate comments, but because as an elder I was involved with investigating some situations that involved certain brothers who were becoming apostates. And their thinking, their feelings, and their spiritual and moral “eyesight” had turned so ugly! I remember hearing such ones make some of the worse comments about the Bible! And these ones used to love the Bible! 😯 So please consider this my brother Olayinka, the reasons you may have started wondering why others love Jehovah’s organization and why you don’t see very much beauty in our organization that others see is because sadly, it appears you have already become infected from the apostasy you have been reading. This “infection” is changing your eyes, as you used to see more beauty about Jehovah and His organization, but now you are being told about flaws and imperfections, and so the beauty is starting too fade in your eyes. 👀 So my first suggestion? Please stop reading any websites or comments from anyone who “hates”! Then keep reading posts and comments here from many smart and wonderful brothers and sisters from all over the world who “see” great beauty in Jehovah’s Organization! And when you attend meetings, look for beauty and love that you yourself see in others, and that you see in how the organization handles various matters, and especially see how wonderful and beautiful Jehovah is! 💜 I would also encourage you to speak with 1 of your elders that you feel comfortable with about what you have been reading so that he can provide you with some assistance. When someone is infected with a disease, they need help, they need professional help from doctors. The same spiritually speaking. So what will be the result if you follow these suggestions? You will start to feel healthier spiritually and your “eyes” will begin to see more beauty! 🤩 Ask Jehovah to help you to see more beauty in Him and in His people my brother, we look forward to hearing your progress! 🌟 Here below are some scriptural thoughts that will motive you!

Hi Dan, Please share with us some of your projects, sounds very interesting 👍

In the next few days, could an unbelieving family member or neighbor ask us about Thanksgiving Day and why we don't celebrate it? Yes, this could easily happen. So I thought I would post a few interesting points from our literature about the origins and history of this day in order for us to be, “….always ready to make a defense before everyone who demands of you a reason… but doing so with a mild temper and deep respect.” (1 Peter 3:15) Where might the Thanksgiving Day idea have originated? So there were a number of pagan “harvest festivals” of which the Pilgrims may have got this idea from to create their own tradition. Did everyone agree that this was a good tradition or holiday to start? But doesn’t this Thanksgiving Day have approval from the Bible? Did not the Israelites celebrate harvest festivals? Thanksgiving Day is also a nice remembrance of the peaceful relations between the Pilgrims and Indians in early America right? How did the Puritans/Pilgrims view the native North American Indians? Thankfully Jehovah’s people offer Him thanksgiving everyday with “spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) 😃

Here are couple of points I really liked from this article, “Why does the Bible repeat itself?” I think these points are valuable as a motivator, helping us to use this highly effective teaching method more often in our talks, parts, and on Bible studies. We can ask ourselves, “How often do I teach by using repetition for emphasis as Jehovah and Jesus did? “And if I do use this teaching method, do I repeat the correct ‘key phrases’ that the FDS is emphasizing and do I repeat the correct key phrases of the inspired scriptures?”

From this FEB 2024 magazine, here is a good refresher to help us remember how many and who are now on the Governing Body:

Hi Eric, When you mentioned this, It caused me to think of this illustration: TALENT - Everyone has some kind of talent, but the value of our talent depends on... what it is used for! PLANES - There are many different types of planes, but the value of a plane depends on... what it is used for! For example: 1 small plane was used to fly over damaged rainforests in Brasil and seed bombs were dropped from it that greatly helped with reforestation! 1 big plane, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, was used to fly over an area of Japan and also a bomb was dropped from it, a nuclear bomb. 1 person used her talent in mathematics/statistics to demonstrate that cost-effective changes like better sanitation and improved ventilation could have a profound impact on reducing mortality rates. Her efforts helped transform healthcare practices, ultimately saving countless lives! (Florence Nightingale 1820-1910) 1 person used his talent as a great orator/public speaker to motivate audiences with his speeches. His passionate and captivating delivery helped him gain support for his cause.(Adolph Hitler 1889-1945)

Hi Glenn, We don’t need to wait for the New World for such energy, why? Because for example, I take my Almond Hershey Chocolate bars and put them in the freezer, the result?

Here is something that we all have seen, but we may have not heard the word for it, “Contrails” Contrails are the long, white streaks in the sky that are left behind by an airplane, like this: Contrails (“Condensation” + “Trails”) are created when the hot water vapor emitted by a jet engine after combustion cools and condenses in the Earth's atmosphere. These thin, streaky clouds are a “by-product” of airplanes, but especially at night do these contrails that are left behind in our beautiful skies leave a negative byproduct that contributes to global warming. Everyday, like planes, people in the world travel through the lives of others, such as their family, neighbors, workmates, etc But when a person does not know Jehovah, does not imitate Him in love, in goodness, in kindness, often what they leave behind them is their negative words and actions, their “contrails”. And these can have a damaging effect on those they were just with, including ones that they claim to care about or love. They may go on about their day and feel fine, not realizing what they left behind, not realizing that their negative words/actions are still having an effect long after they left! Such “contrails” left behind cause damage, making people feel sad or hurt for hours or days, or even longer. HOWEVER… what happens when you love Jehovah and you try your best to become more like Him, putting on the “New Personality”? Then instead of being like a plane leaving behind contrails that leave a negative impact behind it, you become more like this type of plane! Aircraft Seed-Bombers When a plane “bombs” or drops seed pods into a deforested or degraded area, the result is so super positive, helping with reforestation and ecosystem restoration! This is exactly what a genuine lover of Jehovah does, he or she drops “seed bombs” as they pass through the lives of their family, neighbors and brothers/sisters. Such “seed bombs” are words and actions of goodness, kindness, and love! When you leave the Kingdom Hall where you dropped such seed bombs with your encouraging comments or your part on the meeting, or when you dropped seed bombs of love/ kindness on your family members, do you realize those seed bombs you left in your trail started a blossoming? For example, there are brothers/sisters we know that sadly have suffered at the hands of others and as result have what might be called a self-esteem “deforestation”. Or some brothers/sisters we know have a heart that to them feels like a “Wounded Woods”, which is a forest that has been harmed, ecologically damaged. In a world where so many people leave behind them “contrails” of hurt and damage, how proud our Father Jehovah must feel when He sees you dropping “seed bombs” of goodness, kindness, and love everywhere you go! So even if you never see the after-effects of your seed bombs, Jehovah sees the “blossoming” that began after you have left.💕

Sports is fun “reality TV”. I enjoy soccer, NFL, NBA, tennis. And playing sports is even better, over the years we have had some fun games with various brothers from different congregations. We have some outstanding athletes, 1 brother was even a Pro Golfer and an elder 👍

We know over the years the FDS has done their best to emphasize the importance of reporting for the encouragement of the worldwide brotherhood, as well as other beneficial reasons. So this “new change” does not mean reporting over all these past years was a bad idea. No, we needed the reporting for many, many reasons! I am sure there will be a WT article soon to help us better understand this change. But 1 possible reason I can think of may have to do with “simplifying” as we are heading into the Tribulation. All the ministry numbers were very important to monitor the worldwide progress and to analyze where needs were during these last days, but in fulfillment of MT 24:14 and as the GT approaches, then all of the different numbers involved with the reporting are no longer as vital as before. So let us appreciate the FDS and all the local elders who did a great job over many decades helping us all to see the importance and the benefits of our monthly reports. And consider how Jehovah must have appreciated each publisher over these many decades who were in agreement with His sons about the importance and value of reporting and did their best to provide as accurate a report as possible each month, whether that report had 90hrs, or 60hrs or 15 minutes, all reports were appreciated in Jehovah’s eyes. 🌟