NW2020

Essence:
What is your favorite flavor? Vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, butterscotch?  I grew up calling flavors extracts. In some cookbooks, they substitute the word extract for essence. Last year the year text said - The very essence of your word is truth,
The deep flavor or essence of God's word is truth and you can no doubt taste it when you read it.
 
...at the next meeting the year text was changed. Welcome to 2024
 

8 years ago today😊

I received all the names of those in the picture of the Enjoy Life book and wanted to share it. 

Started reading the "Greatest Man Who Ever Lived"-book again.
I really like this book. And hope to finish it around the memorial. 

Something totally precious happened at the meeting last night. It was during the wrap-up of the congregation book study. I was sitting there, big smile on my face, totally agreeing with the answer, being said. (We had only 16 there at the meeting). 
The conductor, (whom I have a picture of him asleep in my arms at an assembly, long ago) called on me, and my hand wasn’t up.
I admitted I didn’t know the question, (laughter) and, yes, I managed an answer.  It was on how we can prepare for what’s coming up. 
Times to wrap my heart around!♥️❤️💜

Our convention started yesterday, I made it with Jehovah's help but endiuncomng up having to leave in the afternoon because I had to sit in the lunchroom. The chairs make my body hurt badly, and I couldn't stand without difficulty either and breathing issues.
 
I ask. Is it Jehovah's will for me to be there and be in agony as he does sustain us but not take the literal pain and uncomfortablity away?
 
Anyway I am feeling guilty nonetheless and sad.

In September I just had a 13 hours surgeries with 3 surgery a one time.Jehovah  was right there for me.I stayed in hospital for 1 and half months thanks to Jehovah I am doing much better,back home,back to letter writing and most of all still pioneering. Jehovah is awesome.The Best Life Ever

Thoughts that can help in the fight against bad habits and addiction.

1. A parasite lives in your head. It feeds on the pieces of your brain to which you send the fulfillment of your addiction. To get rid of the parasite, there is only one way: starve it to death. If you want him to die, just stop giving him food. With hunger the parasite will rebel and get on your nerves. But you remember that it takes time for it to die, be patient and relax. Just don't feed it.

2. Pray to Jehovah regularly. You don't need to make every prayer long or in a pattern. The main thing is to remember Jehovah, that he protects you. And give thanks to him. This will develop in you a prayerful mindset and you will feel how much your friendship with Jehovah will grow. You can think of it as a pill for the parasite in your head.

3. Analyze your whole day. At what moments might you see things related to your addiction? For example, your co-workers or acquaintances may be smoking, drinking. Pornography pops up at work. Watching movies or playing games where these things are considered something normal. Remember, these are not little things! If you want Jehovah to bless you, you need to be careful, like Gideon's warriors, gulping water with their hand.

4. Remember the reward - eternal life. Indulging in addiction is like trading Jehovah's priceless gift for something empty. Like Esau did, trading the blessings from Jehovah for a bowl of chowder, for the satisfaction of hunger. The eternal for the minute. Make the right investments-not short-term ones that bring only illusions, but eternal ones that bring real joy and satisfaction.

5. Whose side do you want to be on? Bad habits are the work of Satan. It is his mockery of the image and likeness of Jehovah. The Creator has put qualities in us such as love, kindness, and wisdom. And gave us free will! But by going along with addiction, man goes against those qualities, abuses free will, and along with Satan and his supporters, laughs at Jehovah's gift. Choose who you want to be for.

My former student is doing is first Public talk next Sunday (only half, but still !)
 

What are you Grateful for? 🙂

Missing your posts my dear friend.
Hope you're doing well. 

Submitted my application for regular pioneering starting in Sep. 1st. Very happy and looking to Jehovah to guide me.<3 Hope everyone is having a good day. 

May we live each day as if…
 
 
it were our last chance to maintain our integrity!
Then, even if we should face death, we would be able to say,
“Jehovah, I have done my best to keep my integrity, to prove Satan a liar, and to vindicate your name and your sovereignty!”
We are confident that our life is safe in Jehovah’s hands!  (w21 April - Learning From Jesus’ Final Words)

Brother Neil, 
 
I hope you realize what a true TREASURE you are to us. 💜👍
 
   

Had my first shepherding call on zoom today 😳🖥️. It was really encouraging, the eldest know exactly how to deal with my current situation 😊🙏

Stay awake. Keep your garments. Perform holy acts of conduct. Things we do, things we don't do. Don't let the demons tamper with your Christian identity. 
https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODPgmEvtMorningWorship/pub-jwb_201802_12_VIDEO

So to catch everyone up, David and I were married on 29th March. It was, basically us two, David's parents and two friends at the registry office. Then we had a Zoom talk and get together. It was incredibly nice. I might post some pics soon. Thank you all who showed concern and kept us in your prayers. 

Read/heard 2 things today that inspired me.
Special Talk point; "See the value of the truth not the cost". 
Then the experience in the 4/1/04 WT; "Compared with the blessings, the sacrifices are small."

Changed my profile photo. It says "Me looking outside to see what chapter of Revelation we're doing today."

Well, I’m still on a spiritual high. Our talk this morning was from Granada! A brother who spent a lot of time in Mozambic, as a missionary. Yes, he drew friends from Brazil, and others, I know not where they were from. 
The talk was on enduring persecution. He said the one scripture we want to take away from his talk was 2 Tim. 3:11. 
It was the best of mornings. We are a small congregation, rural, and over and over we get such a blessing from Jehovah! 
One of those mornings that put a smile on your face. For some time!

Sometimes I just audit (turn off video) for the meeting b/c my allergies are so bad, my eyes blow up. Tomorrow's WTWR is painful for me. I have left meetings in tears on this subject in the past. Y(Cheese stands alone)S 

Sisters and Brothers thanks for all the support in my threads I made, and for all the PMs I got of people reaching out and saying hello. Even though its likely I never see any of you in real life, I appreciate their being a legit JW website. And to be able to come here and read the discussions being had.

Thank you so much to everyone who has been praying for me. It has been a particularly rough patch, but finally through it and I just know that others must have been praying for me!  

I'm going to start journaling all the positive things about myself, my life and things in the future I can look forward to.

I think making this a practice will contribute to a healthy and positive mindset, and perhaps will shift my brain patterns into actively "looking for the good" and not the bad or "negative what ifs". Helping to combat anxiety and obsessions in general.

Turned the other way from an obvious snare, increased my spiritual activity, and got an immediate backlash in various trials and tribulations. They're small ones, but still annoying none the less. Gotta love this system.