LettJW

They will wonder why 10 Witnesses went in, but 20 came out.

British Channel 4 News has been running videos on YouTube of an Irish blogger trapped in Wuhan. In the videos, the man calmly describes the situation on the ground. You can even see him walking on the streets and doing shopping in Wuhan. Watching him leaves you with the impression that the apocalyptic portrayal of things in some media reports is not accurate. 
 
I have also watched the hysterical Chinese man's video posted earlier in this thread where he vents his anger at the local authorities for failing to deal with the epidemic. After watching him, you get the feeling that the situation in Wuhan is very messy and dire. 
 
 
 

FYI masks are only meant to prevent spreading or aerosolizing the virus. Once it's in the air, they won't help much.

Best thing you can do aside from following proper sanitation is to strengthen your immune system. You can do this by not eating chronically inflammatory refined foods, get plenty of sunlight, sleep well, exercise regularly, and have a reasonably but not obsessively clean living environment. Then your body will be better equipped to fight infections and biofilms on its own. For everything else: https://selfhacked.com/blog/44-science-backed-ways-to-inhibit-biofilms-naturally-with-references/
 

I pray that you are able to develop a less critical attitude toward the brothers that Jehovah has allowed to be responsible for the congregation. Your survival may depend on your quick and unquestioning response to their direction during an emergency.

For those who are still free from persecution, we need to remember that what we fear is often much worse and more disabling than what is or will be. (1 John 4:18) "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts fear out, because fear restrains us. Indeed, the one who is fearful has not been made perfect in love."

Jehovah will give his spirit to all such faithful brothers and sisters so that they may endure with integrity, peace and joy.
(Romans 8:35-37) Who will separate us from the love of the Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 Just as it is written: “For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we have been accounted as sheep for slaughtering.” 37 On the contrary, in all these things we are coming off completely victorious through the one who loved us.
(Romans 5:3-5) Not only that, but let us rejoice while in tribulations, since we know that tribulation produces endurance; 4 endurance, in turn, an approved condition; the approved condition, in turn, hope, 5 and the hope does not lead to disappointment; because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit, which was given to us.
(1 Peter 4:12-14) Beloved ones, do not be surprised about the fiery trials that you are experiencing, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 On the contrary, go on rejoicing over the extent to which you are sharers in the sufferings of the Christ, so that you may rejoice and be overjoyed also during the revelation of his glory. 14 If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy, because the spirit of glory, yes, the spirit of God, is resting upon you.

When we talk with someone who believes strongly in evolution, we might feel sometimes overwhelmed at what to say or we may wonder, "What possible example can I share with such a person that is simple yet powerful to prove creation/design?" Well here is 1 possible example. The next time we talk with someone who wants to discuss evolution, we can simply ask them to compare evolution vs. the incredible "reproduction" of life. Here is a simple but powerful reasoning that came from an article on an "Intelligent Design" website.
 
https://evolutionnews.org/2018/11/why-evolution-and-reproduction-are-unnatural/
 
 

Seriously what’s going on! It seems all these ‘natural disasters’ are happening, not one AFTER another, but one ON TOP of another lately! You hardly have time to process one tragedy when another one happens! So very sad indeed..... we need the kingdom now 😔

The numbers are shocking but the report was very encouraging.   I know Jehovah will support the brothers and sisters especially those traumatized by rape or attacks and that have lost loved ones.  

 
 
 
ISAIAH 41:13 "
 
For I, Jehovah your God, am grasping your right hand,
The One saying to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I will help you"

https://www.jw.org/download/?pub=jwb&issue=201811&langwritten=e
 
The link isn't on JWB yet but it should be there soon..

Didn't see this posted, thought I'd share. Hope I put it in the right place.
 
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna925981
 
The attorney general was speaking at a conference on the future of religious liberty when two ministers challenged his fealty to the Bible.

It's funny how people manipulate the information. Hundreds of religious leaders are attending a convention. Suddenly one of them interrupts the speaker and begins shouting some Bible verses he thinks the speaker is not applying. He's escorted outside. Then a second leader does the same thing and is made to leave too.
 
Of course, they were kicked out because they were defending the Bible. No, guys, you were not thrown out for speaking the Bible, but for interrupting a speaker with shouts. That's very bad manners. The same would have happened if you had shouted anything else. And the same would happen in any other convention of any kind.
 
It's like that apostate idiot who disrupted one of our conventions last year going up to the platform and shouting nonsense on the mic. When he was escorted outside by the police he complained he hadn't been allowed freedom of speech. No, moron, it's you who are not respecting those thousands of people who don't want to hear your rubbish. You have freedom of speech to organize your own convention and say whatever idiocies you wish there, but not to disrupt someone else speaking.

Feel the Love, our brotherly love
 

I saw video on CNN today of Hondurans traveling and trying to make it to US.. some had walked for ten days? My six year old couldn’t walk for an hour without complaining... some of the kids only had diapers on. They were thirsty and hungry ... the news is trying to shine a light on these people’s plight to get here but I don’t think our current government wants to help.. made me sad to see so many suffering. They were walking such long distances they were losing one another... I can’t even imagine doing this with my child. They explained most didn’t WANT to leave their home but crime and poverty were so bad they would rather take their  chance out there .., I really hope these are last days.. I get so discouraged seeing people suffer. I wish I could help them all.

Our situation is not as bad as most of our friends. The generator is a pain for me because of the noise it makes and the finding gas for it. However I am counting my blessings because I can sleep in my own bed. We were able to have a shortened meeting in our own KH and Grumpy is cooking good meals for me. What more can I ask for? Even the weather has cooled down so we don't have to deal with terrible heat. I only wish I could do more to help my dear friends. 
Oh yes, and thank you John.😘

I have a lot of knives. I keep them cleverly concealed in the kitchen...

Currently writing this from a hotel room safe from my city. The storm is now a Category 4 and I'm honestly so happy that our congregation recommended and made arrangements for us to evacuate. I have no news regarding the state of my home but the devastation being shown on the news is insane. The roofs of building are nearly under water and parked cars are being carried away.
 
Many of the homes are destroyed but I honestly feel incredibly blessed right now, more so than I've ever felt. Just having the privilege of knowing Jehovah puts things in such a calm and comforting perspective. Nothing we own is worth more than our lives. Living a simplified life means everything we have is replaceable. As long as we put Jehovah first, he will always provide. His love and holy spirit is drowning, overwhelming! Thank you Jehovah! I am so grateful to even speak His name!!
 
 

Man, ure they serious??
 
I've rarely herd such nonsense.
 
Why are they having such a cow over this?
 
I think the steaks are a bit high if they are wrong about this prophecy, don't you think?
 
But if they want to milk this thing, they probably should be grabbing it by the horns.
 
Yet, Jehovah will have some beef with these udder fools.
 
He doesn't like people being misled bison false prophets.
 
But I guess in the end, everything will bo vine.
 
Can't think of any more.

A dear Pioneer sister in our local cong jut got her (lives with) niece graduated with self designed curriculum. She has two more teenagers at home and is buying a curriculum this year for both (Distance learning vs Home schooling). Congrats to all who are now in a new school year and a new service year.  

I've been looking for a place to bring this up. This is as good a place as any. (Some spoilers)
 
There's been an undeniable change in the message from the GB over the past year. Not just the repeated warnings of 'so close', but a change in policy.
 
See, we've always been told about the New World, but dwell less so on the details of the GT, save for the broad points.
 
This year's Regional, has a whole session dedicated not only to Tribulation, but the thousand years after it. Think about that for a second. We're getting prepped for life AFTER A-Day. That's a first. That's never happened before.
 
At the same time, the Preaching Work has shifted. Things can't 'take time' anymore. After decades of warning us not to judge by appearances and not to let anything prejudice us in the witnessing work; we're now told to make a decision after one or two conversations. if there's no interest, move along. They're not trying to increase numbers; and the idea of 'planting a seed and letting it grow' is now matched with a straight up 'search and rescue' triage scenario.
 
I wonder if the reason is because the brothers are preparing us to say goodbye. My mom has a few calls that have shown no interest beyond having someone to chat to at their door once a month, but she keeps taking them mags, month after month. Pretty soon she won't be able to anymore, since they'll be rotating the same magazines over and over.
 
And EK Jonathan did a good job of explaining why in this book, with a sister who left the safety of the group, not out of stubbornness, or greed, or anything bad at all. Compassion can be used to lead us into a trap too. This? This period we're in right now is giving us a chance to get right about the people we know, once and for all.
 
Yes, this book is heavy. It has to be, given the subject matter; but bear in mind that the author has already given us two books about Paradise. 'And Then the end will come.'. We've been hanging onto the 'and then' for a long time, but now's the time we've got to start getting our heads around the immediate next step. Because it's going to be worse than anything that's come before.

Here in our congregation this year all the children are now home schooled. This was not the case last year. I get to work on the ministry with different Moms so I asked them what made them decide to do this this year.
 
1 family. The country has a policy that church-based schools still take in a quota of other denominations and not discriminate and be accommodating. In a Catholic town in our congregation's territory  known as little Ireland, the church school is the only choice for a family of Witnesses. They were told that their child could be accommodated. He was doing brilliantly in his first year there - such a good reader that he got awards and his picture in the local newspaper for this. Yet teachers were later changing tack and trying to force things on him he didn't want to do - sing Happy birthday for others in class and have it sung to him; Draw holiday-based, or Catholic Saint based artwork and other things his parents had discussed beforehand with the school. He was also getting bullied because of his 'differences', Teachers no longer respected his faith and felt he should 'fit in more' and what he joins in with should not be an issue. So they've lost a star pupil. He joins his already home schooling older sister who has autism and was struggling with noisy High School and a whole other set of issues and was pulled out.
 
2nd family - This family just moved to the town nearest us and joined that congregation. The brother became poorly disabled and his wife is now his carer and they have 3 teenagers and a young daughter aged 10.  The youngest was what stood out to me. The mother brought her to school on her first day (school had actually started it's year the week before) and then stood at the gates waiting for her at the end of the school day along with a crowd of other mothers with little children. Teachers came out and issued them all with letters asking the parents not to shout, swear or fight outside the school gates as it upsets the pupils and sets a bad example. The following day, sure enough, the mothers polarised into 2 camps or gangs behind 2 women who were screaming and shouting foul-mouthed abuse at each other. One had been sleeping with the other's husband or boyfriend. It then escalated into a fight and then others laid in and it became a bit of a free-for -all brawl and the Police arrived to pull women off each other.
 
Our sister was appalled and her daughter was in tears trying to find her mother in the mayhem outside the gates. transpired that this was a regular event in the area and mothers were meant to take sides in the 'war' and so were the kids in the class as well. So Amelia is home schooled now - even when they moved from there to our area.
 
2 other families already home-school, so the mothers are pooling their resources and sharing the teaching depending on what they are each better at teaching and they have mornings on group ministry and afternoons together doing schooling in the week, which means we see children on ministry in the mornings. This has raised questions on Ministry as to why they are not at school, but no one can accuse them of not socialising the children and they are all happy to be out on Ministry together and schooling together.

Hi there. New System Schools is what is called an "umbrella school" for JW families wanting to homeschool. We have been using them as ours this homeschool year. You can go to their website to print, sign and send a request to obtain a info packet from them, along with a $15 money order. The packet is necessary and super helpful. The family fee for the year is $165 and your are also required to obtain a HSLDA membership ($110/year). You can always call and ask them questions. The website doesn't look like much but it is legit. Been around for quite awhile now. Hope this helps.

I like your comment  
I'm in the middle of simplifying right now. It's hard work xD 🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
We've gotten rid of hundreds of items of clothing, instruments, electronic systems/computers, over 75% of our theocratic library (now fits on one shelf) and even one of our cars. It's a fun (read: scary) ride, but we keep seeing Jehovah help us which gives us the courage to keep it going. 

I know this is an old topic but I found it when I was searching the board for the word “frugal” (because we are trying to cut back and save money!). I would encourage people to look at the results of this whole survey before they throw it under the bus! 🤓 Results also showed that Witnesses, more than ANY other religion surveyed, read the Bible, prayed, and meditated every day
and participated in gatherings for worship every week. No surprise there! Even better, more than any other religion surveyed, we also were *the most likely to report “a deep sense of spiritual peace and wellbeing” at least once a week.* Isn’t that cool? 😎
 
So I was actually super excited about the results of this survey. They show that we are also more ethnically and culturally diverse than most religions (again, no surprise), so consider that results about income will reflect the fact that religions in general in the US are separated by class and culture.  Several of the religious groups surveyed are made up of segments of society that historically have more economic mobility and privilege or whose members tend to put a very high value on secular work and education to build financial wealth.
 
Finally, like others have said, even though there are plenty of our brothers and sisters who earn high incomes, **on average** it seems accurate that our income across the board is lowest because of our **values** — storing away treasures in heaven instead of the other kind. We intentionally build simpler lives so that we can spend time doing what is essentially volunteer work in service to
Jehovah. And as others have pointed out, we also enjoy a RICH spiritual life and a very decent and healthy quality of everyday life. We are taught to help each other and that Jehovah provides just enough to satisfy our needs. Psalm 37:25, “I have not seen anyone righteous abandoned,+ Nor his children looking for bread.” 
 

From my vantage point, this means something, it's not just
a capricious move by the government....they're trying to get
a message to their constituency....who are religiously inclined
that they will have their backs!

They speak of churches in Minnesota, but give info on the decline of other churches nationally. Don't know how reputable the site is, just sharing.
 
Quotes from article, "When La Salle Lutheran locks its doors in August, it will become the latest casualty among fragile Minnesota churches either closing, merging or praying for a miracle."
 
"Church attendance has been declining for decades nationally, but the pace appears to be accelerating."
 
http://m.startribune.com/index.php/as-minnesota-churches-close-a-way-of-life-fades/486037461/