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My depression after my husband's death 2 years ago finally cracked! For the last 2 months I have had new life breathed into me! I can speak of his death and not break down. I feel an excitement for life I have not felt in years! I know it is from seeking Jehovah's help and focusing on the things to come. For some reason the Nazi stories and our hx of underground was always the most thrilling to me. Now I hope to get that chance to hold up the way our family did!

Been a while since I’ve been on here, but I think the slave’s announcement was one of the biggest changes in understanding made in a very long time. It’s also notable that they mentioned that it’s pointless to look for a gradual change. All this will come suddenly. It’s not so much the pace of world events that really convince me the end is close, it’s how much more light Jehovah is revealing; at a faster pace, and more serious and urgent than before. He is saying: “This is how it’s going down; make sure you are ready, and staying alert; it’s almost here!”

It is truly tragic.. 😢 https://igberetvnews.com/1487795/trailer-collision-claims-15-jehovahs-witnesses-imo-state/#forward

Being "on guard" doesn't mean looking at every news article and jumping every time we hear someone says "peace and security". It means making sure you are watching YOU and that YOU are not drifting, getting materialistic or sleepy spiritually. It's just like what Jesus told his disciples... "Keep on the watch and pray continually, so that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit, of course, is eager, but the flesh is weak.” Matt 26:41 Note: he wasn't telling them, "Keep on the watch so you can see when the enemy approaches." He was saying "keep on the watch so you don't enter into temptation." He was asking them to keep on the watch of THEMSELVES not necessarily outwardly - as in looking for an enemy or an event. Take a look at the context of every time we're told to "keep on guard" or "not sleep" or "stay on the watch" and you'll note the reference to looking inward not necessarily outward at some news event. Edit: here's another example alt Luke 21: 34 “But pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you 35 as a snare." What are we to "pay attention" to? The news? The world? Things going on around us? Or ourselves? One more ... What happened to Peter while he was walking on water and he started focusing outwardly on the storm instead of his walking towards Jesus?

You will all not believe what has happened this afternoon. So we have been praying for sure. We cannot put many feelers out here because again long story but the marriage breakdown and us leaving will hurt the Cong so we have to wait till things are resolved before we can tell anyone in our cong we need to leave.... Anyway. We have been praying and doing our due diligence. We rang one of the congs that we could go to if we bought the land to find out how many in the Cong, the demographic, how many elders, pioneers etc. This brother was a bit ho hum and a little discouraging to be honest. But it turns out he contacted a few in his Cong and told them what we were looking for. A sister rang us this afternoon, she has land that she would love if we put our little expandable home on. She doesn't live on it and we need to be off grid. (We almost are anyway, and can fully be). It's 5 min from the kingdom hall. She wants someone to do some work on her property. (Vegi garden, look after the chickens etc) And in return let us live rent free. Her and her daughter want to start regular pioneering but there isn't much support so have been holding off, and have been praying for some new company to pioneer with. This seems to be an answer to all our prayers. We have not given an answer yet, we will continue to pray and sleep on it. But I thought wow, this isn't even an option I had considered. Thanks guys Sent from my moto g75 5G using Tapatalk

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 think you might want to shift your goalpost. Instead of trying to convince someone that Kirk wasn't a bigot, try to offer them a solution to the problem they actually stated. If they don't like when someone talks cr*p about lgtq, tell them that you are grateful that God's Kingdom will put an end to all forms of hatred or that Witnesses are taught to treat everyone with respect even when we disagree with their lifestyles. Turn the conversation away from a worldy controversy and towards the solution. In other words, be a proclaimer of the Kingdom instead of a defender of Charlie Kirk. Another way you could have responded to their second comment: "That's too bad that people felt attacked by him. As a Witness, we take the Bible's standards on homosexual relationships seriously, but we always show people respect, regardless of how they choose to live." Now you can pivot to promoting God's standards instead of defending a random political figure, which has no solution at the end of it. Isn't that a better conversation than convincing someone they were "wrong" about Charlie Kirk? Correcting someone's beliefs about Charlie Kirk does not lead to everlasting life.

You know what is interesting? Satan does not know when the end will come. Therefore, with each passing year he gets a little more paranoid or desperate. This is another reason why Jehovah did not reveal when the end will be. No hints or clues to the exact date. No possibility of calculation (we can guess. Our guess might be correct, but a guess us not knowing.) Satan has no right to know when the end will be. I never thought about it like that before you made this comment. Very nice. Thank you.

This topic has stirred a lot of emotion … this section is a public section .. we are not the echo chamber for whatever “news” agency. So I will be closing this topic for awhile.

All, I have to make it short. About a week ago I went to the hospital of sickness, I was there for 8 days. I almost died. If I went to the hospital 1 or 2 days later, I would have died. I’m out now. I love you all.

You know what we need is a magazine that clearly discusses an end to war & violence .... And then we should have a global campaign to distribute it .....

https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/watchtower-study-november-2025/questions-from-readers/

Hey, i am just showing up to apologize for storming off like a child the other day. I was given advice/council from more advanced brothers and sisters and instead of taking the advice i kinda attacked back defensively. Just wanted to say i'm working on myself and working on different ways to approach things, i remember one member say to use what is happening as a way to shoecase God's promises and what he will do for the future (they commented on the screenshot i posted). Providing hope in bad situations is what i need to be doing instead of pointing out the obvious and having it twisted... If that makes sense. Anyways i love yall... (Side note, didnt know where to toss this at. I probably didnt need to apologize but i felt it was warranted)

The comments on above news post are a mixture of outrage and twisted feelings. @MyLuMoo 🍁:Trump said he needed the Russia/Ukraine conflict to end in order for him to get into heaven. Putin clearly just told him to go to he// 🤣

That's exactly the point. We need to be on guard because the end will come suddenly. You put on the seat belt and practice safety like sitting down before you start driving. Why? Because a traffic accident can happen suddenly. You don't watch for the potential accident to develop before you put on the seat belt. You prepare now. Keeping on the watch has never meant staying abreast of the latest news developments and wondering how they might lead to the fulfillment of prophecy. Keeping on the watch has always meant staying spiritually awake, drawing close to Jehovah and the congregation, and fully accomplish our ministry.

Some friends visiting from the US did a tour of the Branch last week. It was announced to the group that they are now filming Episode 8. They did also get a private tour of the studio to see some sets. However, they did not elaborate on what scenes the sets were going to be used for. It is all so exciting to see this project power on... Coincidentally, that week, Sydney had the heaviest rainfall since 1879. Having the studio with the monster 'Green screen' side-steps production delays brought on by extremes of weather.

Exactly. This illustrates that neutrality is difficult when someone's political opinions seemingly align with our own moral standards. We might not realize that our comments easily can be seen as taking a side and, thus, bring reproach. We advocate Jehovah's moral standards but we are neutral when it comes to the politics of this world. For example: We believe homosexuality is immoral, but we have no opinion on the legality of gay marriage, displaying the LGBT flag, parades, etc... We believe abortion is immoral, but we do not have an opinion on the legality of abortion, nor do we advocate abortion protests. When conservative political commentator Rush Limbaugh passed away, the circuit overseer overheard a group of Witnesses lamenting the passing. They were mourning, so to speak, the way any of us do when a celebrity we appreciate dies. The CO was a bit appalled by the apparent breach of neutrality. These Witnesses were speaking about Limbaugh as if they respected and appreciated his political opinions. Perhaps these friends had a problem with neutrality they didn't realize because, in their opinion, all Rush Limbaugh did was speak the truth, speak common sense, and speak in favor of certain moral values we share. (Ecclesiastes 3:7) 7 A time to be silent and a time to speak https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&pub=nwtsty&srctype=wol&bible=21003007&srcid=share We speak up when asked about the Bible's position on moral standards. We keep silent when conversations turn to what people should or should not do in the name of legality. Even when it comes to whether Charlie Kirk's words were hurtful or not, we can unknowingly cross a line. This Witness feels his words were hurtful. That Witnesses feels he only spoke the truth. A third Witness thinks the people who were hurt by mere words should get a thicker skin. A fourth Witness sees his 3 fellow brothers and sisters are now divided by someone's political commentary. The question is why do Witnesses who know about Charlie Kirk know about him? Were they, perhaps, viewing political commentary? Is that the beginning of the path of damaging our neutrality? Would we be mourning, again for lack of a better word, if a loud and proud LGBT advocate was assassinated in the same public manner as Charlie Kirk? If a death horrible no matter what, then our expressions should be the same regardless of the victim's political, social, or moral position.

We need God's kingdom and the elimination of all the amendments including the second - as none of them will be necessary.

Just a question to start our Sunday morning🤔 What is a funnel used for? A funnel takes something wide and free flowing, (like a liquid), and forces it into a narrow inescapable channel. Daniel 12:1 "“During that time Miʹcha·el will stand up, the great prince who is standing in behalf of your people. And there will occur a time of distress such as has not occurred since there came to be a nation until that time. And during that time your people will escape, everyone who is found written down in the book." What a deep verse...so much to unpack...so many aspects of this verse that we already know so well. But please join me in taking a closer look at a single phrase in this verse: "a time of distress". In Hebrew, this word is tsarah...a word that pictures being hemmed in, pressed tight. The Greek Scriptures use a similar word, thlipsis, meaning crushing pressure! Are you feeling the squeeze yet? Consider this: To the world, the cry of “Peace and security!” will feel like the mouth of the funnel...wide, open, and reassuring. They will actually believe they have more "breathing space" than ever. How? Why? We don't know for sure...but it doesn't really matter...all that matters is that they will be 100% convinced that it's real. But...what about us? For those who know Jehovah’s prophecies, it will mark the moment in human history when events begin to narrow rapidly toward the Great Tribulation. People will panic...throats will tighten...the space to maneuver will shrink. Pressure will mount...multiply...and then...then the hammer will DROP!! But again...what about US?? The simple truth is, my friends...a funnels sole purpose isn't just to squeeze…it's also to direct...to move something towards something. Jehovah is allowing everything to tighten...to spiral further and further down into a death grip around Satan and his entire system...while at the same time guiding US through to the other side. The "other side"...the side where time and space themselves throw open their arms and embrace all of us...forever. So as we attend our meetings today, please remember to ask yourself: Can I feel the squeeze? If you can, that's a good sign because it means we are close...very very close!! Cling to Jehovah...an he will see us through to the other side!

Enjoy the new service year, may it be the last in this bad world, so let's do our utmost !

No problem, I'll explain myself better. You said "Keeping on the watch has never meant staying abreast of the latest news developments and wondering how they might lead to the fulfillment of prophesy". Br. Winder said "World events might put a spotlight on a particular prophesy that then gets closer attention". It seems pretty clear that the helpers, and by extension the rest of us, are paying attention to the news and events as they may align with prophesy yet to be fulfilled. As Winder said, world events relating to a particular prophesy receive closer attention. Notice what the brother on the cover of Keep on the Watch! brochure is doing? Reading the newspaper! Chapter 20 says "Jesus Christ gave advance warning of the end of the Jewish system of things. He did not give a date. But he described events that would lead up to that destruction". Unlike the world, We keep abreast of the news with spiritual discernment and knowing how the story ends. That's the difference.

Yes, over 400 pages of discussion of "is this it?" Or "might this be it?" And the answer has always been the same "NO" and how do we know it's "no" so far? Because Babylon the Great is still standing. Globally, she has not been attacked. This tells us what? We will know "this is it!" ONLY when we see BtG attacked globally. So, keep on guard OF YOURSELF, stay awake and pay attention TO YOURSELF that you don't get distracted by this one world. And of course help your family. Jehovah has got the rest. But hey, talking about the news is always fun, right? PS have you noticed that public talks have changed? In the past, we spent the first 15 minutes discussing the news and how bad everything is (and even depressing some people) and then we spent the next half hour saying how the kingdom will fix it. Now, we spend LESS than 5 minutes on "the news" and the remaining time on how the Kingdom is the solution. Hmm, there's a lesson there I think.

So horrific. What is also appalling is seeing some people comment and video themselves celebrating that he’s been murdered! It reminds me of how Jehovah views people who celebrate over evil things that happen to others, they will be held to account for their vile inhumane behaviour and attitudes. (Obadiah 13, 15) The Bible always got it spot on, some people have “no natural affection” and proverbially pat the killer on the back. (2 Tim. 3:3) I’ll be keeping his family in my prayers tonight.

I have been wanting to post this since last Tuesday night, but I wanted to make sure the sisters were okay with me using their example. They just texted me back this morning and said it was okay but that, "really, it was nothing". But it wasn't nothing...not to me. I arrived at the Kingdom Hall nearly as the song was starting on Tuesday evening, it had been a long day...I was worn out, feeling beat down and tired. I parked my butt in an open row at the back of the hall, (I usually sit up front, but that row was taken and I am trying to vary where I sit now after some really sage advice from a brother). To my right, sitting opposite me at the end of the row, sat an elderly sister. Her long grey hair was swept up in a messy bun, and after the prayer...she sat down and began twisting and turning her silver bible in her hands. I could tell something was wrong, but I didn't know what. She was looking straight ahead, and then all of a sudden...from behind us...a sister in her late 50's approached from behind this sister and put her hands on her shoulders, holding them there for a moment before giving this elderly sister a hug from behind. The elderly sister reached up, patted her hands and arms...and then immediately broke down in tears. I was stunned...I had no idea what was wrong, but man...my heart just broke on the spot. I was too far away to do anything, and I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable so I acted like I was paying attention to the meeting...but inside I wasn't...I couldn't. Let me tell you something right now...you sisters must have a secret bat signal or something...because within seconds several sisters got up and surrounded her...one on either side...the one behind her...and another one two seats away...handing out tissues to everyone involved. I don't know what the situation was...I didn't ask...and that isn't the point. The point is...I witnessed a living breathing example of the following scripture...and just like I shared it with them...I am sharing it with all of you this morning: Acts 14:22 "There they strengthened the disciples, encouraging them to remain in the faith and saying: “We must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations." In Greek, the word for strengthening is "epistērizō"...and it can mean to "to prop something up so it won’t collapse under weight." Those sisters were the brace...that elderly sister was strengthened, she finished the meeting and made a couple of very encouraging comments that I don't think she would have made if it hadn't been for those dear sisters. But what if you don't feel up to being a brace for someone else? What if you're tired...you're worn out? What if you need to be "braced"? The simple truth is...we are all holding each other up...and we all have the power to be a brace...but only because Jehovah is bracing each and every single one of us!

Yeah, @Ostria, this might be one of those times where it's better to keep silent than to speak (Ecc 3:7; Mt 10:16). From jw.org: Jehovah’s Witnesses remain politically neutral for religious reasons, based on what the Bible teaches. We do not lobby, vote for political parties or candidates, run for government office, or participate in any action to change governments. We believe that the Bible gives solid reasons for following this course. We follow the example of Jesus, who refused to accept political office. (John 6:15) He taught his disciples to be “no part of the world” and made it clear that they should not take sides in political issues.—John 17:14, 16; 18:36; Mark 12:13-17. https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/political-neutrality/ To lobby for someone or something means we are promoting, agreeing with, supporting, or defending that person or thing. As followers of Christ, we don't even want to give the appearance we are supporting a political stand. Defending a certain political commentator, even if we are correct and we know the other person's point of view is bogus, comes across as taking a side on the political issue. We are, in effect, defending the man's political stand and, thus, appear to agree with said stand. There is no harm in your Baptist friend thinking Charlie Kirk is a racist bigot. It's not our place to defend him, even if we are convinced he is the opposite of a bigot. Our defense of a political commentator could detract from our Kingdom message. (1 Corinthians 10:23) 23 All things are lawful, but not all things are advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things build up. https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&pub=nwtsty&srctype=wol&bible=46010023&srcid=share Just because we can does not mean we should. Does our defending political commentary promote peace and unity? Does it attract our audience to the Kingdom message? Does it look like we are getting down and playing in the same mud the political supporters sling?

I have a feeling this is going to blow up to be a MUCH bigger deal than we can possibly imagine at this point. The air has changed. Stay off social media for a bit.....it will destroy your neutrality. The amount of "call to arms" over this incident is overwhelming & scary. 👀 But how timely our campaign! Wow!! While talks of civil war are erupting again, we have the REAL answer!!

JWB-Sept-2025 transcript

Will one of the episodes show de multiplication of the hamburgers, I mean, bread and fish? 😉 Peter looks hungry xD

Don't worry too much about it. I lived through the gatherings being called Assemblies, District Assemblies. District Conventions, International Assemblies and so on.

It is exciting to see the clarifications on things that are just about to happen. Shows that Jehovah is not leaving us out of the "loop" when it comes to knowing how and why he is doing things a certain way. We have received clarification on the timeline of events from the declaration of Peace and Security to the "judgement message" to be preached after the GT starts and now exactly what that "one thought" is that Jehovah's puts into the hearts of men. Those things in themselves are very encouraging as we get nearer and nearer to the end.

I see world events as a puzzle that is still missing the last piece. I follow the news superficially, without absorbing everything, so I don’t go crazy. But it’s undeniable that many events fulfill Bible prophecies. I know friends who don’t like to watch the news and say that what we need to know will appear on the JW website. I respect that with affection and also follow it that way. However, I like to follow news from around the world and from our local area. I think it’s important to have an idea of what is happening around us, because it can even save lives and help in ministry. The key is balance. For many years, we read to the residents. The purpose of The Watchtower is to glorify Jehovah God through His Son Jesus Christ and to keep us attentive to world events as Bible prophecies are fulfilled. I enjoy The Watchtower and following the news. It makes me feel strengthened, vigilant, attentive, an d awake! 😃☕

I think of the 10 virgins waiting for the bridegroom. He arrived suddenly and only 5 were prepared for his arrival. Keeping on the watch means being prepared, ready.

Beloved brothers, after 10 days of suspense, we have finally reached the final decision. Just like last year, we had all the votes in favor! So, unanimously, the 2024 decision has been upheld. Gravação_de_tela_20250818_195819_Chrome.mp4 Screen_Recording_20250818_195819_Chrome.mp4

I can’t even imagine the level of evil and heartlessness a person would have to possess to shoot someone in front of their wife and young children like that. I don’t know what angered me more. Him being killed in front of his family, a large crowd, and cameras, or people filming themselves laughing about it and posting jokes in the comment section of some videos about the coverage. My sympathy has nothing to do with any political views I may or may not have. I hate both the Democratic and Republican parties equally because I know they are both immersed in corruption and run by actors, deceivers, and puppets who can’t offer what God’s kingdom can. At the end of the day, a life was lost. I saw several short videos of him debating people a few weeks before his death. Besides his controversial debating style, I didn’t know much about him, but it seemed he had a fervor for what he believed. I pray that if there was good in his heart that Christ remembers him in the resurrection so he can direct that fervor to doing Jehovah’s will, instead of trying to do the impossible with a crooked political system that can’t be made straight.

That’s a thoughtful question. Neutrality, especially in a Christian sense, doesn’t mean that we feel nothing about political leaders or world events. Jesus and his disciples also saw injustice, corruption, and cruelty in their time—but they didn’t align themselves with political parties or seek to change the world through human rulers. So, if a person feels upset by what a politician says or does, that’s just a human emotional reaction. Neutrality is about what we do with those feelings. For example not acting on them, via voting, protesting, rallies,. I think in a way we are very active in showing who we cast our vote for. We are not loud, abusive, in your face pushing for our leader but yet we hold firm to our stand. I think about several scriptures to keep highly charged emotions in check. The foremost is mam has dominated many to his injury. I pray for helping me with the art of reaching neutrality but sometimes realize the emotional part may not be acomplishied fully right now.

just my thought, prophecy is explained by GB when it is an ongoing fulfillment or near its fulfillment. I think we're close. WT has mentioned before that we dont need things to be so terrible before the end comes. People can still mind their business , eating, drinking, marrying. This gives me hope that soon suffering will end and motivate me to prioritize God's Kingdom.

This topic has gone completely off the rails … STOP.. I have had to hide some posts ..🙈 Jehovah in Jeremiah firmly explained how to live as exiles in a foreign land… We are exiles in a foreign land … We are figuratively living in Babylon… Since we are Witnesses of Jehovah .. let’s get biblical… Notice Jehovahs words to Jeremiah… Jeremiah 29:7 And seek the peace of the city to which I have exiled you, and pray in its behalf to Jehovah, for in its peace you will have peace. 8 For this is what Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they are dreaming. 9 For ‘they are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,’ declares Jehovah.”’” Remaining neutral as a Christian in the face of political assassinations is not about indifference—it’s about anchoring your response in faith, compassion, and discernment as laid out in Jehovahs word. Use it as you were trained … This is your test …. Right now .. the posts you made …Did you pass it? Or did you get sucked into the diviners of this system? Jesus lived in a politically volatile time, yet He never aligned Himself with partisan agendas. Instead, He focused on the Kingdom of Heaven, confronting injustice without being consumed by political entanglements. Neutrality means not being swept into tribalism. It means evaluating every political event—including assassinations—through the lens of Jehovah’s applied word. Not the diviners of this world.

I have fallen in that trap too at times. I have some workmates who have strong political ideas and at times I have tried to reason with them about political matters. Although I was careful not to break my neutrality, they didn't view it like that. In the end, discussing political matters won't take you anywhere. It's much better to focus on God's kingdom and what it will achieve.

Not at all. It follows the natural progression of a conversation, and has been quite civil compared to other hot topics. In my opinion...

Report of how one brother has been persecuted badly in Kazakhstan https://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=3002

And he would still stand by what he said had he survived. This death is horrific. It ranks up there, for me, with others such as Steve Irwin the crocodile hunter. It underscores the importance of not just political neutrality, but also being careful expressing your opinions on social issues.

When some Witnesses mention the USA as being the last world power, they are thinking about the dream statue in Daniel with the feet of iron mixed with clay. Those feet symbolize the Anglo-American world power. After this, there are no more world powers. So yes, in this sense the USA (along with the UK, but people only mention the US) is the final world power. I my opinion, and others agree, the planet will not survive a third world war. If, in my opinion, the US/NATO would war against Russia, nuclear weapons would be used on a massive scale. A full nuclear war would devestste the planet. There would be no one left to cry peace and security. No one would believe such a cry. The vast majority of people would be dead or dying. While a third world war is not explicitly impossible according to the Bible, I feel such an event is extremely unlikely since the scriptures indicate there will be a feeling of peace and security prior to the sudden destruction of false religion and the attack on Jehovah's people by a united coalition of nations.

I could tell something was wrong. There is just something about a human when they are experiencing a deep pain that is all consuming...it SHOWS. I dropped off some cheese to an elder in one of the congregations I sometimes visit...and right from the start...I could tell something was bothering him. Yes...he's an elder...but that doesn't mean he's immune to pain...in fact, they are usually more affected by pain than others...not because they are "better" or more "spiritual"...no, it's simply because they carry the weight of an entire congregation on their shoulders. These dear brothers know all the secret pains and aches of the congregations in which they serve...and they fight hard every day to struggle on, bearing the loads of themselves, their own families...and the rest of the sheep. We carried the 17 cases of cheese into the hall and plopped them down on the table in the back room, then fell into a couple of chairs and spent the next hour or so just talking and getting the past few weeks off our chests. The conversation was a relief for both of us...and eventually...the elder just kinda squinted at me, made up his mind and then asked how I would deal with the following "hypothetical" situation. Over the next ten minutes he laid out a situation which was so heart breaking, so unbelievably gut wrenching...I was left speechless, dumbfounded. How can all of these precious brothers listen to all of this...much less figure out how to attempt to comfort those involved?? I had no answers...I won't even sit here and try to pretend I came up with some magical solution. My head was still spinning from the overload of information...from the raw ache that was beginning to form in the pit of my stomach as I realized what I already knew...this was a real situation...and just like that...a second elder arrived at the hall...and they thanked me for the cheese and got into the first elder's car to go attempt to try to comfort the family involved. I left and continued about my route...and later that day...the elder called me and asked if I would like to know part of what was shared with this family who were facing an incredibly tough situation. I said absolutely, of course...and THAT is what led me to sit down this evening and get this out on a post to share with all of you. The following didn't come from these two elders...it came from their Circuit Overseer who took out a few moments of his time to join the family via zoom...and it was just so eye opening to me...so mind boggling...I couldn't wait to sit down and share it with all of you. The verse? (Of course you knew there would be a verse involved😅) Isaiah 40:31 "But those hoping in Jehovah will regain power. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary; They will walk and not tire out.” How many times have I read this verse...heard it expounded upon...indeed, expounded upon it myself...and yet, STILL miss the main point?? It's not that I didn't understand the main point...but I didn't get it...not this way. Why do I look at that verse...even NOW...and read it the wrong way? Why does my human heart DESIRE to see something that simply isn't true?? What am I talking about?? One word, friends: "Those hoping in Jehovah will REGAIN power." Regain...such a simple stupid word...and yet...it STILL sounds like the power we "regain" CAME FROM US!!! But it didn't...of course it didn't...it came from Jehovah!! But how to prove that? The Hebrew word chalaph means “to exchange” or “to change out.” It’s used, (in one sense), for changing clothes!! The picture isn’t just topping up your energy...it quite literally means swapping your worn-out human strength...for Jehovah’s own strength! What did this C.O. bring out, (in part), to this worn out family? (And the following is a direct quote): "We often think we’re just getting a refill. But Isaiah is saying: you hand over your weakness, and Jehovah hands you His endurance. It’s a complete trade, not a recharge." A trade…why is that simple idea so encouraging to me?? The C.O. said: "A refill gives you more of you. An exchange gives you more of Him...now let's see how Jehovah teaches us to stop "trying harder"...and start "trading up"!!" And that's all I have for you tonight. So what happens when you hand Jehovah an empty tank? He exchanges it for HIS strength...HIS power...and that is what allows us to carry on...even if it is...just for one more day.

Well it is true the elders don't need to tell you how to dress. It is also true that it's up to the body of elders to decide whether you're exemplary and qualify to auxiliary pioneer, pioneer, be in any type of appointed position, etc. So, work closely with those tasked to help you make it through the greatest tests mankind has EVER been through. We will need our elders. It's good to learn how to cooperate with them now as you won't be able to learn later.

I'm hoping for a chance... I talked to a sister this weekend who has been to NINE international conventions!!! 👀 I wanna go.. 😢

In truth, we are probably the least neutral people on earth! We are 100% for God's Kingdom under Jesus Christ, and will not be swayed from that commitment.

We were delegates in 2019 and have applied unsuccessfully for last 2 Special Conventions. So looking forward to where we can apply for next year. It will be our 40th wedding anniversary in May and we were hoping to do an overseas trip so would be fabulous to combine the 2.

19 International Conventions in 2026. I also notice the home page of https://www.jwevent.org/ has changed. It used to say "Our Special Conventions", but now says "Our International Conventions"

I don't understand your point. But that's ok. Let me explain my point. Here is an entire brochure that encourages us to "Keep on the Watch". *** kp p. 1 Title Page/Publishers’ Page *** Keep on the Watch! https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=1102004250&srctype=wol&srcid=share&par=2 I don't see anywhere that says in order "keep on the watch" we need to pay attention to and discuss world events the way those events are discussed in this 425 page and growing topic. What I do see being encouraged is: Be Alert and Ready, like a Watchful Homeowner or Servant. This doesn't mean being focused on the news beyond recognizing we are deep in the last days. Ensure faithfully. Don't serve for a date. Love Jehovah with your whole heart, mind, and strength. Apply Biblical Lessons from Warning Examples such as the Flood and the destruction of Sodom Turn away from wickedness and maintain deep respect for Jehovah, read the Bible, preach the good news. Avoid Spiritual Drowsiness and Complacency To “keep on the watch” means to stay spiritually vigilant and ready—being motivated by love for Jehovah, guided by biblical lessons, devoted to God’s Kingdom, and persistent in faithful living, especially in light of the urgency of these times.

I love this last paragraph from the QFR The slave always gives us food at the proper time…. And maybe we will need this reminder very soon