Roses are definitely my favorite type of flowers. Other favorites are tiger lilies (association with great-grandmother) and daisies.
But it is tough to pick out favorites when I love all types of flowers, really!
.
mine is iris at the moment, although i love them all!.
jeff
Roses are definitely my favorite type of flowers. Other favorites are tiger lilies (association with great-grandmother) and daisies.
But it is tough to pick out favorites when I love all types of flowers, really!
dan f's horrible abuse separated a family.
but it is time for the healing to begin.
dan married lynne in the early 70's and with her came 2 stepchildren, dawn & darrin.
Thanks to toladest & Vicki for posts about this heartwarming reunion story.
BTTT
the exact day, lost in a memory that was unconcerned with the details of the moment, is unimportant.
what is important is that three years ago -- in may of 2002 -- i left the jws.
it was at the end of the month, for i realized soon afterword that this would be the first month since becoming a publisher that i did not turn in my time.
logansrun,
I think it was October or November of 1993 when I phoned the members of my immediate family (who were all active JWs then) to tellthem that I no longer wished to be a JW and would prefer that none of them try to bring me "back to the fold". I was 19 years old, living with a disfellowshipped relative who was showing a lot more "brotherly love" toward me than I'd received from the JWs during a very difficult time in my life.
I remember how lost and adrift I felt after making and announcing this decision. I had no knowledge of any ex-JW Internet community at that time and therefore had only a couple of people to look to for understanding and emotional support (disfellowshipped relatives). I pretty much went on a very self-destructive course for several years, from time to time wondering if the JWs were right and wondering if I would be destroyed in Armageddon. Sexual and physical abuse issues were all mixed up with the religion, as well. I can remember literally flinching, numerous times, when people brought up God or anything relating to the Bible or spirituality. For quite a long time, I was engulfed in feelings of loss, anger, bitterness and despair. I drank to excess often in order to assuage the pain I felt. I became increasingly aggressive and harsh in my attitude towards and dealings with others, followed by episodes of guilt, shame and remorse.
I became disillusioned and cynical after jumping into the "big, bad world". However, I learned a heck of a lot and benefitted from the kindnesses of strangers and I found out that there were a lot of decent, caring and loving people out in that world, too. After I got into recovery, I discovered more of those same types of people....I truly had some "angels", as I refer to them, put in my path. I was able to be there for my brothers and father when they decided they'd had enough of Dubdom. My mom is still in but she and I have been able to have a pretty decent relationship these past few years, since there are issues about which we have decided to agree to disagree.
I've become less cynical, a little more trusting (albeit slowly & cautiously). I've got a whole new set of friends; and these are the true-blue, through-thick-or-thin kind. I met and moved in with and then married the love of my life. I am truly blessed.
Sorry this reply is so long!I guess your initial post just triggered a lot of memories. I guess I am saying that I understand, to a certain degree. And, also, you are right where you are supposed to be on your journey. You are so much further along the path than I was three years into this process. I have a friend who says, "Twenty miles into the woods, twenty miles back out." It takes time....and we'll none of us have all the answers. I think the most important thing is to remain on the quest. Best wishes to you!
Sincerely,
Banshee
well, are there any people on this db who are into gardening?.
i really love it, myself.
i am putting in quite a few vegetables this year.
nicolaou: When I lived in Southern California, there was a great big fig tree in the yard. I loved having the dried figs and fig preserves...yum. Sounds like you derive a lot of peace and enjoyment from your garden--cool.There's just something about it, isn't there?
LyinEyes: Rock gardens are cool.....and I am sure you'll get the hang of gardening. You are doing the right thing by taking it slow. If you get too many things going at once, it could get overwhelming and lessen your enjoyment. Thanks for responding to this thread.
dan f's horrible abuse separated a family.
but it is time for the healing to begin.
dan married lynne in the early 70's and with her came 2 stepchildren, dawn & darrin.
Thanks for sharing this story. I wish both brothers all the best and hope they can both continue on the healing/recovery path. The rewards for doing so are great. I should know. Like blondie, I am also an abuse survivor. ( I have not posted my personal story on here because I like my privacy but I have shared with other survivors in the "real world".)
here's the dirty dozen: .
1) ants- imagine being buried in a sandpile up to your neck with sand.
along come a bunch of ants from an ant colony, and they crawl all over your head, in and out of your nose, your mouth, your ears, your eyes, and all thru your hair.
Yes!!!! I am terrified of bees and wasps...after having a very bad, painful experience with bees as a child.
Roaches and silverfish creep me out because my grandmother had a dirty house & it was infested with them. I remember as a child visiting her house, turning on a light in one of the rooms and hearing/seeing the roaches scatter. Ugh!
a critical expose of the publication organized to do jehovah's will.
i will post scriptures in context wherever they appear, the portion pointed to by the governing body will be highlighted in yellow.
letter from the governing body of jehovah's witnesses (the masters over your faith): paragraph 1:.
<<"As dedicated Christians enjoying the freedom for which Christ set them free, they let God's Spirit and his word govern their lives....">> (Did I actually believe this crock of poop at some time?
Reality:
As dedicated cult members saddened by the lack of the freedom for which Christ set them free, they let Governing Body and its literature govern their lives.
i just read another post that touched upon praying directly to jesus and it reminded me of the other day at church.
i don't know if it's just my jw roots or what but one of the men who said the prayer in church prayed directly to jesus.
he kept using jesus' name in prayer speaking directly to him on our behalf, he brought out that no other name is higher than that of jesus and when he closed he did so in the name of jesus.
One of the scriptures that guides me to pray to the Father "through" Jesus or in the name of Jesus is Matt. 18:19,20 " 'Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.' " --New International Version
Here is another scripture that supports the idea of praying in Jesus' name. John 14:13,14 " 'And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.' " --New International Version
The apostle Paul also supports the idea of praying in the name of Jesus at Colossions 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
For me personally, praying in the name of Jesus or through Jesus is acknowledging that he is The Way to the Father, that his role as Mediator is vital in my relationship with God.
well, are there any people on this db who are into gardening?.
i really love it, myself.
i am putting in quite a few vegetables this year.
fairchild: Thanks so much for all of the great information and tips! I did not know that I could plant all of those things so much before the first frost. That will help me out a great deal next year. And the tip about banana peels for roses....I am certainly going to use that one. I have one rosebush that is pitiful looking and I've been trying different stuff to perk it up, so this is timely info for me. You are a fount of gardening knowledge!
i've heard a lot on this subject, and was wondering if it's a common practice?.
can you go to a meeting and almost always see some poor kid getting a walloping in the back room for talking or misbehaving at the meeting?
or is this a thing of the past?.
This topic brings back so many bad memories. My dad took me and each of my three siblings to the back of the hall for spankings many and many a time. One memory that stands out is from when I was three or four years old. I wasn't sitting still and my dad picked me up rather roughly and I remember screaming all the way back, "Nooooo, daddy, noooo!"
Why not have Children's Church? Kids usually have a hard time sitting still for ten minutes, let alone two hours. I've personally seen how wonderfully kids do when they have a lesson geared to them, get to interact and do artwork and sing, etc. They retain more information, have a great time and the adults are not disturbed during church. Oh, wait...I remember why the WBTS doesn't institute that....because that would be a LOVING and COMPASSIONATE way to handle things!