i had a very interesting situation at work last night.
without going into a lot of details, i ended up administering a blood product for a serious blood clotting deficiency, called von willebrand's disease, type iii.
according to http://www.medscape.com it is the most commonly inherited bleeding disorder, caused by inheritance of a quantitative or qualitative abnormality of von willebrand factor (vwf).
Elsewhere, that was good for a hearty laugh! :)
Now that I've stopped laughing, it is an interesting, and often confusing (especially for jws who base life-death decisions on this stuff) situation. I have known of several jws who have been very confused by the DPA form, which things were prohibited, which were allowed, etc.
i was wondering, how did you pass the time at the circuit assemblies and district conventions?
i hated those things, they are to damn long.
i would walk the hall, and look for brothers to talk to.
I was assigned to work in accounting at assemblies for several years, when I was an MS, then and elder. I noticed that cookies, donuts, and other items were brought in and left in the kitchen by generous jws, even though food service was eliminated. The items were for workers to enjoy.
I'd go back mid-session and enjoy some cookies, etc. Then I'd go back in, sit with my wife, and grin with a sneaky kid who just got away with something, lol. Then I'd tell her what I was up to, and she'd get a little jealous and then laugh a bit too.
When I was a teen, a friend and I would take the car and go driving during the afternoon sessions. That was fun, too. :)
every year the question on every dub's lips is: "how many came to the memorial this year?".
well, what do you think will happen this year?.
will there be a 'flattening out' of the increases?
I wonder if the number of partakers will finally show a decline.
I'll guess 14.8 million total attendance.
And my personal forecast: Another Memorial wondering why a meeting that is given such importance always ends up leaving me feeling disappointed. So much buildup, and all we do is hear a talk and pass emblems around. I haven't seen a partaker in years.
we had quite a bit of wind here last night, and as i was up with the baby and couldn't sleep anyway, i was thinking back to when i was young.. living on the east coast, we got some of the mega storms that the southwest doesn't usually get, at least not with any regularity.. as a kid, everytime a vicious thunderstorm or violent electric storm started, i would wonder the unimaginable:.
is this armegeddon????.
lisa
Lisa, I guess it's somewhat common to view a storm as apocolyptic to sme degree; and when one is influenced to view the world's end as imminent, it may well be that they look at a notable storm or other natural catastrophe as being Armageddon.
Once, before a meeting for field service, a ministerial servant made a comment about a recent snowstorm, saying that snow storms were a "sign of the times". I don't know which Bible he was reading, lol, since no mention is made of snowstorms as being part of the sign of the last days.
some might be following the andrea yates trial (the mother who drowned her 5 children).
the march 18, 2002 issue of newsweek, has an article on page 8, entitled "examining a spiritual leader's influence," that's about the yates trial.
i'll list some quotes from this article:.
One time at a circuit assembly, a brother, from the platform, applied scriptures in Lamentations, dealing with mothers eating their own children during the Babylonian siege on Jerusalem, to women who send their kids to day-care centers. My wife and I looked at each other in disbelief.
Also, the mentality that a person may be better off dying now than at Armageddon is common among jws. When a non-witness dies, sometimes some jws will remark: 'well, he/she stands a better chance now, since they could be resurrected, rather than having to face Armageddon'. Such remarks are not only callous, but they betray a type of mindset that, if stretched perhaps, could justify, in the mind of a person who has some mental/emotional problems, acting in such a way as Andrea Yates did. I know of no actual cases where this has occured though. But, could such a mindset lead to such actions? I'm not really sure, but I can see where it may be possible.
i have a vague recollection of elders who voluntarily took a break from their positions due to health matters or to take care of family situations.. in some of these cases it was possible for them to have some sort of understanding with the congregation that they would still be respected as elders but without the title and less assignments.. i realize this subject is somewhat stupid, but i have my reasons for asking and if anyone has sound information regarding situations where an elder can take advantage of something like this and how one would go about it, it would be appreciated.. path
safe4, I agree, that whenever elders step down, there is accompanying gossip and speculation in most cases. Some elders try to pre-empt this by openly stating to a few jw friends why they decided to step down. But even then, I think that speculation probably continues, as some try to figure out the "real" reason that a brother may step down.
I also feel that the better term is "step aside" or simply "resign", but the step down term seems to be entrenched in jw jargon. It does seem to hint at a heirarchal arrangement of sorts. And given the way elders, CO's and DO's are treated and almost revered, I do belive such an arrangement does exist, if not explicity, at least by strong implication.
just wanted to say hello - i've been lurking here for about a month and decided to join.
i was raised a witness, but have been out for almost 10 years.
i just faded out - it was easy since i moved to california from ohio.
Welcome Aunty! I look forward to hearing some of your thoughts in relation to your research on jws and your family experiences as well, if you care to relate such. Bye for now.
i think i will have a go.
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page981.asp.
englishman.
Should be a great show...I've seen Elton 4 times, and have his latest concert DVD. He never fails to impress.
my....how the walls come crumbling down.. my father and mother ordered coc and in search of christian freedom tonite.....when talking about freeminds.org they call randy waters, 'randy'.
i can't believe it.. i haven't even read coc, and isocf!!.
but my parents ordered the books tonite....i think my whole fam is going to be alright.. ashi
ashi, I just finished the book myself, returning it to the local library. Yes, please update us as to the reactions they have. It's quite a book, and as a jw for 28 years, I can say that it opened my eyes to some things and confirmed my feelings about other matters.
ok, this is me, in my freshman yr. check out the hair.... .
.
lara
Ven, you look great!
Harmony, what a cutie!
Prisca, such a little cutie pie!
Princess..another cutie!
