News from the past....& present.

11 Points of Consideration by Guy Pierce of the Governing Body

Safeguard Your Spirituality by Training Your Perceptive Powers

1. Listen to Jehovah - Many think they know the answers, but they don't even know the questions.

2. Study regularly, study deeply – We can be desensitized by what we see and hear, thinking it isn’t bad. For instance, Xmas songs. We hear them; the next thing we know, the tune is running around in our head. In a short period of time we are humming them just as Satan wants.

3. Do we spend ‘pioneer’ time in front of the TV or computer, and ‘token’ time in service -- Psalms 119:37, 'Make my eyes pass on from seeing what is worthless."

4. Jesus is countless billions of years old ... And one day we will be as old as Jesus is now, and he'll only be twice our age.

5. The Bible is inspired of the Sovereign of the Universe. It's a Masterpiece, give it careful attention.

6. The reasons some give for not being at the meetings is the very reason why they need to be there.

7. Too busy because of the high cost of living, or living high? -- You can't put enough money in the bank to get through Armageddon.

8. A couple of young brothers are going to a movie. When asked if it has bad language, they reply, 'yes, but we hear it all the time in school."

Do we want to pay to hear more? It should hurt our ears.

9. Every meeting is a holy, sacred occasion. Never be absent by choice.

10. Some are slowly losing the sense of urgency. We are in the heart and heat of a universal emergency. All in heaven have their attention focused on the earth and what we are doing.
11.If we had the cure for cancer we would tell everyone? But we DO have the Cure for cancer! And AIDS, and high blood pressure, and diabetes, and even death.

People desperately need to hear what we have to say. Our ministry is an extension of God's love. When you talk with someone, they are face to face with a representative of Jehovah God!

Some nice points to keep in mind. Never can get enough of these points, and being able to absorb the counsel & reminders.

1 of our friends sent me some news about my Bible study, Miquel and his family. She was told that at a WT study in the spanish cong where Miguel has been attending with his family, That Miguel made a comment, Marlene did , then Maria, and also Miguelito! After the last comment from the family, the congregation applauded the family! Outstanding. That made me feel so good, to see the family's progress, and assuring me that as we know if someone is a sheep, that Jehovah draws them and whether we contact them, or study with them, or assist in bringing them the good news, its Jehovah who makes it grow. Ron & Carolyn Mudge took over study from us, and they are in Pioneer school, so Tom & Debbie are doing study next 2 weeks.
Also, the woman that Elaine & sister Ver Beek (CO wife) that they started right before we left is continuing on and making nice progress. I was thinking this morning that I needed to hear from Ron, on how things were going. But I will wait until he gets out of pioneer school. I know he's enjoying it, as well as Carolyn. Ron was pioneering last year, but didn't get invited in time for school, so Carolyn asked if she could wait until they could go together. So this is great to go as a pioneer couple.
Can't wait to see how Miguels family enjoys the Dist convention next month. When they see all the friends that are learning about Jehovah, as they are, I think they will see, feel, hear, and "taste" the love, harmony, and unity of our brotherhood.
  We had our RV on the teacher this week. Had a good visit & exchange on Chapter 11 in BT. He had read the chapter, made notes and looked up the scriptures. When we got to 2nd subheading, he commented that he had never thought about the way God dealt with Satan, and Adam & Eve, as if you were a "teacher". Since he taught school for 30 some years, that hit the mark for him. He wrote himself notes in margin, and that helped him understand why, God did what he did. Arranged to resume with chap 12 in 2 weeks when we come back from a little trip to Carolinas.
So with his taking the Bible as the authority, we can have a basis to continue.
  As I said our trip is starting tomorrow, and we will head to N. Carolina and visit an old Bethel buddy I haven't seen since 1970, or 71. We had lost touch until recently, and have enjoyed getting back in touch over internet. Tom taught me the ropes on "old Cottrell#7" Tom Bowen, worked on the press I worked on for 4 yrs. We will visit with Him & his wife, enjoy their hospitality, then head to Myrtle Beach SC, for 5 days on the beach. After that we will head back, stop along the way, maybe see some "Smokey Mt" sights, and see Elaines Niece, Angela & husband Vince, & Lorelei & Sterling on way back in Tenn.
  Getting back on pioneer schedule more & more, health is good, Had Dr appt as a follow-up to the cardio shock, and Dr said heart was in Rhythm. Was able to get off 2 meds, and keep up better diet.
We had 9 out yesterday for FS, and 16 today. Weather has cooled and so we can do more, longer than the last 4 weeks.

Sometimes no answer is the right answer!

Had a good week, 4 days out, and some results, that were hopeful. Pacific is not Dolores, but doing what we can with the circumstances we have. Different place but the same effort is needed.
So made the Rv on the retired school teacher. Tried Sat, but he was gone. But his wife told me "was looking forward to coming back" to talk. So I was very hopeful of being able to get into a good discussion with him. We called back and found him home about 11:30. He invited us in, and we sat down in Living room. I asked if he had a chance to read any in BT bk. He said he did, that he read 151 pages in it! Was happy he did, but then he said it was the very depressing. He didn't agree with our view, that the people who have died were unable to communicate with family. He had 2 family members that related experiences of seeing a loved one who dies, appear to them separately. And he said he had been a member of his church for over 55 yrs. and we would never get him into a KH. So I went from being very hopeful of getting him in a good discussion then in to Bible, and book, to trying to extend the call and not walk away with out being able to come back. So what would I do?
Since he had made a point that he believes what the Bible says, I just listened to his objections, and didn't try to change his mind, at this time. He also said he didn't think 1914 was the correct time for Jesus rule beginning. So I went back to 2 Tim. had him read it from his Bible, and referred him to Jeremiah, from the reference that 2 Tim   when Paul was talking about last days the scriptural reference refers to Jerusalem's last days. So in quoting or referring to that Paul knew that Jerusalem was destroyed and it was her last days. So it makes sense that God inspired paul to write that, so the conditions that paul was talking about would also mean that he was talking about the last days too. Then reasoned that yes there had been earthquakes wars thru history, but those things were not coupled with conditions of attitude that 2 Tim talks about. He did agree with that. So then we went back to Rev 12: 7-10 about when attitudes and why. heavens cleansed, and Woe for the earth. He seemed to accept that. Then instead of going into chap 8, as I planned, went to chap 11, read the 3 questions and told him to read the chapter and look up every scripture in it to be sure it of what paragraph is presenting is accurate. I had asked him if he looked up every scripture in his reading the week before, and he said he hadn't. We left about 12:30, and he asked us to come back at 3pm next tuesday. So we arranged for that. I was grateful that at least he was amendable to the scriptures we presented, and didn't shut the door to further discussions.
When we leave someone we just never know how, or what or who may step in to put a stumbling block before them. But we do know that satan observes all this and is trying his best to stop any growth. We can be sure tho that Jehovah will give us the right things to say, if the person is a sheep.
If they really love the Bible, they will listen & obey. It is comforting to realize that isn't it. All we have to do is search out deserving ones and Jehovah does the rest.
Well all for now,
Love to all,
Tom

strange happenings!

At 3:30am today I was awaken with the sound of thunder. Then about a 1/2 hour later, I heard rain splattering against the pane. Surprise, water coming from the skies. We actually had a nice heavy soaking rain that lasted off & on for 4 hours. I actually had to find my rain coat & wore it out to the car.
The smell of the rain was fresh as the morning dew.
Well had a decent week, got out 3 days in FS, did a couple of early mornings starting at 7. Missed the group 1 morning, so went by myself, and did gas stations, we have plenty. The 1st 1, I was waiting for a man to hit the pumps, then saw a landscape crew come in, all Mexicans, looked in my bag and had 4 spanish WTs left, so said Hello(Hola), in spanish presented mgs and the man took them. Repeated that 3 more times 2 in AM, then 1 on way after service and all my 4 spanish mags were gone! My spanglish was ok. So 4 landscape crews 4 mgs. Those men working up in states, support at least 1 family back in Mexico, maybe more. They will live together, divide the expenses, and conserve there $ so as to take care of ones counting on them in Mexico. Even tho there only making minimum wage they are making good money in Pesos.
Here is a riddle dor you: How can you be happy making a RV the 1st one after initial call, w/o reaching your Rv to talk to? ....................................................His wife tells you he isn't there but, he "was looking forward to you coming back". YEA. It was a slow day in FS but that was our last call and that made my week.
Today we went to find a RAW food restaurant we heard about thru friends, new down in U City. After a couple wrong turns we found it, with some tech support from our friends. It was called Fridas. Now mind you we had walked about 30 minutes where we thought it was, it was almost 3pm, and hadn't eaten since our smoothie in morning. As we were looking we passed some great places to eat, PIs, my favorite pizza place, several other sushi bars etc. When we finally found it, drove by, and said "no way". It was a hole in the wall, with about 4 table and 2 bar stool tables. But we were starving, so I parked told Elaine to wait in car, while I dubiously went inside. Looked at menu, and decided we were hungry enough to try the meager sitting area. Got a table and looked over what to order.

Looks good doesn't it? I had a walnut/mushroom burger, with avocado, sprouts, and cucumbers. tomatoes. Elaine had a "FRIDA special" slaw on top of a vegan burger, with cucumbers, on a whole wheat bun. Both were good.









Earlier in our endeavor to find Fridas, saw this for the 1st time.
I guess it is used for what it says on it, but just reminded me of what is going on in other lands, and how with the stroke of a pen/keyboard, it could be used against and is us, brothers.

Nuisance abatement Vehicle. Who defines Nuisance?

We know persecution is coming if we live here in states or Mexico, but how long before the forces of satan are unleashed on us, as they have and are against our sisters & brothers?
As we know it will require us to have prepared our hearts for those days. What better way than to do the Lords work now, witness and ahead of time consider our response to such persecution? Seems like I heard that somewhere.

With the long drought we have had, here in midwest, that is the spiritual drought the world has had. But we have the spiritual "waters of life" coming unending to us.

Jehovahs our water source and He always supplies what we need, in abundance, it is up to us to "drink" from those waters, get hydrated when we can, take advantage of the waters of life.
Just like this stream that even in the worst drought in at least 75 years, we want to be planted alongside the stream that Jehovah gives us.







All for now,
Love,
 Tom & Elaine