My Little Corner of the Universe

We had our Circuit Assembly this weekend and this is a picture I took after the first beautiful day of the assembly, which talked about the new personality that we should always be working on, according to Colossians 3.10, which includes all aspects of our lives as christians. This one sister had an interview, where she told us how even though the lady to whom she was preaching slapped her, yes slapped her hard, she continued preaching to her in a calm and kind way. There was a short pause after the slap, being shocked and all, but she kept on, which left an impact on the lady, knowing that any other would have either expressed colorful words or returned the slap. But of course, this is just one of millions of Jehovah's servants worldwide to 'be clothed of the new personality'. (Colossians 3.10)

Ok, here's for all of you who like Far Side cartoons. I know I like them, so I'm putting another one that makes me react the same way I react when I'm tickled.

My mom bought this old thing at a pulga. It's pretty cool. First, you put a penny on that silver-looking thing where the cats are at. On the other end, there is a little pot and a lever. You flick the lever and the penny gets catapulted and lands right into the little pot. I think this is one of those toys our parents had to play with. How sad. And thinking about it now, i think it was kinda better having those kinda toys. They had more time to go out and play. The boys and girls of today, now have computer and video games to keep them occupied for HOURS, not even mentioning TV and the internet with all of the channels and websites at their fingertips. Anyway, the cat-penny-throwing toy thing is fun!!

Yesterday's post made me feel kinda funny inside. So, today, I had to put something more "man-ish". And I decided to bring on "Big Shot Horry". This was from one of the Finals' games last year. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was an awesome play, like so many others that season.

Roses are red.
Some are white.
You look just as beautiful
As the stars tonight.

Violets are blue.
The grass is green.
When I look at you,
Heaven I see.

Carnations are pink.
Lillies are yellow.
When you smile at me,
You make me a happy fellow.

Ok, that's enough.

** Romantic Quote of the Day - "Yeah, yeah. I would've asked for your number. And I wouldn't have been able to wait 24 hours before calling you up and saying, 'Hey, how about... oh, how about some coffee, or drinks, or dinner, or a movie... for as long as we both shall live?'" - Joe Fox**

Ok, here's a commercial that I've always thought was cool. And I want to share it with all of you this Friday morning. You know? I think it's time I had Starbucks.


** Quote of the Day - "The thing about a shark, it's got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. When it comes at you it doesn't seem to be livin'... Until he bites you, and those black eyes roll over white." - Quint, Jaws **

Here's a recent graduate of the Jedi Academy. No, I'm just kidding. There is no such thing as a Jedi Academy, silly goose. I took her diploma and transubstantiated it for a Jedi "tool", the elegant lightsaber. I just hope she doesn't turn....

** Quote of the Day - "I have a bad feeling about this." - Just about every character in the Star Wars universe, Star Wars, Eps 1-6. **

{Thought of the Day - Some people are like Slinkies... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.}

This is a newspaper article that I found while looking through my stuff. [Click on the pics to read them at full size.]


Here are the pictures that came with the article.



And this is one that I had taken a while back of the beautiful lobby of the Assembly Hall.

I wish I had pictures of when we were working on it. It was a wonderful time for everyone. I remember that I was part of the group working on the last part of the ceiling. As we were taking down the scaffold, I noticed that everyone in the auditorium had their eyes on us. Then I noticed that we were the last ones finishing the ceiling. Finally as the scaffold came down, their was an applause. It was a wonderful moment. But of course their were many wonderful moments with all of the brothers and sisters. Truly, the brotherhood is a blessing from Jehovah. - Psalm 133.1

Another great thing about these constructions of Kingdom and Assembly Halls is that it was the loving donations that made it possible. There wasn't any money baskets passed around during the year to pay for it. Aside from that, no one got paid for their work. Like the article said, their were professionals there doing what they do for a living and didn't get paid for it. Now THAT is love for our brothers and, most importantly, to Jehovah. - Matthew 22.37-39

Here is a picture of us way back when we thought the world was as easy as 1,2,3 + Mom and Dad. Now we find out that it's as arduous as 254,895,469,182,935,783,519,932.003 + Rey.

[Old Picture Factoid: For a reason still unknown to me, my mother dressed me and my older brother alike for years.]

** Quote of the Day - "You're killin' me Smalls!" - Ham, The Sandlot **

Now the last 10 fun things to do while in an elevator. "Finally, the saga is complete."

[To see the previous 10, go here, you silly goose.]

41. Bring a chair along.
42. Take a bite of a sandwich and ask another passenger: "Wanna see wha in muh mouf?"
43. Blow spit bubbles.
44. Pull your gum out of your mouth in long strings.
45. Announce in a deep and scary voice: "I must find a more suitable host body".
46. Carry a blanket and clutch it protectively.
47. Make explosion noises when anyone presses a button.
48. Wear "X-Ray Specs" and leer suggestively at other passengers.
49. Stare at your thumb and say, "I think it''s getting larger".
50. You can do all of these 50 things, OR you can just wait patiently until the elevator reaches your floor. :)

** Thought of the Day - "When I feel blue, I start breathing again." **

Ok, I think I've fixed my video problem. This is a song by Mr. Smith. He looks kinda freaky, but he has cool music. And so, today, a song by The Cure is being featured, "Lovesong".

[For lyrics, go here.]

[To see Ultra Cool Song #2, go here.]

// Video Factoid: To see the video without it stopping every few seconds, I would suggest you first press the big play button on the video screen, then press pause and wait until it finishes loading, THEN press play. :) \\

Almost thirty years ago, these were my parents. My mom says that this was at a wedding. I remember that party. No, I'm just kidding, I wasn't even born yet. Ha Ha. At that time, people didn't know how to dance cumbias.... Well, I should rephrase that. They danced in a "unique" fashion. They did this chicken wing flapping movement. My mom has an old video of my dad dancing in this peculiar and odd manner. Kind of disturbing, but relieved we didn't learn from him.

// French Factoid: "Ami, c'est l'amour" means "Friend, it is the love." IT'S ALSO THE QUOTE OF THE DAY!!!! \
** Quote of the Day - "Ami, c'est l'amour." - Genie, Aladdin. **

Well, actually, i'm experiencing them. These videos don't let you decide to play them or not. They just play. And now, both videos that I put up are playing at the same time. SO, I'm going to upload them at a diffent site. Anyway, keep checking back for more musica. :)

[To see the previous 10, go here NOW! HURRY! GO NOW!!]

31. Wear a puppet on your hand and make it converse with the other passengers.
32. Start a sing-along.
33. When the elevator is silent, look around and ask, "Is that your beeper?"
34. Play the harmonica.
35. Shadow box.
36. Say, "Ding!" at each floor.
37. Lean against the button panel.
38. Say, "I wonder what all these do," and push the red buttons.
39. Listen to the elevator walls with a stethoscope.
40. Draw a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers that this is your "personal space".

** Quote of the Day - "There is no way this winter is EVER going to end as long as that groundhog keeps seeing his shadow. I don't see any way out of it. He's got to be stopped. And I have to stop him." – Phil Connors, Groundhog Day **

I have now found a way to post videos up on this here blog. And for my first video, I have decided to post, not only one of my favorite songs, but one of my favorite videos. It's so sad. It... makes me.... weep... at times. [sniff]

IT'S AN AWESOME SONG!!

[To read the lyrics to this song, go here.]

Anyway, if you are not able to see it, you may need the newest version on Windows Media Player. Click here and follow the simple instructions to install it.

ENJOY!!

** Quote of the Day - "Are you trying to develop a sense of humor or am I going deaf?" – Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom **

Ok, here the next 10 fun things to do in an elevator.
[For the previous 10, go to these coordinates.]

21. Bet the other passengers you can fit a quarter in your nose.
22. Frown and mutter "Gotta go, gotta go," then sigh and say, "Oops".
23. Show other passengers a wound and ask if it looks infected.
24. Sing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" while continually pushing buttons.
25. Holler, "Chutes away!" whenever the elevator descends.
26. Walk on with a cooler that says "human head" on the side.
27. Stare at another passenger for a while, then announce, "You're one of THEM!" and move to the far corner of the elevator.
28. Burp, and then say "Mmmm...tasty".
29. When someone comes in, say, "Hi! I haven't seen you in SO long!..." etc. See if they play along to avoid embarrassment.
30. Exitedly ask each passenger getting on if you can push the button for them.

¡Hasta luego!

** In this galaxy, there's a mathematical probability of three million earth-type planets. And in all of the universe, three million, million, galaxies like this. And in all of that, and perhaps more, only one of each of us." - Dr. Leonard McCoy **

Mr. Bear and Mr. Rabbit lived in the same forest, but they didn't like each other very much. One day, while walking through the woods, they came across Javier, the golden frog. They were amazed when the frog talked to them. Javier stated that he was from Happy Land. He said that when he would enter our world, he seldom met anyone. But when he did, he always gave them six wishes. So he told them that they could each have three wishes.

Mr. Bear immediately wished that all the other bears in the forest were females. POOF! All the bears in the forest were now females.

Mr. Rabbit, after thinking for a while, wished for a crash helmet. One appeared immediately, and he placed it on his head.

Mr. Bear was perplexed at Mr. Rabbit's wish, but carried on with his second wish. He wished that all the bears in the neighboring forests were females as well, and POOF!

Mr. Rabbit then wished for a motorcycle. It appeared before him, and he climbed on board and started revving the engine.

Mr. Bear COULD NOT believe it and complained that Mr. Rabbit had wasted two wishes. He could've just wished for all the money in the world, and then buy the motorcycle and helmet. "Idiot", said Mr. Bear, disappointingly shaking his head.

Mr. Bear made his final wish. “I wish that all the other bears in the WORLD were females as well, leaving me as the only male bear in the world!”

POOF! Javier replied that it had been done.

They then both turned to Mr. Rabbit for his last wish.

Mr. Rabbit revved the engine, thought for a second, smiled, then said, “I wish that Mr. Bear was GAY!” and rode off as fast as he could.

“Report, Mr. Data.”

“Captain, it is a life form we have not yet encountered before.”

“Try hailing it.”

“No reply.”

“It doesn’t seem to be showing signs of being hostile.”

“True, Number One, but I’m not taking any cha—“

“Captain!”

“Yes, Mr. LaForge.”

“The creature is venting off some sort of radiation. It’s affecting our life support system!”

“Mr. Worf. Shields up. Ready phasers and quantum torpedoes. Fire at my command.”

“Captain, it is getting closer.”

“Fire!….. Mr. Worf?”

“Sir, weapons are offline! The radiation must be affecting them!”

“Geordi? Do we have propulsion?”

“Yes captain.”

“Mr. Data, get us out of here. Maximum warp.”

“The creature is closing in on us pretty quickly. It’s catching up!”

The captain gets up, looks to the ceiling, “KHAN! KHAN!”

THE END.

** Quote of the Day - "Happy! Happy! Just taaaap it in. Just tap it in." - Happy Gilmore **

[to see the previous 10, go to these coordinates]

11. When arriving at your floor, grunt and strain to yank the doors open, then act embarrassed when they open by themselves.
12. Lean over to another passenger and whisper: "I see dead people."
13. Greet everyone getting on the elevator with a warm handshake and ask them to call you "Admiral".
14. One word: Flatulence.
15. On the highest floor, hold the door open and DEMAND that it stay open until you hear the penny you dropped down the shaft go "plink" at the bottom.
16. Do Tai Chi exercises.
17. Stare and grin at another passenger for a while, and then announce, "I''ve got new socks on!"
18. When at least 8 people have boarded, moan from the back, "Oh, not now, Mr.Motion Sickness! Not now!"
19. Every once in a while, softly giggle.
20. Meow occasionally.

Join us next time!!!!

** Quote of the Day - "This is WAR Peacock!" - Colonel Mustard to Mrs. Peacock - Clue **

This was during our 2005 District Convention Godly Obedience, Saturday afternoon at about 12:10pm. It was the baptism talk entitled “Let Your Word Yes Mean Yes” (Matthew 5.37). Our C.O. [seen on the middle of the stage] was giving the talk, giving the candidates for baptism as well as everyone else, excellent reminders on the vow every Jehovah’s Witness has made to dedicate our lives to do Jehovah’s will and to not go back on our word. Anyway, the brother gave the talk beautifully. If you notice the first arrow on the picture, it’s pointing to the standing brothers and sisters that were going to get baptized. There were 52 new brothers and sisters added to our grand family that day.

The second arrow denotes where these bros were going to get baptized in, obviously. For everyone that was baptized, there was applause from the audience. More than that, there was about 10 million others rejoicing for each one of them (Luke 15.10).

The third arrow is just pointing at my older brother that was watching over the elevator, making sure none of the little ones were playing around the elevator. If you can see close enough, you can see him waving ecstatically with a huge smile on his face. (Not really. Don't even try to look.)

Other tidbits: Peak attendance was on Sunday afternoon: 5,861 and there were 455 volunteers.

Picture Behind-the-Scenes factoid: where the fourth arrow is pointing, there used to be a U.S. flag that I photo-chopped.

I found that there is more fun to do in an elevator than to just push all of the buttons and then run out, not that i've done that before. :o THERE'S 50 ways to have fun in an elevator, and perhaps even more. I'm not going to post all 50 yet. I'll do them 10 at a time. "Why?", you ask. [shruggs shoulders] Because I can.

1. Make race car noises when anyone gets on or off.
2. Blow your nose and offer to show the contents of your tissue to other passengers.
3. Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering, "Shut up! All of you, just shut UP!".
4. Whistle the first seven notes of "It's a Small World" incessantly.
5. Sell Girl Scout cookies.
6. On a long ride, crash from side to side as if you're on rough seas.
7. Shave. (Especially if you''re a woman.)
8. Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside, ask: "Got enough air in there?"
9. Offer name tags to everyone getting on the elevator. Wear yours upside-down.
10. Stand silent and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without getting off.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed this first edition of [with deep echoing voice] "50 Fun Things to do While in an Elevator....".

Join me next time as we explore more of the wonderful world of elevator mischief.

**Quote of the Day: Mike Donnelly: [On stage making a fool of himself] That's one small step for man!! One giant.....I have a dream!!! - Black Sheep

ok, here's a joke i came across and thought it was funny. my co-workers were looking at me funny because i couldn't stop giggling. anyway, it was originally a blonde joke, but i decided to change it. in defense to blonde women, they are not as they are portrayed in these jokes. so i'm going to refer to the person being made fun of in this joke as a guy and we'll call him "a moron. ok, here goes:

A moron decides to try horseback riding, even though he has had no lessons or prior experience. He mounts the horse unassisted and it immediately springs into motion. It gallops along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but the moron begins to slip from the saddle. IN TERROR, he grabs for the horse's mane, but cannot seem to get a firm grip.

He tries to throw his arms around the horse's neck, but he slides down the side of the horse anyway. The horse gallops along, seemingly ignorant of its slipping rider.

Finally, giving up his frail grip, the moron attempts to leap away from the horse and throw himself to safety. Unfortunately, his foot becomes ensnarled in the stirrup, and he is now at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as his head is struck against the ground over and over.

As he slowly starts to pass out and lose consciousness, Bobby, the Wal-Mart greeter, sees him and quickly unplugs the horse.

i hope you all enjoyed that one. now go about your business.

** Interesting thought of the day: "Eagles may soar but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." **

this was a few years ago at a district convention. hugo and i were serving as attendants and we were asked to be here. 'here' was behind the stage, outside. we had to watch over the prisoners. yes, you read it correctly, prisoners. prisoners were working way behind the Expo Center and there were guards guarding them. but the brothers wanted us out there just to watch the entrances. so we were out there in the heat and where we couldn't hear the program. i almost missed the presentation of the then new book Benefíciese de la Escuela del Ministerio Teocráctico. when i realized the talk was being given for this book, i made haste and got into the building and just got to see the brother hold up the book and present it and hear thousands of attendees applaud. it's always cool to see the presentation of a new publication. so i am glad i got to see that.

this also shows how the attendants should be appreciated. it might not be that they are always outside watching prisoners, but they do not always get to listen and benefit from the whole program. for the last few years, i've worked out in the hallway. when i would see some of the young people, and others, walk around in the hallways just because, i'd feel sorry for them. they could benefit so much from what Jehovah is telling us. so if you are one of these, STOP IT! and i mean that in the most loving way. and not all young people do this. there are many young brothers and sisters that pay attention during the program. and many others have done it when they were in their ealy teens (me for example), but there comes a time when we just have to realize the importance of the information given to us.

we all just need to keep alert and on the watch, because we do not know when IT'S coming. and when it DOES, it'll be too late to start paying attention to Jehovah's Word(2 Peter 3.10-14; 1 Corinthians 15.58).

Last night, we had our bookstudy, where we are studying the book Pay Attentionto Daniel’s Prophecy. We had gone over part of chapter 5 of Daniel, where those four mysterious words were written on the wall during the feast Belshazzar the king was having. Among the lessons learned: “[Jehovah’s] eyes are against the haughty ones, that [he] may bring them low.” Belshazzar, like his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, were very proud men, proud of their nation and their idols, and their gods. But Jehovah, the Almighty God, showed them that he could exalt them just as easy as he can bring down and humiliate them [Daniel 5.18-21]. It also showed how the Babylonians’ use of idols did them no good by halting Jehovah’s actions, such as when he made Nebuchadnezzar live like a bull for seven years or when he predicted the fall of Babylon itself. Next lesson: using idols in worship is very, very, bad and useless. They are nothing but mere objects made of “silver and of gold, copper, iron, wood and stone, that are beholding nothing or hearing nothing or knowing nothing”. It is only to Jehovah who we should give exclusive devotion to [Daniel 5.22,23; Exodus 20.2-6].

[To look up the biblical scriptures, go here.]

[Would you like to receive a copy of this publication? Go here for info.]

"White, gold, green,
Black, blue, and red
Are the colors I see",
Roy the Boy said.

if you have a cat or have had one, you would know how they like to get into bags and boxes where they can barely fit. my mom had this 7-up box on her bed and when i entered the room this morning, the cat, whose name is Manu [mom named him], was in a jumpy mood. so he jumped around a bit like he was on something and squeezed himself into this box, then quickly he put his face where you now see it.

Manu is the name of our cat.
My mom treats him lik a spoiled brat.
For example, she bought him a little hat.
He goes bonkers with his toy rat.
But would freak out if he saw a bat.
He would either run scared or lie down flat.
Which he can't really do, cuz he's kinda fat.

quote: "You can't catch a bat with a pot... moron." - Black Sheep

this was on sunday morning, the last day of the 2005 convention of Jehovah's Witnesses.
It was a beautiful morning.
It was a beautiful day,
To listen and to learn.
To sing and to pray
To Jehovah.

1. When I’m feeling down, I like to whistle. It makes the neighbor’s dog run to the end of his chain and gag himself.

2. The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

3. If you smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.

4. The sole purpose of a child’s middle name is so he can tell when he’s really in trouble.

5. "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." - Alfred Lord Tennyson. Hey, this dude is pretty funny.

6. Did you ever notice: The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are " XL."

7. Never ever tell a lie, because it will come back... and sock you in the face.

Here's a poem that I found and would like to share:

"Jehovah's Day"

Last night the worst dream I ever had, came.
After having that dream, I won't be the same.

It was such a huge global catastrophe,
But the worst thing of all was what happened to me.

I thought I was doing okay in the truth,
Sharing the Good News with both aged and youth.

I'd go out in service whenever I could,
But it wasn't as often as I knew that I should.

I'd make all the meetings (when I had the desire)
And prayed every night (if I wasn't too tired).

"Study with the children", sometimes is what I said,
but more often than not, it was time for their bed.

"I'm better than those in the world", I recalled.
Most didn't do any of these things at all.

Though I didn't do all that I could have and should,
Jehovah will remember me, I was sure he would.

I recall now my dream and with much reservation,
We were nearing the end of the Great Tribulation.

Everything had happened just as the Bible said,
But then came the day in my dream that I'd dread.

Two of us were working very hard in the field,
Then Jehovah's angel came and his sword began to wield.

At last I thought, "Finally I'm nearing my salvation!"
When suddenly, I realized MY LIFE was to be taken.

"Wait, there's a mistake-something's wrong", is what I cried.
But nothing that I said changed the fact that I died.

Suddenly I woke and with such a bad start,
Wiped the tears from my eyes and calmed down my heart.

As I lay there thinking, I began to realize,
Had I really been doing all Jehovah requires?

Had I really been putting his worship first?
Apparently NOT-for my reward was the worst.

I made up my mind that night in bed.
To keep my eyes fixed on the hope that's ahead.

TO THINK OF JEHOVAH FROM THE TIME I GET UP.
TO TELL OTHERS OF HIM WITH NEVER A LET UP.

TO LIVE AND TO DREAM AND TO TEACH IN GOD'S WAY,
THEN, I'D PROBABLY BE CONCEALED, COME JEHOVAH'S DAY.

this is where we would take rey when he was younger, you know, so he can play.

In the magazine The Watchtower, February 1, 2003 issue, an article was published on how to cultivate a balanced view of work. In the article, there was a reference to a book that gave praise to Jehovah's Witnesses and how they make good employees. To view the article from The Watchtower, go here. On that certain book, pictured here, read what it had to say....



Here is Page 81:

"What about the cleaning lady or the carpet cleaner? At the very least, use someone that your friends have used for years and will recommend without reservations. However, if you have secrets to protect, this precaution may not be enough. PIs have been known to offer serious money to obtain trash from a home office before it has been shredded.

My next suggestion may be worth far more to you than the price you paid for this book. Inn the first edition of this book, I suggested you contact an active member of the Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, or the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons).

Unlike the mainstream religions, you seldom if ever find a longtime member of these three religions in jail unless, as in some countries, they are there for their faith. These people believe that their Creator is watching them, and most would rather die than steal.

Now that the feedback from this suggestion has come in, I will limit my recommendation to Jehovah's Witnesses, who received a uniformly good report. I hasten to add, however, that there were no bad reports about the other two religions. Rather, there weren’t any reports at all. I assume therefore, that the other two groups do not have many members interested in cleaning. The Witnesses, on the other hand, do up to eighty percent of the nightly janitorial work in office buildings in major cities, and an even higher percentage in clinics. In almost any town, there are Witnesses with janitorial and carpet cleaning businesses, as well as individuals that do much of the cleaning in upscale homes where security is paramount. They usually clean for a flat rate, work briskly yet carefully, and earn from $20 to $40 an hour. They seldom object to working odd hours such as late at night, very early in the morning, or on holidays (since they do not celebrate them).

Although they call their church buildings "Kingdom Halls" we look them up in the Yellow Pages under "Churches". Over the years, we have learned that the best time to call a Kingdom Hall is between 6:45 and 7:10 PM on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. This is just before they have one of their meetings. Ask to speak to one of their "elders". If they are busy, leave your number and have them call back. When an elder comes on the line, do not use a title such as pastor or reverend---they do not use titles. Just explain what you need. There is no need to be embarrassed about calling. Non-Witness persons often call Kingdom Halls to ask who is looking for work. (Besides janitorial, they are in demand in businesses where large sums of money are being handled.) If you are unusually concerned about privacy, say you prefer a worker that is a "pioneer". This is the term Witnesses use for those who put most of their time in the Bible teaching work. They cannot be pioneers unless they have an excellent reputation both within and without their congregation. And not to worry; they will not preach to you while on the job."

Thanks Naarah. :)

on this day, we went to burry our grandfather, my mom's dad. here we were at where my great grandparents were burried. she died at 28 from tuberculosis, leaving 3 girls and her husband, my grandfather. he died when i was about 12. he was in his 80's, i think. he never remarried. and before he died, he asked to be burried next to his wife.

well, we are back. and what a weekend we had. it was a beautiful weekend. we got to see many old friends and meet new ones. it was interesting when we sang songs. as i would sing, i would stop for a couple of lines and just hear the brothers and sisters sing. it gave me goosebumps. the new publications are wonderful. Jehovah is making it so easy for us to serve him and help others to do the same. all we have to do is take that help (publications, meetings, assemblies) and use them. then there were 52 new brothers and sisters that have simbolized their dedication to Jehovah by baptizm. we had one of the members of the governing body with us that gave us excellent information and counsel. he introduced to us the new publication What does the Bible really teach? and that last talk he gave was amazing. he used maybe like 10-15 minutes to talk to the young people in english, knowing that for many of them, it is hard to learn the truth in spanish, when everything else around them, like school and this country is mainly in english. i couldn't even write notes during that part, because it was just so moving. i hope it touched the heart of every young person in that building to think about their futures with Jehovah and the blessings it will give them. and the drama. wow. brought a tear to our eyes. except for growing up with one beleiving parent, i could really relate to timothy. it showed how he had to face several influences until he chose the wisest thing to do with his life: to serve Jehovah to the fullest.

if there was one word to describe this weekend, it would be joy. we really got to see and experience once more spiritual paradise.

well, this is the last picture i am posting until monday (and it's not even mine), due to the district convention we are going to this weekend. if you have already gone to this year's convention, hope you enjoyed it. and those of you that haven't gone, i'll see you there. :)

My pals on my computer screen at work. Their cool, but they talk to much.

This is an article that was in the San Antonio Express News last Friday....

Vianna Davila
Express-News Staff Writer

For every door that has opened for lifelong San Antonio Jehovah's Witness Joe Doctor III, plenty have slammed in his face.
He's learned not to take it personally.

As a so-called "publisher" — one who publicly identifies as a follower of Jehovah through a door-to-door ministry — Doctor is one of 6.5 million Witnesses worldwide who aim to reach every household at least once a year with one mission: to love thy neighbor and share Jehovah's kingdom.

"We know that every door we knock on is a challenge," said Doctor, 43. "If we talk to somebody one day and they are hostile, we feel in our hearts we've planted a seed."

With 85 English and Spanish Jehovah's Witness congregations in San Antonio, Witnesses ferry their message across city blocks with methodical perseverance and unyielding sincerity.

But the right to ring a doorbell or wedge their literature in a doorframe represents decades of hard-won battles.

"You may be irritated when somebody wakes you up on Saturday morning and knocks on your door," said Jehovah's Witness General Counsel Philip Brumley, based in New York. "But you might think on another hand, isn't it nice in this country we have a freedom to do that?"

A right to minister
Witnesses have successfully argued cases in front of the Supreme Court 48 times. One of their most prominent Witnesses and general counsels was Hayden Covington.

Covington was second only to Thurgood Marshall in the number of successful civil liberty cases he argued, many with far-reaching implications for all Americans, Brumley said.

Witnesses won cases that allowed them to distribute information without taxation, a precedent that later affected the right of newspapers to do the same, said Trinity University assistant communications professor Jennifer Jacobs Henderson.

They have argued that politicians might not have the right to canvas door-to-door and people could be forced to salute the American flag against their will, Brumley recalled.

The greatest blow to the religion in the United States came with the 1940 Supreme Court case Minersville School District vs. Gobitis, which said that Jehovah's Witness children could be forced to salute and pledge to the flag in school, a violation of their allegiance to Jehovah.

The ruling opened the door for Witness persecution across the country, said Henderson, who's writing a book on the religion's contribution to First Amendment rights. In Texas alone, there were mob beatings and an attempt to hang a Witness.

Minersville was overturned in 1943 with the case West Virginia Board of Education vs. Barnette, known as the flag salute case, Brumley said.

In a recent 2002 victory for Jehovah's Witnesses, the Court ruled that the city of Stratton, Ohio, could not force religious groups and political canvassers to obtain a permit before taking to the streets.

Both decisions weren't just boons for the Witnesses: it meant more rights for everyone, Brumley said, calling the religion and the paths Witnesses forged in the name of freedom of expression "a slice of the American pie."

But the right to sacrifice time for their religion, which began in the late 19th century with a focus on evangelism and the coming of the millenium, didn't come easily. Between 1935 and 1950, at least 10,000 Witnesses were arrested in the United States for their door-to-door ministry, Brumley said. They've had to fight for their right to refuse blood transfusions because Witnesses believe blood is sacred.

Abroad, the Nazis persecuted them during the Holocaust; at least 2,500 died in concentration camps, Brumley said.

Though they are Christian, many of their beliefs are different from those of other Christian groups. Their name originates in Isaiah 43:10, Brumley said: "'You are my witnesses,' is the utterance of Jehovah, 'even my servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and have faith in me.'"

Witnesses also believe Jehovah is the one and only true God and that Jesus is his son. They discount the idea of the Holy Trinity. Witnesses believe Earth will be restored to paradise, and unrepentant sinners do not face hell but cease to exist upon their death. They do not use religious symbols in their worship.

San Antonio Witness Vivian Riley, 59, remembers friends from San Antonio who were jailed when they refused to fight in the Vietnam War. Jehovah's Witnesses refuse to bear arms because doing so violates Jesus' commandment to love they neighbor, Brumley said. The 1953 case Dickinson vs. the United States clarified draft exemptions for ministers — all Witnesses are considered ministers, Brumley said.

"There's forces that like to restrict religions," Brumley said. "We are then obligated to push back in the other direction."

Perfected to a science
For Riley, the cases have only ensured her right to complete her mission: "If you saw a neighbor's house on fire, you'd run over, wouldn't you, to warn her. That's how we feel about our message."

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God, through the Bible, instructs them to spread a message of love throughout the world. Brumley references Matthew 24:14: "And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come."

The well-known door-to-door ministry is a requirement of all Witnesses, and they have perfected their work to a science.

They carry laminated territory cards of individual neighborhoods and chronicle each house they visit on small sheets of paper, noting points of interest or concern in every household like "worried about crime" or "searching for the meaning of life."

Children are encouraged to publish, as are the elderly. Some publishers graduate to become "pioneers," who make a yearlong commitment to log 70 hours of ministry every month.

"This is something since I was younger that I've wanted to do," said Lisa Riley, 34, Vivian's daughter-in-law, who started her year of pioneering last September. "It's hard to explain. It's just been wonderful."

The time of publishing excludes the hours Witnesses spend in five meetings sprinkled throughout the week at each congregation's Kingdom Hall, the name for their gathering place.

Clearing up misperceptions also consumes a large part of their ministry: No, they are not Mormons. Yes, they can drink alcohol, in moderation. One woman who Doctor's wife, Kim, encountered thought Witnesses lived in communes and grew their own food. Witness David Casillas said he's had to politely ask his co-workers to remove his name from the office birthday list because Witnesses don't celebrate them.

"Nine times out of 10 they (people) are ignorant as to what our beliefs are," said Casillas, 39. But after some explanation, "they realize you're just like everyone else."

Converting isn't necessarily their goal, either, Doctor said. They don't want to shove the Bible down anyone's throat.

"We feel that if a person makes a decision that they do not want to follow God's principles and become a Jehovah's Witness at this particular moment, we still feel satisfied," Doctor said. "We feel we're doing God's will, preaching the good news to everyone."

Lisa Riley's daughter Jasmine, 11 and a publisher since she was 8, explains her tenacity like this: "There are so many more people that don't know about God's kingdom," Jasmine said.

'No Jehovah's Witnesses'
Though many of the big battles for Witnesses in the U.S. have been won, the day-to-day challenges continue.

On one Saturday morning spent publishing, Kim Doctor and another publisher knocked on a door on the city's Southwest Side. When it's opened they began with a Bible verse. "No thank you," said the woman who answered.

At the next house they encountered a sign pasted on one door: "Aqui somos catolicos" "We are a Catholic household."

Kim knocked and when she received no answer, left behind a pamphlet.

Other days the signs are clearer. In one neighborhood, she spotted a string of placards that specifically said "No Jehovah's Witnesses." Sometimes people call the police or yell obscenities. Kim once even heard a man murmur to his dog, "Sic 'em," as she and her fellow publishers passed.

It's all opposition they've learned to take in stride because they never know whose door could open and whose life they could change.

"We're not there to argue," Kim said. "We're there to share. And it's up to them if they want to listen or not."


Walter Garbut, 14, and August Torres, 8, go door-to-door as they volunteer as part of a team of Jehovah's Witnesses recently. Their group was on a weekend mission going through a neighborhood to talk to people about their faith.


David Casillas (left) and Joe Doctor III meet with Roger Casias (right) at his home recently after asking permission to talk to him about their religion. 'We feel we're doing God's will, preaching the good news to everyone,' Doctor says of Jehovah's Witnesses.

vdavila@express-news.net

a while back, we went to a friend's parents' anniversary at a restaurant called mamasitas. and in the room the party was at had a beautiful mural on one wall of this girl dancing. i couldn't take a good picture because it was dark and the lights of the room came out on the picture, but oh well, it was a nice mural anyway.

i took this one yesterday. it's from the romantic and poetic biblical book of.....

I found this from an old 'forward' that I had received, and thought it would be funny to post.

“It’s a guy thing.”
Means: “There is no rational thought pattern connected with it, and you have no chance at all of making it logical.”

“Uh huh”, “Sure Honey”, or “Yes, Dear…”
Means: Absolutely nothing. It’s a conditioned response.

“It would take too long to explain.”
Means: “I have no idea how it works.”

“Take a break, honey. You’re working too hard”.
Means: “I can’t hear the spurs game over the vacuum cleaner.” (i added "spurs" :)

“That’s interesting, dear.”
Means: “Are you still talking?”

“Oh, don’t fuss. I just cut myself. It’s no big deal.”
Means: “I have actually severed a limb, but I will bleed to death before I admit that I am hurt.”

“I can’t find it.”
Means: “It didn’t fall into my outstretched hands, so I’m completely clueless.”

“I heard you.”
Means: “I haven’t the foggiest clue what you just said."

But that's not all. I also have: "What a girl really mean", coming to a blog near you....

does anyone think that these funnies are funny? i crack up with these things. you know, i look at this picture and i can almost be certain that my mom did this to us when we were very young....

ok, forget about the one i posted yesterday. that one had only 15. easy. this one has 32. actually, it had only 30, but i decided to add a couple more. if you think you are up to the challenge, find the names and email them to me. don't post them. (this goes especially to someone whom i will not name) j/k brother. here it is:

This is a most remarkable puzzle. It was found by a gentleman in an airplane seat pocket, on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping him occupied for hours. He enjoyed it so much, he passed it on to some friends. One friend from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his johnboat. Another friend studied it while playing his banjo. Elaine Taylor, a columnist friend, was so intrigued by it she mentioned it in her weekly newspaper column. Another friend judges the job of solving this puzzle so involving, she brews a cup of tea to help her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot. That's a fact. Some people, however, will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. Truthfully, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a pretty long while to see some of them at the worst. Research has shown that something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have in seeing the books in this paragraph. During a recent fund raising event, which featured this puzzle, the Alpha Delta Phi lemonade booth set a new record. The local paper, The Chronicle, surveyed over 200 people who reported that this puzzle was one of the most difficult they had ever seen. One of those people was this guy of the name Dimitri Kiez. Ran from one side of the town to the other in excitement, when he finally figured it out after a week. But if you can get them all fast, you’re a real pro. Verbs, nouns, adjectives… remember, they can be anywhere. As Daniel Humana humbly puts it, "The books are all right here in plain view hidden from sight." Those able to find all of them will hear great lamentations from those who have to be shown. One revelation that may help is that books like Timothy and Samuel may occur without their numbers. Also, keep in mind, that punctuation and spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete really well against those who claim to know the answers. Remember, there is no need for a mad exodus; there really are 32 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in this paragraph waiting to be found.

OH, WHAT FUN!!! (email me for the answers)

I was going through my stuff and found this old game that I've done when I was a kid. See if you can figure it out:

Here’s a Bible game, which may not be as easy as it looks. But it will start you mind thinking. So, in this paragraph, are hidden the names of fifteen of the sixty-six books of the Bible. One is italicized to get you started. It’s a real lulu. Kept me looking so hard for the facts that I missed the REVELATION. I was in a jam, especially since the names were not capitalized. The truth will come to numbers of our readers. To others, it will be a real job. For all, it will be a most fascinating search. Yes. There will be some easy to spot; and others hard to judge, so we’ll admit, it usually results in loud lamentations when we can’t find them. One lady says she brews coffee while she puzzles over it. Remarkable, isn’t it?

Did anyone find all 15? Email me (roy.r.reyes@gmail.com) with the names you found.

one day, our congregation went to this park and spent the day there. there was this one spot with humungous (spelling?) trees and i climbed one of them and took a few pictures from up there. it was nice and relaxing.... except for the time i almost fell.

this is another sunset i took a while back. if you look really close, you can see.... nothing.

i remember when we used to have our circuit assemblies here when we were younger. i don't really remember listening to the talks at the time. we would explore the place when we weren't supposed to and rub our shoes on the carpet and shock eachother. it was fun.

(To read question, go here.)

The dimensions of the arc Noah built was 439.5 ft long, 73.8 ft wide, and 44.3 ft high. whoah.

In the Botanic Gardens of Ft. Worth was also a logoon or something like that. Sure, it was nice in the day, but the locals mentioned to us how at night, when it's dark and black, a creature ascends from the depths of the lagoon.... and sings and dances Grease Lightning from Grease...

This past weekend, we went to Ft. Worth to visit family. We went to the Botanic Gardens they have there and it was preeeeeeety. They had a pond, and, water fountains, and and squirrels! I GOT CLOSE TO A SQUIRREL! MIND BLOWING!! Well, anyway, here is a pic from that park.

Q: What are the length, width, and height of the arc that Noah built according to the Scriptures and what are those dimensions in modern times?

(to read the question again, go here)

The Greek word for immortality basically means “not mortal”. One who is immortal has life that is unending, endless, interminable. One having everlasting life, on the other hand, is mortal and can die. Those who are immortal are Jehovah God, Jesus Christ, the 144,000 annointed christians that will reign with Jesus in heaven. Angels are not immortal, since they can die. The Bible states how Jehovah has already passed judgement on many angels, such as Satan and the angels that followed him. After the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ, humans will not be immortal. But Jehovah has promised that they will have everlasting life on a peaceful and beautiful paradise here on earth.

Here are a couple of responses i received during the week:

"Inmortal means you never die and eternal life, you can."

"Being immortal means that you cannot die and eternal life is what we human beings can acquire if we maintain ourselves strong and faithful and make it to the end of these hard times by serving Jehovah the way he would like us to."

Thanks E. and mom.

I took this picture from the District Convention of 2003. Then Ruben, my brother, got a hold of the picture....

Here's a pic that was obviously touched up. The party turned out great, my grandparents were both happy. Which made all of us happy.

What is the difference between being immortal and having eternal life?

well, i didn't take too many pictures, but there is a picture me and my brothers had made for my grandparents for their anniversary....

Have a great sunday!

(to read the question again, go here)

Jehovah showed mercy towards David, because Jehovah had made a pact with him, that his kingdom would be established to time indefinite (2 Samuel 7.16). And the king of that kingdom would have to be a Permanent Heir, which was to be Jesus Christ (Luke 1.32,33). If David had died, the prophecy wouldn’t have been completed. Also, Jehovah read David’s heart and saw the sincerity of his repentance. There were consequences, though. The son he had with Bath-sheba died (2 Samuel 12.14).

Here are a couple of great responses to the question i received by a couple of sisters:

Jehovah decided to take this case in his own hands seeing that he saw David’s repentant heart, since the judges of the day weren’t able to. Jehovah made an exception with David, even though his actions didn’t go without consequences, such as the death of his son he had with Bath-sheba.

Well, Jehovah was able to read David’s heart and see how he felt. Also, he had previously made a pact of the kingdom with David, and because of that, Jehovah decided to take care of that case personally ….. I think that’s the answer. : /

Thank you, "K" and "M".

I will post another question Monday. :)

The Mosaic Law stated that the penalty for committing adultery was death (Deuteronomy 22.22-24; Leviticus 20.10). The same went for committing murder (Numbers 35.30). If so, why didn’t King David die when he committed adultery with Bath-sheba, then had her husband, Uriah, killed in battle (2 Samuel 11.1-27)? Under the Law, he deserved death, but why was he allowed to live?