My Little Corner of the Universe

Ok, there is going to be another change. I am no longer going to be posting at this site. These posts here will remain, though, but I will now be posting at alwaysmakesmesmile.blogspot.com. There will also be a link to get back here if anyone would like.

So, I leave this blog site with this picture entitled "The Road Home".

This past weekend, I went to the convention in Corpus Christi, Texas. It was, of course, wonderful. Along with the abundance of rich spiritual food, the association of the brothers was very delightful. The peak attendance was a bit more than 5 thousand of our brothers and friends. There were some amazing speakers, like brother J. Oranday, who reminded us to be valiant and have courage when preaching. A sister was interviewed and what helped her to overcome her shyness and to be more confident were two things, prayer and preparation.

Brother A. Sánchez spoke about the power of God’s Word and how we should use it. He mentioned that it is our “sword”, but we shouldn’t use it to threaten or knock down. It should be used primarily to defend Jehovah, and to comfort and encourage others. In addition, we should always look at the context of the verses we are considering to apply them correctly.

Brother H. González talked about Daniel, and how he never broke up his routine of his worship to Jehovah, even when the Law prohibited it. He then asked: What sacrifices are we willing to make to serve Jehovah. Kinda reminds us of Hosea, as we are studying in the bookstudy.

Brother M. Donner (I think that was his name) discussed how we listen and read. To not only be hearers, but doers. He then quoted from The Watchtower from 1977 (I didn’t get the rest of the reference) that mentions that if we read something in the Bible and don’t understand it, and yet skip it without trying to understand it, we are then disrespecting Jehovah. On this point, reminds me of a suggestion my good friend J. Arambula made. As one is reading and comes across people, places, objects or whatever, the Insight book is there waiting for us. That way, what we read can be truly understood. He also mentioned the importance of meditating. For one minute of reading, we should dedicate one minute to meditate on what we read.

He read 1 Corinthians 6:9 that states how unjust people will not inherit God’s kingdom. He then reasoned that we obviously will avoid such things as homosexuality, but what about what we watch? “Do we laugh at it, or do we find it disgusting and repulsive?” he asked.

By this time, something was brought to my attention by a fellow brother. This little girl in front of us had a notebook that had interesting pre-printed stuff on it. It had spaces where the child could write in the scriptures that were cited, and how many times Jehovah and Jesus’ name were mentioned. I remember during The Watchtower study when I was a wee lad, the brother would say in the beginning that by the end, he will ask how many times Jehovah and Jesus’ names were mentioned as well as a word that part of the main theme of the study. It’s a good way to keep the kiddies busy listening not playing with action figures. Take this picture for example. This was taken on Sunday. Yes, I should’ve been paying attention to the speaker and not on my neighbor’s toys, but I couldn’t resist. Unlike the aforementioned theocratic child with her notebook, here was a Daredevil action figure (the movie version).



You can’t see it too well. It was taken by a camera phone. So, at the time, the child was not being entertained by it, since he wasn’t there. But he had the multi-poseable figurine at the convention, nonetheless.

ANYWAY, it was not time for the baptism talk. Brother W. Lopez, the circuit overseer that I used to have gave the talk. As we know, the talk is not only for the candidates to get baptized, but also for all of us, to reflect on our own dedication and if we are fulfilling our promise to Jehovah. He gave this interesting illustration about a bed. To get to sleep, one may toss and turn until he/she finds that sweet spot and comfortable position that will knock you out. That is precisely what we don’t want to do in the spiritual sense. We don’t want to get in a comfortable state and stay there, because what will happen? We will fall asleep spiritually.

Brother (didn’t get his name) mentioned that we should keep pace with Jehovah’s organization. That reminds me of a talk given by brother D. Splane, member of the Governing Body. He also touched that point and said that we sometimes say “the Society’s publications”. But as we have noticed, the articles haven’t said that for some time. Because the Society is a legal entity. The publications come from, not a legal entity, but from the “faithful and discreet slave”. The Society doesn’t write the information, the “slave class” does. There is also the Memorial. It’s more for the Spanish-speaking brothers. In English, it’s just “Memorial”. In Spanish, it used to be called “Memorial”, but it has been changed to “Conmemoración” some years ago. There is also the famous “siervo de circuito” (circuit overseer). The term “siervo de circuito” was adopted in 1948, but around 1993 it was changed to “superintendente de circuito”. Yeah, they are details, not necessary for eternal life, but it’s all about keeping pace with Jehovah’s organization, not being left behind it.

The drama was awesome, as usual. The brothers and sisters involved did a wonderful job and the message was clear with many lessons to apply to all of us. I almost miss the days where they would turn off the lights for the drama. Almost.

Then there are the new publications! Wow. For the one presented on Saturday, the brother made a fine point. He mentioned how one of the main reasons why brothers and sisters leave Jehovah, is not because of a doctrine. It’s clear how we can’t have idols, or celebrate pagan holidays. Rather it is because of conduct and attitude. And this book targets those things to help us maintain in Jehovah’s love. And isn’t that so? It has direct counsel for everyone, so we can stay on the right path and not be misled by the world and what it offers.

Well, those were just some of the main points on Saturday. I hope it wasn’t too much and I hope that it benefits in some way. If there are points you would like to share about the convention, please feel free to leave a comment. You are so welcome to do so.

This past weekend, I returned home to visit my family and as I was passing through Boerne, I was listening to NPR. They sometimes give the most interesting stories.

A report was given on "Text Walking". An ER doctor was interviewed and she mentioned that the first patients she took care of were victims of 'text walking'. The first victim, or better said, the delinquent, was a young woman in her early 20’s. She was on her way to who knows where and she was texting while walking. Apparently, she was so involved in it that she missed the end of the sidewalk, fell to the street onto an oncoming car. The man driving the car (who was on the phone, by the way) saw her, and then swerved to end up hitting a lamppost. Nothing serious happened to them, but pretty embarrassing nonetheless. So, as we can see, there are two parties involved in these accidents: ‘text-walking-victims’ (TWV’s) caused by ‘text-walking-delinquents’ (TWD’s).

A TWD up to no-good


It looks like a pretty serious thing, because in Indiana or Illinois, (I can’t remember which) a law was passed and fines of about $25 are now, or going to be issued to TWD’s. The reported asked the doctor what she thought about that, if it sounded a bit silly that a health type emergency had to be called to take care of this problem. The doc answered that she agreed with it, because this was not an isolated incident and that about once a week, she receives TWV’s and sometimes the TWD’s. So, the question is: have you ever been a TWV or a TWD? I admit I have been a TWD. :(

The reporter lady asked the doc lady how people could avoid these silly accidents. Her response ASTOUNDED me. She said: when you are going to text, you should stop, get out of the way, and send your text. How clever!

This guy should have done just that.


Even though these steps are not complicated, we sometimes do the opposite, thinking that nothing will happen. The same goes for ‘text driving’. Time magazine has the details: Time?

“A new survey found that 18% of cell phone users type text messages while driving, despite mounting evidence that it leads to accidents and fatalities. Nearly 600 young people have joined a Facebook group called “I Text Message People While Driving And I Haven’t Crashed Yet!””

How interesting is that? So, let’s be careful on the road, on the sidewalk, and in life.

*****

You know, you’re one of Jehovah’s Witnesses if…

If you know when Nisan 14 of the Jewish calendar lands in the Gregorian calendar from year to year, and yet you commonly forget your own birthday.

Have a great day!

Hello to all you wonderful people! I has been so long since I wrote on this blog. I don't know what happened that I had to change the site address. And I haven't written because I simply haven't had any time to do it. I'm gonna try to keep up with it to let known what has been going on during the past year and how I'm doing now.

Things have been going great here in Sonora, Texas. The congregation is going well, the brothers have continually been taking care of me. You may or may not remember that I was living with a brother when I first moved here. To jog your memory, go here.

But now, I'm living in a small house that I'm renting. I've been there for a few months. I will try to get some pictures to show my "pad" or my "crib". :)

Right now, I'm back in San Anto, visiting my family. I came for my grandparents, actually. They celebrated their 33rd anniversary. I got to hang with some friends, not all, unfortunately. There are simply not enough hours in the day. I got to visit the congregation I used to attend to. It was really nice to see all the brothers and sisters that I haven't seen in a long time. It reminded me of how much I miss all of them.

But tomorrow, I have to get back to the real world! Tomorrow, we have the congregation book study and, as we all know, we will be starting another book, "Live with Jehovah's Day in Mind". Just the title alone is intriguing. But how did the Revelation book go for you?

Sure, it was filled with prophecies, dates, beasties, colors, numbers, and all sorts of things. It was really interesting. It was, as a brother put it, deep. Another brother, a D.O., gave me and others an article of The Watchtower to help keep in mind the whole picture of that wonderful book we finished studying. Here is the reference: (in English) w83 5/1 p.29-31 'A Searching Look at Revelation'; (or in Spanish) w83 15/8 p. 29-31 'Una mirada escrutadora a Revelación'. We just want to remember that, even though some of us didn't fully understand everything in the book of Revelation, we did and do appreciate Jehovah revealing the significance of this book to us. And what we want to take from it, among other things, is how it is a privilege to be a witness of Jehovah, having this information, and we have seen how Jehovah fulfills his will, one way or another. It truly was a wonderful book.

And now we begin with another wonderful book. A brother had made a bookmark for this one, including the study schedule. If you don't already have one and would like one, you can leave a comment with your email address and I will email you the bookmark on Word documents. Only I will be able to see these comments. So don't worry, no one will get your email addresses.

This is what it looks like:

For the Spanish-speaking brothuhs



For the English-speaking brothuhs



(FYI, the actual files I will send you look better than these.)

Well, that is if for now. If anyone would like to ask any questions, please make a comment or send me an email.

Have a great week!

Well, I finally found some time to write. A few weeks after I went to my District Convention, I went ahead and went with my parents to their convention in Belton, TX. That was a lot of fun. Not only did I get to benefit from the program again, but also I got to see many old friends and family I haven’t seen in a while. But before the convention, I had gone to San Anton a week before to be with my family. It was a very good week, although, it did seem long!

The weekend I got to San Antonio, brother Splane from the Governing Body was the speaker for the dedication of a Kingdom Hall. The brother then stayed for the Sunday meeting and gave the talk, called “Serving with Jehovah’s Unified Organization”. And after an abbreviated Watchtower study, he went back up there and told us of experiences, which included the problem the French government is putting on our brothers there. The government wanted to apply a tax where it shouldn’t be applied.

They began to put taxes on the donations. But, at the same time, other organizations that receive donations weren’t being taxed. So they started to question if they were going to get it too. But they didn’t. It was only being applied to the Jehovah’s Witnesses. So the situation was reassessed. So the French government changed the law after they billed our brothers. But whatever happens in the courts, Jehovah has the final say. All we can do is pray for our brothers and sisters, and wait on Jehovah’s justice.

It was a great meeting. Well, they all are, actually, but in this one, I got to meet brother Splane. Here’s a picture of him and me.

So, after that week, I went back home.

The following weekend, almost the entire congregation got together at a park with a river. So that was cool. We had lots of food, talked, laughed, played volleyball, and some swam a bit.

The following weekend, one of my cousins got married, so I had to get back to San Antonio. But this time, I just stayed for the weekend.

On that Monday, at noon, I accompanied my younger brother for lunch at his Pioneer School. This is the second week of their class and I’m glad I was here to visit with the brothers and sisters there.

As every Jehovah’s Witness, the work in the congregation and in the ministry continues. And that has been very exciting. Before I left to San Antonio, I got to talk to this one lady who wants to study! She told me she used to study before and that she wanted to start up again. So during our conversation, she expressed the desire for her husband to also study. She seemed very excited, so we’ll see what happens there. It’s really a beautiful thing to be considered as fellow workers, or collaborators, by Jehovah.

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 – "What, then, is A·pol'los? Yes, what is Paul? Ministers through whom YOU became believers, even as the Lord granted each one. I planted, A·pol'los watered, but God kept making [it] grow; so that neither is he that plants anything nor is he that waters, but God who makes [it] grow. Now he that plants and he that waters are one, but each [person] will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers."

And finally, I found a job! For now, I’m working with a brother. And before I left to San Antonio, I had gone to the bank and the lady whom I spoke with when I applied gave me another application to fill out for a part time position there. So I’ll see how that goes. But in the meantime, just as he takes care of all of those who serve him, Jehovah has been taking care of me.

Until next time.

A couple of days ago, I was invited to help out the Calderon family from the congregation at their ranch. They showed me what work they do and it turned out to be a very interesting day. Sadly I didn't get to take a look at all the animals around there, but I did get shots of their pets. This one is called Pequeña, who is not used to me yet. She's a feisty little one, but she'll soon learn some respect....

District Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses 2007/2008


This past weekend, we had our District Convention entitled "Follow the Christ". Is it that every year the conventions get better and better, or do we appreciate them more as we get older? I don't know, maybe both. But I know that this year's convention was great. Also it was the first convention with the congregation that I now am a part of. But to my surprise, I had company. Friday night, my mom, granny, and my bro Ross came. I was glad to see them, obviously. Even though it has been a month, it seems like longer. I had also met new brothers and sisters from San Angelo, Del Rio, Abilene, Ft. Stockton, and Odessa that made me feel more like I belonged there. But of course, that is how it is in Jehovah's organization. Going someplace new can make someone feel like they don't belong, and that may just be human nature in an imperfect and cruel world. But it's different in Jehovah's organization, because you will always belong.

John 13:35 "By this all will know that YOU are my disciples, if YOU have love among yourselves."

The information was powerful and very practical. The experiences were encouraging. There was sister Urías from Ft. Stockton who was interviewed on preparing new disciples. And the study ended up being a sister of ours. And she said with a few tears and a semi-broken voice, that last month, she accompanied the new sister to the Pioneer School.

The peak attendance was a bit more than 3 thousand and 33 new brothers and sisters were baptized: 15 brothers and 18 sisters (go figure).

Again, the information was very practical. One of the speakers pointed out that we don't want to get back home and say that that was a beautiful program and by the next week forget the theme of it or the information given. He said that we should continue reviewing our notes and meditating on how we can apply them. That is the only way we will be following the Christ, not like millions of others who say that they have accepted him in their hearts and as their personal saviors and not do anything he has taught. And people call us un-christian.

All in all, it was awesome. From both dramas to the new publication. I will not mention the title of the publication for those who do not want to know yet.

Well that is all for now. Have a great day and watch out for the spider monkeys.

"Since stress is the nonspecific response of the body to any demand, everybody is always under some degree of stress."— Dr. Hans Selye.

I was listening to this talk by brother Splane called "Guarding our hearts" and he listed 6 things to relieve stress, since it affects all of us.

1\ Simplify our lives.
2\ Confess serious sins.
3\ Don’t be a victim, take charge of unpleasant situations.
-For example, letting teachers, employers, and others of our faith before waiting for them to find out. Waiting for such thing can cause stress for some.
4\ Any problem is temporary and Jehovah and Christ are with us.
5\ Focus on positive things. (Study, meditation, and meetings.)
6\ Above all, prayer.

By doing so, we will be calm and happy as a bird, and it will help us to endure.

Matthew 24.13 - "But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved."

Good afternoon. Just thought I put something up to let all who were wondering how I am doing. And doing good, I am. Just getting ready for the convention we have in San Angelo in a few weeks. I can't wait. It should be most intriguing.

This past weekend a few friends from San Antone came to visit and we had a good time. Saturday morning, we went to the town of Ozona to preach. It went very well, for a sister started, what will undoubtedly become, a study. And another sister found a lady that used to study and asked me if I could restart the study with the whole family. I said... YES, OF COURSE! So Thursday, I will be heading out there. :)

Then at around 3:30pm we headed for the Caverns of Sonora. For an hour and a half, we walked down to 150 feet below the surface and saw awesome rock formations. The guide was explaining how some of these formations formed with temperatures, minerals and stuff. I didn't really follow, but it made me appreciate Jehovah's creation and wisdom.

Psalms 19:1 - "The heavens are declaring the glory of God; And of the work of his hands the expanse is telling."

I didn't take too many pictures, but here are some.









So that was cool. Sunday was the meeting and the brothers and sisters here just loved the ones visiting and vice versa. It was really encouraging.

And today, I had the internet installed on my computer. And as we were both in the room, conversation started up, and then religion then came up. He said that religion fascinates him. He was kinda enthusiastic about it. He was convinced that we have to base our beleifs on the Bible, not on what a person says or teaches. So we talked a bit, at least one Scripture was read and I was planning to give him a tract when he left, but I didn't. :( I gave him a BOOK INSTEAD! :) I gave him What does the Bible really teach? and briefly explained that it has what we believe, as Jehovah's Witnesses. He graciously took it and left with a smile.

'Twas a good day.

I'll leave yall with a joke:

A grasshopper walks into a bar and the bartender says, "Hey, we have a drink named after you!"

The grasshopper looks surprised and says, "You have a drink named Steve?"

Come on! You know you wanna laugh!

Until next time.

The moral of the story: Choose your words wisely.

Proverbs 12:18 - "There exists the one speaking thoughtlessly as with the stabs of a sword, but the tongue of the wise ones is a healing."

Hello, my friends! It’s been 12 days since I have moved to Sonora, Texas and it’s been going pretty well. Of course, it hasn't been easy the first few days. Loneliness is not good company. But I guess it’s natural to feel that way. But what really helps is just keeping busy with the preaching work, studying, the meetings, the brothers in the congregation, and, above all, prayer. What also has helped are articles such as "Go Out From Your Land and From Your Relatives" found in August 15, 1988 issue of The Watchtower (w88 8/15) pp.21-23, and "Thinking About a Move to South America?" found in the July 22, 1972 issue of Awake! (g72 7/22) pp. 13-16 (for Spanish: g72 8/11 pág. 13-16), shown to me buy a sister that had gone to serve in the Dominican Republic with a couple other sisters.

Well I’ve settled in, but I’m still unemployed. No worries, hakuna matata. Something will come up with Jehovah’s help. Something always does.

Psalm 37:25 – "A young man I used to be, I have also grown old, and yet I have not seen anyone righteous left entirely, nor his offspring looking for bread." – King David (hopefully Jehovah considers me righteous)

I’m staying with a brother, Jesús Dehoyos. He’s an older brother and he’s lived alone before me. And he happens to rent out rooms to whoever needs them. It’s just what I need, so I’m thankful to Jehovah for this, for an apartment would cost a lot more, more so that I don’t have a job yet. And brother Dehoyos is refusing to take money! But I’ll keep trying to give him something for the expenses. He’s a wonderful brother that likes to joke around, even though he’s 84 years old.

The room is very adequate. I am happy here. My room has 7 windows. And although it does get hot at times, its not that bad. I just think about a couple I know that is serving in a Spanish-speaking town in Africa, and things start to look a lot better. Surely Jehovah is blessing them greatly for their efforts. Back to my little room, when all the windows are open with a fan in one of them, mmmm, it feels so good.

And there is an agreeable sound outside my windows. The constant chirping of birds. And there are a lot of them. Just looking outside my room, I mostly see trees, and birds are always flying by. It’s quite calming. And then there are the squirrels who ruffle around in the trees. I don’t know if it’s the same one who visits my side of the roof, but I’d like to think so. I’ve named him Felipe. I’ll see if I can get a close-up of him.

The congregation is a small one, but filled with wonderful brothers and sisters. I’ve come to realize that they were already my friends and family. I just didn’t know it yet. :)

In this town, there is only one congregation and it’s in Spanish. There is no English-speaking congregation around here, either. So our territory includes both languages. This is also the only congregation for the neighboring towns. There is Ozona, Rock Springs, and El Dorado. So we rotate every Saturday on which towns we will go preach to. Last week it was Ozona and this past Saturday, we went to El Dorado. I did get to talk to this very nice elderly lady. She asked for me to come back, so I'll see how that goes. There are also brothers who come from those towns to attend the meetings here. The farthest town, Rock Springs, is an hour away, so it obviously requires effort to make the meetings and it’s so encouraging to see the brothers and sisters do just that, especially the older ones.

Hebrews 10:24,25 - "And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as YOU behold the day drawing near."

Today I went out on service in Sonora, and talked to a few people. It's somewhat different than San Antonio. Can't put my finger on it, but I enjoyed it. As long as there are people to talk to. And, in doing so, I encountered a elderly sister from the congregation, sister Reina. What a sweet sister. We talked for almost an hour and what I got out of it was encouragement, learning about her family and hardships, but yet, still serves Jehovah. It turned out to be an awesome day.

There are also three book studies where we study the Revelation book: one is in Ozona, another in Sonora, and the other in El Dorado, which is the group that I will be attending, some 20 minutes away every Monday. I gotta watch out for the deer though. :o But to my unnecessary surprise, a brother offered to take me to the book study, so that I could save gas and so that I don't have to go alone. So I ride with his wife and 4 year-old daughter.

The brothers have really helped me to feel at home. I have also kept in contact with my family and friends, which helps me to adapt to the changes. But it truly feels great to be here. All I have to do is stay focus and remember why I’m here. An elderly sister, Mary Villalobos, that has been a dear friend to me and my family told me that it will all be ok. "It’ll be just like going home, but to a different family," she said. Also a circuit overseer’s wife from California gave me great advice, which is in harmony with what that first Watchtower article stated:

"After you get settled in the new area, homesickness may be a major problem. Love for Jehovah and for the people who need to hear the good news of his Kingdom will help you to cope with this. Many problems can be lessened if you truly make your new location your home. Avoid making negative comparisons with your previous home, as doing so can cause discontent and resentment. When facing difficulties, remember Jehovah’s invitation at Malachi 3:10: "Test me out, please, . . . whether I shall not open to you people the floodgates of the heavens and actually empty out upon you a blessing until there is no more want."" – w88 8/15 p.p. 22-23, par. 12; (bold and italics mine).

Wow! Is that awesome advice or is that awesome advice? Yup, it’s great advice.

On the subject of food, I’ve been doing pretty well, if I do say so myself. The first few days I’ve been stuffing myself with Sonic and Dairy Queen and I started to get tired of it, so last Friday, I went grocery shopping. I bought all of the essentials for a good sandwich. I know, not the best, but hey, food is food, and it’s even better if I am the one buying and making it.

Well, I guess this is it for now. I don’t have Internet access in my room, BUT there is a library! So that is where I will be posting when I get a chance. Feel free to email me or call me and oh, PLEASE: when you see or talk to my parents or grandparents, tell them that I’m ok and that Jehovah is taking care of me.

Psalm 34:19 – "Many are the calamities of the righteous one, but out of them all Jehovah delivers him." (again, hopefully Jehovah considers me righteous)

To see some pictures of my little corner of Sonora, click here.

Until next time.

Well, well, well. The day has come. Tomorrow morning, at 6am, cst, I head out to Sonora, Texas. I was going to leave this morning, but it was decided that it would be better to leave tomorrow morning. So I will be getting there like at 9 or 10 in the a.m., which gives me all day to get settled there.

"How do I feel?" That is the main question being asked of me. Well: excited, nervous, anxious, happy, sad, all rolled into one. But it really hit me when I left the Kingdom Hall for my last meeting there. After the meeting, pictures were taken, hugs were given, tears were shed... And after everyone was out, I looked around and said goodbye to the Kingdom Hall, the Kingdom Hall that I grew up in. The Kingdom Hall that I used to run in as a kid, and doze off in. The Hall that contained many of my brothers and sisters that were like fleshly mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters to me. It was pretty sad. The good thing is that where I'm going is not that far. I can still visit and others can visit muah (reader: read in French accent).

So this post will probably be the last one for a long time. Kinda similar to when I left for the school. (click here) But I will post when I can, to let you all know of my time, my life there. Ooo. It is very exciting.

Until next time, this is Roy R. Reyes, signing off.

THE BROTHERS

THE SISTERS

THE KIDS (some, anyway)

Tonight, on KLRN, the documentary "Knocking" was presented. It's a documentary showing an unbiased view on Jehovah's people. It was very interesting.

It shows us as different from the rest of the world. And, interestingly, that is exactly what Jesus command us to be.

John 17.16 "They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world."

My brother had ordered the DVD of this program about a year ago and it has MANY interesting extras. In them, the narrator explains how he is very grateful to his mother, who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses, for bringing him up the way she did, by Bible principles. Elders are interviewed, a lawyer from the branch, a spokesman for the Watchtower. It shows how our battles in the courtroom has really helped the liberties of the people in this country. And, for that, people should think twice about making jokes, slamming doors, hiding from us behind the curtain that "mysteriously" shuffles around, telling their little ones to tell them that they are not there, or getting completely silent after a knock at the door is heard.

And of course, it's understandable why people may react that way. To many, religion is a touchy topic. Many people believe, like this one lady at my previous employer, that religion and politics should never be discussed. And because we go to people's houses to talk about our faith, it bothers many. But we are not doing it to annoy or just to be different, but because that is what we were commanded to do.

1 Corinthians 9.16 "If, now, I am declaring the good news, it is no reason for me to boast, for necessity is laid upon me. Really, woe is me if I did not declare the good news!"
(italics mine)

Matthew 24.14 "And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come."

Proverbs3.27 "Do not hold back good from those to whom it is owing, when it happens to be in the power of your hand to do [it]."

There were many points that can't come to mind right now. But if anyone would like to comment on any or anything, please do. "The lines are open." Let me know what you thought of the program.

A couple of days ago, I got an email from a "MarVel" about the showing and about a dozen forwarded text messages about it. It was kinda funny.

But in case you were one of the few who missed it, it'll be shown again on KLRN on Thursday at 10pm. Check your local listings (always wanted to say that). Or you can go to the website and order it at knocking.org.

p.s. 9 more days until Mission: Sonora.

Today is the day before tomorrow. Or you could also say that today is the day after yesterday. Anyway, be it as it may, this afternoon, I will officially be unemployed! But not homeless. A brother offered to rent me a room until I find a job and apartment. After 8 years here, it's buh-bye. Kinda sad and kinda scary moving on. Change is never easy at first, I guess. The brothers in Sonora are scouting, as we speak, for jobs. A sister called me back last night and told me of potential jobs I can apply there, according to the newspaper. So Monday, me and my grandparents are gonna go down there, or should I say "up there" (NW of San Antonio) and apply away. I've called a few places and sent a couple applications, but I think there will be a better impact if I go in person, I'm hoping.

What I can't be is too picky on what I get. It's like our D.O. said. He said that the only reason we have/get a job is to be able to serve Jehovah. Sure, we need it to pay bills and for sustanance, but THE reason is to be able to sustain us so that we could attend the meetings and preach the good news (Matthew 6.33; 24.14).

So things are going according to plan, sort of. Just having my last moments here at my job. But just as everyone I've talked to has assured me, Jehovah will provide. But I know with Jehovah's help, something will come up. No doubt about that, my friends.

Tootle-loo

17 days until I cease to be a San Antonian and become a Sonorian, but will remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Ok, it is done. Click here to go back to the original post.

I do sincerely apologize for the inconvenience of the glitched video. I will attempt to remedy the situation as soon as humanly and extraterrestrially possible.

We were sleeping. It was going well. All of a sudden, the fans turned off. Almost immediately I awoke, and as I slowly turned toward the alarm clock, my worst fear just came true: (well, not worst fear, more like a frustrating inconvinience) the power had gone out. It was 2:10am. It was totally dark. I got up and went to the living room to open the front door and let the cool air come in and bombard me with freshness. After about a minute, I was joined by two of my bros and my dad. The air was ok except that I was on one of the recliners, but it wasn't too comfortable. My upper torso was like lounging over the armrest. I don't know how that was happening, but it was comfortable at all. But I tried making the best of it. My companions were not all all sleepy as I apparently was. They were talking as if it was 2pm. They went outside, laughed, talked. Then all of a sudden the fan that was in the living room bursted on. I, immediately, (almost before it even came on) got up and went to my room where my fan and my bed were faithfully waiting for me.

Have fast food restaurants gone astray? I mean, I remember when I was a kid, it was cool to go to McDonald's. For 3 reasons: (1)the food, (2)the playground, and (3)the kid's meal toy in a cool-looking box. That was the whole purpose. But now, I see what's going on and I feel pitty for the little ones who have to settle for the food and the playground. Now there is no box, and the toys are kinda, well, pathetic. Not all the time, but most of the time. And it's even worse for other places, like Wendy's, where this isn't even a place to play!

Last night, some friends and I went to Wendy's and for a reason unbeknownst to me, my older brother bought a kid's meal. And in it came this, re-diculous thing.





Chicken socks is what this is called. Why? [shrugging shoulders] But not only that, but instructions came with the thing!



So, for your benefit, I have included a demonstration.



And here is the incorrect way to handle this toy.



So this was a topic of discusion at Wendy's and I wanted to share it with the world.

Well, hello there. It's been around 9 days since the surgery. Still recuperating. Still in... pain.

Besides that, we had gone to Sonora, Texas the Sunday before last. We left at 5am (zzzzzzzzzz) and at around 7:30 we were still on the road. It was dark. It was cold. Ice everywhere (we soon found out). And we were crossing a bridge.

I can still remember it. My brother Ross was driving my dad's truck. Ruben, the DJ, was in the passenger seat making sure we had tunes to jam to. Little big Rey was sitting behind the driver and yours truly on the right.

I was half asleep and half jamming. My feet were moving to golden oldies. Jim Croce, I think.

The next thing I know the driver gave a frightening groan. I looked and he was gripping the wheel with both hands, arms stiff. We slid on the ice on the bridge, we headed for the right side of the road, towards the rail. Good thing the rail was there! I remember seeing the rail getting closer. What seemed like minutes, a few seconds went by and we RAMMED into the rail. The front right side of the truck was hit, then we slammed on the whole right side of the truck. Ruben said that it felt like we were going to go over the bridge, but the rail obviously kept that from happening.

After we hit, we went sliding faster than a figure skater to the left side of the road and skid on the grass. We had stopped. We looked around us. We asked if everyone was ok. We were. We got off and met up with our parents and grandparents who were in a car in front of us.

It turned out that another truck had crashed in that area. Within viewing distance, very nearby, an F-150, green, was flipped on its side. The police officer that was over there, quickly came over to us.

BUT IMMEDIATELY, we see another truck in trouble. It was an 18 wheel truck on the other side of I-10. It, too, lost control and flipped on it's side! It slid and hit the truck that was already down. It completely blocked the the road.

It all felt like a dream. As if it didn't happen. I guess it just went by too fast.

So the police guy that ran to us, quickly ran back. I have no idea if anyone from the other two accidents got seriously hurt. Gracias a Jehová, we were just sore from the whole thing, nothing serious.

But we made it to Sonora in good time before the meeting, met the loving brothers. Well, anywhere you go where there are Witnesses, you get the same treatment, right? So it was very encouraging to be there. It put my mind at ease, now knowing where exactly I was going go end up.

Now, I'm more excited than nervous now. :)

So that was my Adventure to Sonora. It was a day that started out bad, but ended beautifully.