Carol Ann Torres

‘This is what Jehovah the God of David your forefather says: “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears."
(Isaiah 38:5) NWT jw.org
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If you take an orange and gently peel it, what kind of juice comes out? …Orange juice.
If you put an orange through a grinder or a juicer what kind of juice comes out? …Orange juice.
If you take an orange and throw it against the wall, what kind of juice comes out? …Orange juice.
If you take an orange and cut it with a knife, what comes out? …Orange juice.
The only thing that can run out of an orange is what is already inside it.
Its the same with us as Christians...
If we have cultivated the fruit age of the spirit,  love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness & self control, that will not change – no matter how people treat us...
If they gently peel away your skin to reveal your sweet side... what's going to come out?…  Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness & self – control.
If they send you through a grinder or a juicer by means of trials and tribulations... What comes out? … love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness & self-control.
If you are slammed up against a wall of opposition, what comes out?…  If you have filled yourself with the fruit age of God's spirit,  it is   love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness & self control.
If someone attacks you verbally as with a knife...  what comes out?
It is what you already have inside you! Again – if we've worked hard to cultivate the fruit age of Jehovah's spirit, what will come out is   love, joy, peace, long–suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness & self control.
Just as the orange can only produce orange juice, regardless of the situation we are in, what we will 'pour out' is what we've already got stored inside us.
So if we have worked hard to cultivate the fruit age of Jehovah's spirit, what will come out – in any situation – is the fruit age of that spirit...
Who among us would not want to be more loving, joyful, and peaceable?
Who of us would not like to abound in long-suffering, kindness, and goodness?
Who of us would not benefit from developing greater faith, mildness, and self-control?
God’s spirit produces in us fine qualities that benefit us and those with whom we live and serve.
Cultivating this fruitage is a constant work in progress, since there is no limit to the amount of the spirit’s fruitage that we need and are permitted to produce.
It produces healthy fruitage in the lives of those who are led by it.
Galatians 5:22, 23
( by  Brother  R. D. Bamps )

❤ ❤ ❤ .•*¨`*•..¸♥☼♥¸.•*¨`*•.  ❤ ❤ ❤   ❤ ❤ ❤ .•*¨`*•..¸♥☼♥¸.•*¨`*•.  ❤ ❤ ❤

Joh. 3 : 16  ❤
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.
 

Jehovah loves you !   ❤ ❤ ❤ .•*¨`*•..¸♥☼♥¸.•*¨`*•.  ❤ ❤ ❤
If you ever feel depressed, lonely, helpless, hopeless, worthless or simply you thought you did not have any value...  look, how a different thinks about you Jehovah, our beloved God.

Here  is  FINO,  a beautiful  Alpine - dog  from Switzerland, painted  by  Katja Sauer, 2016 
She  is  painting  cats,  dogs,  horses  and  more...  looking  so  real,  wonderful,  a  big  talent,  I  think.  -   I  will  show  you  more  pictures,  when  you  like  it....
Its  a  chalk-drawing,  but  for  me  its  looking  so  real,   WOW !!
He  is  gone  to  France  last  year
Katja was writing:  The beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog "Fino" -  soft pastels  (ca. 9.5" x 12.5")

A  wonderful  video - letter  with  many  words  from  God  and  many  Bible-scriptures !  It  started  with:  My  child.....  Enjoy ❤

Children Bring Praise to Jehovah! Lessons From the Bible Teach Us How to Raise Responsible Children Today! -
(Psalm 34:11) . . .Come, listen to me; The fear of Jehovah is what I shall teach YOU."
(Zechariah 8:5) . . .And the public squares of the city themselves will be filled with boys and girls playing in her public squares.’” Young children in Israel knew the joy of relaxation and amusements, sometimes playing in the marketplace, imitating things they had observed while watching grown-ups.—Mt 11:16, 17; Zec 8:5
The parents were the ones responsible for the education and training of their children, they themselves being the instructors and guides, both by word and by example. 
The educational program was as follows:
(1) Fear of Jehovah was taught. (Ps 34:11; Pr 9:10)
(2) The child was admonished to honor his father and mother. (Ex 20:12; Le 19:3; De 27:16)
(3)Discipline or instruction in the Law, its commandments and teachings, and education in the activities and revealed truths of Jehovah were diligently inculcated in the impressionable minds of the young offspring.
(De 4:5, 9; 6:7-21; Ps 78:5)
(4) Respect for older persons was stressed. (Le 19:32)
(5) The importance of obedience was indelibly stamped on the youngster’s mind. (Pr 4:1; 19:20; 23:22-25)
(6) Stress was put on practical training for adult living, such as teaching girls to do things around the home, or teaching boys the trade of the father or some other trade.
(7) Education in reading and    writing was given.
http://wol.jw.org/en

Miracles—Fact or Fiction? - DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?
THE gentleman’s attention was immediately caught by the bumper sticker on a passing car, “Miracles Happen—Just Ask the Angels.” Although he was a religious man himself, he was unsure what this meant. Did the sign mean that the driver believed in miracles? Or was it, rather, a jocular way of indicating lack of belief in both miracles and angels?
You may be interested in what German author Manfred Barthel noted: “Miracle is a word that immediately polarizes readers into two warring camps.” Those who believe in miracles are convinced that they occur and perhaps occur often.* For example, it is reported that in Greece during the last few years, believers have claimed that miracles take place about once a month. This led a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church to caution: “The believer tends to humanize God, Mary, and the saints. Believers should not carry things too far.”
How About Non-Christian Religions?
Belief in miracles is found in almost all religions. The Encyclopedia of Religion explains that the founders of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam held diverse views about miracles, but it notes: “The subsequent history of these religions demonstrates unmistakably that miracles and miracle stories have been an integral part of man’s religious life.” This reference work says that “the Buddha himself was sometimes led to work miracles.” Later, when “Buddhism was transplanted to China, its missionaries often resorted to the display of miraculous powers.”
After referring to several such supposed miracles, that encyclopedia concludes: “One may not be prepared to accept all of these miracle stories told by pious biographers, but they were undoubtedly created with the good intention of glorifying the Buddha, who was able to endow his ardent followers with such miraculous powers.” The same authority says of Islam: “The majority of the Islamic community has never ceased to expect miracles. Muhammad is presented in the traditions (hadīths) as having worked miracles in public on many occasions. . . . Even after their death, saints are believed to work miracles at their own graves on behalf of the faithful, and their intercession is piously invoked.”
What of the Miracles in Christianity?
Many of those who have accepted Christianity are divided in their opinions. Some accept as fact the Bible reports about the miracles performed by Jesus Christ or by servants of God in pre-Christian times. Yet, many agree with Protestant Reformer Martin Luther. The Encyclopedia of Religion says of him: “Both Luther and Calvin wrote that the age of miracles was over and that their occurrence should not be expected.” The Catholic Church held to its belief in miracles “without trying to defend it intellectually,” says this reference work. However, “the academic Protestant community came to believe that the practice of Christianity was largely a matter of morality and that neither God nor the spiritual world contacted or influenced practical human life to any great extent.”
Other professed Christians, including some clergymen, doubt that the miracles mentioned in the Bible are factual. Take, for example, the burning-bush episode reported in the Bible at Exodus 3:1-5. The book What the Bible Really Says explains that a number of German theologians do not take this as the literal account of a miracle. Instead, they interpret it as “a symbol of Moses’ inner struggle with the pricks and burning pangs of conscience.” The book adds: “The flames could also be seen as flowers that burst into bloom in the sunlight of the divine presence.”
You may find such an explanation less than satisfying. So, what should you believe? Is it realistic to believe that miracles have ever taken place? And what about modern-day miracles? Since we cannot ask the angels, whom can we ask?
The Biblical Position
No one can deny that the Bible reports that God in bygone days at times stepped in to perform humanly impossible acts. Of him, we read: “You proceeded to bring forth your people Israel out of the land of Egypt, with signs and with miracles and with a strong hand and with a stretched-out arm and with great fearsomeness.” (Jeremiah 32:21)
Imagine, the most powerful nation of the day brought to its knees by means of ten divinely sent plagues, including the death of its firstborn. Miracles indeed!—Exodus, chapters 7 to 14
Centuries later, the four Gospel writers described some 35 miracles performed by Jesus. In fact, their words suggest that he performed even more supernatural feats than those they report. Are these reports fact or fiction?*—Matthew 9:35; Luke 9:11
If the Bible is what it claims to be—God’s Word of truth—then you have clear reason to believe in the miracles about which it speaks. The Bible is explicit in reporting that miracles occurred in bygone days—miraculous healings, resurrections, and the like—yet it is just as explicit in explaining that such miracles no longer take place. (See the box “Why Certain Miracles No Longer Occur,” on page 4.) So does this mean that even those who accept the Bible as fact consider belief in modern-day miracles to be unfounded?
READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE AT:
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2005120?q=miracles&p=par
REMEMBER YOU ARE A MIRACLE! 

Divorce! 
Nowadays, divorce has become easy and widespread, and the divorce rate in many countries is climbing. However, we should keep clearly in mind that Jehovah God has a completely different view of marriage and divorce than the one generally accepted in the world around us. 
What, then, is Jehovah’s view?
Jehovah God expects those who are married to remain faithful to their marriage vow. When he united the first man and woman in marriage, Jehovah stated that “a man . . . must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh.” Jesus Christ later repeated that statement and added: “Therefore, what God has yoked together let no man put apart.” Jesus further stated: “Whoever divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication, and marries another commits adultery.” (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:3-6, 9) 
Hence, Jehovah and Jesus view marriage as a lifelong bond that ends only when one partner dies. (1 Cor. 7:39) Since marriage is a sacred arrangement, divorce is not to be taken lightly. In fact, God’s Word states that Jehovah hates a divorce that has no Scriptural basis.
Read (Malachi 2:13-16)
“And there is another thing that you do, which results in covering the altar of Jehovah with tears and with weeping and sighing, so that he no longer pays attention to your gift offering or looks favorably on anything from your hand. 14 And you say, ‘For what reason?’ It is because Jehovah has acted as a witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously, although she is your partner and your wife by covenant. 15 But there was one who did not do it, for he had what remained of the spirit. And what was that one seeking? The offspring of God. So guard yourselves respecting your spirit, and do not deal treacherously with the wife of your youth. 16 For I hate divorce,” says Jehovah the God of Israel, “and the one who covers his garment with violence,”* says Jehovah of armies. “And guard yourselves respecting your spirit, and you must not deal treacherously."
jw.org

"Solomon began to do what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah."— (1 Ki. 11:6)
“It came about in the time of Solomon’s growing old that his wives themselves had inclined his heart to follow other gods; and his heart did not prove to be complete with Jehovah his God like the heart of David his father.” (1 Ki. 11:4) 
http://wol.jw.org/en

WOW.....  Did  you  ever  see  such  a  special  sunset ?  Its  from  a  Maldives - Island...  I  got  it  today !  I  will  post  some  others,  coming  from  the  same  Island  'MEERU'  -  Some  are  golden,  some  are  more  red,  but  this  is  really  special  ;-)   I  say,  thats  all  Jehovah's  colors !
Really  so  beautiful   ❤ ❤ ❤ .•*¨`*•..¸♥☼♥¸.•*¨`*•.  ❤ ❤ ❤

That  we  all  can  do  in  the  NEW  WORLD ❤

How This World Will Come to an End!
“You are not in darkness, so that that day should overtake you as it would thieves.”—1 THESS. 5:4.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN?
What yet unseen developments are indicated in the following scriptures?
1 Thessalonians 5:3
Revelation 17:16
Daniel 2:44
EARTHSHAKING events will soon occur. The fulfillment of Bible prophecies confirms this fact, so we need to keep on the watch. What will help us to do that? The apostle Paul urges us to “keep our eyes . . . on the things unseen.” Yes, we need to bear in mind our reward of everlasting life, be it in heaven or on earth. As the context shows, Paul wrote these words to encourage fellow believers to focus on the happy outcome of their faithful course. Doing so would also help them to cope with trials and persecution.—2 Cor. 4:8, 9, 16-18; 5:7

WHAT DO YOU TEACH YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT MONEY? CREDIT CARDS GOOD AS THEY GET OLDER? EVERYBODY HAS WANTS AND NEEDS, HOW DO YOU TEACH THEM?

(Ecclesiastes 7:11, 12) "Wisdom along with an inheritance is good and is advantageous for those seeing the sun. 12 For wisdom is for a protection [the same as] money is for a protection; but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom itself preserves alive its owners.'
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO MANAGE MONEY  
With so many adults in financial trouble today, experts are urging parents to teach their children about money—and to start early. Ask most children where money comes from, and they might say, “Daddy” or “the bank.” If you can teach your children the value of money—how to separate needs from wants, how to save, and how to invest—you may help them avoid the heartache of crushing debt and economic slavery. Here are a few suggestions.

 1. Be a good example. Your children will generally imitate what you do more than what you say.
 2. Set spending limits. Discuss how much you and they can spend. Learn to say no, and mean it.
 3. Allow them to manage money. If they receive an allowance or earn money from a job, give them some guidelines. Then allow them to make some decisions.
 4. Teach them to share. Encourage your children to share what they have with others as well as regularly to set something aside to honor God.
http://wol.jw.org/en

Do you think a Camel that can go through an eye of a needle? What did it mean in the Bible? What does it mean that Riches may keep us away from gaining life in God's Kingdom?
(Matthew 19:16-24) . . .Now, look! a certain one came up to him and said: “Teacher, what good must I do in order to get everlasting life?” 17 He said to him: “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is that is good. If, though, you want to enter into life, observe the commandments continually.” 18 He said to him: “Which ones?” Jesus said: “Why, You must not murder, You must not commit adultery, You must not steal, You must not bear false witness, 19 Honor [your] father and [your] mother, and, You must love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him: “I have kept all these; what yet am I lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him: “If you want to be perfect, go sell your belongings and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come be my follower.” 22 When the young man heard this saying, he went away grieved, for he was holding many possessions. 23 But Jesus said to his disciples: “Truly I say to YOU that it will be a difficult thing for a rich man to get into the kingdom of the heavens. 24 Again I say to YOU, It is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God.”
Jesus made reference to the camel in an illustrative way. On one occasion he pointed out that it would be easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to get into the Kingdom.
By means of this illustration, not meant to be taken literally, Jesus was pointing out that just as it was not possible for a literal camel to go through the eye of a literal needle it was even less possible for a rich man, while continuing to cling to his riches, to enter into the Kingdom of God.
NEEDLE’S EYE
In an illustration pertaining to entry into the Kingdom, Jesus Christ said: “It is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God.” (Mt 19:24; Mr 10:25) Some have held the needle’s eye to be a small gate through which a camel, if relieved of its load, could pass with difficulty. However, the Greek word for “needle” found at Matthew 19:24 and Mark 10:25 (rha·phis′) is drawn from a verb meaning “sew.” Also, the Greek word appearing in the parallel passage of Luke 18:25 (be·lo′ne) is used to refer to a literal surgical needle. Regarding these Greek terms Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words notes: “The idea of applying ‘the needle’s eye’ to small gates seems to be a modern one; there is no ancient trace of it. The Lord’s object in the statement is to express human impossibility and there is no need to endeavour to soften the difficulty by taking the needle to mean anything more than the ordinary instrument.”—1981, Vol. 3, p. 106.
As a hyperbole, the illustration emphasized how difficult it would be for rich men not simply to begin serving God but actually to enter into the Kingdom.
(1 Timothy 6:17-19) "Give orders to those who are rich in the present system of things not to be high-minded, and to rest their hope, not on uncertain riches, but on God, who furnishes us all things richly for our enjoyment; 18 to work at good, to be rich in fine works, to be liberal, ready to share, 19 safely treasuring up for themselves a fine foundation for the future, in order that they may get a firm hold on the real life." 
www.jw.org

ARE YOU READY TO COME HOME? 
“The lost one I will search for, the stray I will bring back, the injured I will bandage, and the weak I will strengthen; but the fat one and the strong one I will annihilate. I will feed that one with judgment.”
(Ezekiel 34:16) NWT 
jw.org

"He reasoned with them from the Scriptures."—Acts 17:2.              
The account tells us that while in Thessalonica, Paul preached in the synagogue for three Sabbaths. Does this mean that his visit to the city lasted just three weeks? Not necessarily. 
We do not know how soon after his arrival Paul first went to the synagogue. Further, Paul’s letters disclose that while in Thessalonica, he and his companions worked to support themselves. (1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:7, 8) 
Also, during his stay, Paul twice received provisions from the brothers in Philippi. (Phil. 4:16) So his stay in Thessalonica was likely somewhat longer than three weeks.
Having mustered up boldness to preach, Paul spoke to those assembled in the synagogue. According to his custom, “he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving by references that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying: ‘This is the Christ, this Jesus whom I am publishing to you.’” (Acts 17:2, 3) 
Note that Paul did not seek to stir up the emotions of his listeners; he appealed to their minds. He knew that those who attended the synagogue were familiar with and respected the Scriptures. 
What they lacked was understanding. Paul therefore reasoned, explained, and proved from the Scriptures that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah, or Christ.

REPENTANCE IS A CHANGE OF MIND, THAT LEADS TO A CHANGE OF HEART, THAT LEADS TO A CHANGE OF ACTIONS. THE CHANGE INVOLVES BOTH A TURNING FROM SIN AND A TURNING TO GOD. 
8 "Therefore, produce fruit that befits repentance." (Matthew 3:8) NWT 
 

HE HEALS THE BROKENHEARTED ?
The Kingdom message gives strength to the brokenhearted
In addition, the good news we preach brings immediate relief and blessings to those who listen to it. How? Some of the blessings were indicated by the prophet Isaiah when he foretold:
“The spirit of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah is upon me, for the reason that Jehovah has anointed me to tell good news to the meek ones. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to those taken captive and the wide opening of the eyes even to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of goodwill on the part of Jehovah and the day of vengeance on the part of our God; to comfort all the mourning ones.”—Isaiah 61:1, 2; Luke 4:16-21.
(a) What does the expression “bind up the brokenhearted” indicate about the Kingdom message? (b) How do we reflect Jehovah’s concern for brokenhearted ones?
According to that prophecy, by preaching the good news, Jesus would “bind up the brokenhearted.” What a telling word picture Isaiah used! 
According to one Bible dictionary, the Hebrew word translated “bind up” “is often used of ‘binding’ on a bandage, and thus of medicating and healing the wounded.” 
A caring nurse may wrap a bandage or a compress around a victim’s injured body part to give it support. In the same way, when preaching the Kingdom message, caring publishers give support to all responsive ones who are suffering in some way. And by supporting those in need, they reflect Jehovah’s concern. (Ezekiel 34:15, 16) 
The psalmist states concerning God: “He is healing the brokenhearted ones, and is binding up their painful spots.”—Psalm 147:3.
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"For then there will be great tribulation  such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again." (Matthew 24:21) NWT

Nothing Can “Separate Us From God’s Love” Keep your "fire burning bright in your heart!"
Satan is eager for us to believe that Jehovah God neither loves us nor values us. True, Satan often seduces people by appealing to their vanity and pride. (2 Corinthians 11:3) But he also delights in crushing the self-respect of vulnerable ones. (John 7:47-49; 8:13, 44) 
This is particularly so in these critical “last days.” Many today grow up in families where there is “no natural affection.” Others are constantly exposed to those who are fierce, selfish, and headstrong. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) 
Years of being subjected to ill-treatment, racism, or hatred may have convinced such ones that they are worthless or unlovable.
Jehovah also values our endurance. (Matthew 24:13) 
Remember, Satan wants you to turn your back on Jehovah. Each day that you remain loyal to Jehovah is another day that you have helped to furnish a reply to Satan’s taunts. (Proverbs 27:11) 
Sometimes endurance is no easy matter. Health problems, financial woes, emotionaldistress, and other obstacles can make each passing day a trial. Postponed expectations can prove discouraging too. (Proverbs 13:12) 
Endurance in the face of such challenges is all the more precious to Jehovah. That is why King David asked Jehovah to store up his tears in a “skin bottle,” adding confidently: “Are they not in your book?” (Psalm 56:8) 
Yes, Jehovah treasures up and remembers all the tears and suffering we endure while maintaining our loyalty to him. They too are precious in his eyes.
Jehovah searches through us, he carefully sifts, looking for the good. 
What about your good qualities and works? Ah, these are the “nuggets” he keeps! Have you ever noticed the way fond parents treasure their children’s drawings or school projects, sometimes for decades after the children have forgotten them? 
Jehovah is the fondest Parent. As long as we remain faithful to him, he never forgets our good works and qualities. In fact, he would view it as unrighteous to forget these, and he is never unrighteous. (Hebrews 6:10) 
He also sifts us in another way.
“With a love to time indefinite I have loved you. That is why I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”—Jeremiah 31:3.
Perhaps it is through the privilege of prayer that we experience Jehovah’s love in the most intimate way. The Bible invites each of us to “pray incessantly” to God. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) He listens. He is even called the “Hearer of prayer.” (Psalm 65:2) 
He has not delegated this office to anyone else, not even to his own Son. Just think: The Creator of the universe urges us to approach him in prayer, with freeness of speech. And what kind of listener is he? Cold, impassive, uncaring? Not at all.
Jehovah is empathetic. What is empathy? One faithful elderly Christian said: “Empathy is your pain in my heart.” Is Jehovah really affected by our pain? We read regarding the sufferings of his people Israel: “During all their distress it was distressing to him.” (Isaiah 63:9) 
Not only did Jehovah see their troubles; he felt for the people. Just how intensely he feels is illustrated by Jehovah’s own words to his servants: “He that is touching you is touching my eyeball.”*(Zechariah 2:8) How painful that would be! Yes, Jehovah feels for us. When we hurt, he hurts.
Is Jehovah’s message close to my heart like “a burning fire shut up in my bones,” moving me to share in the Kingdom-preaching and disciple-making work? (Jeremiah 20:9; Matthew 28:19, 20)

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Jehovah Does Not Tolerate Hypocritical Worship! 
“As regards Jehovah, hiseyes are roving about through all the earth to show his strength in behalf of those whose heart is complete toward him.”—2 CHRONICLES 16:9.
Such as one who deliberately puts up a front, feigning obedience while practicing        sin in secret 
32 "For Jehovah detests a devious person, But His close friendship is with the upright." (Proverbs 3:32) NWT  jw.org