Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Chasing the Light
    Chasing the Light
    Chasing the Light
    Ebook73 pages1 hour

    Chasing the Light

    By Pam Tribble

    3.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    On December 16, 1989, at the age of eighteen, Pam Tribble was baptized as a Jehovah's Witness, a decision which would irrevocably alter the course of her life. From early childhood she felt the call of God in her heart. Yet, having been raised by her parents in the Methodist church, what prompted her to choose to serve God through the Jehovah's Witness religion?

    Despite broken relationships with family and friends, and her own conflicted conscience, what kept Pam bound to a sect that so completely failed to meet her spiritual needs?

    Finally, after eighteen years of religious manipulation and domination, how did Pam find the courage to break free from the Watchtower Society's strangle-hold? Did she ever find what she spent her entire life searching for-a God who is real and personal and capable of loving a flawed and broken girl?

    Chasing the Light is one woman's spiritual memoir which explores the appeal of the well-known Christian sect, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the influential organization behind it, the Watchtower & Bible Tract Society. It is an open-minded discussion of how this particular sect differs from other Christian denominations and whether its teachings can be trusted.

    Ultimately, it is the story of Pam's life-long search for spiritual fulfillment. It is a story for every person who has questioned, "Is God real?" and "Is God for me?" It is a story of hope for anyone who has ever been hurt by (or in the name of) religion.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPam Tribble
    Release dateMay 28, 2013
    ISBN9781301032068
    Chasing the Light
    Author

    Pam Tribble

    Hi. Thanks so much for visiting my author page here at Smashwords. I am a part-time author and full-time paralegal with a local law firm in Southeast Texas. I have always had a great love for books-thanks in large part to my mom for reading to us (me, my sisters, and brother) every night before bedtime. Writing "Miracle," I discovered I enjoyed writing my own story (and controlling the outcome) even more than reading another author's. "Chasing the Light" is an account of a big part of my own spiritual journey. It has been quite a challenge for me to reveal so much about myself, but God laid a burden on my heart to tell my story. If you've read "Miracle" or "Chasing the Light," please write a review. I sincerely appreciate the feedback.

    Related to Chasing the Light

    Related ebooks

    Self-Improvement For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Why, God, Why?

      Sep 7, 2021

      Why, God, Why?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Local Minister Breaks Away From Methodist Church Over Its Support For BDS

      Jan 1, 2021

      A Christian minister has put his livelihood on the line by quitting the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) over its Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) policy towards Israel. Reverend Rowan Rennie says he would rather “sleep on the street” t

      4 min read

    • Article

      Word Search

      Jul 22, 2022

      Word Search
      2 min read

    • Article

      A Few Bumps In The Road…

      Oct 22, 2021

      Our story is positive, with a few bumps in the road, but when compared to hundreds of other families, we were blessed beyond our wildest dreams. This makes you think, what plans does God have for me in this life? Why have I been blessed, and not all

      3 min read

    • Article

      Truth You Can Trust

      Apr 27, 2021

      If we’re faced with confusion or deceit, it can seem hard to know what truth is. But understanding God’s nature as infallible Truth itself empowers us to discern between what’s true and what’s false.

      3 min read

    • Article

      DeVon Franklin

      Sep 26, 2022

      DeVon Franklin
      2 min read

    • Article

      Extreme Beliefs

      Feb 8, 2024

      Extreme Beliefs
      4 min read

    • Article

      A Life On Pause

      May 6, 2021

      A Life On Pause
      4 min read

    • Article

      Everybody Has A Story

      Feb 2, 2020

      Everybody Has A Story
      5 min read

    • Article

      Q&A Percy Daggs III

      Mar 26, 2022

      Q&A Percy Daggs III
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Marriage Made in Heaven

      May 19, 2020

      A Marriage Made in Heaven
      8 min read

    • Article

      The Uneasy Yoke

      Sep 12, 2018

      The Uneasy Yoke
      5 min read

    • Article

      Keeping the Faith

      Jul 23, 2019

      Keeping the Faith
      6 min read

    • Article

      Raised in A CULT

      Aug 12, 2021

      Raised in A CULT
      4 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Aug 7, 2020

      Greetings in the Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In your July issue of JOY! you asked what we are grateful for. I’m grateful for the fact that Jesus Christ saved me and my family. My third born son suffered severe burns on his body, and my last b

      6 min read

    • Article

      Three Generations Of ADOPTION

      Jan 13, 2020

      Three Generations Of ADOPTION
      3 min read

    • Article

      How To Hang A Mezuzah

      Sep 1, 2020

      How To Hang A Mezuzah
      24 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The Editor

      Apr 22, 2019

      The Bible in a Nutshell is amazing! I have just received a ‘Bible in a Nutshell’ book as a gift from my mom. Wow, wow, wow – what a treat. I can’t put it down and have learned so much from it. What a treasure. Thank you for producing such a valuable

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Seven Signs That You’re in a Cult

      Jun 18, 2014

      A former member of a tight-knit college prayer group describes his community’s disintegration—and how one of its members ended up dead.

      11 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Chasing the Light

    3.5/5

    2 ratings1 review

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      What made this book SOOOO great was that it was short and to-the-point. It tells the true story of one woman’s spiritual journey, including her waking up from being a member of the Jehovah’s Witness religion for 18 years. She points out the dangers of any religion claiming to be the only way to God, as does the untruthful Watchtower Society. Through God’s word alone, she points the way to faith in Christ alone. She mistakenly quotes the number of 6 billion members of JWs, when, at last formal announcement via the JW “Yearbook” (no longer published), the number was 6 million and rapidly dropping. I bought Lloyd Evans’ monster book and still haven’t finished reading it due to its size and extraneous details, especially since he has ditched Faith altogether. For reasons of demonstrating the simplicity and ease of coming to faith through Christ alone, the author keeps the book short. She mentions important details such as the cult’s continued hiding of pedophile members in their organization. She is such a personable writer that I feel her heart for people, including the JWs who judge and shun her. She gives credit to the regular, rank-and-file members, such as her grandmother, for instilling in her a love of serious, disciplined Bible study. No detailed history of the Organization is given, as she reference’s Ray Franz’s book, Crisis of Conscience. If I could add one thing that I feel was left out, it would be the importance of contriteness for our wrongdoing, knowing that Christ took the place of each of us by becoming a ransom sacrifice through His literal torture, death and resurrection. Being mindful of His cruel punishment is why we should all partake of the elements, rather than passing them by as they do in the man-made JW religion. Buy multiple copies of her short, concise tome and hand them out in your counterculture witnessing! I love her writing style. I will be immediately buying her other novel and look forward to reading anything else she decides to share with us. How great and relevant is the support of her loving husband.

    Book preview

    Chasing the Light - Pam Tribble

    Chasing the Light

    By

    Pam Tribble

    Published by Pam Tribble

    SMASHWORDS EDITION

    Discover other titles by Pam Tribble at

    https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145681

    Copyright 2013 by Pam Tribble

    Book cover design by Judy Bullard

    http://jaebeecreations.com/index.html

    Smashwords Edition License Notes: Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied, or distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discovery other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

    This book is a work of non-fiction. The names of some persons have been changed to protect their privacy.

    ~***~

    I want to thank my husband, Randy, and my mom, Judy Clayton. You two, of all people in the world, are precious to me, have loved me unconditionally, and have faithfully stood by me during this life-long journey. I also want to thank a few individuals (forever friends) who helped me greatly during particular seasons: Dana Baker, Kristy Cowart Agee, the Whitfield family, my pastor, Reg Lloyd, and my entire church family. I am grateful to my friend, Carol Linstrom, for reading an early draft and sharing her professional and personal insights and advice.

    ~***~

    For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the Lord.

    (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

    ~***~

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    Forward

    1. The Seeds are Planted

    2. Distractions

    3. Looking Forward

    4. The Truth as I Knew it

    5. Caught and Captive

    6. Love and Friendship

    7. The Chains are Loosened

    8. Real Truth Revealed

    9. Pride and Prejudice

    10. God is Bigger

    11. Burden of Proof

    12. What is Lost and What I Found

    13. Clearer Vision

    14. Back to the Beginning

    15. Moving Forward

    Helpful Resources

    About the Author

    FORWARD

    This is a memoir of my life-long spiritual journey to know and draw close to God. Though my parents raised me in the Methodist church, from early childhood I was persuaded to believe the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and in 1989 at the age of eighteen, I was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witnesses. Right or wrong, my religious beliefs shaped the entire course of my life.

    In the Fall of 2007, eighteen years after my baptism, my conviction Jehovah’s Witnesses teach the truth and that the Watchtower, Bible & Tract Society is God’s visible organization on earth was overturned. This memoir chronicles the events which initially led me to put my faith in the Jehovah’s Witness religion, my eventual disenchantment, and my subsequent quest for real Christian truth and freedom.

    Be assured, my intention is not to slander Jehovah’s Witnesses. My grandmother is still an active Witness, and though I am no longer associated with the religion, I have affection for many of my former friends within it. My purpose, rather, is to help anyone who is seeking God and desires to have a personal relationship with him. I hope my story will encourage those who were once, or still are, members of the Jehovah’s Witness religion, to investigate it through outside sources. My story is for anyone who has been hurt by religion, but still desires a relationship with their Heavenly Father. He made the way—through faith in his son, Jesus Christ, not through association with any religious organization.

    Jehovah’s Witnesses are adamant they are not a cult. When I joined, people believed I’d been brainwashed, which I found insulting and ridiculous. Witnesses defend such allegations by asserting they are not secretive about their beliefs, nor do they physically segregate themselves from society as other fanatical factions do. However, secrecy and physical separation from society are not defining characteristics of mind-controlling cults. I attempt in this memoir to shed light on the deceptive reasoning and emotional manipulation (which are cult tactics) employed by the Jehovah's Witness Organization which initially won me over to their beliefs and held me captive for eighteen years.

    1.

    The Seeds are Planted

    When I was a little girl about six years old, I was a proud member of the Children’s Choir of the First United Methodist Church in Vidor, Texas. One memorable Sunday morning, I was very excited about singing in a special program performed for the whole church. My choir mates and I were dressed in our little white robes with the pointy, yellow collars. I could see my mom, dad, sister, and some extended family sitting together in about the third row. All eyes were on us. Though I do not specifically remember the performance, I have no doubt we were brilliant.

    One thing marred my happiness, though: my Nanny (my mom’s mom) did not come to hear me sing. I loved Nanny and could not understand why she wouldn’t come; she didn’t live far away. Later in the evening, I asked my mother.

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1