J0nny Ling0

Why Oakspeare, I think that this statement that I made most assuredly indicates that I conclude the same; I highlighted "way before" just for the sake of making sure you know that I said it. And so, during my experience in The Way, there was far far less " in the open" legalistic control within the areas where I was involved. It's only an observation. Fortunately for me and the many good people who got involved, we were given much free rein which meant that we innocents who just wanted to help people were able to do so, at least to some degree. And yes, "LCM the the sledge hammer", a fine description of the Okie King...

In relation to Sock's listing of the practice of legalism that proliferated in The Way, our in residence coordinator in 1980 said that, and this is a paraphrase; "If we abandon walking in the love of God, then the ministry will become nothing but a bunch of rules and regulations to live by: "Get up at seven, do prayers at 0730, the ministry will keep track of your tithing, the ministry will keep track of your twig attendance, the ministry will keep track how much you pay for rent or for your mortgage, the ministry will grade your spirituality according to the amount of your involvement, yada yada yada and on down the line. In short, a legalistic religion that will smother out all good works done out of the love of God, and there will be nothing left but legalism and it will then be dead. No more fun, no more God, just empty religion". And I must say that after reading of the incredible control laid down on people after I left in '88, it certainly seemed to have gone that way! I think it had gotten that way before '88 fore shore, but it was far more "unspoken" then it later became when LCM went on his rampage and purging, etc. Glad I checked out when I did...

Geez, WS, in actuality, I am no "horse guy" either! MOst of what I know comes from my wife! But, I do love horses. We had a 14 year old mare by the name of "Rooster". She was a good old gal and a perfect "kid horse". Kind and gentle and would never act up on the kids. She just did what they told her. Walk, lope, trot, left, right, stop, whatever. But really, maybe Rascal because she does in fact own horses? I could throw in for a "fishing thread" though. Now that is clearly up my alley! Anyways, thanks for the thought WS!

So, "Home" is in Tennessee? I thought Home for you was in Michigan. But I guess I missed that point. And, you have horses? Cool. I love horses. My wife was a serious "horse girl" when she was a kid and used to ride her horse to school in Oklahoma. After school, they'd all mount up and say; "Let's ride!" and go tearing off across the football field and onto the prairie. What a life! If we wanted to, we could easily move back down there, and have access to her wealthy uncle's 79,000 acre ranch, and lease any small amount that we wanted. We have often thought of raising corn and milo, not harvesting it but rather knocking it down making habitat for pheasant and quail so that we could then bring bird hunters out for a fee and let them shoot birds. We would also raise our favorite dogs the German Wirehaired Pointer, http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/germanwirehairedpointer.htm train them and use them with the clients on the hunts. My wife is named Shannon, and we would call it "Shotgun Shannon's Pheasant Ranch". I already call her "Shotgun Shannon" as it is, because she is a tough gal that wife of mine, so the name seems to fit just perfectly. AND, were we to do that, we would have horses too! But sadly, in the Oklahoma Panhandle, there is little water. The "rivers" are usually dry (the Cimarron and the Beaver), and geez, to be away from the Sea and fresh cold rivers and creeks would be hard on this guy. But as time goes on, we could become "snowbirds". Spring summer and here, winter down there. We are working on that, actually... Anyways, I hope it works out with the horses. And what kind are they? My wife was always into quarter horses, naturally. Her uncle always has 70 head running on his open range from which he picks and chooses for his cowboys to use. Geez, what a life to tap into if we wanted too! But for now, we are Alaskans. We finally had to put the breaks on the Nomadic Wayfer lifestyle, and this is where we are for now. And hey, thanks for your kind words, your friend. Peace... Kevin

Rascal my Sistah, I will no longer argue with you on this. I enjoyed our brief honeymoon, and honestly girl, it was very nice to be on good terms with you. Really. But I don't want to argue with you anymore. I am sure that you are a sweet woman, and I know that your fire has to do with loving and helping others. But we do, and still have, an opposing viewpoint concerning TWI, and I am weary of arguing the point. Perhaps we can simply agree to disagree. I know that my opinion here is different than the "mission" of the GSCafe, and so, because my opinion isn't really all that welcome, I will bow out. I love you muchos en Christo mi hermana! En Christo, Juanny Lingo P.S. I am editing this to say to you: Good spring bass and pike fishing! Once, I caught two 28 inch Northerns, and hooked but did not land a Northern that was at least 40 inches long all in one day! Wow! Please remember, those Northern Pike are in fact REAL FISH!

God called David to be King. God did good things through David. David steals Uriah's wife. Porks her. Gets her knocked up, and through complicity, tries to get Uriah to spend the night with his wife to get the pressure off of her being pregnant. the deception doesn't work. Uriah too honorable of a man. David murders him. Now how in the hell could anything good ever have been part of David's life? I don't know. He was a wife stealin murderin son of a biotch. These things I'll figure out when the Prince of peace comes back...

Relax Groucho. I went on to say that I never sang Kumbaya when in The Way. We used to sing it in my Mom's Presbyterian Church's "Junior High Fellowship" when we went on Retreats, and there lingers the memory of we very young people trying to be a part of a "unity and closeness" thing. And then I commented on the quiet songs that we sang in The Way. Is that okay with you? And as far as wasting 13 years of your career life singing Kumbaya around a campfire, well, maybe you just need to be a better decision maker, ya know? I have a few friends up here in Alaska who never went WOW or into The Way Corps. And now they are retiring as millionaires because they CHOSE to run their businesses and not go into the Corps, and GOOD FOR THEM! They made the decision that was right for them and you did not. You obviously made the wrong decision, so, BAD FOR YOU! So, good luck with the rest of your life, it sounds like you'll need it!

From Wikipedia: "Kumbaya" (also spelled Kum Ba Yah) is a spiritual from the 1930s. It enjoyed newfound popularity during the folk revival of the 1960s and became a standard campfire song in Scouting and other camping organizations. The song was originally associated with unity and closeness, but more recently is also alluded to sarcastically to connote a blandly pious and naively optimistic view of the world and human nature. But ya know, that was a very nice song, as far as songs go. It really does bring back memories of people trying to be in "unity and closeness" even though it is mentioned by some in a sarcastic way. Although, I never once remember singing it when in The Way. My favorite quiet time songs were "Yes It Is Jesus, Got Any Rivers, His Name Is Wonderful, and The Old Wooden Cross. A funny thing: Because I had not been involved in churches and stuff, a whole lot of the songs I learned in The Way I thought were songs written by The Way. Silly me

Linda Z, that one you did to Jeast was just perfect! Bravo!

Sometimes, jokingly, around the rowdy guys I work with in construction, I tell 'em that "I was a teenage cult leader", which always makes 'em laugh. That's usually a response that I give when they ask; "What brought you to Alaska"? But when they say; "A cult? Really"? I just say; "Well, let's just say that it was a Bible group that the denominational churches didn't like". And it rarely goes farther than that, because most guys get uncomfortable talking about religion. With other friends, closer ones, we rarely mention the name of The Way because they might go and google it, and with so much negative stuff out here ( on the Net) now on The Way, we figure that it would stir up thoughts that they need not be thinking about us. I hooked up with an old girlfriend (on the Net) down in Texas whose 14 y.o. daughter had been molested by her new step dad, my old flame's new husband (gawd!), and I have spent considerable time counseling my old friend with things I have learned from the Bible. But never would I dare tell her about The Way, just so that there would be no stumbling block for her should she google The Way or VP. And what's really cool, is that since she had nearly decided to "hate all men" (can ya blame her after something as heinous as that? She caught the "man" screwing his daughter in the very act), a very nice man came into her life who absolutely dotes on her, loves her, is awesomely protective of her daughter and is a Penetcostal Christian/stoner who got her born again! I had wanted to get her hooked up with some Ex-Way friends down that way (D. Ewood's bunch), but just couldn't bring myself to do it and I am glad that I did not. There just seems to be way too much baggage that comes with The Way with knowledge from it's past. And so, God worked it all out, and she is very happy now. Also, the filthy little perp has now been thrown in jail and is registered as a sex offender (for those of you who may remember me posting that situation a couple of years back). The daughter is doing way better also and is now on the road to putting all of that in the past now that the trial is over. A little de-rail there, sorry. Personally, as many of you know, I don't think of my past with The Way as something harmful to my present day life, therefore, I have no concern as to whether people don't care much about my involvement and have no desire to help me, for, I guess I don't feel that I have any need for help. Things that happened to others didn't happen to me, so because of that, I don't have the same problems that perhaps the author of this thread has. I do think that talking with others who have had the same experiences can be very helpful though, just like AA people talking with other AA people, for who can know your experience quite as well as someone else who has had the same experience? Things that I know that you all can relate to that have been minor problems with my wife and myself because of our involvement with The Way are things like this: 1.) We got a late start on the career thing, as far as setting up for our future when we become geezers, but finally, I decided that it was okay to get a "real job". 2.) We had years of the habit of moving every year or two years because of assignments, and this habit carried over into our "post Way" life. 3.) We had the unreal habit of always expecting the best when it came to housing and always rented places that were nice (because God's best deserves the best!), but unrealistically ended up paying more than we could really afford. Finally, we bit the bullet and bought a mobile home, lived in it for a year, I improved it, and a year later sold it for a 13k profit which we then used to buy a real house. And so, when our new found friends who are now already retiring because of their diligence in those departments from early on, we find that we are still in the middle of of getting that department squared away because of a ten year loss of not doing what they did. And I know that I can talk to many of you all about that because we had that similar experience that we had. Personally, I can't allow myself to get down about it, for if I had or continue to fell bad about it, then I wouldn't have been able to or continue to trust God to help us "catch up" like He most miraculously has in fact done. But by all means Thread Author, communing with folks here on subject of your Way Involvement can be very helpful. So, keep a positive chin up and cheers!

Happy Birthday Excath! Mwwwaaahhh!

Ya know Oldies, I just hafta agree with that. Those wonderful times benefited my life and I draw upon what I learned then to this day. I don't think God would have called me to it if there wasn't something good there.

I once knew dis guy named Craig, his forehead stuck out like an egg. He hit on my gal, she said; "Take a hike pal, you ain't worthy to even touch my leg"! He told her he felt like a clown, She said "Oh really, I made you feel down? If it's with sex you are smitten, what happened to It's Written? You' better put some ice on it you big jerk cause this booty no way you are gettin"! I like the "long, incongruous fifth line that doesn't fit" concept. Too funny! Jeast, On the spell checker: Highlight the word in question with a "left click drag". Then, right click the blue highlighted word, and voila! Spelling options miraculously appear. I just accidently discovered that about a week ago.

Bumpy, I think he took off with Snow White. She said that she had some household chores for him to take care of over in the little cabin in the woods...

I remember Kristin Skedgell very well. It was the first year that I went to Twig. Kristin came to town to run a "College WOW" fellowship, and since I was going to a junior college and helped run a twig with a gal named Rita, I was invited to the thing. She was very kind and sweet, and exuded the love of God all over the place. A very intelligent and thoughtful young woman. We met in Rock Creek Park where Rock Creek flows through the Park in DC. It was a beautiful summer day, and we had put two picnic tables together so the ten or so of us could sit down in order to pray, sing, etc. And when we had finished praying, a young man came to us and peacefully interrupted the meeting by telling us that God must have sent us to help him. He said that he had been back in the woods when he heard us singing and then walked towards the sound of us. As he got closer, he heard us praying. He said that he was drawn to us and that he had been about to commit suicide back in the woods. Kris (we called her Kris back then), was very kind, allowed him to "interrupt" as she asked him to join us. She prayed for him as we all prayed silently together for him. We all were in awe at the Love Of God that was found in that group and how God saw fit to send that guy to our fellowship. It was very very cool.

Thank you Jeff, and thank you MStar. And Bumpy, I mean Grumpy, before I race out the door in order to not get hit by some flying food, here I was! :blink:

Jonny Lingo, ducking as he runs in, looks at the crowd and says with a smile while waving; "Hey! Then quickly runs back out the door, almost knocking a waitress and her coffees and pie slices to the floor. Grumpy was relieved, because he was looking fwd to that pie!

JL.) Yes Reverend Jenkinson, I was fishing. TJ) And you had Miss Aston with you didn't you Johnny? As a matter of fact, because you took her fishing, she too has now been late for breakfast, hasn't she Jonny? JL) Yes sir Reverend Jenkinson. It won't happen again. I.. TJ) What won't happen again Jonny? You won't make her late again? Or you won't go fishing again? JL) Well sir, I'll always want to go fishing sir, I mean the Gunnison River is one of the finest trout rivers in the country, and, well, it's right out our back door and I, well, it's hard to stay away. Ya see this morning I made this one cast behind a rock, and wham! This big brown smacked it but when he leaped clean clear of the water he shook.. TJ.) Enough Jonny! You won't be having... JL.) ...the hook and.. TJ.)...any breakfast this morning Jonny, and, you can tell Miss Aston the same. That will be all. TJ continues eating with head toward his plate, left arm in lap like he had been during the entire interrogation... Jonny Lingo, with head down turns, but with smirk on face leaves head table area and goes back to long table seated with WC friends all smiling at the "scandal", all wanting to know what TJ's sentence was for JL's morning pre-breakfast fishing expedition. When asked, JL looks at everybody and particularly Miss Aston and says primly; "Miss Aston, neither you nor I will be having breakfast this morning....." And in a whisper, Jonny says that he'll tell the rest of the story later when "the head table can't hear us and we'll all have a good laugh"!

Yup! What stays in Cyber Purgatory stays in cyber purgatory! But Rascal, remember that time when we....ummm... it was so...never mind....Hey girl, I love you. I hopes that anything I ever did to hurt you just goes away, ya know? Really, I mean it. Seriously, PEACE this time, for reals... JL

Dooj, habal en Espanol por favor?

P.S. Was it a white crappy or a black crappy? I have only caught one crappy in my life and it was white one. Cool fish and he fought good. Tasted better! And, do you say "Crappy"? Or pronounce it "Croppy"? I like to say "Crappy with a "short a" just for fun...

Hey, a nice smallmouth is an awesome fish! And a two pounder is very nice! I used to fish for smallmouth on the upper Potomac River in the rapids for smallmouth near Harper's Ferry West Virginia. And it was some of the finest fishing that I have ever done to date. It's "all relative" I 'spose. Hey, sorry for the expletive. Have a great day... :)

He says he's well fed Grumpy, so maybe he just has some sort of disorder, a form of Teret's maybe? Instead of shouting cuss words he sticks his tongue out at people? Or maybe, he could be a French woman's favorite date? Or, maybe he is Gene Simmons of KISS fame's Grandfather! And no, I ain't no "crypt keeper" (whatever that means) DWBH. Sometimes I agree with WD, and sometimes I do not. I agreed with him on the point that since we were schooled to believe that "It is Written" and that the "Bible should be our only rule of faith and practice", that this is what we should have relied upon when challenged by Way leadership to comply with evil doctrines. We simply should have said; "Nope, sorry, that ain't God's Word", no matter what the consequences. This is something that I did when humiliated publicly by a region coordinator. I knew that I might have been kicked out of the Corps for what I did, but I concluded that "I was accepted in the beloved" as Ephesians says, and that I didn't care if I was even kicked out of The Way Ministry itself. I could always catch a ship and go back to Sea. God's love for me would simply "have to do". And so, I acted on it and got in that guy's face with Scripture and he backed off. But of course, there were times when I did not do just that, and "feared out" and complied. I hope that WD would recognize that we all were capable of both and did same. Certainly he is aware of why "Peter wasn't the man that he knew to be" when he denied our Lord in the Garden those three (Six? Never could see the "six denials") times... But I will say that because I am not a female who was coerced by a Way leader into providing sex, I do not know what it means to be under that kind of pressure and therefore it would be unfair for me to judge. It seems pretty simple to me, to simply say "no", like my wife did very emphatically to LCM one time without negative repercussions, but every situation and every person is different. And, I mean, it would have been extremely weird if Dorothy Owens or Rhoda came onto me like that ya know? Think about that scenario and put yourself in the girls' shoes boys! Eeaauuww! I personally would have made a stink over it, and if challenged by their "word of god" on it as "true doctrine" to defend those actions, I would have walked. No, I would have run like a "striped arsed ape" screeching like Cheetah the chimp for the safety of the tall trees! But make no mistake others who may be readin', the situation I was in with that RC was way different than the situations of which I have read about that happened to women while in The Way and The Way Corps. I don't doubt those things as have having happened. My good friend Sunesis, who wouldn't lie to me laid it all bare, with names, facts, everything. I must admit that it was hard to take because I hadn't really seen any of that crap, but I believe her because she is my friend. I think you know her. Hey, ask her about me, cause Grumpy doesn't know me... I guess I am considered here by some as a "Way Apologist" (you have begun to wonder if I am one of them DWBH), because I still believe that there was lots of good stuff that I learned in The Way and that when I fell to my knees and asked God to "send me a Christian to show me the way" back in 1975, the next day a WOW gal from NY came to work where I worked and opened up the book of Ephesians to me. And then came on fifteen years of endeavor to serve The Almighty who had picked me up out of the miry clay. But when it became evident to me that there was no more word of God, I/we checked out. "Bye bye! Ephesians will just have to do for me/us"! And it has done well for me/us, and I don't think that we, like you, have skipped too many beats since leaving...

Welcome back Rascal! Well, I am assuming that since they let me back in that most certainly you have been let back in also. All differences aside, welcome back. :)

I don't think so. We don't have any doves up here other than "pigeons". Did you know that technically, "pigeons" are actually "Rock Doves"? But they only eat grains, and such. But amazingly, the eagles do pick at rotting carcasses. In fact, the eagles have all been hanging out at the City Dump scrounging for garbage all late winter, spring, and early summer. Only lately, now that the salmon are running, have they been catching fresh salmon from the waters. But later, when the carcasses will litter the beaches and river banks, they will be picking at the rotting carcasses without any shame whatsoever. Ya know though, I have always thought to do one of those "power point" slide shows depicting the eagles doing things that folks don' think that they do. And the song I would use would be "Eagle Inside" by Joyful Noise. During the line: "He lives on the mountain top, he's never coming down, he knows that there's no reason for him on the ground!" I would then show a photo of a beautiful bald eagle rummaging through though the nasty garbage. Hah! And during the line: "There's no man or beast that's gonna drive him from his home"! I would show a photo of an eagle being chased by a bunch of crows or ravens which I have seen time and time again. There are alot more verses in that song and actual realities with eagles that have always amused me. At the end of the song, I would have the tagline: "SOME TIMES THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT YOU THOUGHT THEY WERE", or something like that. Would make a great You Tube, ya know? I just need to get out my camera one day. Shoot, all I'd need to do is carry it with me every day. All winter long there's been this one eagle who sits on a street lamp overlooking the highway in the morning on the way to work. He sits up there on the exact same lamp four street lamps before the light and looks down at the southbound traffic. And when I drive under him (the lamp extends out over the right lane), he always bends his head way down as you pass under him, making sure he sees you until you are past his talons. Then he looks up again for the next car/truck and does the same thing over and over. I told my wife to watch for him too in that she goes to work an hour later than I do, and sure enough, same thing! Too funny! Maybe it trips him out or something, and gives him a "rush" to do that. Personally, I think that being able to fly like that would be the ultimate rush! But, who knows the mind of an eagle? Maybe soaring and flying gets boring? Also, I have seen the eagles, as many as thirty on them flying and circling around our new Wal-Mart, and sitting on the roof of it. One day, I'll take my camera and take a shot. Maybe I could sell it to Wal-Mart for some coin. They are always being accused of being "anti-American" ya know. Maybe the boost in image would help.Oh well...