skyrider

The best of times, for me..........were the outdoorsy get-togethers. Our branch (five twigs) had planned an afternoon and evening at a nearby park and lake area. Two believers had access to boats. The whole afternoon was planned with fun and games and fellowship. some of the games were beach volleyball, horseshoes, a water balloon fight, water fun for the kiddos, frisbees, and a few other things. Water skiing and tubing made for lots of fun and plenty of laughs. We had a pot bless supper......baked beans, potatoe salad, chips & dip, munchies, veggies......and we grilled plenty of hot dogs and hamburgers. Also, we made sure that there was extra in case anyone witnessed to some people (I remember 3 new people joining in and sticking around). After supper, the branch guy taught us some bible for about 20 minutes...manifestattions, prayer, a couple of songs....and sweet fellowship into the night. With an open campfire and s'mores and victory sharings.... the day was ONE FOR THE MEMORIES. For two years, we had branch activities like this........a slice of heavenly fellowship. :) :)

Yeah, WD...."it's really the people that I miss the most." Life is like that.....the fun, the comaraderie, the teamwork, the accomplishments, the hanging out together. Nothing like good friends, good memories. Nope, it wasn't the "holy grounds of twi"...or the daily teachings...or the believer's market food stand ...or the hot, lazy afternoons of looking for a shady spot......it was the people. The family tables were pretty cool, because it gave some the opportunity to share of their victories, their experiences, their songs. To me........the ROA represented the sending forth and the homecoming of the WOW Ambassadors who dedicated a year of their lives to go forth and share His deliverance. The rock of ages brought that set of friends, wow brothers & sisters, corps buddies and others into my life year after year. Sadly, by 1982......some of them were no longer associated with twi and were missed at these annual reunions. But as the roa became more structured (and herding around of people)......the dynamics of its fun and fellowship were lost anyway. And consequently, never regained. Today.........I've reconnected with many of my ole buds through the INTERNET. :) And, a few of them..........I've seen face to face. We travel to their city and spend a weekend.....then, they come and visit us. Oh, the sweetness of good friends. No tent city for us anymore. We have the comfort of air-conditioning, refreshing drinks are served, restaurants aplenty, etc. etc. It doesn't get any better than this. And, the nostalgia of them "old roa gatherings".....lives on.

Belle.......you sure bring lots to these here tables at GS. Super pic......wow! Congrats on the two years of moving fast forward. May the next few years be extra special and may all your dreams come true.........((((Belle))))

Awwww, yes.......the 30 minute bathroom wait. Or,.......the cold, community shower after another 30 minute wait. Or,.......assigned corps duties on the honey (sewer) wagon in the rv area. Or,.......getting confronted about your wrinkled suit that you tried to press in your pup tent. Or,.......enduring a scream-fest from the MOG for not believing to stop the downpouring rain. See you at the Rock...............NOT.

Time to plug the outreach aspects again.......... The numbers are dwindling, ya know. :)

Belle......yeah, I hear what you're saying about anniversaries/divorce/exiting twi as "triggering" emotions and bringing memories to the forefront. And, yeah......going to roa year after year does have that sort of triggering effect on me as well. After all, I went to about 22 roa events during those years. But.....aren't there "internal clocks" or triggering mechanisms for all sorts of things in life??? For instance.....I played all four years of high school football. Our high school was one of the best competitors in the state.....and my senior year, we won the state championship. We got the trophy, the headlines, the newspaper clippings, the notoriety, and the nostalgia. For years, every late October.....on a cool Friday Night, my mind relived that game.....that moment of sweetness. Time stood still....whenever I was captivated in this nostalgia moment. And, it felt good. No....I didn't think about the months of pain, the workouts, the sweat of practices, the yelling from our coaches......nope. My mind was fixated on the excitement and comaraderie of a bunch of guys who won it all, at that level. Are the early years of rock of ages like that for some.....??? Probably. Sweet moments of nostalgia and time stood still. And, that's the memory that some old-timers like to bask in. I understand it. Don't we, as individuals, like to bask in moments of "being there"....at the apex of life?? A football championship.....a Beatles rock concert.......an unforgettable summer.......a special vacation........or those early rock of ages when we were the "building blocks of a spiritual movement?" Still ramblin on.............. :)

On another thread, a poster mentioned that his internal clock goes off this time of year......and it's time to head to OHIO. Or..........is it just that time of year?? The latter part of July thru mid-August is VACATION TIME. Road trips.....summer cabins.....water skiing.....summer loves......kissing and hugging (or more) till dawn. With about four weeks left before school (college)......my internal clock noted, "Party On.......Have a Good Time." The weather gets hot......the boating is fun and girls in bikinis are everywhere! :) The night breezes are refreshing......staying up till 4 am was being part of the "in crowd." Heck, after a couple of mid-afternoon naps....I was good to go till dawn. Singing, dancing, laughing.....not burdened by responsibilities. Oh, the joy of youth...!!! Isn't that rock of ages nostalgia MORE ABOUT YOUTH than twi?? I mean.....heck, when I think about it.... many, many fun times from my youth surface besides roa. Perhaps, I had it better than some here.....with summers of motorcycle riding, fishing trips, dancing and beach parties, girls and more girls..... I know, I know.....I was to put off the old man nature and live spiritually. But why is it.....that these old roa nostalgia threads emphasize fun, laughing, camping, playing in the hay, etc. Not all that different....except that with twi it's a spiritual quest....hahahahaha And really.....don't we have a tendency to magnify the fun times in our youth and forget the dull times, the down times, the broke times...?? Just a ramblin day, I guess.

What a time of nostalgia..............campfire under the stars, singing and laughing, dancing, and playing in the hay. Good music and it was like a love-in. Alot of great people, willing to give and share...... Capturing these youthful moment......could apply to a number of different settings in my life. Oh, the longing to go back to those youth-filled fun days.

Yeah.......when it was fun-loving, great music, few rules, sleep late, and lots of spontaneity. With each passing year....the numbers grew, more corps/caste system, rules brought conformity, and constant teachings snuffed out the heart and fellowship of those early ROA. Imo, by 1980......crowd management and conformity were the marching orders for us corps at these events. Yep, the last 15 Rocks were mostly a mixed bag of same ole, same ole. And, when corps week was added.....to bring in the corps labor force to put the finishing touches on the roa grounds, it was "a different animal." The corporate chain of command replaced all those warm n' fuzzy feelings in the early 70s. Guess I stayed too long.......because into the 90s, all that nostalgia was choked by a scream-fest of corps week confrontation.

Could wierwille have been ANY MORE VAGUE...????? And further..............this kind of statement from a man who received a doctorate..???? More and more proof is surfacing that vpw was a salesman, at best.

LOL...... :) And, if you want to recapture those moments and feelings from just over THIRTY YEARS AGO.....drive to a small town in mid-August. Make sure that the county fair has just concluded and that there are two or three open-sided buildings where hogs, sheep and cattle were penned-up for the 4-H judging competition. Now that you've found the sentimental setting of a 1974 ROA......take some time to breathe deeply. With a little sweat and work, clean out the old straw and manure, and bring in some fresh bales to spread around and sit on. Be sure to bring your cassette player and a couple of old twi music tapes. Hopefully, the flies will be buzzing around to make the experience complete. And, what the heck......pitch a pup tent for a couple of nights and stay awhile. With any luck at all.....a good, hard rain will soak you to the bone. It's good to be home again.....been away too long.

Reading through WordWolf's post again.......the above quote is very revealing. "It took"..........vpw knew the starting point of his quest. "It took ME".....vpw doesn't give any credit to being guided or led by God. No, vpw is self-led..........and he's looking for a mentor. "seven years".......from 1944-1951......wierwille is searching for a man to lead him. "a man (JE Stiles) who knew the Scriptures on the Holy Spirit, and could fit it together"..........sounds like wierwille had a glimmer of humility when this 2nd edition was published. "so that I did not have to omit, deny or change"................ ....in one breath wierwille states that he's been searching for seven years for a man of God, and in the next breath veepee's bravado comes back in full bore and he wants to challenge and tweak these truths that he said "this man could fit the Scriptures together like a hand in a glove." And, we sometimes wonder why twi is loaded with a double standard....?????????????

BRILLIANT POST, WordWolf............thanks. The documentation of this information gives even the most fanatical wierwillite pause for consideration of twi's re-writing of its history and mogship. :)

A deep question, bagpipes..... For me, when I walked away from twi some eight years ago.....for months on end, I contemplated aspects of this deep sense of loss. Loss of my purpose, my identity, my friends, my direction, loss of time and opportunities, loss of family relationships, of nieces and nephews who I rarely knew, etc. etc...... But now...........that deep sense of loss has faded away. Imo, I have regained 10-fold from my former situation. I have established a deeper relationship with my Lord, my true identity is intact, new friends and old friends, much greater financial situation (easily 10-fold from my twi-daze), experiencial knowledge replaces any "loss of time"....and family reunions are no longer a thing of the past. Yes, bagpipes......that deep sense of loss dissipates a little more with each sunshiny day. :)

Belle..........more mundane and elementary is right..!!! Wouldn't surprise me if stuff like this BACKFIRES in twi's face....... Maybe some innies will start asking themselves what the heck is this crap..?? I know, I started questioning many things before the scales fell from my eyes.. It's happening as we speak. Lots of long-standing innies are making their way to outies.

Wierwille's the one with an imaginative way.....illustrating spiritual hitchhikers in his teachings Imo, spiritual hitchhiking would be one who "rides along" on someone's teachings/identity/etc and does very little to establish individual identity. Adding the "spiritual side" to the equation.....one could be said to follow a group (or individual) for selfish reasons. Carjacking.......is taking ownership from someone else's property and efforts. Yes, imo.....wierwille carjacked B. G. Leonard's class and rushed back to Ohio (in 1953) and ran the whole thing without charts, without a syllabus, without references to Leonard's class. Mrs. Wierwille's book, Born Again to Serve gives explicit details of this. Oldies states, "Yeah, it would have been much better had he referenced these men better, but I think it wouldn't have changed much back then, or even now, if he did." Well.....I couldn't disagree more!!!!! Had wierwille taken Leonard's class material back to Ohio and given proper references to this work, it would have TOTALLY CHANGED TWI from the onset and, exponentially now. How: ...1) It would have debunked the wierwille-mog concept from the beginning. ...2) It would have sent a clear message that true ministries are in operation in many places. ...3) It would have derailed the "true household idolatry" that sprouted thru the years. ...4) Possibly, it could have helped humble wierwille everytime he gave heart-felt recognition. ...5) Possibly, it could have derailed the mog worship that was subtly taught in the corps program. ...6) Had wierwille walked uprightly and avoided plagerism, perhaps other deceptions would have ceased. ...7) To lie and deceive....vp opened himself up to a host of adulterous practices, physically & spiritually. You see Oldies.................it could have CHANGED EVERYTHING IN TWI as we know it.

catcup.....you said it so much better than I did.

What..?????? That is too wierd. Who in their right mind would want a tape on Early History of New Knoxville...?? Amazing how many ways twi can find to squeeze a few more dollars outta the innies...

One more thing, sportsfan......be sure to give yourself some time to sort things out. Yeah, lots of emotions, eh? I, too, had lots of thoughts and emotions when I left twi over eight years ago. Kept seeing twi legalism running rampant and board of trustees who didn't have a clue. This site is chock full of topics, experiences, advice, emotions, stories..... If I can help you, please pm me... if you like. Life is short. Keep moving forward. :)

Welcome sportsfan. I stayed in twi for 24 years as well. But, thanks to GS...and lots of great folks here....the transition has been relatively good. Someone will be around with the menu soon. :)

Remember that term? Didn't vpw say something in piffle about spiritual hitchhikers....going thru life hitchhiking off others' believing? It's a very apt description.....and wierwille would know. He took a "ride" on B.G. Leonard's growing ministry and enrolled in B.G.'s class, Receiving the Holy Spirit in March of 1953. Until that time, wierwille was stranded and was going nowhere, fast. What happened after wierwille "thumbed this ride?" Well..... (1) He convinced mrs. and don to take B.G.'s class in June/July of 1953. (2) Then, wierwille rushed back to Ohio to run B.G.'s class for others....copied B.G.'s format, etc. (3) Tweaked this class (later renamed pfal) and boasted of God showing him (vp). (4) Incorporated twi that year.....in 1953. Why THAT year?? (5) B.G. Leonard found out about wierwille's thievery and plagarism....and copyrighted his work therafter. (6) In later years, wierwille cuts and pastes to his class format....and the revamped pfal class is filmed. (7) Wierwille hitched "a ride" on the works of Bullinger, Stiles, and others. Was wierwille a spiritual hitchhiker.....??? :unsure: Or, did wierwille in fact carjack B.G.'s vehicle...?? Imo, the latter scenario is the apt description. For indeed, a hitchhiker generally is thankful for the generosity of a ride from point A to point B....and goes on his merry way. Whereas, a carjacker grabs what he wants and kicks the owner to the curb.....and drives away with the vehicle. And, lest we forget......in pfal, "I've got a jack but I ain't gonna help you" comment. Whereas, wierwille coulda said......"I'm into carjacking so as to help you." Wanna ride??

Yeah, Patriot......what you said. Time and time again, corps were confronted on their MARRIAGE, their SPOUSE'S behavior/problems/etc. Many corps were drop-kicked into next week for being clueless on their spouse. Yet, donna knew the adulterous activities of her husband. She wasn't dumb or innocent. Could it be that she was growing tired of the hypocrisy, the shadow of her husband......and desired to see him knocked off his high horse?? Maybe donna cunningly distanced herself from her husband knowing what was to befall him. It was really only a matter of time....and she had time on her side. And, rosalie. Why didn't donna lose her status, her lofty castle?? In one word.......Rosa-lie, that's why.

Seems to me......that whoever wrote that way rag article was really digging for something to write about the corps program. Wanted to keep "the training" in the rag for promotional purposes, doncha know. Besides......it gives credit to twi for teaching their people how to think (cough, cough). Those rag articles are so manufactured.......it's so transparent to us ex-twi types.

Didn't someone post a couple months ago.....that another staff couple is living with Donna in the Corps Chalet. Someone posted that. Regarding the martindale kids.....I dunno. Le@h must be about 27 or 28 years old...and can't imagine her choosing to live there. I heard that Tim dropped out of college (he's 21 or 22).....and D.G. must be about 16 (a freshman or soph) in hs. So, yeah....that last child is still there.

Where does scum come from.......??? I'll tell you where.... It comes from scum indoctrination, that's where.