T-Bone

Hey T-Bone...long time!

I haven't visited GS for quite some time now, and am thinking of "reconnecting". I thought of you, because (when I first found GS) you treated me very fairly, as did Waysider (and a few others whose names escape me at the moment). Instead of using a private message, I'm putting this on your "feed" (or "wall", as FB calls it) so all who dealt with me long ago may see it too. (In short, it's sort of a "long overdue apology".)

I originally found GS shortly after leaving TWI, having stayed there FAR too long! It was nice to have "fellowship" with believers again. [Humorous: I used to agree with them, saying "I have no friends when it comes to the Word." Ironically (after I finally left them) that became "Alas, now I have no friends at all!"] :)

And it's true I was rather lonely at the time, and you seemed a "willing ear". I admit now that I actually "acted more devastated" than I truly was, so as to elicit "more and more" sympathy from you and the others here. And that was neither fair nor honest, so I humbly apologize to you --- and to all the rest concerned. (But for your understanding, I'll continue just a bit more.)

The main reason I left them was that (way back in 1988) I had found something in the Word I considered as very wonderful! Over the years, I dealt with every one of my Fellowship, Branch, Limb and Region Coordinators --- in a VAIN attempt to impart this to The Way. (Eventually, I was determined to deal ONLY with "ordained" Limb and Region Coordinators.)

Because my honest work was never accepted, I became more and more frustrated with each "meeting". When one would "shoot it down" (without a single scripture reference as reproof) many times I would have to wait 3-5 years until he got another assignment! Upon arriving, I would immediately set up another "private meeting" with his replacement.

And this continued for 2 decades or so, until I was so frustrated (and brokenhearted) that I could no longer take it...and I graciously took my leave of them in 2008. I'm sure you can see just how I must have felt at that time. (In a way, I related to Jesus being rejected by Israel and saying: "Lo, I turn to the gentiles".)

By the time I met you guys here at GS I was really very happy, having "escaped their clutches". I was also very glad to be treated fairly concerning what I had found so long ago (which certainly isn't "perfect" by any stretch). And I was elated at the notion of publishing the work myself for all to see.

Yet, I foolishly chose to "wallow in the past", that you might show me pity for all I had gone through during those painful years. (OOPS, my bad!) And --- I've been "totally over them" for quite a number of years now!

As an aside, I'm (fairly) convinced now that the main reason TWI never actually "saw" my work was that God himself "allowed them to be blinded" so as not to STEAL my work and publish it under their own name, even as I noticed was their MO --- from many of the GS posts concerning plagiarism in The Way. (I can't prove this, but it sounds plausible.)

Since then, I did publish the work and am feeling quite fine indeed! My wife and I are very happy (and grateful) for all God is doing for us these days.

I will attempt attaching a PDF of my book here for your perusal. (I hope that works.) As I said, it's not perfect; so glean what you can from it. I've also learned much more since publishing it. ENJOY!

Melvin W. Elliott (aka: Spectrum49)

Genesis One God's Table of Contents to the Bible.pdf