Twinky

Sure is a lot of useful stuff out there, all free. I just checked, and my AVG Free has an anti-spyware thing in it. I think the firewall is through AVG in some way. I did have ZoneAlarm and that slowed things down horrendously. Friend who is a computer chappie by trade uninstalled ZoneAlarm and said there is already a firewall. Is there any way to know if one's address has been grabbed for spamming all the world selling Viagra?

Hey Rottie, sorry to hear about your dog. I know she's really special to you.

Might be illegal but ... isn't there anyone here who could hack into their website and post from or link to the long thread(s) about LEAD in the forums here? There's a huge amount that can be learned about God, understanding him better, etc, when you're outdoors. Perhaps especially in a program like LEAD ought to have been - challenging, but properly overseen by people who have significant skills in what they're doing. But (maybe) except for the first expedition, LEAD wasn't like that. And I don't see that the SOWERS version, LEAD2 is, either. Nice that they could travel there by any way they wanted - hitchhike, drive, fly. How much money, I wonder, was allowed to them to purchase a plane ticket? In fact, for only six of them plus all their gear (76lb pack, as one of them states), SOWERS could have hired one minibus and they could all have driven there in relative comfort. They could've believed God to meet the right people to speak to in stops along the way. Maybe even picked up hitchhikers themselves (better to give than receive, folks).

Welcome back, Gerry. You wouldn't have met me online before, I was never on that old site. Anyway people are still escaping though there are fewer newbies here - fewer inmates to escape!!

Comments above on this page... Who'd'ya think would win in a fight between Rosie and Geer? Maybe they should have a merger. After all, their common adversary LCM is well out of the...way. The battle of the egos...arch manipulators...southern sugar against Maine steel.

Just wondering if I should install some of this stuff. I know yesterday I opened a pps that was a convincing hoax. My computer runs slowly anyway, can't take anything that slows it down. Not much memory. I use Firefox and AVG Free (latest version) which probably stop something but as Bramble has said on another thread - you authorize a pop-up - you let in baddies. Heh, and I have Win2000.

This is turning into a much more interesting thread than I'd expected; and I really welcome your views and comments. Krys, I don't think Broken Arrow is bored; but Jim is. Socks, appreciate your insight. The "logos" embodiment of thoughts, ideas, concepts...kinda what we were taught in TWI. What I always understood anyway. And an idea is clearly there before its actual embodiment; there are many preparatory steps along the way before the envisaged embodiment. An artist "sees" or "envisages" a picture before s/he paints it; an architect "sees" a building before s/he designs it; an athlete "sees" that winning line during training. A world dictator "sees" his empire before its conquest. Even mere human beings envisage their families , and how they hope to live, way before any children are conceived. It's amazing how some Christians see Jesus as being the "Word" and flying around in the sky before his birth; but the written "Word" (pages of KJV perhaps?) wasn't also floating around somewhere in outer space.

Can you expand on that a little, Sunesis? What was "logos" to the Greeks? You imply some fuller meaning. I like John. A lot of my research paper spent time there. Really got into it. It's just not where I'd want to start anyone. Perhaps I'm too aware of the "baggage" that comes with the first few verses of chapter 1. It's not actually so difficult, if you don't look at it through theologically tinted glasses.

Still 7, Garth. I just looked. Must be hard work being a puppy. They're all flat out, like slugs. Only one seems capable of movement and s/he is crawling around trying to get others to play. Leader of the pack. Or maybe s/he just hasn't got priorities right, LOL. Whole heap of fun when all awake.

The girlies have a new toy. It's a door. In fact, a door with a catflap. Had a new door installed yesterday, had the catflap put in. Tuxy emerged when all went quiet. Crypto hid ALL DAY because she didn't like the noise or the workman. I smeared the catflap with catnip and got their interest but they wouldn't attempt to go out. I managed to catch hold of Tuxedo and took her outside and showed her how to get in. Then taped the flap open. She spent the rest of the evening climbing in and out, not really sure of this new thing to do, but finding it rather interesting. This morning, I locked both of them out before breakfast, shook the Go-Cat box. T came in cautiously followed 10 mins later by Crypto. C loves being outside and has found the in/out ability fascinating. She slinks (oils) through the door (either way) absolutely silently. This evening, a small CATastrophe. I thought I'd got them both in, then locked the flap on the 4-way so no in and no out. An hour or so later, there's a frantic scared scream/howl followed by a crashing at the flap. Somehow Tuxy is outside. In the garden is another cat. She is afraid of it (it is rather big and very confident). She must have crashed into the flap and been terrified. I am a little worried about other cats getting in but there is no way I'll be able to get my two to wear magnetic collars. Not that, so far as I'm aware, any other cat has ever walked in, even though I quite often leave the door wide open.

I have a friend who is exploring Christianity. Did an Alpha course (he thought helpful, but I thought an utter waste of time...but it's his show), then those who wanted worked through bits of Philippians and they're now doing gospel of John. So the first session was all about how John 1 proves that Jesus=word=God. Also Jesus = light of world...and a few other things. John is a great gospel with some rivetting stuff in it, but hardly the place for a novice to start. They could have chosen any of Mat, Mk or Luke had they so wished - why go for the hardest? This is for a bunch of people most of whom have never read a Bible at all, perhaps hardly even go to church; but have an interest and want to explore a little. Friend came back wanting to look at my interlinear. Knows Greek and read John in the Greek. Has checked out some sources on line. The controversy and obscure readings have already made him want to throw the whole Christian thing up as a load of nonsense - if Christians can't agree about that - why bother with any of it?

Lotta real scholars out there whose works we never got to hear of. Lotta real Christian living out there whose joyful hearts brought forth works we never got to hear about Lotta real love out there that we never got to celebrate. Lotta beauty of creation out there that we never got to consider and think how wonderfully that was made.

I finally got some tomatoes this year. Lots. Nice, too. But what am I to do with so many? Not much else did well this year, partly because I was too busy to tend the garden much; and partly because it's been so very dry. I have mown the grass twice in the last two weeks - and only the 3rd and 4th times this entire year, the other two times being in the spring - too dry even for the grass to grow. (So much for "It always rains in England" !!) I also had some luscious autumn raspberries, first good ones ever in these youngish plants. Very large, very deep purple - nearly black, very sweet. Mmmm-mmm!

Just to add to your considerations, teach, check out this link: John 1:1

Managed to get a copy of the article Waysider mentioned. Also discovered that it is written about (though more articulately) in a chapter in JCNG). On re-reading it - it's all fluff and puff, showing off. I also remember studying this in some "depth" in rez under the scholarly LCM. We spent some weeks on it, I think, and digressed widely from John all over the place. Thanks for offers. I think this matter is now closed.

Thanks, Waysider. Now, anybody got a scanner?

Anybody got a copy of TWI's analysis of John 1:1-14? Isn't there one of the collaterals that covers this? If so, could you post/attach to a reply, PM me, or email a copy - whatever. It may be also that some of you have some other research (pre-dating TWI? Plagiarized by VPW?) and it would be useful to see that, too. Thanks.

Good one, Bowtwi.

Just to add a very small thought to this thread: Teach suggested the mansions could be tents. A tent is a temporary place - the tent of meeting in the wilderness in Exodus was something that could be taken down, rolled up and put away. A mansion suggests permanence, always there. Like the new Jerusalem, in Revelation - a permanent city. Maybe the mansion(s) is in the new Jerusalem? These things are interesting to think about. However, they're a long way in the future and too much thinking about them can lead to "head knowledge" and not heart knowledge. After so much TWI "this is our private theory" and analysis of individual words, I always try to ask myself the question: How does this help me live my life better RIGHT NOW? We know we have the promise of something great to come in the future. Just as we cannot explain to a fetus how great life is outside the confines of the womb (where, that being a fetus's sole existence and knowledge, no doubt it was perfectly happy), I think God cannot explain to us how wonderful our new life will be. He gives us images to try to help, but we can only guess at it, in this lifetime. That said - carry on. Interesting thread.

Okay, just to bring it back on topic again: This guy was in rez. When he left, he painted a picture - copied it - which was widely heralded as special ability because he had learned to concentrate whilst in rez. He hadn't done any art work before going in rez. And knowing how busy things are in rez, it's doubtful he managed to do any art work in rez either. So it was all his improved powers of concentration that enabled him to do this picture. Well actually even God didn't get the glory. It wasn't the "Christ in him" that enabled him. No, it was what he learned in rez, his "stayed mind." And yet... ...you think back on all the real talent that was squandered...

To take it slightly off topic again, Pax: There's a Shakespeare play called "Measure for Measure" in which the local bigwig entrusts his huge estate and city governance to his second in command, and then moves in disguise around his city. The substitute governor displays all his hypocrisy and abuses lots of the locals. In the nick of time, the disguised governor reveals himself, sets matters to right, and marries the heroine. In another more modern, real-time, story, a church minister disguises himself as a drunk and lounges around outside his own church on Sunday morning. Members of the congregation step over him or look at him in disgust. Nobody stops to help or see if he needs medical assistance - much less invites him into the church. The service starts, and in walks this disguised church minister, to the mortification of the congregation. We're all special. Recognizing that specialness in others is sometimes harder. Quite a lot harder. Especially if you have trained yourself to think that you are superior. If you fail to esteem others more highly than yourself.

Or how about imagining that that person in front of you is - actually - Jesus Christ? Or Paul on his missionary travels? How then would you treat them, how then would you listen to what they have to say? I do some work with homeless people. They have so many do-gooders hanging around that they can be slow to talk, really talk, about who they are (rather than what they can get). But (some of them) once they start talking, well, you might find some amazing talent there. And some, just plain hard times, lost of a parent or guardian left them homeless and they eventually ran out of friends to sofa-surf with. Leviticus 19:15 KJV Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. Romans 2:11 KJV For there is no respect of persons with God James 2:3 KJV And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

Interesting link, Charlene. Or, Bliss, just give'em a link to the Cafe.

And all these years later, I'm still trying to find that confidence I had before I met TWI.

God made you who YOU are, curiously and wonderfully made and knit together. God did not make you a clone, a robot, or an identical model with every other believer. To pretend that God did not endow you with particular abilities is really to deny God and his care for your life. Of course, there are less good bits too, bits that are perhaps less lovely. You are a fallible human being, after all. He accepts you, fallibilities and all. It's what you do with your God-given abilities that can make you special. So you're smart...do you use it to serve fellow human beings better, or to make life harder for them? So you're musical...do you use it to sing songs of joy, or do you use your voice to torment others? So you are a big strategic thinker...do you use it to plan to help others, think up big schemes that improve life...or do you use it to perhaps develop in criminal ways and become a successful crook? Don't bury your talents and abilities...be thankful God gave them to YOU and do something good with them. Agree with you very much that they squashed your ability. I'm no thicko myself, but every time I came up with a good idea or asked a question (especially about the odd and often inefficient ways that sometimes TWI wanted things done), I got "You're leaning to your own understanding. Just obey and do it the way I said." Crushing. TWI squandered talent and ability. Who knows how far they really set back the movement of (gag) "the word over the world" by shackling the hands of the laborers?