Twinky

With various name tags in a drawer. In another country. Guess I should sort that stuff out one day. I do have a Corps ring. I earned that. No way would I dispose of it. Even if no-one here even knows what it means. The remaining Way mags got recycled last week.

A bit of a fun poll... Do you ever wonder what Jesus would say if he were to visit your home – say, today – and see you living in your normal mode? You know, with a few newspapers or magazines on the table, children’s toys under a chair, dog hairs on the carpet, some letters or bills you need to deal with on a desk, and a box of cereals on the counter in the kitchen or the clean crockery not yet put away? (Or even - shock, horror - some dirty crockery in the sink?) (A home that people live in, in fact.) Or perhaps there’s some mud tracked in on the floor where you were out in the garden? Maybe the car has a few wrappers in it, from a burger or some candies? Are there a few weeds in the vege patch? I say this in light of TWI’s ultra high standards for cleaning, tidying, making everything physically perfect -cushions perfectly plumped, furniture always exactly in position, hard floors washed daily, carpets vacuumed daily, shelves dusted daily. (As there are fewer in rez Corps now someone at the Café indicated that standards had resumed more normal levels.) Imagine you were Zacchaeus and Jesus invited himself to your home to share the evening meal. Or Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and Jesus called by on his way to Jerusalem. That sort of scenario. Would he find a "show home" or would he find a place that was “lived in” :blink: ? Or would you be so embarrassed that you wouldn’t let him in the door? Okay, now I'll go and mop up the muddy footprints that I tracked in by the kitchen door from when it rained while I was planting out in the garden...

I hijacked a meeting during my WoW year. Others in the family had suggested we went to a Christian fellowship meeting at a local college. So with some reluctance I went with them. The two girls organizing the meeting (it was the inaugural one) suggested we write on some blank paper things we were worried about, and we would pray about them. I think they also went round the room asking what we were afraid of (or something like). Well, no way was I going to spout off to strangers about that and I moved straight into a teaching on Seven Things God Wants you to Know (it was on a credit card sized card produced by TWI). The girls were open mouthed about it but there was a young lad there who was thrilled. After the meeting, the girls were a bit baffled about the takeover and the lad left so two of us distracted the girls and the rest of us rushed out after the lad to see if he wanted to know more. Actually he did, he came to our twig faithfully for the rest of the WoW year, we had a great time together, and he went WoW after the end of the year. He was a great guy and I hope everything worked out well for him and he didn't get hurt. As for the girls, I hope also they progressed in their knowledge of the Lord. Whilst out Lightbearers, I got "I'm not a Christian, I'm a Catholic" a few times when doorknocking. Hard to respond though when the door is closed in your face. Very funny one about the Prez-to-be being kicked out of the shopping mall . Gives a whole new look to "VP and me" and the claims made therein.

A "fisher of men," perhaps (LOL).

"Fellowship." What a misnomer for those with kids, or for kids.

Still get the shivers when I see those things. It didn't ring true at the time and even less so now. God blesses us regardless. Anyway I have a tiny one, no longer than about 6", had it for years and longer than knowing of TWI, no idea where I got it but I keep it as an ornament with a small selection of very pretty shells in and around it. My full size model is in a cupboard on the other side of the world. Hey, Twinky might like to play in it. He's a funny cat, loves to hide in things.

Some fine and considered posts here. The empathetic reaching out to help (compassion) shows that we as individuals can be part of the solution. It's not just telling people Da Verd and demanding they "renew their mind" to it. Kinda like James, "faith without works is dead." Speaking Da Verd but not following through with appropriate action may well be meaningless. Worse than that: hurtful. Because the practical answers that one in need is looking for are not there. (Eg, it may be "correct" telling someone with a sick kid in hospital that they can believe for the child to be healed; but what about practical help to enable the parent to hospital to visit? Offering to drive the parent there; or look after other children while the parent visits; or financial or physical help or food - or food preparation - while the parent is visiting?)

The junk table appeared at all the ACs, not just those by VPW but LCM did it too. Dunno if he had added his own junk to it as well, too busy "serving" in other areas to have time to go look. You might ask why a man who hauled off 300 Bible study books and commentaries to the city dump (as stated in PFAL) would not with the Bible books also haul off his several table loads of spiritualist mumbo jumbo.

Rocky, nice article. I like this point: So closely coupled (in the article) with mercy yet it is very different. Yet another reason, perhaps, why we were dissuaded from reading the gospels. Then we wouldn't see JC's compassion, but instead we could read in the epistles and read how Paul confronted poor thinking (lovingly) which was then taken to the extreme of confrontation in practically every situation and claimed as "love" or "mercy". Okay, how about this for a "definition," based on the definitions of grace and mercy: "God's divine empathy and yearning for the wellbeing of all humankind."

"Love" took on an entirely different flavor - this would be TWI2 - it was "loving" to "confront" someone and bring their supposed errors to their attention. Not a lot of reproving in a spirit of meekness, just in-your-face hair-streaming-backwards eye-watering yelling. Those definitions of "grace" and "mercy", they'd be in the foundational class, right? Or did we not get those until, what, the Advanced class? So Wierwille himself could have defined "compassion" at the same time. I'm left thinking he plagiarized those definitions (I have seen them elsewhere) and he never found nor thought up a definition of "compassion" or if he found one, it ran counter to other stuff he was teaching. Jen-o: point taken about it tying in with the "law of believing" and I think that would be specially true for TWI under LCM. Not sure about under VPW. Socks: yes, exactly. Empathy, sympathy, compassion...a genuine reaching out to help, not to show off one's knowledge. Compassion also has an element of doing something to help someone in need - a hug, a dab with a handkerchief, a visit, a gift of money, etc, rather than just preaching da Verd at them. OCW: Yes, individuals did show kindness and compassion. There were some very genuine bighearted people in TWI. I am thankful for them and for their lives. But the corporate machine minced that up and in many cases the compassionate ones as well. So no TWI definition? (Hey TWI, if anyone is lurking, ask Rosie what she defines it as. Put it in a soon-arriving SNS.)

UK Parliament has just had big debates all about issues like abortion (how many weeks must a fetus be before it can't be aborted?) and assisted reproduction (when allowable, including for "savior siblings" to be best match for a child suffering serious illness). With the assisted reproduction - big issue was whether it was permissible for single women, unmarried couples and lesbian couples as well as married couples. They concluded that it would be a breach of human rights to decline assisted reproduction to single women and lesbian couples. It sure is different from the values instilled in me at adolescence - and my parents' and grandparents' generations. As there is a legal right for one or two such attempts on the National Health Service (ie, free), I just wonder about the breach of MY human rights in supporting such behavior which runs counter to what I consider best. But then, I guess that goes along with my taxes that pay for bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I now attend a church and sometimes they drive me mad with what they say. The vicar is fine, very thoughtful and considered (a man with real study credentials) but the house group makes me feel like running out screaming. For one thing, they think healing is not always God's will and he sends sickness to people; or that God will allow healing in his own time. Last week someone came out with (and others agreed) that God kills people (but it's okay, because he takes no pleasure in that). OT thinking. But I always try to consider why they think what they think. Is there any sort of truth that I haven't considered? Did I miss something - in TWI? What I do see is that this house group spends a lot of time praying for people in other countries; missionaries/church members who (of their own choice) have chosen to work in other countries; and their prayers ALWAYS evince a genuine concern for other people and there is very little "personal" prayer such as was so common in twig. Sometimes now I read the Bible with a view to seeing the opposite of what I know/believe. For instance - what do they base the belief that JC=God? (NIV is wacky for that). Why do some of them think that healing is not what God wants? (That's not what the vicar teaches; he knows healing is "available" - sorry about the Wayspeak). And I think much more about what I do read, even that which "fits" with my own beliefs (mostly TWI formed). GSC is a great place for trying to sort out some of this stuff. Like, the thread concerning what is scripture/the scriptural canon?

Was just thinking about compassion and what it is and isn't. And it occurred to me that we have TWI definitions for "grace" (God's unmerited divine favor) and "mercy" (God's divine withholding of merited punishment) - have seen similar definitions in the work of Christian writers in non-TWI books (omitting the word "divine"). But I have never heard a TWI "definition" of "compassion." Anybody aware of one? Or even a non-TWI definition? It strikes me now that there was no definition because, perhaps, compassion had been so seriously overlooked in practice. No need to define what doesn't exist.

Though even now I find myself wondering and "thinking badly" of someone when I read of a former priest or ordained person who is now working in some secular capacity. (Need to clean up my own thinking on this.)

An interesting thread and one which I think ex-Wayfers will grapple with far more than the average church. I had to deal with serious (self)condemnation and misery because of the breaking of my vow to God - being salted when graduating into the Way Corps. Had vowed to stand for God and then ... even though they chucked me out... had I had any sense maybe I'd have seen that in that case God had broken the vow (or some such, dunno now) - being as I had vowed to God in the form of the Way Corps. Or was it that my vow (and salt covenant) was unacceptable to God? Years later I worked through it to realize that I had vowed to GOD and not the WC and the heart of the vow was at all times intact. Just because TWI removed themselves didn't negate the vow. I think God looks on the heart of what the person making the vow felt at the time, whether in a marriage situation or whatever it may be. God knows the past and the future. He knows what each avowal means. ...will he, if it gets very difficult, make a way to escape [the temptation to break a vow, though not the vow itself]. if it gets really tough? For us, I feel that forgiveness has to be available when we bite off more than we can chew (and Dot, that's not just pizza either, LOL) if we have made serious efforts to fulfil the vow. Perhaps a vow is for the person, to understand the seriousness and significance of the commitment/promise he/she is about to make. I think of Gideon - vowing to dedicate the first living thing he saw if he won a battle - too bad it was his beloved daughter. And loyally she submitted to that vow. Awesome. But we live in a different culture and are not brought up so strictly with our word being our bond and our underlying culture does not provide the supports to facilitate that (eg extended family support in cases of marriage/family difficulty - so that problems could be dealt with before they got to vow-breaking stage). And even in the OT, divorce was legal. As you say - a God of peace...

A blessing from TWI! (=Something that wasn't offered (?) to the later in rez. Musta been discontinued, then, about 1990 (?) )

A "PK"???

In the act! I caught Tuxy in the act! Just straddling the back legs and getting comfy on my carpet!! A firm "No!" has her now hiding on a chair under the table...no doubt waiting for me to go to bed so that she can continue. Definitely need to be able to handle these animals. For one thing, Tuxy needs to learn to wear a diaper. Grrrrr!

Now these lovely beasties have a new trick. I just got a new (second hand) carpet. They really like it. They rolled on it and sniffed it and appear to really enjoy having it there. Much nicer than what I had before. They like to lie on it. But (the pests) they (at least Tuxedo) have taken to using one corner for a latrine. Wet only (so far). I scrub it up as soon as I realize but sometimes I don't find it for a day or two (the smell gives it away). I wonder if a previous animal peed on it there? It's driving me crazy and I think soon I will hire a carpet cleaner with special "animal" shampoo and clean all the carpets. I was pleased I'd read a thread here, just before my net connection crashed for 2 weeks, about cat urine and ways to dispose. Tuxedo has also twice taken a dump on my sofa cushions. To do this she walks past the bathroom where the litter tray is. Tray is clean!!! Research on the net suggests it's "separation anxiety" and true, she has done this if I have been out later than usual in the evening. (Not like they pay me any attention when I am here!) Crypto is really coming out of herself now and is very active and agile at chasing the whip (toy). She also stands up for herself a bit more and sometimes smacks Tuxedo back if Tuxy just hits her for no reason. More usually she runs off. Still can't touch either of them.

The perks, yes... Like a lovely log cabin. Not a dorm in Founders Hall. "Given to the ministry"? Well there were lots of collections eg at the end of a class or even for a "gift" for the Prez. A personal gift. For the Prez - not for "the ministry". Of course he owned things. Though I can imagine that bigger items (furniture) might belong to TWI (just like the bunk beds in Founders Hall) - except all theirs in the Chalet definitely was of a different standard (no doubt personally selected by you know who). Probably considerably better than most stuff in the trailers too. Also I recall at least one time in rez that he gave gifts to us. He had so much stuff in his home as gifts from various people that he had collected up a load of smaller items, ornaments and such like, and we got to pick one that we could keep. Couldn't do that if they all belonged to "the ministry".

Purpose of GS? Possibly to drive us all nuts with arguing. Or possibly to drive all the nuttiness out of us by helping us think out of the Waybox in which we kept our thinking ability. I've had no net access for two weeks. I really missed being here!

Small plot, was a lawn till I gave away the turf. Now got lots of well-rotted hoss muck in it. Bit late in the season for doing this so some plants may not like it. New plot currently contains: Runner beans - 2 varieties Rhubarb 3 raspberry bushes (2 of which not showing signs of life - kept in a bucket of water too long perhaps) 1 gooseberry bush (another one in another part of the garden in flower border (!)) Short row radish Short row beetroot Short row salad leaves Short row Little Gem lettuce In seed trays: Lots of leeks - if they all come up there will be over 100 Lots of onions - if they all come up there will be over 100 On window sill: 2 cucumber seeds (threw a cuc in the compost and seedlings sprouted a few days later) Herb garden: Basil, parsley, thyme, lemon balm. The coriander got eaten by the slugs Coming today: 1 chilli Tomato plant(s) Elsewhere: Lots of sweet peas Foxgloves, hebes, grannies' bonnet, rose of sharon, heaps of other plants both flowering and shrubby. Would like a fruit tree (maybe a small apple or a plum) but other things are more pressing at present. Friends are having an extension built over a border which has some nice plants and shrubs in it so I will be uplifting some of those shortly. These are to go in a shrub border which I am currently trying to clear of ground elder but it seems this noxious plant thrives on Round-up. Also in the shrub border are 4 leylandii which I chop bits off periodically. Would love to extract the stumps but no idea how to do that. Seeing what else I can get in the vege line, from Freecycle or from friends.

Also doubles as a vintage motor cycle helmet.

I'm only coming along if I can have some ice skates (so that I can make nice straight lines in the ice)

Shiftthis, how many times did you read about Jesus Christ "screening" people before he would talk with them? One can have a genuine desire to learn about God AND learn about God in places other than TWI. One can ask questions and get considered answers. One can disagree with answers without being marked and avoided or considered possessed by devil spirits. You will find a lot of people here still have a deep (deeper) love for God and a much more outward-going way of showing it than TWI ever had. Wrongly kicked out? Well, if we were, why aren't they knocking on our doors or really working hard to find those people, apologizing, explaining, and asking us back? Shiftthis, you say you have read a lot of the posts here. Have you read the editorials? The lawsuit papers? The tales of abuse over many years? Look below the surface. Is it really different? Really? Stay with TWI if you must but stay there with your eyes open and your heart guarded. And when it all falls apart and you are bleeding from the knife sticking out of your back, you will find the First Aid (sorry Third Aid) box under the Cafe counter near the till. Ask any of the waitresses.