Twinky

I like camping. In a tent. A little one. Yes, really, I do. Though the only tent I stayed in at RoA was the big Corps tent. One year in Founders Hall (really??), and one year (graduation year) in the Corpstels (horrible, very cramped, and far too hot).

Rock of Ages class ??!! After my time... did you say Class !!??

Oh, by the way, I'm talking early 90s. US Corps were supposed to come for Corps week, later reduced in time period; then stay and serve at RoA. That must have been tough, for family holidays, because annual leave allowances are so very mean in the USA. No leave left to visit family or take a (real) holiday in another location. Maybe you should be pressing your govt to allow longer paid holidays as workers' rights? (Yeah, that'll really happen with this administration!) In other words, US workers are used to being exploited.

As a matter of fact, I rather enjoyed RoA set-up while I was in rez. It was mostly a fun time. A lot more laid back. Working outdoors, and generally a fun crew to mess around with. Everyone was more relaxed, but more focused. Yes, it was hard work at time, but at mid-afternoon (or whatever) break, there was lots of fresh fruit and water to re-hydrate. Evenings were often a lot of ground work, but that was better than the interminable classes and re-runs of How to Floss One's Teeth, or Song Leading. Got to pay (ie work) with people who might otherwise have been stuck in offices and who otherwise I might not have met. We scrubbed all the portable chairs and then they were all strung in the Big Top. Scrubbing the chairs seemed sensible; sometimes they weren't very clean. They looked neat when set out - but of course they never stayed in neat lines. Scrubbed portaloos. Set out tables, cloths, the chicken frying thing (wonder if they still have that?) Planted flowers early, so that the flower beds would be lovely when people came. I think if all that work had been going n (by contractors) I'd've been ticked off that I couldn't have been involved. I seem to recall that as the Rock neared, we worked whole days (ie, lost Study Hall for half a day) and I did resent that. But it was fun, preparing everything to bless the visitors. Is volunteer labour a bad thing? I don't think so. I think of the hugely popular festival that takes place at Glastonbury most years. A lot of people like to vol for that, as litter-pickers, set-up before and after, etc. They do it because they get a free ticket to the event. I vol'd at the Christian tent at Glasto (free ticket, yay!) (Springsteen the headline act! yay!!). Clearer-uppers in the weeks afterwards get paid minimum wage with few perks, but there's still plenty that want to do that. Perhaps that's the case with most festivals, commercial or free.

FIFTEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Allan! (One being your own, no doubt, but who runs the rest?)

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Thanks, T-Bone. Thank God there are decent, caring, ministers (and lay people) in congregations well outside TWI. Nobody in my church knows what I went through; it's never really arisen to talk about it. But I truly believe that church minister spoke as the spirit moved him, and brought healing to me and I believe to others as well. And nobody needs to know: God knows, and He can meet needs in private ways that help and heal without causing further hurt or even just embarrassment. I am seriously thankful for the people in that church who just gave me space - patience and time - for the people in that church, and in other churches, and for my pre-TWI friends. People who have loved me quietly through a very difficult time when I was seriously unlikable. Moving on from my church minister's apology, I'd suggest that it befits all of us to think of the words that come out of our mouths, that they minister grace and healing to other people. If we are responsive to the Spirit, and empathetic when people talk to us, we can help others without us even knowing what hurts them. God will give us the words that people need to hear [or see written down!].

Just bumping this up. For some reason, this thread has been on my heart lately. Perhaps there is someone here who needs to read this. (I'm sure Grace VC will get to it eventually)

Insight into life - yarrghh - in a cornfield Insight into love - love? What the f--- did VPW know about love? Insight into the Word- ditto, Should be edited to read, "Insight on many topics including bullying, lust, rape and manipulation."

I can do all those things. I can also discern BS when I see it.

You won't get nightmares, Grace, but the book will probably stick in your memory. The author says that all of the scenarios have happened or are happening to women. Be thankful for the choices and freedoms you have; be empathetic towards, and if possible, help, those who have less freedom, now.

One more to go! Last episode was The Bridge (Janine with her baby on the bridge) (among other things). Looking forward to Sunday (last episode). Got the book on order from the local library: time for a re-read. Of course, finding time to actually read the book is entirely another matter.

OldSkool - where did you get this photo? How did you get it?

Actually, I was thinking about this phrase "to the ministry." And yes, we can "believe for it." It's just that we want to bring success to the MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST (which we, as the body of believers, have the privilege to do, to minister his blessing to others) - but NOT to bring success of any kind to the "ministry" of TWI. No way.

"Material abundance to you and the ministry" - yeah, right, prosperity gospel. I guess Paul when he was in prison wasn't enjoying prosperity gospel... he must have been so badly out of fellowship...just acquiring spiritual abundance, so that he could write "the prison epistles" with all that great revelation that TWI so reveres. And so many of the OT prophets were out of fellowship. And what of some OT kings, who had great abundance? Like Ahaz: rich? Yep. In fellowship? Nope. So bad that he wasn't buried in the kingly tomb.

Crib is a card game can be played by two, three or four players. Scores are made by making 15 or 31 points in play (that gets two holes), then whatever is in a person's "hand" of four cards. First to 121 holes (points) wins. It's quite easy but the skill is in the play. I learned from a young age and to this day (not far from retirement) add up quicker in 15s than in 10s!

Cribbage is my game. My great grandfather taught me. I'm not smart enough for bridge. (Or more, I can't be bothered to apply my mind to the game.)

CP2 "Doctrinally and practically" - goodness me, are they going to get some external teachers in to teach this aspect? Cuz there ain't not nobody there that could do that. ... Gross! ...

CP5: "Go forth as leaders and workers in areas of concern, interest and need..." "...in the household." Would be of concern, interest and need to this group of people? (Mt 10:36) And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. Can you imagine (ROFLMAO) that shower at TWI lovingly serving their enemies?

When I was in rez, this is what CP1 was changed to. Apparently that had always been implied, but it needed to be made explicit. Nobody changed the sign in the woods, though, the outside the Corps Chalet. As to newly-revised CP5 ... "in the household" !!!

Tabula Rasa? I don't know her, is she nice? Seriously, I don't care either way. It's your argument, not mine.

Do animals have morals? How do you know? Some animals will protect their own young, care for them and nurture them. Others are just as likely to drive away or kill their young, either to remove a potential threat or for food. Some female animals will nurture the young of other species. But I don't think that's "morality" so much as an inbuilt maternal instinct, that some individual animals have more than other individuals. Most animals kill other animals for food. Some kill for fun, sport. Some don't eat other animals at all. Animals have instincts. Instincts are not "morals."

As with every event, you had to be a TWI follower to attend. Maybe RoA was "open" to anyone who paid the fee, to begin with, but certainly not by the time I was there. All closed off lest the local hoons came to disrupt it, and they wouldn't want to buy a ticket. You wouldn't get into Gunnison unless you were a Wayfer. As to the hospitality itself, when I was at Gunnison for summer camps, we did whatever we could to help people enjoy themselves. We (in rez corps) were always very busy and didn't have a lot of time to fraternise outside those in our immediate orbit (for myself, it was kiddies 3-5 dropped off by their parents after breakfast). Though I did find myself thinking that I wouldn't want my own summer hols to be spent in group teachings all morning, a group meal, a little free/family time, another group meal and then yet another teaching session. There were age-suitable activities for the younger ones and teenagers. Some trips to the river for rafting; that was popular. A dance on say, Friday night, might have been fun, but it never happened.

Egads, indeed.