Galen

:) Some would call it: "emasculation"

What a baldy. I knew a few baldys :) Or maybe you meant the facial hair? I have photos, where all of us had beards. Most patrols we had beard growing contests: the longest, the fluffiest, etc. Before we pulled back into port and they all had to be trimmed back to within Navy Regs. Or in the late 80's and until now once in port we all had to shave. Today we are only allowed to grow our beards while out to sea [but it still gives you 105 days to get a good growth going]. Bless you.

LOL I knew a few from the archerfish. Once on the Marshall our COB's wife tried to come down during a surface ventilate, she was so big that she could not make it down through the control room hatch. that hatch is 33 inches in diameter, and she got good and stuck. During a 'surface ventilate' we suck fresh air in through the mast and it flows out through the control room hatch. Normally this is nice to then see girlfriends come down to visit, wearing sun-dresses when the strong up-draft raises their dresses up around their armpits, she the ladys are climbing down the ladder. but in this case, the hatch was plugged. So the boat began to pressurize. Everyone's ears were popping, and we all knew that the control room hatch was plugged. Now this lady's feet had slipped off the ladder-rungs and she was swinging her feet from side to side trying to find something her feet could get purchase on. So as our ear's were popping from the pressure, a group of us charged up the ladder and pushed our hands up into layers of fat hoping to make contact with bone or solid mass with which to lift her up out of the hatch. to our great luck, the pressurizing of the boat helped to lift her up and pop her out of the hatch. She never came back down to visit the boat again. LOL

Thank you one and all. Bless you guys. The weather is so weird, part of the day was sunny and warm, then windy and rainy with a touch of snow. Bahh!!! I have been hanging floor-joists all this week. setting up our floor in our future home. Another four or five days and the floor-joists should be done. Then the radiant floor tubing should be arriving, so i can set it in place before laying the sub-flooring. tomorrow I am off to a local livestock auction [the first of the season] looking for goats and sheep. Bonnie, Matthew and I worked Tuesday afternoon setting up an electric fence, so the livestock will have a home. Yesterday we sent off the order for a batch of chickens and turkeys. [Rhode Island Red chickens and broad-breasted Bronze turkeys]. I wanted to get some wild-turkeys, but they cost more and Bonnie wants to wait until we have been here a year to make sure that our turkeys will survive. there is a flock of wild turkeys that live in our area; they wander up and down a three mile section of our road; about ten turkeys, I have to slow down and chase them out of the road; they are so big it would total my car if I hit one.

LOL Thanks. Your pretty cool too

Cool, it looks like for a short period of time someone was very busy. During 1979, we had a family of Military-WOWs on my sub [on the other crew]. I wonder if any of them knew about "Military Outreach Letters". During my 'off-crew' periods I roomed in a boarding house, in a room that one of the military-WOWs used during his 'off-crew' periods. Even though we shared the same boat, I did not meet the WOWs until after their WOW year. [whenever I was underwater, they were in port. and when they were underwater I was in port.] During that time frame we must have had believers on half of the boats home-ported in Groton. One boat even ran PFAL classes entirely underwater, and another ran a PFAL class partially under-ice. But there was not any coordination or organization to us at that time. No WC or 'leadership' beyond ourselves.

sounds about right. :)

I can't say that I am familiar with these items. What kinds of things are in them? Cool. I spoke with Paul Norcross once on the phone. I think they were all in Virginia weren't they? :)

Franzia is jsut a brand name, among it's boxes are rose', whites, burgandys, etc.

Yeah. 'Extremist Muslims' don't like: Judeo-Christianity, nor Capitalism, nor Democracy. [each of these things separately they hate] When Multinational corporations move into Muslim countries bringing these three things grouped together into Muslim lands, the 'extremist' have issue. We have seen these guys before. The Ottoman Empire, was huge and it took a thousand years for it to fizzle itself out. For whatever reason, building things and even technical knowledge of how to build things is a considered a heresy. Look to Saudi Arabia for example, a camel-herder mentality with a modern military but their own people can not have technical knowledge without being an infidel, so they hire 'infidel engineers and technicians' to live in walled-off compounds to repair and maintain their military equipment. During the times of the Roman Empire, pride was taken in engineering and building stuff. Rome built solid smooth roads that reached out to ever corner of their empire. They encouraged the flow to goods, messengers, and military connecting every corner of the empire. That enabled Rome to spread out and control a huge area of land. Many of those roads still exist today. I have driven on them. The Ottoman Empire was huge and powerful, but without engineering on it's side, they were not as easily able to control a large area. IT expended much more of their effort just to maintain control of their own empire. It seems to me, that looking at the Muslim religion when it is allowed to develop into a theocracy, it must live off outside sources to maintain it's own infrastructure. Otherwise they live in huts and herd goats around. This world-view is not compatible with poly-religious capitalism which habitates most of the planet. The World's multinational corporations are part of the UN which is housed on American soil. UN troops and UN operations are done primarily with American troops. It is only logical that when 'Muslim Extremists' want to reach out and attack it all, they do so symbolically attacking America. Since it seems that they are going to continue attacking us, I prefer them to attack 'us' in some far off land. In mind demented mind, I consider Iraq and Afghanistan to be 'lightning rods' drawing attacks, and yet keeping those attacks away from our home soil. :)

I only ever dealt with one WC who was clergy, Steve Strezpec. In about 1980, in my first fellowship we had a couple [Harrel and Fran Strayhorn] who had asked him to perform their wedding, he had told them that he would and that he wanted to counsel them first. So they were going through his counseling sessions every time that the guy was in port [Harrel was a sailor]. Well six months later, Harrel was getting ready to be transferred and they needed the wedding to happen soon so that Fran could follow Harrel during his transfer onto his next duty station, but when they spoke with S. Strezpec he just dragged it on. I did not see how a license from any one ministry was 'better' than any other, as the way that my Bible seemed to read, all followers are saints and ordained. So I sent away for a ordination. A month later, they were still trying to get S. Strezpec to give them a date, so I volunteered to perform a wedding myself. We had a wonderful time. The following week, S. Strezpec came to visit our fellowship to confront us. Now at the time, I had been 'in' for about two years and I had been in that same area for the entire time. This visit of S. Strezpec's was the first time that I had seen or met him, he did not get out among his limb too often in those days. S. Strezpec was very upset and he told us that he had no intention of actually marrying them, as they were not qualified to get married [s. Strezpec wanted Harrel to get out of the Navy and go WC instead]. He was just leading them on, pretending that he was going to marry them, until he could talk them out of it. S. Strezpec declared to everyone that I was "born of a different spiritual seed" and not to be allowed into fellowship any longer. I talk to the Strayhorns all the time, it has been 26 years now that they have been together. Strezpec is a loser. :)

Or when 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 :)

I thought it was said in the context that, Your personal experiences and how G-d walks with you is fine for you but they cant be cookie-cuttered onto how someone else walks with G-d. How I walk and how G-d talks with me, and the things that my Heavenly Father shows me, are for me. They are not always for anyone else to know and certainly not for anyone else to take as examples. When you go to teaching, a person should teach from the Bible. And not from their own personal walk with their Father. For me to listen to how you and G-d walk together, and to then attempt to apply that in my life could possibly be wrong and not to be trusted. That was/is how I would understand the idea that personal experiences of walking with G-d should not be 'trusted'. :)

I only heard that phrase coming from WC while we were still in [towards the end of our in-ness]. I am not aware of anyone who is an outie and yet thinks VPW or LCM are MOGFOT.

It would seem to me that during both of the councils that are recorded in Acts [a bunch of the body's leadership got together in Jerusalem to debate and hash out doctrines] that these were all 'believers' is assumed; however some of them were stuck in the mindset of still being Jews, while others had experienced different things [either by revelation or through experience] and had seen for themselves that G-d's new relationship with man was different then what Moses had commanded. Did G-d speak equally to all of these men? Were they all equally given the same revelations? Had G-d worked in each of their lives to personally prove to each of them that these changes were in fact taking place? It seems not. :) During Moses' time not ALL believers received revelation, neither was it restricted to just one man. But 'certain' select people. How did G-d select who He/She would give revelation to? I have no idea. But I do find it obvious that G-d did not give out revelation to every follower.

I agree. [though it has been said before] :)

I think that because he, in his walk, had gone for many years wanting to manifest. Going to each different revival meeting and seeking out pentecostal ministers to try and explain it to him. To finally find Stiles who could help him, and eventually lead him into SIT. It meant a great deal to him. And became a real focus in his mind and thus in his ministry. That manifesting over-shadowed other aspects of ministry. Often to the complete neglect of other areas of service. but I think it was a needed step. Just as Martin Luther was a needed step. Not a complete answer but a partial step to get us a little further towards a complete fullness of spirituality. Bullinger was also a great step pushing out there, was he entirely correct? Perhaps not. but he made advances. Even the first century church did not last a complete generation. So no ministry can last a complete generation, if it is pushing out to advancing in any one area of the whole. it obviously neglects too many other areas. And eventually collapses into the mainstream. I grew up as a Baptist, so preachers screwing prostitutes and church Secretaries is fairly common place in my family's experience. My brothers mostly went Methodist, so church tithe being diverted to pay for guns in South American Contra hands; is also common place. :)

I have been told many times that I was very fortunate for having been so far away from VPW and LCM. So it seems from your point of view as well. :)

Interesting to hear you quoting VPW and PFAL. :)

True. It has been this way since even the previous Greasespot cafe back on Ez-boards. Begin discussing doctrine and soon you do get ambushed.

I agree entirely. I did not think that VPW ever called himself by such a title. I don't think that the title became popular until after LCM took over, and then it was only popular among WC. I think it was LCM who added the other phrases onto the three-word phrase. ["the" before, as well as, "for this present time" or whatever silly title they came up with].

"Walking is a process of falling and catching yourself before your nose hits the ground." "Your secure when not moving, but your growing when you move out. You may make mistakes, but God will catch you." "God conferred to man, man transferred to Satan" The Bible interprets itself: 1. In the verse, a. where it is written, b. or must be interpreted by it's Biblical usage, c. must be in harmony with that verse, and all other scripture relating to that subject. d. Scripture build-up 2. In the context a. just keep reading. 3. Used before. Biblical truths we must adhere to: 1. Get to whom correct, 2. A difficult verse must be understood in light of the clear verses, 3. Application is always with respect to whom it is written to. Seven steps to Biblical accuracy: 1. each individual word must be understood, 2. each word must fit together in the verse, 3. the verse must fit with the immediate context, 4. the immediate context must fit within the remote context, 5. the context must be understood is light of to whom it is written, 6. as well as Orientalism, customs, and mannerisms. 7. and all known 'figures of speech'. The Old Testament is not "addressed to us", but it is "for our learning".

If one person is in a crowd of unbelievers, and that one person is a believer. Or if one person is in a crowd of believers but the other believers are at current focused on their unbelief. I should imagine that G-d can speak with anyone He/She desires to speak with. During times when I have been told to do something, it has turned out that generally I was the only one told [or perhaps I was the only one who listened]. If only one person is so inspired to act to minister, then it is not that person but rather G-d who should receive the glory. If two are inspired to act, then I think it is great that two are 'listening' and willing to assist.A singing group that Bonnie really likes a lot is the Statler Brothers, one of their songs asks "Is your radio on?" I think that many may have a radio, but folks don't always keep it turned on. If someone is hurt and G-d needs one to minister to that person, then I should imagine that G-d will tell one. If circumstances are such that G-d needs two to do the ministering then I should imagine that G-d could well tell two. Again I would have to refer that to Our Heavenly Father. Have you attended the Advanced class? G-d spoke to Moses, and not to Pharaoh. Christ Jesus visited and spoke with Paul, but not to the soldiers that were following him. In PFAL it is explained that anyone anywhere could be the Man of G-d for that instance. The idea that only one person could be a Man of G-d, is not from within the TWI materials that I am aware of. Moses, Miriam and Aaron all received revelation from G-d during the same time period.

I quick search of the WWW revealed that current prices vary a great deal from one state to another. Broken down into grams, every state has it's regional pricing posted of $15 - $20 per gram. [453 grams to the pound] Purchased by the ounce pot goes from $100/oz to as high as $300/oz. [16 oz to the pound] So if broken down and packaged into single grams and marketed then a pound could get as much as $6795/lb to $9060/lb. If bagged into lids [1 ounce] then a pound could fetch $1600/lb to $4800/lb. I did not find a pricing index for pounds or kilos, but from these prices I would imagine that a single pound should go for around: $500/lb to $1500/lb.

My understanding was that if your the only 'believing believer' present at a incident then you ARE the 'Man of God' for that incident and you are likely to be receiving revelation about how to handle that incident. If their are multiple 'believing believers' present at an incident then which ever one of them is the 'closest' to god and presently standing with God; will likely be the one that God selects to be the 'Man of God' during that situation. I have no idea where the various doctrines about there only being a single 'Man of God' on the planet came from. Nor any biblical conexts to support such an idea. I think that we did hear such babble coming from various WC [at meetings] but it was never taught in any fellowship that I attended.