ChasUFarley

Since they drive such an attitude of elitism ("Daddy loves me best!") attitude, they want you to think that they are THE ONLY MINISTRY of GOD - they have the market cornered on believing!There's not supposed to be any others. They teach the rightly divided Word - they are masters of the Word. They are SUPERIOR. NOT! I've always had a problem with groups who thought they were God's favorite. Until God comes out and says so, I'm not buying it from any of them because the Word says all men are liars!

A-yah... that's an ol' one, alright...

Moony-- Sunshine On My Shoulders... I had a strange assignment at work once, from the Spiritual Care Coordinator. He told me about a hospice patient who was planning his own funeral, and he wanted a slideshow presentation (PowerPoint) designed of pictures from his life. The gentleman was young - only about 45 years old - and was dying from cancer. He was undecided about the music he wanted, but had told the Spiritual Care Coordinator about some of the music he liked - and he mentioned John Denver. But he said that I could pick whatever I thought worked - (no pressure there, right?) (Actually, I felt very honored - and humble - to be asked to work on that project.) As I worked on the project, scanning in the photos, I noticed one common theme - almost all of the photos were of him being outside. He hunted, worked on his car, played with his dogs, fished, built his house, and even got married - outside. I picked "Sunshine On My Shoulders" for the music - and it was so fitting. I'll never forget that project. What a memory your post brought back!

ckeer- Thanks for the post - yes, that explaination does help. I didn't realize all the other options out there and it's certainly interesting exploring them. I'm the kind of person who researches even the smallest purchases - sorta drives hubby mad at times, but I like to really know what I'm getting. Last time I bought a computer it took me about 6 months to make a decision, but I got exactly what I needed/wanted - and for a decent price. I feel the same about the iPod at the moment, but think that I'll probably move on to something better shortly. I'm always wheelin' and dealin' on these kinds of things and I haven't lost money yet on something like this. ================ Tom - I was really careful when I bought my iPod - I made sure the seller answered questions, had a good feedback score, etc. He was also PayPal verified - I don't buy from anyone who isn't. I also insure my items and ask for tracking (yes, I'm a pain in the butt buyer!) I do a lot of dealings on eBay (I have a store - reselling children's clothing, toys, books, etc.), so I've learned what to look for. I've seen a lot of the fake listings you've mentioned - they're not hard to pick out becuase the price is too good to be true, the seller has zero feedback - or it's Chinese (I'm serious!) - and it just reeks of a rip off. Someone once said that only greedy people get burned on eBay - I think there's some truth to that!

Well... isn't that better than receiving USED Halloween candy?

I was lucky when I was on staff because I worked with a great group of people (the dept. head was a little wound up at times, but nothing some butt kissing couldn't fix), and we had a blast. Yeah, it was hard work (Food Services), but our managers treated us well, overall. They made sure we had breaks, and even let us off early sometimes when things were done. They weren't really nosey or anything - they were much nicer than many of the other dept heads we knew. No, it's not the type of job I'd have wanted to have for years, but for a year or two, it was fine - I was happier with it than I thought I'd be. Personally, if it wasn't for the problems with my husband, I would have stayed. (Maybe that's a sign of, you-know-you-got-a-poopy-marriage-when...) The pay wasn't all that bad, considering the room and board thrown in - and we didn't need a car... It was the first time we'd ever had a savings account and weren't living on Raman Noodles! (I should explain that Hubby 1.0 went through about four or more jobs a year - I was always the bread winner at tax time. I remember us thinking we'd struck pay dirt once because he landed a job making $8/hr - and this was in 1993. Sad.)

Okay... I'll bite... What's a Mal Pack?

I remember seeing some of these letters - like this last one you just posted, Belle. Boy, these bring back some memories.... Amazing how LCM always *WORKED* so hard, *BELIEVED* so hard, and *FOUGHT* so hard that he made it possible for other WC, etc. to stand, or lean on him when they weren't believing. With all of the extra-curricular activities that LCM was participating in, no wonder the poor dude was so tired - I mean, all that and chasing skirts, too! PHEW!

Several posters have mentioned Corgis - Are they good with kids? I've always wanted one - when I worked as a vet tech they were one of my favorite breed to deal with because they were smart and not too skiddish, usually. (My least favorite was Chows and Boxers - yikes!) I know the Pembroke have the short tail, and Cardigans have a long tail - any other difference (disposition wise)? We're fencing in the yard this spring, and since I'm home almost all the time now, I really want a dog again - I haven't had a dog in over 15 years - too long!

My being a product of the 80's is really going to show here... My Prerogative by Bobby Brown It's love it's love love get busy Everybody's talking all this stuff about me Now now why don't they just let me live Oh oh oh i don't need permission Make my own decisions oh That's my prerogative They say I'm crazy I really don't care That's my prerogative They say I'm nasty But I don't give a damn Gettin' is how I live Some ask me questions Why am I so real But they don't understand me I really don't know the deal About a brother trying hard to make it right Not long ago before I won this fight sing Everybody's talking all this stuff about me Why don't they just let me live (Tell me why) I don't need permission Make my own decisions oh That's my prerogative (It's my prerogative) It's my prerogative It's the way that I wanna live (It's my prerogative) I can do just what I feel (It's my prerogative) No one can tell me what to do (It's my prerogative) Cause what I'm doin' I'm doin' for you ah Don't get me wrong I'm really not zooped Ego trips is not my thing All these strange relationships Really gets me down I see nothin wrong with Spreading myself around sing Everybody's talking all this stuff about me (yeah) Why don't they just let me live (Tell me why) I don't need permission (i don't need) Make my own decisions (my own decisions) That's my prerogative (It's my prerogative-2x) I can do what I wanna do (It's my prerogative) Truly live my life (It's my prerogative) I'm doing it just for you (It's my prerogative) Tell me, tell me Why can't I live my life (live my life) Without all of the things that people say (oooh) yo Tell it, kick it like this I can do what I wanna do Me and you Together, together, together... Everybody's talking all this stuff about me (everybody's talking) Why don't they just let me live (why) (Why don't they just let me live) I don't need permission (i don't need permission from nobody Make my own decisions That's my prerogative

Molly Ringwald I've been told I look like her (although my hair isn't THAT red...) (And I think I've aged a little better...)

I guess I'm out of the closet now as someone who as a Timbuck Three album.... Yes, I confess. I do. I've been outed and it feels SSOOOOOO GOOD! Yeah, I found out about the iPod battery issue - there was a class action lawsuit about it because it was so bad. I think Apple settled the suit: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=129937 The sad thing is that this will drive up the overall cost of iPods in the future (but lower the price of used ones that are 1-3 Generation). You can find the batteries for like $20 on eBay - installing them is nothing - I change batteries on my pocket PCs all the time (I have 3). So, it's not a big deal. But someone thought they should sue about it. They really hurt themselves and future ipod buyers. I've seen many instances on eBay where people sell their iPod just because the battery is dead. WIMPS! I just caged a 20 GB iPod w/ all the accessories (but the CD) for $130 on eBay - I can't wait for it to arrive! It's not the Photo iPod - I don't need that - but it has some of the features I need (organizer, alarm clock, etc.) that the first generation doesn't. I'm always playing with things like this, so I'll probably sell it off in a few months and upgrade to a 40 GB. I also know how to format the songs so that they take up almost 45% less space on the iPod, so I can fit more on it. Cool trick, really. Interesting about the format that iPods save music in - can you elaborate a little more about the difference between MP3 and M3U...

Okay... this is obvious... I would have thought someone would have posted on this by now... but... here it goes... IF THERE ARE NO MEMBERS OF THE WAY, PER HOWARD ALLEN, ET AL, THEN WHAT DOES HQ HAVE FOR A LIST OF MEMBERS THEY ARE CHECKING? Furthermore.... IF THEY HAVE A LIST OF MEMBERS, THEN *why* DO THEY NEVER ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MEMBERS IN TWI? (probably because they are embarassed about the headcount OR perhaps the numbers are different in the books they present to the IRS or other auditors... ya think?)

Belle -- Interesting response. I don't think anyone has really had a THUS SAITH THE LORD definition of the meaning of "ministering". Without turning this thread into a thread about doctorine, it seems people link it mostly with healing and taking care of people (which can also be healing). Several posters now have mentioned that they do a better job of ministering now that they're out of TWI. Hhhmmmmm..... fancy that! Could it be because we're not so uptight from all the rules, meetings, and heartless reproof? Couldn't be - it's got to be that "other god" working in us, right?

Kit -- It's pretty easy - go to www.craigslist.org (remember - it's a DOT ORG - not DOT COM) and find your geographical location. You can look for jobs, sell items, buy items -- just about anything you could do in a classified section of a newspaper BUT be careful - there's some adult content in there (there's also warnings before you get to those areas. They aren't kidding, either!)

I was just reminded of another Kristopher incident... We were sitting in the livingroom watching a movie with Kristopher one evening, post supper. Hubby was nice and relaxed on the couch. He was so relaxed, he decided to... you know... let one rip.... "*BBBBBRRRRAAAAAAAPPPPPPPP!*" Kristopher, not missing a beat , instantly identified the noise and yelled, "QUICK! Call the FIRE DEPARTMENT!" (He was serious.... but as someone who was also in the room... I can tell you the kid was about right on!)

Since VPW seemed to like pomp and circumstance, I'm sure he came up with that epitaph l-o-n-g before the stone cutters needed it. The thing that always struck me odd about that saying, was that the word "WISH" was in it. We weren't supposed to "WISH" for anything - we were supposed to BELIEVE for it. Maybe he shoulda just said, "I should have believed harded." ------------------------- If iodine is a pain killer, then I plan on opening up a serious pharmacy here in rural NH. To think, I've been using it as an antibacterial agent all these years when I could be selling it to the oxycodone-seeking crowd. Whoo-hoo! I'll be RICH! And I don't even need a 'script for it! BONANZA! It's even legal to sell on eBay - oh, BOY!

Kevlar - Good point, but what would all that support staff at HQ do with their extra time? I mean, they gotta pay those schmucks for doing something... So, STS is now scripted. Whoo-hoo. God could be screaming, "GO TO THIS SCRIPTURE" or "DON'T TELL THEM THIS INCIDENT - LEAVE IT OUT!" and it wouldn't matter. Can't go off the script. The script is God. The list of names at security is God. The pomp and circumstances is God. The suits and ties are God. The same ol' teachin's year after year is God. It's long past having become a religion - it's ritual. It's sick.

That's a scream -- Here's my favorite clean one: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/about/bes.../106557572.html I swear I know the people this dude is writing about...

That's cool - that's what I'd like to get - I didn't even know that was out there! I'm in the process of selling my car, so maybe I'll get that with my new car (or mini van... did I say that? oh, help!) Of course Kristopher wants a mini van with a DVD player - aaarrrggghhh! It could be a VW Bus, and he'd think it was kool if it just had a DVD player! LOL! It seems the iTrip drains the charge pretty quickly - so that's a great charging feature with it. Gotta love these things!

I had a pet rabbit when I was a kid - they're pretty good pets and mine was newspaper trained. His name was Runny Babbit (not too creative, but oh, well... ) One "common" pet I can't understand people keeping is fish. Why? They seem like a lot of work, and seem to die easily. I've never had one - never wanted one. Ditto on ferrets (and they smell funny - even after the musk glands have been taken out!)

Hubby had surgery (again!) on his shoulder last week, so I bought him a new toy to play with - a little silver iPod Mini - 4GB. I found it for about $150, refurbished, at the Apple Store (free shipping!). He's wanted one for several years now, so I thought, "Oh, what the hell..." The shipping was very fast. The iPod is in perfect condition - has all the normal accessories you'd get if you bought it new but to say the least, this little gadget is incredible! The fidelity is great - love it! I can't get over how good it sounds and how useful it is! It's so good, that I'm selling my Toshiba Pocket PC so I can get one! I want a 20GB one so I can use it for file storage when I go back to school this fall. We've bought an iTrip for hubby's iPod mini - a little add on that makes your iPod broadcast a short signal to a radio, like in your car, so you can listen to it while you drive. However, it seems like there's a HUGE market for accessories - you could spend more than you did for your new iPod on accessories alone! So, does anyone have an iPod? What do you have? And what litle gizmos are worth getting (or not!)? (Also, if you think you have something better than an iPod, post on!)

Good thread, Shellon! When I got people involved in TWI - "got them in the Word" - it was because I thought it was a good thing to turn them on to. Only ONCE did I get someone involved who was I didn't work with or whatever - I met them by knocking on their door. Other than that, it was like telling a girlfriend about a good sale at Macy's - it was easy, and I was good at it. But that's when I thought it was worth it. I basically stopped doing that about 6 months before I left. Other people in my fellowship, people who were as unhappy as I was with the present situation and the backstabbing practices of the local leadership, all basically agreed that it wasn't worth trying to win anyone anymore because the leadership would just scare them off. We also collectively felt that by witnessing to people who were already disciples - had good jobs, didn't have a lot of debt, etc. - that we were screwed. I mean, what could we offer them? We had nothing - rental apartments and WOW mobiles - yet we're trying to say we have "the more abundant life". Insane! I think there may be a couple of people left in that discovered TWI via me. I sincerely hope they're happy, but I'm not going to tell them to leave if they are. I think there are still some good people involved - and God bless 'em. If my friends are unhappy, I think they'll find the door, like I did. I can't live their lives for them. Being upset about who you got involved in TWI would be like feeling guilty because you introduced a girl friend of yours to a male friend, and they got married, but the marriage didn't work out. It's not your fault. You did what you thought was the right or best thing to do. So be it.

TWI leadership, especially VPW and LCM, seemed to love doomsday predictions. None of them ever came true. Was it because they were misinformed or drew illogical conclusions? Or did they really lead the collective body of believers to keep evil events from happening and truly save the world? My experience of this came from the dreaded Y2K preparation. There were lists a mile long about what to get, how much to get, what to do, where to go when the poop hit the propeller, etc. It was mind-boggling. Personally, I sort of shut down with these sorts of plans. I was lucky enough to be living alone when this happened, so I think I filled up the car a couple of days before, took $40 out of the ATM, bought a few extra grocery items (wine!), and that was about it! (I came no where near completing what the checklist said to do - HA!) I happened to be working for an international company, with an engineering division. The guys I worked with were very smart and well connected. I remember asking them what they thought would happen. They all responded with, "Nothing - unless people really flip out and cause a crisis by buying up everything!" (Which was what TWI was advocating.) I started watching Y2K roll in across the world that day and night. When Russia got thru it without a hitch, I figured we'd be fine. And we were - but that was because the believing believers of Zion were holding forth the light of the Word in a wicked and perverse nation, and staying the hand of the adversary. Right? To say the least, I was highly annoyed with TWI for those teachings - I can't imagine how people felt who had actually bought generators, wiped out their savings accounts by taking all the cash out because they thought the banks would fail, etc. - What a pain! What a waste of time! What are your experiences with TWI and doomsday predictions? What were the outcomes?

Just curious... At what point (year) did TWI teach that WC was to train people to be best twig coordinator? At what point (year) did TWI teach that WC was to be leaders of tens of thousands (I know it was 1990-something...)? At what point (year) did TWI say WC was for a lifetime of service? (I assume this could be in the mid-90's again, but I'm not certain.) I'm just trying to put a timeline on this - the changes in the level of committment is interesting, considering what was going on in the ministry at the time...