socks

splaaaaash!

Yeah, the devil's like B.O. Everybody gets some stink here and there, one time or another. Why some people will wear year old underwear though and try to convince me they smell like a rose, I don't know. But I agree - having been at half-stank myself more than once I know you have to give the credit where it's due. I just steer clear of people now who try to convince me smelly stains are really back "in" this year.

Thank you! A la, I remit you in to the hand of the Great Monkey! You have seen them!!! Tom, you're a posting animal! You guys that are up in the multiple 1,000's are way outta my league. I need to beef up my numbers. Although I've been thinking of changing my login and going back down to 0, like Raf(ael) did. ASM's seem to be everywhere. I saw a gang o' them running through the sprinklers in a nearby park today. It's been so hot! They were doing a slip and slide!

Wow, I'm at over a 1000 posts. When did that happen? Holy grail! Batman!!!

Tom, I have been sidetracked by a visit to Le Dentiste. Actually my teeth are fine, I just dig it when the dental assistant drops the chair back and she smiles and says "So, have you been brushing like you're supposed to?" as she snaps on those little green gloves. It's worth every penny. A little drill work. Excavation. I think they found some Essene scrolls in the tooth. There were a lot of "ooohs" and "aaaahs". I have extremely long roots according to the xrays. They use widescreen pan-x film I think. A la, are you looking for them? That may be the problem. Don't look for the monkeys. See the monkeys.

What's 'good authority' Eagle?

After watching the Way dot org site's videos from the SNS, I'd suggest that if there isn't, they start. It'll make it sound a lot better.

:D--> Tom! Oaks! OLM'S everywhere! An important piece of the puzzle is here! The flood in Noah's time...it WAS saline water, SALT WATER! LCM was close, but off by the slightest bit and therein lies the counterfeit! So close and yet denying the truth! It was this salt water flood of dethawed aminiotic fluids that caused the incredible growth of AMAZING SEA MONKEYS!!! throughout the earth!!! It had to have been so intense it washed them off of Mars, drenched the earth with them and spread them throughout the planet! It's the only explanation! And it makes sense!!! too!

Whoa! Thanks for asking....I'm here, sorta. I was driving down to the desert, got off at Bakersfield for a little chow and visited the Buck Owens Museum. Don't EVER get off I-95 in Bakersfield, and don't EVER go to the Buck Owens Museum if you do. They had...I can't even go into it. But I don't think "Fried Sushi" qualifies as food, except in Bakersfield. I ended up at a restaurant called "Hot and Brown and Ready!" and got - Super-fried Hush Puppies, Fried Bread Sticks, Fresh Fried Catfish Nuggets and a Fried Coke, with a side of Fried Cole Slaw and some extra Fried Oil Drippings Sauce, Biggie Size. Everything in Bakersrfield is fried. Steak, veggies, fish, fruit. The coffee, I swear this is true, the coffee was perc'ing in a deep frier. Whew. As I got back on the freeway, feeling kinda seasick, I looked up at the sky and pondered Bramble's now departed ASM's and the possibility that they may be swimming happily even now!!! I feel better. A little Kaopectate and I'll be 100 per cent! Thanks for thinking of me. I'll be back.... :)-->

Hope, WHOA! Isn't Olan Mills offering that as a background choice now for portraits? ANOTHer idea stolen from the Way. DAMM THAT DARK MONKEY!

Me too! Just visitied, nobody home. Hit the recent history thing, saw who'd been in. Nice set up! Easy to use. Sweet.

I'm always a day late and a dollar short, Grizzy! If I'd waited to go in, I could have been a king?????? Figures, my luck. :(--> Craig definitely knew how to build a better machine alright. Kings! I guess that was the problem with the gays in the Way. No queens! Kings only here!!! Although wasn't it taught that the whole deal with the kings in the O.T. was that God never wanted Kings to rule over His people, but that's what they wanted so He tried to make it work? Second will of God stuff. Second best, "good" but not the best? Wasn't that the teaching? How'd he reconcile that? Old Wineskin!! (slap my butt and call me Judy!) Now I get it!

All this talk about comics - anybody seen "Unbreakable"? Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. Killah flick if you like the whole comic book genre thingie. Zap comics! Furry Freak Brothers! johniam, good stuff! I liked those too. Wonder Woman. Now there was a comic. Men in those tight outfits....dunno. But Wonder Woman. No problem there. ;)--> Can't help but wonder now, the whole greasespot thingie. It's funny. How do you become a greasespot by midnight now? Go online, register, login.

DC, that's the one. I remember the little "stamp" of something or other. Thanks!

Zix, you're heading my way. Radar, not to worry. I started reading comic books in about 1955 or so, before I could read, in fact a lot of my early reading skills came from reading Disney and Walter Lanz comics. :P--> (I think there were a nickle, went to a dime, then 12 cents and on up from there). Then I went to Dell comics and the Superman series, etc. etc. The Marvel comics came a bit later, and filled the gap between Dell's Batman and Green Lantern comics (which were a little more complex) and Spiderman, Hulk, etc. By the time I was about 12 I was out of the comic books although I sure wish my old boxes of originals was still around!

Uncle Hairy, you've shaken loose a mem cell there - the first time I saw the reference to "greasespot by midnight!" I had a quick blip of a comic book, like Spiderman or the Hulk, something, can't place it. Funny though!!

So that's your doggie, Linda! Cute is right. She looks like a tail wagger alright. No idea what Sudo's talking about. She's got "let's play" written all over that little face!

It's not hard to understand why any teachings from the bible/so-called advocating free s-x and open adultery wouldn't be publically taught at a Sunday Night Service or put in an Easter Way Magazine. Look at the Way dot com site. Everything's happy and perfect in WayLand according to it. I do know of a few instances where people taught or spoke about this stuff in what they considered "closed corporation" sharings on the field, with their little enclaves of inner circle leaders. Basically they were trying to look like they knew something better, higher, more spiritual and way cooler than anyone else. They did it to advance their own interests. There's more confrontations that went on with people like that than have ever been talked about here, and not just dealing with this topic. I can think of a couple fist fights. People were terminated from their assignments, kicked out of the corps or sent packing over things like this. In fact, most of the turmoil I was ever involved with or aware of around problems in the Way Corps would make this site look like a playground. That's why for me there's a huge dichotomy between the secretive actions of some of the Way's people and this acceptanc of what they were doing amongst themselves. Bottom line that I've come to on it looking back - if it blew up, went public, caused a stir, etc. that was one of the biggest things that made it a problem. If you could do these things and handle it, keep it secret, and no one got "hurt" (gag) then it was fine. It was the ability to keep it quiet that made it alright in other words. No harm, no foul. Plus if you knew the right people and they liked you, you might get a break. That seems to be the pattern. But it can't be a surprise why this kind of behavior, teaching, discussion, suggestions, was reserved for situations that were conducive to manipulation. Of course it wasn't taught in open meetings except by people that were more than just dishonest but were stupid and arrogant enough to think they could get away with it on their say-so.

Flag raising, Summer School, perfect! :D-->

All praise to the ASM's! :)--> Slippery's a good word Griz. I was thinking about this since I posted, trying to get back in to the head I was in then, my attitudes, what I really thought about stuff. Things like "there's no condemnation", "we're not under the law", not being legalistic or religious. (which of course we were, just in ways we accepted). In the interest of not going to that extreme I think we tended to round the edges off of the other. To find a "balance" and not go off the deep end in either direction. But looking back, I think overall the Way Ministry did, just in it's own defined ways. I always hated someone slapping me on the back and saying "come on, have a beer, loosen up man!" like I needed to loosen up and needed someone to tell me that. But then if I wanted to drink when I did, I could easily talk myself in to allowing it. I could be so fetishy about certain little tiny things that didn't matter to a hill or beans, but then blow off something very important and not even see it till later. If I can collect my thoughts, I've been thinking of starting a thread to get feedback on how others view the topic of "sin" in relation to the Way's teaching of all sin being sin, with no variance in God's eyes between "big" or "little" and only a difference in the "consequences". I have a feeling that there was the slightest of tendencies to belittle sinful actions as something we've been forgiven for and now that our ticket's punched we're going to heaven, all hell can't stop us and so what's a little sin? Confess it to God and move on. Does that lead to less awareness and self-examination, heart felt understanding of the moral and ethical difference and consequences of our actions? Responsibility, accountability? If we're cleaving to that which is good, there should be an effect when we choose wrong, however we're brought to that point-a point at which we're aware of our own failure and we face God and fellow man with both sorrow and the desire to make it right and pursue our better nature. Yes, with renewed strength and conviction, the kind that comes from real learning. The O.T. - "for our learning" we were taught. If so, we can learn that for different transgressions there were different compensations expected. Lying one, murder another. The compensation is to make restitution, both to man and God. With Christ's sacrifice we can see the ultimate consequence of sin and it's restitution in an action that perfectly provided for it, not death and then dead, but death and resurrection. God's ultimate solution - a full rendering for the sin and the result - new life as He would give it. I'm of the mind now that how we view the unfolding of our own lives in relation to that sin is one of the ways that we truly know our salvation, as less an answer to a problem and more of an obligation to be now fulfilled. Christ died FOR us, a debt paid, but now a debt of a differend kind - how to be redeemed in life. Actually the Way's Teaching requires the same response from me to the seemingly "smallest" of wrongdoing as to the largest - if they're really all the same to God, that is they're ALL "bad". Nothing can be whitewashed to be of lesser consquence in that view, nothing allowed. Yet, it seemed to move in a different direction, I think. Maybe for some. Sorta. Well, sorry to sort of side-track this train.

Any idea who that was in Joyful Noise that said that, Grizzy? -editing to add - What people did in private, I don't know. (of course). But as to the group I was in, which had single and married members, I can't think of anyone married or single who was having sexual relations with anyone like that that I knew of. That doesn't mean no one did, or that two people, consenting adults, can't decide to do what they want. Exceptions? Maybe, dunno. I think I hoped everyone to do their best with what we believed the Word said at that time and leave the rest to personal decision and not try to be getting in to everyone's business. At the time we, like most of the Way, bristled at being "religious" or legalistic and always trying to lay down the law about every little thing. If someone had done something they felt bad about or that was a mistake, that would have been an individual situation. As far as a standard though, the bible's pretty clear on this stuff. If someone wants to find wiggle room, they'll find it. But as far as the "get your needs met" stuff under some exceptional circumstance, I can't say for sure whether that was ever said or not.

Oh my... Those brave little monkeys. Even in death...they're amazing! A moment of silence please, as we consider those who have gone on to the Great Big Sea.... . . . . Thank you. Goodbye little monkeys. Missed...but not forgotten! We barely knew you. We salute you!

DAMMM! the Dark Monkey! Well, it's back which must mean my horizontals got parallel with my verticals. Whew. FINally. Balance in the Force. Sweet. Scamillus, LH. Cool! After reading these posts, it hits me that one of the worst elements of the Way Corps program was egotism, the self centered perception that if it was in the program, it was right. If you didn't like it, something must be wrong with you. If you didn't understand something, you weren't WALKin', you can't go-you're too slow. If someone or something was hurtful, you weren't being strong in the Word, you can't stay-you're too gay. All of that self-constructed lawgic that said "If I/we/the program coordinators thought of it, it must be God working in me so get with the program loser or you SUK. Leadership - it's what's for dinner. Every dammed day. If the program had been more open and flexible it could have accomodated for the fact that everyone who had the job of coordinating it was learning while on the job. You know there's going to be mistakes, mis-fires and do overs in that kind of situtation. That was the beauty of it - in a group of such diversity as any given Corps you could really do something more than just run everyone through a curriculum and a bunch of mind bending exercises. Like Emporia's dances at 5 am, or doing stupid stuff just so you could say you'd done stupid stuff and survived and now you were "toughened up". Plus, the doggone thing started as a 2 year back to back thing. That's a helluva long time. Then it went to 3 with the interim, 4 with the "practicum". Where's it go after that, you're planning the Way Corps at 5 years old with an "Infant Doulos" program? Weird. We were young, full of energy, we had places to go, people to meet, stuff to do. Point the direction and cut us loose. You want word over the world? Give us 10 years. What's next? Instead, "sit down and shut up, we're planting trees". There were a great many experiences like that that I really do value, many people. But didn't most of the really exciting stuff, the stuff that worked, the stuff we wanted to do more of, happen spontaneously, born of love and enthusiasm and the Ultimate Youth Cry of "It's my turn! Check this out...Gimme a shot coach!"....? Then you turn around 5 years later and you're wearing a 3 piece plaid suit and worrying about chair order and seating protocol in case you get invited to dinner with the President of the local Kiwanis or something. And somewhere in the back of you mind you're thinking..."Heeey....I sure am spending a lot of time worrying about which side of my lapel my name tag goes on" and actually thinking it matters. Y'know????????????

WHOA....DUDE! Missing socks! Check behind the drier. I think there's a tennis racket back there too. Thanks for the kind comments. Likewise back atyall and big props to all my homies in the GS crib. 'Sall good. But this ain't bout me yall, word to the peepul, ups to this thread yah. Dunno, if it's gone or where it went if it is. Maybe it was deemed inappropriate. I didn't mean to insult anyone, least of all the wonderful person I sited in the post. If I didn't make it clear, I can see now how much I missed and how selfish I could be on my Quest for WOW-A-Go-Go. Or maybe it was mismatched comments, the blues got in with the whites. --> My heart was right, really. But maybe my execution lacked clarity of judgment, and the lack of developed ability to maintain and hold in mind images of victory in practical reality kept me from hitting the mark as a doulos athlete, seasoned with salt and paprika to the end that the truth could live in a fully formed realization with Kratos impact in the culture of our times, as I walked out boldly to determine that focus of mind that is only available to a true disciple of the living way of the household of the prevailing ones in our day and time. And hour. Ya think?

Cool, Juanny. You really do write well, at least to me and others I'm sure. The better you go, the gooder it gets. There was a woman in the corps that I was in that had a disability, one arm that didn't work. Looking back, I never spent much time with her really, I was doing all the stuff I was doing and didn't stop a lot to think about her situation. I guess I figured with all our prayer and her believing and all that stuff, she'd be healed one day or I was "too busy". But in the meantime, she dealt with everything I did, with less. Now I think she did it with more. She was always positive, involved, participating. A little shy like a lot of us were, but very nice. Can't ever remember hearing her complain. Looking back I think in her weakness there were little grains of iron building, taking form, shaping the person she was and would become, inside where it counts. If you don't give up you have a shot and she never gave up. As the years go on, I see the failings that come to all of us eventually and I think of her. Where I'm able and healthy I tend to not think to much about it, but where I lack, I have to work to improve if I'm going to do what I want. She must have worked so much harder everyday than I can ever imagine. Meanwhile I moved along so easily by comparison but she was much stronger really. But in weakness, strength can be forged in unlikely ways. For better or worse, the time in the Way Corps was like time anywhere would have been for me I think, but with some really incredible people. Most everyone I met was unique. If I had to do it over I probably would but I'd spend a lot more time getting to know everyone. More and more I can see this life has been so good, but when this one's over I won't be coming back this way again, not by the same route anyway. :)--> It's kind of corny but I'd like to have as much of all the great people I've known with me to remember and enjoy - if all the bad were burned away and all the best moments rolled in to one and handed back to me - that would be a mighty fine place to start eternity :)-->