FreeAtLast

Yeah I guess that was their way of pushing us out if they didn't like us. Humiliate us into leaving.

love those life time friendships. I had one that I was friends with from 14 until we lost touch around 6 years ago. I don't know what happened to her and I miss her.

Thanks Potato. Friends that close don't come along every day and we have built this friendship for 6 years now. Our daughters were friends first and we just become a support to each other as time went on.

Hey I know it is ridiculous, but after taking the AC in 1981, then twice in residence, the new advanced class and I got kicked out of the new new advanced class because my ex did a couple of things that were not real cool so we both had our AC status stripped.

WEll I have to say I loved Witnessing and Undershepherding. Donnie was an awesome teacher of the word. he was so simple and so loving and no one could pray as effectively as he. He was a personal friend of mine and everytime we prayed together we got results. He had been involved in my life from a very young age and when I was in residence I couldn't have survived without him. **tears**

It was instructive alright, right down to positions and pictures of foreplay and afterglow. Nekked bodies all accross that tv screen. By 12 I knew a bunch of positions. roflmao And to hear VPW say dick cock and all the other slang words made me red in the face at 12. LCM actually gave that topic a little class as compared to VPW. Too bad neither of them practiced what they preached with their wives.

The AC Status was in response to Like and Eagle's post. Nothing to do with CF& S It was embarassing especially when I found out what masterbation was and realized I already practiced that act. tee hee hee.

Is that it EX? Are you fishing for a cyber hug. Hey just ask it's yours ((((((((((((((((EX)))))))))))))))))) Friendship well how to define it. It's hard but a friend will be your friend no matter what is going on in your life. They say you are lucky if you experience that once in your life. I do have one friend that I will say has stuck with me through everything and I her. I have been through hell and back with divorce, heart surgery (tumor in the right ventricle), and leaving the Way, and she was there the whole time. There wasn't much she could do FOR me but she was always giving me moral support. She on the other hand is an alcoholic, and I am there for her. I drive her home when she is too drunk to drive herself. Help her through her suicide episodes, and try and give her moral support as her neurochemistry is such that she is always depressed (side effect of the drinking.) At times I am even surrogate mom to her daughter who is having her own issues these days (sex drugs and alcohol.) Sometimes I think it's an unhealthy friendship for me and want to give up but she is my friend and I bear with her through it all. I like it that I am the one she calls when she is contemplating suicide, because I know she trusts me to love her through it and trusts that I will check up on her later, and also that other of our acquaintances won't know about her situations. And the converse is true with things I might share with her, and believe me I share things with her that would curl the toes of others. I had to shatter that prim and proper image she had going of me. lol

so are we talking about the quality of friendship or the use of the friends list on GSC. I think I am lost here.

Like an Eagle. I had already had my AC status stripped from me by then. I left 2 years later. I refused to shell out the money to take that class again just to be reinstated. Now I am glad I didn't go.

Nandon funny to see the male perspective. And what knowledge a 13 year old boy has compared to a 12 year old girl. lol. When I was 14 or 15 I got to take that class again and the guy who was my boyfriend at the time took it with me. I was up visiting he and his mom the weekend the class was going on and we actually sat next to each other. I was once again totally embarassed. WW: You know looking back at it now we think, OMG how could we let our children watch porn. But to my parents it was presented as a necessary step in our walk with God. It was the first time my parents took the class as well. I don't really know what was going through mom's head as she sat there with my dad, myself, and my brother who was 15 at the time. Hey mom if you're reading this thread what went through your mind when you realized the content of the class. That would be funny to know! It's funny now but maybe at the time my mom was mordified but allowed it because the Way said it was ok.

It would have to be Christian Family and Sex. My parents had me take it when I was 12 and I was constantly embarassed. I didn't even know what they meant when they were talking about masterbation. And those pictures,,, OMG to a 12 year old girl,,, Talk about embarassing.

Sorry to hear. My heart goes out to you

How cool. I bet your little sweetie is thrilled. That was kind of your friend to go with the new computer.

28 years here

Luke was a physician. I remember when the way corps became "full time ministers" the ones who were in the medical profession had to chose between being Way Corps or a Doctor. Many left their professions. How harmful to the body. Luke the physician was one of the writers of the word of God. We can serve God right were we are in our own spheres of influence. Not everyone has the gift of Evangelism. it's so Way Brained to think everyone should forsake all to do works. I will reiterate what others have said. it's the heart God looks at not our works. This guy and his bs has really irked me.

dmiller: They can sit with their beers and watch the paint dry. While they are there they can fellowship with like minded believers to justify their experience, and quote a verse or two so they can feel self righteous. Then the task will seem more worthwhile. Tonto, pass me that glass of wine (well maybe a kalua and cream)

What a judgement. So I guess because I decided to get the education I have been deprived of since my high school graduation because my leadership thought I should "serve God" and couldn't do that in college, and since I have to work full time and manage to raise 3 children all by myself, and can't go out and do what this guy does for the churches of america I am not good enough in my stand for God. That's a bunch of bull. No,,,, I don't even have a religious affliation, but I teach my kids what I know of God's Word and I talk to God regularly. Sorry we all don't have high energy levels and we all don't have the ability to do such "great things". I guess old Uptown and his friend is better than us all. Sometimes people should think before the type.

this thread is really ....ing me off. I am 43 and finally getting a real education. I love college and sometimes wish I could have gone right out of high school like my friends did. My oldest brother put up with the judgements and criticisms to get his degree. But when I wanted to go to school to study engineering I was told I should go wow and Corps that I should serve God. So I obeyed. After all that there was this stigma in my mind that I could never go to college because it was too expensive. BS. My brother now is going to have trouble putting his kid through college because he is paid staff. But do you think he will believe this stuff. He will make excuses for the Way and his kids will suffer while the kids who were born to the top leadership will have a free ride. These people can kiss my you know what.

Amazing, I know Le@h and a lot of other way kids went there. It's just amazing. My parents worked on staff and of course had no insurance. My mom need surgery on her corrotted (sp?) artery or she would have a stroke. Because the hospital would not take a lessor amount from the Way the Way refused to pay the bill and my mom is still paying that bill today over 15 years later. But here they are throwing such a large amount to some college. I think tuition is high enough that there shouldn't be any sense of obligation to give this money to a college. In addition the greed associated with universities these days it almost seems "devilish" to do so. Glad I don't give them my money anymore.

Thanks guys. I only did one date with the guy and that was it. He asked me to "give him another chance" I told him that all he was to me was friend material after his display toward me a total stranger. he said he didn't blame me and now we are on-line friends which is where it will stay from this point forward.

Lori, they will have to answer to God someday. At least that's my belief.

Since this topic has been resurrected I have cut and past my latest blog entry about this very thing. Online dating, which I have sort of given up on. ----------- Four years ago I became divorced and when one finds themself a divorced single mother of 3 it is difficult to find ways to meet potential suitors. The first year after my divorce I kind of dated a little but didn't get inlvolved with anyone until the end of that first year. Given my circumstances, I never was able to get out to meet people, and the bar scene to me wasn't the place to meet a man. As I faced this dilemma I was introduced to the wonders of the internet's online dating sensation. In defense of the venue, I do know of many people who have found happiness with someone they have met on the internet but that has not been the case for me. I found something but it wasn't happiness. I found someone but not anyone I would consider normal. The internet turns dating into what McDonald's has turned dining. It's the fast food of dating. With the onset of the internet personals dating has changed. No longer do you meet your potential partner through friends, family members, or doing everyday activities. Meeting them through known sources helps with the filtration process. The person would be most likely a relatively good person since a friend or family member who has knowledge of their life recommended them. Now you go online and view the listing of men/women as though it were a Macy's catalog. When you see one that "looks" good you start talking and if things work well you meet. Then you take it from there. I have found that these situations aren't always as they appear. What a person portrays themself as on the internet is not what they truly are. What ends up happening is you meet and generally one or the other or both want to turn that first meeting into a long term situation. Something that we would in normal life (before the internet) have we spent weeks and sometimes months deciding. Now we just jump right in. It's not right and maybe why the divorce rate is rising each year. I want to share my latest story. I had given up on internet dating for the most part. I never want to close the door on options but I am very cautious about someone that I have never met. I stay out on the internet for a number of reasons; friends, family and blogging. I love to write my thoughts and ideas. I have a few profiles out there because I can't seem to get them to delete me. But I won't pay for any of them. As I have been writing my blogs on MySpace, many people were reading them and enjoying my anecdotes, and consequently I started to have people ask me to be on their friends list. Unless I see a naked picture of someone on those profiles (lol) I generally allow anyone to be added. One person in particular joined and I allowed him to become a part of my friends list. I would get the occassional one liner from him or the silly chain emails. One of which was a questionaire asking a series of questions having to do with my romantic intentions toward the sender. Well the email kind of annoyed me since I didn't even know this guy, but I wrote back anyway and stated that I couldn't answer the questionaire because I didn't know him and that he should ask me in a few months after I have had time to get to know him a little. I got a response that I didn't expect, he had stated that I gave a good answer and he wanted to get to know me better, much better. That response caught my attention and I started to converse more with this man. We agreed to meet that night and spend some time together. Ok let me summarize. I met this guy on MySpace started talking to him one morning and agreed to meet with him that night. A little quick and this was only to be a "get to know you" evening. They guy was so defeatist from the beginning saying that I would say sorry no chemistry and end things. I don't believe you can find that out in one night, and the negative comments kept coming from him. I was starting to wonder if I had made a mistake in agreeing to meet him. Well I did meet him and we went to a hole in the wall bar at 11 pm to play pool. The guy was all over me, and in public. When I told him that I thought PDA was rude. He felt it was not rude, and that if it made people uncomfortable then they were just jealous. The bar was filled with couples and other than him pawing on me all night none others were displaying such affection in public. I found it to be his way of letting everyone know I was with him and it was not at all attractive, but considering the insecurity he had shown earlier I decided to bear with it. I hadn't even know this guy more than 24 hours and he is all over me in public and talking like we are going to be a couple from that point forward. If he had read my blogs I might think he knew me a little but he admitted to never having read them. So there were a few RED FLAGS!!! I was supposed to hang with him the next evening but had to cancel after a family problem arose that needed my attention in conjunction with the fact that I was exhausted because I was out with him until 3am then had to get early to drive my girls to voice lessons and to see their dad. By the time I got home I had a ton of work to do and I was completely exhausted. I offered to him the option to go out the next night, to which he responded, "I am not available tomorrow night." Well what does one do. There was nothing I could do. It would just have to be another day. Now he is asking me if we were on tonight. He told me that he wasn't available!!!! I made no plans for the kids let alone the planning involved mentally and physically. I didn't yet see his emails when came the text messages the voice mails the emails the insults and hurtful comments. All this because I wasn't sitting at the computer 24/7 to field his emails, and my phone was dead and I didn't see his texts and get his calls. More RED FLAGS!! And it didn't even take months to see this. This is why I don't do the online dating thing. However, in defense of the online scene I have made several friends through that venue. Those that I believe will be friends for a lifetime. But most people on the dating sites are wanting to find love and find it fast. No one wants to invest the time and energy necessary to build a relationship anymore. Is online dating stuff is much of the reason why?

I know I am late in responding to this but that was about the last straw for me. I had been in the Way for 28 years and they stripped me of my AC status. First my corps status was eliminated because we weren't good enough and my ex was encouraged to leave, AND WITHOUT TALKING TO ME BEFORE HE WROTE HIS RESIGNATION LETTER. But once the AC status was removed, I was no longer allowed to attend any AC meetings or functions etc. It was degrading and humiliating, but I refused to give them the money it would take to regain that status. I had taken the original and then taken it twice again in residence. Then I had to take the new AC to retain my status, and the New New AC to retain that status, from which we were kicked out by the local ego maniac leadership. Believe me M@rk and J0sephine W@ll@ce were on a witch hunt so to speak. And the wife had a problem with running her mouth. I am glad I am out and unlike the person who wrote this letter don't really believe there is any heart left in The Way. God their leaders are not even allowed to let God work in them to produce their teachings to their fellowships. Now they have to teach what is on the schedule. I say to anyone still in Run, Run fast. There are great people out there who love God. The Way didn't have the corner on that market, but it takes getting out and clearing the programming that you received in the Way from your head.

Aw Ryan They will give you SOME time to change your mind and take the class but they will never stop pushing it on you. Eventually they will tell your girlfriend that she needs to find a man who "wants to walk with God." At that point she will have to make a choice. Believe me I was there in my younger days and passed up a lot of good men because of the Way. As for the devil spirit thing, I still believe that some things have evil influence but I have never been one to ascertain that very well. However, if I went along with what I learned in the Way I wouldn't watch TV listen to the radio, or even bring certain art works in my home. I would rarely read anything that wasn't bible related and I would never even consider a concept outside of their doctrine. Toward the end of my time in the Way they marked and avoided my ex and I because of something that had happened and they told us that we were influenced by devil spirits because we didn't move in the neighborhoods that were approved by our leadership and lived in a neighborhood he considered "devilish". I found out later it was because the Ne$$les lived there. For the record I love those people. lol and what bs it was.