Belle

WG, I've only been to NK once and that was the last year I was involved, 2004. It was extremely anti-climatic to me. The place was absolutely beautiful, but the buildings are definitely very old and everthing was so sterile. We weren't allowed to look around and we didn't see much of the grounds or buildings at all. The only buildings we were allowed in were the auditorium, the cafeteria and the warehouse where we all changed clothes en masse. I certainly didn't want to touch anything and I got the feeling that the little "quiet rooms" we saw were never used. Even in the auditorium and the cafeteria, when they were filled with people, it felt empty, hollow and like I was in Stepford World. The place was lifeless, cold, sterile - not warm, loving, comfortable, welcoming at all. It was rather disappointing after hearing everyone gush about the place. The hamburgers weren't even that good. I was glad to have finally seen the place with my own two eyes, but didn't feel like we really "saw" any of it. It was like being in a museum where you're not allowed to get close to anything and are continually shuffled along so that you're not in one place very long. I think that experience was a convincing moment for me that I was definitely doing the right thing by trying to leave TWI. I'm glad it has no tug on your heart strings anymore. :)

CAN'T...... STOP......LAUGHING....... Trying........ to...... breathe........ OMG!!! ROFLMFAOPIMP!!!! :lol: :lol: Not intended for the general public??? :huh: That's a joke, right?? Nobody really takes Mike seriously, do they? That's a joke, too, right? Please tell me that's not a serious statement! No, it wasn't published over and over again, promoted in fellowships, used in teaching after teaching (still used in teaching after teaching), provided with every foundational class, widely distributed and widely shared with people. It wasn't strongly suggested that we teach people we're "undershepherding" or witnessing to from those books based on whatever the "theme" of the week was. OMG! Besides that.... why the heck does that even serve as a justification for not giving proper academic credit to the people who actually did the research and work to write the information?? Can someone explain that to me?

Six years ago I found out that TWI was rotten to the very core and that the corruption and evil went so much further than even my wildest imagination could dream. Six years ago I started trying to extricate myself and my husband from the claws of TWI. Two years ago Bob & Dottie Moynihan drove to Orlando to confront me about sending Chris's excellent research on debt to a friend at HQ who desperately wanted to quit working on staff and go to college. Two years ago I was "allowed" to take a break from attending TWI functions. Two years ago I found myself in a Florida courtroom standing before a judge telling him that counselling would not help my marriage and that yes, we did want a divorce. In the past six years I've met some of the most wonderful people and made the greatest friends a gal could ask for here in the cafe. I've cried on so many shoulders, really worked more scriptures than I ever did while in TWI and received so many wise words, encouragement, reassurances and love. (I've also gone through quite a few names on here) In the past two years I've regained my strength, regained my health, regained my personality, regained peace of mind, regained friendships, family relationships and have seen many dreams become reality. I am finally starting to see the life I wanted to have and dreamed about coming to pass. There's still a long way to go, but I continue to say, "A bad day outside the walls of TWI is better than a good day within the walls ever was." :D Thank you Paw!!!! Thank you Greasespots!!!! :P :wub: I couldn't have done it without you!

Backatcha, Sunny! Hopefully we'll get to meet sometime, but not for a hurricane party! :D Likeaeagle, ROFLMAO!!! Funny thing is, those Y2K supplies have come in rather handy as hurricane supplies. I had scrambled eggs for breakfast and HOT canned food during the many, many days without power two years ago. ;) Glad to hear y'all are safe up there!! I watched the news carefully this morning looking for word about your predicament. :)

Any group that's into acquiring money and controlling people is going to have similiarities, imo. I've come to believe that TWI is a lot more like the Catholic church than any other religion, especially after a documentary I saw this past week-end. Especially in the way they control information, store secrets and utilize their power and influence to manipulate people. There's also a lot of "behind the scenes" things that the general membership is totally unaware of and would balk at if they were to find out.

I've heard anniversaries can be the hardest on us and sometimes we don't even realize that it's affecting us. I know the 1 year anniversary of my divorce and leaving TWI was a time of incredible turmoil and some pretty scary, dramatic, unsettling thoughts, feelings and events. I suppose that continues to ebb and flow in our memories with some years being better than others. I love hearing about the good times before the music died. :)

Truth needs no defense foot-U-MEs that one is speaking THE TRUTH. Which, imo, is pretty darn arrogant. And THAT'S where one gets into trouble. A wiser, more mature position to take would be to welcome discussion about one's position because: I think all of us have things we believed to be the truth only to find out later that - gasp! - we were wrong! How did we, then, come to that realization? <_<

If you're actually going to be in Orlando, please let me know!! Lake City isn't too far to drive to meet some wonderful people! If you're going to have some free time while you're there, please let me know that, too. :) I also have a guest bedroom you're more than welcome to, also!

According to Matthew Harmon, BC of Orlando in the last year of WC full time and the first year of WC back on the field: "Don't make me do your dirty work!! I have to spend MY money, MY gas and MY time to buy a money order for the cash you losers put in the horn. At least do me the courtesy of getting a money order for your abundant sharing. It's really selfish and disrespectful when someone constantly puts cash in the horn. "

Hey Beautiful!! I'm a news hound; I can't believe I haven't heard anything about this. I'm surprised Raf hasn't posted a cone for us, either. :blink: Here's a link to some great information about being prepared. Getting Ready Please know that Charlie was a Category 4 when it hit the west coast of Florida last year and was a Category 1 over 150 miles later when he hit me. Out of all four hurricanes, Charlie was the worst in my area. Never underestimate the power of even a "small" one. It's much better to be safe than sorry. Some tips I sent to my family & friends before Katrina came through: Put all very important papers and medical prescriptions in zip lock bags and store them in the washing machine. It's the strongest, heaviest and only thing that survived even Andrew. Fill additional zip lock bags with water and freeze them now! Believe it or not, but Ice and water are at a premium after hurricanes. Especially if you have medicine that has to be refrigerated. Get out all candles, flashlights, oil lamps and matches and put them where you can easily find them when the power goes out. Unplug everything except the refrigerator. MAYBE leave one lamp on so you know if power is on or off. Turn off the Air Conditioner when the worst of the storm starts. There will be transformers blowing up and power surges. You do not want to have to deal with a blown up AC unit or fire because of power surges through your computer or TV during this time. DO NOT go outside in the storm no matter how tempting it is. Limbs and trees are missles as are anything your idiot neighbors may have left outside. Cell Phone text messaging is most likely to work even when you can not get calls in or out. Fill every bathtub in your house with water. You may need it, even if it's just to flush the toilet. ;) The transformers are bright green when they blow and if there's lots of them it's like something out of Wizard of Oz (really cool). It's not green lightning though, like I thought it was in Charlie. This could be something kids enjoy watching and keeps them from being scared. Kitty litter makes a good substitute for sand bags. Red Wine is the best Post Hurricane Party Supply since it does not need refrigerating or ice to be enjoyable. *grin* Susie, Y'all still could get very strong winds in Hot Lanta and they are predicting still very dangerous wind speeds all the way up to Starkville and Tuscaloosa. The National Hurricane Center has the best graphics and wind strength predictors. Here are a couple of links to the sites I've been watching and where I spent most of hurricane season last year: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gifs/GC13512.GIF http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/satellite.shtml In those famous Florida Hurricane Battle Cry Words: HUNKER DOWN!!!!!!!!! I'd much rather scare the hell out of y'all and have you prepared for no reason than for you to do nothing and have needed to do so. *grin* "Prepare for the worst and pray for the best." I'll be praying fervently for you, especially if you have to live without AC for a few days. *grin*

Please do continue, Krys!! :) It's fascinating and, in a sick way, it's humorous to me because these are the things I groaned about HAVING to learn in school. The loss of the Amazon is far reaching and seriously impacts the environment as a whole...and once the soil is exposed to continuous sunlight, it could render the land unsuitable for restoration should they try to do that anyway? Does that also include global warming being impacted in a big way? Is that what's happening in CA with all the forest fires and then killer mud slides following, or are the mud slides in different areas? How does all this fit with the fact that winters are getting worse and lasting longer?

Well, Hell, Darlene! You could have given him MY phone number!

(((((WW))))) Thanks!! I'll check it out tonight! Nandon, I'm reconsidering my position based on the information I've obtained today. See below for details.

When I first got involved in '93, I remember hearing two men discussing whether they were giving off their net or gross incomes. Here are excerpts from some HQ letters that I have. They are in no particular order, but if anyone wants a copy of them just let me know. ******************** October 1995 - LCM "This last ministry year has certainly been eventful in terms of God's Call to Abundance. We have especially seen His abundance to us in our growth in knowledge and understanding of His wonderful Word and in the guidance He's given us concerning where to build the ministry in the days ahead, including the new classes on WAP that will be available to our standing PFAL grads in the months ahead....... Changed WOW to Disciples of the Way.... Word Over the World Defined (STS 1803, July 16) and "23rd WC Graduation" (STS 1805, July 30) where I set for the ministry the new light and direction on the Cops program.... I love you all abundantly and thank God for the physical and financial abundance reaped i the lives of our people as they have heeded God's clarion call to get out of debt, get in control of their lives and finances, and allow Him to bless them in ways they never dreamed of. ******************** March/April 1995 - Howard Allen The year for our theme of God's Call to Abundance is almost over. Our believing for you is that when the theme is over, you will continue to live in God's abundance. When God gave His only begotten son, he gave us his abundance. It's everlasgint if we choose to enjoy it, and it doesn't cost us near what it cost God; so live it each day and share it with others. March/April 1994 issue of the way mag.....about the 67 acres we purchased with your abundance .... Pond project....gravel parking area north of Founders Hall.....commuter parking area for the Rock of Ages.... The remaining land is being leveled and will be grassed in for future expansion. We want to thank you for the great year we have had and for living God's Word and giving so that the Word can move all over the world. We have received a number of great letters from you about how the teachings on finances have helped you and your families. The word is sure true and it works when we apply it in our walks. ******************** May 1995 - ?? Rock of Ages 1994 initiated the dynamic teachings on our current theme of God's Call to Abundance. Around the world believers ahve responded to the timeliness of this word. God's abundance has been displayed in believers' lives by an increased resolve to speak the word boldly, confront evil and live debt-free. The abundance of God's word declared at SNS and the way rag continues to illustrate God's blessing to our lives. A further testimony of God's abundance upon our ministry is the videotapping of the new foundational and intermediate classes.... ******************** I have more, but I have to go. :)

When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied. Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall. You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter. The dispenser for the modern "seat covers" (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there were one, but there isn't - so you carefully but quickly drape it around your neck, (Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!), yank down your pants, and assume "The Stance." In this position your aging, toneless thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance. " To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, "Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!" Your thighs shake more. You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one that's still in your purse. That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It is still smaller than your thumbnail. Someone pushes open your stall door because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet. "Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, lose your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT. It is wet of course. You bolt up, know ing all too well that it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try. You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're certain, her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat -- because, frankly, dear, "You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get." By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a firehose that somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too. At that point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks. You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the line of women, still waiting. You are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe. ( Where was that when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it the woman's hand and tell her warmly, "Here, you just might need this." As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used and left the men's restroom. Annoyed, he asks, "What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?" . . .This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with a public restroom (rest??? you've got to be kidding!!). It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked question about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your purse, and hand you Kleenex under the door.

I'm sorry, it's just really hard for me to take anything seriously that has Gore's name attached to it. <_< I'll wait for a review from our resident expert in this area, RumRunner.

Made ya look! Seriously, there is this new "movie" out called "The Secret" (What is the Secret / Revealed ) Has anyone seen it or heard anything about it?

I've been thinking about this, too. Especially since I'm back in the dating world. When I get to choose or suggest where to go for a first date, I pick the oyster bar around the corner from my house. I meet him there (safety) and we get a bucket of beer and a bucket of oysters or a plate of gator tail. (Both is okay, but it's bonus points if he'll eat raw oysters with me). When you get a bucket of oysters, you sit at the oyster bar and have your own shucker there for you. I like this because: It's casual - I can see if the guy is too uptight, too GQ /preppy for me It's cheap - I don't feel bad if the date doesn't work out I get to see how he treats others, particularly service people It's close to home It's not so loud that you can't have a great conversation There's an outside bar if it's a nice night out Depending on when the date is - NASCAR is on the tv I can learn a lot about a guy in this one night and generally have a pretty good idea of whether I'd like to see him again or not. Some friends of mine usually meet for coffee at one of the local bookstores or coffee houses downtown. If things seem to be going well, they'll move to dinner, if not - then they go their separate ways and nobody has really lost anything but time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I really and truly think, though, that dating is MOST successful when we get to the place where we are comfortable with ourselves, love ourselves and honestly believe that we deserve to be here and deserve to have the best that life has to offer. We should really only be looking for a life long partner because we WANT one and not because we NEED one. We should not feel as though we need someone to complete us. We should feel as though we want someone to enrich our already complete lives.

Is "Snack Planning" a new class being offered? Along with "How to make sure 'your people' have properly planned their snacks for ministry events" The pictures of the WC in the mag appear to be very small in numbers, but again, as usual, they don't share any numbers whatsoever. I would suspect that it IS mostly kids of staffers, WC and the poor WC Alum who are gluttons for punishment. The good news is, those with half a brain these days, generally see through the BS and leave TWI during training or shortly after graduation. At least, that's the way I remember it being over the past five years or so. Ya know, Dooj, Bob Moynihan used to say things along those lines to me all the time. I'd ask questions about debt, money, buying a house, a car, etc. and he'd insinuate that I wasn't taught those things growing up and that's why I was asking. NO - the reason I was asking was because what Bob and TWI were teaching contradicted what my Daddy taught me. My Daddy who has been in banking since the year before I was born. Within 15 years he became president and then even higher up the food chain. But, noooooooo....... Bobby said he must not have taught me anything about finances, budgeting, debt, etc..... I may have been gullible to get involved with TWI, but I'm no idiot! I KNOW what my Daddy taught me and he could back it up. Bobby couldn't back up what he was trying to teach, so he had to resort to attacks. <_< Now, I follow Daddy's guidelines that I learned from him and my financial situation couldn't be better. :)

It's only available to "Way Class Grads" - whatever the definition of that is these days. And, what was the Biblical significance of the number 13? I'm shocked that they would produce 13 of anything! :o Lord knows, craiggers would never have allowed it. Yes, CDs would be more economical, in addition to being quicker to produce, but then they've already mastered the art of "busy work" and maybe can't find any additional busy work to fill the time for the people responsible for the ministry tapes. ShortFuse, does it not strike you as "odd" that they are expecting 50 year old people to be buying tapes on the most basic and fundamental subjects of life? What on earth could they possibly be "sharing" (not teaching) that TWIts haven't already heard, learned or have access to from real live experts? I suspect there's more to these tapes than just the money making aspect of it: - it exerts more control over folks because they will be guilted into buying the tapes - they will have to listen to the tapes and, most likely, teach on them in fellowship - this will take up yet more of their time so that they won't have time to go to the internet, spend time with family, meet up with non TWIt friends, etc. It's all about control and power with TWI. I'm sorry (okay, no really), but I would be extremely insulted if someone even insinuated or hinted that I might need those tapes. Furthermore, I would really have to wonder about any adults who really thought those tapes were "da bomb" and enlightened the eyes of their understanding. How to write? How to spell? How to clean your home? And I sure as he11 hope it wasn't a life long staffer teaching people "on the field" about business etiquette! :blink: WTF!! And why is it their business if I even have a cleaning schedule? Are they still "spying out the liberty" people have with that? I know quite a few people M&A and/or put on probation because they didn't keep their homes clean enough for the leadership - they made it a point to drop by unannounced just to "check in" on them. Their teachings are just getting more and more mundane and elementary. I'll type up more of the magazine when I get home.

Awwwwww........I'm soooo jealous!!! I know y'all had a blast and can only imagine the things those waterbugs learned. I wanna know where the pictures are of y'all running through the fountains in bathingsuits or not, as Bow put it. Suda, I was hoping that was butter on your chin and not a hole in your lip. :P Beautiful ladies!! Great smiles and tender loving eyes. My face hurts from laughing at your posts about the week-end, so glad it was everything and more than you expected! Now get some rest so we can hear more about it!!! :lol:

Brings back memories of my Girl Scouting days!! What fun! I think it's just awesome that you get to be there and be involved, too, Dad! Thanks for the pictures and congrats on raising such a wonderful, talented son. :)

Yep, WE, that's really my tattoo. Well, the picture isn't actually of the one on my skin, but that's what it looks like. Mine is actually just a little bit bigger than the picture, but pretty close.

Here's my tattoo - It's the Tibetan Mantra for Ohm. The letters are black, the long part of the flame is red and the top is yellow. I LOVE IT and have never regretted getting it - not even during my "heaviest" TWIt days. Belle's Tattoo MStar, very profound and insightful post! I've often thought the same thing. It seems each generation has been appalling and "too wild" for the preceding one. LOL! There weren't exactly tame youngsters running those prohibition parties, were there? ;) My ex's grandmother had some great stories about those days. She and her brothers ran their own stills and parties for a pretty penny when she was much younger. Maybe the only difference is the youngsters who were around for WWII (The Greatest Generation). They never had a CHANCE to be youngsters. They were too busy fighting a war and seeing things that no one should EVER have to see. When they came home, they started families and moved on to mature, adult responsibilities. It's like they really missed having any sort of teen angst movement of their own. At least that's how I perceive it. :)

Awwwww, cool!! I've found the older I get the easier it is to "just be myself". I think part of that is getting "set" in my ways, though. LOL! Wish I had understood that so much better when I was younger - sure would have made things easier back then, but, oh well.... Sounds like quite the evening you've planned. I'm sure she'll be smitten and have a grand ole time. Just treat her like a lady and do all the gentlemanly things you know to do. :) If she mirrors your body language, leans into you, touches you (even "accidentally") - then she's giving you "I'm into you" vibes and means she's definitely open for the goodnight kiss. ;) Especially with lots of eye contact. Please do tell us how it goes! I haven't had a date in so long, I'd love to live vicariously through yours!