Belle

Whitewater rafting on the Ocoee or the Eau Gallie River Spending the week-end at New Smyrna Beach in a beachside condo. Attending ANY NASCAR race! :D--> If you decide on Orlando, let me know!!!

I'm sorry. I missed the whole 2nd page.

Edited because I was being very rude. I humbly apologize, CG.

KEWL!! :D--> :D--> :D--> HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HOPE!!!

What's up, CG? Are you having a bad day? Did something from the past come up and bite you on the @$$ today? --> I don't see anything judgmental in my post to you. I certainly didn't mean it to be that way, but you ride in here with your ALL CAPITAL LETTER QUESTION high horse and tell us that you just can't understand why we keep posting here and why we haven't "gotten over it" and "moved on with our life" like you have. I'm not going to let you talk to me like that. Just saying you don't mean something "pompously" does NOT mean that it doesn't come across that way. You know it does or you wouldn't have tried to dismiss it. How do you know how much is enough information for an innie? How do you know that just reading old threads instead of participating and reading and watching "live" action on a site it enough for someone? How do you know how long is long enough for someone to post on here? How do you know how much it takes to heal or "get over" the things that happened to some of the people on here? Are you God? You sure seem to think so.

We're all different and in different places on our journey, CG. :)--> Just because you think a certain way, or have a certain path doesn't mean I think the same way or have the same path. I'm just being honest here, too, but doesn't your post sound just a wee bit judgemental? Why are you asking those things? It's not rehashing to me. I have been out and divorced for under a year. This is my first chance to really say things I've been wanting to say for years. I'm glad that there are people still around to discuss these things with me. I have also started threads based on questions I've been asked by innies who want and hope to get answers from here. Some are going through what I went through for the past five years. I want to help them. You've been around here long enough to know that your question comes up every once in a while and you're going to see the same answers, most likely. AND you'll continue to judge those who post here AND people will continue to post here AND Paw will continue "hooking" people up. :)--> If it's not for you, then it's not for you and not one person is going to make you come here. Really. But it's not your place to judge the rest of us.

LOL! George, JustLoafing can probably help you with that fire. ;)--> Bob, I'll try to save you from yourself! :D--> They are a closed loop. The way they teach and think is like no one outside TWI is born again and no one could possibly GET born again outside of TWI. Of course, they say that's not true and that people are born again outside of TWI, but they ignore that part when they are trying to manipulate people into staying. They are supposed to be a research ministry, but, as you said, Bob, the average "innie" will not even consider something that they haven't first heard from hq. I remember when I found out that Dot Moneyhands had been reading Joyce Meyer I thought, "Why does SHE get to read religious stuff not put out by TWI?" This is another area where they say they don't tell people what to do, but they do - it's just not as plain as "don't read, believe, study or consider anything unless we tell you to."

How many times have you heard that? Was it taught repetitively like it was in my area? We were told we were building a ministry for our children's children. 3 Generations down the road we're preparing for. We want them to have a clean ministry where they can learn to live the word and have the more abundant life... Moneyhands would tell some story about planting trees at hq and how now people are really able to enjoy those trees they planted so many years ago.... What kind of ministry are they really building and how long will it last? To quote Bob: I know a few wc who went into the training because they wanted to fix things. I don't know how they plan to do that seeing as how what Bob said is true. People who try to "fix" things or make "suggestions" that aren't popular are quickly squashed and/or kicked out. What kind of life is that?? You can't make waves? You're afraid to speak up? Even Moneyhands was afraid to speak up when someone he wanted in the wc program was getting the run around from hq. When you're an RC and you keep your mouth shut because you don't want to make waves, how much power to you really have? How pathetic is it to be kissing @$$, living off the mandatory tithes and abundant sharing of people because you could never make it in the real world? People who really think God talks to you. People who really think you're teaching them the truth. You KNOW there are errors in what you teach! You KNOW there is treachery and evil at the root! You KNOW you are just as guilty for lying and covering for some of that evil! You KNOW lives have been destroyed! You KNOW you're just living paycheck to paycheck towing the company line because you can't do anything else. This is how you want your children and your children's children to grow up? Sounds like you're building a rat's nest to me.

To use TWI's own words....the value of the counterfit is increased by the likeness to the original. I think TWI is the counterfit. Just enough truth and just enough "good hearted" people to come off as something genuine. To use another TWIt logic: Good vs Best TWI used to say some decision was "good" but deciding THIS (TWIts way) was "best". TWI was goodNOT that I think it was good but someplace else would have been best. Maybe some people got some of what they needed when they needed it from people involved in TWI (people - NOT TWI itself) but maybe God would have had something better for them if they hadn't gotten involved with TWI. Personally? It wasn't worth it. Not one tittle of it.

Steve! Doobie Briarwick doesn't sound like much of a porn star name. Now if I can pick ANY street I ever lived on and a different dog.... Duchess Barbados Hmmmm.... Now THAT has a ring to it. :)-->

Chas, I'm so glad everything worked out perfectly with your baby! :)--> Pity TWIts can't see that God's blessings do fall on all of us and that all of us are worthy. :(--> It was exhausting trying to explain away people's joy who were "outside the household" when I was "in". It couldn't possibly be that they were living the way God would have them live! Not even my parents who are born again and live a better example than any wc leader ever dreamed of... Sheesh!

TWI is basically taking the place of God and teaching people that they owe their lives to TWI - not God. They are taking credit for saving people's lives and not giving the credit to God where it belongs. I was saved and became born again in the Baptist Church in my hometown. I DO NOT owe my life to that church NOR do I owe my life to the people who taught me to the point where I could decide to make Jesus Lord in my life. They have their reward - knowing that they lead someone to Christ. "Just doing my job" is the attitude one should have. Someone really down who was picked up, taught great and wonderful things (although that's debateable), feels like they would be dead if it hadn't been for TWI is giving TWI too much credit IF they then feel obligated to stay with TWI despite no longer "having their needs met"; despite learning all kinds of evil things about the people running TWI; despite the fact that the actual people who spent time with you and brought you up are no longer with TWI; despite the fact that you are no longer happy, no longer healthy, no longer living the "more abundant life" they promised. TWI has TWIsted and perverted loyalty to the point that the group itself is the idol. You OWE YOUR LIFE to TWI?? That's just down right evil. Teaching people that they are obligated and have no other choice than to stand with TWI and to "do the word" according to TWIsted interpretations is spiritual blackmail and just plain wrong! The sad thing is that there are so many still in who truly believe this. Bob, I'm sure that class was probably mostly teens who had no choice but to take the class. ;)-->

You, people who have trucks and people with huge living rooms are probably missed the most when they leave! LOL! I'll really feel sorry for my area when/if the AV guy pulls out.

If you want a "what if" scenario -- ask the JW lady why she will go to a communinion service, and when both the bread and wine are passed her way, and she refuses both, say "How come you you pass both the plate, and the cup on to the next person, without taking a wafer, or a sip of the wine?" I was at one of those sevices (once), and it scared the hell out of me, when I heard the reasoning behind it. What IS the reasoning behind it? Inquiring minds want to know! :)-->

I KNEW Zixar would contribute good stuff to this thread and I also knew there would be some astronomy included. :D--> - The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springstein's 'Born in the USA.' - Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to SLOW a film down so you could see his moves. - The mask used by Michael Myers in the original Halloween was actually a Captain Kirk mask painted white. - Laser is actually an acronym for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emissions of Radiation." - Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush. - Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise. - Americans eat on average 18 acres worth of pizza every day.

stewardesses is the longest word typed using only the left hand. Does not count if you are a "hunt and peck" typist

Heidi Barbuda I like that, too! :D-->

Well....I have only lived in two places my whole life. I was born and raised in the same small southern town. I only lived in 2 different houses in my life and even went to college in my hometown (I did live in the dorms and apartments then). My parents have had the same phone number for 35 years. Left town as soon as I graduated from college and have been in the same town for the past 14 years. I have moved around in the metro area, but never very far. We used to go on 2 week family vacations (in the car) every year when I was growing up, so I've seen a lot of really neat places in the US, but other than that, I haven't really been many places. I guess it's a good thing I don't have the wanderlust gene because I surely couldn't afford it. :)-->

Hmmmmm...... I just typed in a sentence trying to replicate your problem, but mine just keeps going off the page. I'm in 97 - I wonder if you're in a different version. Have you tried clicking on the Page Setup icon on the tool bar and decreasing the margin from the edge of the page? You can access it through the Header and Footer toolbar or from File - Page Setup - Margins Tab. I hope this helps!! :)-->

When you're in Word, on the menu at the top go to "View" - "Header and Footer" - a new toolbar should pop on the screen - Click on the icon to switch to the footer (on my toolbar, it's the 4th from the right - looks like a page with a yellow box on the top and bottom of it) - In the footer section: Type what you want on Line 1 Flush Left Hit the tab button twice and it should move the cursor to the far right side of the Footer box Type what you want on Line 1 Flush Right Hit Enter It should take you to the 2nd line of the Flush Left side of the Footer. Follow the steps above again for the 2nd and 3rd lines of the footer. Hopefully this makes sense!

Where's MDVaden when you need him? ;)--> He said WE were repetitive, but I've yet to hear anything new out of TWI. Maybe the accent has changed and the volume with which it is spoken has changed, but it's still the SSDD (Same **** Different Day). How exactly does one pastor? What does she do that qualifies her as that and why DO they have to tell people what her ministry is?? Good questions, Chas!

WB, it IS a very good article and smacks in the face of all TWI taught and practiced under lcm. I didn't realize there were so many verses about controlling your anger. Seems to me "spiritual anger" should never result in the outburts and intimidation that we were so frequently exposed to. TWI used to teach that feelings were icing on the cake and to be ignored if they didn't line up with whatever TWI's agenda was, seems to me they didn't do such a good job of providing examples of that when it came to anger and controlling one's temper. It's so much nicer now to be around people who aren't constantly angry, yelling or upset about something.

I think it's commendable that he goes to such lengths to protect the effect of his ministry and "avoiding all appearances of evil" also came to my mind. More ministers should be like that. Think of how TWI would have ended up if THEIR ministers followed that policy...

Realizing I'm biased, I do have to agree with my dear friend, Bob :o--> : I've had to study harder, learn more and spend more time trying to figure out what's baby and what's bathwater thanks to that nincompoop! I used to think God was using TWI because it was the best He had to teach me about Him, but now I think it was the debbil keeping me away from learning things I ought to be learning. Sorry, ToadFriend, I respectfully disagree. I do hope you stay out of lurkdom, but can appreciate that we don't all always agree on here. Sometimes we have to agree to disagree. You think vee pee did something good for you, I think he did bad to all of us. I certainly don't think God Almighty sent him.

Thanks, y'all! :)--> I have few regrets, but nothing I lose sleep over anymore. This is excellent advice and bears repeating: Me too. I could have done things better, handled my own problems differently, but I did the best I could with what I knew. No regrets. :)--> Very sage advice. It helps to draw a line in your mind on how far you're willing to go and fight for your marriage. For me, I didn't do that but it became harder and harder to love and trust someone I knew would chose a group of people over his COMMITMENT TO GOD to love his WIFE as Christ loved the church. He started condescending to me intellectually and would not consider any concerns I had about doctrinal issues or even practical issues. I was wrong - period - end of discussion. One can only take blows to the self esteem like that for so long before they collapse or explode. I collapsed. I have since discovered my "hot air" source, though. :D-->