Belle

Yeah! What kind of menu will you have? Do tell! We want details. Sounds really great!

Agreed. Also, the research key used depended on the lesson and message desired. The leaders also "agaped" the higher seats. terrasso, lambano, dechomai and luo are some other words they totally mis-represented. I questioned these and was labeled a trouble-maker.

I didn't know you wrote that song, Hope! It was one of the only ones I didn't mind singing ad nauseum. It seems we sang the same songs over and over again. Some would make me cringe when they would say "Turn in your songbooks to Number...."

How so, UH?

I was looking at the Nov teaching on the TWIt site. The article, appropriately enough, is about giving, BUT they break all the research principles they teach. They use verses from the OT to show giving to God, but all the other scriptures that would be addressed to us are merely about giving - not necessarily to whom. They tell people to give to God - which we know means the TWIts - but that's not what the appropriate scriptures say, according to TWIt teaching.

Are these female boxers cotton? I prefer silky underwear. Cotton always grabs my clothes & doesn't look or feel as smooth. If they have them in silk or satin-y material I'll try them. The older I get the more my underwear does seem to cover....I'll be in granny panties before too long!

andreatheflorist LOL!!! I've gotten some of those bud vases, dozen roses and teddy bears! :)--> ;)--> They usually worked.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! :D-->

I'm trying to see it bowtwi, but having puter problems. But I want to say congrats and brag away!!

Normally I just ignore mj and skip her posts, but I've just got to say: I'm so glad you're the authority on what's right & wrong! And what's best for people you don't know squat about! Thank God you post here or we'd be lost in sin and selfishness. Your passive-aggressive attitude is a case study in and of itself. Who said someone is depriving a child of his other parent? Just because your sister's husband died doesn't mean every man is going to die early. Many people live to be 100 years old these days, mj. ;)--> Just because you had a hard time and, apparently unsuccessful go at being a single mom doesn't mean everyone else is the same way. Just because you think it's wrong or too hard to put a kid through having it out of wedlock or raise one on your own, doesn't mean it's true. There are many successful, happy, well-adjusted kids out there who were raised by one parent, foster parents and even just grandparents. Who the heck do you think you are to judge these people??? I don't get you, woman. With your attitude you'd be better served running a fellowship somewhere with other TWIts.

They interviewed this lady on the news this morning and she made a good point: Just because you have a child at 24, it doesn't guarantee that you're going to be around to see your kids grow up. That's no reason to not have a kid at 57. I know 70 & 80 year olds who are healthier & have more energy than people in their 30's. I agree with the "young as you feel" camp. As long as someone has thought through and considered all the responsibility, time, energy, money, etc. involved with kids, I say go for it! She hadn't had menopause yet and I think she said her grandmother had a child at 53 years old, so it's not a foreign concept to her. She has a swarm of family & friends willing and able to help her out as well. Diane Sawyer was quite impressed with the number of people (family and close friends) who are supporting this lady. I say more power to her! I'm going to end up being in my late 30's - early 40's before I'm able to have my first child, so it's heartening to hear about people having children so late in life.

Do we have an update on our flat friend? What cool places have the students learned about since our last update?

My poor ex-husband gave up his family for "the truth of the bible" as you so put it, mj. He gave up every relationship he had with hs parents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, etc. He chose TWI and their "truth of the bible" as you put it, over family, blood relationships and me, his wife who loved him more than any scriptures. He is now alone with nothing but his d@mn scriptures and people who don't really care about him, just his money and being able to control his life. He doesn't have the kids he wanted to have because he believes what TWI says about the wife needing to stay at home with the kids. He knows he would never be able to afford his wife to be a stay at home mom, so he convinced himself that he didn't want to have kids. He's given up so much in the name of "the truth" that he will never be truly hapy. I truly feel sorry for people like you.

I agree 100%, WN!, but todays prisons aren't like that. Now, if they were like the Bastille was, then I would agree. Today prisons are just tax-sucking hotels supporting a$$holes with my hard earned money. Crime would be a lot lower if people knew they might be sleeping in a cold stone cell with a dirt floor they share with rats and insects.

Awwwww, how AWESOME, Mark! Thanks for sharing that with us! Brings back many memories of the sleepovers from my youth.

WN! Will they put you through, or will they ask who's calling? Do they keep records of who gets calls from who? I know my ex had to turn in his phone records one time because they didn't want him calling certain people. It amazes me to this day the gall they had getting involved in people's personal lives and worse, that we let them!

johniam, but you're not talking about your average, normal people here. I suspect the TWIts are still pretty bitter about having to secure permission from all those people in the Sing Along the Way, and they don't easily give up anything that might bring in money or give someone else a chance to reach people. Look at all the frivilous lawsuits they've started in the recent past. They aren't normal people.

LOL! So many good points on this thread....and y'all have such great ways of making those points,too. Ex, if we could sneak in our own flask, could we drink with him? But then again, we can't drink during those meetings & Gawd forbid we should have to go to the bathroom! skyrider, that says it all imo! TWIts don't know jack about walking in love. They are real good at putting their fork down between bites, stringing chairs & packing a u-haul, but they don't know jack about love. TheEvan, you are too funny! :D-->

LOL, ex! Me too! It's a good thing it's so darn strong since it has A LOT to pick up when I do get around letting the purple animal loose! :D--> Brings me back to Erma Bombeck & having friends over even if the house isn't spotless and it's only going to be macaroni & cheese for dinner. It's the company & quality of life I enjoy - not the fact that my house is "spiritually & physically clean". Those darn devil spirits are probably stuck in the dirt & can't get out anyway. ;)-->

Hoo-ray!! I am so glad the justice system didn't let us down! Circumstantial or not, it was clear that the guy was cold blooded, cold hearted & smart enough to almost get away with it. I've been tricked by married men in my younger, more naive days & they are very good at charm & deception. I think the fact thast he cheated on his wife at all is grounds for punishment!

I forgive me. I had a hunger and they promised to fill that hunger. It seemed like they were for a while. When I realized I was letting others dictate who I was and how my life was to be I changed my situation, albeit slowly and painfully. Do I regret my decisions? sometimes. Do I hate myself for making those decisions? no. I like Maya Angelou's take on things in life, "We do the best we can and when we know better we do better." ...or something along those lines. I know better, so now I do better. I'm still working on getting the self-esteem back that I lost in TWI, but I'm doing better, MUCH BETTER.

There's the couple who ended up in jail for tax evasion or fraud after taking advice from someone at hq about their business & taxes.

Our whole area was required to get one! Okay - not necessarily required, but it was strongly suggested so you know that that means. ;)--> This was in the days of daily prayer partners, 2x weekly witnessing w/your prayer partner, 3x weekly fellowship meetings, phone hook-ups, branch meetings, asst & fc meetings and any additional things they wanted you to do.

I thought it was the other way around, Garth. But I could be wrong! If that's not the correct answer then I choose that pet psychic lady on the animal planet. But seriously, Joe - Joe Block, right? - does it matter and is it our place to judge? What makes you think THE Beast is around today? Do you still subscribe to TWIt logic that there is always a Beast waiting to rise up in every generation? If you are really concerned about Revelations, then everyone is right that the Doctrinal section might be more up your alley. Sorry we've disappointed you, but perhaps more information in your post would let people know what you're talking about.

Thanks WWJLA! This has been a very interesting and helpful read. I've discussed the "cult thing" with the guy I'm seeing now and I think I pretty much shocked & amused him with some of my more serious questions...you know, about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and such.. ;)--> Those are very important issues to me! He goes to church, but not all the time and doesn't feel guilty if he doesn't go. He's a simple Southern gentleman who's pretty laid back about the whole "christianity" thing, which I used to be and am getting back to. It's just so nice to be around someone you don't have to be on your best behavior around all the time. That doesn't sound right...I guess I mean someone you can really, truly be yourself around and know that they are getting to know the real you and that it doesn't change how they feel about you. It wasn't like that in my TWIt marriage. I'm constantly assessing my behavior and conversation to make sure I'm not adjusting who I really am to make this guy like me or to keep the relationship going. Maybe too much, but I just really want the relationship to be real and not based on facades on either side.