Belle

Maybe you should try looking at it ACCURATELY.

LAE, in my area (Orlando), they taught me about the terminology and the "biblical basis" of the structure of TWI when I first got involved in 1993. There were quite a few teachings at twig, branch meetings and even a limb meeting led by John Shroyer which my parents attended. Basically, as long as the tree terminology was being used, it was being taught. We shared the biblical basis of it with people we were witnessing to and new people until craig shook things up and forbid us to use the word twig anymore. Funny, "branch" and "limb" were okay, though. :blink:

Check the website for the new, exciting, unique and creative poster.

Bliss, you probably did not draw them closer to TWI but rather, like a child who knows you are saying something they know to be true but don't want to hear, they put their hands up to their ears and screamed, "LA LA LA, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!" Brian Moynih@n thinking he can stage a coup ..... actually, anyone thinking they can get rid of rosie is just living a pipe dream. She is not going to go easily into that evil night. She's got her teeth in that TWI teet and she ain't letting go.

BTNIS, I'm sure you got in the faces of those evil leaders and I'm sure you did everything you could to confront and expose the corruption. I'm sure I've read about all you've personally done to put a stop to TWI's abuse of the flock and I just don't recognize your name because of the screen name. There's some verse about heaping coals on the head of your enemies.....turning the other cheek..... etc. Life just can't be answered with a bible verse. You can, indeed, prove whatever you want to prove by using the right verse and/or the right "twist" on a verse. People used to say to me, "what kind of marriage do you really think you have if you can't talk to your husband about everything - especially things TWI-related? Do you think it's a good marriage if he refuses to listen to your concerns about TWI?" I justified it - I covered for my husband - I secretly dreaded facing that painful realization that, yes, TWI is my ex's god. And, no, my marriage was not what I thought it was. TWI comes first to Bob and Dottie - they are loyal to the TWI paycheck above any thing else. TWI is their god. Bliss now knows what she's dealing with. She is doing what she thinks is best for her and her family. I can respect that....besides that - it's not my place to tell her what to do - much less, to judge what she does or doesn't do. :) I took her question as more rhetorical than seriously asking us for advice. :)

LOL! Waysider, trying to get johniam (and oldiesman) to admit any deficiencies in vee pee is like trying to get WTF ...err.. H, to admit any people died during the Holocaust. I just don't even go there anymore.

Very telling, John. Thank you! Pity vee pee continued to succeed despite those great men leaving the ministry. Thankfully we have the internet these days to document, expose and remind people of these things and, hopefully, save other innocent lives from being sucked into that he11 hole of a whited sepulchre. They were teaching the tree structure as late as 93 when I got involved. It must have been some time after that when craig started obliterating the tree terminology.... I'm thinking it wasn't till 96 or later.

Thank you, Jerry! Makes perfect sense. I appreciate your time and it's good to "read" you here. :)

Chillin' ~ Grillin' & Cheerin' for Smoke

We were "humiliated for Christ" - it's the same ole ~ same ole these days. Nothing's changed.

I got frustrated, not so much with not having a building, but with every friggin' meeting having to be at some place FREE. We met at some raunchy places because TWI wouldn't pay for us to meet someplace decent. Being in Florida, we met outside at local parks a bunch. Usually it was TOO HOT outside and extremely uncomfortable, but there was also the possibility that we'd get rained out. I did get sun poisoning at one meeting and told my ex that I refuse to go to any more outdoor meetings. We had found a couple of libraries that rented out meeting space for free - a couple of churches, too, but TWI leaders refused to meet in a church and, for some reason, didn't use the library that much. When my ex and I complained about all the wasted time looking for new, free places to meet (yes, we were tasked with that chore) we were told that people got "too complacent" meeting at the same place all the time. I told my ex I'd rather be going to a church where I don't have to spend three weeks looking for, then three hours cleaning before every meeting. That didn't go over very well..... There's MUCH benefit to having a brick & mortar church building. Meeting in the homes is fine, but people need a "church home" if they are going to be having meetings all the time for various group sizes.

Dear, Sweet, Bliss, I hope that you did not read my post as insinuating or even suggesting that you need to "do something" about them. :) It's the goodness of God that leads man to repentance and your life, love and example could be just what ends up being the straw that breaks that camel's back. It sounded as if you weren't sure about Bob & Dottie covering and, thereby, allowing people's lives to be destroyed. I just wanted to let you know it's not just idle speculation. They've lied to you. That's all I was saying. I would never tell someone what they need to do about relationships. I got enough of it when I was still "in", hiding my identity online and hoping against hope that my ex would "wake up" and leave that god forsaken group with me. Some people did not/would not/could not understand why I didn't just "leave the b@stard". Every situation and relationship is different and only those intimately involved know the true dynamics. I do hope that they will come clean some day. Whether they do or not, they will have to answer to someone a lot more powerful and a lot more upset with what they've done with their lives than any of us here on earth.

Bliss, Dottie has admitted to at least one couple in the Tampa area that she had prior knowledge of the sexual abuse going on. She, furthermore, admitted to lying about knowing about it. There have also been numerous first hand accounts posted over the years at WayDale and here at the cafe. I realize you probably weren't around when those things were posted, but I can, if you want, provide verification from very reliable sources privately. Bob has admitted to hearing tales of the abuse and refusing to do anything about it. I've personally heard him say that much. Instead of helping people, he told them to quit coming to him and to take care of it themselves. Yeah, a woman who's been raped by "the man of god" is really going to be able to confront him herself and do anything about protecting or saving other women from the same fate. <_< I realize you are close to them and that this is probably very hard to acknowledge, but it's the truth. :( They are not "good people". They are not good "christian leaders". They have not and do not protect the flock. They have taught Brian how to "work the system", whether directly or indirectly (probably a bit of both) and the fact that they continue to support that awful, abusive, ungodly organization and support their son doing the same, speaks rather loudly. I know how much Angel@ C@pillary learned from living with them, so I've no doubt Brian is very well aware of much more than that. Like someone else said, you apologized because you realized how wrong we were - they haven't apologized and refuse to admit that they are wrong and that they are personally responsible for destroying lives.

(((((Bolshevik))))) I am truly sorry if any one has their feelings hurt - especially the person who designed them. I'm certain that they were doing the best they could given the guidelines, oversight and micro-management so common in TWI. The guys' thingies are typical old time country and normally it would be a good costume decision. :) It's just a horrible co-inky-dink that vee pee wore something like it. We've all got things in our TWI past that make us cringe or that are so horribly embarrassing that we wish to never remember them. It's just a painful reminder of how absolutely ridiculous involvement with TWI was for some of us and how powerless we allowed ourselves to become.....how absolutely degraded we were, worse - how much we debased our own selves.

:love3: (((((WW))))) Thank you!!! :love3: (((DaddyHoundDog))))) Thank you!!!! :love3:

Good on ya, Penworks! I'm so happy you're reconnecting with folks you've been looking for!

Yeah!!! I'm so glad!

:D :lol: :P *giggle* *giggle* *SNORT* You crack me up, ex!! :jump: :jump:

Thanks, y'all! WashingtonWeather, I love Google Maps! I use it all the time! I am looking to see if I can upload various spreadsheets of addresses and have them mapped and layered, but I'm not finding that option on Google Maps. RumRunner, checking out ESRI - I wish they had told me about this BEFORE month & quarter end reports were due in addition to top level management meetings. Oh well..... job security and I'm on salary so I get paid to get the job done, I guess.... :unsure:

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS, KEMOSABE!

That's what caught the attention of my little brother and me - 4 crucified - "today you shall be with me in paradise" - "eli eli" - speaking in tongues..... all "new" stuff to us and, therefore, very interesting and captivating, keeping us around moreso than being "just another Christian group" would have. I think vee pee looked for those things to set him apart and to use as "hooks" in his bait to get us and our money.

Dot, the theme this year is "Our Power for Abundant Living".... sound familiar? I'm sure the poster will look very familiar when it is presented. We can already tell that the "music" aspect - cd's, choir, choir clothing, way productions, etc. are all the same as they have been for the past sixty years. Seems that TWI has run out of ideas - or they are so attached to "the way things have always been" that they don't even care that they are boring everyone to death and that they have nothing new to share. However, I do tend to think Jim's ideas are more accurate and more honest. :P

Bolshevik, I'm sure it took a lot of "renewed mind" talk to get "blessed" to wear that cr@p! They must still be "in" for TWI to still have the video on their website? Or do they no longer completely obliterate all traces of "copped out" individuals? I guess it might be hard to do if people are continuing to leave in droves.... :huh: Yes, but they are generally wiser than the youths, which is why so many of us left as we got older and why it's so hard to get "fresh fruit" from a prune.

Talk about the MORE ABUNDANT LIFE!! Come to "The Way International" with me and you, too, can have this same POWER FOR ABUNDANT LIVING!!

But, we've always done it this way...... But, this worked before (nevermind that it was 40 years ago).... But, but, but.... something fresh or new??? That would require change! :blink: :huh: :o