Belle

It's a real simple question, WTH. Is this fake or do you just really not care about what happened to all these people?

Thanks so much, y'all! I think he's gonna break down and call the sister to ask her what it means. I'll let you know what she says. Linda, I didn't think about that, but it makes perfect sense...... makes sense that you would be the one to figure it out, too.

Copenhagen, I've been there. I understand. I *thought* my marriage was rock solid and that it was genuinely good but when push came to shove, my ex chose TWI over his commitment to me. It took me five years and a major confrontation for me to realize that if he would choose TWI over me, then it wasn't really the great marriage I thought it was. On the other hand, Hope and John survived about that many years with Hope being out and John wanting to stay and fix things. John eventually saw through the facade and left TWI as well. They are still happily married and, I believe, John's letter to Rosie & company is on the front page of the cafe. Each situation is different and there are marriages that survive one spouse leaving TWI, but many, too many, that don't. You've got to do what you you've got to do.

:eusa_clap: Good on ya! You are in good company - there's lots of bluegrass fans here at the cafe. Me included!

WTH, ARE YOU SAYING THIS FOOTAGE IS FAKE?

I wonder if the length of time and the age of involvement with TWI has any correlation on one's income. :unsure: Someone who got involved during the teen years and gave up college and/or building a career to go out WOW and to attend the ROA every year AND stayed involved doing anything and everything TWI demanded for many years MAY have/had a tough time building up a comfortable salary and career advancement. I didn't get involved until after I had been out of college for a few years and was already on a nice career path. I was also highly skeptical of the bu11sh1t financial advice I kept hearing out of TWIt mouths and never bought into it. As a result, I didn't lose any ground professionally and have made some wise investments (my house being one of them). My ex gave up a great career doing exactly what he loved and making good money at it to go WOW and then into the corps. He was drop kicked to the curb shortly before graduating and never did get his career back on track until we had been married for a few years. He was just starting to build a retirement account and some stability on his resume when he left me. He not only left me, but he left his job and all things "normal" to go work at TWI HQ. He's fast approaching 50 and I suspect he is barely making ends meet with what they probably pay him and he's probably got a mere paltry amount set aside for those sunset years. :(

ex70's there's all kinds of message boards out there - pick a topic you like or what you'd like the "atmosphere" to be like and invite some folks to check it out. I have participated in quite a few message boards and met some really great folks online. I don't get online as much lately as I used to, but I have kept in touch with many folks from those message boards. I've even met some of them in person kinda like some of the folks here at the Cafe.

:unsure: New one to me. A co-worker is going to a funeral and the notice said: "After the funeral there will be a remembrance reception. Please be determined." Anyone know what this is? What's expected? What does "be determined" mean? Thanks!!

Fostering, encouraging and supporting any thing your children have an interest in is also a good way to make sure they have the friendships, supportive relationships and fun that you remember so fondly from your growing up days. Those fond memories don't have to come from TWI - many of us who weren't raised in TWI still have those same nostalgic thoughts from our youth - they just aren't TWI related. I do have some great memories from our Youth Group activities at the Baptist Church where I grew up, but I also have equally great memories from my time in the theater - school plays, thespian society, community theater, special arts camps, college theater.... you get the idea. Girl Scouts / Boy Scouts - great kid centered wholesome fun - ask ArkieRon if his son feels slighted not growing up in TWI. Rascal and her whole crew are Karate experts - Just ask her nicely about that, though, she's a black belt, ya know? ;)

(((((Copenhagen))))) I so know how it is being "stuck in twi" when your heart is anywhere but in twi - believe me - I'm all too familiar with that. I feel for ya. It's a miserable place to be. I think, too, that some of the experiences and fondness you have may be due, somewhat to the young age at which those memories were formed and, sadly, from a protected perspective since most young folks in TWI are sheltered from the ugliness. We also tend to be a bit more naive and oblivious to the pain others may be experiencing when we're young. I know, for me, I gave adults way too much credit. And, as a result, fell for, settled for and ignored quite a bit. What I did, and what I encouraged my ex-husband to do, was to do those things that really thrill your soul - what do you like to do? Write? Play an instrument? Play a sport? Perform in the theater? Collect coins? DO THOSE THINGS! Get involved with some folks who share the same - non-religious interests that you have. There are local intramural athletic teams, a community theater, karate classes, yoga classes, etc. - www.meetup.com has been a great place for me to find interesting people to meet up with and helped get me out of my little hermitage. A church - especially TWI - is not and can not be all things to all people. If you are indeed stuck in TWI, then the only non-threatening way for you to find that companionship, camaraderie, acceptance and fun that is so lacking is to begin spreading your wings in other areas of interest. Now, there ARE some wonderful churches out there. I've found a church I love attending - I love the people; the services are uplifting and the discussions we have are stimulating, but I no longer focus my life 24/7 on quoting scripture, witnessing and doing whatever "the church" wants me to do with my time. I actually have a life now - what a concept! I think being in TWI is kind of like "Shawshank Redemption" - we were in a prison that dictated, manipulated and controlled 100% of our lives. Once we're no longer in that prison, we don't know how to make our own decisions - we don't know how to act and we've certainly lost touch with what's "normal" and what "normal" people do. What do you like to do, Copenhagen? Do that! The rest will follow. :)

WTF, WTH? Why don't you just say what you REALLY think? Here let me help you: "So a fewpeople lost their lives. I couldn't care less. They probably deserved it anyway and so I wish those annoying jerks would just shut up and quit talking about it like it was some atrocity or something.... " Good to see you, Mr. Strange! I've missed your witty words of wisdom around here.

Yeah buddy - this is all fake, doctored and, otherwise "Hollywood" footage - none of these atrocities really happened.

WTF, WTH? Geeze, man - you just don't get it, do you?? Why don't you just say what you REALLY think? Here let me help you: "So a fewpeople lost their lives. I couldn't care less. They probably deserved it anyway and so I wish those annoying jerks would just shut up and quit talking about it like it was some atrocity or something.... " Yellow - Jew Brown - Gypsy Violet - Jehovah's Witness Pink - Homosexual Green - Habitual criminal Red - Political prisoner Black - Asocial Blue - Emigrant Y'all are wasting your time trying to reason with this unreasonable oaf. This is the same b.s. he tries every time this topic comes up. He and a couple of other posters who think the same way will never change.

Well, Ms Notta, aren't you just the bevvy of information? You never cease to amaze me. :) None of the links work on her site, though. :( I was gonna order something. If she cooks half as good as she sings, it would be awesomely decadent. Health reasons, eh? I guess TWI can't have someone on the payroll who's gonna be submitting lots of doctor bills or needing - gasp - help. I reckon they had to get her out "one the field" before they started losing money on her. So loving how they take care of their own, isn't it?

:eusa_clap: Great points, Bolshevik! I took a small pay cut to work where I am now. Never once do I regret it. I love the work, the people, the commute, the dress code and other intangible benefits much, much more than the jerks, stress and commute that came with the larger paycheck.

Geeze, Rocky - somebody kick your cat or something? <_< It's an ANONYMOUS poll. Answer if you want - don't if you don't - no harm in asking.... No need to be a jerk about it. I tell ya, I have the UTMOST respect for someone wanting to run their own business.... it's A LOT of long hours and A LOT of work. You're the salesman, accountant, employer, employee, operations director, human resources director, etc. etc. etc. until/unless the business grows to the point of adding additional staff, then you have a whole 'nother set of details/headaches to handle - social security, insurance, taxes, etc.... I know the payoff is incredible for someone who truly wants to work for themselves, but I like coming into work and making money for someone else. I know what I'm going to get paid every month and I don't have to think about work when I leave at the end of the day.

Oh, okay, I'll play: See, there was this class I was taking - the professor was a total jerk and had just finished a rant on people missing class and how he was not going to allow people to "make up" classes or work missed during class any more. Period - end of story - don't even bother asking me. I believed him. I was scared sh1+less of the guy. BUT, PFAL was coming to town and, wouldn't you know it, the first class session was on the same night as this professor's class. I was going to forfeit my non-refundable class fee and just catch PFAL on the next 'go round'. This would have been my first time to take PFAL with the real TWI (I had already had it with a stick that I thought was the real TWI... long story). I was "strongly encouraged" to ask for the night off anyway. I didn't want to and really believed it was futile to ask. (I was really kinda scared to ask) BUT, I asked anyway.... Me: There's this Bible class and I paid to take it before I knew the dates and it starts on one of your class nights.... Professor: No problem, Belle. Me: I wouldn't normally ask, but it was kind of expensive and I've been looking forward to taking it and..... Professor: Belle, that's fine. Me: It's a three week course and you can't go to any of the other nights if you miss one class. Professor: BELLE!!! I said you could go. We'll work something out. Oh, wait - that's not a good example, is it? Alright, how about this one? My ex and I had to move. We wanted to rent a house (well, I wanted to BUY a house, but that's a story for another day). We had our budget, we had our list of "needs and wants" and we'd prayed fervently about it. We'd had the whole fellowship praying for that perfect house for us - within our budget. We were believing big for the perfect little place for us. The whole fellowship was believing with us. Weeks of incessantly lifting and looking for a nice house we could afford to rent - we couldn't find one - we ended up having to pay much more in rent than we wanted to. Oh, wait, that's not what you were looking for either, is it? Let's see.... I found WayDale and found out all the lies, deception, corruption, wrong teaching, etc. about TWI and tried to share some of it with my ex. I was praying and "believing" for him to see how awful TWI is and for us to get out of TWI together. I got yelled at "turned in" to TWI leadership for my rebellion and disobedience. I spent FIVE YEARS praying and believing for my husband to "wake up" and for us to leave TWI together. My ex left me for TWI. Darn, that's not one either, is it? Well, once, there was this torrential downpour outside. I had to go to the drug store and there was this parking spot right up front....

Never heard of the book "Angels of Light". Seeing as how my ex and I had just about every book TWI sold, they must not have been selling it in the '90's. Nice kick to the gut there. Yes, many of us did suppress that still, small voice and, for many of us, it was due to the pressure, yelling, intimidation and fear that we experienced. We got to be really good at second guessing ourselves and ignoring those red flags. Check out the archives some time if you want to see what we've shared about that. Some of us did come to the realization that that's what we were doing and that's why we're no longer in TWI.... We disagree. No biggie.

Rhino, WordWolf's right - they won't answer questions about Craig. Believe me, I tried asking. I was told it was none of my business. <_< Ps 35:8 - Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

That's what I suspect, too, Rascal. AND their kids are NOT staying around..... not most of 'em anyway and most of the ones who are still around aren't as sold out as their parents are/were. I also expect that once they start having kids and experiencing life in the "real world" there will be a number of them who leave as well. Yeppers! Good point, Sky. :) There are more and more people giving TWI the *silent treatment* - I pray for those silently wondering why they continue to feel bad about being involved with TWI, not getting answers and if there really IS nothing better out there. Hopefully they'll decide to look around or at least realize that NOTHING has GOT to be better than where they are. I hope Brian Moneyhands has a Plan B.

Don't worry, old one. He's still here. They never really leave, though, do they? They only threaten to and make promises they have no intention of keeping. I'm only surprised he didn't start a goodbye thread like they usually do. <_<

We were not allowed to use the words "hope", "wish", "luck" and so many other normal words that would make conversations sounds, well, normal. Of course, praying for someone is according to YOUR will, not God's. I distinctly remember getting reamed for praying, "If it is YOUR will...."

:eusa_clap: Once again, WordWolf - excellent thread! Matt 10:16 - Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. I was fooled once - hopefully, I'll be able to identify any future Balaams I may run into much quicker, easier and before there's any damage to me and my loved ones.

I believe that it had something to do with the thickness of the mucous at various times of the month and whether or not the woman had an orgasm. According to Doc, a woman having an orgasm during conception increased the chances for a male..... Made me really wonder once when I met a very happy couple with six sons.

Power outage during a mammogram I was met with, "Hi! I'm Belinda!" This perky clipboard carrier smiled from ear to ear, tilted her head to one side and crooned, "All I need you to do is step into this room right here, strip to the waist, then slip on this gown. Everything clear?" I'm thinking, "Belinda, try decaf. This ain't rocket science. "Belinda skipped away to prepare the chamber of horrors. Call me crazy, but I suspect a man invented this machine. It takes a perfectly healthy cup size of 36-B to a size 38-LONG in less than 60 seconds. Also, girls aren't made of sugar and spice and everything nice....it's Spandex. We can be stretched, pulled and twisted over a cold 4-inch piece of square glass and still pop back into shape. With the right side finished, Belinda flipped me (literally) to the left and said, "Hmmmm. Can you stand on your tippy toes and lean in a tad so we can get everything?" "Fine," I answered. I was freezing, bruised, and out of air, so why not use the remaining circulation in my legs and neck and finish me off? My body was in a holding pattern that defied gravity (with my other boob wedged between those two 4" pieces of square glass) when we heard and then felt a zap! Complete darkness and the power went off! "What?" I yelled. "Oh, maintenance is working. Bet they hit a snag." Belinda headed for the door. "Excuse me! You're not leaving me in this vise alone, are you?" I shouted. Belinda kept going and said, "Oh, you fussy puppy, the door's wide open so you'll have the emergency hall lights. I'll be right back." Before I could shout "NOOOO!" she disappeared. And that's exactly how Bubba and Earl, maintenance men extraordinaire, found me, half-naked and part of me dangling from the Jaws of Life and the other part smashed between glass! After exchanging polite "Hi, how's it going" type greetings, Bubba (or possibly Earl) asked, to my utter disbelief, if I knew the power was off. Trying to disguise my hysteria, I replied with as much calmness as possible. "Uh, yes, yes I did thanks." "You bet, take care" Bubba replied and waved good-bye as though I'd been standing in the line at the grocery store. Two hours later, Belinda breezes in wearing a sheepish grin and making no attempt to suppress her amusement, she said. "Oh I am soooo sorry! The power came back on and I totally forgot about you! And silly me, I went to lunch. Are we upset?" And that, Your Honor, is exactly how her head ended up between the clamps.