Belle

Thanks, Bliss! And isn't it the least bit interesting that copies of the letter and article were not made for everyone to have their own copy. You got a whopping 10 minutes after fellowship to look at it, less than that if you had a large fellowship. YET we were told not to go on the internet. I was already curious as to why we didn't get a copy of the first lawsuit or article about it and then when they kept insisting and making a big deal about not going on the internet leading up to and after coming clean with the second lawsuit - I knew they were hiding something. That's when I found WayDale and started weening myself off the kool-aid.

You absolutely deserve it!!!

I have quite a few gmail invites if anyone wants one just pm me your e-mail addy and I'll send you one.

Dear Mr. "Ruler OF All I Survey", A hearty congratulations!!! What color Hummer does that get you? Will you get extra vaseline to keep your finger from getting stuck in your ear again? Does it get you a LOA to come home to see your lovely wife before taking control and beginning your rule? Please let Dana know there are tons of prayers going up for her and that we look forward to seeing her smiling face and hearing wonderful tales of her healing and recovery as well as more laughs at your expense with her.

Chas, I think the word you're looking for is "Halal". While studying for my MBA, one of my teammates' uncle was thinking of opening his own restaurant. Their family is Muslim and he was wanting to cater to the Muslim community as that's their culture and all the food has to be Halal. We got to put together a marketing campaign for him and, of course, sample all his food. It was a rough class, I tell ya! My all time favorite Hidden Kitchen is: Uncle Jones' BBQ - "Nuthin' Mo Betta" and he ain't lyin'! It's the kind of place you pass on the road and think, "I'd never eat anything that was cooked in that kitchen!". A double wide trailer that's been put up on cement blocks and then added onto. A red brick chimney stack rising above all that with the black tar of much use oozing all over it. Perfuming the place is the combined smell of "old building", fried food, smoke and cigarettes (although the cigarette smell is fading now that you can't smoke inside).... Ahhhh...... perfume to my nose! Reminds me of the smell of my grandmother's home when I was growing up. Best d@mn soul food anywhere!! Reminds me of growing up in the country and helping Mama Nina pick veggies from the garden, bringing them in to can 'em or fry 'em. When I get homesick I go to Uncle Jones' and truly there ain't "Nuthin' Mo Betta" just like he claims! ************** Then there's the Jamaican Joint across the street - it's an old converted Pizza Hut. You can get a half a Jerk Chicken (make the right way), Plantains, Meat Patties and service with a Jamaican, "Dank you, Dear. Djou come back to see us, okay?" from the sweet glowing wife while her long haired dread-locked husband works in the kitchen. *************** There's the Cuban Sandwich Place where my boss, who is first genration American-Cuban, LOVES to go for lunch every day. Small place with just "window service" - no dining room at all. I think it's an old converted Ice Cream Stand. LOL! The owners barely speak English, so I just get George to order for me. ********** We have an area of downtown Orlando that's called "Little Vietnam" and you can get some awesome food down there that you can't even find in your mainstream "fancy" Vietnamese restaurants. These are the real thing made by the Real People. Thai and Indian places also have their special corners of the world down here. ************* I think we're really lucky here in Orlando to have so many immigrants and so much availability to true ethnic foods made by true immigrants, usually first or second generation. There's the Italian joint that shuts down for three months every year so the family can go visit their families back in Italy... Ditto the Greek family who serves the best Spank-yer-pita and other new things to my palate. When I started paying attention to what was around me, taking suggestions from friends and getting over the "appearance" and "ambiance" of these places, I began to realize how much I had been missing out on. Usually the portions are huge and the prices are small. The "ambiance" grows on you, but mostly it's the companionship of true natives and getting to know the owners, learning new foods and having new experiences. I can't wait to look into this special, Chas! Thank you!!

Actually, the best restaurants I've ever eaten at have been Mom & Pop's that don't look like much from the outside. Places like TWI, The Crystal Cathedral and all these other palatial, sterile, showy places feel just like whited sepulchres to me. Lots of glitter but no substance and certainly no love for God nor his people. Just love of money, imo.... <_<

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS, CATCUP!!! I HOPE IT'S ABSOLUTELY WONDERMOUS!!! I remember looking for your posts when I first found WayDale and being selfishly upset when you started school and had less time for us. :) That avatar of the cat in the jungle was the greatest site I could see when I logged in. You've contributed more to my understanding of the evil at the core of TWI and to my recovery from the spiritual abuse than I have words for. Thank you so much for your time - on the boards and privately! May this year be the best year yet for you! And I pray for blessings in exponential growth for you and your family!

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS LIKEAEAGLE!!! HERE'S TO SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS THIS YEAR AS LIFE GETS BETTER AND BETTER FOR YOU!!!

Here's what my Thanksgiving Dinner will look like:

WhiteDove, I thought that part was understood.

Yeppers! God is good, ain't he? I'm glad He answers prayers! I'm glad you were able to see them answered, too. :) I know it doesn't always work out the way we want it to or when we want it to, but God does look on the heart and he does want what's best for us, even when we can't see it that way. I prayed forever for my ex to see TWI for what it is. I wanted us to get out together; for him to reconcile with his family whom he totally cut out of our lives at Moynihan's "suggestion"; for him to loosen up and give himself credit for how wonderful he is; for him to trust himself and recognize that God works in HIM and through HIM to take care of HIM - not through those kool-aid drinking TWIts who don't really have his best interest in mind when they tell him/us what to do. I wanted us to have the family I always dreamed about and that he said he did too when we were dating and engaged. :( Anyway, he did reconcile with his family after our divorce. I still hope the other personal prayers for him come to pass, and I still hope to have that family I always dreamed about but know it will not be with him. But just in case God sees things differently, I'm practicing to be that eccentric old lady who goes to her grave single with no children....you know, the one the kids think is the coolest because she's so "different". I was able to talk the cook into making some strawberry filled donuts for you and will get some coffee to go with them. Would you like cream and sugah with that?

David, you took the words right out of my fingers! Methinks there was no dress code either. Man, those were the days! Free learning, free food, free fellowship, free will..... ahhhhh.... no wonder folks grew so much so fast - they were allowed to do so at their own pace and without being exploited.

I have a bunch of files I saved with zip files, someone burned them to CDs for me but I can't seem to get the CDs to show the files - it just looks like a blank disc. I no longer have a zip drive to access the files again. :( But I'll see if I can figure something out - the missing mattress thread may not be on there, but I'm sure there's some good stuff regardless.

Thanks for all the insight, T&O! :) Go on like that anytime you feel like. Some things just trigger loads of thoughts to come rushing to our heads. It's good for us to get it out when that happens and here at the cafe there's usually someone reading who really needed to see what was written. I have a real hard time understanding and having any sort of sympathy for folks like the Moynihans who have been around since way back when and not only knew about vee pee and craiggers illegal, immoral and lethal behavior, but also covered for it and still do. IMO they are worse than those men because they knew and didn't do a d@mn thing to stop it. Do you think the folks at HQ can see through the facade? Do you think new staffers are able to figure it out and see them for the whited sepulchres they are?

I didn't have any complaints about TWI either until the scales started falling from my eyes and the oppression became too much to ignore. Kind of reminds me of that poem by Rev. Martin Niemöller : When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist. When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat. When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out. Taken from Wikipedia... ********************** With groups like TWI and CG's, it's not a question of "if" but "when", imo.

I'd much rather learn at my own pace and as I need to and am ready to learn things. Ummmm.... I think it's called auxano growth - you know, that growth without compulsion kind of thing. Then, IF there's a class on that particular subject and it doesn't monopolize my time, I might consider taking it. Otherwise, I'm happy to get my needs met in other ways and with folks who don't base their opinion of me and my status on what classes I've taken. Seems to make life much nicer, more enjoyable and - GASP! - substantially overflowing in every way.

LOL!! Lindy, you crack me up!! "Thesarus Abuse" - I likey - I likey! That's exactly what it was and I have to admit, I'm somewhat guilty of it myself. I kinda like Billy Crystal's use of Mahhhh-velous as a good substitute.

Ahhhhhhhh beautiful weather and PERFECT TEMPERATURE down here in the Sunshine Hurricane State! Been sleeping with my windows open and enjoying cold front that has brought us very low humidity and 68 degree weather. I LOVE IT!!! I'm also gonna love the power bill while it's nice and cool outside.

T&O, Welcome to the Cafe! I have been out just over two years and Pipes has been out less than that, so you must have been in a unique area. Did y'all not get the STS tapes and ragazines in your area? :blink: I'm really confused as to how you missed all that.

Oh, Pipes, oh the wellspring of emotions that letter raises in me. :( Ya know, my ex and I tried for two years - TWO YEARS - to step down as mere assistant coordinators because of the toll it was taking on our marriage and time. Being a police officer, my ex worked 12 hours shifts, every other week being at least a 60 hour work week, but that 60 hour work week was more like 80 hours when you add in mandatory attendance at court, flight officer duties, SWAT team training, paperwork, the hours a DUI arrest requires, personal firing range time, etc., etc., etc. But we didn't fight it, hard enough. We mainly wanted out of the responsibility because we felt inadequate since we couldn't keep up with the demands. He felt like a failure as a husband AND as a HFC asst. because we couldn't see that it wasn't US it was TWI and the demands they made on us and our time. We made phone calls to Moynihan about this. Made calls to our HFC. Had meetings with our HFC. Talked to our various and sundry BCs...... ALL OF THEM LAID THE BLAME AT OUR FEET - Mostly at my poor ex's feet. All the pressure put on husbands was already unrealisticly immense, imo, but now they said that we just weren't managing our time well enough... My ex lived on almost 4 hours of sleep a night for most of the time of our married life because he felt obligated (afraid of not) spending at least an hour "in the Word" in addition to everything else. (A tired, frustrated police officer is not good for anyone caught for a traffic violation ) Anyone who knows my ex knows what a great big heart he has for people and how obedient he is, especially if he thinks God wants or expects him to do something. Nobody, but nobody deserves to have that kind of pressure put on them, but especially not people like my ex who would drive themselves to the grave doing whatever they were told was expected of them. It totally ....es me off to think of the burdens they put on us and the guilt they laid at our feet for not living up to the unrealistic expectations and demands they put on us!! I better stop before I blow a gasket thinking back on those times...

Here is a chicken recipe that also includes the use of popcorn as a stuffing - imagine that. When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect for people like me, who just are not sure how to tell when poultry is thoroughly cooked, but not dried out. Give this a try. BAKED STUFFED CHICKEN 6-7 lb. Chicken 1 cup melted margarine 1 cup stuffing 1 cup uncooked popcorn Salt/pepper to taste ______________________________ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush chicken well with melted margarine, salt, and pepper. Fill cavity with stuffing and popcorn. Place in baking pan with the neck end toward the back of the oven. Listen for the popping sounds. When the chicken's foot blows the oven door open and the chicken flies across the room, it's done. And, you thought I couldn't cook...

SV, I never heard "Happy Harvest Day", but maybe it was our area since there were lots of kids around to "Bless and Treat" And don't bring "deviled eggs" to a "pot luck" - they are "blessed eggs" to a "pot bless" Gag me with a spoon!

Maybe he's lost his Bible in the woods again. Is that thread "Howard's Mattress" still around? Some of the new patrons might enjoy reading about good ole Howie and how he isn't any better than the bus driver, the drambuie devil and his son. I'll serve the sweets while everyone reads.

LOL! Twinky, I soooo relate! I can't tell you how many times I type "The Word" and then delete it to use something else - and that's two years after leaving TWI! (love the new icon, Paw!) The other words and phrases have pretty much been eliminated and some rather easily, but for some dang reason, that one has been the hardest to eradicate from my brain and vocabulary.

Thank you, Roy! As always, your posts really make me think and also reassure me that there are still very sweet, caring souls in the world today whom God can and does worth through. :) The thing about TWI and how their teachings changed my outlook on life is the way they took one very simple verse or promise of God and put all the stipulations, conditions and rules around it. Today I see things much differently: It's really very simple now. Mark 12:30-31 - And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment. And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. and 1 Ti 1:5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, and some other versions: The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. but the end of the charge is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith; The TWIt leadership is more like the rest of that chapter verses 6-20. Having veered off from God to promoting vain, worthless talk and rules but they have no clue as to what they are talking about. The laws are really for them and people like them: v.9 - the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, v. 10 - for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers–and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine Thank God we're free from them and their oppression and rules and b.s.!!!