outandabout

I remember one Corps Night when I spaced out through the whole thing. Later when we met in twig this chick went on and on about the greatness of it all. I was thinking Gee. sorry I missed it. I felt like I really blew it to space out through the whole thing.

I haven't looked at my Way Bible for so long that I wouldn't know. It brings back bad memories.

He also said he didn't dream, thus implying he was special. Guess he didn't need REM like the rest of us.

And to think we were told to never go to church. Geeeeesh

Deborah Layton wrote a book entitled "Seductive Poison." I read it a few months ago and it's really good.

Marley and Me. Great book for dog lovers. Made me laugh and cry.

Yeah, I learned how to sew and cook in Home Ec.

M&A'd because of SHOES????????? You'd think I'd stopped being shocked but.............dang if that one just takes the cake!! (until the next thing I hear that I can't get over)

I guess it was all worth it then. ha ha

Remember "Jerry's Kids"? LCM used to yell about Jerry Lewis and his telethon.

I agree. When I was in Mississippi, I lived with two women. Everything I said travelled up to the branch leaders and later I would get reproved for it. I mean every little thing I said. It was weird, now that I look back on it.

Regarding Momentus - I have been diagnosed as bi-polar. I took Momentus in 1994 and had not had a manic episode for 12 years. After Momentus I ended up psychotic and hospitalized. CES holds that position that those who had problems after Momentus had a hard time "confronting things about themselves." I think there's a little more to it than that. One other thing - I wasn't particularly interested in Momentus but some one I knew who took it was really motivated to get me to take it. Without being pushed by this person, I probably wouldn't have gotten involved.

opportunity - what the rest of us know is a problem, but Wayfers have to pretend that nothing bad or negative ever happens.

Bummer. Sorry to see you go.

"Then the rules came down that after fellowship we should talk the word, what blessed you the most and how you can apply it in life." gag me ugh

Regarding cleaning the leaderships' homes: Believer spends so much time cleaning leadership's home that believer has no time to clean own home. Leadership drops in on believer's dirty home and believer gets m&a'd.

I remember stupid Halloween parties where you had to go as a Bible character. One time I put on black leotards and sewed branches to it with orange and yellow crepe paper and went as the "burning bush." One time we had a surprise birthday party for our branch leader but we weren't respectful enough during the party so branch leader and wife cancelled Sunday morning fellowships to punish us.

"I kept yelling for help and I could only hear others yelling for help as they were trying to save their tents as well." Sorry, had to laugh at that one! Not funny then, though, I'm sure. I liked ROA in the early 70s but as time went on, there were more negatives than positives in the experience. I asked an "unbeliever" friend of mine to go once and he said he didn't want to "sit in the mud and praise Jesus." By the way, the rainiest month in Ohio is - you guessed it - August. Great time to have the ROA and then blame the attendees for the rain. I remember one Corps Week (85?) when they were ordaining people in the big top and this huge storm came up and the tent almost blew over and I was thinking "Wow these people getting ordained must be really spiritually heavy cause look how mad the Devil is!" One time our tent was full of water and we found some wooden pallets in some trash and I was oh so blessed at how God "met our needs" by helping us to find the pallets so we could put them over the water in our tents and put ourselves and our stuff on top of the pallets. Ah, the more abundant life!

Yup.

My daughter was a fetus when I left TWI.

Now I'm reading "Toxic Faith." I'm currently at the chapter entitled "Ten Characteristics of a Toxic Faith System." Hmmm let me see, I wonder if TWI had/has any of them? 1. The members of the toxic faith system make claims about their character, abilities, or knowledge that make them "speicial" in some way. 2. The leader is dictatorial and authoritarian. 3. An "us versus them" mentality. 4. Toxic faith systems are punitive in nature. 5. Adherants are asked to give overwhelming service. 6. Many members in the system are physically ill, emotionally distraught, and spiritually dead. 7. Information is valid only if is comes from the top of the organization. 8. Legalism - Rules are distortions of God's intent and leave Him out of the relationship. 9. Claims of being so tied into God that there is no need to be tied into people. 10. Labeling - The technique of labeling is used to discount a person who opposes the beliefs of the toxic religion.

I never could quite believe that mathematical exactness and scientific precision thing. Never seemed that exact to me. Maybe because it's not. If believing worked like that, we'd all be living in mansions and I'd be a rock star.

The Way Tree. It didn't seem to actually have much to do with what The Word says about the church. Now I see that most of what the Way Tree was about was made up to support their heirarchy. Way tree, my foot. Yeah the trunk supports the tree including the leaves. Right. Turn the tree upside down and you get the real picture.

If the law of believing actually worked like we were taught, the world would be in chaos. I believe for this, you believe for that, Joe Schmoe believes for something else......