mstar1

Welcome to greasespot nena, I dont know where to start for me, but I know if you spend sometime looking through the threads that have already been posted you will find out a lot, on a variety of subjects concerning life in TWI. Like I said --Welcome- Im pretty sure someone will be along shortly to guide you a little better--meanwhile have alook around and familairize yourself with the place---you'll find a lot of interesting things

Well well well, I am generally too shallow to partake in anything too deep but I may come by to watch if I know aforetime, the things that will be written will be for my learning

Thank God I'm not required to read all that. It looks almost exactly like what I was hearing and reading over 25 years ago. Do any of those people ever grow, change or mature? or are they stuck in some sort of bizarre timewarp where you have to listen to the same broken record (and it is a bad broken record) over and over and over and over and over for all eternity? You gotta wonder

:) :) Thanks Belle--If I can't have spring, you and cummings can sure make it feel like spring that was delightful

Ive been told Ive looked like a few people over the years about 20 years ago someone said Bogart about 10 someone said Chuck Norris. Now I think if you add a beard to Larry you pretty much got it ---

SNOWING big GD flakes and f'n cold today I thought we had made it through a mild winter, then Feb came and it finally started to hit ---March is always like a Lion--breathing out its last bits of intimidation--- We're almost (cross my fingers) done with winter here--I hate the end of it especially when it drags on and on and on , but it does make that first burst of color such a longed for and wonderful event that everybody is instantaneously in a great mood. So gimme about a month or 6 weeks

I also have studied this extensively and at this point there is only one conclusion that can be reached: It was Colonel Mustard, in the drawing room with the candlestick

Next time Belle

The Nazis? the Communists? How so? Got something for us all to read on that? Jesus was sort of communal, and so was Paul . . . I dont count that all bad as I am undecided about Jesus' political and social leanings although I am pretty sure capitalism and personal gain were not his top priorities when he spoke his mind and lived his life. What kind of connection to the Nazi's and Communists did (does) Benedict have?

Now that sounds like a wee bit o heaven t'me

Don't forget, we are dealing with a group that believes in devils, and fears them and their illusory existence to no end.

CK? CK? Are you going to tell us your take on Pope Benedict? I am all ears

Yea I know, I lost my Ginkgo Biloba. Its around here somewhere but I forgot where I put it. I just wanted to hear it from the horses mouth.

Ok I'll bite CK, ---I know what Martindale, Wierwille and Geer have done, I saw it up front and close. Pope Benedict has been in his office less than a year. What has he done in this time that outweighs the others? Lets have some specifics...

Anybody in the market to buy a slightly used guitar? Johnny Cash's Martin Bidding is now at $20K Nice guitar but I think I'll pass

I am going to disagree with you here Rhino, Islam has as many sects as Christianity, and just like Christianity has sincere workaday people who just want to live their lives with some sort of spiritual meaning, others who are drawn into clergy or some more committed calling(both good and bad), some who are on the mystical fringes, other are activists of one flavor or another, and there are a few nutjobs who want to start wars (in both religions). I know a handful of Muslims in each category ( as I know Christians in each category) There is a Sufi Retreat near me that has some of the most peaceful, literally won't hurt an insect, type of people that you have ever met. They spend most of their days in meditative practice and community service activity. It is similar to a Christian Monastery. I'm supposed to believe they're evil because Pat says so? I dont think so... People bring an awful lot of their individual selves into their religions but i dont think that it is honest to condemn a billion people based on the self motivated actions of a few of the more radical elements within them. Christianity has had its own share of wars but it is not necessarily evil in itself because the KKK, Aryan groups, or Pat Robertson are affiliated with it.

Ha, Wells Trade me, keep me, trade me , I want to stay Last I heard he wants to stay..earlier he wanted to be traded to San Diego (yea if I can find a job that pays me several million to work every fifth day for six months in San Diego--I'll take it to...) We'll see -i wouldnt doubt something happenes on that account--The Sox have 7 starters at the moment, so somethings gotta give.. I only made it as far as Georgia, worked for a week and a half then had to come home as things got busy all of a sudden -so no Florida , no ST in this trip, I did see a college practice and experience some nice weather - -those Atlantans can keep their drivers though-those people are nuts

At the the beginning of the other thread i made a comment something along the lines of Im not sure what people mean by "minister" or "ministry" when they talk about it around here because the definition has been so tainted by our invoilvement in TWI. There imo it was very narrow, (there are 5 -only 5, and this is exactly how they operate --and all of them must teach and preach the bible--blah blah blah blah). So you had a ton of people with natural (dare i say God given) gifts that shut them off in order to quote scripture incessantly.....bahh----Some of those people may have had a gift to 'give a word fitly spoken' or some such thing, but many peoples real 'minstries often lay dormant because it was degraded as not valuable. I'd hate to think of a world without the millions of people that do us service everyday.... I read an essay by Emerson that stated that every man has a ministry if he views his life that way. He used the example of a farmer in a field, who labors honestly and provides for his community. Never mind artists, authors, poets, scientist, doctors, spiritual leaders, and the simple people around us that enrich our lives in innumerable ways almost all the time, sometimes imperceptibly. ....I have a tendency to view the word ministry much more along those lines now, as opposed to it being a title bestowed on someone, or a word coopted by a group in Ohio. To me almost any life well lived will have aspects of "a ministry" within it

I agree with you on this, I think that the narrow definitions of TWI's interpretation of 'ministries' and desire to make Wierwille clone ministers, actually thwarted and killed many of the real gifts and genuine 'ministries' that people had, who were trying to be pigeonholed into being people that they were not and never would be. Once people leave, get out from under the narrow restrictions and can be themselves their real gifts are free to flourish. I said it earlier I think everyone has some gift to offer that is specific to them, it can take many forms and facets

Thanks for that--I never knew the details but that is quite a story-that brought a few tears to my eyes... I first saw Doc and Merle in the very early '70's and was absolutely astounded at their playing and down home good naturedness... Ive gone through all sorts of musical periods and tastes since then, but as I get older it all seems to have come full circle where guys like Doc, Merle and others who you could see pickin on your front porch, around the kitchen table or out in your backyard under a full moon are the type of players that do it for me.

Docs still playin'--I had the joy of seeing him last summer at a nice small show here in town . He is just as personable as ever and still one of the best pickers I have ever seen. He is playing with his grandson now (Merle's son), as well as Jack Lawrence who he has been playing with for about 20 years now...Doc is a real national treasure.... I am hoping to go down to Merlefest in NC to see him and for some good pickin near the end of April

Thanks ex--they are good people

This is cool----Im listening to the intro music now---good stuff!

Whatever you say Pond The group although advertised as a support group really was a husband bashing group , that deepened her insecurities and coerced her look for yet more problems that werent really there instead of searching for any solutions.... It was a time of confusion for her--(there are amultitude of other personal issues that I wont go into) she was vulnerable and pliable and listened to exactly the wrong source at a time of need. Maybe they wouldnt have made it--Its amoot point now and there is no way to tell. But if there was ever a couple I thought would make a strong marriage it was those two. I knew them both closely for over 20 years and wouldnt have been involved in their marriage if I didnt think it was absolutely right for both of them. My point was how seriously and quickly the problems escalated once the bogus neanderthals who pawned themselves off as counselors and friends entered the picture. What had been normal marital difficulties became catastrophic Personally I'd leave any counselling to either a very good trained professional or at the very least to a few trusted friends who have known the couple for a very long time and proven their concern is real, instead of a group of strangers who want to run the show without knowing any of the inner dynamics of the marriage or implications of what they say and pawn themselves off as a "support group" But thats just me

I dont know exactly what you mean by minister, or what you mean by ministering to someone. If you mean quote them bible verses and not do much else except collect the money--well then no I dont do that anymore. If by ministering to people you mean the rote and ineffective way that it was done in TWI--no I dont do that either. I dont think in those terms anymore. I do think that overall i am probably doing more for people the people I am in contact with than I did when i was striving to do good things according to the TWI formulaic approach. Minister? eh.... I dont know --its a loaded word.... but I do think that everyone has gifts specific to them that when they use them results in good