Watered Garden

I guess as far as regrets, I feel like they wouldn't do me much good at this juncture. Having just celebrated another birthday, I want to make the best of whatever time God leaves me on this earth. If I do have regrets, it's mostly concerning the false doctrines I learned that I can't shake out of my mind. 1996: "If you leave the household of God, whether by your own volition or we decide you are no longer worthy of the privilege, AT THAT MOMENT the spirit within you dies. And shortly thereafter, your physical body shall die also, because it is impossible to exist outside the Household." Just about every moment from 1973-1996, my understanding was that TWI was the successor to the first century church, the only organization that knew the truth and accuracy of God's wonderful matchless word, rightly dividing it according to usage, and, after a while, the only organization holding forth that word in the exceedingly great and glorious light of the Present Truth. I regret very deeply listening to the harmful, vicious lies about how to raise your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord by beating the crap out of them and putting them down at every opportunity. I regret not smacking down a few people who promoted this falsehood, especially the ones who personally applied it to my son. I DO NOT regret what truth I learned. I DO NOT regret the time I spent in FLO because that's where I met Mr. Garden. I DO NOT regret do my best to love God for 23 years of my life. I DO NOT regret meeting the many wonderful, kind, loving people I knew at that time. But then again, I don't think looking back with regrets would do me much good at this point. "One day at a time, Lord Jesus....." WG

Mr. Garden was always a big Jim Croce fan. Last year for Father's Day the Sprout gave him a CD of that artist's most famous recordings, as our 33 1/3 records were victims of a move. WG

Come to think of it, a lot of the classification crap was in AOS. I just don't remember ever seeing any of that in Scripture. It's been so long, and I am focused on trying to understand God and learn the truth. And I think I missed getting to know Jesus while I was in TWI. It seems to be that in looking to understand all the facets of evil, LCM got to know evil a little too well. WG

The advanced class special on "seed of the serpent" was in 1992. WG

I don't use Amazon, like, well, every week, but when I do buy stuff they sell, I could do it through them. I recently bought a $150 transcription machine through Amazon, and if you did in fact go this route, I'd be glad to see you got the credit for whatever I get through them. WG

Our church showed "The Passion" on Good Friday this year. It is the third time I have seen it. I noticed tiny details....in one scene, Jesus looks up and sees a white dove fluttering against the shining sun. Symbol of Holy Spirit. The first time I saw it was the most emotional for me. I was still close enough to my TWI exit to be keen on Biblical accuracy. In the first few scenes, when Jesus looks down, sees the serpent, and stomps it, I pumped my fist and said "YES!" much too loudly. The second time was equally breathtaking. The third time I was impressed by the portrayal of Jesus's humanity. The human side of him suffered unimaginably, physically, mentally and spiritually. I also came away with a huge appreciation of His mom. I don't worship her or anything, but how many 14-year-old girls do YOU know who have said "Be it unto me according to Thy Word?" Interesting that when she and Mary Mag. awake, the first words they speak are the initial question and answer that begin the Seder, the Passover meal. The Passover of all Passovers had begun. WG

Eerily reminds me of the film of PFAL '72. Weirdly moving. Scary. WG

Only slightly changing the subject here... In Fellowlaborers of Ohio we were supposed to eat the inedible and enjoy every healthful and nutritious bite. This included amazing crap like wilted mustard greens or Swiss Chard, which may well be the most evil vegetables on earth. There was a restaurant called Friendly's in town at that time and after such a meal, and a few hours of working cleaning the BRC as the building next to the limb leader's home was called, or working in the garden, we would drive home and go to our twig, and a few of us would end up at Friendly's eating real food for a change. I was reproved for this in the beginning, but promptly replied that the exalted branch coordinator was there, too, slurping up hamburgers and ice cream like the rest of us peons. WG

Ron, if you go back and complain to the manager, I have no doubt that he will wreak vengeance on the girl by terminating her employment immediately, because she should have covered his butt. It is unfortunate, but that's the way it works. My suggestion would be to just try to find somewhere else to go. And watch the motion picture "The High Cost of Low Prices" to get a different perspective. WG

Spike does contain salt, but there is a low sodium Spike. I'm pretty sure it was there when I was. There were also during different eras Vegesal, kelp (stinks), Spike, cayenne, everything but salt and pepper as we knew it in our real lives. WG

:biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: WG

My husband fusses about walking on winter grass, but it all eventually grows back, seems to me. The fitted sheet doctrine: I was keeping this woman's two little boys after school and once it just so happened that I was making a bed. Now I generally put the corners on on one side, then walk around and do the other side. Not so, said my small accuser. It is proper, logical, and appropriate to put the upper right hand corner on first, then the lower left corner, then the upper left corner, then the lower right corner. These are the same two young men of God who reproved me for improper folding of bath towels. I was putting the short ends together, doubling that, then folding the ensuing four-folded towel into thirds, so it kind of looked like a large Kellogg's Mini-Wheat. This was close to possession. One is to lay the sheet flat on the floor and fold it the long way into thirds. This columnar fold is then folded in upon itself into thirds. No other way will do; never mind the mini-wheats fit on the narrow shelf better. I just thought it was sad these two kids, children of two WC grads, were so rigid in their thinking at such young ages. The older one looked me in the eye with pitying contempt: "Don't you even know how to properly fold a bath towel?" he asked. In retrospect I should have politely explained this is my house, my towel and my linen closet, and one more question in that tone of voice will produce my hand on your legalistic little behind. But this couple, especially the woman, were so intimidatingly sure of their own perfection, they didn't want anyone to suggest their children could be human as well. Sad. They have both graduated high school now. I wonder whatever happened to them; their parents are still "in." WG

Exactly, Sushi! Who wants PRODUCTIVE evil hanging around, anyway?

They actually had kids putting fig pep on their cereal (familia) instead of milk for a while, as it was deemed more healthful and nutritious. This was back in "the day." When I was there, I'm pretty sure on the occasions we had cereal we had milk to go with it. I guess I'm contradicting myself in a way, but what I do NOT recall is kids getting 12 oz or so glasses of milk at a meal. In fact, in some circles there were folks who came along and said that cow's milk is a very healthful and nutritious food source only if you are the calf of that cow. Human children and adults must receive their calcium nutrition from other sources, such as organically grown, healthful nourishing raw dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach or the ever-popular Swiss chard. The last woman who blatted this at me had visible rotten teeth. Wonder if she ever made the connection? WG

We may have had chicken a time or two in the three months I was there. I know I've posted before after making salsa in huge batches without garlic or onions because the MOG hated both. I suggested we make him his own little batch and then make REAL salsa for the rest of us, and this idea was met with a combination of horror and righteous indignation. If LCM hates garlic and onions, then you need to line up your thinking with that of the MOGFODAT. We did have turkey and all for Thanksgiving. However, to my way of thinking, the food, while not always tasteless, was simply calorically and nutritionally inadequate when compared to the amount of physical labor and the exercise program required. A bowl of homemade tomato soup and perhaps 3-4 crackers, with butter allowed, was a lunch for those who would spend the next four hours without a break working cleaning the already immaculate insides of the buildings, pulling weeds from the flower beds, mucking out the cow barn, harvesting vegetables, chasing kids, and do all the manual labor required of the situation we were in. I think most of us burned more calories than we consumed. The growing teens were always hungry. Even a large bowl of unflavored millet or barley looked like manna from heaven to those kids. The hosts and hostesses were allowed to pass around the food one time, carefully assuring that no one took very much for their initial serving. If in fact there were seconds, they could, at their discretion, offer seconds. That was it. IF the host or hostess fell into a conversation and didn't notice empty plates and hungry eyes staring at the food bowls, s/he might well send the bowls back half full without passing them around the second time. And God help anyone who dared ask, a la Oliver Twist, "May I have some more, please?" That was not done, ever. Finally, WC magnanimously allowed the food bowls to be taken back to the carts and then at a signal, anyone who was still hungry could go check them out and bring back to the table any scraps they found. The reason this was so absolutely outrageous was that that was very fertile ground, they grew a LOT of stuff, and for the most part, portions were meager indeed. Plus the fact that they grew food at the Kipp Farm also. Plus the fact that children need to drink milk so their teeth and bones will grow properly. FWC drank water. We were allowed to have water at the table. We were allowed to have coffee pots in our rooms to make coffee at our own expense. (I think I had a headache most of the time I was there). However, there was usually no time to make or enjoy coffee. I lost two dress sizes in three months. Maybe this was a good thing. The physical stuff was rigorous, especially when you were consuming about 1000 calories a day and burning about twice that. I am absolutely convinced that the stress that was put upon us by FWC and by the people in leadership the year after we left, combined with a horrible, horrible untreated flu-like illness I contracted while in Rome City, weakened my body to the point I became a type 1 insulin dependent diabetic. WG

I guess what was purported to be that which toughened us up in FLO was in reality more mental than physical. The morning run was not much fun in my book, but as Waysider mentioned, it wasn't like Army boot camp or anything. We did do physical labor in a 1 1/2 acre organic garden. But at least we got to eat some of what we grew (Swiss chard, curly endive, mustard greens). The "toughen up" part was the mental abuse, the middle of the night meetings, the always being on edge because you didn't know if you were going to blessed or cursed by leadership on a moment by moment basis. You did know that at some point either as an individual or as part of a group, you would be "weighed in the balance and found wanting" no matter how hard you tried. I remember my first year being informed that the coordinator, aka branch leader, would be not only inspecting our rooms, but also pulling open dresser drawers to make sure our undies were properly folded, stacked and stored. I promptly had a bit of a hissy about this; it was none of his business, I barely knew (and didn't like) this guy, and he had no right on earth to be pawing through the drawers in my drawers! I considered a mousetrap buried in the bras, but hesitated; I didn't want to seriously injure the dude, just keep him away. I don't know if he ever did inspect our unmentionables, but I used to smell his pipe tobacco when I went upstairs after work/supper/FLO crap at night. But did the FLO program toughen me up? Not as much as it weaned me away from trusting God. Because after all, folks, God is at work in your leadership. The exceeding great and mighty men and women of God who run this program are receiving revelation about you and your life and they and God together will decide what is best for you. All you have to do is obey without question and all will be well. And then you get hit with one ....storm after another about what worthless creatures you are, how you are a stench in the righteous nostrils of God, and the Word isn't moving over the world because you didn't fold your undies! I spent two years struggling in bewilderment, the second year worse than the first, in unimaginable terror half the time. What did I learn? Keep quiet and do as you are told is the whole sum of the law. What did I get out of it? My husband, best thing that happened in two years and has happened since.

Thank you all, so very much! Been really busy with work and more work and all. Bowtwi will understand. Gotta get back at it! WG

I just remember being told that was what it was, or so they thought at the time. This was what, 36 years ago? That was just what they said, as best they knew at the time. I really don't care to hash this around any more. It's pretty old news. It does just so happen that he was desperately ill and eventually recovered, thanks to good medical care, prayer, beet juice, blackstrap molasses, whatever. WG

Honesty and forthrightness never were and probably are not now, the hallmarks of TWI announcements. I'm not even 100% sure it was a 100% diagnosis at the time, but I do remember someone definitely telling me that. was what he had had, either then or not too long afterward. I was living in SC when VPW expired. I didn't even know what was going on when they asked for 24 hours of prayer for him. Then when we got the call, either in the middle of the night or very very early in the morning, we were all so stunned. It wasn't until all the POP stuff came out we knew he died of metastatic ocular melanoma. Perhaps the disease that struck HA was not identified for the very reasons that are evident on this thread. People would have gossiped and giggled behind their hands and made it into something it was not. But no one was ever honest about this stuff. A kazillion years ago, I remember some little WC girl coming over for a pelvic exam. I got to chaperon these happy events because there was no nurse there to do it at that time. She was so happy and relieved to find out she was normal. It was years before I wondered if she had suspected a pregnancy. I had NO idea of the hanky-panky that went on at HQ until I was a WOW and my WOW sister, while not exactly spilling the beans, did drop a few hints, and kept me from applying for WC even after VPW himself suggested it to me. She was quite determined that I not go in the Corps; I put it down to my spiritual immaturity or whatever, but now I think she may have saved my life, and most certainly my sanity. Thanks SB. I appreciate that. WG

Lindy, Once again, it sounds like I am saying it was an STD. I NEVER SAID ANY SUCH THING. The arboviral is the most likely possibility, given they had been out hunting. I think things were/are bad enough without smearing someone with something they didn't necessarily do. The question from a medical standpoint is not so much how did he get it but how do we get him over it. I just knew if I posted anything y'all would immediately grab the dirtiest ball in the game and run with it. Aren't there enough unplesant things to discuss that we actually know DID happen? Haven't enough sins been committed, discussed, dissected, and never forgiven? Do we have to invent dirt to dig in? I NEVER SAID IT WAS AN STD AND I MAJORLY DOUBT IF IT WAS! WG

Mine is a blooming flower because of my username, Watered Garden, which I got from Isaiah 58:11: "you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose wateres never fail." New English Bible version. WG

Mother was right! WG

He was around for a while. I think Mike is correct about the recoding of Ps. 103. I was a Christian, but not a Wayfer, so was not encouraged to be around the situation too closely, just to go-fer, answer the phone, and get barked at mostly via telephone by VP and Pat Lynn and so on. Since I didn't know who any of them were, except maybe Mrs. Lynn, I was considerably annoyed. I'm reasonably sure HA was in the hospital for at least two weeks. There were a couple of other folks in the ICU with the same problem, and at least one of them expired. HA was pretty weak and fragile for a while after that. Grace B had him on a special round of supplements that did include blackstrap molasses and freshly cold pressed beet juice (good for raising hemoglobin levels in the blood) I don't know what the blackstrap molasses in good for; it smells a little like it has iron in it. It's great for baking bread. Word Wolf, thanks for the calming advice. I forgot that it is Herpes simplex. I didn't mean to imply it might have been undiagnosed HS2. I'm not even sure that particular virus had evolved at that time. At any rate, in 1972 there wasn't a whole lot they could do besides provide supportive treatment and such. At first, nobody knew what on earth was wrong with him. I remember when he was admitted, dutifully writing down a phone message from some guy named Weird Wolf that he might have been bitten by a brown recluse spider. This man sounded very angry and made me read the message back for him word for wrod. I wanted to ask him if he thought he was the only human on earth with more than one brain cell. Later I realized he was just worried. At any rate I was praying as hard as anyone for his restoration to excellent health, but not for all of the same reasons. WG Oh, yeah, I just remembered. Once you have chicken pox, the herpes virus stays in your body, mostly dormant. Some but not all cold sores are from it, as are shingles. It's a nasty little son of a gun and children should be inoculated against it if there is a vaccine. Been a while since my kiddie was little, so I don't remember for sure. And you can get chicken pox more than once! I had it as an itchy, uncomfortable 6 year old and then soon after I had been diagnosed with diabetes and my immune system was weakened, was ordered to babysit the children of a WC couple whose four kids had it, and darned if I didn't break out a little bit with it myself. Not very bad, but not that great either. WG

Polar Bear, I REALLY DON'T LIKE IT when people take something I say and twist it around. MY POINT WAS, SINCE OBVIOUSLY YOU CHOSE NOT TO READ IT CORRECTLY, that it was NOT NOT NOT AN STD!!!!! NO IT WAS NOT NOT NOT AN STD! GET THE PICTURE!!!!!! Things are bad enough without making me out to be a purveyor of lies! THAT JUST SUCKS! THAT MAKES ME REALLY REALLY ANGRY! There are plenty of people on this forum who exaggerate, make up stuff, and just downright lie without you making this big fat whoop-de-doo that Watered Garden said it first..I said the exact opposite! I said it was NOTan STD. I try to be as truthful as I can when I post on GSC. I realize I blew a lot of peoples' hopes and dreams when I said he really was sick. WG

I was actually the secretary of the physician who admitted him, but not yet involved in TWI. It was real intense. The best I recall he had something called herpes encephalitis. Now I'm sure you are all going to jump up and down and say OH HO! Herpes simplex 2, no doubt! OF COURSE! It HAD to be an STD. Remember, this was in 1972 or so and there was no such diagnosis as HS2. So anyways, it was a real big deal to the doctor I worked for and the truth of the matter is, they were about to try some huge experimental chemo treatment where they have to use another drug to rescue the patient from the first drug, or the patient will expire. But he did slowly get better. I do think it was a true miracle of God, because the only way to diagnose him for sure would have been a brain biopsy, and I don't think they did one . I was not involved with TWI and not real happy with all the intense people scurrying around and being made a gopher for some of them. I do remember having to take a kit for knitting or cross stitch or something to Mrs. Allen in the ICU waiting room. I do remember there were people making concoctions involving black strap molasses and expressed juice. Mrs. Lynn was around some and I was not pleased to see her; she always treated me like a slime ball slave before and after I took PFAL. I didn't have much to do with it, other than to be barked at by a few people and try to stay in my office typing furiously and keeping a very low profile. I didn't understand the extreme importance of this one guy, who didn't even seem to need surgery. A daughter of the sitting President of the United States was in the same hospital not long after, and the anxiety/stress/intensity level was about the same, but with real secret service agents this time. WG