Watered Garden

I never had the pleasure personally, but knew several people who did. The green pills were cold pressed alfalfa,and the gel-like substance one drank a lot of mixed in water on the half-hour was called bentonite and was supposedly derived from something spewed out of a volcano or something. On the hour one drank a quart or so of water. There was also a whole protocol for one's coming off the cleanse. One's first meal, I believe, consisted of 10 red grapes, with seeds, and a certain number of raw spinach leaves. Afterward, there were several more mealswhich were specifically designated as to content and number, and then one was to continue thereon with consumption of organically grown, freshly plucked, extremely healthful, high nutritious raw, crunchy, juicy, delicious fruits and vegetables. Mostly it required discipline. It was supposed to break down and flush out the toxins that your liver had stored for the last several years. If you had, for example, been a user of hallucinogenic drugs, you might well have flashback hallucinations, or "trips," while the toxins were being flushed out. You might become very ill from the breakdown of toxins stored in the liver when you were having an illness sometime in the past. Medically, this is probably a lot of hooey. If you were say 30 years of age, and your liver had been dutifully storing toxins for 30 years, you would probably be dead, or at least very jaundiced. It just doesn't work that way. My husband did the cleanse for a few days one time when we were first married. Then, he went to Perkins Pancake House and saw some coconut cream pie, and that was all she wrote! It may well be wonderful for some folks. I have known a couple people in my lifetime who paid minute attention to what was coming out of them, even to drinking water laced with 1/4 cup of flax seeds, which are the RotoRooter of the human digestive system. But I was never impressed enough to try it. WG

In Fellow Laborers of Ohio we had to take all the old classes. Keys to research was awful, but watching that adorable redheaded FL 3 guy sleeping through it was fun! CS&F was embarrassing as heck. Didn't get to take any of the exciting new LCM classes - poor me WG

Thank you for letting us know. I'm very sorry for your loss. I didn't personally know your dad, but he seemed like a very nice man. WG

I agree. He is a strong young man who loves God, though, and I think he will do well. I wouldn't be surprised to see him play professional football for a few years and then go into coaching at a college or even high school level. His two biggest mentors/father figures are both coaches. And he is surprisingly mature for a 23 year old. He has been working on two degrees. My husband sponsors the FCA at the high school where he teaches and last spring we got invited to a banquet at the Shriners Hall at Easton. Jim Tressel. was a guest, as was Archie Griffin, Craig Krenzel, and a few other Buckeyes. It was way cool to hear testimony from these guys. The college branch is called Athletes in Action. WG

I remember clearly the incident Waysider describes, since my sleepy, scared self was also parked at Limb, yawning in disbelief. I was on my second year of busting my butt for nothing, and to this day, other than one guy who was pretty much of a smart a$$ and got kicked out, I still have no blessed idea what that was about. I do think it might have all been staged. But to drag us out of bed when most of us got to sleep at 11:00 PM or midnight after working a job all day, working at limb hq. at night, having twig, making sure all was "decent and in order" for the next day's work, IMO was just plain cruel. And with no warning for most of us FLO grunts. Waysider, do you have any idea what the heck that was all about? Other than M*****l ???? getting smart with J** M****? You can PT me if you'd rather; I don't want to derail. I don't think after that incident I would've killed for my leadership. I was tioo close to just clobbering my leadership, period. At that point in my life, I was pretty clear that TWI was people and God was God. Later.....sigh. WG

Rovalert: The process by which one dog barking can sequentially alert the other dogs in the neighborhood, so that in a matter of minutes every dog in the neighborhood is barking also. "While we were on our evening walk, Sophie barked at a cat and started a Rovalert." WG

I still live in the heart of Ohio, not Columbus, which is actually not the exact geographic center of the state. And...I still love the Buckeyes, especially Troy Smith, who tried so hard, and took all the responsibility for the outcome. That young man has come a long, long way. There's more to life than football, after all. (Don't tell my coworkers here at OSUMC I said that!) WG

I don't think the average staffer could afford to send his/her kids to college. I seriously doubt, in light of the quotes above I wrote of, that a lowly staffer's child was considered worthy of attending college. However, the MOG's daughter went to Bowling Green State University, and apparently someone's kids went to UT. Whatever, it is yet another double standard, as you said, Oldies. It's sad...I knew one couple whose firstborn was absolutely brilliant, yet they placed no value on higher education, and I expect after high school graduation a couple years back, he went WD and WC like a good little brainwashed kiddie. Most unfortunate. WG

I distinctly remember LCM saying again and again and again: "If your children want to go to college, they should earn scholarships or work and pay their own way. DO NOT take out a college loan or any other kind of loan for them. If they can't afford to go to college, they should plan another way to earn a living." I believe he also mentioned the stupidity of a liberal arts education. Then he also said people should never get a college degree so they could earn a better living. Then his own child goes to college and majors in music????? How contradictory is that? However, from 1973-1996, I would have considered it a most exceedingly great and a mighty and a completely unspeakable privilege to be allowed the honor of paying for his three childrens' education. As an innie, I pretty much bought into the whole picture. I expect if you could get the list and send this information off all the present innies, they would not be too upset. Too smart now to be as stupid as I was then. WG

Hey, you know, I have a lot of admiration for you and respect for taking care of your mom and your kids. My church would too, as a matter of fact. Amazingly, churches don't bite. I think a lot of people would be surprised. My church does it right where TWI got it all wrong. I know now that, unlike then, if I ever knew of anyone anywhere abusing a child in any manner, I would have the police on them like a duck on a June bug. Child abuse, physical or sexual, is wrong. Period. I don't care who it is. But I know and told in the Child Abuse in TWI thread that it was common in TWI and people were protected who did it. WG

PL, We never did anything with a splinter group and I don't personally know anyone involved with CFF, so I can't give you specific advice about that, but what I would suggest is this: I think when many of us left TWI we had a rip-roaring case of "iglesiophobia," fear of churches. (I just made that up!) I know the first time we went to a church, I was sure I would be struck dead right there in the pew when we all stood up to sing the doxology, you know, the one that ends "praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost." This church was small, very, very liberal, and kind of let us do what we wanted and didn't pressure us too much for a while. Eventually, we quit going there because of major, major differences in the direction they were heading and where we wanted to go. No offence, no M&A, love ya, see ya. Now, we go to a church that is a real blessing to us, and hopefully, they are glad to have us aruond as well. Every day, I marvel at the differences between TWI and my church. A quick example: Last Friday I had an emergency appendectomy. Had been sick as a dog, called my husband to come home from school and take me to the nearest ER. Had surgery, came home the next day. How many people from my church have asked me what sin I committed to cause this to happen to me? Not one. How many TWI'ers would've? All of them. They prayed, sent cards and meals. My pastor actually came to see me and pray with me and make sure I was okay. In 1994 when I was in the hospital diagnosed with a horrible disease, I got visitors all right. No one prayed for me, and when I got back to Washington, I got criticism, guilt, and condemnation out the ying-yang. Pinklady, if you have found a place where you can fellowship with loving Christians (that's not a bad word) and minister to others as well, go for it! It takes a long time for the TWI to leach out, but it will. If this church isn't the place, you will eventually figure it out and move on to whatever is. I wish you the best and you're in my prayers. WG

My Sophie was on her way to a kill shelter when I got her. The people who had had her for 6 years were getting rid of her because she shed and they were fixing up their house to sell. They tried to feed me some story about her being vicious around the 22 month old child. She is a pure bred labrador retriever, show type, and very vocal and not at all vicious. She wasn't healthy, either, got too much food, no exercise, and no attention. I gave them $50, they gave me a leash a dog dish and papers. I brought her home, walked her, fed her better food, and explained who was the boss. She is the best dog I ever had. She is 13, has bad arthritis from being obese all those years. We got her a series of shots from our vet of a medication developed for lame racehorses, $200 series of 8 shots over four weeks, then one booster a month. She is much more agile now and not in much pain at all. The treatment is a lifesaver. I don't understand people who abandon dogs or turn them in to be killed for reasons like illness or they don't play any more because they're not puppies. The first thing we did after we got Sophie slimmed down was get her spayed. But that's another soapbox. So thankful Mugsy is on the right road. You're my HERO! WG

:D Can't do those fancy pictures, but HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY with all my heart! WG

The ubiquitous Terry Bradshaw interviewed Brady Quinn on TV yesterday evening. Mr. Bradshaw loves Brady, whined a great deal about how he has been cheated out of the Heisman and should have received it instead of Troy Smith. I don't know enough about football to intelligently argue the point, and in addition I'm a huge Buckey/Troy Smith fan, which would keep me from being objective. But I do remember the bowl game last year where Quinn's future brother-in-law, either AJ Hawk or Bobby carpenter, sacked him 6 times! He is a nice young man from a nice high school, however. Bradshaw has predicted he is the one who will do famously in the NFL. WG

I think OSU/Florida will be close, like our Michigan game was close. I was shocked at the ease with which USC took down the Wolverines, though. Kinda glad we didn't play them this year! Troy Smith has a cornucopia of receivers to pick from, all with strong hearts and fast legs. It's gonna be awesome if the Buckeyes take it all home! I probably won't watch, though....too jittery! WG

Hey, Waysider, maybe that's why the healings sort of trailed off in the later years - God wasn't getting the glory. I was so stunned that NO ONE offered to pray with me when I was in St. Mary's Hospital. Some even seemed embarrassed, as if they really shouldn't have come to see me at all. Back in WA, I asked B*****A L***Y what I could do to get healed. She said to read the Word and take my medicine until it made me sick. She made it pretty clear that no one was going to pray for me, minister healing to me, and "if it was to me it was up to me." I am not that strong.

I don't know near as much about healing as I used to, but there was a definite change in the air after LCM took hold. One of the biggest thrills of my WOW year (1974-75) was sitting a girl down who had a migraine and praying for her in the Name of Jesus Christ and her headache was gone just like THAT! Later, my WOW coordinator, on her interim year with the 4th WC, reproved me for ministering to her because I was not an Advanced Class grad. I pointed out none of the apostles were either, but Jesus said to heal people in His Name and there ya go. So maybe a clue is there somewhere. Could it be that TWI thought it learned so much about healing that it obfuscated the simple truths Jesus taught? My first several years "in" we prayed for each other all the time, and cool things happened. However, in 1994, when I was in a hospital during the ROA having just been diagnosed withi nsulin dependent diabetes, at least a dozen TWI'ers came to see me, some of whom I'd known for years. How many do you think offered to pray for me? ZERO. How many do you think encouraged me and said positive things and reminded me that God's will was for me to have perfect health? None. Not one. the atmosphere had changed such that I was suspect. If something was wrong with me, it was because I had done something wrong. This is false thinking. I can't really explain this much and I've gotta vacuum. But maybe that's a start. MERRY CHRISTMAS! WG

As I recall, there was a 24 hours of prayer for VPW in the week before his demise. If 2Life ever comes around these parts, she might remember. Working as I do in a cancer hospital, I've often wondered this: If cancer is a disease that has life of itself, how come when the patient dies, the cancer dies right along with the patient? why doesn't it just get up and take over the body that was recently vacated by the non-cancerous part of the patient? WG

Thank you SO MUCH for your post! It sounds to me like your dad is the wealthiest member of the family! Rich in love, rich in wisdom, rich in caring. Please let him know about these posts and how right he was to not get involved. WG

I always find it interesting that the guilt trip, the condemnation, the viciousness regarding illness never seemed to apply to the biggies. Did anyone ask VPW "Do you understand what it is that you did that caused you to have ocular melanoma?" Somehow I kinda doubt it. In fact, as I recall, some fabrication was put out about his surgerybeing for some other reason, i.e., he burned his eyes recording PFAL and just got tired of the pain. After all, in order to have cancer, it is first necessary that one be POSSESSED with a spirit of cancer, right? Wouldn't want anyone to think that VP had a devil spirit. Waysider, in our second year in FLO, there was a couple who left unexplainedly in the middle of the year. I suspect it was because one of them had health issues. However, we just came home from work one day and they were gone. No explanation. When I asked for one, I was told I could ask them if I ever saw them again. The whole issue was rife with hypocrisy. I wrote earlier of the person with the illness in my church...we are all wearing pink ribbons on our nametags Sunday in support! WG

I've never done orange marmalade, but I make a lot of jams and I make peach butter in the summer months. I use a product you can find on the internet called Pomona Universal Pectin. This jels in a different way from most products in that it uses calcium water, which you mix up in a little jar from their powder combined with water. It's not terribly expensive, one package makes about 4 sessions of jamming, and you only have to use 1/2 to 1/4 the sugar you do with the regular stuff. Since I'm diabetic and Splenda makes me sick, I find it ideal. They have a website. WG

Coolness, If we lived in the NW corner of this lovely state, I would pay to have them printed up and pass them out to everyone up there who dislikes that little band of frauds as much as I do (and there are plenty). PS: I actually got nauseated writing the above, it was so horrible. WG

Waysider, Must have been a long term side effect! Seriously, after we were booted from FWC and went to Washington, the stress level was unimaginable. I've written before we were told to abandon our son, my husband couldn't get a decent job, we were miles and miles from any family, and were regarded with suspicion by just about everybody. I was thrown under the auspices of a woman with OCD (I know now) who treated me like a slave. I had to babysit her kids for nothing while she and her psycho husband went to WC meetings, and clean her house while I was at it. She ordered me to take my son off his ADHD medication and said there was no such thing, he just needed more severe and frequent beatings. When I started losing weight and feeling exhausted and living on ice water, I started to ask her for a doctor's name and she blew me off - twice. So I just thought since she was such a most exceedingly great and mighty and omniescent woman of God, if I needed to see a doctor, God would tell her to tell me. I was ashamed to say I was sick and needed help. My husband was under such stress, I didn't want to bother him, and besides, we had also been told the reason for all our "problems" was that I was not a sufficiently meek, humble, submissive, subjected and obedient wife. I honestly knew I was dying, but I thought that was probably God's will, since I was so unworthy of inhaling oxygen on the same planet with this most exceedingly wonderful woman of God, let alone God's sacred red thread of gloriously faithful believers. I thought she could find a wife for my husbnad who was worthy of him, who would be the kind of woman I would never be, who could cross the bridge of believing into the promised land of the present truth with him, who would understand the sacred teachings of the great and mighty man of God who was leading His saints forth to cross this bridge. When we went to the ROA that year, I was almost blind, and too sick to walk more than a few feet. All I wanted to do was drink water and sleep. Tuesday of the Rock John took me to Third Aid. They had a fit and I was taken to the ER in St. Mary's, where my blood sugar was 702. I spent over a week in the hospital. About a dozen believers came to see me. How many offered to pray for healing with me? Zero! When we got backto Washington, the husband of this woman reproved me, saying, "You could have died in that tent, and that would have made The Ministry look bad!" Wouldn't have done me a lot of good, either. I share this not to elicit pity; I am doing okay. I want you to see, Mom of 2, that TWI is cold and hardhearted. The whole attitude toward me after 8/94 was that my chronic illness made the ministry look bad. Not one person hugged me and said, "Honey, let's pray for your healing." Not one person said "Thank God you're okay. I'm so sorry I didn't pay better attention to you when you were suffering all summer long with this." Well, actually, my husband said that last, but he's supposed to. The most exceedingly great and mighty men and women of God who were the leadership of TWI in Everett WA for that day and for that time and for that hour were mean and hateful and accused me of making the ministry "look bad." Did they think I wanted to be diabetic? Believe me, I wouldn't wish IDDM on my worst enemy. IF you are an unswervingly faithful, unquestioningly loyal, and instantaneously obedient follower of TWI, you will have perfect health, perfect marriage, perfect children, perfect everything. If life happens at some stage of the game, you get sick, your kid flunks math, your spouse loses a job, YOU ARE UNWORTHY of the privilege of calling yourself a follower of TWI because TWI is perfect and its followers must also be perfect. Now all this is simple: They don't have the answers. They don't follow God. They don't love Jesus. They really don't know much of anything about the Bible. So they bitch and bluster and throw out anyone with problems. What a contrast to most churches! At my church, we are in the business of helping people who are flawed and imperfect, (just like ourselves) who are helpless without Jesus Christ as their Saviour and know it. We just had a member diagnosed with a nasty disease. Did we rail and rant at her? Did we ask her if she understands what it is that she did that caused this to happen to her? HE11 NO! We don't do that. Did Jesus do that? Nope. Is He our example? Yep. Did He love and heal and encourage people? All the blessed time. It's really simple when you look at it that way. WG

Mother of 2, This is a great example of why I am sooo thankful to be out of TWI. At age 49, after some unimaginable TWI-produced stress, I was diagnosed with insulin dependent diabetes (Type I) at age 49. A sister-in-law of the then MOGFODART asked me"Do you understand what it is that you did that caused this to happen to you?" In other words, I had committed a sin that caused me to become diabetic. God withdrew His hand of protection and love from me because I had offended Him. Later another person told me that my sin was that I did not believe that this MOGFODART (Man of God for our day and time and hour) was in fact the MOG for our day and time and hour unto the entire world! (He was a hysterical, hateful, hate-filled, mean, lying vicious, adulterous psycho is what he was.) I didn't believe it, either, because he was not teaching the love of God and seemed to me to being trying to replace Jesus Christ with the worship of his own not too wonderful self). THIS IS COMPLETE HOGWASH! It is false doctrine and not to be taken seriously. They completely overlooked the fact that diabetes is an inherited disease that runs in my family, that I was stressed to the max. They looked down on me and told me never to mention it to anyone new. These are truly screwed up vicious people when it comes to health and healing. I do believe God heals. I don't understand a lot of it, though, since I took off my TWI-colored glasses. But I would never ever believe for a minute that God makes people sick to punish them or that someone's child was harmed because of their "unbelief." I also thank God every day for whoever invented recombinant DNA insulin, for the companies that manufacture it, for my glucometer, and for my grouchy endocrinologist. Look, we live on the earth. Things aren't perfect here. Neither are we. We do the best we can and thank God for doctors, medications, etc. Don't let anyone criticize you or your child who got burned. My opinion is that this whole false doctrine is designed to keep people off balance, feeling guilty, and trying to perfect the flesh, which will never be done on this earth, and could not ever be done to TWI's satisfaction. WG

Good grief! Reminds me of the 2002 OSU-Michigan game. A couple of those guys I would love to see playing for Tressel next year or two. GO BUCKS!