Watered Garden

FEMA has never been a sterling example of efficiency. Government efficiency, perhaps, but that is an oxymoron. After H. Hugo in 1989, the senior senator from South Carolina, Fritz Hollings, God bless him, stood up and called FEMA (best I can recall) "The biggest bunch of bumbling bureaucratic jackasses" he had ever seen in his entire life! Looks like they didn't improve with experience. I just had a personal experience with governmental procedure today, which has no bearing on Katrina, but I do think people need to prepare themselves for disaster, take care of themselves, and steer as clear of government assistance as they can. "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you" are the scariest words in the English language. WG

If in fact some psychiatrist recommended this, he/she should lose his/her license immediately and maybe be prosecuted. I cannot understand how these people keep getting to adopt/foster kids. Our home was inspected regularly when we were foster parents, and we had extensive interviews, tests, examinations, and recommendations by four couples who had known us more than 5 years before we were ever remotely considered as adoptive parents, or even allowed near children. I realize getting foster parents to take handicapped children is a challenge. However, most states (we were in SC) require specialized training for those foster parents who are willing to do so. Are these jerks licensed by the State of Ohio or a private agency? Thank God the kids weren't beaten and starved too. Were they? WG

I work in a cancer hospital. I have seen patients come in and declare they are going to a homeopath, a herbalist, or whatever. Often they have very early cancers that could be cured with surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy. We see them again when they are in a very advanced state, and they die, and we get the blame. Or we just run across their obituaries. Let's remember that many of the chemo drugs did in fact originate with natural substances. Let's also remember that the earth isn't exactly capable of producing these natural substances in the purity and strength of say, the Garden of Eden. The CEO of our hospital said in a meeting recently that our goal is to put ourselves out of business. To cure all cancers in all forms. So if you have a sure-fire cure for all kinds of cancer in all stages, and I can grow it in my back two acres, please PT me. We would love to have that info in our Biomedical Research Department! In the meantime, go to the nearest cancer hospital that has affilitation with the CCC. Your life could depend on it. WG

We got to a Grace Brethren church.

Belle, There was a little book published in the late 70's to early 80's that was a collection of VPW's favorite poems. I am not at all sure I can find it, but will look around sometime this week. That poem was on the last page, and I always thought he wrote it himself. I'll try to find it tonight. WG

To make light of the severe emotional and psychological damage done a child who is sexually abused is not funny. For many it lasts a lifetime, affecting their relationships with others and causing suffering to them, their family and all concerned. I've been re-reading a book titled "Let's Take Back Our Streets" by Reuben Greenberg. Chief Greenberg was chief of police in Charleston, South Carolina for many years. While none of the chapters specifically address pedophilia, the general principles he espouses do. He advocates making life so difficult for criminals they quickly go elsewhere. Now if Elsewhere, USA, doesn't want them, they are free to do the same. He casts a very jaundiced eye on social workers, psychologists, and other do-gooders, because he believes that somewhere along the line, the criminal made a choice, a decision to rob that bank, grab that old lady's purse, shoot at that neighbor, whatever. And he believes that criminals should be held accountable for their crimes and punished to the fullest extent of the law. No plea bargaining, no parole. Of course, this book was written in 1989, and I'm sure most people would look upon him as a Neanderthal, to say the kindest. But criminals are not nice. And if it isn't happening in your neighborhood, it will, as long as criminals are looked upon as unfortunate souls who need help, love, and understanding, rather than individuals who made a choice to do what they are doing. I think if I knew a convicted sexual predator lived in my neighborhood, I would put a big sign up in my front yard: MR. X AT XXX (MY STREET) IS A CONVICTED SEXUAL PREDATOR! KEEP YOUR KIDS AWAY FROM HIM! Now perhaps I would cause enough embarrassment to Mr. X that he would move away, before the ACLU got on my a$$ for my unloving attitude. But if one parent read that sign and took heed, it would be worth the effort. It's not just the police that can take back our streets, our safety, our security. Citizens have to act, too. WG

Come to think of it, what were TWI teens doing on the internet? Doesn't the internet belong to the devil, since Satan is the prince of the power of the air?

((((((Georgio))))))) Incidentally, I became diabetic while I was IN. Lived like a pauper and couldn't buy a house while we were IN. And the saddest thing is that those kids have apparently been taught that TWI has a copyright on the Bible. I DO believe God's Word. I just don't believe TWI's word...and Yes, there is a difference!!!!! Those poor young'n are in my prayers. WG :(-->

When I was in Ohio Fellow Laborers, my car was in the shop so I had to bum rides with a very attractive young lady in the same program. She drove a spiffy little car with a TWI bumper sticker on it, drove it, in fact, like a maniac. Flying around an elderly couple puttering down a country road one afternoon, she stuck her arm out the window and smartly snapped off a single digit salute. We then continued on about twice the speed limit to the Limb HQ in Powell, Ohio. I mentioned I wondered what that couple thought of TWI if that was what they saw of us. Of course, now the tables are turned, and most of us would at least like to snap off that salute if we saw a car WITH a TWI bumper sticker. I now carry no bumper stickers on my vehicles, so if someone flips me off it's probably because I'm one of the only two people in central Ohio who drives the speed limit!

I hope they NEVER use Hugo again!

Boy! Deja Vue all over again! Wonderful to hear they are doing well. Wasn't all bad, was it Tom Strange? Not bad at all.

You know, Oldies, I think that last icon is just plain too aggressive and threatening. Please don't be that way! WG

Y'all, I think she's fine, I just wanted to tell her something. I think she wrote she wouldn't be posting, had to get on with livin', some time back. But prayer is always a good thing! WG

"It is impossible to obey God without first obeying your leadership." LCM "Peter and the other apostles said, 'We ought to obey God rather than men.'" Acts WG

As for me, I believe the Bible is God's Word. I don't believe Weirwille's word or Martindale's word or anyone else's word is God's Word. I think there was a truckload of false doctrine taught by TWI over the years. And some truth. I feel badly for those who have decided that since the ministry was full of holes, there is no God. Works for me. and it's a lot simpler than TWI made it out to be. I started concentrating on the teachings of Jesus, which were kinda obscured by the teachings of Martindale et al. It takes a lot of work to read the Bible without "rightly dividing it according to useage and holding it forth in your mind in the exceedingly great and glorious light of the present truth". But it can be done. WG

On the list of 3 - I think it was #3 that you are most excited about - I would be too! WG

What I find the most incredible about the trashing of [name deleted] is the offhand remark, "Oh and she was VPW's mistress for years." That's crap. I don't believe it for a minute. But hey, anyone who was WC is fair game, right? Especially if the poster had an argument or disagreement with them or just didn't like them! So snipe away. I'm outta here. WG

I think that's a very nasty thing to say about [name deleted] and I don't believe it for a minute! She was once of the neatest, kindest people I ever met. Not everyone who was WC, ordained and a woman got there by providing sexual favors. Maybe nobody did. Maybe some of them actually deserved it, even though they were women! Ya think? This is beginning to sound very sexist and prejudiced. Not a good thing. WG

S*san Bo**din was ordained. Tracy somebody 2nd WC was ordained. Su*** San**** might have been I don't know for sure. Did LCM ever ordain a woman? (No smart answers, please this was a serious question). WG

We first went to an American Baptist church, similar to one of the churches Belle describes, many elderly and a few young couples with kids. We actually joined this church, and left after about 2 1/2 years due to doctrinal differences. We still see some of these folks and are friendly, but they have gone in a direction that is not best for us. so we stayed home for a while. After September 11th, we wanted to attend a church that taught out of the Bible, so we began to attend a Grace Brethren church. We still do, though we may never "join" a church again. They don't mind and don't push about it, we just don't get to vote on anything. That's fine. We do probably 85% contemporary music and 15% traditional hymns. We have a new senior pastor, a young guy, who is a fine preacher and does theme series of sermons on such topics as relationships, and also on a book of the Bible, such as the one now on Colossians. Some of the folks at this church are very conservative and some are bossy. Most, though, are just good people trying to do the right thing. A couple of the women have set off alarm bells for me, but most of the time, we get along great. I honestly don't let myself get too emotionally involved with fellow churchgoers. I will always hold a part of myself back, even, in all honesty from God I think, because I will never trust like I did in TWI. People get too interested in my deepest darkest secrets, my past, my personal life, and my bull-sh-tometer goes off. But I do really like this church. I am especially impressed by the tenderness and compassion with which they treat the children. I have never once seen a parent or a Sunday School teacher lose it with a child, or even raise their voice. They are handled as the precious gems they are. I feel perfectly comfortable with my extremely precious grandson in the toddlers' room. A far cry from TWI, where he would be systematically broken in spirit, initiative, and ability to think for himself. Also, no ranting, raving, or accusing from any of the pastors. That's good, too. WG

NKNative, if you read this, please private topic me. I need to give you some information about a mutual friend. WG

Yikes!

Yep, you got it, Steve! There was a Haagen-Dazs shop at Charleston Market when we lived down South. Couldn't walk past it without stopping!

Dulce de leche, made by a fancy company whose name I can't remember. Velvet French vanilla Velvet strawberry Graeter's black raspberry chocolate chip, huge chunks of dark chocolate!!! (Graeter's and Velvet are both Ohio brands) UMMMMM! WG

I read on a news blurb they think they found the little boy's body.