Shellon

HA! and ok, thank you

Has it been said how to change the writing under my avitar? I've hunted around but can't find it. Thanks !

Thank you, Kimberly. I understand that my family was so much not the only one treated poorly when a loved one dies while any involvement with their organization. I was never very surprised at their actions, frankly. I just oft wished they could have given me a little bit of room to breath and adapt to the so new tragedy before they started chewing me up and trashing a man who loved God greatly and was a really good man who wouldn't have purposely left his family for anything. My husbands family and ours have been doing some reconciling lately and just yesterday I had a wonderful surprise lunch with more family and we discussed how wonderful it would have been if twi would have just embraced me and our daughters, loved us, taken care of us. Simply that. There was one man in leadership that did love these family members and embraced them; for that I'm ever thankful. We just happened to be in an area with a leader who chose to be ugly hearted. I'd do a ton of things different if the time were given to me to do over. We've developed a new normal and we're doing great. Alot of what I learned in twi was how NOT to treat people and in the experiences since when I've needed to comfort those who've lost a loved one, I remember well what hurts, damages, crushes. I get angry when I look at the sweet face of my 14 year old and know she doesn't have daddy, but what is the point in staying angry? I get angry when I consider my oldest who was 15 during all that mess and she remembers how she and her mama were treated. But again, anger doesn't serve us well. Someone here told me recently "not forgiving is like me drinking the poison and hoping they die" I understand that.

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/10/11/what-is-really-in-a-hot-dog-and-how-unhealthy-are-they.htm Fun Hot Dog Facts to Impress Your Friends In 2006, Americans ate enough hot dogs at major league ballparks to stretch from RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. to AT&T Park in San Francisco. New Yorkers eat more hot dogs than any other city population (even Chicago, also known for its hot dogs). Travelers at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport eat six times more hot dogs than travelers at Los Angeles International Airport and LaGuardia Airport combined. Hot dog season -- during which Americans eat 7 billion hot dogs -- stretches from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Americans eat 150 million hot dogs on the fourth of July, alone

Excellent, Raf, Congratulations and Happy Anniversary

excathedra, find the + and - buttons, they're red and green on bottom, all a part of this box you type in Just below those there's a 'multi quote' to the left of multi quote is 'reply' to the left of reply is 'edit' and it's got a yellow pencil next to it

When my husband, Bob North, died while we were in TWI, there was blame piled on me, sure. Blame piled on Bob, of course, for dying and accusations as to what we, surely, did to F+ck up the alignment in our marriage, failed to follow "the word" or leaderships instruction on marriage. Bob Moynihan had a meeting with at least the immediate area coordinators, maybe every one, I wasn't invited. This was to hold the now dead man up as an example of "see? we told you what happens". Then Moynihan manipulated family; our immediate family, my parents and sibling snd my husband's sibling, twisted everything he could get his hands on, using unbelief and failure as "what we've tried to tell you all along and do you see why now?" My concern was this dead man's children, I still marvel at how not one of them (Moynihan or others) asked "how are the girls". Not one. And when my heathen parents and gay brother arrived for the service, they were not allowed to attend. I still am amazed how no one, not ONE SINGLE person did a thing to go against this action. It's been 12 years since this went down and I still can't possibly express this enough to paint the correct picture. I hope there is a really special place in heaven for what some deserve. I used to wish hell on them, but no, I want them in heaven cuz I want to participate in their consequences for failing to take care of families, tossing children out, accusing those living in sudden grief and mourning of being responsible in some way. Yeah, I'm angry and yeah, it's a disaster when it happens, then when it continues to happen over and over and over. After all that, I can't answer the 'does anyone grow old in the way international'

Thanks, Jeff, yeah, it's not something I believe, and my brother and I mostly giggle when one says "remember that dream......" But it did reek of twi's respector of person's gig, to me. Which is why it came up in my rest in the first place; probably 'cuz I was lying about him in my life and it was an issue that I do disagreed with in their doctrine. Both the homosexuality issue, as well as the respector of persons issue are completely different discussions huh? Either way, all ways, they suck and we're still left with the questions we started with. Or I am, at least. I do not think my brother will be denied Heaven because of his sexual preferance. Nor does he, so we're good.

My brother is a gay man and while in twi, during the 1994 disaster toward homosexuals, he and I hid our sibling-hood, twi thinking I'd broken off ties with him. Yup, I lied. But, and since that might sound like it has nothing to do with your posts here, I think some of it does. And since I usually stay away from discussion on anything religious/doctinal/political my addition here will only be experience stuff. Plus I told Jeff I'd take a peek and while I may lie to TWI, I try to keep my word otherwise. During this time of sneaking my brother into my life, I had a dream that it was the gathering together time and my baby brother and I were walking along a street in our hometown. There were people in charge of who gets to jump on the train and those that don't and they stopped to pick me up, but not my brother. I wouldn't go without him. How could I possibly. Some push and pull and me running down the street to keep up with my brother, whom they seemed intent on not only leaving but killing, I ended up not going where ever it was I was supposed to be allowed to go. For some reason, this dream has stayed with me where TWI is concerned, where other dreams have gone the way of crappy memory. This is how I think when I think of the Gathering Together.

Thank you Thank you Thank you, GT and Paw, for all you're doing while you could be sleeping and eating and other life stuff to get stuff figured out.

The only suggestions I could ever possibly add is my usual. Document, Document, Document and get signatures on the documentations. Two if possible. Most places have SOP and a form to fill out for the request; understandably not all places. Then make copies and a copy of the copies. Then one might present the documentation with a friendly 'yeah but what about you signing this request for time off that says I'd get paid for it' Another brilliant suggestion. Seek other employment that has better and clearer policy.

AHA! Got it, thanks ladies !

GT, thank you for all you're doing here and I gotta toss my own question in here. Thanks for the other answer, as well. I can't find the 'reply' feature and I'll bet I'm looking right at it. To reply, I hit the quote button, then erase that quote, then reply. Not a big deal, just probably there is some other way; a right way that I'm missing right in front of me.

:) Thanks, your kind words are appreciated. We celebrate Fathers Day, so the girls have something to do with the day and while we don't always necessarily talk about daddy on the day; it's more of a new normal thing and it is the reality, which you understand, of course. He was a great man, a fantastic father and he's sorely missed. I don't know if replacing him place in their lives will ever be a wish or not, life unfolds weird sometimes huh? When my youngest daughter was 3-4 she used to ask why we couldn't just go to WalMart and get a new daddy. Why, indeed. hee hee :P

Twinky, I loved reading about your dad! I don't share things about my own father, but yours reminded me of my children's father so much. Mostly unremarkable life in terms of fame or fortune (ha) but loved his daughters so much it's most difficult to express properly, really. And what you shared abou 35 years later and his loss being still so profound, that gets my attention too, and it's difficult to get others to understand that sometimes, isn't it? My husband has been dead 12 years now and life is fine, we've got our new normals, his children are strong, capable wonderful young women but life is just ...............different when that kind of loss occurs. I still have my dad, so I don't share you or my childrens' loss, thankfully, but, of course, I will one day. Thank you for a lovely ! story about your father. :)

The place looks GREAT! I see the status bar on the right, but can't see how to post on it. Is it right in front of me? :)

I was in some chat room somewhere and they told me about Waydale where I lived almost 24/7 after I left twi in 1998. When Greasespot Cafe opened up, I was part of the moving van over here. For me, I wanted to hopefully find my late husband's family, hang with folks that understood what I was talking about, laugh about the silliness of life and it's pain and it's joys. From all that has been built a few amazing friendships, experiences I treasure, memories I'd probably never have made with some hysterical, wonderful, kind, generous people. I came here because I belonged here I fit here. I've been able to relax and share as little or as much as I choose. I've raised one daughter around these folks and she's doing great ! :) The other daughter; these people have put up with me figuring out what the heck to do about her and she's doing great too ! I've fnished a College Degree with the help of people here. We've celebrated births of babies, marriages, deaths of loved ones job gains and losses, aches and pains of daily making it work every day. It's life here. It's not always fun, it's not always easy; one has to pick their battles and understand that one fight or one battle doesn't define the war. We are a bunch of people that have an organization in common; good and not so much. But, to me, that is only the frame; what lives inside is the real stuff. For me, it's the approach. If I come in here every day looking to bite the a$$ of whoever said something I don't agree with or don't like or didn't write it just like I wish they had, I'm going to be in for a painful and often lonely ride. If I wander around with the lens of hanging with differant opinions, backgrounds, needs, lifestyles and as many ways of saying it, I'll be fine. Greasespot Cafe serves an incredible purpose, we've discussed that probably too many times, but perhaps it needs to be said again. I, maybe like you, tagalong, am straight up, often to my detriment, and it's not always pretty. That really isn't the point, in my opinion. The point is that we can be who we are and so long as we frame that with rememberance of our fellow men and women and take the time to hear them as much as we expect them to hear us, the purpose of our little corner here will be accomplished for most of us. Welcome to a wonderful, nutty, interesting, diverse, necessary place, tagalong.

I think God does that where I'm concerned. Alot And alot more, even of that one Tons of this one And even more of this one

Sushi, personofmanynames, whatever your name is. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~! Fifty Years Old today eh?

So thrilling that it was a lovely day for you; it was great to share a moment or three of it w/ you. I'm very excited about your next 50 years !

No, not everyone abused someone.

I, too, understand the different takes on this issue but can't agree or hold myself accountable, culpable or responsible for the shi+ that Wierwille, Martindale or anyone else did. It's understood that some take accountability for what those men and others did, I just don't and will not. Any more than I hold them responsible for my husbands death at the feet of their teachings that he chose to believe and act on. I spent years considering otherwise and making them somehow culpable for his loss in our lives, the years my girls have been without their father, the years of lack and a shi+load of other legal fancy words. If what is suggested is true, then I would be just as accountable as my husbands "leadership". In fact, he made choices for his life that were unwise and it cost him his life. No one needs to pay for that any more than my daughters already have. We all have differing backgrounds, dynamics and reasons why we were even in the mess in the first place; each is as important and vital as any of the others. But responsible, culpable, accountable? No, not any more than if I follow the standard operating procedure of a company I work for. (edited cuz I can't spell)

Congratulations to you as well, George. :)

Congratulations to the new mama and daddy. And to Grandma, Grandpa! Grandbabies are the GREATEST! :)