Bramble

Fried green tomatoes are good with parmesan cheese or mozzerella cheese melted on them, too. My mom and aunts always made a sweet relish with green tomatoes they called we called chow chow. Here's a link to a recipe that sounds like mom's. (I don't have her cook book.) http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/79/C...Chow40477.shtml

When I got into TWI I was a college girl with major interests in guys, clothes and live bands. I didn't have any huge problems in my life caused by addiction or anything. I got good grades and almost always held down a job or two. I was at loose ends though, getting over a breakup, plus the job I had lined up for after graduation was not appealing. I was somewhat depressed at the end of college, all my friends moving different places. I would be moving to a tiny town in eastern Montana to teach kindergarten and would have nothing fun to do...and I later married one of the wows that got me into the class. I was in twenty years. By the time we left I was fortyish with three kids. I lived more than a thousand miles from my hometown where I went to college. Clothes and guys were no longer major interests. I was more concerned about school quality and healthcare, ya know? Well, I do still love clothes. And books. And mountains. And rock and roll, the oldies...And we went into debt right away for cars and a house.

I've had these same thoughts, Rascal. Also add to that-- Was it me? Was there something wrong with me?

The Witches Voice(online mag) has been following this--I think the widow is filing a law suit.

Um, Allan--not Christian. I don't spend time thinking about Jesus. Bible doctrines etc are not something I apply to myself or the way I think the world or spirit works. If we'd been able to have an actual Interfaith Dialogue, you might not ask that question because you would then be educated. You don't have a line. Right. Gotcha. You can call black white, you can call yourself the pneuma. Go ahead. But what you've put out there everyone can see. You've shown yourself. Now, I'm not going to be your new obsesso stalking poster. You have not earned any respect from me and I haven't got nearly the patience and long suffering Temple Lady has. I suspect you do it for some attention grabber, anyway. So anything you have to say to me, do it in a PM. I will not answer you on the board .

This has been a challenging six months or so for me. I became ill in December, hospitalized in January, diagnosed with an illness in March. Had two surgeries in March. Was on meds for 10 weeks that caused major mood swings. Paid 05 and 06 insurance deductables. Went from 40 hr work to 10. Wiped out our savings account all by myself. But guess what-- I didn't have any absolutely horrible days. Hubby was there for me, my kids didn't suffer, they were very helpful with cooking etc. I'm very proud of them. I was able to do promo for both a novel and a short story I got published, a long desired goal. I wrote a novella and two shorts for submission. We had sleep overs and school dances and American Idol family nights, started seedlings, got a new kitten. Life wasn't perfect, but it wasn't awful, either. Having the comfort of loved ones in times of trouble is success. Today I found out I don't have another doc appt until July! Since December I've seen docs almost weekly, so that's a big deal. We'll celebrate.

I'm sorry, dancing. I guess I'm too thick to get your point. you are welcome to pm me if you like. :)

American Idol is family time for us. Homework is done by show time, the phone is charged. We have some type of treat ready. Afterwards we take turns calling for our favorites, which can take time with five people. Last night I voted for Taylor. He is so entertaining. But I think Kat is very talented, and will have a career from this, probably competing with Mariah Carey. She's photogenic, too, which is a big plus for the videos. I didn't like her last dress, though.

Oh. This is bad. I accepted food from someone who was on government asistence, obviously a slothful devil spirit possessed person. And I accepted it for months! She saved me about $20 in groceries a week, probably. I never once reproved her for taking aide from the government. I was even thankful for the cereal and beans and carrots etc. AND! AND! I made treats from the cereal she gave me for my snacks after HF!

Sugar coat yourself all you want, Allan. Your meaness and weird stalking of TL was right out there for all to see. That long suffering woman did us all a favor. Thanks, TL. Your rudeness to those who won't walk your line is evident in many posts. So, just keep on keepin' on. It makes me thankful I jumped ship. I shudder to think what life would be like with some one like you as my 'Christian' leader. Hey, folks, some ex way fellowships will have the same flaws as the TWI ones did. Bullies, treating people like dirt...Just follow Allan around the board for awhile!

Are you talking about the type of thread, Sir Guess? Perhaps someday, hmmm? Perhaps. :)

Wow, when I had three kids under the age of 3 my house got pretty messy. Can you imagine? And, the top of my fridge was cluttered! Gasp! Oh, the devil spirits danced! Plus, our believing was crap, because the house we rented after selling ours to be out of debt had a small hole in the front room carpet! We were supposed to confront our landlord. Right. He was renting the house to us for about $200 less than other comparable house rentals. We really wanted to start in on him.

You are right, Oakspear. I would subtract the word Christian as a modifier for bullies but can't edit it now. There are many fine Christians, many on this board whom I respect. But I will repeat this--If I had not had suck poor arrogant leadership, and IF they hadn't used Bible verses and doctrine to bolster their authority and cruelty, and IF the issue wasn't systemic through TWI... I doubt I would have started looking elsewhere. But I did, and I changed. And Allan reminds me very much of those leader in TWI.

You know, allan, every time you post it is like an affirmation to me. I did the right thing, leaving Christianity and one wayitis. Christian bullies like you cause people to step back and think about such things, about what they find acceptable in living, about what they want to stand for. They start looking around. They see they have nothing to fear.They walk away.

Hmmm. Still don't think you can have this type of converstation on GSC. You've already got Allan here, ready to attack, I'm sure. Others will soon follow. TWI was very good at teaching people to attack, name call, froth at the mouth in order to get their way. Anger and manipulation of others through anger was the magic that made it all happen. Since yelling doesn't work on a message board, they are forced to insult etc.

I do enjoy hearing about other people's spiritual journeys, their personal convictions, beliefs, why they think that way, what joy or peace it has brought them. I just don't like to continually hear the 'and you must believe like i do, too, because it is Right.' I must? What if I can't, what dire consequences await me?(always seem to be dire consequences) What if no matter what I do I can't be like you and have the experiences you did? What if I have compelling experiences that are different than yours? But carry on, Sir Guess. Maybe it will happen. And maybe after a good night's sleep I'll be more optimistic.

I guess I'm just feeling gloomy tonight. I don't think that type of dialoge is possible here. While there are a number of posters that could participate in a respectful way toward others, there are too many contentious 'righteous' believers who would feel the need to distract, shut down, insult, confront etc. yadayada It's like they have to win something, a big competition.

You may be able to find such discussions on Beliefnet. Thye have the ROC that doesn't allow 'witnessing' or personal insults, which makes things more civil.

Was He there? I saw no evidence He was(I am speaking about our last years In, during the nineties.) We didn't leave TWI all full of righteous thunder, we left in tears and broken hearts, not understanding why we couldn't 'do the Word.' Everything we had loved about the Way--the fellowships, friendships, the belief that we Knew the Truth and could help people, that we were God's Best, soured during those last 3 or 4 years. When we left we had no friends, of course. We left during the M&A daze. The people we did know who had also left in the same time frame were often more damaged than we were--there was no healing fellowship, everyone was busy mopping up their own messes. Eventually(a few years) I came to the conclusion that I was in the wrong place, that whatever it took to 'connect' with the Christian God was not there for me. I am one of the (few)non Christians who post on Greasespot. I'm now more of the pagan/Wiccan persuasion. As to what God thiinks, I couldn't tell you. 'God loves you' and 'You're going to hell(or are possesed) seem to be the messages I hear in Christian circles. Not that I frequent them.

Some people thought they were following God's Calling, but it led to nothing like mercy or peace or grace.

That song 'Confrontation'! My HFC played it all the time before fellowship started. He LOVED that song. *shudder*

Let's not forget the foot stompin' number,'Wash Your feet in the Blood of the Wicked'!

Safari, I too have looked at the person I was when I got involved with TWI, the things that made me vulnerable. I was raised to be cpmpliant and pleasing, and someone else would do the hard stuff for me. I'm sure that played a huge part in my years in TWI.

I remember thinking back when the teachings about supervising teen and college kids were coming from HQ, that soon LCM and Donna would be advocating arranged marriages for our kids. It seemed like the next step.

I think in the heirarchy of sin in TWI, it was worse to be resentful, or emotional, or hurt, or upset etc because of the actions of leadership, especially mistaken counsel or reproof, than to give the wrong counsel or reproof. You were supposed to get over it and obey, even if the leader was wrong. Carry that attitude to GSC, then it is worse to post about the bad things that happened to you in TWI, than to have been one of those leaders that hurt people. Could also be part of the TWI blame the victim mode--if you had bad things happen to you, it was your believing.