Who remembers Waydale?

[cara]

FWIW, I never heard of Waydale.

I'm glad this place is called "Grease Spot Cafe". Had it been called Waydale, I probably wouldn't have paid any attention. As it was, I found Grease Spot Cafe as I was looking for the zip code, preparing to crawl back to TWI over broken glass because my life was so miserable on the outside. The intriguing diversion to the Cafe...has distracted me ever since. Never made it back to TWI. Phew!!!

Twinky, I read your posts yesterday and was haunted by them and had a nightmare (happens when I'm overheated). Anyway, I was "back" in some way, there were lots of people around, but I was rushing up and down, never where I was supposed to be.

Je*ff Bri*dges was in it as well, but he semed to be having a good time. I think he must remind me of a (better-looking-than-) Fabio type in my life, someone from a US east coast state, south of DC, that I met at an ROA and who was kind enough to phone me when he heard of some of the goings-on, the only person to clearly tell me anything before I read here, so when I read the Fabio thread I saw it as a from-Fabio-to-Fabio link in my life. I thought his story might have been a one-off thing, none of my business, and I put it away and didn't ask questions of other people. I'd hear grumblings and rumblings here and there about stuff, but it was all couched in "spiritual" terms and parables - maybe i didn't have ears to hear?! Golly, that's something to chew on.

Thank you again, Mr. P-tucket and everybody.

[GrouchoMarxJr]

To paraphrase your namesake, Groucho, if I agreed with you anymore I would be you.

However, one of the things I've observed time and again in religions here in the land of the free and the home of the depraved is that the religion is about the money.

SoCrates

Socrates...You hit the nail on the head...When it comes to my own "spiritual journey"...I cannot reconcile making a paycheck out of doing God's will...but that's just me...Religion is what keeps people from knowing God...Ironic as it is...twi was just another religion...

I'd much rather sell beer, cigarettes and condoms(which is what I do )...than to sell God.

[Twinky]

The way things are going at the Cafe, before too much longer it'll be "Who remembers GSC?"

[WordWolf]

The way things are going at the Cafe, before too much longer it'll be "Who remembers GSC?"

Depending on why, I don't see that as a bad thing.

Part of the GSC's mission is to get the word out about twi.

Part of te GSC's mission is to help people learn to live normal lives after twi.

twi, as a whole, is currently a puny, archaic, unattractive thing.

Outsiders are warned long before they CAN get sucked in-and there's little to attract

them ANYWAY. The warnings are partly because of the GSC.

If twi's membership is shrinking and is tiny, the GSC succeeded.

Let's face it-

twi's membership is still in "negative growth."

They are small, and a few people still leave every year. Plus, people either drop dead

(it happens everywhere) or get old and kicked out like Mrs W was when she needed care.

They are NOT replaced by new recruits, generally. The only new people are children,

and twi has been actively campaigning AGAINST members having children!

Those children who DO manage to be born and grow up often flee twi.

So, there's the aging twi population, and a tiny group of offspring who think they

can succeed in changing things that all the establishment struggle to keep the same.

Ah, the optimism of youth! And the naivete. It's how most of us got suckered in,

after all.

As for GSC members, over time, they get on with their lives and find other things are

more important-family, etc. That means fewer posters.

Is that a bad thing? Not for the people who got on with their lives.

They are GSC success stories!

[rascal]

Well said ! Here's to life and living it well free from twi :)

[Ham]

I just wish. that some among us could move on and live a life without insane paranoia, bizarre conspiracy theories, fear of devils and the like.. a lot of us have succumbed to the "new rules" as per dr. phil.. that in my Personal opinion.. suck. Royally. As in.. one can never never again trust another individual in modern society. Fine. If that's what you want.. and "friendships"? No. I thought I was here for friendship, once.. but that is only an electronic illusion.

[Bramble]

Hear Hear! And I will always be thankful hoe GSC unwound the binders from my brain so I could not only be physically free from TWI but also mentally free of them.

[krys]

We all know the world has changed. I don't worship at Phil McGraw's feet, but you do have to be careful today. The times of knowing people by their reputation because you actually knew them are long gone. We can't do all of our business with a hand shake anymore. Sometimes I think his "new rules" take things a bit too far....but most folks with a reasonable brain and a decent moral compass can find a good path in there.

edit for spelling

Edited February 17, 2013 by krys

[excathedra]

how did this come up since february? oh, someone must have voted

waydale did so much for me, i can't explain it

but it was a horrible time also

i'm not sure if it's that thing where you have to throw up in order to feel better or what

i hadn't let my mind go near the way in YEARS and then i did go kind of crazy

i think it hurt people dear to me who did not know how f'd up i was still

feel bad because i can't change how things went

[excathedra]

[RottieGrrrl]

Just popped in here and saw this thread. Waydale was the beginning of the Exodus from my offshoot. It did so much for me, and I am thankful it was here. At the offshoot I was attending at the time, I was CONVINCED, that I was a total misfit, totally screwed up, that all these people from the offshoot could SIT and Interpret and Prophecy and they were the true called ones of God in the Sky, and I was just screwed.

I longed for fellowship with my Lord Jesus. They told me if I tried to talk to Him it "Could prove to be fatal" I will never forget that. And I was convinced they were right. Waydale showed me that this teensie weensie little offshoot, in Naperville, Il. were the ones who were the misfits. NOT me. Not that I did not have my problems, I did, and still do.

But once I was bold enough to venture out to other various churches, YEARS LATER...I learned one thing...There are THOUSANDS of people out there JUST LIKE ME!!! I felt that although a church might not be a right fit for me..they were still normal people looking for answers in their lives! And nobody had to "prove themselves" by "Speaking in tongues" and Prophecy. Their were other concerns that "REAL" churches are aware of. At least the healthy ones.

I wish I could go back to these people, and tell them, If God hasn't blessed your "ministry" "bible clique...coffee clique.." in 20 odd years, don't you think there might be something WRONG with your little group? I know God doesn't count numbers as far as His Glory, but My God Man! If your old fellowship hasn't grown in over 20 years, you do NOTHING for the community that's allowing you a break on rental space and taxes, your agenda is your great doctrine, which has not held up in the eyes of the Lord, over and over and over again.... When will you wake up?

Thanks for letting me vent.

[Kit Sober]

Bringing forward as a reminder of precious memories. Precious people's posts who helped us move forward with our lives "with dawn in our eyes" once again. Thanks so much. :)

[krys]

Kit is right to be thankful for all of those folks. I'm glad they were around to show me the truth. Lots of people were hurt in those old days, including me. But many of you were also...no crying over spilled milk. There's no crying in baseball and cults either.

[excathedra]

rottie, krys, kit, many more... i love you so much and thank you

[outandabout]

For some reason, on threads that have a survey, I can't get to the last page.