I am having some opportunities

[tonyzamboni]

I am having some opportunities. Do you all remember that? That always drove me crazy! I know the idea of a problem being an opportunity to beleive God,but once a TWI friend told an non TWI person that they were having opportunities when she meant a problem. I think we had our own language!

[Twinky]

Hello Tony. You're a late arrival at the cafe - unless you posted here under another name - but nonetheless welcome.

There are quite a lot of threads here in About The Way and in Open about the special phrases and terminology used in TWI.

[mstar1]

Its one of the marks of a cult to have its own lingo to describe things.

[johniam]

I've heard non twi people say opportunity instead of problem as far back as 20 years ago. Same for when you assume you make an @** of you and me. Funny some think twi stole their classes but their cult terminology was original? Maybe.

One thing that bothered me was this woman I once lived in the same house with used to always say "would it bless you to...." whatever she wanted me or others to do. The vibe was "this is supposed to bless you even if it doesn't, so do it, OK?" I HATED that. I don't think you have to be in a cult to try to manipulate with words, but it was definitely done in twi.

Edited March 16, 2011 by johniam

[waysider]

Nowadays, I hear people saying they have "issues". No you don't You have frickin' "problems". Call a spade a spade, for cryin' out loud.

[T-Bone]

I am having some opportunities. Do you all remember that? That always drove me crazy! I know the idea of a problem being an opportunity to beleive God,but once a TWI friend told an non TWI person that they were having opportunities when she meant a problem.

I think we had our own language!

Welcome to Grease Spot, Tony! and you are correct TWI has its own language.

~~

now i'd like to take this opportunity with way-jargon and have a little fun:

Realizing he didn't have much time before his corporation would go belly-up he began crafting a simple yet intriguing sales pitch for the classified ads section of the paper: "Are you interested in a business with lots of big opportunities?"

Mrs. Pythagorus said to her fifth graders: "....and for your homework tonight do the math opportunities at the end of chapter 7."

Two hardened criminals are finalizing the details of their next big crime spree:

Bad Guy # 1: "you know, if they catch us this time they'll lock us up and throw away the key."

Bad Guy #2: "yeah, we're talking the opportunity of a lifetime."

Shop talk one morning at Curly's Big City Plumbing Service & Installation:

Joe: "i can't believe they gave the install at that apartment complex to Bubba. He's such a screw up. We'll be going back there every week to fix something he put in."

Larry: "yeah, Bubba is such an opportunist."

The owner of a 65 Ford Mustang talking to his mechanic:

car owner: "ya hear that knocking?! i think i have a real opportunity with this engine."

mechanic: "opportunity knocks but once. you have a problem with the main bearing."

~~

i'm here all week folks....

[waysider]

Ahhhh....It's good to see you back in form, Mr. T-Meister.

[krys]

I'm in full agreement with with the frogmeister.

[Broken Arrow]

I've heard non twi people say opportunity instead of problem as far back as 20 years ago. Same for when you assume you make an @** of you and me. Funny some think twi stole their classes but their cult terminology was original? Maybe.

One thing that bothered me was this woman I once lived in the same house with used to always say "would it bless you to...." whatever she wanted me or others to do. The vibe was "this is supposed to bless you even if it doesn't, so do it, OK?" I HATED that. I don't think you have to be in a cult to try to manipulate with words, but it was definitely done in twi.

For what it's worth, TWI did, in fact, get this terminology from either Charlie "Tremendous" Jones, or Zig Ziglar. I can't remember which.

As far as "would it bless you to....?" Another one was, you're sitting at a picnic, or a meeting. The meeting is over and you're kicking back and relaxing when someone comes up to you and asks, "Wanna get blessed?" No, you idiot, I wanna stay eternally depressed so do the dishes yourself.

[tonyzamboni]

That kind of TWI language didnt bother me so much accept that I saw Way friends like that girl say Way things to non Way people who had no idea what they meant! Normally if a person said to me, "I am having some opportunities" I would think that things are going good for them! So I guess its not a surprise that you all have already talked these things over.

That was pretty funny T-Bone!

[geisha779]

We sounded strange.

We even had our own holidays. Do you know anyone else who celebrates Uncle Harry (Burn the chaff) day?

I am not very blessed about the whole thing.

[tonyzamboni]

I remember burning huge piles of books and records and the devils were supposedly screaming as they flew out of there. And it was on some farmers riverside property and no one asked if we could use there farm for that huge toxic burn pile.

[Broken Arrow]

Ah yes, Uncle Harry day. That was the day my mother decided to burn my Beatles records; I had them all. Also the Doors, the Stones, Santana, Dylan, Lovin' Spoonful and more. It was a dark day in the life of Broken Arrow. But at least the house was rid of them devil spirits. You know, the Beatles were seed boys. So were the Dave Clark 5 I think. Also, Barbara Streisand and any other secular musician you liked unless they were a country singer.

[johniam]

quote: You know, the Beatles were seed boys. So were the Dave Clark 5 I think. Also, Barbara Streisand and any other secular musician you liked unless they were a country singer.

Dave Clark Five??? Bits and Pieces, Catch us if you can, Glad all over, oh yeah, Awww chaquita! Whatever. They were like Herman's Hermits and Freddy and the Dreamers: NOT THE BEATLES! Country? I heard that Loretta Lynn and John Denver were seed. I threw Europe 72 on the fire one year. You can take Salem out of the country, BUT....

As for twi terminology, lately the fellowship I attend has been emphasizing that there's a difference between ask and thank. VP taught that we already have the money in the bank so we don't need to ask, we can demand. Many prayers thank God for stuff we don't have yet. What would happen if you went to McDonalds and said to the cashier "thank you for a big Mac". Get weird looks, I'm sure.

[waysider]

Alexander W. Livingston was a "seed boy".

(While still a child, Livingston showed an interest in seeds and plants)

http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=2654

Edited March 19, 2011 by waysider

[T-Bone]

so was Johnny Appleseed....at least as far as i could tell cuz he was rotten to the Corps.

~~

we lived just outside city limits of a small town in colorado - our neighbors next door were the trash collectors for the city. Which made it convenient on Burn Uncle Harry Day¹. We just piled all our LPs in the back of my Ford cargo van and drove next door.....what a shame - all that great music and beautiful album art.

~~

footnote

1. "Burn Uncle Harry Day" is either a proof-reader's oversight or something the GSC2000 Jargonizer spit out after being set to now-the-way's-crap-is-up-in-smoke² mode. Some critical grease texts have alternate reading: "The way's doctrine really chaffs my hide day".

~~

footnote to the above footnote

2. pyros of Grease Spot unite!

~~

edited for those doing a research paper on arsonphobia

Edited March 19, 2011 by T-Bone

[Broken Arrow]

quote: You know, the Beatles were seed boys. So were the Dave Clark 5 I think. Also, Barbara Streisand and any other secular musician you liked unless they were a country singer.

Dave Clark Five??? Bits and Pieces, Catch us if you can, Glad all over, oh yeah, Awww chaquita! Whatever. They were like Herman's Hermits and Freddy and the Dreamers: NOT THE BEATLES! Country? I heard that Loretta Lynn and John Denver were seed. I threw Europe 72 on the fire one year. You can take Salem out of the country, BUT....

Freddie and the Dreamers? dreamers?What were they "dreaming"? We were taught in the Advanced Class that dreaming was "off the Word", yet here is Freddie promoting it, and that laugh!...hmmm. And Herman's Hermits AH-HAH! "Something tells me I'm into something good"? Just what was that "something"? Uh-huh, bet you never thought of that before?

[tonyzamboni]

I had a limb leader who said that Billy Joel was Seed. He had us listen to An Innocent Man which proved that BJ is a Seed Boy. And this was funny T-Bone! "so was Johnny Appleseed....at least as far as i could tell cuz he was rotten to the Corps".

[tonyzamboni]

Once, and I am embarrassed to admit how much of a Wayspeak clone I guess I was, I said to a WOW vet sister that "Your just more than abundant". The real problem was was that she was really large breasted, and she turned all red and I didnt understand why because I wasn't thinking of her breasts when I said it! Then when I finally understood how stupid I was I turned all red and started to say stupid things like oh no, not that you, well I didnt mean, I wasn't talking about, oh I better shut up! Finally she laughed when she realized that I had said it with innocence. Then finally we both ended up laughing.

[johniam]

quote: Finally she laughed when she realized that I had said it with innocence

Reminds me of one of the Sean Connery Bond movies. He's talking to a large breasted girl who says, "I'm Plenty (her name)", to which 007 replies, "Sure you are".

[So_crates]

As far as "would it bless you to....?" Another one was, you're sitting at a picnic, or a meeting. The meeting is over and you're kicking back and relaxing when someone comes up to you and asks, "Wanna get blessed?" No, you idiot, I wanna stay eternally depressed so do the dishes yourself.

Maybe its sloppy English.

I always loved the expression "You want the truth?"

You know:

Friend and you are in a conversation. "Did you hear about Mr. Lee?"

"No," you respond, "what happened to Mr. Lee?"

"The truth? You want the truth?"

"No, lie to me. Make something up."

SoCrates

[So_crates]

As for twi terminology, lately the fellowship I attend has been emphasizing that there's a difference between ask and thank. VP taught that we already have the money in the bank so we don't need to ask, we can demand. Many prayers thank God for stuff we don't have yet. What would happen if you went to McDonalds and said to the cashier "thank you for a big Mac". Get weird looks, I'm sure.

This changes the whole face of prayer.

From:

Thank you for this food. Thank you for my loving family. Thank you for this great country. Amen.

To:

I demanded this food, you didn't disappoint--although the mashed potatoes were a little salty and the apples just a tad to soft.. I demanded a loving family, again you didn't disappoint--although you could do a little more work on Aunt Grace. Also, I demand you do something about the senate and the congress, I'm disappointed, you didn't meet my demands. Get on the schtick, Big Guy, time's a-wastin'. No amen, it is because I say it is.

Don't you think this is very human centered? I mean just because we demand it, its there?

AS I told you before, naked we came into the world, naked we'll leave it--everything we have here is on loan. Contrary to the belief Saint Vic displays by buying an asbestos coffin, you can't take it with you.

Not too long ago, I gave one of my neices a pastery. She was holding it in her hand. What did her mother tell her? You guessed it: "What do you say?"

SoCrates

Edited March 20, 2011 by So_crates

[tonyzamboni]

But really, I never heard anybody pray like that in TWI. It was more like Thank you Father, not wait: "We JUST thank you Father forgetting a good job for Fred since you already promised it in your Word to meet our needs and he needs a job", etc. I understood the concept of thanking God for soemthing that God had always promised but of course it got out of hand and just became mechanical and kind of like a Formula. But I don't remember anybody being so demanding like you said Socrates. Maybe you were over emphasizing to make a point.

And ya on that "Ya want me to be honest?" No, that's okay, you can just lie to me. Hah! I have always laughed when I have thought of that one!

[So_crates]

But I don't remember anybody being so demanding like you said Socrates. Maybe you were over emphasizing to make a point.

I was. Its a literary device. I was trying to make the point that you don't go before God's throne demanding. If that were the case, Saint Vic was a lesser authority figure than God, why didn't we demand from him? Why when the ministry failed to give us what God had promised didn't we be demanding with them?

SoCrates

Edited March 20, 2011 by So_crates

[waysider]

I suppose a lot of things vary according to where you were geographically, but, I, for one, heard people, on numerous occasions, both demand (and command) that God do whatever it was they happened to be praying for. Even those Bank of God checkbooks that they sold in the bookstore were a variation of this concept, as was the "name it and claim it" thinking that became so prevalent. In fact, in some circles, it was seen as a sign of weak believing to "ask" for something rather than "claim" it. I think this actually has its roots in the PFAL class, in the session where Wierwille pokes fun at people who still pray The Lord's Prayer instead of recognizing various scriptures in the epistles. Ultimately, it all comes back to the pseudo "law of believing". It's (Whatever you are praying for) already yours and you will manifest it in proportion to your degree of believing. No God really needed because "It works for saint and sinner alike.". (cough)

Edited March 20, 2011 by waysider