Reclaiming Identity.....one word at a time

[skyrider]

Words matter.

Oftentimes, here at GS, I reference twi's use of wayspeak, or buzzspeak, in my posts. Words are powerful little items in a cult's arsenal. Words have a way of attaching themselves to associations, ideology, groups, situations, etc..... and then, nestle into one's brain. Good or evil, these little words are powerful.

Ho Ho Re-Lo is one such word-phrase that incites all kinds of imagery in my mind. It reminds me of my in-residence years at Emporia, KS and the drudgery of sitting cross-legged on the floor for hours when wierwille came to the campus. The buzzspeak behind it was......at Christmas break, the corps were given 12-14 days break from the corps program and many would re-locate to a different campus in January, hence Ho Ho Re-Lo.

See, ain't that just so clever?

And, that *clever* little wayspeak trickled down into way society to others who NEVER WERE CORPS. Did they not realize that the term had in-house nomenclature only to corps? Don't know. But there it was.....grafting itself into the WHOLE of twi.

And, it was taboo to say 'Merry Christmas' because of the connotation involving Roman Catholics and it wasn't a mass for Christ. Besides, he [JC] wasn't born on that day anyways.....so just spout the generic 'Happy Holidays' and be done with it. Right? Wrong. Someone got the clever idea to add 'household' to make it MORE "accurate"......so, it evolved into Happy Household Holidays.

SEE....words DO matter. Now, don't ya feel more spiritual, twi?

{Sigh}

So....its been a long journey in reclaiming my own identity. Me. What I believe. What I deem important. How I view the world around me. My family and our traditions. Our moments of memory-building. What we value. Why we sing....or don't sing.

For many, its that time of year when THINGS THAT MATTER ARE EMBRACED....the love of a spouse, children, traditions, memories, etc. For some, its a very lonely and depressing time....and I attempt to keep this in mind, and pray accordingly. So, the words in cards, letters, greetings, around the table, and throughout the holiday season matter greatly. I hold dear those words that convey love, joy, peace and hope.

Little words are the building blocks of relationships, of memories. They are the mortar that constructs our dearest of all possessions.....precious relationships. Make sure that, with loved ones, you 'spend these words' wisely.

With these little words from the heart, I am reclaiming my identity. My soul is sovereign and I eschew things from a cult-foreign past.

Enjoy the holidays and family. Keep it real....every word of it.

[Twinky]

Here's two words at a time for you, Sky.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

[Ham]

If you don't mind me saying.

To reclaim one's identity, sometimes one must push the "reset" button.

For some, that might mean going to a few church services where the preacher refuses to define God Almighty for you..

maybe go to a few Catholic services.

join a local civic group, and do some REAL good in the community. Or at least try to.

Listen to old music you used to like to listen to. Beatles, Spirit, Jefferson Airplane, Led Zepplin, Traffic, James Gang, Yes.. and newer music that you missed like Norah Jones, Crowded House..

Eat somewhere between 600 and 800 morning glory seeds..

Petition the Creator as to what is really going on.. and don't be surprised if or when you get some kind of answer.

Explore childhood dreams (or visions if you will), and attempt to connect with whatever impression one once had..

Go back to school. Study a subject that you really like, or one that you could learn to like. Maybe two subjects.

just, do, something, different.

I could keep adding to the list. I've tried most if not all of them.

And by all means, say "Merry Christmas."

[Kit Sober]

I have the 1828 Webster's dictionary to remind me of the life-before-twi definitions. Even for such a simple thing as The Way (Jesus Christ) I need to replay what the Bible says and ignore the rants from that farm in Ohio. It gets easier every day, every year. Thanks also for the support of this place!!!

Edited December 20, 2013 by Kit Sober

[skyrider]

To reclaim one's identity, sometimes one must push the "reset" button.

I couldn't agree more.

When I visit my brother out west.....all it takes is getting on that John Deere

tractor for about five minutes and its like I never left the farm.

[Twinky]

Even for such a simple thing as The Way (Jesus Christ) I need to replay what theBile says and ignore the rants from that farm in Ohio.

"What the Bile says" ... !!

I misread what you said at first..

It's definitely "what the Bile says" coming out from that place. Rants and all.

As in that infamous blue book, "the Bile tells me so."

[Kit Sober]

Thanks for highlighting my error.

[Rocky]

Wierwille's cult was extremely short on empathy... which is kind of understandable for an organization built by a sociopath.

Understandable now that we're on the outside looking in. But that doesn't mean I think it was ever acceptable.

It seems to go to the heart of why we have needed to reclaim our identity in the first place.

[skyrider]

Wierwille's cult was extremely short on empathy... which is kind of understandable for an organization built by a sociopath.

Understandable now that we're on the outside looking in. But that doesn't mean I think it was ever acceptable.

It seems to go to the heart of why we have needed to reclaim our identity in the first place.

Yeah.....in our youth, many of us didn't quite know the essence of our true identity

BUT some of us recognized we were being manipulated to places that we didn't

want to go.

The sociopath wierwille knew that he had to deceptively distort our desires and

good intentions by pushing buttons of ego and pulling levers of peer pressure.

Wierwille KNEW that he was socio-engineering a generation of way-bots to conform

to twi-servitude. He was cunning, not stupid.

Reminds me of that 1978 Ice Castles: Click Here

In the movie, Alexis is a young, naïve skater from rural Iowa. She's quite good

in smaller competitive venues, but wonders and dreams of bigger achievements.

When that opportunity arrives.....her new coach begins to MANIPULATE everything

from her looks to her ice skating style. Soon, Alexis realizes that she does NOT

like what she's becoming......she wants out.

In the end: young Alexis returns to her roots and true identity.

[Steve Lortz]

Yep!

Love,

Steve

[Kit Sober]

In the light of the "short on compassion" it becomes more clear why Holy Spirit kept bringing true charity to my thinking (over and over, different versions, different highlights, but hardly a day went by when I Corinthians 13 wasn't in the forefront of "what do I need to do today" (And Charity still is a lovely girl and I still think about her and try to line up my thoughts with hers always.) This Christmas has brought a precious light to the holidays: How precious it is to come to the Lord as little children.

Little children are able to comprehend the wonder, the majesty, the glorious impossibilities of the Christmas story. I know I am running the risk of presenile dementia, but am trying to focus on the unbelievable awesomeness of God's giving His only begotten Son. And those Christmas carols of the wonder of that silent night are more and more precious.

Edited December 20, 2013 by Kit Sober

[WordWolf]

In the light of the "short on compassion" it becomes more clear why Holy Spirit kept bringing true charity to my thinking (over and over, different versions, different highlights, but hardly a day went by when I Corinthians 13 wasn't in the forefront of "what do I need to do today" (And Charity still is a lovely girl and I still think about her and try to line up my thoughts with hers always.) This Christmas has brought a precious light to the holidays: How precious it is to come to the Lord as little children.

Little children are able to comprehend the wonder, the majesty, the glorious impossibilities of the Christmas story. I know I am running the risk of presenile dementia, but am trying to focus on the unbelievable awesomeness of God's giving His only begotten Son. And those Christmas carols of the wonder of that silent night are more and more precious.

Of all people, the prospect of even possibly losing my memory with

advancing age frightens me a lot more than death does.

However, at the very least, some people have been able to retain a

positive life in the face of that. I was reading online about a family

dealing with a grandmother who was slowly having memory holes. She was

at hope, reminiscing about a boy she knew and wished she'd stayed in

touch with...and the family insisted she married him. She accused them of

teasing her, and they replied by telling her to look in the next room.

She did, saw her husband, and lit up like someone who found something

precious they thought they'd lost for life. It was a short story, but

I thought there was something beautiful about it.

I think focusing on an Awesome God, and an Awesome Lord and Saviour is worth

any possible side-effects, although I suspect there are few beyond a more

positive outlook, and hopefully a more peaceful, beatific one.

[Twinky]

... deceptively distort our desires and good intentions by pushing buttons of ego and pulling levers of peer pressure.

...her new coach begins to MANIPULATE everything...

In the end: young Alexis returns to her roots and true identity.

It was all about distortion.

As a final stab, when I got thrown out, the then Country Coordinator growled at me (with a fair degree of viciousness), "You could have been great!" as if to say, if I'd toed the party line more, I could have been a bigwig in TWI.

Fact is, I'd done everything they demanded and still couldn't get it right. Because I wasn't "meek" enough.

Fact is, I was meek to God and did as He wanted - not as TWI wanted.

In God's eyes, I'm as "great" now as I'm ever going to be. As I was then, too. It's nice to be liked, but I don't care too much for man's fickle approval.

I've got "me" back ("reclaimed," if you like) and I'm a better person for it. And that's because I have a closer walk with God. And with true Christians who have a close walk with Him.

End of!!!

Edited December 21, 2013 by Twinky

[skyrider]

It was all about distortion.

As a final stab, when I got thrown out, the then Country Coordinator growled at me (with a fair degree of viciousness), "You could have been great!" as if to say, if I'd toed the party line more, I could have been a bigwig in TWI.

Fact is, I'd done everything they demanded and still couldn't get it right. Because I wasn't "meek" enough.

Yes....twi leaders ALWAYS try to get in the last parting stab

with a twist of the knife.

At the end of my confrontational exit, the region guy told me that martindale

was thinking of requesting my next assignment as a member of the president's cabinet

at hq. Ooooooh, the enticement to "sit with the big-wigs at hq."

If twi can't manipulate you thru shaming and the probationary period,

then they angle to entice you thru vanity. "Look at what you're going to miss?"

[skyrider]

Yeah.....in our youth, many of us didn't quite know the essence of our true identity

BUT some of us recognized we were being manipulated to places that we didn't

want to go.

The sociopath wierwille knew that he had to deceptively distort our desires and

good intentions by pushing buttons of ego and pulling levers of peer pressure.

Wierwille KNEW that he was socio-engineering a generation of way-bots to conform

to twi-servitude. He was cunning, not stupid.

Reminds me of that 1978 Ice Castles: Click Here

In the movie, Alexis is a young, naïve skater from rural Iowa. She's quite good

in smaller competitive venues, but wonders and dreams of bigger achievements.

When that opportunity arrives.....her new coach begins to MANIPULATE everything

from her looks to her ice skating style. Soon, Alexis realizes that she does NOT

like what she's becoming......she wants out.

In the end: young Alexis returns to her roots and true identity.

And further......wierwille's manipulation [and the WHOLE of twi]

was 1)deception and 2)submission. Same trick, different day.

Hasn't that been the SAME deception thru the ages? To not have other gods

before the Lord God and not serve them. Sure, wierwille held his bible

and spoke some of these truths, but IN PRACTICE he served the flesh in all

its wretched 'glory'......food, drink, lusts, sex, possessions, etc.

Then, in spite of it all.....vic wanted "his people" to stay isolated

on the commune grounds and in the way homes. Refute your friends, family,

parents, hometowns, all of it......YET, did wierwille do this? NO. He

moved back to the WIERWILLE HOMESTEAD and relished in the wierwille

heritage and bloodline.

Wowsers! Does it get more blatant than that?

[excathedra]

be true to yourself

[chockfull]

Merry Christmas my brothers and sisters!!!!!

[Steve Lortz]

Merry Christmas!

...oh... wait... that's TWO words...

Well, as a special gift, you can use these two words to reclaim your identity anyway!

... in the name of Jesus Christ!

... uh... that's five more words...

Do it anyway!

Love,

Steve

[excathedra]

ho

ho

ja

lo

[Allan]

Oh yeah, I'm hearing ya ! when we told our campus co-ord we were leaving we got the whole "you guys were going to be the first to be given a scholarship sponsorship for your second year in-res." scenario...nah it's o.k. we're outa here..."well if you open your mouths about things you've seen, I'll personally throw you off the third floor landing"...yeah, cool, goodbye lol