Leaderboard

If you have access to the Internet - this YouTube is just as effective:

It would be interesting to say the least. Personally, I feel without the fake, controlled fellowship environment, classes and all the re-indoctrination that most people would recognize pflap as half baked, semi Christian self help material. I don't care which class and I don't care which version of pflap book. Without that group constantly rubbing in how great and miraculous the material is hardly anybody would arrive at the same conclusions based on applying the content alone. And God forbid a somewhat astute observer compares pflap to scripture because then it really falls flat. It's that Barnum and Bailey hype that convinces people of the material, not the fruit of the material itself.

Yeah, I hear you on that, OldSkool! As a matter of public record on Grease Spot I hold to a similar ‘policy’ as you. One of the reasons I am that way is to ignore the can-you-top-this brag sessions and another reason is I like to refer to experiences and observations that are common to a lot of Grease Spotters and then I usually segue into Scripture and plain logic to make my case. Too bad there’s not some legitimate sociologist who would take an interest in a study of PFAL grads 1 year after taking the class, 5 years after taking the class, 10 years after taking the class, etc., and maybe even do a Data Download like Chuck Todd does on Meet the Press with different graphs and stats to show trends of increasing financial wealth, or financial setbacks, job changes, infidelities, divorces, how many had children, and at the 1, 5, and 10 year benchmark also have a category to show level of satisfaction or sense of fulfillment...it might be a real eye-opener for some PFAL-diehards.

You know what killed that little boy? Budget cuts.

This post was directed at OldSkool, not me. Other than that.....yes, kudos to OldSkool to come thru this experience with success.

I think if I accidentally poisoned myself and the Poison Control center told me to induce vomiting I might seek out a copy of PFAL.

That was one of LCM's fave phrases at one time. Made me wince then, and makes me wince now. Can't imagine how he thought it would fit with: Amplified Bible Now we who are strong [in our convictions and faith] ought to [patiently] put up with the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not just please ourselves and Christian Standard Bible Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. New American Standard Bible Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not just please ourselves. 2Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. 3For even Christ did not please Himself... (or choose your own version of Rom 15:1) Hey, did Christ get it wrong? By bearing the weaknesses of human beings? Was Christ's strength brought down by human weakness? Are we not supposed to: Amplified Bible Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love]. And going forward: Haven't we overcome the weakness of our human abilities (not necessarily our human physical strength): New International Version You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Congrats!!! Milestones achieved !!!! You are awesome and deserve to live on in success and happiness.

Fictitious Financial Planner Ploys Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Judah. A fake doctor named Goliath, who was from Ohio, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was a little over nine bottles of Drambuie stacked one on top of another. He had a beanie cap with propeller on his head and one good eye. The other peeper was a pig’s eye that he said was for enhanced awareness and perception. His lawyer / fixer and covered-cart driver went ahead of him to scope out the chicks. On either side of the cart was a sign If you see this cart a rockin’ don’t come a knockin’. Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not empties floating by? Choose a man and have him come down and fight me.” For twelve sessions of extended nonsense the Philistine repeated the same challenge. Now David tended his father’s sheep and was always packing heat since he had a concealed slingshot license. When he heard about what was going on at the Philistines’ Public Ex, he went there booms-quick to face Goliath. When Goliath saw the challenger was just a scrawny little Hebrew boy he said, “You Hebrews and your budget cuts”. David said to the Philistine, “Budget cuts my a$$!” Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone with a tiny inscription Lil’ Whoop-A$$ . He slung it and struck the Philistine in his one good eye. The blind giant had to be led away by the hand of his lawyer / fixer and covered-cart driver. The Philistines’ Public Ex was held in abeyance until further notice.

It hasn't been fun or easy but well worth it. I'm alive and happy.

Mea culpa. Apologies to Sky and OldSkool, but yes, I meant WELL DONE, OLDSKOOL.

There is no temptation. Stop distracting by referring to fictional material. If it’s not fictional then post it. This is not the VP era of its true because VP says so. We require actual work done prior to referring to it.

Absolutely, Sky, "forgetting" is a big part of why some fall into addiction - drugs, alcohol, whatever dulls the pain of what it is they want to forget. Often it's abusive childhoods, whether physical (beaten by dad, say) or mental (constantly put down by mum, say). Your sister abused you by plying you with alcohol at 10yo. Awful. Funny for her, potentially fatal for you at that young age. Great that you've come through it to be the fine man you are now. You have a lot that you can use to help others. It takes much guts for anyone to admit dependency and then to face up to whatever got an individual to be dependant in the first place. And then to come through that is serious success.

I think that it's safe to say that Lonnell Johnson was not going to allow himself to be caught in twi's trap. Even though he graduated in the 2nd way corps, he did not allow that to define him. Therefore, by 1977 or so he started vigorously pursuing academic achievement to strengthen his ability to break free.

Dude, you're the guy who's been crying for years about how it's all in the collaterals. Now you're saying that argument needs to be augmented? Sorry, can't have your cake and jar of pickles too. Is it all in the collaterals or isn't it? "Well, ya see it's complicated......"

You think wrongly. My advantage is that I look at them with a clear mind, a mind free from conditioning, free from indoctrination, free from expectations, free from conclusions, free from emotion, free from beleeef. Emotion doesn't need to be suppressed. That's childish. That's not how I deal with emotion. I'm not on a ride and I'm not hooked. I take no free rides. victor did, though. He took a free ride on the backs of so many. He thought he could freely spit in the face of a messenger of God. Look what happened. He paid the ultimate price. There's your fruit, unchanging.

The “training period” you refer to is taking PFAL. Once you are through PFAL there is contained all the material in it to both blame victims and blame yourself for “not believing” Yes I did see the mass spam post of scriptures you posted yesterday. No I do not agree that beyond an attempt to DDOS attack the thread with misapplied scriptures that are too numerous to dissect individually that it proves anything. Much of Jesus action was dual natured. He had to bring Gods solution into the present while balancing keeping the critics at bay - the very same Pharisees who would denigrate his name and negate his efforts. No Jesus was not “blaming” people for “mental assent”. But your PLAF saturated brain cells most certainly do exactly that.

Well, lemme chime in as the local recovering alcoholic who has had SERIOUS battles with addiction. You aleady stated many of the possible reasons why people turn to drugs and alcohol. But I wanna handle one you didnt mention. Drugs make a person feel good and allow a person to forget. Thats the exact root cause that led me to stay involved in drugs when I had a choice before I became an addict. Not too many people see the hook or feel the hook being set. I started off drinking and abusing drugs because my older sister thought it was funny to get me completely jacked up and pass out...I was 10. So while I really didnt have a snowballs chance when I was young, as I got older I chose drugs and alcohol. It was a lifestyle I desired and running the streets was who I was. I sobered up for a good while once I got involved with TWI, but never could admit that I was an alcoholic and should never touch alcohol again. So when my son was born and I caught the brunt of his major health problems I turned to alcohol to numb it out. By the time I was addicted I couldnt stop: literally. I was so physically hooked that my hands would start shaking aroun 3pm each day because the withdrawals were setting in while I had been working. Since Ive turned to Christ he has empowered me over my addiction as long as I dont drink. Sounds kinda simple, but I couldnt stop. I tried for three years to put the bottle down on my own and physically couldnt. The very day I turned to Christ and repented of my lifestyle I was able to quit cold turkey and havent touched a drop in several years now. Nobody sets out to be an addict, we are overtaken by addiction and dont see it even when we are in the midst of it's grip.

A strong apple is only as weak as the rotten barrel it's chained to.