Twinky

Mike, remind us which Corps you were in. And what TWI positions you held after graduation, and for how long. Many of the people posting here are actually Corps grads. You know how many times we had to study the PFAL material? Teach things from it? Field Corps often ran classes; how many times do you think they heard the material? Had to answer questions on it. Others, Corps and non-Corps alike, ran twigs at which collaterals were made available - and would have to answer questions from new twiggies on TWI material. Some of these people may have done this for many years, especially field Corps. Obviously you know it better, so I'm just asking for your creds. Also, perhaps you would tell us what non-TWI sources you have studied. There are on-line study guides, commentaries, etc (see, eg, Crosswalk) - some of which are valuable and some of which are less so. Some of them are pushing a point of view with some obviousness; others don't seem to be. Are you saying that VPW didn't push his point of view? Are you really saying that? Just like other reputable sources don't see things from their point of view? Anyway, Mike, why shouldn't it be "mixed with other teachers' comments and writings"? Who says it's "hopelessly mixed" (other than you)? I don't think even VPW said he had a monopoly on the truth. His claim was in the presentation of the truth. Shouldn't we be looking at the author and finisher of faith, the head of the Church, rather than at another disciple?

Hey Strange One, many happy returns, have a great day. Twinx

I know, I have a load of these sort of books and things, too. They'd cost a tidy pile if I were to go out and buy them all now (not that TWI would let me, probably!). I don't want to study/read them, hate to burn them, not a ready market for sale, but can't bear to give them away to a charity shop - who knows what effect they could have on some poor soul? As it happens they are in another country from where I now live, but the person in whose house they are wants me to decide what to do with them. Is it worth shipping them, so that I can have my own burn the chaff day? Do I want to clutter up my house with stuff I'll never look at? However the AoS video has already met a fiery doom. I know! I'll ship the books to Bliss and she can put them with her books.... (ducking for cover)...

Dot, you haven't failed you. We are all "a work in progress." You haven't quit, and you're still alive. Therefore you're still a work in progress. Keep on moving, babe! BTW still haven't found that item you asked me about. But I keep looking.

A "stole" seems sort of appropriate, considering the whole of TWI was founded on stolen material. The thing over a fireplace is actually a mantelpiece rather than just a "mantle". Slightly different spelling, probably archaic but same root. Also, a mantle is a sort of wick for a Tilley lamp and such like. Dictionary defines is as "a small dome shaped or cylindrical mesh, used to increase illumination in a gas or oil lamp by becoming incandescent." Perhaps that's what made LCM incandescent with rage sometimes.

Well, I'm glad this "Watch me eat, Mom" is a "normal" thing. Yes, even if there is food left in the bowl, I have to add a little more or stir it round a little. Odd. I had a nice cuddle with Tuxy the other night. I was ignoring her as she wandered across my desk and couch. This made her become very annoying and keep putting herself there. After some hours I seized her and made her lie in my lap. The usual fight, then she settled down, purring with enthusiasm, let me stroke her in places she doesn't usually allow to be touched (under the chin, etc), and eventually curled up and went to sleep, refusing to move! Hah, I thought, a real pet cat. I moved to the couch and lay down with her on my chest, and she loved it. Went to sleep very happily. All the while Crypto is watching and making her happy praaa-oow? sort of sounds. Coming very close and gazing at me and at Tuxy. I kept putting Tuxy where Crypto could see her, to show C that being fondled isn't such a scary thing. T just turned her back on C. It was nice while it lasted. We are back to normal today. Wander up and then as a hand is extended to fondle, running off immediately. And whining/mewing for attention. But Tuxy definitely fights me less than she did. She wriggles to get away but doesn't scratch at me. That's progress. And Crypto doesn't hide in cupboards any more but will sit watching me from a distance of 4 or 5 feet. That's progress, too. I will have had these little darlings (?) for a year on Jan 17. You would think that by now they would have realized that I am not going to eat them or whatever it is they are afraid of. Now Leafy, how ever did you get started on hand feeding at 3am? Take some sleeping pills (crush them into Tuffy's food!!!). Walk him to his bowl... ha ha ha

What surprises me about my two girlies is that they expect me to watch them eating. I put food down for them and go and do other things. They'll eat if really hungry but otherwise more or less leave the food. They will come and mew at me (if I'm in the house) for fresh stuff and if I put it down they will gobble it down but if I walk out of the room they will leave the fresh food - until I come back in again. Then, they will attack it with enthusiasm. They make like they want to play, but when I play with them they will just return to the food bowl. Are they just being immature cats , am I a mother subsitute, am I their guardian angel, or is something else going on here? Tuxy is thin but Crypto seems to be putting on weight (getting fatter). They are such odd creatures.

Hey! I was on Beverage Crew so often I made gallons and gallons of coffee! And we did our very best to make it pleasant to drink!!! (Sorry if it was nasty; we did our best!) Sleep...4 hours...now that was a real luxury on Bev Crew when there was a big event on...

I'm a property lawyer. And I lost my job end of last March. Absolutely zero prospects of getting taken on in that field for foreseeable future. Am looking at insolvency law right now. Am also looking at anything else that will bring in a legal income.

Well, folks - the girlies stayed home. My next door neighbors checked on them several times a day. Got back home last night and they eyed me up and avoided me. At least for a while. Taz (neighbor) said they missed me and kept looking around up the stairs for me. Friend visited last night and he said the same. But when I come down the stairs - they run off and hide! They have turned into thieves, in as much as they pull down the Go-Cat box and push it all over the floor till the contents spill out. It was nice staying with my mum over Christmas. She has "our" cat, who looks very like Crypto but is much older. Twinkle is no less than 13 and could be much older (self-rescue cat, came after being abandoned and never went away). She loves to lie on a lap or, better, on one's chest. She purrs with delight at being touched. I call her a "bendy toy" because you can grap a hold of her and position her on your lap in the way you want her to lie, and then she just gives a sigh and you can feel her body relaxing into the position you have put it in. Try doing that with the girlies. Ha ha ha. Off like a shot.

(((Dot))) Who are you? To yourself? Who do you want to be? Notta What a wonderful "happy" story. So glad it is working out so well for you!

WaXne Cl@pp at CFFM has given evidence in other child custody cases. Don't know if he would be able and willing to help. Might depend on how long, and when, you were involved, and at what level, as to whether any evidence he could give (if willing to help) would be of any value. What he can say is that TWI is a cult.

Grace and compassion. Kindness and forgiveness. ...Make a marriage work. No legalism, if you have honestly tried your best and it still doesn't work out. Sometimes the other party simply won't also try. We are not to be in bondage (well, unless mutually agreed, and both enjoy it, LOL!) Grace and compassion are not commonly found in sociopaths. :unsure:

Excellent, Mark!

Got to know yourself, as well. Why, exactly, do you want to be involved with this particular person? If you expect someone else to meet all your emotional needs, maybe you need to do a bit of growing up yourself. Likewise, if they expect you to fulfil all their emotional needs. On the other hand, loving and honest communication can help both of you grow emotionally, both as individuals and together. Balance, isn't it. Because none of us wants to be manipulated, either, and that's what the type of person discussed in this thread thrives on. He/She is emotionally needy, expects someone else to fulfil their needs. And one of their needs is to be the hunter/predator. Loves the chase, but not interested in the prey itself.

(or maybe the RC was protecting "his" flock by keeping the ravening wolf away from the women!)

As a former matrimonial lawyer, I'd have to say that so much marriage breakdown comes from the inability of the couple to really communicate. Take time to make a safe space so that the other can say what he or she wants or needs to say. Take time to learn to express what you want to say. Take time to hear what the other is saying. Forget yourself, for a change. Take time to see how the other is changing over the years, and may have different needs now. Be ready to change, knock your own rough bits off. Do it early. Do it often. When a marriage breaks down, it's rarely one person's fault. So one has an affair? Not good, but what did the other party not do, that led the "guilty" party to want to try elsewhere? It's usually lack of appreciation. And most things can be overcome, with patience, and perhaps external help. With the "romantic sociopath" - as with any partner/potential partner - take lots of time beforehand. Find out as much as you can. Make haste slowly. If considering marriage to someone who'd been married before and divorced, it might be helpful know why the previous mariage broke down, and what the potential new partner had learned from that (= would do differently now). If they blamed the other party completely and took no responsibility, it'd red-flag for me that they weren't quite ready for another marriage.

George, I don't know which one of 'em it came from, cannot remember now. But I do know there was a dead set against it, not just the quick speculative buy/sell just to make a profit. It was, no shares. Invest in something you know about (good advice) - with a sort of pointer (though without demand) about moving the word (ie, give it to us). The "give it to us" wasn't some heavy thing, though, inasmuch as they didn't keep banging on about it like they did with some other things. Anybody know what they actually did or do invest it/buy shares in?

Was just looking at the TWI financial statement on another thread. TWI in 2007 had $21.5 million in "Money Market" investments. Now that's all very nice and if you happen to have $21 million it has to be somewhere, not stuffed under the floorboards. But what do you do with it? Because I recall ((though I cannot recall where from exactly) that TWI taught it was "unethical" to invest in things that you didn't have an interest in. I think that's a Wierwillism, can't remember now. (Was it the Advanced Class?) It was a real no-no to invest in stuff where you didn't know who owned what. Coupled with that, investment in the stockmarket was seen as a form of gambling. This is looking to me very much like another form of TWI hypocrisy - you can't do this - but we will. So if you have a not insignificant sum of money - where do you invest it? Does anyone know where TWI actually invested surplus cash? It's not in land or buildings; they show separately. And it's not just "cash at bank" either.

Too right, Waysider! Just saw this thread come up - wow, shouldn't it be in Soap Opera?? I read the first and last half dozen pages and found this: Don't you? What if someone's behavior has caused you immense pain or difficulty? Your child got killed by a drunk driver? Your house got burned down by an arsonist, and all your sentimental things with it. Someone attacked you and caused you to be permanently injured - paralyzed or to lose a limb. Forgiveness won't bring the dead child back or build the house or replace the family heirloom or repair the paralyzed or missing limb. You can forgive, but you still have to deal with the effects of someone's behavior. Therefore to some extent you have to think about the offending party. You just don't think about them bitterly. If you can think about them with compassion, that has to be a bonus.

Next door neighbors are here over the hols and will look after cats if needed. At present am feeding them in the carriers. Tuxy has no hesitation and just charges in to eat. Crypto peers in every direction and then enters cautiously. Soon both tails are swishing gently. I think they could both easily be captured. Undecided about whether to take them. My mum has a cat too, an elderly critter who loves a fondle. Mine might get stressed at being on another cat's territory. Twinkle might beat up my two (which wouldn't do Tuxy any harm at all, make her realize life doesn't revolve around her) but she (Twinkle) might also show them how enjoyable being fondled is. Mum is a bit worried in case Tuxy waters the carpet and says they must be confined to the bathroom (that wouldn't last long!!). So I have to balance the stress of being caged, traveling and being in a new location with another cat; with the stress of being alone for 4 or 5 days and somebody they don't know very well tending them. Neighbors also have an indoor cat so will probably carry his scent on their clothing. My sofa and dining chairs to pee on! Sounds a bit "no contest" but you never quite know with these two.

Coolchef, since your reply is here in triplicate, should we take it that it was completely completely final when you gave up your volunteering in his garden?

Got born again in an Anglican church somewhere between ages 10 and 13, can't remember. Got to see God's power in manifestation from a Way believer, who got answers to prayers on a very consistent basis. Got to really love my Mum, who has truly sacrificed her life to live as Godly a life as she can. The care and loving kindness she has bestowed on so very many (not even family) over the many decades of her life is outstanding. She has lived in poverty because she gives away her last penny, and she will drop everything to be with me or my siblings in our times of need. But I'd call her Christ incarnate - not God incarnate.

Sounds to me like you may be making assumptions that just aren't justified. Maybe they don't read the Bible - doesn't mean they don't think about it. If recently left, they may be mulling over what some scriptures really do say/mean. Maybe they pray silently before a meal. Is TWI going through one of its phases where they are encouraged to use non-jargon words? Maybe they have started to go to some other church and simply do not feel they can discuss it with the rest of you. Have you told them how much better your own life is since you left? Would it help if you started a conversation along the lines of, "These days, I feel so much more comfortable about.../ I'm learning to listen to God's quiet voice in .../ there was a great song on [the local Christian radio station] today/ The preacher at the church I go to now was preaching about... and it was really refreshing". Love 'em up and let 'em know there is life after TWI. Sounds like you don't see them very often. Why don't you just go on over and hang out for a while? Just be "family."

Just being iron-willed about it, Lifted. No, actually, I think they'd be playing "Waiting for the other shoe to fall" http://www.strum.co.uk/sounds/shoe.htm (Oh, BTW, my personality wasn't magnetic enough and I got the "No thank you" letter yesterday. :( )