Twinky

Lots here to enjoy. Stuff about TWI, discussion of doctrines (not necessarily just of TWI), politics, and some complete nonsense (LOL). Have fun and make new friends. You are only censored here if you behave abusively towards other posters; not if you just disagree. Disagreement is highly welcome. :)

In-rez WC gifts at this time of year might include a voucher book (or "vouchers") entitling the recipient to something nice that they couldn't easily get, or might enjoy. For instance: married couples had a bathroom (with bath) but single Corps just had showers. So a gift might be a candle-lit bath - simple, but some people enjoyed baths above showers. Others might give a voucher for a massage. Or a "get out of jail free" substitute thing - to take their place on some kind of work crew. Not having spare cash this year, I decided to give vouchers (eg): - For a back massage - For a week's worth of ironing of shirts - For a roast dinner complete with dessert of apple crumble You might consider vouchers for: washing someone's car, walking the dog, babysitting, window washing, digging the garden, mowing the lawn, trip to the beach/lake/forest/anywhere within xx miles. You choose what you feel able to give. Also, don't overlook Freecycle. I posted elsewhere about that. Amazing, some of the things you can get there. I got a "Survival" book (humorous) for a friend who is imagining disasters and loves wargames.

We have imperfect bodies. We inherit a range of genes and some are "better" than others. It's not a sin to catch a cold, or to fall over and break a bone. Not a sin to be born with parts of the body missing or defective. God looks on the (spiritual) heart, not the physical body. Because of time spent in TWI, some have (spiritual) hearts that have become damaged, or maybe were damaged to start with. even that's fixable. But TWI promotes spiritual "hardening of the arteries." That's a very serious disease.

I recall this saying as "doctrinal error leads to practical error." Let's face it, before we became Christians, all we had was practical error. We needed doctrine to set us right. Tzaia - I echo your post. So much of what was taught was an intellectual satisfaction or curiosity, or something to set us apart. Details. Irrelevancy. (Well, God is in the details, doncha know?) The details of being loving, kind, merciful, tender-hearted, forgiving... now those became submerged in the need to confront wrong thinking. Pah! Knowledge puffs up. Love builds up. The biggest doctrinal (and practical) error was the concentration on the knowledge - that puffs up the person holding the knowledge. The concentration on that - not on the loving building up of the other person.

Hey, I could sell my copy?? Get money back for it?? I could do with some of that money that I invested in TWI books and materials. If they're still selling it in the bookstore, that's another dose of Way hypocrisy. We all know that as soon as anyone left - writer, musician, whoever - any of that person's works were immediately withdrawn because the person was obviously possessed and all their works must have been subtly influenced by DS and therefore should not be listened to or read. This even extended to requiring followers on the field, just ordinary twig members, to discard their copies of music tapes and books. So obviously, that's what would happen to all materials authored by or involving LCM, right? Tell you what - AoS went up well, in the woodburner...! But I still have R&E someplace. Offers, wnyone? Who'd like to buy it from me? (Form an orderly line, please, this isn't Wal-Mart).

Seen those bumper stickers that say, "Speed kills"? This is, "Greed kills." Wild animals. Shame on anyone participating in the mad rush - there or elsewhere.

I just irony-ed my blouse in readiness for my interview tomorrow. Hope that magnetic personality attracts them to me. All their defences better be down (it's with the Ministry of Defence).

Don't know about your peas. Think you will have to treat them very tenderly and protect from frost. As to beans, these are very frost susceptible and usually aren't planted out until about May. They may be started indoors a little earlier than that but really, even if you plant later straight outdoors, they catch up. Spinach is good - a fresh green vege at this time of year. I have LOTS of chard ("perpetual spinach") which is growing faster than I eat it. I found a recipe for spinach soup the other day. Sounds weird but hey, why not try it at least once? But somehow it doesn't seem as appetising as pumpkin soup. I have lots of tiny seedlings where the leylandii were removed. They would only be "weeds" so they can sprout all they like and I will just keep knocking them back (or the frost will). Get 'em before they constrict my desirables next year.

Well, this could be fun. :) Very good fun. But we're thinking about next summer some time, and a lot of things could happen between now and then. If I don't get a job of some sort, any sort, pretty soon, I will be living in a tent in a field somewhere. :( With Tuxedo and Crypto to catch prey to feed us all, perhaps. Maybe the whole world will be living in tents. Barbecued mouse anyone?

Ah, but Juff, he did donate the FAMILY FARM to TWI. Whatever that was worth. But then he continued to live in it and enjoy it for the rest of his life. Like having your cake and eating it. Having your crop and it continuing to grow indefinitely. More reliable than farming, with the vagaries of weather and blight. Wouldn't be surprised if there was some sort of scheme whereby the farm (belonging to a charity) paid lower or no taxes on the land, than it did privately owned. Maybe the accountants among us can comment on that? Would he also get some sort of tax relief on personal taxes paid, if he gave away something of large value to a charity?

At the moment it's just an idea, Tom! There are flights direct into Bristol (nearest airport, 14 miles, decent bus/train transport). Or visitors can do the gruesome thing, fly into Heathrow or other London airport, battle for hours getting from the airport, and still sit 3 hours on a coach/train.

Yeah, I thought the "freely received, freely given [away]" bit, too. Though I realize Bibles are not given away except by the Gideons, and I accept that study books also need to be paid for. But not at a huge mark-up! On the other hand: how much is the cost of the following? TLB recites: TLB also says: I posted above that the Alpha course that I did a few sessions of invited donations (and they were donations, non-obligatory) towards the cost of a meal. If you couldn't or didn't want to contribute that was fine. I do think that if TWI had provided free meals and babysitting services, that also would have been a point of argument for some people here. They would say it was like those free meals that Moonies invited people to. So in that respect TWI was criticized if it did and criticized if it didn't. (Come to think about it, as my PFAL was all day Sat (2 sessions) and all day Sun (2 sessions) they DID provide the meals and I can't recall being asked for a financial contribution.)

Yes, I always hated that. Couldn't see why I had to pay. No church I'd ever heard of made one pay. I took ages to come up with the money. I was really hesitant. It was only because the person who had witnessed to me and eventually got me to sign up was coming under huge pressure from others (probably interim Corps) to stop hanging around with me. He was on his WoW year and just nobody was signing up. At the time I said, if it's a donation why do I have to pay? If it's a charge, call it so. I was told the £25 (I think; varied between £25 and £50) was to cover the cost of books and materials. When I got the books, I thought, these couldn't possibly cost £25 to produce, how much mark-up is there on these? Ha ha. Welcome to the world of obligation and double-speak. Had I known what was to come, I would have departed right after PFAL. The Alpha course starts with a group meal, then a talk, then a discussion time. Anyone can talk about any thing. No charge for the evening. People are invited to contribute towards the cost of the group meal but it's not obligatory and no-one keeps a record. This thread's made me think: what they were looking for was the "fleeceable" ones - who they could get putting their hands in their pockets right from the get-go. And I ahve a suspicion that even at that stage, those who would not pay up were subject to some minor condemnation - not wanting to enjoy the greatness of God's Word. Of course, right after (if not during) PFAL there was the "encouragement" to buy the Blue Book then the rest of the collaterals... and the subscriptions to the Way Mag etc

You mean something like, fist of iron in a creamy glove? (LOL)

Thought Cafe patrons may be interested in the following: http://www.packhorseinn.com/ Called in for a visit yesterday after a country walk. Just had to sample the guest cider. And play with the open log fire. And have another pint... When I get a new job (note I say when, not if) my friend who has been so kind to me will permit me to take him out for a meal to celebrate. We are going to the Packhorse. The menu on the web page looks rather out of date and the website could do with a bit of updating (for spelling) but the whole sort of adds to the rustic feel of the place. Check out the bit about the pub itself.

Interesting, WD. They made me close my account, too. Sent a check and insisted I present it. I wanted to transfer the funds to my spiritual partner who was in rez in teh WC but they wouldn't allow that. They wrote to me several times to get me to present the check. They even extended the use-by date as more than six months had elapsed. Afterwards I learned that my SP had left in rez (voluntarily, I think) but did they tell me that? Ha ha.

Misread this to start with. Thought you said, "This sediment comes from one of my mom's favorite coffee mugs....." But I guess there's no butts in your coffee. Went to give blood last Friday (true story). Medics wouldn't take it. My iron level isn't high enough. They took a blood sample. The blood sample will be tested back at the Blood lab. They will be checking my level of ferritin. The medic just didn't get it when I said there were no ferrets in my blood.

Ah! Now I know why you always manage to post your replies in about 4 or 5 consecutive posts! You were running up to make a record of some sort!! A record...a musical squirrel, perhaps? Carry on, buddy!

Oh I just picked up on this thread. Toad in the hole is sausage links surrounded by batter and baked in an open pan. The sausages brown nicely and the batter is often slightly soft and mushy in the middle. Delicious. (Sausage links are usually 1/2" to 1" in diameter - not big fat things that you crumble into "biscuits and gravy" which is an entirely different dish.) The batter for Yorkshire puddings can be rather delicious and there are lots of variations. Basically it's a thinnish batter (made of eggs, milk, plain/all purpose flour and a pinch of salt) that is cooked fast at high temp in the oven. Usually in little patty tins, not one big one. Some recipes add a little beer. Often recommended is to keep a little of last week's batter to add into this week's batter (assumes a Yorkshire pud every week!). If made fresh, best to let it stand for half an hour or so before cooking. Yes, traditionally cooked with a teaspoon meat dripping, to grease the patty tin.

Here's a memory from overseas. I was on a street corner in the next village. The Brownies were having a "clean-up" and and we were going round the neighbourhood picking up rubbish and putting into sacks (no fears about "needle stick" in those days!). Think there must have been a radio on in a shop on the street corner where we were all meeting. Heard the news and adults tending our little group must have been discussing. It didn't mean much to me but I knew it was something important.

And again, Paw. Have a great time. Ron - if Paw is on a liquid diet, he must be having floating candles (LOL).

Could somebody please tell me why the address is given as being in Phoenix, AZ? What's that got to do with being in Ohio? Does this statement also account for assets held at Gunnison and Indiana?

Thanks for the replies on this. WW, yes, I wondered about the zero Corps. Not much known about them. Or what became of them after they left. Ham - no doubt any Spotter wouldn't be welcome at the Way - though clearly some returnees are. As I live so far away, opportunities for strolling round the grounds again are somewhat less likely than my opportunities for visiting Antarctica. Waysider - where would you meet the "tripped out" believers? You make it sound as if they were in the vicinity - at your local meeting, for example - which wouldn't make them completely M&A'd. The bit about avoiding your "old man" friends is a different policy. (I'm sorry to hear about your friend with MH problems. You might have been able to offer genuine help, if only just a listening ear.) The earlier practices don't seem to have been quite so vicious, but perhaps I am mistaken. At a guess, after PoP, LCM upped it to another level in his attempt to regain control and impose his will. Wouldn't want anybody going after the leaders (in particular) who had chosen not to give the pledge of allegiance to him. Some of those people went and hung out with CGeer. I remember some pretty nasty things being said about "cop outs" in the late 80s. I think it ratchetted to another level again in the early to mid-90s, when the pressure from the lawsuits was falling upon him more, though we didn't know about it at the time. (This bit, I know from personal experience, was spite and viciousness unadulterated.) Does that sound about right? No doubt LCM as WC2 would have heard one way or another about the zero Corps and it would have been drummed into him how bad they were. It was his elder Corps, after all, and he wouldn't want to follow their example.

Just popped in for a quick look at this thread. Doesn't that tune go with some other words as well? Though the words are very vague in my mind. Includes "pray without ceasing" ?? (But then, that might be, name that hymn tune (LOL) )

I just saw an interview clip that Cheranne posted - it's a woman who escaped from the JWs and - guess what - has written a book about her experiences in a cult. She left when she was 18 and has been shunned by her family ever since - 35 years. This has been a practice of many religious organizations over the centuries - but what I'm wondering is - when did it start in TWI? Given that VPW plagiarized the bulk of his material in The Orange Book (PFAL) and The White Book (RHST), did he learn this from JE Stiles and whoever else he cribbed from? Or did he bring it with him from the church where he had been ordained? Or did he look at how other churches exercized control and see how it kept their congregations quiet? Or do you think he selectively read the sections in Corinthians and Titus and decided to throw "new light" on them (=take them to a new extreme)? Maybe anyone who was around in the very early years could comment. Then again, LCM took the practice to new heights in his purges during his reign of terror - but LCM learned it from somewhere - from his "father in the Word." I don't want this to be a discussion about this abusive practice, of which there are many other threads. Just wondering when it started in TWI.