Twinky

No, Potato, this was in the UK - in the mid-80s...

I do think there was a statement in one of the classes, CF&S probably but it might have been PFAL (?), that a husband and wife are two people with two heads and two tongues and they should discuss things together. I think he also said that a husband should listen to a wife's opinion. Of course, the practise was quite different. But I remember the WOW who witnessed to me (male) and I were walking in the town one day and he said to me that God would be able to tell a husband if a wife's purse was undone so that he could tell her and she could close the purse and not lose things or have things stolen. My question then was, "Why couldn't God just tell the woman herself?" and I got some such answer as "The man is responsible for the woman." I think he might have made some reference to Adam and Eve. He was an AC grad, and at most at that stage I would have taken PFAL but perhaps not even that. So the seeds of this bullying behavior were already there from early indoctrination. It just got far worse in the Corps.

My Corps got to sit at the Master's feet. It was at those Sunday morning fellowships in the BRC. People came in off staff and from out of town and filled the little place. There were chairs along the walls but the in rez Corps were expected to sit on the carpet and it was forbidden to sit on the chairs. So lots of people acquired a sort of little legless chair. just a backrest really, which made sitting at the master's feet a little easier. But we were still on the floor in the middle. Well anyway where else should a doormat be, except on the floor?

Wives (and females generally) were expected to obey (submit to) their husbands (or other male leadership). Some might remember DM's "The Joy of Followship" extolling what a pleasure it is to serve one's husband (fat lot of good that did her). We were taught this: Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. (And wives were not just subject to their own husbands, but to the "coordinators" and leadership who told the husband what to do and interfered with so many marriages and condoned so much violence and abuse.) (Hang on a minute while they give the scriptures another "twist".) But this bit was never taught, not in any real practical sense: Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: Nourish and cherish? By beating up your wife? How many of these abusers beat themselves up? Twisted scriptures? Wrung to death, more like. Colossians 3:18-19 18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. But then, a husband could hardly model himself on the sacrifice made by JC since we were basically taught to ignore JC and not read the gospels and consider the magnificent sacrifice that he did make for the Church. Was JC bitter against the church in spite of all the disobedience and rejection? Come on guys, you know the answer!

Or even the second weekend in November. So don't turn up too early...or the Halloween critter under the bed will get you.

Thanks, Paw, for pointing me at the Podcasts. When I emerged into the "real world" I found and sometimes still find it quite difficult to keep up in my mind with what someone's saying. I have now resumed my professional career but instead of analyzing what clients are telling me and looking for what they are NOT telling me, I just let it all in and take every word as truth - instead of asking the "further question" to get that bit of information they DIDN'T tell you, that puts a different complexion on what they've just told you. I can only put that down to never getting proper answers to questions in TWI. If you get bawled out enough for asking questions or an environment is encouraged where you are told what to do and "you wlll see the benefits/blessings/get the understanding later," you just learn to shut off that part that still wants and needs answers NOW. But worse than shutting off one's professional and personal critical abilities, we were trained to shut off God's voice as much as they could train us to do that. Huh (snort)

Hey y'all. It was so good to meet up with you! As Eyes says, a convention of exTWI. Well it wasn't, it was the Grease Spot Cafe live and in persons (and some of you just thought the Cafe was virtual on the internet only, huh?). Many thanks, ex10 and hubby for being wonderful generous hosts and making such a great time "available" to everyone. Winking belts and all.

My best girlfriend of many years (pre TWI) has recently completed training to become a minister in the Methodist church. She has studied quite a lot of topics, they discuss different interpretations of scripture, they considered different ways various situations might be handled, they visited places of worship of other religions (boy, did she have something to say about the mosque they visited), they had to write essays and give considered opinions, they learned how to do funerals and visited funeral parlors (and behind the scenes there) (which was very good because the day before she officially started as a minister, a parishoner died so her first task was his funeral!), they had lengthy but helpful counselling sessions to be sure that they knew what they wanted to do and where they felt their calling lay. They had no training in Greek, Hebrew or whatever else. No "hands-on practical application of The Word" by working four hours a day. She trained through a training college with a good reputation which was used by Methodist and Anglican trainees and I believe there were a couple of people from other denominations as well. Sounds to me like they were all carefully and thoroughly introduced to topics, aspects of life as a minister, the ways they could help their congregations... At the time she started that my head was still - in TWI-land. I am ashamed to say that I thought her training was inappropriate and poor and not practical. It was nothing like the WC and sounded too wishy-washy to be true. What, no face meltings? No interminable meetings? No confrontation at all, just these gentle heart to heart talks (which she dreaded!)? No, just time to think about God and his word, to study carefully and to be lovingly guided, to be exposed to different ways of thinking, and to be allowed to choose a path that fitted with their own desires and family commitments. She was so helpful to me in "just being there" and being non-confrontational. She is naturally kind and compassionate. I didn't have any contact for years in TWI daze but afterwards it was as if there had never been a break. She is so compassionate as to say that she is really sorry that it didn't work out for me with TWI, even though she didn't like the organization, but because she knew it had been significant for me. (This is one wise woman who went to a PFAL presentation and never went back.) Twisted scriptures? Twisted training? Indoctrination, or teaching to think Godly? I look at what she underwent and what I underwent. We both learned. One of us however has a considerable amount to unlearn. Now, I can be helpful to her in dealing with some things she has encountered because I've been there. And also I really did study to learn whilst in rez (actually what I learned and practiced got me kicked out not too long after). I am very thankful for her life. I wish her well in her (Trinitarian) ministry. God bless her and her family. She has a true calling and is a real pastor to God's kids.

Hey, leave Twinky out of the microwave!!! That goes for Twinkle too. She don't want to be in the microwave either. And Tom Strange, you especially stay away from twinkies and microwaves (graaowww!)

miss chrispy... can't stay away from GSC! niKa & ex10 these folks look like they're up to no good! (but probably not twinky or eyes open) THE man... THE legend the smiling faces of 'our host' and Tonto looking good, even in B&W niKa & DWBH

Interesting... Would that be with a bow tie on the handlebars, or a conventionally tied tie lying across the fuel tank? Never let yourself get amputated from the Body of Christ, folks. (Even you, George.) WW: When I was these young people's ages, I was getting sucked into TWI by an impressively open young man who seemed to have a lot of answers and always seemed to get his prayers answered. He was a good guy - M&A'd now, of course, long since. They dropped him as soon as he confronted some leadership who weren't doing what was right.

Okay, who's been reading Tim LaHaye's "Left Behind"? :)

Believe it or not I've been on weekend hiking trips with a shared evening meal and dessert has been fruit dipped in chocolate fondue. For saying people like to hike light that's some going because fruit is so heavy. But it's always popular and quite a good way to laze around on a summer evening when you've done a long day's walk. You'd think it would be messy to clean the pan out but strangely enough there is never a shortage of volunteers to clean that pan.

One white whisker one side, 2 the other side, a few white hairs in the throat. When you see her in the light, she's really an extremely dark chocolatey brown colour which you can just make out on one of the photos. She's not exactly "fluffy" but her hair (fur) sticks out sideways rather than lying sleekly against her body, so she looks plumper than she really is. She has a lovely loud rolling purr.........

Anybody who's interested, this little girl has an album coming out on (I think) November 17. The proceeds are to go to charity.

Just an update: Twinkle is now in excellent health, shiny coat, put on a little weight that she had lost and isn't in the least deterred from exploring in the place she was last apparently located in the little wood next to the house. She is a determined scavenger and insists on eating bits of bread put out for birds. As well as scraps donated by the neighbors, other cats' food, and raiding her own food dish. Here's some photos (if I did this right).

They couldn't see the room (from reports I've read, some of which tend to fiction) but it wasn't far away and the complex was very close to where they were dining, just a couple of minutes' walk. It was a holiday location and clearly the parents felt relaxed in that environment. The parents said they checked back every 20-30 mins that the kids were okay and the kids were always asleep. Until one of them was missing... Many parents go out and leave their sleeping toddlers (if the kids normally sleep through the night and have no particular problems) while the parents take a brief break, so although it wasn't ideal, it wasn't heinous. I feel deep compassion for these people. Can't imagine how much time they must have spent in "If only" land. Think I read somewhere that they now accept that Madeleine might in fact be dead.

Okay, Oldies, let's start with you. Stop being anonymous, post your own photo, and give your real name. You're an anonymous finger pointer at plenty of other people on these boards.

The Portugese police have now finally decided not to do anything re the parents (having made them "official suspects") and have now resumed their regular (?) line of enquiry and are rattling the "usual suspects", ie, the local pedophiles and other ne'er do wells. Also the police evidence upon which they made the parents official suspects has been found faulty. I don't believe the parents are anything other than totally distraught parents doing their best to recover their lost daughter. They published a photo of her - she has an unusual eye with a line in it, very distinctive. That would be helpful if she had wandered off and got lost; but it might also have signed her death warrant - if she were still alive. The parents are getting a lot of church and community support, both in Portugal and in the UK.

He wants to be the "surprise guest" and will come dressed as Santa Claus.

In some ways this thread is more horrific than those relating sexual abuse. In those, we became aware of the predatory behavior of certain "leaders." It was obvious and premeditated. Conscious behavior. In this thread, we learn of the casual cruelty towards and disregard for believers at all levels, outside of sexual abuse. Complete lack of compassion or normal "human" responses. Jesus wept when somebody died: he knew the hurt in people's hearts. But TWI airily dismisses such with "Oh, she died" and next subject please? As for people with illnesses, tumors, where is the praying for the healing? Did EB ever pray for Liz's head, eyesight, or was that too demeaning a task? Where was his "believing"? This wicked behavior was often encouraged and endured in Corps Nights where somebody has had a terrible thing happen to them they got publicly reamed, and the WC was told in the CN "teaching" that we weren't to feel sorry for them or contact them to offer condolences (on pain of being DFAC'd). The offending (ha ha) persons were possessos, etc, etc. Oh yeah right. Bowels of mercies? Full of sh1t, more like. Romans 1 (NIV) 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. I need a long walk in the fresh air.

Maybe "on the deck" doesn't mean the same to you as it does to me. You're gonna need that hot tub for more than bathing in if you do mean "on the deck". Will scare those dust bunnies just a bit.

Lots of threads here about "believing" and misuse of the word. Shifra's tie-in on this thread with tithing is interesting. I still see/hear it taught... "I put in (into the horn of plenty) $x and the next day yyy sent me a check for $xxxx;" or "I put in $x and the next day got a new job." Worse: "I hadn't got much money so I put in $x and believed God to give money back to me." That sounds like a CONTRACT at best: I give you $10 but you have to give me $100 back. That's not believing. But some of those same fold don't see it as a contract the other way: God gives you $100 therefore you must give $10 back. Either way, it's straight-out contract law. Not quite the attitude of gratitude/thankfulness with which tithing (or any thing) should be given. But really so much of this now smacks of BRIBERY. As if a man could bribe God. God LOVES to bless us and give us the desires of our hearts. He does know what our needs are, financial and otherwise. (edited cos it didn't read quite right in the contract bit)

Call 'em what you like. They'll only come if they want to. :D

Oh, we're back to that "believing to receive" thread again! Sorry, it clearly jogged some horrible memories. As did that reference to "horn of plenty". Seeing those things anywhere now really makes me queasy. But this makes me thinK: as a symbol maybe we had it back to front. We put in at the big end and (the benefit) comes out the small end... Like so much Way stuff - a good analogy totally turned to face the opposite direction.