JavaJane

And I have been informed that a Houston branch came by while the artist was not there.  The poor intern that had to deal with that....

https://m.chron.com/entertainment/arts-theater/article/Art-Daybook-Inside-the-memory-of-a-cult-13066647.php

Someone brought to my attention that it looked like Ye Olde Wikipedia's entry on TWI got updated by someone recently.

Someone with some skills should maybe go fix it before someone gets hurt.

HiAJust thinking about the imagery of snakes and women in mythology and folklore... what came to mind is something that I learned from studying the seven deadly sins, specifically the sin of lust. Often in medieval art lust is depicted as a woman with serpents biting her nipples. It's an interesting depiction of the sin of lust - specifically because it depicts the object of the lust, not the one who is lusting (the artist - generally a male producing art for the male gaze.)

 serpents are commonly used as a phallic symbol.. when a woman is used to depict the sin of lust by having sexual relations with a serpent, it would seem to indicate the cardinal sin of lust as being the original sin, rather than a "sin" of homosexuality.

Lust treats other humans as things to be used rather than as a fully conscious spiritual being worthy of dignity.

TWI's full of lust.

For that last one, please use the sound.

On 1/5/2017 at 12:07 PM, skyrider said:

And one more item, on rent expense.......you could have someone move into your home on a long term basis.  This option should be thought through in detail with the wise counsel of your overseers and FINAL APPROVAL REQUIRED from the Trunk Office. (their words........added emphasis, by me).

The puppeteers were controlling our lives.

Im working my way through this thread page by page...  obviously I haven't been on the old gsc for a few.

This.  This explains why I was asked to move in to the Limb home.  I had thought it was because I was considered to be so spiritually mature.

It was not a good place for a single 20 something to live.  I loved that family a lot.  Especially the kids.  But it was uncomfortable for them and for me.  My social life was basically stopped in it's tracks.  Even if I came home sick from work I was sent to my room so as not to disturb or overhear whatever was being done elsewhere in the house.  And I couldn't cook or clean to their standard.  Constant reproof and correction.  

They didn't really want me there.  And now I see why I was asked.

On 12/27/2016 at 5:12 PM, skyrider said:

1995 Rock of Ages: The Last One:  ... Not sure if it was Tuesday or Wednesday when martindale started confronting the parents.  Main stage confrontation....not just the chain-of-command wherein the region -->limb-->down to the branches.  Nope.  The "homo-infiltration" charge got the rapt attention of everyone. The waves of confrontation swept through the crowd like strong breezes over a wheat field.  And, by the next morning (as I remember it).......martindale turned the roa into a class, of sorts.  Namely, each session built on the previous one.....therefore, "structured attendance."  That's one way to get people in the seats!

I remember this ROA.  It was my 2nd.  The first one i had gone out WOW.  I had just turned 21.  My parents were in res.  Both they AND my WOW team leader jumped on me and the other young adults on my team accusing us of being involved in whatever had happened at the gazebo.  We were all confused as to what the heck had gone down at the gazebo.  And in my young brain, i was a little upset that I hadn't been considered cool enough by those kids to be invited.

I think I had a brother who had been there.  He told me it was a bunch of clergy kids who had planned that whole thing.

A  few main memories of that ROA:

1.  My WOW family coordinator was DFAC at that rock.  She was too soft hearted to stand up to what was required of her.  I remember she would try to be authoritative with us, but her heart wasn't in it.  I remember seeing  her right after she was dropped (I had no idea what had happened) and she was wearing a hand written nametag instead of her WC one.  I was always getting in trouble for forgetting my nametag, so I said (joking) "where's your nametag? SOMEONE WILL THINK YOU GOT DROPPED!" Then I found out she had just come from being stripped of her WC status.  I wanted to melt into the ground.  I still feel bad about that.

2.  We had a girl on our WOW team who had been dropped for being a lesbian in the middle of the year.  She was a foundational class grad.  We were lucky as a team because we only lost her.  Other teams had been decimated, having to move in with other teams because there were so few left.

3.  On our way back to ROA from where we were on the field (way out in the SW usa) one of our vehicles broke down with a radiator hose that had split.  We fixed it with an "All Roads Lead to The Rock" bumper sticker.  We felt like we were super conquerors to come up with that solution and arrive in time for the rock.  We took the offending hose with its bumper sticker bandaid to present it to the WOW coordinator, thinking it would be a great example of God working in us to find a way to overcome.  Revelation or something.  I believe the WOW coordinator was J0hn R◇p.o., but I could be mistaken.  He and my WOW team coordinator were annoyed we had even considered they would care.  We should have believed better and the car wouldn't have broken in the first place.

4.  One of my brothers was slated to go out in the next wave of wows.  But the program had been cancelled.  Our parents were in residence.  He couldn't go back with them.  He had nothing and nowhere to go.  He ended up in something like a way home in Ann Arbor.  Whole life disrupted.

5.  I was still in debt when I went WOW.  But at the time I left I had been informed my student loans didn't count as debt.  In the middle of the year that changed.  I didn't have them paid off by the time the rock came around.  I was sure martindale would know by revelation that i had debt.  Or that they would run credit checks on all the wows.  Or something.  But no one knew.  I should have known then that they had no connection to God at all.

(Please excuse grammar and spelling...  I typed this all on my phone.  And it is a pain in the foot.)

4 hours ago, Watered Garden said:

I think the artist's parents may have been in family way corps when we were. 

They were in the family corps.  Mother Pat, father Dave.

6 hours ago, chockfull said:

Holy sh1t javajane.  An artists depiction of recovering from a cult all with a central piece of Athletes of the Spirit?  I would love to see pictures of Complex 3 if anyone in Texas is going to see the exhibit.

Yep.  You can check out some of his work for the project on Instagram.  Search Seth Orion Schwaiger.

22 hours ago, skyrider said:

...As far as I know, all those groups tell "their people" to stay off Greasespot........who needs those pesky questions and personal experiences exposed for all to see?  Yet, you consistently come here and express your opinion in how "great" this new splinter is.  Fact is......it belies decades of splinter-history.  The red flags are flying and have been for decades.  All those clichés, buzzwords, and tweaked teachings were red-light, cult-like seductions that have been exposed here at The Spot six ways to Sunday...

Anyone else catch this little bit from the end of that video?  At 56:10 (God granted me the ability to find it within 1 minute of where I restarted the video - praise be!)

Jackie H@rney "We don't want to burn any bridges.  As far as... There's been people that have been cranky with us...  But we love you.  And if you ever want to talk, if you every want to do anything, we're here.  We are not going anywhere.  We are not going to stop ministering...  Because the gifts and the callings of God are without repentance.  And we are not going to be bitter.  We are not going to be starting a website about how bad everything is.  We are going to be moving the Word.  That's our life."

So, DWBH...  how does "Hi, Ralph" fit into this?  Are you "cranky" with them?

I laughed out loud when she made the comment about the website.  Really, Jackie?  Really?  This site is a place people have gone to be healed from the rotting cesspool that is TWI.  This is where I realized I had been drinking from a poisoned well.  Facing that reality doesn't make me bitter.  Calling out the evil doesn't make one bitter (or even cranky).  Showing people that there is life after following a cult leader for years - that is not bitter.

Shut the fridge up, lady - your sugar coating is starting to melt.

The story about clearing the Ohio stateline by sunrise reminds me of how I used to think leadership was so tapped in to God...  His representatives on Earth.  All knowing...

They couldn't find their own butts in the dark with both hands and a flashlight.

I remember two specific moments when I suddenly realized the leaders of TWI were not connected to God directly through revelation or otherwise - and therefore didn't have any control or say over my life...

1.  Working at HQ and being required to be at every Sunday Service.  My fiancee (still my husband) convinced me we needed a break from the constant work and wedding planning - we didn't go to the service.  We left campus and went to some neighboring town for the day.  And no one noticed.  I had become convinced my department coordinator would be waiting for me ready to kick me off campus because God had told him of my broken fellowship.

Nope.  No one had a clue.  And we had a lot more Sundays off after that.

2.  Went to a casino with my in-laws and played slot machines.  I was sure i would get a call from my fellowship coordinator.  Once again, nothing..

Because these imbeciles never had power over me, except to destroy relationships that were based on lies to begin with.

So glad I am free.  Just got back from the casino with my in-laws.  It's been 10 years since we left.  I'm still not a grease spot.

I really should check in here more often.  This thread answers some questions I've had about some vague Facebook posts from friends still in Way World.  

Now I know why they suddenly seemed to grow some proverbial balls/ovaries...  they didn't suddenly realize TWI was rotten from the root.  They just had another place they could go.

So many people who I used to idolize for being such strong, faithful believers.  They were good people, wanting to do good and serve God.  But they were devoid of critical thinking, and easily led.  Now they just went with another pack of wolves pretending to be shepherds.

I am looking for any connections anyone has to ex TWI folks who were performers in AOTS for a project being worked on by an artist in the Houston area.  Looking for stories and experiences.  Please message me if you aren't comfortable posting someone else's info here.

Thanks much.

Ah, dots connected. I listened to this in '08 which is the year I left twi and the corps. Just listened again. such a cluster.

We left HQ in 2005 and TWI entirely in 2007.

Ain't freedom great? Husband and I coming up on our 11th wedding anniversary and our 9th year of cult free life.

Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

I kinda enjoy having "believers" think I am possessed... It gives me a little intimidation factor, makes me a scary scary monster instead of a normal person.

BOO!

Let's say VP was alive.

What would you say to him?

I have been asking myself this today, and I don't even know at this point if I would talk to him or if I would just pass him by.

If you were the same person you were when you left TWI, what would you do?

Violence?

Questions?

Confrontation?

Misery...? I'm in Miss-er-ah, as the locals pronounce it.

One of my favorite quotes ever (and I can't find the person who said it, but I believe it was John Fugelsang)...

"I've been to hell. It's called the comments section."

I've stopped reading them. They make me mad. And I truly believe that the people there represent a minority of all humanity. They are just people who want attention. The same people who were bullies in school and still need the attention now as adults. I just don't pay any attention to them. That would be giving them what they want anyway.

Happy birthday, indeed! Out for 7 years now. So glad I found this place!

And if you go directly to TWI's actual website, it is BORING. Way Productions is BORING, women in baggy navy blue dresses singing tuneless songs with boring lyrics..... that's all that's left of the music.

They order the boring dresses out of mother-of-the-bride catalogs. I know. I saw them when I worked wardrobe. They were the same catalogs mailed to me because I had been planning my own wedding.

I asked why the dresses were so unattractive and was told that it was so the ladies didn't "distract" from the word.

Ah, yes... Female Way Corp Hairstyle #1, 2, and 3.

I will never forget the very last straw of my involvement with TWI... my fellowship coordinator showed up at my job unannounced (I hadn't been coming to fellowship for a week or two - my husband had stopped going completely at the point, and I was just trying to stay, but realizing I needed out.) I informed the fellowship coordinator that I was pregnant and he asked me "Is that a good thing?"

And that was it for me.

My daughter will never have to live through that hell that I went through as a kid. I will make sure of it.

I read the syllabus and decided not to take the advanced class. Actually, I only took one other class - maybe christian family and sex? IDK. I think it was because I remember thinking how ironic it was that they tried to keep me from bringing my nursing baby.

Now that is a class that was a complete let down, in every single incarnation...

I took the "original" VPW Christian Family and Sex class that had been cut down to make it more palatable in 1993 while I was WOW. I thought it was boring. My WOW sister and I kept making fun of how he talked about "BEEYOUTIFUL BREASTESES" afterwards.

Later that year we had the one LCM and Donna did - and I can't remember the name. That is just how much of an impact it had on me.

Then the most recent one - Biblical Principals of a Believer's Family ? something like that. My husband and I had not been able to take it because we were Way Disciple at the time - not married yet, either. We got engaged a few months after Way Disciple was over and were on staff, so we had to get married during the staff weddings - no choice on a date there. They decided to run the class the week after the wedding and we were "highly encouraged" to take the class INSTEAD OF GOING ON OUR HONEYMOON.

yes. It was God's will that we not spend time together as man and wife after just getting married so we could take a class on being man and wife.

We went on our honeymoon anyway.

The next year when we were back out on the field (because HQ was the worst experience of our lives) we ended up taking the class. It was so effing boring. Here's the stuff that stood out - BESTIALITY IS BAD. DON'T TOUCH A GIRL ANYWHERE HER SOCCER UNIFORM COVERS.

and..

a major change in revelation...

....premarital and extramarital sex is WRONG.

GASP!

* edited to fix typos