bowtwi

I'm glad to pray for Owen's total recovery. I have a 90-year-old friend that had a stroke last summer and made a complete recovery. She still drives to this day!

God bless you all

I was married to what the way called an unbelieving believer for 14 years. Most of it was great. He never tried to stop me from "growing in the word." He loved the changes in me as a wife as I applied what I learned of the Word... He encouraged me to do what I felt I needed to do unless it interfered with plans he had for us as a family.

As soon as I got into twi, I started praying for him to change. I kept believing that if I were a good enough example that he would cleave to christianity... Never happened.

We're now divorced 10 years. We are very good friends and I love having him in my life.

As a single woman that dates, I no longer insist on being with a christian. I look at how I feel about myself when I'm with a man. I find humor a priority for me, so I look for that as well as honesty, integrity and the balls to tell me when I'm offbase (combined with the ability to say such a thing nicely so I hear what he's saying as opposed to that he's challenging me...) I've had a few experiences with lazy men, so I tune in for that as well.

I'm 44 years old and very comfortable with myself, so am not really looking for forever, altho if I found such a man with the above qualities that treated me well I'd sure consider living together. After going through a divorce, I'm admittedly gunshy, and our divorce was friendly. I guess I just don't trust that forever is available.

Oh, and being the only parent of a 7-year-old, any man for me would have to be flexible enough to share me with her and tolerate her when she does the ridiculous things little girls do to test boundaries and hearts.

I also have a very protective of his mama 23-year-old, so his approval is important too - not the end-all, but important as we are in touch at least once every day.

Hey Z-shot - how settled are you out there in AZ? Like kids? (lol)

I love your handle too, wwjla - Good luck!

Digi Darlin' - I too lost someone very close to me to suicide and have had very similar questions as you. My someone close was my mother. Before she died she told me she had become an agnostic (like I called myself at the time) and no longer sure of God. That one haunts me to this day.

So not only do I have questions regarding her possibly being possessed when she died (and what the hell does that truly even mean anyways), but each and every one of her suicide attempts - was that d.s. possession I witnessed there?

And, I wonder if "once born again, forever born again" is true - I certainly hope so, but I no longer know for sure.

Of course, the way entering my life the very next year seemed at the time to be God answering my questions. They had answers for all my questions at the time. Now I'm not sure I know anything for sure.

Thanks for bringing this subject up.

And Dovey - I pray for you and your family daily. I cannot imagine surviving all you've been through. Love you.

Please don't put me on that nasty - "Pour out the homemade wine committee" this year - broke my heart to have to do that and I wasn't even drinking the stuff!

I just wanna go up there and have fun and spend time with some of my favorite folks again.

I'm praying too

I shall bring mass quantities of s'mores fixins as well as lots of juice and sodas and assorted edibles.

I'll be driving, so I'll fill up a couple of coolers.

As it gets closer to the date and I see what's not already planned for, I'll figure out what else to bring. Right now I'm thinking of a slicing a beef roast or two for sandwiches. (I loved that ham you brought last year, rascal.) I'm flexible.

yes - I'm sure I'm a card carrying member of the OPP club. After my teenage son and I were falsely accused by twi of being homosexual, the family corps coordinator stated to the remaining in residence people that:

"he could FEEL my evil just by touching my hand"

No wonder they had to watch me closely during the one hour I was "given" to pack up and leave "their campus."

When I then called hq trying to get an appointment to speak with lcm to get to the bottom of this matter (silly me), I was told by the trunk coordinator that there were armed guards cruising hq with our photos so we would not be allowed on grounds.

(Guess they musta been some special kind of devil spirit killin guns...)

I'm proud to be in the company of such wonderful folks as rascal - one of the kindest people I've had the pleasure of knowing. I'd much rather be considered like rascal than like anyone on twi's "acceptable list."

I'm so sorry - my prayers are with this family, as well.

Yikes, Schuks - maybe with a name like that you can't control yourself, but yikes!!

Wanna know what I think of you for saying such a thing? I didn't think so.

Now watch this and learn as I control myself and do NOT post something derogatory about you.

Ha ha - good one!

Dear Danteh,

Thanks for letting us know. You and everyone your dad loved are in my prayers. One day shy of 87 years is quite an accomplishment!

xoxo

Sending wishes for a peaceful and sweet day, Darlin' - God bless ya!

xoxo

Happy Birthday Z!

Such terrific news!

xoxo

Great news! So very glad to hear it. Continuing to pray for dear ahat and those precious babies.

xoxo

ha ha, well - happy day anyway!

xoxo

I hope it's a great day for ya - like you are.

xoxo

Dear Vic - I'm praying - I can relate big time!

All the best.

well all I wanna know is if it's still true that you can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose.

Tref and dm - you're a coupla hoots!

dm - I thought it was funny, and one that Steve! his own self would laugh at, so for what it's worth, I'm glad you said it.

and don't worry about us being able to stand so much of ya, there'll be enough of us to spread yourself out some... seems to me there will be double what came last year and I coulda stayed with each and everyone of em another week easily...

freaky - you can count the princess and me - we love surprises... (she'll be 8 by that weekend).

Ha ha, yeah - you sure did get me with that title!

I bet we hear of this fella again, like at the end of the year when the Stupidest Criminals of 2004 email comes around...

The princess and I will be there and since I expect to be driving up, I'll be delighted to bring up a bunch of food. I'm flexible and not a bad cook.

I'm thinking potato salad, macaroni and tuna salad, taco salad, other side dish stuff. I make a good mild chili, but that's usually something somebody really really loves to prepare, so I'll just leave it at this for now - with room for change. If nobody else "calls" chili, I'll make some. Just about anything is fine with me.

Oh, and of course I'll bring s'mores fixins. (my true longsuit - lolol)

The princess is talking about bringing her 3 closest friends so they can meet and hang with Hannah and the other kids!

Littlehawk - you thinking pears again this year? I just might have to try some if you do! (but no pressure, ;)-->)

Oh, and Sudo, about last year - it sure worked out well for us that when that nice park ranger came by to comment on how well-behaved we all were that you were there to smooth things over so well. Man, I shudder to think of the trouble there could have been if not for your taking such control of the situation.

:D--> :P-->

Soggy, it's totally understandable that you're questioning yourself. You are a normal person. Please don't beat yourself up over what ends up happening with Ryan.

He's not very experienced with dealing with normal people. I can tell you from experience that if it's a contest between you who has done nothing but the best for him always and his mother, well, it's just never going to be a fair playing field. You knew that going in. You still know that now. She fights dirty and only as long as it takes to get the desired result. She doesn't maintain over the long haul as you do. It's the chase that she enjoys, not the day-to-day fighting for our kids that we do.

As much as it sucks to be you at this point in time, it sucks that much more to be Ryan. I know it never mattered to me what the history was - all my mom EVER had to do was simply tell me she wanted me to come back home and I came running - no matter what she had done. It was so bad that the county I lived in refused to take me back if I went back to my mom one more time - and still, I went back to her and was thankful she wanted me around.

We're just hardwired that way - we forgive our mothers almost anything, even when we secretly hate them deep down inside. REALITY doesn't even begin to come into play.

It's so sad, but the truth is that even if Ryan does go back to live with his mother it'll take him years to really see the greatness of the difference you've made in his life.

That's who you are - the lady that took on his mom so he could have a safe place to live. Whether or not he can stay with you is his deal. That's not yours to handle.

Even if he goes back to live with her and she beats him literally to death, you have done your job and you did it very well. You made a normal life available to him and if he can't see it clearly to cling to it for ever and ever, you still did it.

I'm so very proud of you and if you ever forget that you were/are successful, I'm here to remind you.

I pray that Ryan sees through his mother, but I will be really surprised if he ever does. I also pray for your heart and your kids. I'm thankful for the fabulous example you are to them - who knows what kindness they'll bestow upon mankind before they're all through...

xoxo

Schwaigers :)-->

pj - this is too important to make a hasty decision - too much is at stake for both of you.

please do your homework and find out if that no contact order is still in effect first. If so, then you need to find out what it'll take of you to get the right back to see her.

do it right and you might just save your relationship with your daughter. do it wrong and you prove your ex right in your daughter's eyes.

a few months back I was presented with info claiming a certain someone was my biological father. this had been a big issue in my life for years - I decided against my better judgment to contact this man and give him the chance to be my dad. it went badly. if he is my dad, he doesn't want to be. if he's not, I bothered a sick old man for nothing.

I say all that cause I was a 14-year-old girl who never knew my father and I think you need to move quickly to resolve this issue so you two can have each other like you got cheated out of for so long...

I'm excited for the possibility for you two.