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finallyunderstand

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  1. HE WAS ONLY ABLE TO FUNCTION AS LONG AS EVERYONE ELSE DID HIS BIDDING FOR HIM. PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO BE WILLING TO PAY ALL HIS BILLS, CLEAN HIS HOUSE, DO ALL TYPES OF CHORES FOR HIM AND NOT HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS TEMPER TANTRUMS. HE WAS FOOLED INTO THINKING HE COULD BE THE CEO OF SOMETHING. LITTLE DID HE KNOW THAT PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF TWI DON'T PAY YOU TO TURN THEM INTO INDENTURED SERVANTS AND SLEEP WITH THEIR WIVES. HE WAS A SPOILED BRAT. EVEN TWI COULDN'T BE DUMB ENOUGH TO SET HIM UP LIKE THAT AGAIN. HE DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO BRING. NO MORE LONG LIVE KING LCM.
  2. Interesting question. It got me thinking. I have to say I have very fond memories of my first WOW year. I actually was put in a nice family with good people. (I did notice others didn't fare as well.) We had a good time for the most part and the local leadership at the time were nice to us. It was really fun. Now my second WOW year was a different story. I coord a family with a very mentally unstable man in it, and two other emotionally disturbed people. They were all three very sweet and loving, but they were an incredible amount of responsibility. I noticed that it was important to our local leadership that our "stats" looked good. Our accomplishments were exagerated. And we were put under unreasonable and unnecessary pressure. We actually did run two classes, no one we witnessed to stayed with it. But I always go back to my children when I start regretting things. I wouldn't have met my beautiful husband or have the house full of wonderful children that I do now. BTW-whatever happened to C@rmin and the R*pps*?
  3. I was thinking about the time my FC called me to find out if I was using the internet. (A long time ago when leadership first started to freak out about the internet) As we all know, the internet exposed a lot of things about twi. They did not like losing control and they really didn't like no longer being the only ones who got to have a say in matters. Can anyone think of anything else that turned their world upside down and made them tow the line? Just wondering.
  4. I almost didn't open this thread because just seeing those words "making it your own" made me want to barf. In my experience it meant mindlessly parrotting a huge ego maniac and being too afraid to express an honest opinion. It was used in the same way "you're not renewing your mind" was if you dared to disagree with said ego maniac. So if you didn't see it their way, you hadn't made it your own. If you disagreed you weren't renewing your mind. Good thread but I gotta go barf now and "renew my mind" to all those lovely memories. LOL.
  5. Yeah, I feel the same way. It's definitely not something I look back on and feel proud about. If someone were to say something like that in my presence now, I would do something about it. But then again, I no longer associate with those kind of nut jobs so things like that don't come up anymore. From Nottawayfer: (Quite honestly, I'm surprised the whack job didn't spew off about the blind girl who came to the STS faithfully with her black lab seeing eye dog.) I hope nobody ever got to her and that she is OK.
  6. OMG. I remember hearing things like that from him and other WC leaders. It makes me sick to think about it. He also hated handicapped people. He ranted and raved about being "forced" to have to comply with handicapped accessible issues. (Maybe he was raging about the Americans w/ disability act) He also flipped out when a deaf Miss America won the crown. He called her retarded. (She wasn't) He screamed about that during lunch one day, deeply resenting that a hearing impared person was being admired. I remember being really mad about it, but of course I didn't dare say anything. If people in the ministry were dying it's probably because they were so stressed out with all the death threats from leadership. OMG!
  7. I remember him starting to say it after he split with Chris Geer. If I'm remembering correctly, a lot of departing leaders at that time were given money and cars, which lcm later resented. Funds were short, people had to move in on top of each other at HQ. The t.t.t.t. (temper tantrum tithing teachings) began. Then I remember the "tithe" ten percent was not enough. If you were really committed then you would give "at least" fifteen percent. And so on and so forth......
  8. How dare he threaten the lives of people. I wonder if anyone ever told him to shut up. Those closest to him only seemed to encourage his insanity.
  9. I was embarrassed for a long time. But I agree with Waysider, it is complicated so I don't get into it. I think what really embarrasses me at times is that we rented for so long, and spent so much money on it that we didn't build any equity. We passed up some great opportunities and chose a financially unsound twi lifestyle. So it's like we are just starting out in life. I feel kind of old to just be starting out, and it all sounds so stupid now I'm embarrassed to talk about it with people who won't understand.
  10. lcm really was terrible at knowing what people needed. Terrible businessman wasn't he? Good thing he didn't go into marketing. I never pay attention to ads, but now that I think about it- they usually are about something we've recently looked at. Makes sense the ads are context sensitive. Explains all the sky diving, motor cycle, golf, horse and tennis ads our family gets.
  11. Yes, now that I remember she did play them at the family tables. She also dressed the part. It was a long time ago. I'd forgotten they were called family tables. Funny about the ads, I didn't plan it that way. :)
  12. Does anyone remember a lady who played the bag pipes at the ROA? I was wondering where she is now. She was very good at it and was very sweet.
  13. They devoutly watched the Young and the Restless, The X Files, Friends, Law and Order to mention a few.......
  14. It has helped me to talk to people who have been through what I've been through. Not just TWI stuff. I relate better when someone has been in the same place as me. When I started the post on the Limb coord who was obsessed with the Young and the Restless and had a vicious wife, I didn't know that talking about it would make me feel more compassion towards them. But as I wrote about it and listened to other stories from other people, it really took the sting out of my memory of them. Where else could I have gone to talk about that? For anyone to understand I would have had to explain the sometimes unexplainable about twi and my involvement. (That would probably take a thousand years!) That being said, I understand where MTOP might be trying to come from. Someone once said that bitterness is like taking poison and hoping the other person will die. There is someone I used to be close to that relished being a victim. After many many years of being supportive towards this person, I couldn't take it anymore because nothing ever got better. I wore myself out trying to help, but this person would look for and cling to any thing that preserved the victim status. This person refused to forgive even the smallest of slights and made sure things were blown out of proportion. For example, my husband and I took their whole family on a trip to see if a change of scenery would help. We paid for everything and let them choose all the activities. We also did all the work and cleaned up. I didn't get much sleep because I stayed up late making sure their needs were tended to. They had a lot of fun. But the wife called me afterwards to tell me she didn't appreciate that I had left candy on the table that her kids got into. She didn't want them having that much sugar it made them hyper. I apologized and said it wouldn't happen again. But she used that as an excuse to return to victimhood because, "It really put a damper on things." Because I cared about them I still hung in there and tried to help. But I got to the point where I had to acknowledge that nothing we ever said or did was making a difference. They sabatoged any efforts people made to help them. (We were not the only ones who went through this with them.) I realize this is an extreme example of basically unthankful and disturbed people. But what I learned from that was there has to be a point where things have to be let go, not for the sake of the victim or the victimizer. But for the people you are around and how your failure to move on is affecting them. IMPO, if talking about things helps yourself and others, then it's OK. But if you are continuing to hurt yourself and those around you by refusing to let go of the past and forgive, then you do have a real problem. So MTOP, I can see how it might come across that people are unforgiving. It's hard to know a person completely from just some posts in a forum. Just keep in mind that they just might be in a place where they need to say what they have to say before healing can take place. I hope you continue to post.
  15. Hi Everyone, Thanks for all of the insight and suggestions. I tried again a few more times, but it just isn't for me. It really is too theatrical and very distracting especially during the sermon. They are wonderful people and I'll just need to be friends with them outside of their church. I'm still on the search. There are a lot of churches in our city, so I'm hopeful I'll find something that works for us and our children. I'll keep in mind all of the advice you all gave me. :) Thanks again, Fin
  16. I see what you are saying and it makes sense. But actually, I really am looking for something different than twi's brand of Christianity. When I was "in" volunteering and donating to other causes was always discouraged, put down or yelled about how wrong it was. All time and ABS had to go to the "true household" for it to have God's blessing on it. I've enjoyed being free in my mind now to help people no matter who or where they are. That's what I like about this church, they really give. That's a good point about hearing something for the first time. It was surprising to see people I knew acting this way. I just can't see myself doing that. But I really respect how much they give to the city. Didn't think about that. Thanks, I'll consider it next time I try something. LOL-my kid's gave me the same advice. They're still not letting me live it down yet.
  17. Recently I went to church. I went because I've met many members and they seemed so nice with big hearts. I went with all of my children. At first everything seemed really nice. But then we ended up spending the first 40 minutes in a prayer session where people cried and yelled "jesus" over and over again. Then the Pastor preached. It was actually a very good sermon. But people kept saying "thank you jesus" over and over again and waving their arms in the air and crying during it. Then afterwards there was another long prayer session. (More tears and arm waving) It took everything I had to keep my kids from laughing or whispering to me that they wanted to leave. So we haven't been back but I can't stop thinking about how nice the people were, and I appreciate the vollunteer work they have done in our city. I've thought about going late and leaving early, but all the "thank you jesus's" during the sermon will probably get on my nerves. My kids definitely won't come with me. Has anyone else had an experience like this? If the sermon had been terrible and the people hadn't been so wonderful I wouldn't be giving it a second thought. But other than the theatrics, I liked it. I'd appreciate any opinions or advice anyone may have about this.
  18. At one point, I was under so much pressure and fear from leadership. I would try to live up to their list of demands and it was exhausting. No matter how many people I signed up for the class or brought to twig or cleaned their houses, I was usually pulled aside to be told where I had missed it. I spent all of my time trying to be in the good graces of leadership. I did not take care of myself physically, mentally, emotionally, mentally, spiritually or financially. I was a complete mess. Even so, I was not very proud of myself when I came to the realization about my behavior. I could have had some great friendships with some wonderful believers, but I rejected them in favor of pleasing leadership who really never cared about me. But what was worse, I was really harsh on a couple of people. They were going through some tough times and I basically told them it was because they weren't renewing their minds. I was also suspicious of the "commitment level" of one of them and told leadership this. They in turn confronted her about her commitment level amongst other things, and she was subjected to a face melting in front of several people. That's what she got for comming to me for help. Some friend I was. When I finally saw what I had become, I felt really guilty about it. I apologized prufusely to the first person, and we are still friends to this day. But the other one had moved away from our city (wise move on her part) so I let that be my rational for not contacting her. But the truth was, I was afraid to talk to her. Every now and then I would see her at a ministry event. I would notice her tense up when she saw me comming towards her so I would chicken out and we would exchange phony pleasantries with each other. I still remember her tight smile and the steelness in her voice. Well, a beautiful thing happened. She got healed without any help from me. I saw her one day and she went out of her way to come talk to me. She was so loving and kind towards me. I could tell it was important to her to let me know she was OK and that she loved and forgave me. Then I was healed too. This lovely beautiful woman is the one who fixed it for us when nobody would have blamed her if she resented me forever. I try really hard to get my kids to understand the power of forgiveness, especially now that they tend to get caught up in all the high school dramas that go on in this city. (Too bad it couldn't be a High School Musical, oh well...) I hope one day they will see that even if they have been hurt by someone, that person does not have power over them. They can get healed and be happy even without appropriate acknowledgement from the offender. But I also tell them to be the first to apologize and try to make things right. If I had been a bigger person, this wonderful lady probably could have healed much sooner. I'm thankful she was a better person than I was and for the gift she gave me.
  19. I think I understand this. There was a big difference between the way LCM and DLM were treated. After LCM was dethroned, he was put into the research department. He couldn't cut it. He wasn't a workman of the word. He was a talented speaker, but he had to depend on the work of others for his material. It didn't work out. We were told he was going on the field to get things ready for his family. Well, they apparently never came. Maybe that's how he was convinced to go without them. Maybe his son was tricked into believing they would all get back together. DLM on the other hand stayed in the Corps Chalet for a long time. She has never lost her Way Corps status. She eventually moved to Founders Hall, don't know where she is now. But she was given the support of their longtime friends, he was not. That must be very difficult to see, for a son who loves his Dad. DLM may or may not have known about LCM's affairs, but she was more than well aware of how viciously he treated people. She was his staunchest supporter. She sat there while he ranted and raved and applauded for him. She thought his temper tantrums were inspired of God. She not only tolerated, but also encouraged his ridiculous behavior. She promoted it even to the detriment of her children. She once shared how her oldest daughter would cry when LCM yelled at people. She would ask "Why is Daddy mad at the people?" I forget what DLM said her response to her daughter was. But she thought it was cute how much it upset the child. Her daughter was traumatized and DLM thought it was a cute story to share. Kids aren't stupid. They eventually see their parents for who they really are. But it can take a long time though. I feel sorry for the young man. He was raised to believe his Dad could do no wrong. He was probably deeply traumatized when it all came crashing down. This young man saw for years how harshly his parents treated people who got divorced. Then his parents go and get divorced. How confusing and hurtful it probably has been for him. Although I do feel sorry for her and have some fond memories of her, I don't consider DLM as a helpless victim of an abusive husband. I hope she has turned her life around. LCM, if for some reason you are reading this, please be honest with your son for his sake. Don't play the blame game. Own up to what you did and where you went wrong. Not just the affairs, he's already got that figured out. But tell him how wrong you were to have treated people so badly. Don't justify it. If you continue to have a poor me attitude, your son will have a skewed and unhealthy perspective on life. Be thankful your son hasn't followed what you taught and marked and avoided you. Own what you did, at least to your son for his sake. I also hope LCM has or will turn his life around. I hold no ill will to any of them. As the years go on I'm only left with compassion. A much better place then where I used to be.
  20. It's interesting that it didn't occur to them that they shouldn't have had to tell people to give them gifts. I wouldn't want anything that people were forced into giving me. But they didn't even catch on, because they still went back a second time for more money. Didn't they even stop to ponder about any of this, like some self introspection? Maybe clue into the obvious that they may not be really blessing people if they had to campaign for gifts? Interesting, yet sad and pathetic too. Since I started this thread, something occured to me. Many of us in the city were perplexed by J** and K**'s affection for their TV shows. Especially the whole Young and the Restless thing. Some of us even tried watching it to see what it was they were getting out of it. But now I think I know. It was probably the only comfort they had. The only thing they had to look forward to. For all their Bravado and arrogance, their lives were in shambles. They were living a life that was so unhappy for them on many levels. Yet they continued for all the wrong reasons. I think K**'s unhappiness was at the root of her temper tantrums and rages. Hmmm. Maybe this was therapeutic for me. I actually feel sorry for them and have compassion on them. I hope they are doing better these days. I'm still glad they are far away and hope they never return. But I also hope they have found some measure of peace in their lives.
  21. Wow Chas, that is unbelievably selfish. Like all the money he saved by getting free labor and babysitting paid for that. And his money was free to begin with, not truly earned. Ick. Do you know if they are still with twi? I always wonder if people like that ever get brave enough to get out there and support themselves honestly. Another thing used to be gifts. J** and K** demanded that they were given a card and a gift for every event they were apart of. Sure they taught, but everyone else would scrub and clean and line up those chairs in some rented room. (The worldly standards of the rented rooms were never good enough, we had to reclean and reset up everything.) They were treated like pampered divas throughout the entire thing. They even had lists sent to all of the Twig Coords of the type of gifts they would want. These lists were to cover all holidays and birthdays as well. Then Loy announced that there was a moretorium on gifts to leadership. He said they were living off of ABS and that was enough of a gift to them. He was right on about that part. But then it kind of got turned around into this thing that it was the believers way of bribing leadership and that was spiritually out to lunch. J** and K** rode on that as an excuse to possibly save face for being such gift piggies. They missed the gifts, I could tell. But they spinned it liked they didn't want to be bribed when all along they were the ones to solicit the gifts. The couple that came to the state after them were actually pretty cool. They did not make unreasonable and selfish demands of the believers. It was a huge difference and there was peace for a while.
  22. I've thought about what you said and I agree. But I also think true things about ourselves came through. Some people became the worst nightmares because they did have latent tyranical tendencies. I didn't start out wanting to be what I became. I turned into a complete people pleaser who felt shame to acknowledge I may have needs of my own. This was a part of my background, always trying to keep everyone happy. If a leader in the twi yelled, I jumped. I made excuses for their bad behavior and in the process hurt other people along the way. I would defend them to a serious fault. I know how releived we all were when J** and K** left our state for a new assignment. They both were so unkind and vicious to people, especially K**. (We felt sorry for the believers that would be stuck with them next.) Maybe they will remember their younger selves one day and return to that. Until then, I hope people in their realm are able to not take their verbal abuse to heart.
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