jeast

What more needs to be said?

Peace

I agree with Sunesis.

It is tough to reach any kind of understanding on any given topic when loose associations and name calling e.g. snobbish, etc are used to give the semblance of superiority. I have learned to respect many of the posters here because they treat others with respect regardless of our position on any given doctrine. There have been topics though that I would have enjoyed seeing more in depth discussions on but backed away when the slams and put-downs started.

We can be honest and open without being derisive.

T-Bone,

Just need to say I really appreciate your posts. They are helpful.

fooledagainII,

Very honest, much respect to you for doing so.

Your experience is very similar to mine with a few exceptions.

I took the class in 1975.

Felt compelled to get out of TWI after a couple of years.

Involved in many different churches/denominations (mostly through music)

Always questioning, listening and matching it up to what I had learned.

No allegiance to TWI, CES, STFI, etc but still reading and evaluating.

Thought maybe someone would step up and spoon feed me the answers but I remember where that got me the last time.

I do not totally discount everthing I had learned or am learning now just because it has been associated with TWI or any other name.

Like yourself I too have been confused and dazed. I knew in the beginning that I wanted to serve God but got caught up in the I know more than you syndrome of TWI. As basic as it may sound, just as I believe works without faith is empty so is knowledge/information without your motive being to please God and not man.

I share this with you not trying to give the perception that I know anything.

But this has served me and my family very well. It seems to be finally sinking in what it really means to love your neighbor and to honor God first. It is my understanding that God has promised to teach us if we trust in Him. (NOT MAN) Been there done that. Sometimes we need to shut out the noise and just listen and that is easier said than done.

Last year my son Cody went to sleep while driving home from work. He worked 3rd shift at the time.

This used to be a Silverado full size extended cab pickup. He had it on cruise control and went through an busy intersection

on 4 lane highway 37 south. No other vehicles were involved but the huge metal pole that supports the stop lights did not budge.

He climbed out the side window and walk away. We had him checked out at the hospital to eliminate any chance of hidden injuries and there were none. This blew our minds.

Again God has delivered.

I again read the list of differences with twi, and what caught my attention, again, was how many of the items on that list has been discussed and complained about here on GS Cafe! Good changes, positive changes for the better. Yet Lynn still gets slammed and disparaged. This proves to me one thing: that no matter how many changes are made, there will be endless criticisms, endless condemnation, endless complaining about something. It occurs to me that change will never be enough for those with an ax to grind. They want to use that ax. I would imagine that even if twi itself made these changes, the relentless attack machine wouldn't miss a beat. This attack machine is a form of godliness that I find repulsive. JAL is a brother in Christ, I wish him well always.

Well said Oldiesman,

I also applaud all of those "in top leadership positions" which I understand included more than just JL, who did have the courage to take a stand to expose what they sincerely believed then and now was not of God. I also find it interesting that hatred, discord, jealousy, dissensions, factions & envy also makes the list along with sexual immorality in Heb 5:19-21. Might as well add Heb 5:15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. For the life of me I cannot accept that JL, JS or RD lay awake at night thinking of ways to hurt and destroy peoples lives. For those interested in healing. I wish you all well.

I am not a disciple of any of them but I have learned much from all of them.

Love and Peace (really)

wrdsandwrks

Thank you for starting this thread.

mstar1,

Thanks for posting Whiskey Fore Breakfast.

Like waysider mine is a bit bizarre and because of that I have never told anyone this before.

So for some crazy reason I feel like sharing it now on the internet no less.

I believe I was around 5 or 6 at the time, I was the youngest in a family of 11. Most of them had left by now but my Dad had remarried since my Mom died when I was 2. We lived way out in the boonies and as some would say we were so poor we could not even pay attention. I was outside playing in the rain one day when I saw an unusual looking cloud that looked like a huge hand. The hand then extended down towards me which totally freaked me out. I can't explain to this day what it was or what it meant but through all the trails in my life I have been delivered time after time. Just surviving the first five years was an accomplishment, then a bone disease that almost crippled me for life, two abusive stepmothers & one abusive brother in law/guardian. I've done all the wrong things according to some by getting married my senior year and having 4 kids by the time we were 22. But I am so humbled because as feeble and weak as I have believed and trusted in God he has always had his hand on me. That includes my time in TWI. I have an incredible family and have been married to the most loving woman for 38 years. I am more at peace than ever and I can't help but believe that the hand that I saw when I was young was indeed from God. I believe all of this including discovering GSC is still part of that process. I can't help but be excited as to what lays up ahead.

That is just a little bit freaky because I just came from the front porch where I had been playing that exact song. (Whiskey Before Breakfast). Not that well mind you. When I first heard the lyrics to that song it cracked me up.

Speaking of Clarence White's guitar...the first decent guitar that I ever had was an old Guild and I could not help but enlarge the sound hole to try to imitate that guitar. Of course it just wasn't quite the same.

thanks dmiller

Tim Staffor & Jim Hurst, Forked Deer, Acoustic Guitar

This just makes me grin all over.

Thanks so much for the kind words.

It means more than you realize.

I just can't help but to want to share this with those of you who appreciate having a blessed family.

I just walked out of the turnstyle, at midnight, for the last time from the foundry that I had work at for 30 years.

About 20 some years ago I wrote a song with some of the lyrics going like this..

"I get off work around midnight from the foundry don't ya see

Just doing my time tryin to make a dime to feed my family"

Music has always been a very big part of our family. That is how we share things that just can't be said any other way.

As I walked out the gate I saw several of my fellow workers standing around off to one side then I heard this song that I wrote coming from in between the parked cars.

It was my wife & family with a couple of guitars and a mandolin singing that song for me. I was floored!

Life is good!

Some confuse polite with being submissive

There’s no need to be so derisive

No need to put down someone

Heck this thread is supposed to be fun

Light and friendly it's not nearly so obtrusive.

Piece

Early one day in the middle of the night

two young brothers arose to fight

back to back they faced one another

drawed their swords and shot each other

nonsensical as it seems it happened on this site

Man am I way down on the banjo food chain. And I thought I had arrived when I got a bonifide certificate with my Tennessee twenty tone ring. Having said that though my banjo is still much better than the guy playing it.

Concerning the juice.. I have tried concentrated cherry juice which is supposed to be a very good anti-inflammitory. I did not get the results I was looking for but maybe I did not give it long enough to work. I am currently taking Omega 3 supplements and that seems to have helped. Now that I am retired I will try to hook up with some of the weekly jam sessions in this area so we will see how the hands hold up.

Very few people would be so discrete as to perceive the subtle nuances in tone rings. You be one of them. Awesome.

dooj why did you start this thread?

I'm tired my life's filled with dread

I ain't slept for two days

and I'm all in a haze

With these limericks dancing through my head.

Thanks LindaZ, keep the limericks coming.

Excellent discipline! congratulations!

The East family is also praying.

dmiller, You have got it bad man.

You were darn good last time I heard you play and that was about 28 years ago or so.

It's my wife who takes the Tylenol before I pick.

On a more serious note....do you have any trouble with your hands from all the playing?

It may be partly due to my work but if I play very much my hands are shot.

I get off work around midnight from the foundry don’t ya see.

Doin my time tryin to make a dime to feed my family

Well it’s been 30 years of toil sweat and tears so forgive me if I seem a bit inspired

After Friday I’m doin it my way cause this old boy will officially be retired.

Sittin on the front porch swing the wife and me drinkin a glass of sweet tea.

Did not quite have the bounce I wanted but it still feels good.

A tip of the hat to Linda Z

Not sure if I’m a him or a she?

Just so you’ll know

When I have to go

I usually stand up when I pee.

I know that is not always a guarantee.

Jonny Lingo, thanks for the spell checker tip.

I really, really hope you mean self-deprecating!!

I'm glad I can make you laugh

Even though you thought it a gaff

It could have been worse

But I'm trying not to curse

So I'll just keep pulling words out of my aff.

Does anyone gnow how to use the darn spell checker?

Let's break it down even further

One Lord, one faith, one baptism. water or holy spririt?

Carnal (water) or spiritual baptism (holy spirit)

Not of works least any man should boast. Water baptism...works?

If it's works it is no more of grace.

Water baptism is cool if that is your way of displaying you convictions

but I am more convinced when I see someone helping their neighbor out of a ditch.

Faith without works....hmmm how about works without faith.

Christ is the end of the law to them that believe, our righteousness is of God through Christ.

Works is good and pleasing to God if done in faith. Salvation is a free gift, not earned or acquired by anything we can or will do.

But if I thought it would encourage someone I would get water baptized once a week.

Oldie but Goodie

As a beauty I am not a star

There are others more fair by far

But my face I don't mind it

Because I'm behind it

It's those in front whom I jar.

A little self defecating humor.