Kevlar2000

I'll bite - "Ma'am, your breasts are just too big!" and "Honey, next time, would you please leave the seat up?" (just kidding about that one [and of course, the one before it]; I put the seat and the lid down after use.)

Thank you Shell! Excie, Speaking of "sweet young things"... :wub: Thanks!

(((Psalm))) - grieving with you.

You all are a bunch of quitters! I'm so proud of you...

Hi, (((excathedra))) Sorry I didn't see your post until I posted the above narrative. I think even more slowly than I type. Thanks again for starting this topic. Mwah!

First of all, (((((Linda))))), congratulations for making the decision! I was two-plus packs a day when I quit, and I was just tired of smoking that much. I was tired of hocking up all that green, phlegmy crap every morning. My wife was a non-smoker, and I hated polluting her airspace, yet didn't want to be exiled to "the void" (outside) when I wanted to light up (which was often). My work was slowly but certainly set to become a "non-smoking area". I guess, in short, I was ready to quit. Ironically, it was the night I first heard about (some of) the crap going on with the Way that I decided to quit for good, rather than keep on smoking to help with the stress and anxiety. Maybe God was working within me to help. I'm not discounting that possibility. It's been 20 years this past September since I quit. Yeah, I still think about lighting up occasionally, but, like you, I can no longer stand the smell of cigarette smoke, especially when there are a lot of people smoking, especially in a bar. That ususally "cures" me pretty quick. Also, what helps me is saying to myself, "You're a non-smoker." And not even in the sense of saying it over and over, like a mantra or like "renewing your mind", but saying it because it's who you are. It is now part of your identity; part of what makes you, you. "Light up? Why would I do that? I don't smoke - I'm a non-smoker." I don't mean to go on and on about this, because if there's anything worse than a Wierwille apologist, it's a "born-again" non-smoker. :) Just wanted to share, and hope that there's something useful you can use.

Thank you all for your warm (and funny) wishes. You all are the best! Excie and tonto, it was as much fun as the old boy could stand (see below and laugh). Roy, thank you. I appreciate being able to have lived this long. I hope God's all right with it as well. T-Bone, I'll take both - as long as the beer is Guinness (do they make ammo, too? I'll have to check the boutique section on their website - www.guinness.com) Chatty, what I did between 18 and 2000? I kept upgrading! Belle, that Frisbee is great! I'll have to find one. And resistant to dog bites. Always a plus. dmiller, that happy birthday gif is great. I like how it's so festive - makes me want to go out and party (again, see below and laugh). Ah, let's see, what did I do on my birthday? Well, I got up. (and at my age, I'm thankful I'm still doing that.) I went to work at an unnamed government agency for half a day. (I could tell you the name of it, but then I'd have to condemn your property and build a road over it.) Solved numerous minor crises, placated some public officials, infuriated others. A good time was had by all. Took the rest of the day off. Had routine service maintenance done to the car. Picked up dry cleaning. Worked out at Bally's (nope, still no sign of LCM :) ). Called my mother so she could wish me happy birthday. (I would say I talked to her, but she does most of the talking :) ) Was invited by my estranged wife to come over to her house for a birthday dinner. It was quite tasty. (I don't like using the word "estranged" when talking about her, because it sounds too much like "strange", and if anyone in that relationship was strange...it wasn't her.) Afterwards, I went to an Irish-themed pub to drink some Guinness (Yay ) and listen to some live music. I started chatting up some sweet young thing, but a couple of minutes into the conversation, she looks closer at me and says, "How old are you?" I told her (always having found it hard to be intentionally dishonest). She quickly moved away. I thought of that phrase from the "Just for Men" commercial, "Bruised and Refused!" :lol: I'm still chuckling about that as I'm typing this. But you know, one of the last things I thought about before going to sleep last night was, It's been 20 years ago this month since I left TWI. And every year, I still consider that one of the best birthday presents I ever gave myself. Thanks again all!

d, I was at some of those type of meetings with RD and JAL in the MD/DC area around that time, and frankly, with the information they were presenting, I would not have been in the mood for music (even though I love to sing). I was still wandering around in a state of shock. The information they were presenting was flooring me. Even though I had quit the Way by early 1987 (20 years ago! Woo-Hoo!), I was still ignorant about much that had happened to decimate "The Ministry". I was sad, depressed, angry...and I'm just not sure what kind of music they could have presented that would have brought me "up". Of course, you're correct that had they "pointed our interest to where it should have been directed in the first place -- things might have turned out different." But the information we were getting at that time from them was far better than the information we were getting from TWI...which was nothing.

Or is that everyone without distinction? You could probably assume some who head up these groups, promote most of the things Mr. Wierwille did, speak of him in reverential tones, regard him as a legitimate "Doctor" (and still refer to him with that one-word honorific), and still make reference to his little "bon mots" as words to live by (especially when they knew of his darker, seamier side), may be indulging in, if not "worship", then undeserved adulation. Many who attend these groups may also be similarly afflicted. Everyone? Nah...unless they willingly kiss the Founding MOG's statuette. (I'm still laughing over that one. A statuette? "But...but...it's just because we love him so!") Well, it certainly doesn't have to be. It depends on how much the offshoot (and the people who run it) is like TWI. That depends. How independently have you considered the information presented in the Power for Abundant Living class series? Or do you have a mindset of "'Doctor' said it...that settles it!"? Like "all without exception" vs. "all without distinction". Does the mind still glaze over with the brilliance of "Doctor's" juxtaposition in his handling of the Word, or does the lightbulb go off when you realize, "Hey! They mean the same frakin' thing!" Does even the possibility of entertaining the thought, "Maybe the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, isn't the revealed Word and Will of God," fill you with dread, self-loathing and an irrational fear that you might soil yourself in condemnation and sin-conciousness? To me, asking questions about what is conventionally accepted is the beginning of knowledge, starting with its most basic, foundational tenets. Especially if the group which chiefly expounded those tenets is in the toilet, spiritually and ethically speaking. And, knowing the depths of how people have been abused and degraded by "Doctor" Wierwille, why wouldn't you question everything the man ever said or did? To those who would accept PFAL without deeper reflection, and would accept those who re-package and promote it, I would only say Caveat emptor - Let the buyer beware.

George and Tom, I believe you're referring to the "I have a dream" speech, which was given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. The "I've been to the mountaintop" speech was given in Memphis on April 3, 1968, the day before he was assassinated. Here's a Timeline of Events from LSU's website. Doojable, for your (or anyone's) interest and perusal, here is a listing of some of his other speeches. Thanks all for your comments.

"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." (Emphasis mine) This is from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech the night before he was assassinated. I wonder if God gave him some 'personal prophecy' about his imminent demise, and gave him a vision to bolster him, to give him strength to endure what was to come the next day. Your thoughts?

To paraphrase Yoda, The Dark Side clouds Everything! Blind are we, if this evil we could not see! Adherents and supporters of CES/STFI (as well as of other groups implying their "curve on the truth" is superior to other groups) may wish to consider deeply the points Tom Strange makes in his post, and re-evaluate whether or not they trust anything these folks have to say. Maybe all the principals in this sad story should have taken a good long vacation from being bible teachers and counselors after their exit from the Way.

I think you saw manifested in the senses realm the internal spiritual reality that, while beauty may be skin-deep, ugly goes all the way to the bone.

And of course, potato, they sent you a response that was full of Christian love, concern and a desire to magnify the name of the Lord in your heart, right? Riiiiiiiiiight. Congratulations on your continued recovery from that wicked religion.

I know this was a ploy and a device invented by Way "leadership", but how could they not understand this would infuriate people who had paid good (and in most cases, hard-earned) money, taken precious leave from work, travelled far distances (mostly at their own expense) and endured other hardships to participate in and be a graduate of The Way International's premier and ultimate class on Power for Abundant Living? I don't know about the rest of you, but I still have my graduation certificate signed by Pikes Peak's most well-known and celebrated Doctor of Theology! Tell me I'm not an AC graduate! *tongue firmly in cheek* Always good advice when it comes to The Way.

Bliss (and anyone else, really), Do they ever specify the "deliverances and miracles" they've seen?

Too funny, Shaz and johniam. Of course, in addition to sacred madrigals, you had your fair share of 'secular' ones, like Fair Phyllis, with its double entendre line, "Up and down he wandered," or "He that will an alehouse keep must have these things in store; a chamber and a feather bed, a chimney and a.... Hey nonny nonny no!" Oh naughty, naughty ellipsis! (Or maybe "Hey nonny nonny no" was madrigal code for "Hey nonny nonny yeah yeah yeah!")

"So you see, folks, I was right about emissions contributing to Global Warming. And I also won the 2000 election! And yes, I did invent the Internet! So y'all can kiss my vented, unelected and interconnected @$$! Al Gore will rise again in 2010!" (oh, wait...)

Ahhhhh Guinness! I need a drool smiley right about now. :)

"So, I introduce the Most Right Reverent G.Gordon Godfrey!" Dear M.R.R. Godfrey, Your Personal Prophecies appeal to me in a most sublime manner, but, being a discriminating ex-cultist, I must completely satisfy myself as to your bona fides before I subscribe to your Prophecy-a-Day ™ email service (motto: a Prophecy-a-Day will keep Satan away!). So.... How much can you leg-press? :wacko:

Psalm, You and yours are some of the Good Ones. I hope all turns out well (I'll "believe" that it will ).

God bless us, every one!

Raf, But even the smell has a purpose, as it's good for clearing a room. :) "All things work together..." :D Mark, From reading CK's other posts, I simply assumed that neither Jesus Christ's life nor ministry nor beliefs formed a part of his personal values. Not a criticism, just an observation. Mstar, To be truly Wierwillian, it would have to fit like "a head gasket on a hot rod."

"Apostle or Lord Wierwille" It's not a case of "either or", But rather "neither nor".

I looked at the cover and didn't see a reflection. Wonder what that's all about.