ClayJay

Congratulations Dot! Groucho! When's the Wedding? :)

Johniam, I was never a Mod. And, I think that maybe PFAL Mike was probably the most hated. But, I never did fit in with the status quo around here. But I WAS a "Wayfer" as much as anyone else here, and even more so than at least one here (SS) I know of who was never in The Way ,so I always thought I had a right to speak my mind around here, and have done so...

Pawtuckett said: "Almost top ten". Nice...

I think I am the most hated...

Mike is my newest friend on Facebook!

T Oh yeah. Gutless weenie. When I came home and learned of it, I was furious. But, they were the losers, not us. And the furniture. Well, I guess I learned my lesson on that one. But what made me mad was that it was me who met the people who wanted to give it to me, not The Way International. But no matter. Once it was "tainted" like that, I never wanted to see any of it again. I mean, it was just "stuff" anyway.

It seemed to me that lots of people didn't know what to do back when Martindale wrote his "pledge of allegiance to Me" letter. Seemed to me that a lot of people went with the "popular" decision in the areas where they lived. New Yorkers went with Vince, and in my area-DC Metro which means DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland just outside the Beltway-went with Larry Panarello who went with his Wife who went with Mrs. Owens who stayed with The Way. Panarello had no cojones in my opinion. I was at his "peer level", but was not the Limb guy. I tried to talk some sense into him about how incredibly un-biblical LCM's demands were, but I believe that he went in the direction of his wife's urging. My wife and I were shocked at the stark reality that what we had committed our entire lives to was crumbling all about us, but, since we had both committed ourselves to "It Is Written", we could see no other way but OUT. And so, I informed Panarello that "as for me and my house, we would endeavor to serve the Lord", and not LCM. And at that, we became instant pariahs. And the daggone branch coordinator even came to my house one day while I was at work and tried to get my wife to leave me so that she "could stand with the Ministry" since I obviously was not going to. She listened to him quietly to make sure she was really hearing what she was hearing, and they she gave it to him with both barrels blazing and threw him out of our house to never return. However, he did come back one day with some of his little minions with a truck to take away our furniture. You see, one of my customers from a drywall job had given us some very nice living room and bedroom furniture. They wanted to give it away, but because they wanted to use this giveaway as a tax write off, they asked if they could "donate it to our ministry", and could they get an official receipt for it? So, I called Howard Allen, with whom I had been on good terms over the years and asked him if I could get an official receipt, to which he happily agreed. He told me to list the items and send the request to some department under his care as Secretary/Treasurer. So, I did, the receipt came promptly, and I gave it to the people who gave me the furniture, and all was well. All was well that is, until we became The Enemy. So, after it was clear to Panarello, that we weren't going to play along with the whole DC Limb like most everybody else, the BC-one Jamil McGhee-and his underlings came to my house with that truck and demanded that furniture back, and that they had the legal authority to take it because it technically belonged to The Way International. That was the first time I realized how snotty and wicked these drones had become. So, I told him, "Sure, gladly. I don't want it. Not now, and I never want to lay eyes upon it again". So, I began to go into my house to start bringing it out, and they began to follow me into my home. When I realized that they were doing that, I turned and told them under no uncertain terms that they were not to enter my house, nor were they allowed on my property and that they had to wait on the street and that I would bring it out to them on the street. Fortunately my best friend from 7th grade lived with me, my sheetrocking partner of 12 years was home, and we hauled the stuff out to them. He and I both got into The Way together back in 1975. It was humiliating as they looked on us with disdain and supposed "sadness". But I think that really, they were gleefull, because they were "kicking spiritual a$$! Cleansing the Household! A much cooler mission than trying to tell people about our Lord Jesus Christ anyway! Yeah, hurting people is so much more fun than bringing Christ to people! We have now become God's Secret Squirrels!" It was so pathetic... And so, I and two other married couples (the two husbands were ordained guys like me), and about three single people got together on a regular basis as the "marked and avoided ones". We had some fellowships together, and talked about things now that we were no longer "in", and what the future might hold for us. For awhile, while Martindale was "cleansing" HQ of "vermin" like us, my home became a "Safe House" for international Way Corps members who had been thrown out without a moment's notice and whose student visas instantly became null and void because they were instantly no longer students. I helped them get jobs so they could get their money up to fly back to places like Australia and New Zealand and Greece. We had some fine times, but it was a sad time too, for we all came to love each other throughout that ordeal. I even was the Best Man for one fellow from NZ who married his Corps sister with whom he went through the same troubled time. It was a nice wedding. We sent them up to Harper's Ferry West Virginia for their brief honeymoon. And while we had this happy house full, with all of us experiencing the first taste of Life after The Way, Panarello called me and pretended to be friendly and asked if he could come by for a visit just to "chat". Also, he asked me "what was new"? And, "I hear you have some guests visiting, that must be so nice! And so, who are they"? I just responded with; "Why don't we cut the bulldang Larry. They are Way Corps people thrown out on their a$$es by Martindale with no place to go. Stay away from me and my house and my friends and don't call back here". And, he stayed away. And eventually, the internationals flew away Home. We've all gone different ways now. One of those clergy guys owns an exclusive art gallery in Manhattan, and the other clergy guy is involved in an off shoot of The Way, and I went back to Alaska to renew my career as a Merchant Marine. My sheetrocking partner went back to college, got his degree and is now a special education teacher at an elementary school in Virginia. The closest I have ever come to The Way since then is right here, reading of the things that happened within TWI since I got out. I am sorry for those who stayed. I happen to know that the BC from that area has been out of The Way for some time now. An apology from him? No way. Panarello has not apologized either. But that's okay, we all stayed in for various lengths of time, oblivious to what was happening behind the scenes, making our exits at the time when we finally got things figured out. So,like you said Dot, we surely had some wonderful friends back in those days, and that was the hard part about leaving. One dear and possibly my very best friend ever, an Irishman, is still in, and that friendship simply disappeared like an ice cube in a frying pan. A real bummer, that...

I liked Dr. Wierwille's last teaching. I think it is a very good thing for Christians to serve with joy...

To a squirrel's nest?

Yup, and, thanks SS!

You all may find this surprising, but I, "Clayjay", aka "Jonny Lingo" have not only enjoyed the place, but I also learned a lot about the dark under belly of TWI, that I didn't know had existed, and then refused to believe, for awhile. The aspect of the dark under belly that I didn't believe really happened was the sexual abuse part. But, through one very good friend here (a female) who was not a part of it, but was privy to it, really lined me out on it, giving me a lot of "who's and what's and where's", convincing me that things really were that way. It also helped a lot of pieces fit together for me. Also, as ExSeventies put it in the post below, I learned a lot about what happened to The Way after they kicked me out in the late 80's. Makes me thankful that I was gone before TWI 2. And may you all who stayed through TW2 be blessed and healed up as soon as possible! So, thanks Pawtuckett, and Happy Trails :wave:

Heya there Dot Matrix! Hey. Here's a song for you. It's me playing harmonica. It helps to pump up the volume. Georgia On My Mind: http://www.akbonfire.com/gomm.mp3 I 'opes ya likes it!

Ya know, I spent a good bit of time on what I thought was an insightful post, clicked "add reply", and it never showed up. :(

That's 2 Peter 1:3 I believe that. It is not being "Way brained" to believe that. It is, I guess, being "Bible brained". But that's okay for me, because I am a Christian believer, and I derive my Christian knowledge about God and Jesus from the Bible which I believe to be God's Word. And that's okay, right?

Ya know Socks, I do believe that my memory here is correct. The very first year of the Heartbeat Festivals was held at the Marin County Civic Center (MCCC). And that year, around the country, Joyful Noise was the "accompanying band". Well, at least the first one in Marin County was. The next year, 1978, Good Seed was the band that went around the country "playing the Heartbeats". I remember the Heart beat in '78 at the MCCC, and that it was Good Seed that year instead of JN, and it too was a great time. What makes me remember for sure that it was JN the first time in '77 was this: As a WOW, I was assigned as a bless patrol guy to "guard" an area near the back stage of the civic center. I and my BP Partner were told by Rev. Dave Standage to "not let anyone pass into this certain area", and; "I don't care if they're members from Joyful Noise, they don't go through". And then, along comes this pair of dudes who looked exactly like Brian Bliss and Johnny Ruiz (guitar player for JN), who wanted to pass into the area that we were told not to let people pass into. I wasn't sure if it was really them, because the devil just might have made a couple of "replicas", but they sure did look authentic. I'd seen 'em on stage at my first Rock in '76 just before I went out WOW! And also down in DC at the 'Merica Awakes concert! But I had had my orders... So, I was at a major cross roads. I mean, I knew that BB and JR were members of Joyful noise, but a REVEREND had told us to not let anyone pass "even if they were members of Joyful Noise"! And so, even though they were saying with kindness and compassion and really not any real ego that they were "actually members of Joyful Noise", I still wouldn't let them go past. They rolled their eyes at each other, which I painfully understood, but still, a Reverend, a Man Of God had given us our orders, and so, even though my watch partner wanted to give in, I did not. And so, Johnny and Brian just shrugged politely, and went back the other way, undoubtedly to find another way to get where they were going. Good form on their part, I have later come to think. Gracious to the "young galoot WOW" on a mission for God... The tape in question, Ted and Socks, was probably sort of a "bootleg tape", not an official one to have been produced properly. If any one has a copy of it, it might be the late Mark Gluckin. But the songs on that list that you mentioned are certainly ones I would love to hear again fore shore. Many of them were on that tape. And ya know Socks, I have a funny feeling that I just may have met you at one time way back in the day. It's just a feeling though... ;-)

;-) ?

Nice to see you two who know the score on those songs. I love those two songs myself BF and Chockfull. And hey, as an aside, but still on the topic of wonderful songs, I have a question to axe you Socks and Ted. First of all, at the first Heartbeat Festival, which took place at the Marin County Civic Center, I received a cassette tape of the weekend's biggest performance, an evening with Joyful Noise. I remember that "It's Gotta Be God" was on that one, as well as many other favorites. Even though many if not all of the songs by JN were on that tape, I loved that one in particular. The quality of sound was excellent, and either there was a couple of songs on it that were new, or I just liked the sound of it because I was in the crowd. Sadly, my '66 Volkswagen Fastback was broken into down in South Central LA shortly thereafter where I was a WOW that year, and my Alpine cassette deck was stolen, and in it, that tape from that night. I often prayed that the thief listened to the tape and got born again because of the words and sounds of the songs. BUT, I have also always thought that to get a copy of that evening's performance would have been so fine! I had often thought to ask Mark Glucken while he was still here with us if a copy of that was possible to acquire, because word had it that he had archived tons of recordings, including music. But, I never got around to it, and then sadly, Mark fell asleep. But I wonder, Socks and Ted, since you may have known some of those people, if you might know if there is a recording of that evening's performance? And if so, how I might acquire one?

I love this thread. It seems that Citizens here have come a long way since that last brouhaha on Forgiveness that was started by Nathan Friedly a long time back. This thread is full of wisdom and the love of God. So cool...

Really? I didn't actually listen to her version of it. But I did see a few words in there that seemed to have been changed. But most of it seemed just the way Ellenwood wrote it. And, the girl in the photo seems to be younger than Dean Ellenwood, so, I would be surprised if she wrote it when she was like three, or twelve, and then, like, Dean Ellenwood stole it from her...

Chockfull, That sounds way more like it. Thanks! May as well leave it at that Brainfixed, I think that's it...

Some of the lyrics from memory. I was in a band and we used to do this one for coffes houses out in Oregon: "I spent most of my life, without a dime to my name, While friends all around me found fortune and fame. Now I've finally won, it cost God His Son, And Oh the price he paid for you... In my eyes, I was nothin-to no one, but in God's eyes I reigned supreme. (da doot da do!) I thought my life wasn't worth, the pains of-my-birth! But to God I'm worth everything! When my ships were comin' in, they went down of the coast, my friends all ran out on me When I needed them most But I've finally won, It cost God His Son And oh the price he paid for you-ooh, ooh ooh, for yoooohhh... Now, that is no doubt not quite put toghether correctly. All the words are accurate, but there may be more verses, and I may have it all out of order. I am checking at The Way Corps site and left a post for the accurate words to this so I can get it to you Brainfixed. And hey, I like your screen name. Glad you are fixed! Your brain that is. Hah! :)

From a purely biblical/salvation point of view, the song does represent what Jesus Christ has done for us, regardless of the blessings we weren't getting while in The Way. The reason that you liked it probably was because of what it represented, not what you may or may not have been actually receiving while in. I am and have been, thankfully, very long gone from The Way, but I still love what that song represents to me, as a Christian anyway. To some of you who may not embrace Christianity any longer, then maybe the opposite is true. And to many here who have been scarred badly from time in The Way, no matter how sweet the sound of the song, and the richness of the words, the song may bring back bad remembrances, and then the song will then be a "wrong thing" for you to hear or listen to, and I understand that also. But, as for me, I still love the song, and I think that when Stevie Kay Louis was singing it for us, she meant no harm, but rather the love of God toward us, the listeners. My two cents anyway...

Mr. Ham, And......

I have nothing to Add to that BowTwi. It was so succinct and to the point covering so many aspects that I copied it so I can send it to my wife at work. Most excellent, and thank you! :)

I was at Randy's house in Sandy, Utah back in 1992. He was still married then, and was interested in hunting and working. They must have divorced after that cause they were together then. But, you may find him there in Sandy, Utah, which is a suburb or town closely connected to Salt Lake City...