Watered Garden

The young minister in our little fellowship started a new series of sermons on Sunday. This first one was out of Genesis, the fall of man, and was about guilt. He talked about people having a heart of stone, of being cold, and how they do that because they've been hurt and they don't want to be hurt again so they just get to the place they don't care anymore. In a lot of ways that described me. I don't feel that way to ward off the righteous feelings of guilt that I should and deserve to feel, but because I've had so much damn guilt thrown in my face for the past 19 years or so I can't stand it any more. TWI: my house wasn't clean enough, my son wasn't perfect enough, I wasn't submissive enough, you all been there done that, right? Then I was diagnosed with diabetes, and the first time I am around a socalled woman of God she wants to know, "Do you understand what it is THAT YOU DID that caused this to happen to you?" So I'm obviously guilty of some horrendous sin and God had to smite me with diabetes to punish me. Then there's the thing about our son is being a jerk because I am insufficiently submissive to my husband. (Actually he was being a 13 year old!) Then we are told to "get rid of him" and told if we are separated from TWI, all he11 will break loose in our lives and our spirit will die and then our body. So fast forward to 2007. I think I'm over the guiltiness pretty good and the new church that preceded the present one runs a Sunday School class called Secrets of the Vine and this class teaches that all sickness and disease come from God for the purpose of scourging those who are not bearing sufficient fruit in their lives. I went off the deep end for a while on that one. Now this new fellowship. Guilt. Adam and Eve. Well, Eve really. Women are stupid they get deceived easily. I'm guilty of being a woman. I mean, isn't there enough stuff around to condemn yourself over without churches/fellowships/whoever heaping more on you? Is it Biblical for Christians to go around feeling guilty and being told all that? I thought the blood of Jesus Christ cleansed me from my sin when I repented and got saved and all that. But nowadays it seems like I am being condemned on every side. WG

I learned and continue to learn to be very suspicious of any religious organization and to be very distrustful of anyone in a pastoral position. That includes former pastors of former churches we attended AFTER TWI. No offense to anyone who reads this who is a minister, including a TWI minister. I just don't want to be fooled again. WG

After we left the WC Mr. Garden had the devil's own time finding a decent job, until one woman believed in him and paved the way for his interviews with the higher-ups. After we moved back to Ohio it was somewhat better, but not so much. Myself, I just don't talk about it. I agree, it is embarrassing to say the least. I did discuss my former involvement with a psychologist during therapy. He was horrified. WG

Actually, I kinda remember somebody playing the bagpipes but that's about all. Unfortunately the ROA was not my favorite time of the year as I don't like camping or crowds or dirt or dust or heat. WG

HB from WG!

I think it was from the Old Testament where the prophet, i.e. "Man of God" would wear a mantle, a strip of cloth about 6-10 feet long, representing his anointing as the prophet for Israel. During the ceremony, VP wore it around his neck and then whipped it off and wrapped it around LCM's neck. It hung down in front several feet on either side, kind of like those things some ministers in more traditional churches wear with their robes, though as I recall it was woven of wool more like a winter scarf. (Probably the wool came from one of King David's sheep or something). It was all very ritualistic and totally made up by TWI. Oh yea, and that Elijah threw his mantle over Elisha which meant he was called and ordained or something. Please see the above Bible verses another poster so kindly provided. WG

There was a long thread started by someone whose user name is Brushstroke who was in the same situation as you, though I think the girl's parents were not high muckety-mucks but mere peon followers. You can go to search in the upper right hand corner, perhaps, or at least check out the user name owner's profile. This would be very informative for you. WG

Especially yours, Paw. WG

I just wanted to add an ancillary comment about guilt. Hopefully it's not too far off track. I think there is a balance between ignoring the blood-guiltiness of mankind and wallowing in it. I heard a sermon* today on guilt. He said that guilt is seen in today's culture as resolved by behavior modification, when it is a need for a new heart ("create in me a new heart, oh God). We are guilty and we need to feel guilty and there is no hope for us except in the cross of Christ. I left wanting to kill myself or at least flagellate myself to a bloody pulp. I have felt entirely without God and without hope in this world since 1994 when I was diagnosed with IDDM and then in 1996 when we left TWI, and then in 2007 when I took the Secrets of the Vine class. Very few people who enjoy preaching on sin and guilt enjoy preaching on salvation. There has to be a balance. I am sick and tired of having this stuff thrown in my face. *In all fairness, this is the beginning of a series and there may well be a sermon on salvation and joy in the future. WG Won't get fooled again!

I guess I would have to say I would miss y'all if GSC closed down. I've really learned a lot, and hopefully contributed a little, once in a while, anyway. I'm very grateful for those prayers down there in the Prayer Room that were uttered for me and mine! I think a lot of the feelings about the WC site is that so many of us were impressed early on with the superiority of WC grads, by at least a few who thought they actually did have "in-depth spiritual awareness and perception." To my young-in-the-ministry eye, they were very a superior and exclusive bunch, "in the know" as many of us underlings would never be. The Richeson Way Corps Only website did indeed bring back those feelings to me, but then I decided to heck with it all. I am as good in the eyes of God as anyone who graduated from any Way Corps, anywhere, anytime. Many WC grads, however, did not feel that way at all, bless them! I did regret not being able to attempt to connect with some individuals who were WC that I knew and cared about, but then maybe they would rather post on an exclusive site than receive greetings from a humble peon like myself. I did certainly appreciate Rocky posting that slide show! At any rate, if Pawtucket decides to close GSC, I expect it will evolve, reinvent itself, or something of that nature. And I think every single one of us owes Paw a debt of gratitude for making GSC available to us. Thank you, Pawtucket. You will never know how many lives you've impacted by doing this, how many people you've helped. God bless you. WG

Years after it happened, we were at a crafts festival at Grand Coulee Dam and I got a little statuette of a cocker spaniel made out of Mt. St. Helens ash. Don't think there was a gray cocker spaniel in real life, but I've still got it. Leafy, I sent you a PM. WG

And he predates the Levitical priesthood.

My best gift comes tomorrow, when I get to see my most precious #1 minisprout grandson, who is never permitted to spend Christmas with us, and supposedly not to ever see us again, according to his demented maternal parent. Sprout is getting him and we are going to do breakfast and open presents. WG

You know, I've been posting here since what, 2002, and I never thought about what it must take to run this thing. I apologize for being so self-centered. You do what you need to do. I for one think you have done one helluva job of making it available for people to vent, ask questions, get answers, get healing. What was it you said? "We will tell the other side of the story, and have some fun doing it." It isn't fun for you any more, is it? Life's too short to carry this burden. Close it down. Relax, have some fun, go someplace warm and sip rum drinks in a hammock for a while. Give it a rest, and then if you feel like you want to start something up again, smaller and simpler, let us know, and take a crack at it. Love and prayers, Watered Garden

:eusa_clap: :eusa_clap: l Dr. Seuss would be proud! Thank you so much! WG

There's gotta be somewhere to report the therapist! And remember Scientologists don't put much stock by therapy/pscyhology/psychiatry anyway, according to their favorite spokesperson, Mr. Cruise. There should be a LOT of stuff out there to use. Good luck. WG

Watching soap operas and cop dramas can really help you get a handle on life itself? Things went south in a hurry, I bet. When Mr & Mrs 2Life were our twig leaders, they NEVER locked their door or took the phone off the hook. One never knew what stray person just sort of showed up, was given a meal, a bed, and friendship. They lived their twig. Fast Forward to the 1990's and you got Mr. & Mrs. WC 18 or so, prim and proper, here to hold forth the Present Truth, living off the ABS, bitching because it's not enough for designer cosmetics, and eating out all the time, and having NO CLUE what life is all about outside of the rosy world they inhabit. SAD, SAD, SAD. WG

Well, George, we lived in Everett at that time, not too far from where you hang your hat. (Love the Snohomish bike trail)! The little couple who were there then ate out a LOT, many more times than we could have afforded on our meager paychecks. They also, after obtaining proper permission, had a baby. But I do recall many incidents they repeated to us where they witnessed to a waitress or two. Oh, yeah, and they did spend some time sticking their noses into others' business. And I was once permitted the privilege of bringing a bunch of food over and cooking a fish dinner with homemade biscuits for them, at our expense, which the Man of God pronounced as not bad. (it was a helluva lot better than the scumbag deserved). She whimpered about not being able to afford "nice things to put on her face and nice things to put on her hair" while I bought cosmetics and shampoo at Wal-Mart if I could afford them. I can see how the ministry grew mightily due to their bold and fearless stand. NOT! WG

Was V**k Rud*o in the same city as any of you? WG

As far as sex, there have been various and sundry "doctrines" about that, one being that "we are no longer under the law" and one being that if you are a deeply spiritually mature individual (whatever the heck THAT means) you can handle it. The Bible says "flee fornication" and that includes what she is doing. It would be interesting, if indeed you attend one of their fellowships, to ask the fellowship leader outright what their teaching is about premarital sex, adultery, promiscuity, etc. and watch your roomie's face to see her reaction. Personally, I think you are going to need to find another roommate or another place you can live before too long. It sounds to me like you are somewhat grounded in Christianity yourself. Honestly, I would guard my heart and mind like a rottweiler on steroids with those people. They are not what they seem! WG

Cells - was it Sun Yung Moon, as in "the Moonies?"

Go to a Dollar Store, get a goofy looking mug for $1 or so, and fill it with candy kisses or stick a packet or two of hot chocolate mix inside. Look around, see what you have. Our first Christmas as a couple we had a little antique table we got for $1 at an auction and Mr. Garden refinished it and we gave it to my parents for Christmas. Little magic glue with walnut plaques and seashells and we had something for my aunt (hanging in the sunroom as she has gone to heaven). I make jam every summer and give with a bow and some homemade biscuits or cookies. The wise men may have had gold, frankincense and myrrh, but the shepherds gave their hearts. WG

HB from WG!!!!!!

Brings to mind a funny story. When I was car shopping, I went and looked at a Toyota Solara, which had just come out as a 2 door version of the Camry. I test drove one and just loved it. The salesman, whose dealership also sold Chevrolet products, admitted it was a perfect car. THEN he went on a rant about how I should buy an American car instead of a Japanese car, he owned a Camaro and a Chevy S10 pickup truck and how wonderful they were. I actually took his advice. The Honda Civic I bought was manufactured in West Liberty, Ohio. WG

HB from WG.