vickles

Now I've got this picture in my mind of a flock of sheep with a goat in the middle. Help, I can't get it out of my mind...

I asked my wife, and she said,,Yes size does count. :)

( and she is 7th Corps)

Joe, Ask your wife if she remembers Kay Nugent and if you all know what she's been doing? Would love to get a hold of her....thanks

Hey bringing this to the top so people can see this. I really would like to find out how Alison is doing. Thanks, Vicki

Socks I can agree with that but that is what psych units, therapists, psychiatrists, etc can determine if need be. This is something that the professionals (psych units and etc) went to school for and know what they are doing.

Momentus to me reminds me of a bunch of people on a big power trip trying to run down others to get them to break, mentally. Once the others break they are putty in these power hungry hands.

Whats sad is that the ones that do break mentally and are putty in their hands are most likely the mentally weak. Then they turn and do the same thing to others thinking how strong and wonderful they are.

Alison, if you see this I want you to know I've missed your smiling face through the years. You were a good friend would love to hear from you again!!!!

And you would remember of course, how I got the nickname Vickles!!! LOL

Well you see I was taught the same thing until I 'matured' and was able to handle the other stuff. So they taught one thing but did something else.

TWI never really had a policy on that stuff. they had a policy on just about everything else, except sexual stuff.

snort snort, wonder why?

That one gets my vote.

Not to be crass, or mean or anything..

but it reminds me of some kids I knew in my youth who huffed a little too much glue- they just weren't all there..

LOL or gas...hehe

No I didn't experience myself but I know people that did. There are some serious problems with people that had some serious mental problems after experiencing what they did or took years to get back to what they had.

I don't understand why anyone would want to go somewhere and get critqued in that way. It just doesn't make sense. Having people tell me what I need to work on in the manner that its done seems to put someone down rather to build them up. It seems that the ones that could come out unscathed didn't have much of a mind nor stamina in the first place.

Love it Mr. Ham!!!! Please keep the ham rolling....hey wait a minute what happened to psalmie...we could sure use her here that is for sure.

The whole momentus thing was the most downgrading thing there is. Why would someone want to go through it in the first place? If there is such thing as a devil (which I think there may be) then this would have to be put in to the file of devilish.

Gosh I guess I am getting old and have forgotten. This was best forgotten I think.

The thinking was God doesn't give you things you can't handle. So if you can handle porn and still stay in fellowship....hey its ok!!!! Same with meeting the needs of a Man of God...if you can stay in fellowship and meet the needs then its ok, in fact its meeting their needs so your giving and everyone is blessed.....

So, to twi it all depends on how much you can handle. Sad....

Now in my personal life I don't think that porn is a bad thing. But its the screwed up thinking of twi that gets to the real nasty stuff that hurts people.

its been a couple of years for me and I could really really REALLY use a good cig right now....in other words it will never go away.....

I"m so sorry Hope for your loss. I will be praying for you and your family.

Hi Another and Welcome.

My approach to this may be different from what you're used to.

Let me deal with the business end first [For context - I've been a serial entrepreneur since 1979, a business coach since 1994 and for 15 years I've owned and supported myself with a company that is not a video store but is around the same business so I know the problems you are facing.]

Disclaimer - I don't know your entire situation so I can't really give advice - consider this education.

The video store business sucks. It's a dying industry and impossible for independents (with a few exceptions base on being in a very unique neighborhood or something like that). If I were in that end of the business I'd get out as quickly as possible. Cut my losses and run. Far away.

That means you should probably get a job. Get one that is not stressful and pays the bills. If it takes some time to disentangle from the store, get a part time job mean while.

As for the rest of your life, [My context here is I spent 16 years of my life in the way. Was in the 5th way corps, was clergy, worked in the field as branch and area leaders and lived on staff. I knew VPW and LCM personally]. I got out many years ago and have rebuilt my life in a way that is better and more fulfilling than any I could imagine when I was in - that includes my business and financial success but more importantly my family and personal success.

You've been traumatized, emotionally and psychologically. It's as bad (maybe worse) than being in a debilitating accident. Put as much effort into rehabilitation as if you got a leg blown off in Iraq. And foregive yourself as well. By that I mean don't think it's your fault. You got taken advantage of. Focus on the future and rebuilding. It's not something you can do alone. Get a good therapist. One who's worked with people harmed by cults. It will take some consistent hard work, but you'll make progress and it will happen. Focus on small improvements. They add up quickly if you focus on them, they seem trivial if you try to focus on the big picture too soon.

I would forget about spirituality and reading the bible. Build your life back. Food, clothing, shelter. A job or work that's at first not stressful and ultimately satisfying. Friends, family, people you like and even love and who like or love you back. The idea that you much have a spiritual aspect to your life to be whole is, in my opinion not true. And it's an idea that has been used to trick and traumatized a lot of people throughout history. I know many here may not agree with me but that's the way I see it. Frankly, what you've been doing recently hasn't been working. No shame in that. We all go down rabbit holes for a while. Now it's time to try something else. I'd try rehab - career wise, and psychologically.

Best wishes. Hope that helps.

My Three Cents has great advice. I did get a therapist who happened to be a nun who got out of the catholic church and married and had kids. She totally understood the whole aspect of what I was going through with my life. It was great to have a therapist that totally understood!!!!! So yes I agree with everything that my 3 cents said. Don't worry about the spiritual side just yet. Get your personal everyday stuff together first and then take a peek at the spiritual if you feel you have to.

The more I think about it I met her in the 70's not the 80's and she seemed kind of old then. Maybe because I was still just a kid myself. This was before she got really famous with her classes and her book or books I guess.

Its really too bad that so many women put their trust in her and have things happen. I've always felt for myself that the most vulnerable time of my life was when I was pregnant. And having to trust someone with my body and my babies and have that happen are really unforgivable.

In fact, Catcup, what she did to that lady I would classify as a rape. Hopefully, this woman was able to heal as best she could mentally from it.

Hello and welcome.

As for your business, I don't believe its the devil but maybe you need to get some advice from an expert or look at your advertising. There are many different reasons your business is on the downside.

For your personal life I would say try to have fun, don't punish yourself and keep your mind open. Once you do that life can be a lot of excitement.

What I mean by punish is that when I first let twi I had a lot of twi thinking in me. Thought I had to abundant share 20 percent or something dreadful would happen to me. Well, thought something dreadful would happen because I left anyways. Everything was so negative. I looked for devil spirits around the corners constantly. Geez, I had turned into a paranoid fanatic being in twi and didn't realize it.

I had trouble making friends because I had gotten into twi as a teen and in twi you have instant so called friends that will turn on you at a drop in a hat. To me that is not being a friend. I would rather have one friend that would do anything for me and vice versa than have ten friends that are really enemies.

It took me time to get rid of the rose colored glasses but once I did I really enjoyed life here on earth..... I don't have to worry about being possessed or the devil after me. I can be me. Volunteer somewhere or take college classes to find out what your interests are.

Congratulations!!!!

I remember attending her 70th Birthday Party they had for her at HQ.

She got up and spoke at the mic .... she said, "I'd rather be 69... I like the connotation better!"

When I met her in the early eighties, she was rude and crude. Had a very rough side to her...I was shocked to find out she was a doctor. Doubt she would have really made it out there without twi.

You can't change what was on the inside of a person. The way she was was not because of twi. Some people don't have what it takes to be nice.

Please remember Seth in your prayers.

Received an email from him. He lost his job and is discouraged beyond words.

He needs some true Holy Ghost encouragement and happiness. And a good job where they appreciate him would really help.

I'll be praying for Seth.

David, I enjoyed those pics. It looks that way here too. My front yard is way over my head. I wish I had a camera and be able to put them on here. My little dogs are having problems finding places to do their business....

I was excited to find the real blue skies today but went out and its bitterly cold along with the high snow drifts.

how tragic this is...I'm praying for them too.

Hey, I figured it was that time of year again and since we had a major snowstorm yesterday wanted to see how all us minnesotans did.

I for one had to be at work at 5am so trudged out at 330 am. The roads had not been done yet so had one of my trustworthy jeeps out there. When I went to get out to the jeep the snow drifts were practically to my hips....I'm not kidding!!!!

I had about 15 miles of driving to do and was hoping the drunks had all gotten home before me. It took me an hour of driving but I got there perfectly safe. Most of my other co-workers either copped out of working or were late....sigh

How is everyone else doing?

Jonny I will miss the little disagreements and shared agreements we have had through time.

I want to tell you that the monkey deal was rather funny but I opened it up in the library and nearly had a heart attack...

I'm so happy that things are going well for you and your family. Its sometimes a great thing to leave greasespot to get life into perspective if you feel that its become more than it is. I've left a couple times myself but seem to come back every once in a while to check in and to read up on everyone. I find I don't miss much as most everything stays the same it seems.

Please let us know or you can e-mail me every once in a while to let us know how your doing. You will be missed. If you want to go to another place thats freezing you and your family are invited here to minnesota. My family will take your family ice fishing.

Coolchef, thanks for the permission, I needed that giggle...

Thanks so much for the prayers. I talked to my aunt dorothy and she says he is still not doing well. He is still on oxygen. Its congetitive heart failure. Not much has changed. I let her know to tell my uncle that he is on a prayer list. She was very thankful!!!!

I know prayer works so I ask that people that do pray please pray for my Uncle Paul. When my grandmother got sick the day she died he started having the same problems. His heart is pumping too fast and something about a valve. He was hospitalized. The day he went to get out he went to get up and couldn't walk. Now he is being sent home on oxygen.

Please keep him in you prayers!!!

Ok all, I have to really laugh here because if you truly knew me you would know I'm not a swinger myself.

What I am responding to is if a couple wants to live that life as a swinger and no one gets hurt then who am I to judge?

Now the nude thing I wouldn't mind that. I do love to vaccuum nakee!!!!!

Look I'm sorry that happened to you but it doesn't make this subject right or wrong. There is a line to everything in life. All I'm saying is that it may be wrong for you but someone else may be within the line and its ok.

You have your opinion I have mine. All I meant to say is lets lighten up and not be so judgmental. Your parents were out of line but that doesn't mean that all swingers are like your parents.