waterbuffalo

Thx!

What the feek, Radar?

THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT CAUSE ME TO LOOK FOR LARGER SIZES ON SALE RATHER THAN GOING ON A DIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!

...it would be a little bit of heaven on earth just being around him...

TF, please tell Chris I said, "Hi, love ya! YOU ARE GREAT. How are the kidos, etc." Thanks!

((((exxie)))) I can't even imagine your pain. I'm praying for ya. Don't let the reikis have any power over you by focusing on anything they did. Your dad must have been awesome. I would just try to focus on how wonderful he was and how fortunate you were to have had him for as long as you did. (((hugs))) Love, wb

Georgio, I feel so bad that you felt so bad all of these years about NOTHING! A big person does not try to make other people feel little, so not to worry here at gs. Some of us understand what you went through and are glad we don't put ourselves and others through performance love and acceptance anymore. wb

Thanks for the site and for the moderators. Who are the moderators, if you don't mind if I ask (so we'll know not to blow them off when they're moderating)?

OK, here's one: On a pet documentary, the president and first lady were interviewed. The journalist stated that around 75% of dog owners admitted to kissing their pets. Laura Bush said that yes, they kiss theirs. Then The President said sheepishly, "Well, yes, but not on a regular basis."

Oakspear, I believe God used a lot of us in twi to help other people. The problem was, many of us didn't know when to help ourselves and get out! Toadfriend, I agree. He couldn't wait until He found perfect people, so He used willing people like us. wb

Yes, I would hate to say that God couldn't work because the minister is engaging in ungodly behavior or because the person being ministered to wasn't believing, because God can do anything He chooses to, can't He? I mean, I don't believe He is limited by formulas. I know people who have said they weren't believing and went to a church service and got healed. Also, I don't think anyone can know the heart but God so I think it is possible to work through someone who knowingly engages in ungodly behavior. But, I wonder if He would or could continue to work in that person for any extended amount of time. I guess it could be possible, but not probable, just my opinion.

He, he, Belle!

Right, Hamm. That's why if ex-twi people haven't been genuinely retrained by a genuine organization that knows how to train Christian leaders, these "ministers," even though they may have had a few courses in the new wine, or whatever, are still going to LEAD the same 'ole twi way because that's all they know. I mean, I don't think they wake up one morning and say, gee, I'm going to screw over the people in my fellowship or church today. No, they simply continue to "minister" by default--the way they were trained. True, they may not scream at people in their faces anymore because no one in an offshoot will tolerate that (should have said "few people" because some, sadly to say, still do in at least one offshot in Indy), but negative behaviors don't just go away. They have to be replaced with alternate, healthy behaviors, as any educator on this forum knows. So, if the only training an individual has ever had was in the way corps, then they can say, "Gee, we're diffent. We have different doctrine, " but when push comes to shove, if those replacement behaviors aren't in place, (e.g. true Christian qualities instilled and taught to them by qualified Christian ministers in a Godly school for ministers) then, their default twi behaviors will, in some areas, imho, lead them in their dealings with the flock.

Agreed, Daddy HD and Lindy Hopper. I've looked into it also and don't believe there is a conspiracy or coverup going on. Heck, both of my Special Ed graduate level teachers mentioned that many experts have looked into it and concur that there is no scientific proof behind the theory. The people with credentials really aren't out to coverup solutions/breakthroughs in Science. They're going to school because they really do care and want to make a difference.

Happy for you! :D-->

Ha,ha, Belle. I know! Heck, let's just makeup our own definitions, why not? Ok, my definition of an offshoot is that ex-twi run the group or church. What's yours?

Hamm, if they go to a local church, they aren't offshoots, then, are they?

Diazbro, I hear you and wholeheartedly agree. We have allowed ourselves to be robbed of so much. When I say that, I'm taking full responsibility for my actions, but also give credit to a faulty way of thinking that I learned in twi that kept the momentum going for so long and kept me in a mental rut. Me, I've FINALLY gotten a clue, taken some grad school classes, and am getting back into my field at the grad 'ole age of 50 something. Yes, we were terribly out of touch with what was going on the the real world and how to cope with real LIFE. IMHO, all of the splinters that I know about, and there are lots here in Indy, foster codependency in people. They might say they're different doctrinally, but they still operated the same twi way. Also, it stand to reason that they would operate the same way because the people who run them have never had to make it in the real world and have remained underground, wayworld-lifestyle fashion. They network with others who are their clones and have the same background as themselves, living on the abs of the sheep who come and hear them rehash and regurgitate the same 'ole stale stuff.

Johnny, We have friends who LOVE Atkins, also, but when other friends tried it, they got sick. So, se le vie! Glad it works for ya.

Thanks, Highway, that was so encouraging! I'll start the Cabbage Soup next wk. It seems to help me to do a wk. of cutting back bad things slowly, THEN do a REAL diet so my body doesn't freak out.

mj, I agree with almost all that you said. I don't go around giving people money to speak a word over me either, but I do believe someone can have a prophetic word over another Christian within the body of Christ. What I disagree with is people who give prophetic words and then think that makes them a leadah over others and that they have some sort of **special** gift. That's sort of funny because ANY believer, imho, can speak prophetically and if the HS tells you to say something you just say it. No reason to give them money or consider that person your leadah. Ha. I also think that most of those books could be a lot shorter, but that's just my opinion, and I also think, again, each of them is part of the Body of Christ and therefore at least part of what they say is probably gonna be true. Personally, I don't believe EVERYTHING that ANYONE says, but I do receive gems that are in what any Christian speaks because there usually are some.

I'm still not sure what is the short answer on this one, if there is one.

I'm with ya, Tom, if I'm hearing ya correctly that you can't separate the two. Any "healing" would then not be genuine, is that correct?

I think that was what kept some of us in for so long because we genuinely did love, care about, and help people and deeply believed we were doing good and we were part of the time. I had a similar experience my interim yr. My WOW sister and I prevented a girl in the apt. next door from commiting suicide. She thanked us the next day even though she believed we were in a cult and wasn't interested in coming to a fellowship. That was '83-84. Yeah, we helped people and I believe with everything within me that she would have been at that same place in her life at that moment if we hadn't been there and according to her account, she would have gone ahead with it. So, yeah, we made a difference and helped people. Thanks for the reminder, HC. We sure weren't in it for the money, lol! Too bad we couldn't have helped ourselves too instead of sacrificing our careers for "The Lord." We thought we were anyway, but hindsight tells me He wouldn't have minded at all if we served Him AND had a career so we really sacrificed our careers for twi. Who Moved My Cheese is a great book on that subject, by the way.

Just moving this to the top: How is everyone doing? I have been cutting out the late night snacks and cutting way back on sweets, etc., in the day. Haven't gotten too much exercise because of rain in Indy, but will as soon as it clears up. Howz the cabbage soup crowd coming along? I couldn't do that one this wk. because of the gas, but maybe next wk. I'll try it.