Hard times on the skids because I had no friends since they would not talk to me anymore. This, however, was short lived. I have found freedom to sort out the twi years and the room to start a new life with people who genuinely care about me.
Short term trepidation because people who I thought were my friends really were not and probably never were. This didn't last. I found new friends quickly, through work, hobbies, local community. Those relationships were freer to establish as I didn't have conflict over the ulterior motives expected of me to sell them TWI.
More abundance in:
Finances - as I no longer had to support local leaders and HQ with my money, also didn't have to spend thousands on moving for them, on taking my vacation to go to their events and listen to them, etc.
Time - no more endless meetings with various groups necessary to maintain the control over people
Family - closer relationships with them now that I no longer had the TWI infused "better-Christian-than-thou" or "household vs. family" attitude.
Career - can travel some for it now when always had to worry if it would conflict with some meeting or event. More time to actually develop one rather than slaving the 8 to 5 then running off to some meeting.
Community - now can actually give to my community time, money, effort rather than having it be called a 2nd rate cause.
Health - now I have time to work out more, pay attention to nutrition, less stress, more sleep.
Organization - now I can keep one calendar with everything in it rather than having to have multiple ones so that the overseer can review it and discuss with me.
Self-Worth - can spend my effort on what's in my heart, and what I believe God is working in my heart rather than being used to promote others agendas.
I found out cult-like thinking and cult-like loyalty can also exist in families, businesses, and just about any other institution. Personal freedom is always under attack even in the smallest ways.
I found out cult-like thinking and cult-like loyalty can also exist in families, businesses, and just about any other institution. Personal freedom is always under attack even in the smallest ways.
Yes, I totally agree. It's all just selfish, deceptive, manipulation & exploitation for the self-aggrandizement of the leader(s) / biggest bully / CEO / etc.
I found out that I was still "me" and that those who were real friends still were and that Jesus was the Best Friend of all; that prayer still worked; that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were alive and well and still longing for a relationship with me even more than I longed for a relationship with them. Life has been tough for me. Some people have wounds that are easily seen (like people with damaged or missing arms and legs and nerve connections) and others are not so easily seen (broken hearts and shattered dreams), but God is still the healer, even if we must wait until heaven for the mending of some of our broken and missing parts.
No more being verbally abused and used by Rev. J and K.
Freedom from the childish temper tantrums they threw.
I hope K is not so incredibly verbally abusive these days. I hope for her sake and the sake of others she rules over that she has finally grown up and gotten an education.
(Although I wouldn't be surprised if she were to read this that all she would get out of these comments was I used the word 'hope' twice and wasn't referring to the return of JC).
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Bramble
Hobbies.
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dmiller
What did I find??????????
To put it simply - - - The More Abundant Life.
Any other questions?
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waysider
I found Waldo.
Too abstract?
See, I left when my son was born and "Where's Waldo?" is a thing you do with your kids.
Get it?
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mstar1
Ditto+++
I found my own life and not the life that was dictated for me to live by someone else. That alone made it 'more than abundant'
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frank123lol
Not being hassled anymore,Instead of going to Ohio all the time,I go
where the hell I want to.Having money because it's not going to a cult.
Jesus Christ is still the way,not some backward cult.
Having friends that are my friends,because of me,not because of "the ministry".
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skyrider
What did I find?
Freedom.
Freedom of thought
Freedom from manipulation
Freedom from reporting back
Freedom from bondage....etc, etc.
Freedom to live, love, and follow the dictates of MY heart.
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OperaBuff
Drugs.
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OldSkool
Hard times on the skids because I had no friends since they would not talk to me anymore. This, however, was short lived. I have found freedom to sort out the twi years and the room to start a new life with people who genuinely care about me.
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chockfull
Short term trepidation because people who I thought were my friends really were not and probably never were. This didn't last. I found new friends quickly, through work, hobbies, local community. Those relationships were freer to establish as I didn't have conflict over the ulterior motives expected of me to sell them TWI.
More abundance in:
Finances - as I no longer had to support local leaders and HQ with my money, also didn't have to spend thousands on moving for them, on taking my vacation to go to their events and listen to them, etc.
Time - no more endless meetings with various groups necessary to maintain the control over people
Family - closer relationships with them now that I no longer had the TWI infused "better-Christian-than-thou" or "household vs. family" attitude.
Career - can travel some for it now when always had to worry if it would conflict with some meeting or event. More time to actually develop one rather than slaving the 8 to 5 then running off to some meeting.
Community - now can actually give to my community time, money, effort rather than having it be called a 2nd rate cause.
Health - now I have time to work out more, pay attention to nutrition, less stress, more sleep.
Organization - now I can keep one calendar with everything in it rather than having to have multiple ones so that the overseer can review it and discuss with me.
Self-Worth - can spend my effort on what's in my heart, and what I believe God is working in my heart rather than being used to promote others agendas.
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Human without the bean
Well, I found myself again. Now that I'm the same person again I have happiness.
I've also found the GSC. And hoppiness it brings me!
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Thomas Loy Bumgarner
Most of the above. I am free to run(repeat), I am free to dance(repeat), I am free(repeat)- song from Promise Keepers on Integrity IWorship DVD
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JavaJane
I found that it was ok to not have everything laid out in neat little black and white piles of right and wrong.
I found real spirituality.
I found out how to think for myself.
I found out that life was a lot more complex and beautiful than I had realized.
I found the importance of family.
I found out I was actually more of a liberal than a conservative... (THAT was a suprise!)
I found self respect and respect for others.
I found love, but I don't claim to understand or even to have experienced all of it.
I found that God was bigger and less explainable than I thought He was and that I am ok with that.
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antiscenekid
I found that I had all this extra money to pay for college!
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Thomas Loy Bumgarner
It is for freedom I am free=Darell Evans
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outandabout
I found RELIEF!!!
Really, that's the MAIN feeling I had after leaving.
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Broken Arrow
I found out cult-like thinking and cult-like loyalty can also exist in families, businesses, and just about any other institution. Personal freedom is always under attack even in the smallest ways.
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jkboehme
Yes, I totally agree. It's all just selfish, deceptive, manipulation & exploitation for the self-aggrandizement of the leader(s) / biggest bully / CEO / etc.
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Kit Sober
I found out that I was still "me" and that those who were real friends still were and that Jesus was the Best Friend of all; that prayer still worked; that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were alive and well and still longing for a relationship with me even more than I longed for a relationship with them. Life has been tough for me. Some people have wounds that are easily seen (like people with damaged or missing arms and legs and nerve connections) and others are not so easily seen (broken hearts and shattered dreams), but God is still the healer, even if we must wait until heaven for the mending of some of our broken and missing parts.
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Thomas Loy Bumgarner
sang both songs today and a little girl said she was four(thinking it was three and were mispronouncing it)
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100% Free
Freedom and true friendships.
No more being verbally abused and used by Rev. J and K.
Freedom from the childish temper tantrums they threw.
I hope K is not so incredibly verbally abusive these days. I hope for her sake and the sake of others she rules over that she has finally grown up and gotten an education.
(Although I wouldn't be surprised if she were to read this that all she would get out of these comments was I used the word 'hope' twice and wasn't referring to the return of JC).
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frank123lol
I could watch tv without feeling guilty
Gasp,think other ideas than wayspeak.
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krys
time to enjoy my life and the fruits of my labor
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GrouchoMarxJr
I found that life was much better without cult indoctrination...
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higherground30
I found I was more happy, was less judgemental.
Being in the way I thought I was 'spiritually' above all those not on the way, which is wrong morally
2 years from my exit i can say im a totally different person I became a human....
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