CW, with GSC and its ancestor of sorts, WayDale, I learned that I was not alone in my anger and despair, that my situation was not unique but was part of a planned and orchestrated effort to get rid of as many people left over from TWI 1 as possible to make way for the perfected ones to cross over into the promised land of the prevailing word. (Their terminology certainly not mine.) In realizing this, I was able to realize that TWI did not represent God, Jesus, the Bible or anything at all except their own madness, thinly clothed in religiousity to look but not be respectable.
I am extremely grateful to the moderators, administrators, owners whatever they are called of GSC for their efforts in my behalf.
When I met up with Pawtucket last week (yeah, I know, I'm a name dropper), I asked him "Why do you do Greasespot?"
And he said that there are so many disenfranchised ex-way people out there that don't have anywhere to go, others to talk to, to work through all of their emotions and experiences, etc. No place where they can compare notes with other people to see if their experiences were one-of-a-kind or if others experienced the same thing.
Many ex-ways attend off-shoots where they have an outlet. But very many don't.
I for one had absolutely no one to talk to about my time in TWI for 10 years.
Greasespot is here to give a voice to the voiceless.
I was still in TWI when I started posting on Trancechat and Waydale. I stayed as anonymous as possible and was able to vent my anger for all the things that were going on at the time. I never thought TWI 1 had been a problem - I had fun - everything was hunky-dory-dory!
Once I got out, it took about a year for me to wake up and realize that TWI 1 was a nothing more than a whited sepluchure - looks good on the outside but is "filled with dead men's bones." I realized that VPW was that dead man.
No one outside of someone who has been in TWI really, truly understands what we have been through. My bestest girlfriend, who I love like a sister, still is amazed when I tell her stories about TWI - and she's been hearing them for 6 or 7 years!
When I say to someone here: "I was a WOW in Arkansas on my interim year", I don't have to give any explanations of the WOW program, the Corps program or why I would have "chosen" Arkansas (I didn't!). You all understand exactly what I'm talking about. For me - there is a lot of comfort in that.
The chat room is another aspect of Waydale and GS 1 & 2 that is one of my guilty pleasures (guilty because I spend too much time there!). I have connected with old friends, made some new ones and had a blast not only discussing TWI, but talking about other silly things and laughing a whole lot!
The other benefit of GS is that I can help someone who is still in, who comes here asking questions to make the decision to get out. I think since I've worked through a lot of my anger, that's my most important purpose for being here. That's why I try to post topics about current TWI stuff, because there are innies who still lurk here and who may just need a tiny bit of motivation to make a decision to leave TWI.
I've heard from quite a few people who have lurked here for a week or so who tell me that we are nothing but a bunch of bitter gripers, that we need to get on with our lives and get over it! To that I say - work out your own salvation - this is where I need to work out mine - and it's been a great experience for me.
I'm grateful to the person who started Waydale, and to Paw for continuing to keep the ball rolling at GS. I'd be very sad if this place ever shut down.
I didn't intend for this to be another "Yay GSC!" thread (although there's nothing wrong with that at all).
I was wondering if people (and I'm thinking wc in particular) who felt the "calling" in their lives to be ministers...but found themselves not doing much more than keeping a job...I am wondering if GSC helps answer that call.
Well, I too am thankful for GS. When I formally parted company with TWI in 1984, I still had a lot of "waybrain" that needed entertaining, so I found refuge in an unusual televangelist, Dr. G*n* Sc*tt, who was the closest thing to having "twig on TV", even the music was reminicsient (sic) of ROA. However I find he was even more demanding than VPW, especially in the tithe dept.(though he did loathe soliciting from newcomers, something that VPW wasn't above) So I eventually shyed away from him, though unlike VPW, Dr. Sc*tt does has a REAL doctorate, and at least he spoke favorably of Catholics, though he does severely criticize most of his televangelist colleagues (who I thought were worthy of it anyway). One more note, at least Dr. Sc*tt is honest enough to admit he uses the money for his own personal gain, VPW pretended to show monetary humility on the other hand.
I hope GS stays around for a long time, much longer than Waydale. Of course if Paw does decide to call it quits, we can always go over to Pat Roberge's website, so we are not without friends around here.
If you aren't even sure what happened, really happened, much less why. WD AND GSC got reality back in focus for me because for many years I just thought I was crazy.
I always wanted to serve GOD in some capacity--ANd there are various arenas in life I try to do that.
Here at GSC I post a lot on threads that have to deal with family and abuse issues--
I don't always know how to put all of what is in my heart into words, and sometimes the bits of residual anger just spill out.
But for me GS is a chance to reach people.
If I reach just one Mother( or father)who stays in TWI or any other abusive relationship for fear of losing her/his children I feel I will have succeeded in my self proclaimed mission. I may never know in my lifetime if I do--But God will
Yes, that is certainly something that we were never allowed in twi, huh?
I often wonder if anything we say here helps anybody at all. There are certainly more people that went through what we went through besides just you and me. I often hope that they are lurking and reading.
I was one of those people who believed I was actually called to serve God's people in The Way Corps. Even before I came to TWI, I felt I wanted to return to God the goodness He had shown me in my salvation and serve Him forever in gratitude.
I found after a while, though, that there were limits to how much I could serve within the confines of TWI and TWC. And over the years, the "confines" became more and more confining, until service in that organization was not possible at all.
My purpose on WD and GS has always been and always will be, to expose the evils of TWI by sharing my first hand experience and setting the record straight where I can.
If that helps anyone make a decision about whether or not to become involved or stay involved in TWI, then I feel I have done my job.
I am thankful for the opportunity to come here and do that, and to connect with people I cared about within that organization and meet new folks I never knew there. We help each other piece together the events of our lives and I believe that is profitable. And as Hope said, you don't have to explain yourself. That's worth a bundle right there.
But I don't limit myself to serving God within just this website or within any organization these days.
I help where I find myself next to someone who needs it.
You are all so right on. Having been a part of TWI 1 so long ago, it amazed me sometimes that almost 30 years down the road I was still so affected by my experiences. Believe me, I was a loooong-time lurker and I am sure there are plenty more like me. Initially my purpose was to track down long-lost friends, first through TranceChat, then WayDale, now here. What a relief to have a place to go to where you can say what you want, disagree when you want, hold each other up when it's needed. That's what real love and respect is all about. And yes--the truth DOES set you free. And it's a whole lot easier be set free when there is a supportive community to listen and confirm that "nope, you're not a bit crazy...we know, we were part of it too".
man... all of the things shared here are "my thoughts" as well to a degree... like you all have said, people just don't know unless they've been there...
even my wife (non TWI) asking "why do they call it Greasespotcafe?"... I told her the old quote and her response was "why would they ever say that to someone?"...
I told her, that's only the tip of the iceberg... she doesn't understand, but she allows me this time to be with you guys...
For years I have been silent about my experiance with TWI. I have met with a therapist to address my anger and desructive behavior. When she got me healed up with my family stuff our next topic was TWI. Sadly though my therapist won't touch my cult Issues. She says she is not qualified. I wrote my own spiritual Bio and got on the Internet to get direction and help. I accidently found GS.-------
What GS has done is taken a truly silent broken heart and allowed for a voice to come forth. I beleive GS is very theraputic.-------------------
Like Hope said it is a place where you are understood...without explanation.-------------------
GS has stired up alot of stuff emotionally but praise God it is a place to heal when stired. And your not alone.
Pawtucket oversees it, and if he were ordained or not, it doesn't matter. I believe he is acting on God's behalf with his unique talents to provide and administer this site. His presence at the helm is no accident.
Most of us, corps or not, are also ministers and are Ministering truth. We uphold honor and (frequently) Truth.
We support each other, even if we disagree sometimes on "insignificant" issues, we assist one another to heal from evil which hurt God's people.
When I said GSC is a Ministry, I don't mean that in the sense of a movement such as "Billie Grahm's Ministry" - - but rather that God worked in the hearts and minds of some who had the abilities, and they ran with the ball, gathering us all up as time went on.
We are here to warn and teach anybody who wants to know. And we help hearts and minds heal. Furthermore, when it snows here....it's in someplace cold in an appropriate season!
Many voices here especially on this forum, but in others as well, have spoken and when you read their words, you absolutely know why they tell what they tell and they are motivated by the love they have of God to "pastor" those who need it - - all this in spite of the fact that this is not primarily a "Chrstian" Forum.
Sadly though my therapist won't touch my cult Issues. She says she is not qualified.
Sad though it may be, I believe it is wonderful (and unusual in my experience) for a therapist to be so up front about where her qualifications are and are not. Too many people think that because it's just "talk" that therapy doesn't require deftness and skill.
I was thinking the same thing. Only Paw knows if he had a calling and if so, what it was. The word "ministry" didn't come to my mind but it certainly has ministered to me. Or, more accurately, the folks on it have.
CW,
Does GSC give me the opportunity to be what I hoped to be in TWI. No, not really. I had always wanted to be in a position to minister and teach. I can minister to some degree here but no more than any other part of my life. What it HAS done though is help to remove the obstacles to doing those things.
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jezusfreaky
(((((((((CW))))))))))...
I jes luv ya sis...that's all...
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WordWolf
CW,
I think it's at least partly so to a lot of us, not necessarily
all at the same time.
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Watered Garden
CW, with GSC and its ancestor of sorts, WayDale, I learned that I was not alone in my anger and despair, that my situation was not unique but was part of a planned and orchestrated effort to get rid of as many people left over from TWI 1 as possible to make way for the perfected ones to cross over into the promised land of the prevailing word. (Their terminology certainly not mine.) In realizing this, I was able to realize that TWI did not represent God, Jesus, the Bible or anything at all except their own madness, thinly clothed in religiousity to look but not be respectable.
I am extremely grateful to the moderators, administrators, owners whatever they are called of GSC for their efforts in my behalf.
WG
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Steve!
When I met up with Pawtucket last week (yeah, I know, I'm a name dropper), I asked him "Why do you do Greasespot?"
And he said that there are so many disenfranchised ex-way people out there that don't have anywhere to go, others to talk to, to work through all of their emotions and experiences, etc. No place where they can compare notes with other people to see if their experiences were one-of-a-kind or if others experienced the same thing.
Many ex-ways attend off-shoots where they have an outlet. But very many don't.
I for one had absolutely no one to talk to about my time in TWI for 10 years.
Greasespot is here to give a voice to the voiceless.
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Hope R.
I was still in TWI when I started posting on Trancechat and Waydale. I stayed as anonymous as possible and was able to vent my anger for all the things that were going on at the time. I never thought TWI 1 had been a problem - I had fun - everything was hunky-dory-dory!
Once I got out, it took about a year for me to wake up and realize that TWI 1 was a nothing more than a whited sepluchure - looks good on the outside but is "filled with dead men's bones." I realized that VPW was that dead man.
No one outside of someone who has been in TWI really, truly understands what we have been through. My bestest girlfriend, who I love like a sister, still is amazed when I tell her stories about TWI - and she's been hearing them for 6 or 7 years!
When I say to someone here: "I was a WOW in Arkansas on my interim year", I don't have to give any explanations of the WOW program, the Corps program or why I would have "chosen" Arkansas (I didn't!). You all understand exactly what I'm talking about. For me - there is a lot of comfort in that.
The chat room is another aspect of Waydale and GS 1 & 2 that is one of my guilty pleasures (guilty because I spend too much time there!). I have connected with old friends, made some new ones and had a blast not only discussing TWI, but talking about other silly things and laughing a whole lot!
The other benefit of GS is that I can help someone who is still in, who comes here asking questions to make the decision to get out. I think since I've worked through a lot of my anger, that's my most important purpose for being here. That's why I try to post topics about current TWI stuff, because there are innies who still lurk here and who may just need a tiny bit of motivation to make a decision to leave TWI.
I've heard from quite a few people who have lurked here for a week or so who tell me that we are nothing but a bunch of bitter gripers, that we need to get on with our lives and get over it! To that I say - work out your own salvation - this is where I need to work out mine - and it's been a great experience for me.
I'm grateful to the person who started Waydale, and to Paw for continuing to keep the ball rolling at GS. I'd be very sad if this place ever shut down.
Thanks once again....
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CoolWaters
TY {{{{{Colleen}}}}. And right back at ya!
:D-->
I didn't intend for this to be another "Yay GSC!" thread (although there's nothing wrong with that at all).
I was wondering if people (and I'm thinking wc in particular) who felt the "calling" in their lives to be ministers...but found themselves not doing much more than keeping a job...I am wondering if GSC helps answer that call.
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CKnapp3
Well, I too am thankful for GS. When I formally parted company with TWI in 1984, I still had a lot of "waybrain" that needed entertaining, so I found refuge in an unusual televangelist, Dr. G*n* Sc*tt, who was the closest thing to having "twig on TV", even the music was reminicsient (sic) of ROA. However I find he was even more demanding than VPW, especially in the tithe dept.(though he did loathe soliciting from newcomers, something that VPW wasn't above) So I eventually shyed away from him, though unlike VPW, Dr. Sc*tt does has a REAL doctorate, and at least he spoke favorably of Catholics, though he does severely criticize most of his televangelist colleagues (who I thought were worthy of it anyway). One more note, at least Dr. Sc*tt is honest enough to admit he uses the money for his own personal gain, VPW pretended to show monetary humility on the other hand.
I hope GS stays around for a long time, much longer than Waydale. Of course if Paw does decide to call it quits, we can always go over to Pat Roberge's website, so we are not without friends around here.
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templelady
YOu can't answer your familY etals
WHY??WHY??WHY??
If you aren't even sure what happened, really happened, much less why. WD AND GSC got reality back in focus for me because for many years I just thought I was crazy.
I always wanted to serve GOD in some capacity--ANd there are various arenas in life I try to do that.
Here at GSC I post a lot on threads that have to deal with family and abuse issues--
I don't always know how to put all of what is in my heart into words, and sometimes the bits of residual anger just spill out.
But for me GS is a chance to reach people.
If I reach just one Mother( or father)who stays in TWI or any other abusive relationship for fear of losing her/his children I feel I will have succeeded in my self proclaimed mission. I may never know in my lifetime if I do--But God will
....... "lay ye up treasures in heaven
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CoolWaters
Mo,
Yes, that is certainly something that we were never allowed in twi, huh?
I often wonder if anything we say here helps anybody at all. There are certainly more people that went through what we went through besides just you and me. I often hope that they are lurking and reading.
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Catcup
I was one of those people who believed I was actually called to serve God's people in The Way Corps. Even before I came to TWI, I felt I wanted to return to God the goodness He had shown me in my salvation and serve Him forever in gratitude.
I found after a while, though, that there were limits to how much I could serve within the confines of TWI and TWC. And over the years, the "confines" became more and more confining, until service in that organization was not possible at all.
My purpose on WD and GS has always been and always will be, to expose the evils of TWI by sharing my first hand experience and setting the record straight where I can.
If that helps anyone make a decision about whether or not to become involved or stay involved in TWI, then I feel I have done my job.
I am thankful for the opportunity to come here and do that, and to connect with people I cared about within that organization and meet new folks I never knew there. We help each other piece together the events of our lives and I believe that is profitable. And as Hope said, you don't have to explain yourself. That's worth a bundle right there.
But I don't limit myself to serving God within just this website or within any organization these days.
I help where I find myself next to someone who needs it.
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way back in the 70s
You are all so right on. Having been a part of TWI 1 so long ago, it amazed me sometimes that almost 30 years down the road I was still so affected by my experiences. Believe me, I was a loooong-time lurker and I am sure there are plenty more like me. Initially my purpose was to track down long-lost friends, first through TranceChat, then WayDale, now here. What a relief to have a place to go to where you can say what you want, disagree when you want, hold each other up when it's needed. That's what real love and respect is all about. And yes--the truth DOES set you free. And it's a whole lot easier be set free when there is a supportive community to listen and confirm that "nope, you're not a bit crazy...we know, we were part of it too".
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Tom Strange
man... all of the things shared here are "my thoughts" as well to a degree... like you all have said, people just don't know unless they've been there...
even my wife (non TWI) asking "why do they call it Greasespotcafe?"... I told her the old quote and her response was "why would they ever say that to someone?"...
I told her, that's only the tip of the iceberg... she doesn't understand, but she allows me this time to be with you guys...
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Radar OReilly
Tom,
Please check p/t.
Thanks,
Radar
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Radar OReilly
Tom,
check your privates again
:)-->
RADAR
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imbus
For years I have been silent about my experiance with TWI. I have met with a therapist to address my anger and desructive behavior. When she got me healed up with my family stuff our next topic was TWI. Sadly though my therapist won't touch my cult Issues. She says she is not qualified. I wrote my own spiritual Bio and got on the Internet to get direction and help. I accidently found GS.-------
What GS has done is taken a truly silent broken heart and allowed for a voice to come forth. I beleive GS is very theraputic.-------------------
Like Hope said it is a place where you are understood...without explanation.-------------------
GS has stired up alot of stuff emotionally but praise God it is a place to heal when stired. And your not alone.
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Tom Strange
(glancing down, checking privates)
OK Radar... everything seems to be in order... why did I have to do that?
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vickles
LMAO, Tom dear...
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krys
This IS absolutely a Ministry!
Pawtucket oversees it, and if he were ordained or not, it doesn't matter. I believe he is acting on God's behalf with his unique talents to provide and administer this site. His presence at the helm is no accident.
Most of us, corps or not, are also ministers and are Ministering truth. We uphold honor and (frequently) Truth.
We support each other, even if we disagree sometimes on "insignificant" issues, we assist one another to heal from evil which hurt God's people.
When I said GSC is a Ministry, I don't mean that in the sense of a movement such as "Billie Grahm's Ministry" - - but rather that God worked in the hearts and minds of some who had the abilities, and they ran with the ball, gathering us all up as time went on.
We are here to warn and teach anybody who wants to know. And we help hearts and minds heal. Furthermore, when it snows here....it's in someplace cold in an appropriate season!
Many voices here especially on this forum, but in others as well, have spoken and when you read their words, you absolutely know why they tell what they tell and they are motivated by the love they have of God to "pastor" those who need it - - all this in spite of the fact that this is not primarily a "Chrstian" Forum.
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My3Cents
Sad though it may be, I believe it is wonderful (and unusual in my experience) for a therapist to be so up front about where her qualifications are and are not. Too many people think that because it's just "talk" that therapy doesn't require deftness and skill.
Keep up the good work.
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JustThinking
Krysilis,
I was thinking the same thing. Only Paw knows if he had a calling and if so, what it was. The word "ministry" didn't come to my mind but it certainly has ministered to me. Or, more accurately, the folks on it have.
CW,
Does GSC give me the opportunity to be what I hoped to be in TWI. No, not really. I had always wanted to be in a position to minister and teach. I can minister to some degree here but no more than any other part of my life. What it HAS done though is help to remove the obstacles to doing those things.
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