I would guess that we are about the same, in all those topics, as we were back when we were 'in'.
We did not follow completely in everything that TWI did, We did not know about all the things that TWI did.
I dont know that offering slogans ever helped people, but that was not what I saw from being 'in'. I know that each of us saw something different from our envolvement with TWI. Bonnie and my envolvement was over a relatively short period of time, so we were not really exposed to the degree as were others.
Good points wolf....if we did absolutely nothing for anyone else for the rest of our lives .... we would still be way ahead in the game.....because at least we had not caused irreperable damage and pain to folks in God`s name....that takes a special class of ornery.
I work full time and have three kids of my own. My family is my first priority and takes the bulk of my time and effort. I work because my family needs the income. If my family had a different need, then my life would reflect that.
I am happy to help others when and where I can, within the limits of time and money that I have. But I see helping as a hands on type of activity rather than filling someone with my words and opinions--like babysitting for free, or voluntering at the local food bank now and then. I am also very involved in PTO at school and fund raising activities, which benefit my kids and other kids, too. I have little 'me' time, but then how many moms do?
When we were in TWI my life was stretched to the max and I was under a great deal of stress trying to keep up with all the hoop jumping. There was no time or energy to think much beyond the next days scramble to keep everything together. There were no people to help--they were all doing the same frantic rush.
Just keeping my kids well, happy etc was a challenege and not supported by our lifestyle in TWI. Kids needs were just an annoyance in the important stuff of doing the "Word." In fact, as far as I could tell, kids were just an annoying time and money sucker, best if need free(yeah!) and silent to the point of not being there.
What TWI would consider 'help' as in getting people into fellowships and classes, witnessing,teaching, ABS etc, is of no value to me now.
Bramble, sounds to me like you are doing just fine. Charity begins in the home, and you have plenty of opportunity to give your all to your family. God smiles on you, you are taking care of your brood. Sincerely, Smitty
During my years with twi, the way that I "helped" people was to get them into pfal. Before, during and after they took the class, I "helped" them by reciting twi slogans and cliches...my natural inclination was supressed by twi teaching me to avoid the pitfalls of doing "good" instead of "best"...
If a person was broke, I would tell them to give twi even more money...If a person were being evicted, I would tell them to believe for proserity...if a person was physically ill, I would lay hands on them and pretend to be receiving "revelation"...If a person didn't want to take the class, I would "shake the dust off of my feet" and forget about them...In other words, by following the teachings of twi, I didn't help anyone. We were taught not to give money to worthy causes...but instead to give it to twi.
Today, I have no interest in recruiting people into ANY organization...I do not throw cliches at them or pretend to know more about God than they do...I simply invest myself into people's lives...help them when I can, be a good friend and I am always aware that God's love is unconditional...help out at the local soup kitchen?...you bet! I receive more satisfaction from helping my neighbor shovel snow out of his driveway than I ever did spewing out twi doctrine...and I believe that I am doing more good today than I ever did with twi.
Just keeping my kids well, happy etc was a challenege and not supported by our lifestyle in TWI. Kids needs were just an annoyance in the important stuff of doing the "Word." In fact, as far as I could tell, kids were just an annoying time and money sucker, best if need free(yeah!) and silent to the point of not being there.
AMEN, Bramble! Kids were a liability and just got in the way. One BC couple here actually planned their pregnancy around TWI's class schedule so that she wouldn't be due during one of the times they normally show WAP. --> As for full time WC, the first ones to get dropped or taken off TWI salary were conveniently enough, those with lots of kids who still lived at home.
Groucho, I know exactly what you mean. I did the same things. Looking back I thought I was really helping people when really I was doing what James 2:16 says not to do:
quote:
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit?
Now I have the time and energy and desire to help people because, as Bramble said, I no longer have the stress of rushing from meeting to meeting and trying to get all the "study" time in as well as the other time-consuming things TWI had us doing.
One of my favorite things to do is to pay for the next few cars behind me at the toll booth. It's anonymous and just may be the only nice thing that happens to someone that day. I also love to help my neighbors and co-workers because they really appreciate it, it's something that they need help with and I have no ulterior motive for helping.
I, too, believe I am doing more good today than I ever did with TWI.
Today, I have no interest in recruiting people into ANY organization...I do not throw cliches at them or pretend to know more about God than they do...I simply invest myself into people's lives...help them when I can, be a good friend and I am always aware that God's love is unconditional...help out at the local soup kitchen?...you bet!
I receive more satisfaction from helping my neighbor shovel snow out of his driveway than I ever did spewing out twi doctrine...and I believe that I am doing more good today than I ever did with twi.
Remember the line from twi...Our lives are not our own? We have been bought with a price?????
Somewhere deep in my soul, I believe those two lines are true.....but NOT in the sense that twi taught or advocated them.
I DO BELIEVE, that I have been bought with a price, and that Jesus Christ does "expect" things from me.
What I DO NOT BELIEVE, is that my fellowship with the Father depends on my completing some wierd doctrine decided upon by a man here on earth.
Nowadays, I truly FOLLOW MY HEART. If my neighbor needs groceries, I show up at their door with left overs. If they need cash for their kids at Christmas......last year I bought Walmart gift cards and left them in their mail box.
My mom works for the United Way.....this Christmas a family moved to town right before the holidays without a cent. We *adopted* them.
One of the things I hated most about twi was the judgmental "designer cause" line that lcm spouted.
The Man in the Mirror? I just want to face her and know that I have been honest in my heart.
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Galen
I would guess that we are about the same, in all those topics, as we were back when we were 'in'.
We did not follow completely in everything that TWI did, We did not know about all the things that TWI did.
I dont know that offering slogans ever helped people, but that was not what I saw from being 'in'. I know that each of us saw something different from our envolvement with TWI. Bonnie and my envolvement was over a relatively short period of time, so we were not really exposed to the degree as were others.
:-)
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rascal
Good points wolf....if we did absolutely nothing for anyone else for the rest of our lives .... we would still be way ahead in the game.....because at least we had not caused irreperable damage and pain to folks in God`s name....that takes a special class of ornery.
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Bramble
I work full time and have three kids of my own. My family is my first priority and takes the bulk of my time and effort. I work because my family needs the income. If my family had a different need, then my life would reflect that.
I am happy to help others when and where I can, within the limits of time and money that I have. But I see helping as a hands on type of activity rather than filling someone with my words and opinions--like babysitting for free, or voluntering at the local food bank now and then. I am also very involved in PTO at school and fund raising activities, which benefit my kids and other kids, too. I have little 'me' time, but then how many moms do?
When we were in TWI my life was stretched to the max and I was under a great deal of stress trying to keep up with all the hoop jumping. There was no time or energy to think much beyond the next days scramble to keep everything together. There were no people to help--they were all doing the same frantic rush.
Just keeping my kids well, happy etc was a challenege and not supported by our lifestyle in TWI. Kids needs were just an annoyance in the important stuff of doing the "Word." In fact, as far as I could tell, kids were just an annoying time and money sucker, best if need free(yeah!) and silent to the point of not being there.
What TWI would consider 'help' as in getting people into fellowships and classes, witnessing,teaching, ABS etc, is of no value to me now.
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smitty
Bramble, sounds to me like you are doing just fine. Charity begins in the home, and you have plenty of opportunity to give your all to your family. God smiles on you, you are taking care of your brood. Sincerely, Smitty
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GrouchoMarxJr
During my years with twi, the way that I "helped" people was to get them into pfal. Before, during and after they took the class, I "helped" them by reciting twi slogans and cliches...my natural inclination was supressed by twi teaching me to avoid the pitfalls of doing "good" instead of "best"...
If a person was broke, I would tell them to give twi even more money...If a person were being evicted, I would tell them to believe for proserity...if a person was physically ill, I would lay hands on them and pretend to be receiving "revelation"...If a person didn't want to take the class, I would "shake the dust off of my feet" and forget about them...In other words, by following the teachings of twi, I didn't help anyone. We were taught not to give money to worthy causes...but instead to give it to twi.
Today, I have no interest in recruiting people into ANY organization...I do not throw cliches at them or pretend to know more about God than they do...I simply invest myself into people's lives...help them when I can, be a good friend and I am always aware that God's love is unconditional...help out at the local soup kitchen?...you bet! I receive more satisfaction from helping my neighbor shovel snow out of his driveway than I ever did spewing out twi doctrine...and I believe that I am doing more good today than I ever did with twi.
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Belle
AMEN, Bramble! Kids were a liability and just got in the way. One BC couple here actually planned their pregnancy around TWI's class schedule so that she wouldn't be due during one of the times they normally show WAP.
--> As for full time WC, the first ones to get dropped or taken off TWI salary were conveniently enough, those with lots of kids who still lived at home.
Groucho, I know exactly what you mean. I did the same things. Looking back I thought I was really helping people when really I was doing what James 2:16 says not to do:
Now I have the time and energy and desire to help people because, as Bramble said, I no longer have the stress of rushing from meeting to meeting and trying to get all the "study" time in as well as the other time-consuming things TWI had us doing.
One of my favorite things to do is to pay for the next few cars behind me at the toll booth. It's anonymous and just may be the only nice thing that happens to someone that day. I also love to help my neighbors and co-workers because they really appreciate it, it's something that they need help with and I have no ulterior motive for helping.
I, too, believe I am doing more good today than I ever did with TWI.
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dmiller
(Me too!)
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Radar OReilly
Remember the line from twi...Our lives are not our own? We have been bought with a price?????
Somewhere deep in my soul, I believe those two lines are true.....but NOT in the sense that twi taught or advocated them.
I DO BELIEVE, that I have been bought with a price, and that Jesus Christ does "expect" things from me.
What I DO NOT BELIEVE, is that my fellowship with the Father depends on my completing some wierd doctrine decided upon by a man here on earth.
Nowadays, I truly FOLLOW MY HEART. If my neighbor needs groceries, I show up at their door with left overs. If they need cash for their kids at Christmas......last year I bought Walmart gift cards and left them in their mail box.
My mom works for the United Way.....this Christmas a family moved to town right before the holidays without a cent. We *adopted* them.
One of the things I hated most about twi was the judgmental "designer cause" line that lcm spouted.
The Man in the Mirror? I just want to face her and know that I have been honest in my heart.
ror
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dmiller
I agree Radar.
:)-->
Remember the "born to live, born-again to serve" line?
I too believe we were born-again to serve. But to serve mankind, and NOT twi.
David
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