DAILY CHATTING ABOUT THINGS

[editor]

A bit of advice to the three stooges here, BATs 'n belfry 'n summer,

Do NOT call Dr. Laura for advice?  She might tell it to straight and then ....

Marcia

PS.  I did not know that Matt was Indian.  Where did you get that summer??
MM

Isn't Dr. Laura horrible?  I heard her tell some girl not to marry her boyfriend!
I heard her tell another person that shacking up before marriage is WRONG!  Like who made her the judge? 
How can she say that's wrong! 

[summer007]

Marcia, I did a little spying over at swat. If Matt was getting any Indian $dough, he'd surely of had a lap-top with him. Poor guy sounds like he had a time with the red-neck. Seals bite and can be vicious, good thing no-one was bitten. Oh well I'm still going to feel a twinge of envy for the lucky princess who lands him. Summer. p.s. he has that comic streak, very funny guy. I'll stop short of falling in love right here!

[Lenore]

Sorry to interrupt any conversation on this thread.

I will try to keep this brief, and I dont mean my underwear.

1. If any encouragement articles I submitted, in line of bible verses, emails , sunday sermons, etc. If it help just one person to feel encouraged then , the purpose has been accomplished.
PURPOSE IS FELLOWSHIP.

2. Someone said that this is not a church.  I disagree.  Where believers are gathered together, no matter what the menu is.  It is a church.
If Christ has commanded us to encourage each other.
PURPOSE IS DISCIPLESHIP

3. If my life which as been displayed, with its ups and downs, can encourage someone who is witnessing the struggles, battles, successes, the persistence in not giving up.Despite of any and all obstacles that I have over come and are still in my way to over come.
PURPOSE IS SERVICE

4. If I wish to submit a hymn, inspirational poem, bible verse.
PURPOSE IS WORSHIP.

5. If I wish to submit a piece that I found especially inspirational from a sunday sermon, or book, like the Boundary book by Cloud. which I do have and a Kay Arthur Book called Lord Only you can  change me, or even the 40 days of purpose. Despite of all slip up and sinful acts, and what ever along the Christian journey I have.
PURPOSE IS CALLED EVANGELISM.

Why would anyone object to this?

[summer007]

Matt, Please post a picture. Again the babe is adorable! Summer

[M2]

Marcia, I did a little spying over at swat. If Matt was getting any Indian $dough, he'd surely of had a lap-top with him. Poor guy sounds like he had a time with the red-neck. Seals bite and can be vicious, good thing no-one was bitten. Oh well I'm still going to feel a twinge of envy for the lucky princess who lands him. Summer. p.s. he has that comic streak, very funny guy. I'll stop short of falling in love right here!

Summer, here is my analysis of you spiritual and mental and emptional condition:
You are attempting to flatter Matt so that he does not post anything negative about you.  You only want support and encouragement, but hold back the truth if it hurts.  Pleeeaaase do not be offended by my honest evaluation and whatever you do do NOT have a temper tantrum; I do not think I can handle that.

Matt reminds me of Will Hunting from the movie Good Will Hunting.  He's smart and brilliant and, yes, very humorous, but he knows how to push those buttons. Ouch!

How old are you summer.  According to his profile, Matt is 23 years old.

Sorry for this far side commentary to the swat team; but I know if I do a Lenore and re-register for the umpteenth time, I will get eliminated.

Marcia

[summer007]

Marcia, I was just having fun,actually had a field day. He is witty, I guess cute is too fem according to SJ. ha, ha. Well really Joe S is just as funny , and Brents even funnier. As to the age I could be his Mother, so I have no interest in robbing the cradle. I had only checked that site a couple of times last year, then with the drama here I took a peek, and thought the parody was a pretty acurate analiysis of this board. I have no ill-will it was just funny to me.  Summer.

[sfortescue]

Sorry to interrupt any conversation on this thread.


1. If any encouragement articles I submitted, in line of bible verses, emails , sunday sermons, etc. If it help just one person to feel encouraged then , the purpose has been accomplished.
PURPOSE IS FELLOWSHIP.

2. Someone said that this is not a church.  I disagree.  Where believers are gathered together, no matter what the menu is.  It is a church.
If Christ has commanded us to encourage each other.
PURPOSE IS DISCIPLESHIP

3. If my life which as been displayed, with its ups and downs, can encourage someone who is witnessing the struggles, battles, successes, the persistence in not giving up.Despite of any and all obstacles that I have over come and are still in my way to over come.
PURPOSE IS SERVICE

4. If I wish to submit a hymn, inspirational poem, bible verse.
PURPOSE IS WORSHIP.

5. If I wish to submit a piece that I found especially inspirational from a sunday sermon, or book, like the Boundary book by Cloud. which I do have and a Kay Arthur Book called Lord Only you can  change me, or even the 40 days of purpose. Despite of all slip up and sinful acts, and what ever along the Christian journey I have.
PURPOSE IS CALLED EVANGELISM.

Why would anyone object to this?

The primary purpose of an internet forum is two-way exchange of ideas between people.  With most of the things that you post, discussion is not realistically possible.  You often make many posts in a row, which are all very long.  To respond to everything would be a massive project that nobody wants to do, so people ignore your posts.

Often you post things that other people wrote, and often it isn't clear whether you yourself understand the material that you posted.  If someone disagrees with something that you posted that you yourself don't even understand, it is very frustrating not to be able to explain to you what is wrong with what you posted.  In the past, there have been a few of your posts that were very bad, but there was no way for anyone other than the moderator to do anything about it, and the moderator didn't want to be bothered with sorting out your many long posts.

The BB is no place for chain emails.  Everybody's email is full of that kind of thing, so people don't need more here.  It makes the BB seem like a garbage dump, being filled with that sort of thing.  Since you seem to want to post many things on the internet, a more reasonable approach would be to create your own web site, and post as much as you like there.  There are a few web hosting services that are free.  A link to your web site can be put in your profile for anyone who wants to read such things.

What is most valuable are your own personal thoughts about the ideas being discussed here.  This means that you need to pay close attention to what other people are saying and directly focus what you have to say in your own words on the subject being discussed.  Only a few posts are needed for that.

A posting style that ignores other people is very antisocial.  Since you seem to reject other people with your posting style, you should not be surprised that a few people feel inclined to reject you.

[vernecarty]

The primary purpose of an internet forum is two-way exchange of ideas between people.  With most of the things that you post, discussion is not realistically possible.  You often make many posts in a row, which are all very long.  To respond to everything would be a massive project that nobody wants to do, so people ignore your posts.

Often you post things that other people wrote, and often it isn't clear whether you yourself understand the material that you posted.  If someone disagrees with something that you posted that you yourself don't even understand, it is very frustrating not to be able to explain to you what is wrong with what you posted.  In the past, there have been a few of your posts that were very bad, but there was no way for anyone other than the moderator to do anything about it, and the moderator didn't want to be bothered with sorting out your many long posts.

The BB is no place for chain emails.  Everybody's email is full of that kind of thing, so people don't need more here.  It makes the BB seem like a garbage dump, being filled with that sort of thing.  Since you seem to want to post many things on the internet, a more reasonable approach would be to create your own web site, and post as much as you like there.  There are a few web hosting services that are free.  A link to your web site can be put in your profile for anyone who wants to read such things.

What is most valuable are your own personal thoughts about the ideas being discussed here.  This means that you need to pay close attention to what other people are saying and directly focus what you have to say in your own words on the subject being discussed.  Only a few posts are needed for that.

A posting style that ignores other people is very antisocial.  Since you seem to reject other people with your posting style, you should not be surprised that a few people feel inclined to reject you.

Lenore Stephen is quite right in his observations and I hope do not take them personally.
It is indeed a breach of BB etiquette for you to post the way you do sometimes. There have been some occasions on which all ten most recent posts have been yours and they have been so lengthy as to make any meaningful exchange of opnion virtually impossible. This is a problem that should have been addressed by the moderators but out of fear of offending you, they elected not to do so.
The BB is not church, despite what you may think. There are people posting here who are not Christians and whose opinons deserve as legitimate consideration as yours and mine. I think it is a good opportunity for you to learn to give restraint to your impulses. God bless.
Verne

[editor]

Lenore Stephen is quite right in his observations and I hope do not take them personally.
It is indeed a breach of BB etiquette for you to post the way you do sometimes. There have been some occasions on which all ten most recent posts have been yours and they have been so lengthy as to make any meaningful exchange of opnion virtually impossible. This is a problem that should have been addressed by the moderators but out of fear of offending you, they elected not to do so.
The BB is not church, despite what you may think. There are people posting here who are not Christians and whose opinons deserve as legitimate consideration as yours and mine. I think it is a good opportunity for you to learn to give restraint to your impulses. God bless.
Verne

Yep, Verne and Steve have got it.

Some of you aren't going to like what I say next, but you can sure bet I will say it.  Let me start by saying a few blunt, honest statements:

1.)The BB has become a "support group," for people with "post-assembly" disorder.  The more you come here, the more certain your disorder will be.
2.)The fear that the moderators had towards correcting Lenore is pretty much the same fear that allowed them and many others to keep silent during their Assemlby tenure. 
3.)The deference shown to Lenore, seemingly in the name of compasssion, was not at all helpful to her, or to anyone else.
4.)More often than not, those who make long, flowery posts full of God-talk are self-deceived hypocrites and really have no such spirituality.  It is all done for outward show.  This becomes quite apparent when they are crossed.  Their first instinct is to tell people how to think, and what to feel, while they dance around the subject matter.

With regard to #1:  Pretty much everything I have said about mental illness and support groups and such apply to the BB.  Things need to change here, or we will become almost totally wrapped up in our ex-assembly identity.  That's not for me, thank you.

#2: Lenore irritated pretty much everyone here.  I kept silent about it for quite some time.  Verne said something to her in private----he followed the rules---and she blew him off and rationalized it with some stupid book about honesty, with a little "purpose driven life" thrown in.  She insulted me in the most ridiculous manner, and then the welfare thing.  Who was the bad guy?  Me.  She continued on, and then took to sending me abusive email.  That's spirituality for you.  I still don't totally understand how we can be so exercised against one person----like Sondra, John Malone, Brent----and so irresponsibly passive against another----Lenore.  The weaker a person is, the more rights and priviliges they have?  It worked for Betty and David.  Super.

#3: Lenore think she's righteous.  She brags about an "all expenses paid working vacation" and complains about how hard it is being on welfare.  She says she can't work, but she can sure fight!  She can sit and take notes at a seminar, where she learns how to be a person with mental illness, but she can't sit at a job.  "Praise the Lord, Amen."  "Your posts are a blessing."  "Worship is indeed the highest exercise of the redeemed"....blah blah blah.  That's how she was spoken to.  However, she tells me I have me head up my butt and I think she is retarded.  We make peace, and then she attacks me via email again.  I've never sent her an email except to say a few kind words about how she is stronger than she realizes. 

Why allow her to continue in her self-deception?  It's cruel.  Sure, it's not comfortable to confront someone, but it needs to be done at times.  Some of you need to really consider why you so obviously consider her as a substandard person.  She may be having problems, but is she less capable than we are?  I think not.  She's learned to be useless, and treating her that way is cruel.

#4: I need not say much about this.  Phoney Pharisee's speak long speech, that sounds really good.  They always bristle when someone who isn't wearing all the robes notices how silly they are.

The best thing to happen to this board in a long time is seeing Sondra and Verne carrying on a meaningful, kind and respectful discussion.  The next best thing is the Beatles/Paul McCartney thread.

All the sick God-talk is an embarrassment.

For the record, I have not been an ex-assembly person for quite some time.  When I come here I feel a pull to sink into an identity of "wounded pilgrim."  Well, any wounds that I have now aren't due to George.  Those have healed.  If I have any problems now, they are all my own  If the Gaderene Demoniac can heal, if Lazarus can come forth from the grave, don't you think that ex-Assembly people can do the same?

Brent

[sfortescue]

Brent,

Besides OCD and gambling addiction, you may want to learn about anger management as well.

[editor]

Brent,

Besides OCD and gambling addiction, you may want to learn about anger management as well.

Good advice.

[M2]

.....
p.s.  This is exactly why the "Lenore's" run into problems long after the problem started because "anything goes"....right?  I like the adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."  When I anticipate a problem, an attempt early on to correct it is simple and doesn't offend too much, but let the thing take foothold and you either lose what you were going for or trying to "fix" the problem then is nigh impossible without significant hurt.

The "Lenore's" run into problems not because we did not have a tight set of rules for posting, but because she did not heed when people commented about her long posts.  Personally I could handle the long posts by skimming them, but I was suprised when she returned on board and started re-bombarding the board with posts after you and Verne and others had commented that the long posts were not appreciated.  Stephen capsulized it quite nicely.

Got to go,
Marcia

[M2]

..... p.s.  I do care about you and respect you, Marcia, but I find that you still do a fair share of "flip-flopping" IMO.  I think I know where you are coming from, and turn around and find you on a different side of things.  So, for right now, I do keep a guard up.  Not that I think everyone has to agree on everything, but loyalty is important to me.  Loyalty is deeply engrained in me so it's something I look for in others, I guess.

A BB is a place for discussion hence I make 'truth' important.  So, yeah, it does look like I'm flip-flopping.
Where loyalty is displayed is in my great respect the truth teller on this board and elsewhere.  My church has 4 pastors, and each of them has my loyal support for their ministries.  I will not be one of those who criticizes and pinpoints every little triviallity and slip-up.  However, if something major goes wrong, I will not hold back my opinion on the matter.

Marcia,

When my husband and I have a disagreement, we don't allow ourselves or each other to do what you just did.  Exaggerate what the other one said to the "n-th" degree.  We found that we are able to "discuss" instead of "cuss and discuss" as they say.   I didn't say anything about having a "tight set of rules for posting." 

Back to my point, nothing was said to Lenore publicly **early on** and so a long standing pattern has been established that she herself perhaps cannot break.  I agree that people are **now** doing a pretty good job of addressing it.  Anyway, this board IS this board and is not SWTE or any other.  I think we all have room for improvement though, but I think it is phony for people to act like there are no rules, bias' or prejudice - that there are no parameters.

sj

btw.  Brent "said" he would start deleting some of her posts if she kept up the "10 in a row" posting, but he didn't do it.  That breaks a rule of consistency or doing what you say you will do.  (His name is in red).  Why did he not follow through with his threat?  Was it because L is weak?  That's inconsistent with what he is accusing others of doing.  Besides, I don't see it as punishment to delete some of her posts.  I see it as helping her to get order in her life and consequently breaks the cycle of "wilfulness" which is a help.  But, to delete some posts is truly  not "anything goes."  So, either way "a rule" is broken.  We have rules on SWTE, but we say we have rules.   

I thank you for your honesty.  While I agree that there is a need for guidelines, there is a need to give people room to grow and learn.  So L could have taken her cue from yours and others' comments about her posting.  I understand that she was also warned in private.

I'll be frank and blunt with you here.  I cannot have a discussion on SWTE, because, no matter how careful I am,  by SWTE guidelines I seem to be crossing lines all over the place.  However I have taken every bit of criticism, which is mostly what I get, to heart and seriously considered it.  I will sometimes ask others if I am missing the message.  So it's sometime SWTE's fault that I flip-flop (just kidding, but hope you get the idea).

Re. Brent, I have a good idea of what happened, but Brent can speak for himself.

God bless,
Marcia

PS
Verne, were you at the January 1984 seminar in Fullerton.  I was looking at a picture and discovered that Mark and Sindy were there and someone that looks like it might be you.
Marcia

[M2]

While I appreciate your very patient view, I have to believe that you perhaps have not had tenants, Marcia, and perhaps have not had employees??  Just a guess. You are blessed if you haven't.  I am blessed that I have.     

Tenants.  If you don't call them the first time they pay rent after the exact day it is due even if it is on the first month of their tenancy - you will find that you trained them already to do what they will do the rest of their tenancy.  The first three months establishes the rest of their tenancy's paying habits, generally speaking.

Employees.  Same principle.  Let them come in late without mention or let them see you be consistently late - you have trained them to be late.  Let them smoke on the job, take bathroom breaks often, get advance partial payment, blah, blah, blah....you will have to live with what you've trained them to do....because you thought you were being patient.

Then, you have to work harder while they are partying which cuts into your family and devotion time. Then you will be doing their consequences.  That's how I've found that to work....all because of what many would call being "merciful" and "patient."  I don't do mercy and patience when it is my responsibility to run a business, a board, etc.  I try to be respectful and that's about it.

I've had this discussion with someone else a few years ago.  He worked in an environment where the system they had devised worked like clockwork and most everything flowed in harmony as a result.  We then wondered why those principles could not be applied to a group of friends where things hardly every worked in harmony.  We came to the conclusion that work is work and group is group (in this case it would be the BB is the BB).  These people are not tenants nor employees.  We are individuals each unique and needing to grow through the things we experience.

And, thank YOU for being honest.  As I remember you moved around pretty freely with your posts on SWTE, but you had that nasty little habit of taking pot shots at the anonymous eaglets regarding their protected species status.  I think we both knew you were pushing it and I think you thought it was sort of worth the grief - did you not?  Well, anyway, I did enjoy your posts although I had to keep an eye on you with our endangered species.    You were always the one who said "good-bye" - just for the record.

You are correct re. my comments about Bob's identity and saying "good-bye" of my own choice.  However I felt that with other discussions, no matter how careful I was,  by SWTE guidelines I seemed to be crossing lines all over the place, and I was not gifted enough to work within the SWTE constraints.  Obviously Matt and Bob are managing to do so, but I could not.

Marcia

[Mark C.]

Wow Brent!

   I just got back into town and was surprised to read your rather cynical responses.   You don't directly respond to my post, but I get the idea that you have some strong issues with my views.

  I'm not sure who "bat" or "belfry" are, but assume that Matt from SWTE is paying a visit.

 
  Though you may have little respect for my views, don't you think I deserve a little better response from you than what I've received?

  Hypocrite?  Yes, I daily fall short of what I should be as a Christian.

 False Spirituality?  Yep, that too! 

  My views on recovery (Wounded Pilgrims) are flawed and only end up keeping folks in a damaged state? 
 
      This is the first time I've heard this from you, but if you read back over my posts' on that thread I am constantly inviting challenges to my posting.

  Re. "confrontation":  I would expect that if you believe that I am wrong that I should be challenged, but not with sarcastic methods that demean.  Speech can be direct, and yet thoughtful re. how such speech might actually affect the individual for whom it is directed.   

 As I stated many times before, the Bible tells us to "make a difference" in how we warn someone who is out of the way: with some using tender heartedness and others by fear.

  I will grant that I tend to be very tolerant, and as such probably make for a poor moderator.  Of course, this also made me a very poor leading bro. and bros. house leader.   Extreme personalities are usually bad, but part of the purpose of living in the body of Christ is an opportunity to help one another to a more balanced way to live.  Those that have little tolerance are placed together with those that have too much.

   Strongly held opinions can have a destructive power, even one's with a scriptural basis (Rom. 14:1-10)  In vs. 10 Paul asks a very interesting question, "Why do you look down on your brother?" Ridiculing another's views is a form of "looking down" on them, even when you know that you are right and your brother is wrong. 

  Now, I understand that you believe I am the one "looking down" on Lenore, by not "reigning her in" for her long posting, etc. and that I'm restraining her from getting to her potential.

  If I'm out of the way on this, and you are correct, you have an obligation to make your point, but not to do so by using ridicule. 

   I will grant you that Jesus and Paul did use ridicule to attack false teachers and wilfull rejectors of the truth, but it is not to be used among fellow believers as it can have a destructive power.  Our intentions should be to "build-up" and not tear-down." 

                                                God Bless,  Mark C.