| Author | Message | ||
| Forhim Registered user Username: Forhim Post Number: 3 Registered: 7-2009  |
Below is something I wrote the day after I was visited by some trick-or-treaters who were much older than the most of the kids I saw that night. The encounter turned out to be a real treat for me. Ghouls, Girls and Gould, a Halloween Visit a true story It was a dark and blistery Halloween; half-past eight O'clock, About the time most trick-or-treaters stop their ceaseless knock, The hour these little bandits, begin their sugared daze, And I can dip into the pot, for the left o’er candy glaze, When all of a sudden a knock, came rapping at my door, But alas, it was no Poe-ish raven saying "nevermore", Four young revelers were waiting, three girls and a chap, Dressed as clowns and hobos, outfitted at the G.A.P, Stood in line a’ waiting to give their seasoned yell, They seemed a little bit too old, of the youth they tried to sell, Deceptively they held there, beneath their festive robes, Terrors more freighting than goblins, would soon assail my lobes, They took my candy quickly, and each one gave a thank, But kept on talking longer, was a girl who seemed held rank, “Now we'd like to give you a gift today, from your friends the SDAs” For only a moment I stuttered, with a look of utter daze, Then she reached into her costume, and produced “Signs of the Times”, I took it with a thank you, and offered a something of mine, I might be unprepared, for attacks by ghouls and ghosts, But I had no fear, of the minions bearing EGW quotes, Expressions change so many ways, as I shared with them my ditty, “I used to be an SDA”, their faces filled with pity, “But now I am a Christian”, their compassion changed to shock, “I started reading my Bible”, they started looking down the block, “EG White was more than crazy”, by my right ear my finger I twirled round, Like European cop car I whistled, for affect and made a high/low sound, Now they stepped away slowly, not wanting to turn their back, “She said people live on Jupiter Google it” I said, to the rapidly receding pack, “Read the Bible for yourselves, ask questions that are grounded” The young man turned and ran, and behind him the girls bounded, Now I know theses kids were sent out, from the local SDA school, To do their work for the Lord, and maybe I was cruel, But I wanted them to know, that there’s life of growth after Adventism, Not all former veggies were in discouragement prison, We grow and are proud to share, what Jesus did of us, Works or Sabbaths or little red books, were nothing but a fuss, So next year on Halloween I’ll prepare, so this lesson won’t be lost, Whether fighting vampires or SDAs; the best tool is the Cross. P.S. With a Halloween like this, should I be expecting a “White” Christmas? | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 8738 Registered: 3-2004  |
Forhim, first of all I do not remember seeing you here before, so Welcome to FAF. I love the story above. It sounds like they were frightened to be near you. Was that this year or when? So glad you spoke up. Diana L | ||
| Forhim Registered user Username: Forhim Post Number: 4 Registered: 7-2009 |
Diana, It happened last night. I laughed myself to sleep. I have posted quite a bit about a year ago mostly under my wife's username "Lifeanew." I guess I should post more often. Thanks, Bob | ||
| Karethamiller Registered user Username: Karethamiller Post Number: 90 Registered: 8-2010  |
Bob...thanks for sharing that bit of writing  | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 904 Registered: 2-2008  |
I love your last line... the best tool is the cross. | ||
| Philharris Registered user Username: Philharris Post Number: 2275 Registered: 5-2007  |
Hey Bob, Where have you been? Fearless Phil (Married to the other Jan.) | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 11922 Registered: 12-2003  |
Bob, I love it! Good to see you here again! Colleen | ||
| Forhim Registered user Username: Forhim Post Number: 5 Registered: 7-2009 |
Hay Phil, Good to hear from you! I guess I need to be in just the right mood to do some writing. I'm not prolific like our buddy River. The reason I approached the kids trick-or-treating at my house the way I did (some might feel I was confrontational) was because of what happened back when I was in academy, and a friend of mine and I were hitch-hiking from our hometown to school, about 150 miles away, and a guy picked us up the last part of the trip. When He asked us where we were going, we told him about the school. He knew right away that we were SDAs because his brother was one, and he said, “So you’re followers of Ellen G. White.” To which we gave some lame excuse that we believed she was inspired, but we were not really followers of her, but believed in the Bible as the ultimate source of truth (probably feeling a lot like the kids that were at my house). He asked us a bunch of hypothetical questions that made us feel uncomfortable, but what he did really worked. After 36 years, I still remember the points he brought up. If I can get one of those kids to start looking up things about EGW, in years to come, then maybe it was worth the five peanut butter cups. At the very least I got a kick out of it, and at maybe they’ll tell others from the church, to avoid our house. We need to get together one of these days, Bob | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 6850 Registered: 9-2006  |
Hey Bob, I echo Phil, where you been? I told Phil I was getting up to Alwyn, or however the heck you pronounce the town.I know he thinks I lied, which I did, I said the summer, and it now getting ready to turn winter. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, the I-5 freeway ain't, so I will try to pave the I-5 with my intentions to get up to see his handy work on the house soon. When are you and Jan getting down this way, maybe we could all meet up somewhere for dinner and fellowship sometime between now and spring? If you will e-mail me your address, I have something to send you. The e-mail addy I have for you don't work. Tell Jan hello for me, and if you can't be good, at least be carefull. River | ||
| Forhim Registered user Username: Forhim Post Number: 6 Registered: 7-2009 |
Good to hear form all of you, thanks for your your kind words. My next project will be to write some lyrics for a song I'm calling "The Time O' Trouble Shuffle" You can dance to it. River and Phil, I just sent you a message about what we've been doing. | ||
| Cloudwatcher Registered user Username: Cloudwatcher Post Number: 245 Registered: 5-2009 |
That is hilarious! "“EG White was more than crazy”, by my right ear my finger I twirled round, Like European cop car I whistled, for affect and made a high/low sound, " Hahahaha! A Halloween they will never forget. | ||
| Nowisee Registered user Username: Nowisee Post Number: 625 Registered: 5-2009 |
Oh, my goodness! Colporteurs in disguise. This is a new one on me. Thanks for the best laugh of my day!!! Maybe next year you can pass them some "Proclamations"! Seriously, you planted seeds that night. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 11924 Registered: 12-2003 |
Bob, I can't wait for your song! I believe that what you did was actually a good thing for all the reasons you gave. You know, Adventists are great at feeling and believing they are "persecuted" for various things, but especially for the Sabbath. They actually know how to formulate a pretty elaborate straw-man argument to ward off the things "formers" say, dismissing us as using "hate speech" or persecuting them... Yet they feel completely justified in things such as the "Great Controversy Project" in which they are mass mailing special editions of The Great Controversy published by Review and Herald to unsuspecting average citizens in North America—and this project is being carried out by the General Conference. Oh, sure--"offshoots" such as Jan Marcussen have often done mass mailings, but this one is being done by the General Conference, and these books are not printed by an "independent press" but by the flagship publishing house. So Bob, good for you. Those teenagers were being used to take advantage of unsuspecting neighbors who were predisposed to be in a generous mood. That is wrong--and those who devised the plan KNOW it's manipulative. It always amazes me that people who pride themselves on "the truth" conduct their whole interaction with "the world" deceptively. Colleen | ||
| Forhim Registered user Username: Forhim Post Number: 7 Registered: 7-2009 |
Colleen, Thanks for your message, and good points; I agree completely. I didn’t have a lot of time to formulate a response, especially when I started, but I did want to get two ideas across. First, that former Adventists can be involved in a growing relationship with Jesus. And second, that the internet held some good information that they could check out for themselves. I figured if they were pointed to an outside source of information about their church’s founder, they might keep looking for more. I’ve been praying that they will someday. Jan was telling me about the "Great Controversy Project". That is bothersome, because the people who get snagged by the “outreach effort” are the ones that the SDA church targets. The people who are unchurched, or haven’t done much Bible study on their own. The GC narrative sounds Biblical, and with the way they twist the scriptures, I’d say that a lot of people might be fooled. But maybe with everyone getting the book in then mail, an opportunity to talk to our neighbors will open up. Perhaps we can talk to folks in our churches, so every member has some idea about the "Great Controversy Project", the plan may backfire. Call me a Pollyanna, but I’m looking forward to and praying for this to come. I think God is going to open up avenues that couldn’t open up any other way. Really, at it’s best, they will have wasted a lot of money on a bad plan, and at worst, I seen them creating a whole new group of Formers. Thanks too Nowisee, for your kind message, I do like to make people laugh. Bob | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 2645 Registered: 8-2004  |
"It always amazes me that people who pride themselves on "the truth" conduct their whole interaction with "the world" deceptively." Yep! Exactly!! | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 6852 Registered: 9-2006 |
Bob, I just got time to read that, and buddy, I really needed it tonight. God always knows the exact time we need a lift. If I would have had time to read it before, I wouldn't have gotten it just on time. He truely know what we need even before we ask, and sometimes even if we don't ask. River | ||
| Bb Registered user Username: Bb Post Number: 827 Registered: 7-2004 |
When reading that poem, you can actually "see" the entire scene so vividly! That is talent!!! Loved it! I have a friend who recently told me he is dealing with some adventists telling him about the end times, trying to convince him to convert, much like all adventists do. I told him if he really wants to shock them, to tell these guys he knows a former (me) who has a relationship with Jesus that she NEVER had as an adventist. I am looking forward to hearing what they have to say to that! | ||
| Forhim Registered user Username: Forhim Post Number: 8 Registered: 7-2009 |
BP, I know exactly what you're talking about. It's sooooooo much better knowing Jesus, not just "the Lord" That's the difference between knowing of "the Mayor", and knowing Frank, who is the mayor. Bob | ||
| Forhim Registered user Username: Forhim Post Number: 9 Registered: 7-2009 |
River, Did you get my email? I'm glad the poem got to you at a time when you needed it. God's timing is perfect timing. Amazing how He can keep track of every detail for six billion people and keep every sub-atomic particle in the universe for eternity. We serve such a loving God, and when I think about the personal and universal power He shows, it comforts me when things aren't so good. If you got my email I want to share a couple just in time things that happened to Jan and I in the last year, that could only be explained as God's timing. There is a manufacturing term I learned when I worked at Hewlett-Packard called "Just in Time" (JIT) where we ordered supplies to arrive at the the exact time we needed them so we didn't have to store the materials in the warehouse. It was supposed to save a bunch of money. I've had so many JIT moments since I came to Jesus, I started calling them "Jesus in Time" situations. "...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matt. 6:8 Don't confuse my definition of JIT with the SDA JIT i.e. "Jews in training" | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 6855 Registered: 9-2006 |
Yeah, i got it Bob, haven't had the time to answer yet, and I wanted to read it again before I answered it, some pretty amazing stuff there. I should be used to the way God works miracles in our lives, but I am always amazed at the way he comes up with blessings for us. River | ||
| Sunnimoreno Registered user Username: Sunnimoreno Post Number: 225 Registered: 10-2008 |
"like" | ||
| Rossbondreturns Registered user Username: Rossbondreturns Post Number: 45 Registered: 10-2009  |
That was brilliant. It's very ironic that folks from my old SDA church came to Halloween Happenin' at Trinity. After saying "I Vank you Vor coming." (I was after all a "vampire) I talked with them for a little while, I was shocked to see them...and they were shocked to see me. | ||
| Nowisee Registered user Username: Nowisee Post Number: 636 Registered: 5-2009 |
Wow, Ross! Another God-tunity! I heard that LOTS of sdas bring their kids--even on Friday night! Praise god for every one of them! | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 11938 Registered: 12-2003 |
Ross--another "Wow" from me! If I'm rememberin' rightly, your former SDA church was one of the most conservative, historic Adventist churches in this area. I agree with Nowisee; praise God for those Adventists who bring their kids to Halloween Happenin' on Friday night! Colleen |
