Final Construction Starts On Ambassador Campus

When the Worldwide Church of God decided to sell the Pasadena campus, it faced a lot of criticism because it did not remain the owners an lease out the land.  If they had done that, the church would have been endowed in perpetuity with money.  Local churches could have been built in communities where they could actually have made their presence known.

That never happened and now the church has shrunk into nothingness.  Instead, others are reaping the benefits.

The construction of townhouses on the Ambassador property are entering their final stage.  They are selling for between $2,000,000 - 2,750,000, all sitting upon land owned by someone else. Money in their pockets.

How Much Is An Ambassador gardens townhouse In Pasadena?

The Newport Beach-based developer will unveil a designer showcase home on Saturday with those features and more in conjunction with the release of the final 17 homes in its upscale Ambassador Gardens development in Pasadena. 

The home will be shown through March 29 as part of the Jamieson Place enclave of 39 townhomes and flats, where homes are now selling for $2 million to $2.75 million. 

Jamieson Place follows two earlier phases — The Bungalows and the The Grove. Since construction began in 2012, Ambassador Gardens has sold 57 homes. 

Situated on the lush grounds of the former Ambassador College, the 19-acre community is unique, according to Ben Besley, vice president of development for Insignia.

Being wise stewards has never the hallmark of the Church of God.

Caroline McGraw: You never know when truth is going to find you. But you need to do your part; you must open your eyes.

There is a great blog out there that helps people, especially women deal with the messiness of life, some of which is a result of abuse in the Worldwide Church of God.

You never know when truth is going to find you. Truth sets you free, and that’s the best news there is. But you need to do your part; you must open your eyes. You need to look around your small cell and see Truth next to you, ever patient, holding the keys. 

Truth is not outside; it’s there in the cell with you, close as your own heart. The Eagles had it right: So oftentimes it happens / that we live our lives in chains / And we never even know we have the keys. 

Sweetheart, I just want to give you a heads up. Someday soon, you will find yourself writing an essay in which you describe your childhood church. You’ll want to link to a basic description of the organization, so you’ll do some research. By this time, you’ve Googled the church before, but words like “cult” and “abusive” made you look away. 

You don’t see how your positive experiences—summer camp, close friendships—could fit those descriptions. You don’t understand how the warm, loving people you knew could be categorized by a word as cold as cult. You will feel confused, to say the least. 

But in the midst of your confusion you will realize how well you’ve been trained to obey. You’ll see how a wall—subtle but strong—stands between you and free choices. Before, you didn’t recognize the bedrock of control beneath the good memories: Trust us, don’t trust yourself. Don’t question. If you want to wear a Halloween costume, you’re misguided. Halloween is the devil’s holiday. If you don’t fast and tithe, if you don’t believe that this is the ONE (and only) true church … then you’ve fallen astray. 

So this time, you’ll keep reading the words you find online. You’ll learn about spiritual abuse. You’ll visit a support network for former church members. The whole process will be akin to seeing a car crash. It will be awful, but for the life of you, you won’t be able to look away.

She encourages people to tell their stories and to write them down and share them.  That's part of the healing process for so many that share their stories and experiences here about life in Armstrongism.

Telling the truth about your life will be the best decision you’ve ever made, because it will help you to forgive others, and yourself.

She gives public speaking appearances and has written several books.  What I found particularly intriguing is her work with L'Arche.  One of my favorite writers that help in dumping fundamentalism and transitioning out of Armstrongism was Henri Nouwen.  He spent the last eleven years of his life working at L'Arche in France and Canada.

L’Arche, a faith-based non-profit wherein people with and without intellectual disabilities share life together, is Caroline’s training ground for forgiveness.

You can follow her blog here and contribute your story.

A Wish Come Clear

She Loves Magazine 

Jesus and Bacon

Was Herbert Armstrong America's Greatest War Hero?

I received a document in the mail the other day about Herbert Armstrong.  I was not going to post it here, but its entertainment value is too great.   I am sure this will draw out a LOT of comments!  😀

Here goes...though you may need a barf bag before you reach the end of it.

Even the best history books include a little bit of error here and there and, as long and detailed as they may be, they occasionally can gloss over some of the most significant aspects of specific historical events.  Strangely enough, this is the case for one of the most widely researched wars of our times, World War II.  It is difficult to believe but true that, to my knowledge, not a single historian has recognized the most compelling story of World War II.  This is an amazing story about one of the most patriotic, hard-working, dedicated, self-sacrificing individuals that has ever lived.  

Much has been written about the leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Omar Bradley, Henry Arnold, Douglas Mac Arthur, Dwight Eisenhower, and George Patton. Much has been written about the great heroism of numerous individual soldiers and the important advantage the United States had with the efficient mass production of airplanes, tanks, guns, and battleships.  Much credit has been given to the Manhattan project.  At the same time, not a single history book has been written to tell the incredible story about the efforts of one visionary man who, in the end, achieved what no amount of tanks, planes or armies could have accomplished.  This visionary man almost single-handedly was responsible for helping the United States turn the tides of war and snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat. 

It is now time for America to hear "the rest of the story"... 

In 1940, America was totally unaware of the significance of World War II.  The nation was worried about Germany and the risk of entering a prolonged war when there was something much more certain and dangerous looming for the nation...Eternal judgment and punishment that was absolutely certain.
Fortunately there was one man who recognized this fact and he was a man that knew what to do about it.

Amazing Historical Fact No. 1:  World War II was a judgment on America and America would lose the war unless it repented!

·       Plain Truth, September/October 1941 page 7   "Our God is now about to punish… if our stiff-necked and rebellious people go on defying… trusting only in material and military defense… We shall be invaded, CONQUERED, uprooted from our homes and transplanted to other lands across the seas—ruled over as slaves."

·      CO-WORKERS BULLETIN, December 24^th, 1941:  "...Remember this war is PROPHESIED! It is the LAST war! It is for a PURPOSE! God's JUDGMENTS are about to fall!


·       Plain Truth March/April 1942, p. 11:  “UNLESS America WAKES UP, repents, turns to God and puts her faith in Him, the punishment we already are suffering in greater and harder doses from week to week shall continue until there is invasion - and utter SLAVERY!"

Amazing Fact No. 2 - One man was willing to take on the responsibility of turning America around!

This man knew the nation had to be warned and he had the ability to build the support needed to fund this incredible effort to get this critical, patriotic message out to the entire nation. 
·       Co-Worker letter November 1942:   “God Almighty says in His prophecies we cannot win in this war UNLESS OUR PEOPLE REPENT AND TURN TO HIM.   

Co-workers, OUR contribution to the war-effort---OUR patriotic DUTY, if we would back up the boys in uniform and have their lives spared---is to SACRIFICE EVERYTHING and GET BEHIND THIS VITAL MESSAGE that it may go out with rapidly-multiplied POWER until this nation is AWAKENED, and TURNS TO GOD, and is SPARED! This war is a JUDGMENT SENT FROM GOD! Help me to warn this nation, that defeat need not come to our shores!”   
                                      
·       Co-Worker Letter August 24^th 1942:  “This war, for us, is a judgment sent from God.    ... THE DAY OF RECKONING IS HERE.

If we fail to WARN this nation, God says He will require the blood of the people at our hands. (Ezek. 33:1-6)
 
·       Co-Worker letter Feb. 16, 1943 To proclaim this life-and-death warning for our nation IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS IN THIS WORLD TODAY.

It is more than just preaching the Gospel. THIS NATION MUST BE WARNED! The sure Word of prophecy says definitely the only way we can win this war is to REPENT as a nation, turn to God, seek Him and FIND Him, and put our trust in HIM! God has SENT this war upon us, as a JUDGMENT! The day of reckoning, for this nation, is HERE. This is of GOD! HE SAYS SO! “

We all have witnessed who well THAT worked out.  However, this person continues with this:

Amazing Fact No. 3 - This amazing man got America to repent!

Although this mass repentance has not typically been documented, there can be no doubt that it happened since the United States of America did not suffer defeat nor did we lose 1/3 of our population, nor did we become slaves.

Amazing Fact No. 4 – America’s greatest war hero was too humble to take credit for his patriotic effort and his place in history remains untold!

Although only one man could recognize America's true problem in World War II, understand the only possible path to avoid certain defeat, and then to have the skills necessary to devise and successfully implement such an ambitious plan to assure victory for our nation, this man was too humble to take credit for doing so. This man was Herbert W. Armstrong!

And although HWA accomplished what no amount of tanks, planes or armies could do, he never spoke one word about his success in this area. 

How incredible humble he was!