Gwen Shamblin 4: Lick the Fork

[SJWaterford]

16 minutes ago, ViolaSebastian said:

"Gift of babysitting"? What a weird ass way to put it. I'd phrase it "gift of understanding children" or "gift of love for little ones" or something like that. I don't necessarily feel like babysitting is a gift. Being good with children, certainly, but babysitting? No.

I just assumed the "gift" meant she was doing it for free. 

[RFsurvivor]

6 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

She makes it sound like she might have been a “mother’s helper” at first. 

I don’t believe Gwen, Elizabeth, or “Elle” would leave their precious princesses and princes alone with an 8 year old. I’m sure there were plenty of adult women falling over themselves to babysit the royal grandchildren. 

Can confirm. There was a rotating list of adults, teens, and younger who would help with either the Shamblin or Hannah kids. 

4 minutes ago, SJWaterford said:

I just assumed the "gift" meant she was doing it for free. 

Yup. I was on the babysitting team for like 6 years and never got paid once.

On 11/3/2018 at 7:13 AM, formergothardite said:

So the website is just to show off the church weddings? Does the church help pay for these weddings because there is no way I could have afforded a wedding like all the ones of the website. Are members expected to go into debt to pay for these weddings? I'm assuming that saying "I want to get married at my family farm wearing my grandma's wedding dress with my uncle leading the ceremony instead of Gwen." isn't an option for church members. I'm going to also assume that no one dares to complain that the wedding videos cut out the bride and groom to focus on Gwen. 

RF folks who read here, if you don't want your church to appear to be a cult you should really allow individuality in weddings. I spent yesterday looking at the wedding website and there is no way that many people wanted weddings that were near identical. It looks like you can pick a color for the bridesmaids, but even those seem limited.

How many of the people who get married there end up staying long term in the church?

That's what it seems like to me. The website was relatively new when we left. The weddings are supposedly discounted and don't cost as much as a wedding done elsewhere, but I can't speak to that since my parents paid for it. As for bridesmaid's colors and wedding colors, you didn't really get to pick....you could make suggestions on colors the bride and groom liked (I wish I was joking) but the wedding committee and Gwen would make the final call on the colors. 

[RFSurvivor_2]

1 hour ago, RFsurvivor said:

Yup. I was on the babysitting team for like 6 years and never got paid once.

To add to this:

RF considers any form of "serving the kingdom" an opportunity for a member to "earn jewelry for their crowns in heaven" and "obtain blessings for obedience". Unfortunately this mindset and belief within the cult is double edged sword....

@RFsurvivor and I are no strangers to the concept of charity, giving and volunteering. @RFsurvivor give a lot and help out (within reason) friends, family and our community not for our own selfish gain, but for the betterment of those in our environment and beyond. What we experienced in RF as far as  "giving and volunteering" has been or the most part, "charity" with a hidden price. I am not going to deny that I have personally experienced PURE charity and giving with some members in the cult. As stated before, there are some legitimately good people there that shouldn't be there at all and deserve something better, something more truthful, positive and fulfilling.

During my time there I would quite often question the motives of a lot of members, the Shamblin family and key members of the cult's leadership team (the others I didn't have much of an opinion on for...various reasons). There have been many situations in which myself, @RFsurvivor, @RemnantSurvivor and I as well as many of our former friends and family members would be taken advantage of on a daily basis, all for Gwen and her leadership, or rather, the "glory of the kingdom". I can provide examples upon request.

TL;DR: Remnant Fellowship, like Scientology, HG, etc, takes advantage of their members and chalks up these actions as opportunity to earn favor with Gwen, leadership and (lastly) their god. Many people like @RFsurvivor, @RemnantSurvivor and I have experienced this firsthand.

[SJWaterford]

38 minutes ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

To add to this:

RF considers any form of "serving the kingdom" an opportunity for a member to "earn jewelry for their crowns in heaven" and "obtain blessings for obedience". Unfortunately this mindset and belief within the cult is double edged sword....

@RFsurvivor and I are no strangers to the concept of charity, giving and volunteering. @RFsurvivor give a lot and help out (within reason) friends, family and our community not for our own selfish gain, but for the betterment of those in our environment and beyond. What we experienced in RF as far as  "giving and volunteering" has been or the most part, "charity" with a hidden price. I am not going to deny that I have personally experienced PURE charity and giving with some members in the cult. As stated before, there are some legitimately good people there that shouldn't be there at all and deserve something better, something more truthful, positive and fulfilling.

During my time there I would quite often question the motives of a lot of members, the Shamblin family and key members of the cult's leadership team (the others I didn't have much of an opinion on for...various reasons). There have been many situations in which myself, @RFsurvivor, @RemnantSurvivor and I as well as many of our former friends and family members would be taken advantage of on a daily basis, all for Gwen and her leadership, or rather, the "glory of the kingdom". I can provide examples upon request.

TL;DR: Remnant Fellowship, like Scientology, takes advantage of their members and chalks up these actions as opportunity to earn favor with Gwen, leadership and (lastly) their god. Many people like @RFsurvivor, @RemnantSurvivor and I have experienced this firsthand.

Honestly, it's wrong for a wealthy person to take advantage of a teenager or anyone who takes such good care of your children by not compensating them. It's a big responsibility. A leader is the first person that should demonstrate charity and giving. 

[RemnantSurvivor]

3 hours ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

TL;DR: Remnant Fellowship, like Scientology, HG, etc, takes advantage of their members and chalks up these actions as opportunity to earn favor with Gwen, leadership and (lastly) their god. Many people like @RFsurvivor, @RemnantSurvivor and I have experienced this firsthand.

Definitely! Babysitters are often expected to refuse money, or at least attempt to refuse money. I don’t think it was ever explicitly stated but it’s definitely common/expected. ESPECIALLY if it was for Shamblin/Hannah kids. 

[Spanger]

I’ll admit that I’m not well-versed in hymns or church music,  it is the first song in the wedding video normally sung in minor key?  (I’m assuming the name of the song is “glory to god in the highest” because those were the only lyrics.)

It sounded so creepy, especially sung by children.  It sounds like it should be the background music in a commercial for a movie about a haunted house.  Definitely not what I’d pick to add to a wedding video!

[RemnantSurvivor]

7 hours ago, Spanger said:

I’ll admit that I’m not well-versed in hymns or church music,  it is the first song in the wedding video normally sung in minor key?  (I’m assuming the name of the song is “glory to god in the highest” because those were the only lyrics.)

It sounded so creepy, especially sung by children.  It sounds like it should be the background music in a commercial for a movie about a haunted house.  Definitely not what I’d pick to add to a wedding video!

That is an original remnant song, which if I remember correctly was written by Gwen. They honestly don’t sing many normal Christian songs—with the exception of a few hymns. They mostly sing Michael’s music. But they even changed some of the words to the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” to agree with their doctrine (not many words—just last few, they don’t sing the words “blessed trinity” because they don’t believe in the trinity).  

[formergothardite]

3 hours ago, RemnantSurvivor said:

hat is an original remnant song, which if I remember correctly was written by Gwen.

She took some inspiration from something because I've been trying to figure out what hymn it was because words and music sound so familiar. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

Just now, formergothardite said:

She took some inspiration from something because I've been trying to figure out what hymn it was because words and music sound so familiar. 

NO!  You can't be implying she may be a fraud or a phony?  Just one look at her tells us how down to earth and real she is.   

[formergothardite]

5 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

You can't be implying she may be a fraud or a phony?

As shocking as it would be to discover that any part of her life is even slightly fake, I do think that she might have Miss Raqueled* this song.  The lyrics are generic enough, but the music is familiar for sure. 

Glory to God in the highest, 

Glory to God in the sky.

Glory to God

Glory to God

Glory to God evermore. 

*For those who don't know Miss Raquel is a young maiden who wrote poetry by finding things she liked, changing a word or two and taking all the credit for writing. 

[FeministShrew]

I have to say that all I can think of when I see the thread title "Lick the Fork" is "Smell the Glove" from This is Spinal Tap. I keep picturing Joe dressed as Tarzan & Gwen on her knees with a spiked dog collar around her neck sniffing his hand. 
Forgive me if that's what the title references. I thought I'd read all the posts but I can't remember what "lick the fork" was from.

 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

5 minutes ago, FeministShrew said:

I have to say that all I can think of when I see the thread title "Lick the Fork" is "Smell the Glove" from This is Spinal Tap. I keep picturing Joe dressed as Tarzan & Gwen on her knees with a spiked dog collar around her neck sniffing his hand. 
Forgive me if that's what the title references. I thought I'd read all the posts but I can't remember what "lick the fork" was from.

 

I totally want to take credit for a Spinal Tap reference because that is awesome, but alas I just saw someone talking about their beautiful desserts they weren't allowed to eat and someone said something about being able to lick the fork and it struck me as funny.

But I so wish I was clever enough for that to be a multi-layered reference.

18 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

*For those who don't know Miss Raquel is a young maiden who wrote poetry by finding things she liked, changing a word or two and taking all the credit for writing. 

Was the orange penis stolen from someone?  Can there be someone who would think that up and another who would find it worth stealing?!

[Briefly]

7 minutes ago, FeministShrew said:

I have to say that all I can think of when I see the thread title "Lick the Fork" is "Smell the Glove" from This is Spinal Tap. I keep picturing Joe dressed as Tarzan & Gwen on her knees with a spiked dog collar around her neck sniffing his hand. 
Forgive me if that's what the title references. I thought I'd read all the posts but I can't remember what "lick the fork" was from.

 

Someone commented on the post with the birthday cakes about how they hoped the children were at least able to have a slice of their own birthday cake.  There was a comment made then about how people might have just been able to lick the fork instead of actually eating the cake.  I'm loosely paraphrasing because I couldn't find the actual comment but that was the general idea.  Apologies to whomever made the original comment!

[formergothardite]

8 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Was the orange penis stolen from someone? 

She was writing that story with a teen boy! I do think that the mystical orange penis ferret is her only true original idea, but all credit for calling it that must be given to @Curious!

[HerNameIsBuffy]

8 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

She was writing that story with a teen boy! I do think that the mystical orange penis ferret is her only true original idea, but all credit for calling it that must be given to @Curious!

I would pay money to see a movie based on that.

[RFSurvivor_2]

1 hour ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

I would pay money to see a movie based on that.

Sign me up and take my money! ???

[formergothardite]

The mystical orange penis ferret will never not be amusing. I barely remember what the plot of the story was, just the penis ferret. 

[DaisyD]

Wasn't it something like the Frog Prince? I know it was a talking penis ferret. Isn't that also why we employ rescue ferrets? 

[formergothardite]

53 minutes ago, DaisyD said:

Wasn't it something like the Frog Prince? I know it was a talking penis ferret. Isn't that also why we employ rescue ferrets? 

You are right, I think it was some sort of weird version of the Frog Prince where a mystical orange penis ferret popped up. I'm assuming that is why we started employing a whole bunch of ferrets to rescue people!

I really hope the RF members who are assigned to this thread have enjoyed the discussion about penis ferrets! 

[SJWaterford]

13 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

You are right, I think it was some sort of weird version of the Frog Prince where a mystical orange penis ferret popped up. I'm assuming that is why we started employing a whole bunch of ferrets to rescue people!

I really hope the RF members who are assigned to this thread have enjoyed the discussion about penis ferrets! 

Well if RF members didn't enjoy it, I thoroughly did. 

[formergothardite]

Sadly it looks like I'll be going to my grave without ever getting to read Miss Raquel's other story about Xaquerie. A book that may or may not include a penis ferret. She stopped writing it two years ago. 

I'm still holding out for Vine Valley by the Arndt's though. That movie better get finished in my lifetime. 

Back to the weddings. So what do they do if a couple says they don't want the church to plan the wedding, that they perhaps want to have it at a state park or something like that? Are you banned from the church? Does Gwen throw a massive tantrum?

Thinking about the wedding and how all the couples had to have some variation of Gwen's wedding, complete with making her the star of the wedding video. It appears that she has been living out her wedding dreams all these years with these couples and now she finally got to be the bride she has wanted to be. 

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

40 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

I'm still holding out for Vine Valley by the Arndt's though. That movie better get finished in my lifetime. 

I don't know if I'm that much of an optimist.

[formergothardite]

1 minute ago, WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? said:

I don't know if I'm that much of an optimist.

I can't go to my grave not knowing why he carefully washes pumpkins in the bathtub! 

[Briefly]

6 hours ago, formergothardite said:

I can't go to my grave not knowing why he carefully washes pumpkins in the bathtub! 

Because they prefer tub baths over showers. ?

[HerNameIsBuffy]

8 hours ago, DaisyD said:

Wasn't it something like the Frog Prince? I know it was a talking penis ferret. Isn't that also why we employ rescue ferrets? 

Don't bring my team into this.