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Gwen Shamblin 8: Not Smart Enough to Think


Coconut Flan

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this opportunity to get married came our way

Well at least if it turns out to be a miserable marriage it's not their fault because they didn't decide to get married with any agency, it's just that an opportunity fell in their lap and then marriage happened to them because it was God's will. 

 

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1 hour ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

He even prayed it was God's will and God sent him 3 signs.  Unfortunately he doesn't tell us what those signs were (darn).

I'm pretty confident I can guess the general category of one of the signs.  :output_eeMbjt:

I'm probably not going to articulate this well, but from outward appearances, you'd think that RF would be too, I dunno, sophisticated (?) to push these young marriages.  There would be a greater likelihood of a happier and more prosperous outcome if these young people were encouraged to go out, get additional education and life experience.  But, wait, that might alert them to the fact that they are enmeshed in a damaging cult.  Sigh.  Cult leader Gwen Shamblin Lara's hankering for a pretty wedding overcomes common sense once again.

 

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Today we learn that losing weight is the most critical thing in the entire eternal universe. 

Spoiler

Screenshot_20190729-125240.thumb.jpg.7cf8e6425e98e80bc70ef6465a64cc40.jpg

 

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To my knowledge no one has been told something like “You’re twenty; why aren’t you married yet?” I think they marry young because:

1) They need the acceptance of their community more than anything else. They grow up watching people leave or be kicked out and get told that horrible curses happen to those people, so fitting in and never leaving becomes their top priority. Which means marrying someone who is a committed Remnant Fellowship member (so that you both effectively trap each other in the cult) and having kids to increase the cult’s membership for the future. 

2) They are normal young adults and adults, so most of them naturally want to have sex and find a partner to share life with. Their only choices are to leave Remnant (unthinkable for most), become a secret sinner constantly scared of being caught and feeling guilty every single second of every single day, or just get married.

Im sure it’s an easy decision for most of them.

Edited by throwaway9988
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Thank you, @throwaway9988.  I dove back into the archives to find a particular discussion on this subject we had early on, but couldn't find it.  IIRC, a young man (age 19 maybe) had given pre-wedding testimony thanking Gwod because he had wanted to go to college and had other plans for his life, but came to understand his life was with his new community of RF and so gave up that idea.  I believe his parents had moved the family from out of state to Brentwood, so he probably felt additional pressure due to his parents being "true believers" or some such.  I found that testimony so sad.

Remnant Fellowship is not much different in some respects than the circles that David and Jill Rodrigues confine themselves to.  Keep the children under control, don't let them see too much of the evil outside world, hopefully marry them off young, produce children for the future existence of the cult, all the while presenting a color-coordinated front, etc. 

I will be mean and also compare Gwen Shamblin Lara to Bro Gary Hawkins.  Food obsessed, on second marriage, condemns others not within the fold, and same level of incomprehensibility in their rambling sermons.  (Gwen's KFC bucket is a bit more upscale, though.) 

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That’s very true. I also think it’s sad when the kids can’t study what they want to study or get the jobs they want to get just because Gwen thinks that those entire fields of scientists are wrong. 

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13 minutes ago, throwaway9988 said:

That’s very true. I also think it’s sad when the kids can’t study what they want to study or get the jobs they want to get just because Gwen thinks that those entire fields of scientists are wrong. 

That OR, Gwen and her cronies decide that what they want to do is not their gift.  Who the hell are they to make that determination?!?  So many of these kids haven't been given the opportunity to experience enough to find their "gifts"!!!  The kids aren't allowed to explore life!  They are given the direction from leadership (their AUTHORITY) and then pressured to go that way, whether it's love, a career, or where to live.  Utter control.  My heart breaks for these kids and young adults.

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Okay, I’m guessing that while the building(s) is (are) located in Brentwood ($$$), only a few members can afford to live there? No successful doctor / lawyer / CPA / entrepreneur I can think of dissuades their child from getting as much education and exposure to the real world as possible. 

I can’t imagine financially successful people agreeing to let their children abandon college and marry early. 

What’s the demographics of the RF membership, is what I’m asking (I guess).

Thanking in advance!!!  

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8 hours ago, CTRLZero said:

Thank you, @throwaway9988.  I dove back into the archives to find a particular discussion on this subject we had early on, but couldn't find it.  IIRC, a young man (age 19 maybe) had given pre-wedding testimony thanking Gwod because he had wanted to go to college and had other plans for his life, but came to understand his life was with his new community of RF and so gave up that idea.  I believe his parents had moved the family from out of state to Brentwood, so he probably felt additional pressure due to his parents being "true believers" or some such.  I found that testimony so sad.

Remnant Fellowship is not much different in some respects than the circles that David and Jill Rodrigues confine themselves to.  Keep the children under control, don't let them see too much of the evil outside world, hopefully marry them off young, produce children for the future existence of the cult, all the while presenting a color-coordinated front, etc. 

I will be mean and also compare Gwen Shamblin Lara to Bro Gary Hawkins.  Food obsessed, on second marriage, condemns others not within the fold, and same level of incomprehensibility in their rambling sermons.  (Gwen's KFC bucket is a bit more upscale, though.) 

I have read that cults will tend to do this .   

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They often compel college students to curtail their studies, or lessen their career goals, in order to do more for the group.  

https://www.ourgazebo.net/cult-awareness-for-college-students.html  Also , there's this warning sign , which I think applies to Remnant Fellowship . 

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7. Someone restricts your food and water intake

Women were required to be thin and starve themselves. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The Daily Beast also previously reported that Mack allegedly formed a secret sorority within the group. They called themselves DOS or Dominos Obsequious Sororium, which means Master Over the Slave Women.

Women in the group had to stick to a 500- to 800-calorie-a-day diet, “because Raniere likes thin women and believes fat ‘interferes’ with his energy levels … slaves must immediately answer their masters any time they text or call them, and if they do not recruit enough slaves of their own, they are beaten with a paddle on their buttocks.” That behavior control, or making members modify their bodies for the cult, serves as a strong warning sign.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/the-warning-signs-that-you-might-be-in-a-cult.html/  

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Tennessee is considered the south and I was under the impression that young marriage is a little more common in the south compared to some other region of the US.

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2 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Tennessee is considered the south and I was under the impression that young marriage is a little more common in the south compared to some other region of the US.

I live in the south.  Maybe marriage is just more popular in the south, versus other arrangements.  In the old days I think what you're saying was true, but not so much in modern times.  We even have indoor plumbing now!

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When Jesus said you need to be born again he meant you should reduce your food intake. 

Spoiler

 

Being Born Again

July 30, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

What is this essential fundamental that we began discussing yesterday? We must be born again. But to be born again is not a physical thing, but rather a spiritual thing. The concept is as follows: cease controlling your day with food or anything else and follow the lead of God.

Yes! But of course… Jesus said that we cannot enter the Kingdom of God unless we are born again. Why is this not talked about more? What does it mean? Why does something so simple seem impossible to get? It is because this pivotal truth is a fundamental concept that is blocked by a complicated and entangled set of attacks and blocks by the enemy.  Satan’s whole goal is to trip you up from obeying the Spirit of God. Satan does not want you to walk with God hour by hour. Open up your eyes to the fact that an entire evil kingdom is focused: they have one goal for the day, and that is to make sure that you do not hear, see, feel, or find God for the day.

Again, start with the basics. Eat only when you are physiologically hungry and deny all other urges to eat, deny all of your own desires to eat; deny head hunger. Keep it simple. You can only eat when your stomach is hungry, and you can only eat until you are politely satisfied.

Again, God ruling your life in everything and especially in the food intake must be your goal. It is time to be born again. With a full heart and full focus, you can stop obeying yourself and obey God. This is God First AND God Alone! Slow down and turn your worries, interests, and desires toward God, His Kingdom, and His Will.

 

 

That makes perfect sense since according to Jesus,  five loaves of bread and two fish serve 5000 people, which makes for pretty small portions.

Edited by AmazonGrace
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9 hours ago, WeirdHarold said:

I live in the south.  Maybe marriage is just more popular in the south, versus other arrangements.  In the old days I think what you're saying was true, but not so much in modern times.  We even have indoor plumbing now!

I know there are stereotypes about the south. But I promise I wasn’t basing it on stereotypes. Here is a list of average ages for first time brides. And some southern states are on the younger end while the northeastern states seem to be on the higher end. 

https://www.livescience.com/27974-women-media-age-marriage-states.html

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6 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I know there are stereotypes about the south. But I promise I wasn’t basing it on stereotypes. Here is a list of average ages for first time brides. And some southern states are on the younger end while the northeastern states seem to be on the higher end. 

https://www.livescience.com/27974-women-media-age-marriage-states.html

Well, Tennessee made the top 10.

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Sure,  21 is an old maid and 23 is an ancient age to get married but still, I think the skulls are a bit of an exaggeration. Most brides are still breathing at that age. 

 image.png.751fd4cd9314cf2750aa0a2f983efc6e.png

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4 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Sure,  21 is an old maid and 23 is an ancient age to get married but still, I think the skulls are a bit of an exaggeration. Most brides are still breathing at that age. 

 image.png.751fd4cd9314cf2750aa0a2f983efc6e.png

Utah being second was no surprise. Mormons are pressured to get married young.

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On 7/28/2019 at 2:51 PM, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

Does RF routinely push children (because let's be honest 15 is a child) toward marriage that young?  Is that why so many of the couples are still teenagers -- 18-19?  I think I've also seen several 17 year brides.

Do any of the former RFs remember any brides younger than 17?

As a Remnant child, you are brought up and taught that dating should lead to marriage. You don't date unless your intention in the future is to marry (no common-law, life partnerships, etc). So yes - marriage is brought up and talked about all the time. If you are still single at 18 and into your 20's, you are often being set up by members in the church. There were a few matchmakers who adored spending their time doing just that. Dating as a teenager whilst "staying under your parents' authority" was highly encouraged. Young marriages were also encouraged for a few reasons but mostly to prevent the temptation of sinning aka having sexual relationships.

And your second question - I don't recall any brides being younger than 18 so I cannot help you there.

On 7/29/2019 at 5:04 AM, throwaway9988 said:

To my knowledge no one has been told something like “You’re twenty; why aren’t you married yet?”

Gwen herself has asked this very question as a rhetorical question during a youth group once. She wasn't talking to twenty year olds specifically but she directed her question to the singles who had graduated college (and that age group). What are your intentions, have you been struggling lately, why is it that you aren't dating anyone, is it because there's something you need to change about yourself, etc. 

I've also heard Gwen say MANY times that she loves the idea of arranged marriages. 

Man, I could go on about the crazy things I have heard... makes me shake my head.

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10 hours ago, Fashion Forward said:

Man, I could go on about the crazy things I have heard... makes me shake my head.

Do tell, we're all dying to hear. I'll bring drinks and snacks. :beer::popcorn::pizza::wine:

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18 hours ago, Fashion Forward said:

What are your intentions, have you been struggling lately, why is it that you aren't dating anyone, is it because there's something you need to change about yourself, etc. 

I've also heard Gwen say MANY times that she loves the idea of arranged marriages. 

Man, I could go on about the crazy things I have heard... makes me shake my head.

Gwen is so skeezy and gross. She appears to be becoming more and more extreme, isolated in her little Remnant bubble. Ten years ago, the most anyone in leadership ever said to me was “Has god put it on your heart to be interested in anyone?” and then they dropped the subject when I said I was busy focusing on school. Of course, at home I had to deal with my mother being super excited about every single Remnant wedding (there’s like 30 a year, aren’t you bored of them yet?) and constantly gossiping about who was dating whom (shouldn’t you be focusing on your Bible or learning how to suck up to Gwen better?). 

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On 7/30/2019 at 2:26 PM, AmazonGrace said:

Sure,  21 is an old maid and 23 is an ancient age to get married but still, I think the skulls are a bit of an exaggeration. Most brides are still breathing at that age. 

 image.png.751fd4cd9314cf2750aa0a2f983efc6e.png

Just thought I'd mention that the skull of the far left is the result of head binding  , the other two are , in order from left to right , Caucasian , and African .  http://theoryofuniverse.com/man/races/races-skulls.htm  So I don't see what that really has to do with age of marriage . 

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7 minutes ago, Marmion said:

 So I don't see what that really has to do with age of marriage . 

I thought it was a joke.  It looks like a random ad that was inserted into a statistical list for who knows what reason and @AmazonGrace decided to share the oddity with us. 

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22 minutes ago, CTRLZero said:

I thought it was a joke.  It looks like a random ad that was inserted into a statistical list for who knows what reason and @AmazonGrace decided to share the oddity with us. 

Yeah, just a random thing that was funny to me for reasons that are not very clear to me even. It just had a sort of Miss Haversham air or something. Skulls and brides. 

It's from the livescience link. 

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If you're not getting ever thinner you know you've been  listening to evil spirits.
 

Spoiler

 

It is a Battle Worth Fighting!

August 01, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

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Notice that even if you do break thru the distractions and sense the lead of God, these evil spirits will make sure that you get distracted so that you forget or miss the Spirit of God. Something will divert you. You get to the scales and see that once again you must have missed the lead of God or otherwise you would have lost weight.

The purpose of Weigh Down is to help you to put an end to your life of dictating and controlling God, and instead, help you begin your life of following God all day long. You will be rethinking and analyzing every hour of your day. How could the most fundamental and essential or cardinal purpose of your life be lost by distractions?

The war is powerful, and there are so many spirits out there, and they talk thru people or whisper in your ear. Truth is the weapon that breaks through the lies. How could truth not be used daily and several times per day along with constant pleading and prayer? These are not just simple truths—these are crucial fundamentals that you must be robbed of every day of your life or else you would not be overweight. It will require all of this to be able to take every thought captive and make it obedient to God. Please let these repetitive but paramount basics be reviewed each and every hour and each and every day until you are a new person—until you are entirely born again and walking hour by hour in God’s Spirit—until you completely break away, break through, and rise to walk in a new life!

 

 

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The purpose of Weigh Down is to help you to put an end to your life of dictating and controlling God

I didn't know an ability to dictate and control God was even an option!  Gwen really needs a better editor to help her with her thought process.

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There are too many words I think:

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The purpose of Weigh Down is to help you to put an end to your life

 

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