Gwen Shamblin Lara 9: Perfecting Hypocrisy

[Alisamer]

20 minutes ago, mirabilis said:

I don’t think all human weaknesses are sin, but I know that my obsession with food and weight was sinful because of its reach and scope in my life.

That doesn't make it a sin, it makes it an obsession. A harmful one, at that. But not a sin. I'm positive eating disorders (of any sort) were not what is meant by "gluttony" as a sin! 

I am very glad that WD has helped you. But the fact is that RF is a church based on and focused on a weight-loss program. That is out and out strange and wrong, IMO. Most Christian churches are based on God, probably focusing on a particular interpretation of the bible. RF is founded by and entirely directed by a woman who made lots of money telling people how to get skinny. Her devotions are nearly always focused on food. It sounds like her sermons are focused on food. The classes people in RF take? About food and weight loss. 

Doesn't that seem strange? A church based on a diet plan? From the outside it looks just as weird as a church based on aliens crashing a spaceship into a volcano.

[formergothardite]

3 hours ago, mirabilis said:

I’m not a troll,

If this is true, please go back and read the replies and address them. Especially since she teaches you to worship hunger and she gives out disordered eating advice like when you get hungry, fill up on diet coke to try and avoid eating and how it is perfectly acceptable to eat tiny bites only ever 36 hours. Her advice is to focus on hunger, how is that any different than focusing all day on food? 

 

3 hours ago, mirabilis said:

to address a very specific sin (the obsession with food and weight),

I don't view it as a sin, but I do struggle, and as I said, it would not work for me. Gwen teaches her way is the only way and every other way of eating is sinful. I think someone follows a program they should be willing to address how the program can hurt people like Gwen's does.

 

3 hours ago, mirabilis said:

even just eating small amounts junk food and regular foo

I don't really understand the resistance to learning healthy eating habits. Under Gwen's plan I could never learn to eat healthy and still do what she deems "godly". Gwen's what she ate in a day video( that I think she has taken down) shows she has a horrible diet. She has an awful idea on healthy eating. She basically ate tiny amounts of junk food and filled up on diet drinks I went the whole eating tiny amounts of junk food when I was starving myself with an eating disorder. I could easily think it is the godly way reading Gwen's plan because she worships junk food and diet drinks as long as you eat tiny amounts. To really change I had to learn healthy eating habits, which is far from eating small amounts of junk food. 

What is regular food. She throws that around, but what is it? Diet coke regular food? I don't understand. It doesn't seem to mean plenty of healthy fruits and veggies with lean proteins and healthy fats. 

31 minutes ago, mirabilis said:

which is why Ms. Gwen relates a lot of content to naturally thin eaters, children and animals)

Her ideas of children and animals are straight up false. I have read them and it is like she has literally never met a child or an animal. Do all of you have this obsession with children not eating? That is far from my experience. And having watched the video where Gwen described how wouldn't let Elizabeth eat when she wanted food makes me think she made her young daughter diet. 

Why do you call her Ms. Gwen instead of Mrs. Shamblin-Lara? 

I am open to changing my mind about Gwen, but it would take hard questions being answered, something the RF members ran from. 

[ManyGoats]

5 hours ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

I agree, however this doesn’t mean she wouldn’t try. Check this out: 

https://www.leagle.com/decision/infdco20190325573
 

I wondered what became of this case.

Me, too! Although, maybe nothing has happened yet. This document is dated March 18, 2019. The case may not have gone to court yet. 

And, whew, this took a lot of legal language simply to say "this case will be tried in Virginia, not Tennessee."

[freefromthin]

2 minutes ago, ManyGoats said:

Me, too! Although, maybe nothing has happened yet. This document is dated March 18, 2019. The case may not have gone to court yet. 

And, whew, this took a lot of legal language simply to say "this case will be tried in Virginia, not Tennessee."

LOL! I thought it was just me!

[AmazonGrace]

Gwen thinks I eat because I think I will never see food again and promises you will "lose all your weight" 

What if I don't want to? Pretty sure it would kill me to lose half of my weight, let alone all of it. 

Spoiler

 

The Night Lie, Part II

September 27, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Yesterday, we discussed the Night Lie and the pressure that can come on suddenly in the evening to take care of yourself and fall for whatever temptation is put before you. Don’t fall for this pressure lie, whatever it is: you will not see the food again, you must eat before anyone sees you, you might not get this chance again, etc. You must say “no” and see that you have plenty of food right there on your body. You have already packed on extra meals. Tell yourself the truth. Look into the mirror before you eat—not afterwards. This applies to overdrinking. You need to remember your night before and your embarrassing behavior before you drink, and don’t count on this night being different. You need to look into your closet before you go shopping—not after. You say you’re going to return it—but do you? You are afraid that you will need that article of clothing. If you stop and see the truth about your bad track record and say no, you will be so blessed. Breakthrough! In just a few minutes you will find that God has given you a way of escape and a blessing. The Truth will set you free. Get your Truth Cards and Scripture ready. Why lie to yourself for another 10 to 20 years? Is that what you want? No! So stop lying, tell the truth to yourself when you hear the lie, and get skinny. The night lie is met with the night truth, and you will lose all your weight. Yeah! Notice that you typically weigh yourself in the mornings. Start weighing in at 5:00pm. Night truth—a new concept! We are going to break through the darkness!

 

 

She's saying don't buy clothes if you already got them. How many outfits has she got?

[Tuesday’s Child]

@mirabilis

WD and Remnant Fellowship go hand in hand. So, I’d be very concerned with the hypocrisy, because the people that have their hands in WD also run the show at Remnant. 
I agree that it’s a good idea to not focus so much on food. It’s a good idea to not focus so much on anything, otherwise you’ll drive yourself crazy. But seriously, it doesn’t make you sinful. I keep wanting to throw in some psychology facts, but then remember Ms. Gwen doesn’t believe in all that. 
If you’re open to other options, there are some very insightful and scientific studies on why people over eat that have nothing to do with religion. 
One more thing—on a personal note—this past year I started seeing a counselor due to some anxiety that had resurfaced. I had been experiencing periods of anxiety since childhood. After months of seeing my counselor, we pinpointed the root causes. It was a journey I’m thankful I decided to go on. Perhaps you would benefit from seeing a counselor who can help you with your struggles? Gwen is NOT licensed to treat mental and emotional disorders—she’s a dietician. There are some people out there who really need to be on antidepressants or anti anxiety meds. I feel that a lot of the WD participants/RF members have some deep emotional issues that aren’t being professionally addressed, and that is very sad to me. I would NOT try to emulate these people. 
 

28 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

Gwen thinks I eat because I think I will never see food again and promises you will "lose all your weight" 

What if I don't want to? Pretty sure it would kill me to lose half of my weight, let alone all of it. 

  Hide contents

 

The Night Lie, Part II

September 27, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Yesterday, we discussed the Night Lie and the pressure that can come on suddenly in the evening to take care of yourself and fall for whatever temptation is put before you. Don’t fall for this pressure lie, whatever it is: you will not see the food again, you must eat before anyone sees you, you might not get this chance again, etc. You must say “no” and see that you have plenty of food right there on your body. You have already packed on extra meals. Tell yourself the truth. Look into the mirror before you eat—not afterwards. This applies to overdrinking. You need to remember your night before and your embarrassing behavior before you drink, and don’t count on this night being different. You need to look into your closet before you go shopping—not after. You say you’re going to return it—but do you? You are afraid that you will need that article of clothing. If you stop and see the truth about your bad track record and say no, you will be so blessed. Breakthrough! In just a few minutes you will find that God has given you a way of escape and a blessing. The Truth will set you free. Get your Truth Cards and Scripture ready. Why lie to yourself for another 10 to 20 years? Is that what you want? No! So stop lying, tell the truth to yourself when you hear the lie, and get skinny. The night lie is met with the night truth, and you will lose all your weight. Yeah! Notice that you typically weigh yourself in the mornings. Start weighing in at 5:00pm. Night truth—a new concept! We are going to break through the darkness!

 

 

She's saying don't buy clothes if you already got them. How many outfits has she got?

The hypocrisy....dear sweet lord. Did she look at her home in TN before buying another one at the beach? I think she forgot to do that. 

[RFsurvivor]

1 hour ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

  Hide contents

This applies to overdrinking. You need to remember your night before and your embarrassing behavior before you drink, and don’t count on this night being different.

 

That’s rich coming from the person who won’t eat when drinking to enjoy her wine more ?

also didn’t they edit out a part of a live show where someone made about her drinking?

[ManyGoats]

3 hours ago, RFsurvivor said:

also didn’t they edit out a part of a live show where someone made about her drinking?

Oh, now, that's funny! I'd love to know what was said and how Gwen responded.

[mhainlen]

4 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Gwen thinks I eat because I think I will never see food again and promises you will "lose all your weight" 

What if I don't want to? Pretty sure it would kill me to lose half of my weight, let alone all of it. 

  Hide contents

 

The Night Lie, Part II

September 27, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Yesterday, we discussed the Night Lie and the pressure that can come on suddenly in the evening to take care of yourself and fall for whatever temptation is put before you. Don’t fall for this pressure lie, whatever it is: you will not see the food again, you must eat before anyone sees you, you might not get this chance again, etc. You must say “no” and see that you have plenty of food right there on your body. You have already packed on extra meals. Tell yourself the truth. Look into the mirror before you eat—not afterwards. This applies to overdrinking. You need to remember your night before and your embarrassing behavior before you drink, and don’t count on this night being different. You need to look into your closet before you go shopping—not after. You say you’re going to return it—but do you? You are afraid that you will need that article of clothing. If you stop and see the truth about your bad track record and say no, you will be so blessed. Breakthrough! In just a few minutes you will find that God has given you a way of escape and a blessing. The Truth will set you free. Get your Truth Cards and Scripture ready. Why lie to yourself for another 10 to 20 years? Is that what you want? No! So stop lying, tell the truth to yourself when you hear the lie, and get skinny. The night lie is met with the night truth, and you will lose all your weight. Yeah! Notice that you typically weigh yourself in the mornings. Start weighing in at 5:00pm. Night truth—a new concept! We are going to break through the darkness!

 

 

She's saying don't buy clothes if you already got them. How many outfits has she got?

 

Gwen must have a very addictive personality.  Weigh Down assumes we all have a food addiction and the way she references drinking and buying clothes you don’t need sounds like she struggles with alcohol and shopping addictions as well. As someone not addicted to those things (I know I can have more food later, I’ve never done anything embarrassing due to alcohol, and my fiancé is always bugging me that I need to buy more clothes) this all sounds like gibberish. 

[quiversR4hunting]

19 hours ago, mirabilis said:

I don’t think all human weaknesses are sin, but I know that my obsession with food and weight was sinful because of its reach and scope in my life. If you have ever struggled with an eating disorder, you are aware of how wrong it is, in the sense that you are doing something deeply wrong against your body and your life. I also knew that sin, like any addiction, eventually masters you and will take you and everything you love if you don’t conquer it. It wasn’t until WD that I learned how to walk away from this and focus on something much better. A big part of WD is teaching your appetite to return to the function for which God designed it (which is why Ms. Gwen relates a lot of content to naturally thin eaters, children and animals).

Have thought about going to a 12-step program instead? As you said "like any addiction, eventually masters you and will take you and everything you love if you don't conquer it."  https://oa.org/ 

As @Tuesday’s Child stated, maybe a counselor would help. My suggestion would be a licensed counselor and a 12-step program. 

[quiversR4hunting]

On 9/26/2019 at 10:26 AM, AmazonGrace said:

Tragically, the enemy has many people just where he wants them: deceived, year after year after year. They may go to bed every night determined to be different. Then get up every morning with the same resolve. <snipped> It allows you to lust at night—just this one last time. This deceitful lie tells you to go ahead this time; it tells you that you can just eat a little and stop there. There will be no damage done. You go to bed disgusted and wake up to be different and believe that you will—so you don’t feel too bad.

I snipped the food part. When I read/skimmed this the first time all I could think of was she talking about sex or lustful thoughts or food? 

To me it reads like one of my favorite Miranda Lambert songs. 

From the song: 

Quote

Another vice, another call
Another bed I shouldn't crawl out of
At seven a.m. with shoes in my hand
Said I wouldn't do it, but I did it again
And I know I'll be back tomorrow night, 

at the end of the song it goes like this

Quote

Standing at the sink now, looking in a mirror
Don't know where I am or how I got here
Well, the only thing that I know how to find
Is another vice

Weigh Down and Remnant Fellowship with Gwen Shamblin Lara is creating a food vice! 

Edited September 27, 2019 by quiversR4hunting

[Marmion]

22 minutes ago, quiversR4hunting said:

I snipped the food part. When I read/skimmed this the first time all I could think of was she talking about sex or lustful thoughts or food? 

To me it reads like one of my favorite Miranda Lambert songs. 

From the song: 

at the end of the song it goes like this

Weigh Down and Remnant Fellowship with Gwen Shamblin Lara is creating a food a vice! 

I think that you might be on to something .  Food might be used as a substitute for love , and even sex .  https://www.yourtango.com/2012164259/when-food-love-7-ways-combat-emotional-eating  ,  https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/using-food-as-a-substitute-for-love-1.453941?mode=amp  

[NarcissismKills]

Actually Gwen Shamblin is constantly referring to "sensual desires" in her speaking appearances such as on the Wednesday television show, assemblies, and the Joe and Gwen show. It's pretty creepy-sounding when she says that.

[quiversR4hunting]

1 minute ago, NarcissismKills said:

Actually Gwen Shamblin is constantly referring to "sensual desires" in her speaking appearances such as on the Wednesday television show, assemblies, and the Joe and Gwen show. It's pretty creepy-sounding when she says that.

That sounds like Gwen Shamblin Lara lusts over food. And people are following her lust for food and her need to control everyone is very disheartening. 

[formergothardite]

4 hours ago, RFsurvivor said:

also didn’t they edit out a part of a live show where someone made about her drinking?

They edited out when she confessed to drinking too much. Now they have the live chat, take it down and go through to edit out anything she said on accident that makes her look too bad. 

[Fashion Forward]

18 hours ago, ManyGoats said:

Me, too! Although, maybe nothing has happened yet. This document is dated March 18, 2019. The case may not have gone to court yet. 

And, whew, this took a lot of legal language simply to say "this case will be tried in Virginia, not Tennessee."

Here's the updated docket for the case. It looks like Weigh Down submitted a resolution and the case has been dismissed with prejudice. For those who don't know what that means, the court proceedings are over and Finch/Weigh Down cannot bring the matter back to court. Ever. The case is done.

I haven't found a way to access the information in these documents yet so I cannot say how the case was resolved... I'm assuming based on the information here that Weigh Down proposed to dismiss the case and the judge approved it. This could mean that Weigh Down made a deal with Finch, hence why it says notice of resolution, but there's no way of knowing without looking at the documents.

Edited September 27, 2019 by Fashion Forward

[Marmion]

Here is a more detailed run down of the case .  https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/virginia/vaedce/2:2018cv00284/388994/21/  

[AmazonGrace]

Yesterday she said don't buy new clothes if you already have them. Today she's telling you to throw away your old garments. Go figure. Yeah and if you ever eat again, you suck. 
 

Spoiler

 

True Repentance

September 28, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

What if you have repented many times and you do not trust yourself? Then you may never really repented. You could have been simply sorry.

Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. II Corinthians 7:8-11a

To repent means you have stopped the past action. This is not about saying you are sorry that you messed up. This is about saying “goodbye” to behaviors of the past. When you hate your old life, you will find the new life. Put to death your old ways, take off the old garments, say goodbye to the old man. No more overeating, no more eating past full. No more greed! Get rid of the old life and never pick it back up. That will be your first time to have true repentance.

 

 

[freefromthin]

10 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Yesterday she said don't buy new clothes if you already have them. Today she's telling you to throw away your old garments. Go figure. Yeah and if you ever eat again, you suck. 
 

  Hide contents

 

True Repentance

September 28, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

What if you have repented many times and you do not trust yourself? Then you may never really repented. You could have been simply sorry.

Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. II Corinthians 7:8-11a

To repent means you have stopped the past action. This is not about saying you are sorry that you messed up. This is about saying “goodbye” to behaviors of the past. When you hate your old life, you will find the new life. Put to death your old ways, take off the old garments, say goodbye to the old man. No more overeating, no more eating past full. No more greed! Get rid of the old life and never pick it back up. That will be your first time to have true repentance.

 

 

It never ceases to amaze me that it ALWAYS seems to come back to NOT eating. Does she REALLY believe that it's possible to NEVER eat "past full"? *rhetorical*

[Marmion]

11 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Yesterday she said don't buy new clothes if you already have them. Today she's telling you to throw away your old garments. Go figure. Yeah and if you ever eat again, you suck. 
 

  Hide contents

 

To repent means you have stopped the past action. This is not about saying you are sorry that you messed up. This is about saying “goodbye” to behaviors of the past. When you hate your old life, you will find the new life. Put to death your old ways, take off the old garments, say goodbye to the old man. No more overeating, no more eating past full. No more greed! Get rid of the old life and never pick it back up. That will be your first time to have true repentance.

 

 

You have now triggered another memory of a song , from the Gaither Homecoming , which my maternal grandparents often had playing at their house .   

 I am especially reminded of this verse from the song . 

Quote

I gave Him my old tattered garments 
He gave me a robe of pure white   

So yet another example of Gwen Shamblin copying from prior works , made by other people , such as in this case an old African-American Gospel hymn . 

[AmazonGrace]

Gwen thinks people like high places because they provide protection from the wind and from the world orbiting.  Confirmed: she does not know what wind does or how hills and mountains work.
 

Spoiler

 

Leaving the High Places for the Promised Land

September 29, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

The Bible talks a lot about high places or strongholds—things we cling to in order to cope with this ever-changing orbiting world where the winds change daily! High places are mentioned more than sixty times in the Bible. Remember, the children of Israel held on to Egypt and they could not get out on their own, but God rescued them, taking them to the desert of testing and finally to the Promised Land. In the Promised Land, there is less competition for your heart because your heart has chosen to worship and adore only God, and it no longer desires your past strongholds. The Promised Land is where the heart has transferred its passion. It craves only approval and love from the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son.

 

Unfortunately there is an editing error in this devotional but fear not, I fixed it for her.

Spoiler

The cult member's heart craves only Gwod's approval and love  and to be thinner.

 

[NarcissismKills]

2 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Gwen thinks people like high places because they provide protection from the wind and from the world orbiting.  Confirmed: she does not know what wind does or how hills and mountains work.
 

  Hide contents

 

Leaving the High Places for the Promised Land

September 29, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

The Bible talks a lot about high places or strongholds—things we cling to in order to cope with this ever-changing orbiting world where the winds change daily! High places are mentioned more than sixty times in the Bible. Remember, the children of Israel held on to Egypt and they could not get out on their own, but God rescued them, taking them to the desert of testing and finally to the Promised Land. In the Promised Land, there is less competition for your heart because your heart has chosen to worship and adore only God, and it no longer desires your past strongholds. The Promised Land is where the heart has transferred its passion. It craves only approval and love from the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son.

 

Unfortunately there is an editing error in this devotional but fear not, I fixed it for her.

  Hide contents

The cult member's heart craves only Gwod's approval and love  and to be thinner.

 

She has obviously never been on a hilltop.

[ManyGoats]

And, most ironically, on top of everything else she's a lousy nutritionist.

[AmazonGrace]

Anyway, how mentally healthy can you be if you're finding it a challenge to cope with the fact that winds change and this world orbits? 

[Sonic the Whoredgehog]

On 9/26/2019 at 3:27 PM, mirabilis said:

If you have ever struggled with an eating disorder, you are aware of how wrong it is, in the sense that you are doing something deeply wrong against your body and your life. I also knew that sin, like any addiction, eventually masters you and will take you and everything you love if you don’t conquer it.

Bull. You can prosletyze for your darling, messianic Ms. Gwen all you like, but you have absolutely no right to speak for other people and what they "know". Your experience is unique to you and it's fine if you share it, but acting as if your experience is the same as every other person who has ever struggled with an eating disorder is so fucking arrogant and self-centered. Many people here have been very kind to you, and good for them. But I have struggled and overcome, and I don't feel so charitably about people who assume a guise of enlightenment, especially one that shames and blames others who have suffered or are suffering. 

I struggled for years. At the worst of it, if someone had said to me the shit you've said here, it would have gotten even worse. Eating disorders are just that: disorders. They are sicknesses. I refuse to believe that God was angry with me for my suffering and sickness any more than he would have been angry if I had caught the flu because I didn't wash my hands. I believed I was doing the right thing because I thought it was worse to be fat than to restrict or purge. I felt it was better to punish myself than to be a glutton. So no. I didn't "know" it was "wrong". My sick mind saw it as the only option. I recovered with the help of qualified professionals who told me the opposite of what you and Gwen would. Quite frankly, it's a little horrifying that you seem to be espousing a weight loss program as treatment for an eating disorder. That is flat-out dangerous. 

In regards to your point about addiction, that is also not true. Sin and addiction are not the same thing. Many people live normal lives with lifelong addictions. If the addiction is an illegal drug, people are just as or more often destroyed by the legal system and social stigma as by the drug. Your point of view is representative of America's horrifically failed war on drugs and many churches' reprehensible treatment of those struggling with mental illness, including addiction. 

I know this post is old. I know I'm being harsh. But simplistic, legalistic arrogance like yours brings my claws out. I can't just scroll past insulting, inaccurate, dangerous commentary like that. If what you've said is true, good for you. I'm glad it worked. But you have to realize that it does not and will not work that way for the majority of people and that you do not have the authority to say otherwise.