:hug:carolr3639: Thank you and To GOD BE THE GLORY GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!!!
If I had listend to me, myself and I, well it would not have happend at all! Praise God through whom all blessings flow! He is "The wonderful counsoler who is my wonderful:coach: encourager!

:hug:elizbennet: THank you so much Dear, but really it is Jesus you are reading. If you only knew me from before Jesus, you could see!
Really see! That it is all His doing, anything that is good in me, that is. :dizzy: I love you so much elizbennet! I can't wait until the day we all get to meet face to face:hug:!

:hug: linoleum: :balloons::welcome: Sorry I haven't did that sooner, I have had a lot on my plate lately and it isn't food!:( Hope you keep coming back. I promise you will be loved here! In Christ!

:hug:Amy:Thank you for your kindness and prayers too. It is very, very hard to see your chlldren hurt and suffer. Adam is still talking about you know what. He is very stubborn and so GOD is going to have to pin him down and break his hard heart.
I have not given into that old slave:devil: driver of sin!
Thanks again for your love!:val1:

:hug:purple eggplant: THANK YOU TOO! But again I have to take that praise and deflect it right up to heaven onto the real ROCK! He is the one who has made me who I am and I am so glad for who's I am! For if it were not for Jesus, surly I would not even be alive to speak. He saved me from ME!!!
I was **** bent on my own destruction, but THANK GOD MERCY SAID "NO!"
I am so thankful that you are here Purple eggplant! So happy you have joined us and how wonderful that you took the time and effort to read all of our posts. I am long winded sometimes and so you will have to bear with me in that. I don't get out much yet, I still am recovering from a long illness and spend a lot of my time home. But if I know my Jesus, and I do. He is about to change all of that, for that is what he does, He is in the changing bussiness! He is GOD and He changes not! But we are His Children and he changes us from glory to glory!:hug:

:hug:Also Hello to Tracy and anyone else I may have forgotten. I am sorry if I missed someone.
I am under a lot of pressure right now and might have forgotten someone. Forgive me if I did.
I love you all my sisters in Christ and We are One in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord!
In Christ, Gwyn:hug:

I need your help!

I have been really praying about this and don't know what to do. This is totally off the subject of 'food'.

I have had 4 miscarriages but I have 2 wonderful girls that God has blessed me with. This past year has been very difficult. I don't really believe in birth control so my husband and I have learned to be careful, this worked for 6 years and I never got pregnant, but this year I have gotten pregnant twice on accident. It was hard to accept at first but then it doesn't take long to be excited and start planning. I trust God's decisions and just planned on having these babies. With the first one I m/c at 17 weeks, then hemorrhaged and ended up in the hospital very weak, it took along time to get better. What a surprise to have a repeat. My husband just switched jobs we had no insurance but as soon as I got the positive test, I knew God was still in control. About a month ago I m/c again at 15 weeks, had to call the ambulance because I blacked out ended up in the hospital hemorrhaging had a d & c and a transfusion. I won't lie it has been physically, emotionally and spiritually difficult. I know God has been with me through everything but it is really hard to understand why I got pregnant just to have 2 difficult m/c. I realize I do not even have the right to ask 'why?' God has been my comfort and strength through all of this.

This is the decision we are trying to make. I really want my husband to get a vasectomy and he is okay with doing it. On the other hand, is that taking things into my own hands??? Our body is the temple of the Lord! I'm scared to death of getting pregnant again and my husband is scared he is going to lose me. I know fear does not come from God. What should I do? Please pray about this it really is a big decision for us.

Sorry this is so long. I appreciate you all!
Amy

I don't do TLT. I looked at it once but after years of fasting and also having a chronic illness for which I take prednisone, I finally gave up on fasting. Not that I think it is bad, I just can't seem to do it anymore. But I would like to post and let you know what is going on in my weight loss life. I have been a Christian since I was 22 and am now 58. I have 10 children and have had sarcoidosis since I was 28. 2 yr. ago I had a relapse. Just lately we got an eliptical machine and so far I really like it.

Amy-First let me start off by saying how sorry I am for your losses. I don't have any answers for that but trust that the Father has a plan for you which may not be clear yet. I will be praying for you. I can't imagine the emotional and spiritual pain you and your family must be feeling but know you have the love and support of your friends here! I only have one child and that is by our choice (my husband and mine). He was 40 when our daughter was born and we felt at that point it was a little late to be having babies so after some thought we decided together he would get a vasectomy. I think we both feel we made the right decision and we were comfortable with it. Keep praying and I will pray for you too.

Blessings, prayers and hugs to you.

Tracy

I hope everyone is doing GREAT! I have had a great week. Thanks and glory be to God.

Tracy- Thank you for the advice. I am still praying about what God wants us to do. Honestly it is hard to say that we are done making a family but we have always talked about adopting and are actually on a list with a battered womens home. I think this is the route I would like to go.

Gwyn- How is your son doing? Better I hope. He has been in my prayers!

To all the newbies WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME! Feel free to post anytime!

Amy
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:hug:My Dear Sister Amy,
I am so sorry:( for not getting to a reply sooner. I just wanted time to pray and think. just as Tracy said, I can not make a choice for you, and I am sure that is not what you are asking. but I will encourage you to keep praying, keep knocking, keep seeking, keep asking and if you have not already done so, pray the prayer of Jabez...
9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, [a] saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." 10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10
That is what I felt God would have me say to you.
I have always heard about it but never read the little book or prayed the prayer and I have just started to do last night in fact. Lets do it and see what our Great and Mighty God will do!
I love you Amy and I am so happy that you have chosen to come to the Lord's Table and I will be in agreement with that prayer for you and your husband. In Jesus Name.:):hug:
Adam is still here and still spouting off threats but I know that God is going to make a way where there seems to be no way! I know that he has a plan for Adams life and a defined purpose for him and that God hears this Mothers cry's for her son Adam! Thank you so much for asking and for praying for him.:hug: He has been told through pycological evaluations while in drug rehab in a hospital that he has boarderline personality disorder, post tramactic stress disorder, bi-polar disorder and A.D.D. He is angry and thinks nothing at venting that anger. I know Jesus can heal him and I will keep praying and believeing that God has the cure.
I am still doing the 40 days for 40 years and the Lords Table. In them both I am blessed.
I love you all in Jesus Name! will post more later.
I still haven't gotten to go to the hospital to get weighed yet. Hopefully soon.
I got to spend Memorial Day at my Mom's and in the pool all afternoon with my 2 grandchildren and my 2 daughter's in law. We had a wonderful day and I ate very modestly. I felt real, real good about that too! Even though I knew I would be fasting for an extended period of time, I still was very blessed in my eating. I give the GLORY TO GOD!!!! He is so worthy of my Praise!
:swim::swim::swim::swim::swim:
Love in Chirst, your forever friend, Gwyn

Gwyn- Thank you so much for your words. I will have to read, 'The Prayer of Jabez.' Like you I have never read it even though you could find it everywhere for awhile. I really appreciate your prayers. I know that it is something that can't be decided for me, too bad! I am such an indecisive person.

I've still been praying for Adam. My God is a healer and nothing is impossible with him. I often hear of these awesome stories through a ministry called, 'Teen Challenge'. These men that have been into drugs or have all of these problems and they give their lives to the Lord and sometimes go into the ministry themselves. Hang in there, God has a plan!

My love,

Amy
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Amy, You are a strong Christian and you and your husband have a wonderful attitude of wanting God's will. You both have suffered pain and distress over the miscarriages and yet you have turned to God as your refuge and your help. As I shared before,I have gone through a miscarriage and know of the pain on all levels that it brings. You asked if it would be taking things into your own hands to take measures where you as a couple could not get preg. I know there are strong opinions on both side of that question. Like Gwyn, I would tell you to go back to God's word. I don't think there is a specific instruction on this, so when you and your husband come to a decision and God gives His peace on that decision, I think that is the answer for the two of you as a couple. (For another couple the answer may be different. Like Tracy 37 said, they had to make a decision and God gave them peace with it.)
Psalm 40:1 says, "I waited patiently for the Lord;he turned to me and heard my cry." You know that He hears your cries too. Trust Him, seek Him and you will come up with the right answer.
I'm praying for you and your sweet little family.

Hello all! Sorry about being absent for so long... and sorry in advance that I will be absent for a long time again.
Thank you for the welcome!
Amyy, I don't know if I have an answer for you.. but I do have some experience/information. Before I even tried, my doctor told me it would be unlikely that I would be able to carry a baby to term. In fact, the <sarcasm> delicate </sarcasm> way that the doc brought it up to me was by saying "you didn't ever want to have any children, did you?"
Years later I married a wonderful man. My husband had a vasectomy before he met me or God. Potential reversal is not a topic we bring up. He often refers to it as "the best surgery he has ever had" ... and me getting pregnant (if it happened at all) would most likely only result in a m/c and physical and emotional damage to me. Analytically speaking, it really is for the best that he has been fixed.
But it does weigh on my soul. I wonder if we are taking our hands something that should only be in God's.
My consolation is that God WILL do whatever He wants. As effective as vasectomies are, we all know somebody who got pregnant after one. If God really did want me to have my husband's baby no mere vasectomy would stop that life from sparking in my womb.

****
Now to explain for myself. I've been absent because my father-in-law recently passed away. Yesterday was the funeral. My husband and I are pretty much the youngest/most able-bodied family members around. We inherited the house which is filled with 80+ years of "treasure" which we have been working on steadily so that we can move in with our 10+ years worth of treasure and move out of this apartment by the end of June. The good news, that's lots of excersize! and I've lost 10 pounds in the past 2 weeks. Yay!

:hug:Linoleum
I thought your post was great! Great advice and very well written. I am sorry for your loss of your Father in Law, but I am sure you will see him on the other side! So it isn't really a loss is it. To live is Christ, to die is gain. amen to that.
:cheer2::cheer:Great job on the losing 10 pounds!:cheer::cheer2:
And thank you for checking in on us, I was worried you had quit the Lords Table. He is so good! IF you happend to miss some days because of the funeral just pick right up where you left off. Don't let the liar:devil: get you to give up. I am telling you GOD IS IN IT 100%!!!
Glad you got blessed with a house:dancer:That is so cool!
Well you take care and come back when you can!

Amy:hug:
I love you sooo sooo much girl!
I too have had a miscarriage and I remember it being very painful and tramatic. I still believe you and your husband will benifit by praying the prayer of Jabez.:)
Amy May the Peace that Transends all understanding be upon your heart and life in Jesus Name Amen.

Love to all else!
hey I wanted to tell you all to check out my thead on this faith based forum called I have a long weigh to go!
I have posted my true story about when I was almost drowned in a RIP TIDE out in San Diego , California. It is a good story, a true story and well worth your time in reading it, because God gets all the GLORY AND PRAISE!
Love you all in Jesus, your sister and friend, Gwyn:hug:

IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY POSTING!!! I've missed everyone!

elizbennet- Thank you so much for your kind words.
It's true that whatever decision is to be made it is a personal one. It may be alright for one couple to have a vasectomy and it may not be okay for another. You are so encouraging to me. Thank you for your support.

linoleum- First of all, can you tell me about your name, 'linoleum'??? I thank you so much for the advice. I totally agree that if God wants you to have a baby there is nothing stopping him, not even a vasectomy! I don't want to be a person that wonders if I made the wrong decision my whole life. It is a really big decision. Thanks again for everything!

Gwyn- You are such a trooper! How do you stay so positive all the time??? I know we are to have the joy of the Lord but I know I sure have my days. You are always such an encouragement to me!

This is where I'm standing so far. I really feel that God wants us to have the vasectomy. Why would Jason and I have the yearning for years to adopt? I really feel that that is the way God wants us to go. The Dr.'s we have talked to have been discouraging. They don't want to perform the vasectomy they don't think it's the right decision. I don't know if it is our age or what but I still think it is the right decision for our family. Thank you all so very very much for your prayers, support and advice. I'll let you know what happens! My poor husband! :(

I love you all. I hope you all have a blessed day!

BEFORE I GO I HAVE SOME AWESOME NEWS!
I GOT MY MOM TO JOIN TLT. I am so excited for her. She started her first day yesterday. Keep her in your prayers!

Love ya!

Amy
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I finally get it. It took me 16 days doin the Lord's Table, and i finally get it.
This whole time, i have been asking God to change my eating. Asking forgiveness when i eat something "bad" or when i dont follow the plan for that day. But its not about the food. Its about WHY im eating. Its about my MOTIVES for eating. If i take care of that, then my eating will fall into place. Its not a sin to eat a cupcake, its a sin to eat the cupcake because i am trying to fill my emotions with food. Its not a sin to eat, its a sin if im eating for the wrong reasons.
So, that is what i have discovered the past two days. I hope everyone is doing great.

100percentMe - It is exciting to feel like your catching on, I agree. Don't worry your and me still have some Growing and Learning to do. Each day as we draw closer to the Lord reveals so much - junk. Praise God we can be washed clean again and again as we grow and learn what's "dirty" in our lives, as we learn what to be "feeding" on daily!
Linoleum - I am sorry about your granddad's death too. We too received "treasures" when my father-in-law died. We appreciate them and him so much! Now listen, we really want to have little "up-dates" from you on how the new house/the move is coming along. You've got a lot of work ahead, but you will have to take breaks - and here we are........waiting.....!! Ha,ha just kidding, of course. But don't forget us!
Amy - Nothing is easy! Do find out the doctor's reasoning so you will have that to consider in your decision making process. And keep knocking on the Lord's door. He may very well use those doctor's to help you in the decision you and your hubby come to in the end.
Gwyn - Hi kiddo!
Ladies, have a blessed day feasting in our Lord!

Thanks Charbar (Dana)
 

Hi Dana,

I'm new to all of this blogging and find it facinating. Thanks for recommending The Lord's Table. I just signed up. Wow, the price (fee) can't be beat and the scripture references look great!

Since I just started (and decided to tackle Day 1 in the AM), I don't know what you mean about not agreeing with everything in the program. I just printed out the option plan #2 (Permission-based eating... eat only when your belly growls). I chose that plan because I'm nursing a 10 mo. old and I need to be cafeful about my diet.

About the fasting... Three years ago I did the "First Place" study through my church and started that with a fast (it wasn't part of the program, I just felt lead to do it). When I started out fasting for the day, I didn't know how long I would fast... I only knew I would fast until God said it was okay to eat. I chose a day off where I was home all day. I spent the day in prayer, especially everytime I wanted to eat something. Something happended that day... an addiction was broken... food no longer had power over me. I could go out for ice cream and be perfectly content with a kiddy-sized cone. I could go out to dinner and only eat 1/3-1/2 of my meal. Well, that was then (before I had 2 children) and this is now... back to square one.

Don't give up hope. Also, you might want to check out the Devoted Bodies web site.

:hug::welcome:Wonderfully Created
I wanted to be the 1st to :welcome3:you!
Thank you for joining us here and at the Lords Table! Sounds like you have your hands full at home! So happy you have come!
:hug:Love in Christ, Gwyn

HI GALS ~ :wave:

I hope you don't mind me popping over here for a minute. Angie has bells to play at late service today so I am hanging out, lurking around here before we go to church. I like to check in the christian threads from time to time to see the activity :carrot:

This is really not a thread for me, however, there is a topic going on here that I have a little "experience" in.

AMY ~ I read your story about the vasectomy. First of all PRAYERS for you and your husband in your decision. I want to share my story...

Angie and I have been married for 11 1/2 years, when we met I had a 13 yr. old son, 11 yr. old daughter and she had a 6 year old. daughter. We considered having a child together..our..very own...but decided that it would not be a good idea for us. We thought that the age differences of the kids and the baby, plus our ages would just make it too difficult. I opted for the vasectomy. We have never regretted our the decision. About 4 years after our choice my little brother passed away, I became legal guardian of my nephew, he is now 16 1/2. As much as I know we could have raised a child of our own under these circumstances, it sure was easier not having one.

I am SO not trying to talk you into anything here. All I am saying is God is in control...but He gives us our brains to use too, to make educated decisions, not just emotional ones. Please don't be angry with me here...but I sure wouldn't want my wife or my mom going through the difficulty you have had over the m/c's. I think...and again this is only MY opinion...that the adoption feeling placed on your hearts just MAY be what God is asking...if that is in fact a responsible thing for your family to do. Blessings and prayers for you!

Sorry to all for "buttin" in.....off to church now...bye

ok really struggling, any advice?
 

I started off doing tlt, but not following the eating plan, last week I decided to do the eating plan and really didn't have a hard time with it. Well along came the weekend which is always hardest for me, and top it off we were away from home. saturday was a 'normal' day for me and this is what it looked like:
bkfast: small bowl cereal, fruit and yogurt cup from mcdonald's
snack: orange
lunch: 1/2 of a 1/2 sub.
(my family went to a dairy aisle....I'd already been dieting when I found tlt, so I can't even begin to tell you the last time I had ice cream! instead of the small cone in my head, out came medium blizzard from my mouth!) I didn't finish the whole thing, but the whole time I am going, there are sooooo many calories in this thing.....
dinner: 2 pieces of a small (10") pizza...again, I can't tell you when the last time I had pizza was. This does not 'sound' *intellectually* like a huge amount of food to me, but it feels *emotionally* like I totally pigged out, and I know if I counted the calories...oy vey....
so, I did my lesson today and included the info above and my mentor's response was: cut out the snacking.....um...the orange I had???? or don't ever go to dairy queen with your family??? how realistic is that???? This study is starting to make me feel worse I think. I am wracked with guilt at this point. Today was a 'half' day for me. and it went like this bkfast: small bowl of cereal. (i'd forgotten about the bkfast fellowship at church and I guess maybe I shouldn't have eaten anything at all, but I had a slice of apple, and 1/4 pc of bagel). for lunch I had salad. Then again, out with the family and we stopped at a roadside stand and got strawberries, everyone wanted strawberry shortcake, so I had 3/4c. vanilla ice cream and maybe 3 strawberries cut up on top of that. then I felt so guilty I didn't eat any supper.....
I just don't know what to do at this point....anyone have any advice?
thanks
tracyg

thanks for sharing the webiste
 

EZmoney - I think you thoughts are important here. None of us women could give the "male" view - well, like the very real concern of the danger Amy has been in with the m/c. Come back anytime. I think several on here know you anyway.
My neighbors are getting ready to adopt. I think adopting is a wonderful way to give children a good chance in this "bad" old world. As for my hubby and myself, we are quite content as we work into the "empty nest" season of life - Ha, ha, if there really is such a thing!

I Got Weighed Finally!!!
 

Tracy I think what the mentor might have meant is cut out the eating when and if your not HUNGRY (physically) I don't think you should feel guilty if you are eating because you are hungry. But ask yourself what were my motives for eating, Was I truly physically hungry or trying to fill an emotional need?:dizzy: Don't feel bad, you are still staying the course, why is it that we always have to get so down :rollpin::(and hard on ourselves if we do make a mistake,?:?: Why not just examine our hearts? if our motives were wrong repent and go on staying the course. ;)Hope I didn't make you mad. I'm just saying what I think. Love you Tracy hang it there!:hug:

HEY Gray! nice of you to visit! Feel free to join us any time
know that you are loved and :welcome2:!
That was great advice too!:bravo:
I always love to learn by hearing about others personal experiance.
COME BACK NOW HEAR? :lol:

:welcome: MyGirlFriday You can do all things through Christ! Keep coming back and stay the course.
know that here you will always be loved:hug: and supported!;)

My daughter Sheila took me to the hospital to get weighed yesterday!
I have lost a total of :celebrate:65 pounds!!!!:carrot:
Yes I still have a long weigh to go but I am well on my way! :cheers:
Praise The Lord with me!
It is wonderful, the freedom that Christ had led me into!http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/0201e05e82/01
I have said it before and I will say it again if you have a very little weight loss struggle or a huge on like me, check out http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/lords_table/
it is a free online biblical course and
WHO THE SON SET"S FREE Is FREE INDEED!
We are still very much with out a car and I cried because yesterday was the 3rd Sunday in a row that Robert and I have missed! I love going to Church and it hurts not being able to go. But God knows and He has a plan. We must trust Him and wait on Him!

Love you Elizbennet:hug: and Amy:hug: and Dana:hug: and Linolium:hug:, and purple eggplant:hug: and Wonderfully Created :hug:and 100percentME :hug:and any one else I might have missed sorry if I did, please forgive me! Have a wonderful day and night with Jesus!
Love In Christ Jesus Our Lord, Gwyn L. Ditmars:grouphug:

Hello to all, and thanks for beginning and keeping this great thread. Yesterday was a big day for me:
I discovered 3FatChicks.com (love the site, hate the name!)
I started my first blog ("40 years in the Desert")
Found this thread, felt called to join SCF-TLT

I'm 43 years old, both boys grown, a church secretary (desperately needing a job change), blissfully married to my second husband & soul mate, and a confessed food addict. I've just completed day 2 of TLT and already my eyes are opening. Wow.

My husband is out of town this week, so I've taken a week's vacation to enjoy a much needed at-home spiritual retreat. I've been needing to press a "re-set" button on my life; do some self-evaluation and straighten my path. I feel God has led me to this group, and I'm so thankful for your openness, love, and support for both veterans & newcomers. I sure have a lot to learn, and I look forward to being with you on the journey.

Gwyn, you are so beautiful. Thank you for being obedient to God and reflecting his love and goodness so well. What a ministry you have.

Amy, may I comment on your situation? At 23 years old (after two children and in a loveless marriage), I had my tubes tied as a mutual decision with my then-husband. Many years later, now happily re-married to a childless Christian man, I have since had regrets over that decision. At the same time, I believe today what I believed then: no pregnancy prevention is 100%, and God is more than capable of including me in the statistics if he wants to bless us with a child. :) Personally, I think adoption is a sacred institution. God bless you for considering it!

Hello to everyone else, and blessings to you and all of us as we pursue Christ's glory.

Dana K.

HELLO EVERYONE!!!

EZMONEY & Dana K.- Thank you both so very much for the advice and personal stories. I really do feel that God wants us to go ahead with the vasectomy. I will just continue praying about adopting a baby. More than anything I just want to be in God's will. God bless you!

WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME to mgf and Dana it is so wonderful to have you here. I look forward to getting to know you more.

Gwyn- My precious friend, CONGRATULATIONS to YOU!!!! WOW! 65 lbs!!

tracyg- Hang in there girl! It doesn't sound like you are eating to much to me. I wouldn't feel guilty. When I started TLT I felt like God told me to try and eat more whole foods. I try and eat healthy for the majority of the time but when the family does something special I am aloud to enjoy an ice cream cone. We do have to work around our families! I do really well all day but then when I fix a big supper for the family I'm going to eat what they eat. I'm not fixing 2 meals. Don't give up. To me it sounds like you are doing great!

I love you all! Have a blessed day!

Amy
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Oops! I forgot to WELCOME WONDERFULLY CREATED!! It's great to have you!

Amy

My Daughter's adoption experiance!
 

:wave:Hello everyone! Greetings in the Name of Jesus! I love each and everyone of you!:grouphug:
Well I felt led of the Lord to share this with you and it is still fresh so I will probably cry:cry: because it was a heart:stress: wrenching gut:eek: curddling:no: experiance but in the End God got the Glory Honor and Praise and the is WHO it is all about!;)
I always get that mixed up, I think it is all about me or you but it is not! It is all about Him, and His Kingdom, His Glory, His Honor, His Praise!:)
Well here goes....Jesus help me to tell it.:^:
My daughter Sheila who is 25 years old and a true believer and disciple of Christ, fell into sin and fell in love with a Mexican man who was here in the states illegally. She and Alvaro moved in with her 1st cousin Brandy. Brandy was just like her sister, Brandy my brothers daughter grew up with my daughter, where one was there was the other! They were together their whole lives from newborns on! Right up until last summer. Brandy also had a boyfrind of Latin decent who also lived with her. It was hot last summer here in Indiana and Sheila was pregnant by her fiance Alvaro she was seven month along. Sheila and Alvaro had been together for over 2 years by then and had planned to be married. Brandy had just given birth to a baby girl and named her Deleia who was 7 months old, Brandys boyfriend completly abandoned Brandy even before she was born.
In August of last year Sheila called me, she was !
hysterical!:yikes: It was all I could do to understand her, she was just beside herself, screaming
http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/0201e05e82/07 and crying,http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/0201e05e82/14 greatly over wrought!:rollpin:
She told me that Brandy had told her that her baby the one she gave birth to might be Alvaros baby and that over a 3 day period when Alvaro was AOL he was with Brandy at her house and the two of them had been sleeping together the whole time!:fr: :no::bomb::tantrum:
After Sheila was 7 months pregnant she waited to tell this to Sheila!:mad:
It was horriable and the true weges of sin!
They made Alvaro get and DNA test and of course it was positive!:mad: Sheila PUT HIM OUT! Called off the wedding and went into a deep greiving and depression:stress::cry::stars::tired::no::faint: The trauma drama and emotional upheavel was so treiffic that
It was like something you would see or hear of on Jerry Springer:club::boxing: or something stupid like that!:devil::devil::devil::devil::devil::devil::de vil:
a few days later I became very ill, I had developed excruciating pain in my feet, calves and ankles! It got so bad I could not lay down for more then 10 minutes and my toes would claw up in cramps would take over my feet and legs! this went on for 24 hours, with my heart condition I needed to rest and I could not! I had to stand and keep weight on my feet or my toes would claw up and I was in agony! So my husband took me to the hospital where I was addmitted immediatly! I had a tiny bone fractures in my feet and gout had set into them. It got so bad that I could not put any weight on my feet at all! They were giving me morphine constantly and it would not touch the pain! I laid in that hospital bed for a solid week crying out to God, even being in all that tremendous physical pain, it still could not compare to the pain I had going on the inside of me for my daughter! NOT EVEN CLOSE!
While I was in the hospital Sheila came in to see me and before she left, She looked me square in the eye's and said, Mom I don't think that you being her and all that is happening to you, is not about you. She hugged me and left. (That was a word from GOD in which we were soon to find out!) It was strange to my ears but felt right in my heart! Well after a 7 days in the hospital I was still not able to bare weight on my feet so they admitted me to a nursing home, i did not want to go! I not only cried for 7 days in the hospital but I cried when they put me in the van and all the way to the nursing home. The night before they did that I had a dream (thanks Lord for reminding me) I dreamed of a beautiful white marbel fire place with a blazing:flame: crackling fire and elderly folks in wheelchairs sitting before it all warming themselves and enjoying it's beauty.
When ariving at the nursing home after going in I was GUESS WHAT??? I was Parked right in front of a beautiful WHITE MARBLE FIREPLACE! The exact scean I had seen in my dream! I stopped crying, smiled:^: and knew, that I knew, that I knew I was right were I was supposed to be! In His Hands, in His time! Well Sheila came to see me at the nursing home and she was still very, very angry and full of wrath towards Alvaro and Brandy!:tantrum::censored: I will admit I was ticked off at them too! It was a horriable breech in trust!
I had to stay in the nursing home a whole month!
While there I met a physical therapist who was very sweet and kind. I also got to make many new and wonderful friends. Sheila had been talking to me about giving the baby up for adoption because she did not want the baby to grow up in a family were (she felt) incest had occured! She also did not have a job, was about to be evicted from her mobile home, was in collage studying law and only a freshman part time. She felt horriable that she would have to go on welfare and raise the child in those conditions.
She struggled and struggled over the choices.
I had shared her plight with other Christian women in the nursing home and we prayed and prayed for Sheila. Well I went home after 34 days. A week later I recived a phone call from that P.T. that worked at the N.H. She called me and told me that one of the residents had told her that my daughter was thinking about giving her baby up for adoption. We talked for a long time and the whole time we talked I could feel the presence of God! I gave her Sheilas phone number and asked her to give me time to call Sheila and talk to her 1st. I did and she agreed to talk to her. So they talked and became friends, She did so much for Sheila, she took her to all her appointment, helped with some bills and was a huge blessing to her in general.

sorry I got cut off! So anyway the P.T. came to the hospital and helped us coach and support Sheila as she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy that Sheila named Gabriel Isaac and My mother and Her husband (who was himself adopted) presented the baby:bb: to the new parents as I played the Randy Travis song "Raise Him Up" a song about adoption! You can hear it here free http://www.rhapsody.com/randytravis/riseandshine
It was beautiful. Sheila fell head over heals in love:cloud9: with the parents because 1 of all they were Christians:val1: and she wanted Godly parents for her baby! They were settled and had been married some time, they were financially stable, and promised that Gabriel would go to a Christian School! She said that she knew in her heart that these she was to give him to them as a gift from GOD! She knew God had told her that these where the people who would "Raise Him Up!"
It is beautiful and TO GOD BE THE GLORY! For he took what satan:devil: meant as evil and he turned it took good!!!!!!!!! Glory to His Name,:celebrate: Great things He has done! I love you all! Please do pray for Sheila, she grieved the loss of her baby sorely!http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/0201e05e82/14!http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/0201e05e82/14!http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/0201e05e82/14!http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/0201e05e82/14!http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/0201e05e82/14!http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/0201e05e82/14!http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/0201e05e82/14! and still is.http://cdn-cf.aol.com/se/smi/0201e05e82/14!
The baby is 10 months:bb: old now and she is still grieving:( and has bitterness:mad: and un-forgiveness in her poor little heart toward Brandy and Alvaro. Please help me pray for her...
and for the salvation of Brandy & Alvaro.
I told her that it was the bravest thing I have ever seen anyone do in my life! It was the hardest thing that she will probably ever do in her life! But it was right and she was right when she said, Mom I think that you being in the hospital is not about you!:)
Praise GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSING FLOW!
PRAISE HIM ALL YOU CREATURES HERE BELOW...
PRAISE HIM ALL YOU HEAVENLY HOSTS...
PRAISE FATHER SON AND HOLY GHOST....
AMEN:hug:

Hello Everyone!
I too stayed away from TLT for about 2 weeks-I was feeling worse than when I wasn't doing the course-I had not been seeing any movement on the scales and was generally frustrated. Even the advice from my mentor was not that helpful. Having said that I felt called to return to it and this morning finished Day 29 so I guess I'm back. I happen to believe that there is an element of addiction here working against me and I am reading a great book right now that speaks to this so I will keep plugging away and checking in here too.

Welcome to all the newcomers!

Gwyn-you are such an inpiration to everyone! I wish I had the kind of faith you do.

Have a great day everyone. Blessings and prayers.
Tracy37

Tracy, good for you, returning to the TLT course. Although I'm just starting day 3 of it, I can see how powerful it will be in magnifying God and diminishing ourselves. I truly believe this is a spiritual battle (compulsive eating), and it's amazing how strongly we're opposed when we draw closer to God. And yep, I totally agree that it's an addiction! What book are you reading? I have one at home by Gerald May called "Addition and Grace", which is highly recommended by my pastor & others I trust, but I haven't started it yet.

Gwyn, I have prayed for your dear daughter, Sheila, for Gabriel and his adoptive parents, and for Alvaro, Brandy, and their innocent baby. What a tragic and painful situation, but God is bigger. Nothing is beyond His redeeming grace and mercy.

Okay, time to get going on my day. On to TLT Lesson #3, then attempt something productive on my day (week) off. OH how tempting to just lounge, read & watch old movies, but I allowed that this weekend, so... Sigh. I'm sure I was meant to be independently wealthy. What happened? :cool:

Blessings, everyone!

I have just started on this study. Gwen is the one who gave me the link and I signed up. I am on lesson two and I love it! It has been such a blessing doing this study. Today is day 3 and I am so excited. I havnt really had a problem over eating since I have started this study 4 days ago.

Dana K- the book I am currently reading (among others) is The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program by Kathleen DesMaisons. I have read it before and many others but at this point it is also making a lot of sense to me. I am addicted to sugar and seriously cannot let go without serious withdrawl symptoms. This worries me because I am also heading towards being diabetic and this I am sure is not a good combination. I am enjoying the Lord's Table course but at times it does feel it's hitting very close to home.
I hope everyone is learning lots about themselves and their relationship with God.
Blessings and prayers
Tracy37

:hug:Dana K: You said, "Gwyn, I have prayed for your dear daughter, Sheila, for Gabriel and his adoptive parents, and for Alvaro, Brandy, and their innocent baby. What a tragic and painful situation, but God is bigger. Nothing is beyond His redeeming grace and mercy.'
I Just wanted to thank you from the bottom, middle and top of my heart! I am so glad you are here! God Bless you for your loveing kindness!
I love you in Jesus:hug:

:hug:Gonnabehealthy: I am so proud of you!:carrot:
You go girl and keep on keeping on! Even in the rough and hard times. I love you in Jesus!:hug:

:hug:Tracy: TO GOD BE THE GLORY YOU CAME BACK AND NEVER GAVE UP AND NEVER QUIT!
I am so happy that you are back!
Tracy I AM PROUD OF YOU!!!!!:hug:

A kind hello to everyone else I love you ALL!:grouphug:
I wanted to share something with you that I learned from Dr.Frank he is a coach from Weight Loss Gods Way .com I love it! He says...
The question is this: If Jesus Himself were to knock on your front door tomorrow morning and present you with the keys to a brand new Mercedes, would you take good care of it?
A dumb question, right? Of course you would!
Anybody in their right mind, and especially any Christian, would be absolutely overwhelmed to receive such a wonderful gift -- and
from Jesus Himself!
Now of course, many of us would be wondering if we were even WORTHY of such a gift. You might even question Jesus' sanity or judgment for giving it to you -- to YOU, of all people!
But at some point, you'd probably get past that. Then you'd take care of that Mercedes like it was the only car in the world. Am I right?
Well God has ALREADY given you an infinitely more precious vehicle than any car ever made. And this vehicle can take you anywhere on
the planet! It's called your "body."
Your body is more complex, more wondrous, and more unique than any mere machine could ever be. And there is absolutely no question that it is God's own creation, and God's personal gift to you. So what kind of care are you taking
of THIS vehicle?
You knew that question was coming, too. So what's your answer? What kind of care are you taking of the most precious and unique
physical possession you will ever have?
And when I say "have," I do not mean "own." As we are clearly told in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20,
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." So we should think of ourselves more as custodians -- as caretakers
of our bodies -- than as "owners" per se. Because, when God tells us that we are not our own, what He is clearly telling us is that
we are HIS!
Of course, maybe that's why so many of us are neglecting our bodies.
We either don't feel responsible for them, or we don't think we will ever have to answer for the way we take care of them -- or fail to.
Love you all your friend and sister in Christ, Gwyn:grouphug:

Gwyn, what a wonderful analogy that is; our bodies as "vehicles". I certainly have taken mine for granted. It's funny how we don't appreciate health until it's been compromised in some way. Let's work today to honor the great gift of our bodies and preserve what we can!

Tracy, that book sounds interesting. If you're pre-diabetic, I'll bet kicking the sugar habit will be a huge benefit to your health. I've been following a South Beach eating style (using those foods, anyway), and I feel much better than when I was eating so many simple carbohydrates. My skin has cleared up (I suffer from acne and eczema), I'm much less gassy (I know, too much info) and no longer retain water.

GonnaBeHealthy, it's great to have you here! I'm loving the study, too. I just finished Day 4. I'm tempted to do more than one lesson a day, but I'm sure it's not designed that way, so I've been good.

Like many of you, I wasn't going to follow their suggested eating plans. I've had disordered eating almost all my life, and I felt it would enforce those behaviors. But this morning God kept bringing to mind my favorite verse, Proverbs 3:5-6 (see my signature for the words). If I'm doing this course to listen for Him and truly trust his leading, I need to let go of the control I try to keep on my eating. Obviously I don't have control anyway, and I truly don't know how to eat. So I'm going to try it as the TLT people suggest. Good grief, what have I got to lose? I've tried everything else!

Blessings to you all -

I just finished Day 31 and right now I'm not sure I will go back. I feel as if my faith is not strong enough to carry me through this because I have not been able to stay away from the sweet stuff-mostly in the last couple of weeks. I am praying that God will give me answers and change my heart but right now I am wondering how 60 days with someone telling me how eating relates to the bible when he doesn't know our particular situation is right. (Hope that makes sense!) Overeating and the reasons for it are so complex. My father is/was an alcoholic his whole life I think-I don't drink but I recognize I may have replaced that with an addiction to sugar. I have gone through serious withdrawl before when I have attempted to cut it out of my life. In the lat month or so I have had a lot of personal stress and this is not helping things. I do feel however that eventhough I can't break through the eating plan on TLT I am closer to God than I have ever been because I am going to the course daily to learn.

Any feed back or prayers would be welcome. I know I need to do this just not sure how to proceed I guess or if I should stick with the course when I'm feeling this way.

Hope everyone else is successful and learning lots about themselves and their relationship with food and God.

Blessings and prayers for you all.

Tracy

Tracy, {{{hugs}}}. You're so much further along on TLT, that I can't really comment on what you're learning. But I do know that the evil one hits harder whenever we draw closer to God. You're a perfect target right now. The Accuser & Deceiver knows exactly where we're vulnerable, and those are the areas he hits us. It's wonderful that you're being spiritually blessed by this course. You're over halfway through! Is there a reason not to finish it out? It's free, and you have nothing to lose.

It's true that compulsive eating is way complicated, and no one will ever understand our unique situations. I, too, had alcoholic parents. They were also drug addicted, and growing up I saw divorce, neglect, extreme poverty, sexual abuse and constant moves to new homes & new schools. I've dealt with body image & food addiction issues since my early teen years. I've also been addicted to drugs, smoking, alcohol, casual sex, and extreme exercise (sometimes alone & sometimes simultaneously)... Each and any of these becomes a "drug of choice"; a way to manage emotions that, as a child and later an adult, we don't know how to manage. Frankly, I find most emotions simply too intense, and I escape them however I can.

Even though each situation is different, Tracy, I think the common thread is that God can provide relief if we turn to him instead of whatever we believe we have no control over. I'm not saying I know how to do that. But I sure want to learn how, and I've exhausted every other avenue (believe me, I've tried them all!). Maybe TLT will be different.

It's not just a matter of not eating, of losing weight. We've all done that. We don't need another diet. It's getting rid of the whole mindset that food (or any other substance or behavior) should make our hearts go pitter-patter! It's the attitudes and lifestyle of hiding, binge eating, depression, self-hatred, excuse-making, procrastination, shame, yada yada yada. God is good, and he is the great physician. He can make us whole, even if we don't understand how. It's time to kill this Goliath and live.

Blessings to you Tracy, and to us all!

I just started Day One of The Lords Table. You all are very inspiring. I hope to be successful and to stay on God's path.

:hug:Dear Tracy Daughter of the MOST HIGH GOD,
Yes, I agree the guy doesn't know your particular situation. BUT GOD KNOWS!:) And He is not a man that He would lie! In Jesus' Prayer He said, to the Father: 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. Tracy Please Let God be true, and every man a liar. God is faithful, I know you know that Jesus said, Heaven and earth will pass away but my Word will never pass away!
Tracy my Father was a full fledged alcoholic, His Father was a full fledged alcoholic, and my Grandmother told me that His Father was also a full fledged alcoholic. My Brother is an alcoholic and I used alcohol intensly! So much as a 24 case per day all by myself after work! right up to becoming born again! I was also a huge drug abuser (cocain, angel dust, pcp, pot, acid in all forms, lsd and a whole slew of depressents, not to mention speed in all forms plus any thing to get me high and mask the internal pain! I was a rage-aholic and was OUT OF CONTROL IN JUST ABOUT EVERY AREA THAT GOD'S WORD CALLS SIN! I even was heavily into bi-sexualism and other sexual addictions. When I was 5 years old I remember believing in my heart that I was supposed to be a boy! I always except when I was high on speed or stimulents, using food for comfort! and lastly smoking 2 packs of cigs a day! I started at 10! All this was going on since early childhood, right up to my real birthday, the Day the Lord wrote my name down in the Lambs book of life! I gave him everything! except one thing! guess?
I was saved at the age of 19, and over and over and over God would speak to me about my addiction to foods, sugars, and high carbs. I refused:snooty:
I refused to be obediant, I refused to submit!
I refused to give it up! I wanted Him to have everything but GOD DON'T TOUCH MY FOOD!
THAT IS ALL I HAVE LEFT! Well just as TLT teaches, the Lord left me to my own devices, even though he tried over and over and over to woo me to come to Him instead of the food. So Now I am 45 years old and I have spent the last 27 years of my life and tons of money on therapy of every sort, countless Counsolers, psychiatrist after psychiatrist, session upon session, even weeks and months of hypnosis! Oh Lord I have and read so many self help books:book2: I could start up my own public library! :yes: I went though all kinds of treatments, treatment centers and acupuncture! Can't forget the acupuncture! All was in vain! Not to mention the Doctors and all the diet pills, plans, you know what I have been on so many diets since I was a child I can't even begin to count them all!
Also my Mother was a cross between anorexia/ bulimic! She would go for eons not eating because she thought she was too fat and then when she ate she would she would run to the bathroom and puke it all up! Or take antire packages of laxitives so much that she permanetly damaged her liver for LIFE! Mean while she would put me on a very, very strick diet, like one thin lettuce wege with no dressing, one half apple for lunch, supper would be about the same. I ALWAYS FELT LIKE I WAS STARVING!!!! Then not to mention the prescription diet pills she would make me take!
Then later that night I would come down and see her bingeing on a gallon of ice cream with some frozen daiquiris to top it all off! Then go barf it all up, then have some more to drink. I watched this behavor all my life up to just recently.
I could go on and on and on with all the child hood crap I went through with all it's horrors and nightmares. I could name all the everythings I have tried to deal! Bottom line I was willing to do anything and everything except be a living sacrifice! I DID NOT WANT GOD TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO! at least with my food!
So Age 45 and weighing in at a WHOPPING 500 pounds, I finally reached the end of myself and admitted the truth and that is I wanted God but I also wanted food more. He showed me the awful truth about me, I loved food more then I loved him and it hurt me so much I wept for WEEKS AND WEEKS! Remember what Jesus said when He said you can't serve two masters, for you will love the one and hate the other, you can not serve God and money. Well I believe that can also apply to anything we put before God! ANYTHING! Tracy I love you and you can do all things through CHRIST it is His Word and God is not a man that He can lie! As i write this too you I have a non-believing son SCREAMING at me, cursing me and God! Threating to off himself! Cussing! That is stress to the X! And yet I know who I am in Christ! I know whose I am in Christ!
I know I have prayed and God has heard my prayers and crys! I know my redeemer lives!
Don't give up! Keep on you are on the right course!
God's arm is not to weak or to short to help you!
If he could save me and bring me though it all, if he could help Dana K and help her though it all! He can do it for you!
Love In Christ, your friend and loving sister,
Gwyn:hug:

Ephesians 6:17
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Dana K and Gwyn-Thank you both! I just needed someone who understands to help me think this through. I will carry on with the study and finish it and let God guide me from there. Thanks for your kind words and support. It means a lot to me as I don't have many close friends and none certainly that understand the weight struggles. Anyways, God Bless you both richly.

Tracy

Hi Tracyg40 - Yes, I have some advice. Perhaps it would help to change your eating plan the the second option... the Growly Belly plan. Check it out!

Tracy37, I'm only on day 5 of The Lord's Table and I love it! Now that I have a baby and toddler, it's so difficult to fit in time with God, so this study has drawn me closer to Him and it's wonderful. The side effect of aligning myself with His will... I've lost 5 lbs in 5 days... on the Growly Belly plan. I actually went out to Friendly's (a restaurant known for ice cream) and only had the child-sized portion. My 2 1/2 year old didn't finish her ice cream (can she really be related to me?!) and I didn't even eat hers (as I normally would have in an instant). God has granted me victory!

About the sugar addiction... I can totally relate. I'm reading "Ultra Metabolism" and it seems to make a lot of sense in regards to this issue. Our bodies are conditioned to respond in certain ways, so it's not all our fault. Once we know why our bodies are craving sugar or simple carbs, then we have the knowledge to make a change.

So I have decided that I am addicted to this study. I absolutly love it. It has made my life so much easier. The fat is just pouring off of me. It was so simple. I wish I had realized this earlier. Its all in the glory of God. Once you turn it towards Him everything falls into place.