Starting this journey with Grace & Strength I truly had no clue what to expect. I had many emotions and I was so afraid of failing again like I had time and time again. Something was different this time…was it just the fact that I was finally, completely ready, more than ever in my life, was it the accountability and coaching of the program I was starting, or was it me relying more than ever on God to do this? I think it was all of it combined! Something clicked in me, I don’t even know how to explain it. I’m sure losing Annabelle (our daughter) had something to do with it or at least with triggering the click. I just know that I felt different this time, more than ever before. I felt like God had orchestrated this all to happen at this time and that He led us to the Grace & Strength lifestyle to help me overcome my eating issues.
I was grief eating every night because of missing Annabelle so badly. When we first started this program, we were only two months out from losing her. Everything was still so fresh. I truly believe God helped use this journey of weight loss to help in our healing process. Through it, He helped me to discover that I was using food for EVERYTHING…my reward, my comfort, when I was sad, when I was happy. Whatever I was going through, I turned to food to celebrate or to mourn instead of turning to Him. He helped me separate the two. Everyday He is helping me learn how to turn to Him for all my needs and to crave Him more than I crave food. Whatever I was going through, I turned to food to celebrate or to mourn instead of turning to Him.When I have moments of grieving Annabelle, He has helped me TREMENDOUSLY through this journey to turn to Him during those times. Yes, I still grieve but He has helped me not to turn to food when I grieve anymore and instead lean in a little closer to Him and rest in Him!
I first thought this weight loss journey was about weight loss. To a point it is, I have lost a lot of weight and with it I have gained new health, lost bad health problems and feel like a totally new person BUT I believe God’s main purpose in this journey is so much more. It started with me figuring out my food issues but through those, I realized that it stemmed from something much deeper.He wants me, all of me, in ALL areas of my life. He doesn’t want me to crave food or anything else more than Him. He doesn’t want me to try and do everything on my own or turn to myself or something else for things, He wants me to turn to Him, look to Him, go to Him about everything and crave Him alone. Whether it’s how to be the wife He has planned for me to be, or the mother…or whether it’s how to take care of our home or finances or whatever it is…He is helping me realize I need to look to Him CONSTANTLY in all those areas, all the time. I’m still learning all these things and still have LOTS of growing to do…that’s the whole point of our sanctification, He is not finished with me yet.I first thought this weight loss journey was about weight loss… but now I believe God’s main purpose in this journey is so much more.
I realize that if I focus on craving Him more than ANY of those things I mentioned above, including weight loss…the rest will fall into place because my eyes will be on Him, I will be craving and wanting Him only and by keeping my eyes on Him, He will help me become healthy in all those areas of my life! This is something like I said, that I am STILL working on and have a FAR ways to go but I am SO thrilled for the work He is doing in my heart. If you right now are reading this and are wondering if you could do this, or feeling like you will be stuck at this weight forever because you’ve tried everything out there and you always put it back on or never got it all off in the first place…please know from the bottom of my heart I felt the exact same way last year and now I can tell you, YOU can do it. You can find freedom, you can lose this weight, get healthy inside and out and break those chains! You just have to take the first step in faith, trusting He is going to help you through the journey!
TODAY (Wednesday) is the last day of the special where you get 33% off the program cost! This is an AMAZING deal! I am also going full time now with Grace & Strength and am starting a new group, which will probably be starting next week or shortly after! If you would like to be a part of my new group and/or would like more information please contact www.GraceandStrengthLifestyle.com and fill out the contact form TODAY to lock in your 33% off price and soon they will call you and tell you all about it! You can also email me at aprilcstarkey@gmail.com if you have any questions!
You look fabulous! I love how you give God all the glory.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Amy