Angie's Answer

GREAT HOPE

      Today was a Coffee House day ... it could not get here soon enough.  I was glad to be with my friends so we could share together, pray together, and just soak up each other's strength in the Lord.  I was eager to share with them all that God is doing in my life from my victory over over-eating one more week, to the blessings in our business which can only be attributed to God's handiwork. 

       Now for those of you who read yesterday's blog, I want to update you on my brother.  Late this afternoon, I was informed that my brother will be moved tomorrow to Greenville County to the hospital there.  There is a doctor there who will do all the surgery, including the graft when the wound is ready to be closed up.  I was finally able to reach my brother and it was so good to talk with him.  He is actually doing remarkedly well today since he is finally out of pain and was able to go to the bathroom.  Great drugs he said.  I am just amazed he could get out of bed with that traction contraption on his leg.  But hey he was excited because he could finally go (read into that all you want).  Now while we were praying for my brother this morning in CH, my son informed me that he had a vision of my brother in the hospital room.  I will not share it all now.  But I have increased (MASSIVE) faith as I pray now.  I had asked the Lord to show me what to pray for because no way seemed to be the right way to pray on this matter.  Now I know.  Let's just say I expect the unexpected!!! 

       I am still amazed at the victory and the confidence that I feel it is to be a lifetime victory in reguards to my eating habits.  Now they are not perfect and I do not choose the rabbit food all the time or even a lot of the time.  But what I am doing is eating when I am hungry and resisting the urges to when I am not.  When I eat I try to think of the results... will this really fill me up?..... will this satisfy?... will this be worth the fat, or the sugar it has in it? ..... will this give my body the nutrients it needs?   You may be thinking I am being overly concerned with my food.  But I assure you that I am at such sweet PEACE now.  A  heavy Food bondage has been lifted from me.  No longer does the food call my name and I feel drawn to it (knowing it will hurt me physically and emotionally in the long run).  I use to go to the food like an abused dog goes to its evil master.  It would call and I seemed powerless to refuse even after saying I would not.  I would be sad, upset, bored, moody and who would promise to comfort me?  FOOD!!  But the food was just a ploy of the enemy.  It never made me feel good but for a moment.  Then the WEIGHT of the decision would last a long time  TRUST me on this; I STILL have the weight of the decision to eat an entire __u name it__ on my hips from 10 years ago!!!  My son shared a Bible devotion with our Homeschool coop yesterday.  He shared it on "Why we should not sin if God is going to have Grace toward us reguardless".  His point, and apostle Paul's, was that sin makes you a slave.  "You are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?" (Romans 6:16) My son could have used me as a perfect example.  When I gave into the sin of overeating it began to control me completely.  Not only did it result in weight gain ( a lot of gain), but also in achiness, poor self image, money wasted (clothes, food), strain my marriage (because I felt ugly, not my husband voicing displeasure) and possibly even my testimony with some people . 

        But praise be to God there is new victory and I sense that as I listen to HIM, I will find my way not only out of this body of fat, but I will never return here again.  I am no longer a slave to the sin.

       About our business.  I am just basking in the Lord's blessing.  I have had a vision for a long time of a team of people who see their work/job as not only a way to reap provision for their families, but also as a mission field.  In my business, people are looking for ways to improve their health and I show them alternatives to the medications and how to maintain the wonderful gift (from God of course) of health.  But it is SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT!!!  The people who come into my life via my business are often times looking for more than that, even without realizing it.  Because they are hurting, there is often times an opportunity for me to pray with them and speak TRUTH into their life.  Yes, WOW!   But it is SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT!!!  As I  said, I prayed for a TEAM of leaders with the same vision and purpose.  The Lord is sending them to me.  I am so blessed by the leaders on my team.  They, like I, get excited when a meeting gets side-tracked  and they gets an opportunity to lead someone to the Lord.  It is one thing for me to get to see God using my everyday life to bless others, lead people to the Lord, see young Christians get empowered and grow.  That is way cool.  But now it is happening through out my team.  This is not me.  I do not feel qualified to do most of what I do, but God uses me anyway and that just blows my mind.  And I get a feeling there is about to be a sudden MASSIVE increase, not so much because people need what we sale (though it is great stuff), BUT they need the Lord we have.  There is an urgency in me to be more and more open about the relationship I have withe the AWESOME God of the universe; to make every day count for the kingdom of God. 

       AND that brings me back to my victory in my eating habits.  I think that my testimony is a catalyst in what makes the business explode, and with that all the people I am to reach with HOPE.  How?  Not sure.  I just know that I have struggle with feelings of shame for not being as good of a steward with my body as I could.  As I walk in obedience I feel better about sharing all the information that fills my heart and head.  I can not explain it all in words yet but maybe you  get a little sense of the mystery brewing in my spirit. 

        May You experience the joy of the Lord as you look to Christ and find victory over sin in your life.  We need not be a slave any  longer if we do not want to be.   God bless, Angie