"God, Will I Ever Be Free?"
Surrender Your Food Struggle to God
Recently, I was visiting Heleen Woest's site, perusing the many great articles and helpful links she has for eating addictions. I was delighted to see that she is now offering a FREE e-book and 12-week online study to anyone struggling with an eating disorder.
Heleen, like myself, is a former bulimic restored by Jesus Christ. She offers biblical counsel, advice and encouragement through the ministry of her website, and is a fine writer to boot. Seeing this program and the accompanying e-book the other night really encouraged me and I am excited to share it with you - the reason I embarked on the project of writing my own book, "Redeemed from the Pit", was largely due to the shortage of material out there that address eating disorders from a truly biblical perspective. Many sincere Christians struggle with bulimia, anorexia and/or habitual overeating, yet they do not see these battles as spiritual ones. The secualr therapy so pervasive in our culture does not point them towards Christ.
Heleen does. She holds a high view of Scripture and of God, and always gives Him the glory for victories achieved in a person's life. The e-book, "God, Will I Ever Be Free?" is available to download here: http://www.eatingsdisorders.com/ebook.php It is in .pdf format, so you will need Adobe Acrobat to download it.
In 13 chapters, Heleen lays out the conflict that believers face as we war against the flesh, and spends the bulk of the book on the all-important concept of surrender. What does it mean? How do we do it? How will our lives change as we surrender them to God? These were the very questions with which I wrestled mysef when I was in the pit of bulimia, and I suspect I am not the only one. Heleen presents, in a very easy to understand way, what the surrendered Christian life looks like, and how freedom (even from food addictions) is possible.
From the chapter "Surrender Your Difficult Times":
If we can, in difficult times, STOP on purpose, get to a quiet place and deal with what we’re feeling, God can help use. This is called surrendering your difficult times, including pain, stress and troubles to Him. These days I am turning more to God during hard time, and I am praying that I would start running to Him always and skip the drama altogether.
...But as soon as I opened the Bible I started crying, I didn’t even read anything, I was just so aware of His presence. I was aware of how close He felt to me, and I knew that He cares about my life.
Please hear me on this one: He wants to be involved in every human’s life; that is how He planned it. However, somehow in our messed up lives, we bought into the lie that we are alone, out on a limb, not a branch that is connected to the Vine, with living water flowing through our veins.
He truly is the Living Water who brings new life to our bones every time we drink,
and the Bread of Life who can satisfy our souls every time we feel empty and weak!
In addition to the free, 54-page e-book, Heleen is offering an online study to help you gain complete freedom over food addiction, as well as develop a deeper, more trusting relationship with God. The video courses cover such topics as "Does God Even Care?" "What Do I Do if I Simply Hate Exercise?" "Why Do I Feel So Bad About Myself?" and "I Pray, I Try, But I Just Can't Say NO!"
The study course, which includes over 300 pages of written material, is available for $77 if you pay once, or 4 $20 payments. This is an extremely low price for such a course, and is tantamount to giving it away at cost (I recently saw a similar, psychology based program being offered for behavior modification - it was well over $300). In fact, I have familiarized myself with the self-publishing industry and can tell you that a professionally designed COVER will cost an author between $600 and $1,200. However, even if you decline the 12-week course, there is much helpful counsel you can glean from the book.Heleen, like myself, desires daughters of the King to walk free and no longer be slaves to the sin of eating disorders. For that purpose, she writes and ministers, in hope of pointing you towards the Great Physican. I am honored to serve and walk alongside such a faithful servant of Christ, and pray that you will be blessed by her service.
Marie, thank you so much for this awesome review! I am humbled and moved by your kind words and how accurately you've capture the message I've been yearning to impress on ladies who are struggling with food: Only Jesus can bring true healing!
ReplyDeleteYou are an awesome women of God, may He bless your ministry and your book. I also pray that He will reward you in His own amazing way for being so generous towards me.
I will be referring to you review on my Facebook page,Twitter and my Website.
Thanks again!
Your sister in Christ
Heleen
Hey, cool!
ReplyDeleteI'm on Twitter and Facebook, too. I will follow/friend you (isn't technology awesome?)
My experience has been that the incidence of eating disorders, bulimia in particular, is just as high (or nearly so) among evangelical Christian women as among the general population. This is such a secretive struggle and all-consuming sin -- you and I and others who know what it's like need to do all we can to lead these ladies to the Wonderful Counselor. I was thrilled to be able to recommend your study and book (especially as mine hasn't been published yet, LOL!)
Women need to hear the message that no longer how long they've been stuck in sin, there is hope and freedom available in Christ. We are NOT slaves to sin any longer; we are loved by the God Who is on our side! Bless you for your ministry, and I know that it is bearing fruit.
It is so sad that female starve themselves to look like those supermodels on tv.I thank God that nobody in my family ever had to go through that.I seen a movie one time with Meredith Baxter Birney back in the 1980's,she would eat a lot of food and get very sick.I forgot the name of the movie,but I think that it raised the conscience of Bullimia.
ReplyDeleteMichael,
ReplyDeleteThe movie you are thinking of was called "Kate's Secret", and I remember it well. I was in high school (and bulimic) when it came out. It portrayed the reality of bulimia very accurately - it didn't sugarcoat or glamorize eating disorders.
There were two scenes that were particularly poignant - one where she pops into a supermarket and binges on Oreos and milk; another where she was cleaning up after a party, and starts a frenzied binge on the cake and leftovers.
THIS IS THE REALITY OF THE ADDICTION...
It is only when we let Christ in and surrender the darkest places of our hearts (like secretive addictions) that He can renew our minds and free us. I praise Him for His incredible patience and mercy....that He lifts us out of even these self-inflicted prisons.
cortesemente non pubblicate ste cazzate .........
ReplyDeletePeccatori ????? Quelli che Stanno maschile ma vi dopate? anche i cattolici e Quelli che pregano Indipendentemente dal dio di appartenenza .... sn tristi .... si scoraggiano la preghiera ... nn è una dose di morfina al cuore Che assorda i sentimenti le emozioni. .... Siam vivi Quindi maschi possiam star, gioire, ecc
I don't speak Italian - this was the best I could come up with on Google translator:
ReplyDelete"Please unpublished ste cazzate .........
Sinners ????? Those who are male drugged but there? even Catholics and those who pray to god Regardless of belonging .... sn sad .... discouraged prayer ... nn is a dose of morphine to the heart that deafens feelings and emotions. .... So we may live Siam male star, joy, etc."
Can anyone provide a better translation?
@Marie I lived there for 3 years and can say it has to do with the culture. Despite their catholic roots, Italy is steeped in atheism and even the occult. "cazzate" isn't something you'd say in a civil conversation.
ReplyDeleteBasically they're saying to please not publish all of this. Sinners is just a word that gets thrown at us from the church. All religion is a kind of morphine meant to numb the heart and feelings with words like love and joy. This person is alive so he/she can rejoice, in his/her words. Hope this helps.