Updates and recent developments...

Dear Readers,

Apologies for my online absence of late. I returned from Albania two weeks ago, yet am still easing back into the flow of studying, NANC writing and counseling preparation. I am in the final course ("Casebook Studies") with the Institute for Nouthetic Studies, after which I will submit my completed NANC exam and begin supervised counseling. Yay!

Speaking of NANC, the annual conference is fast approaching. My friend Martha Peace is teaching a workshop on counseling anorexia, and I am very much hoping my book will be out by then....the publisher received the galleys just over a week ago, so we shall soon see.

Next Thursday, Sept. 15, The 700 Club is coming to my home to interview me and film my testimony. I am excited, but nervous at the same time! Hopefully by the time the show airs, my book will be out and viewers struggling with bulimia, binge-eating or anorexia will have that as a resource to turn to. God uses the weak and foolish things of this world...myself included.

Interestingly, while I was in Albania (as a camp counselor at a Christian youth camp), the subject of my counseling and writing came up. One of my British counterparts was interested in counseling, and mentioned to me that a young relative of hers struggled with an eating disorder. While I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, I WAS shocked when the girls told me that many of their peers in Albania struggle with weight and body-image issues. I suppose the struggles teenaged girls face are somewhat similar throughout the world; and, in Europe, young women tend to be exceptionally thin...which provides additional pressure to those who are not so naturally. One of the girls asked me, "Is is possible for your book to be translated into Albanian? This would be very helpful to the girls here..." Hmm...guess there's nothing truly new under the sun.

"Inappropriate Content and Irrelevancy"

Some months ago, when I first started this blog, I submitted the listing to the "Something Fishy" eating disorder treatment finder site to include in their directory (under Christian Counseling). "Something Fishy" is probably one of the biggest and most comprehensive sites on the web for eating disorder resources.

So much time has gone by, and I have been so busy keeping up with the correspondence this blog has generated, that I had forgotten all about it. Well, a few minutes ago, I received the following e-mail, generated from a "noreply" address:

Hello Marie,

I'm sorry, your listing content was not approved.

Listing ID: 2812
Listing Title: Redeemed From the Pit of Bulimia

Possible reasons:
- Inappropriate content
- Duplicate listing
- Irrelevancy

Thank You,
Something-fishy.org

Well, it's definitely not a duplicate listing, as no one else has submitted a blog entitled "Redeemed from the Pit of Bulimia". Which causes me to closely analyze the other possible reasons for rejection:

Irrelevancy

Hmm. Interesting charge. Let's see...I write about bulimia, repentance from bulimia, practical considerations in abstaining from bulimia, the spiritual causes and effects of bulimia, the process of restoration from bulimia, effective Christian counseling options for bulimics, and other aspects of bulimia and how to leave it behind. Yup. Really irrelevant for an eating disorder directory.

Inappropriate content

Huh. That one had me scratching my fundie conservative evangelical head, so just for giggles I ran my blog's url through the "What's My Blog Rated?" site. I present to you the family-friendly results:

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

• pain (2x)
• hell (1x)

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! I mentioned PAIN and upheld the doctrine of an eternal HELL!!!!!! Oh wait....that's right; the Lord Jesus Christ did, too. In fact, according to my Bible (the most widely-read book in the world, BTW), He spoke more about the reality of hell than He did of heaven.

Sobering stuff.

Or maybe they deemed my blog "inappropriate" because I'm a snake-oil peddler?? I'll bet that's it! Mention "spirituality" and people are cool with it - no matter that it may be paganism, shamanism, or a deck of tarot cards you're endorsing. Mention the King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ, and people start to get weird.

We Christians are subversive folks. We love others enough to want them to know real and lasting joy, and we have the audacity to say there is life and hope only in Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and if He is Lord of YOUR life, He is Lord over this addiction.

That is the truth, and you may choose to walk in it. If proclaiming it makes my ministry "irrelevant and inappropriate", so be it. I care for and pray for each one of you, and His love is greater than any you will ever know.

A Few Quick Notes...

1. Who is United Cause blog, and why am I getting hits from that site, but I can't see it when I click the URL? Would you kindly enable me to? I am curious as to where and how my site is being linked.

2. I took down the endorsement of Carol Showalter's book, "Your Whole Life" yesterday after realizing her ties with Cape Cod cult The Community of Jesus went far deeper than I thought. Another woman from church and myself spent a good part of Sunday afternoon and evening researching the connection, and we did not like what we saw. Therefore, I cannot in good conscience endorse her book or small group program. Bummer, too; it seemed like a great book. I will, however, do a review of a similar book/program, Word Publishing's "Thin Within" sometime soon.

3. Review of Lauren Greenfield's HBO documentary "Thin" to come later this week. It presents a sad but true-to-life look at eating disorders and the rehab sub-culture. Sobering stuff.

4. Many people are reading this blog, but few are commenting. Please leave me feedback (anonymously is fine) if anything is helpful to you. And as always, I am available by e-mail.