Effectively managing stress can be a big challenge to weight loss. (270.0 pounds)

Effectively managing stress can be a big challenge to weight loss.  Right now in my life, stress is mounting.  Ruth, the girls and I are seeking God and expect our departure day for Bangladesh to be in 36 days.  There are many stressful things to navigate through between now and then.  The biggest stress for me though is regarding my house.  We have decided to rent our house out for the first two years as missionaries.  After two years, we will come home and will most likely list our home for sale and auction off our belongings.  Just over a week ago a gentleman heard that our home was available for rent through a dear friend of mine and contacted us.  This gentleman was moving to my area from Chicago for work and after seeing our home, he decided to rent it!  What a stress relief this was and certainly something to be very thankful for!

Today though, stress reared its ugly head in a big way in my life when this gentleman called and informed me that he had decided not to rent my home and decided to rent another home.  After a short conversation I wished him the absolute best and hung up the phone feeling like I had just been socked in the (now smaller) gut.  Other than crying, the first thing that I wanted to do after hearing this news was to eat a lot of candy bars.  I did do one of those two activities, but I am proud to say that it was not eating the candy bars!

My belief that God already has a renter picked out for my house has not changed.  Yes, I submit to you that the person I thought was going to be my renter is indeed not that person, but they were obviously not the right person either.  In fact, I am glad that they decided never to move in rather than moving out after not paying any payments months after moving in with my family being in Bangladesh all the while.

When I become burdened by stress, my initial desire is to fall back to the trusty comfort of food when really I need to instead rest in Christ.  Today I am weary, and rather than eating I need rest.

Matthew 11:28-30  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I praise God that He has chosen such a flawed man like me to help others. (270.6 pounds)

A few week ends ago our family had the great opportunity to share our life's story and our passion for Bangladesh with Ruth's parents church in Plymouth, Indiana.  After speaking in Sunday School, I was approached by a gentleman who was asking me about my weight loss.  He told me that it was of particular interest to him because he had a grandson who was in need of losing a lot of weight.  I asked this gentleman if he would ask his grandson if I could take him to dinner some night and he told me he would ask him and let me know.  We exchanged contact information and went on our respective ways.  I was pleasantly surprised the next week when the grandfather did, in fact, contact me and I scheduled dinner with the grandson for the following Thursday night. 

Fast forward a couple of weeks and the grandson now has a name (Aaron) and we have had dinner together a couple of times with the most recent time being tonight.  Aaron is 18 years old, 6'4" and 425 pounds.  Anyone seeing Aaron would see him as a big dude.  Aaron reminds me a lot of myself.  Aaron really enjoys a lot of the same things I enjoy and I know the hurts he feels far to well.  I am not talking about the pain that being 400+lbs. physically inflicts on your body.  Rather, I am speaking for the far more debilitating emotional pain that being morbidly obese causes.

There is no doubt in my mind that God has done and continues to do a miracle in my body.  Because I have experienced this, I have the rare ability to speak with conviction to Aaron and any of the other over 30% of Americans who are obese.  I do not have medical expertise to offer Aaron nor can I serve as a master dietitian for him.  All I can offer him is hope.  It is my desire in the coming weeks to continue to share with Aaron that God is willing and able to do an amazing work in his life. 

Friends, please pray for Aaron.  Please pray first that Aaron will encounter God through the saving grace of His son Jesus Christ.  Also, please pray that Aaron will be willing and obedient to do what is good and right with regards to his weight. 

To have gone through all of the things that I have in the last year'ish has been incredibly humbling.  Moreover, to be used of the Lord to help others is earth shaking to me.  I praise God that He has chosen to use such a flawed man like me to help others!

Same (274.8 pounds)

For the first time since January 31, 2011 I weighed the same as last week.  I am happy to not have increased in weight, but excited about a loss next week!