Halloween 2010 – A Turning Point in My Life

It wasn’t planned, to begin this new chapter in my life on Halloween 2010.  Somehow it seems appropriate, though, and will be an easy date to remember.

Today is the day I pledge to become healthy.  I’ve gone the weight loss route before, and failed each time.  This time is different. I will not only lose weight, but will also become healthy in the process. I’m letting go.  I’m getting out of the way.  To explain what that means….  

In October 2009, I wrote and published an article about Brad Stiles, which you can read on my blog. Here is a paragraph from the article. It alludes to what I've been waiting for - to see where God is leading me.

" ‘In a recent interview with Dr. Lisa Van Allen, Brad described the lyrics to [his song] "Letting Go" as "moving forward, letting go of fear, and coming to the end of self-sufficiency by letting go of everything I thought Christ was, and how He viewed me. Instead of me living life for Christ, it is Christ living His life through me, through us. It's not I who lives, but Christ that lives within and through me. The dreams that He placed in my life are from Him. I want to walk in them. I want to get out of the way." Dr. Van Allen remarked, "When God calls you to do something, He brings in all the resources.’ "

To step back a bit, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching over the past 22 months, trying to understand what it is that God is calling me to do.  It began with a catalyst, as often happens, a crisis of sorts, if you will.  I was driven to seek answers, which led me back to church and subsequently to small groups (both within and outside the church), which led me to some wonderful new friends and support groups.

Paula Fields led me to Brad Stiles’ CD Release Concert (I resisted going until the last minute) and it was at his remarkable performance that I surrendered. Wow!  Just like that….  it was so natural, and my life changed forever in an instant. Well, that was only the beginning. During this time, Gator J. Gaynor from The Spirit, appeared and brought a love of music back into my life, and also brought me back out into the entertainment world.

Next, I felt compelled to write the article about Brad Stiles. I was driven… there really was no choice…  it simply had to be done.  As I began to formulate ideas for the article, it led to an interview with Brad, which, in turn, led me to Steve McVey and his book called “Grace Walk”, which led me to grace. After I read his book, I realized that I was actually embarking on a fascinating “grace walk”. The article also led me to Lisa Van Allen who later invited me to her course on “Fearless Living”, which began yet another new friendship, actually several.

This morning, Bill Nissen posted the following on Facebook: Philip. 2:3-4 (NASB-U) "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

This grace walk has been an amazing adventure as God continues to bring in all the resources, the latest of which is Bill Nissen.  I am getting out of the way as God calls me to do this. With Bill Nissen’s help, I will not fail.  To be continued…..