Today is a new day for me. On Saturday, I was ordained by the Wesleyan Church. Words cannot explain what an awesome service and experience this was for me. The Holy Spirit was present in a powerful way. I had waited a long time for this day to come but God in His perfect timing knew exactly when it was to happen. I thank God for leaders in the Wesleyan Church such as District Superintendent Don Hodgins and General Superintendent Dr. Jo-Anne Lyons (http://www.wesleyan.org/bgs/bio_lyon). At the end of May I was at our Pastor’s Prayer Retreat and our focus was on revival. During that time Pastor Ian Dunn talked about fasting. I love the idea but have never been that disciplined to do it as I had a problem with eating too much. On the days I would try I would end up eating more than normal and binging. I have been praying about my weight for a long time and it has been a battle that I have been loosing, that is until May 30, 2012. It was either during the night or early morning that I woke up thinking about fasting and my ordination. I was lying there wondering how many days it was and sure enough it was 40 days till my ordination. I started on the day after our prayer retreat and instantly God took away my cravings for food and I began a journey into a disciplined life. God had already helped me in the area of my spiritual disciplines (always room for improvement I might add) but this food thing had control over me. It really is a simple concept’; If you eat wrong- you are unhealthy physically. According to the numbers I was morbidly obese. Ouch, those are hard words to hear. I was 302 lbs. when I started but had reached as high as 305. Today I am 260, down 42 lbs. Praise God. I am going to be talking about this further but today please know God is God and He answers prayer. I had struggled with this for a long time. This struggle is very similar to Paul’s passage in Romans 7 that so many misinterpret. It would be very easy for me to stop at the struggle part but I am here to say as Paul said “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” There is hope. So today is a new beginning! My fast is over but a physically disciplined life is starting. It does make a difference if you do not eat right both physically and spiritually.  I leave you with a word of advice; Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.”  If you are struggling with some form of addiction like I was, seek God and He will set you free in the power of the name of Jesus.