If you've been around the Grace & Strength Program for very long, then you have probably come across the smiling face of April Starkey.  After taking her own journey through the program, she was asked to join the Grace & Strength Team as a coach.  Now, she is using her own remarkable story to help others as they make their own life changing decisions and embrace the freedom offered in the Grace & Strength Lifestyle.

I have MUCH to be thankful for this year. Last year Jim and I look back at 2011 as a year of mourning and DEEP sorrow, as we lost Annabelle and our health was at an all-time LOW. We were both at the biggest weights, so unhealthy and had no energy. I could cry just looking at the picture of me from Easter last year compared to the picture of me from Easter this year. What a change God has done in me ... yes physically as you can tell from the picture BUT so much more ...

Starting this journey I truly had no clue what to expect. I had many emotions and I was so afraid of failing again like I had time and time again. Something was different this time...was it just the fact that I was finally, completely ready more than ever in my life, was it the accountability and coaching of the program I was starting, or was it me relying more than ever on God to do this...I think it was all of it combined! Something clicked in me, I don't even know how to explain it.

My girls...can I really call them that? Who knows, since they really aren't my girls but God's! I am just so thankful He has placed them in one of my groups I'm coaching. I am so honored and blessed to be able to help these ladies, however the Lord shows me to, to help lead them to freedom with their food issues and weight!

As a blogger, I have tracked my journey from the very beginning to now. I updated each month with how I felt, my weight loss and inches lost and instead of writing every single post I wrote during the journey, I thought I would just give you a little glimpse, a snap shot into each month and how I felt at that time by reposting a few little things I wrote each month. I know many of you reading this may still be deciding whether to start your weight loss journey or maybe you are already on it...