- The Grace and Strength Lifestyle
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My name is Anna Anthony and I am a 60 year old mother of three and grandmother of one. That describes a lot of people, I am sure, as do many of the other details of my life... wife, sister, daughter, and teacher. Some of my other stats are likely the same as yours, too. I was overweight for more years than I care to remember, and physically debilitated by that weight. I was exhausted all of the time, a spectator of life rather than an active participant, and I was resigned to the idea of being this way the rest of my life. Does this sound all too familiar to any of you? Looking back on these feelings almost makes me cry. Not for myself really, but for those of you who are reading and are nodding your heads along with my story. If you found yourself thinking, "Yes, that's me, too!", then I have a message of hope and wholeness for you!
This time last year I was sitting down to view the final cut of my daughter's wedding video made by my daughter-in-love over Thanksgiving weekend in 2012. As I watched the mothers walking down the aisle to be seated, I got a (not so) great view of myself for the first time in years. I was shocked! There I was, almost too crippled to walk and much wider than I realized! It was like I could hear God gently saying, "It's time to do something about this, my daughter. You don't need to go through the rest of the days I have planned for you in this way!"
At this point, let me say that I had tried many, many, many diet plans, and my doctor had been urging me to consult options with a bariatric surgeon. None of the plans had worked, and I was very hesitant to consider surgery. But, God had not told me it was time to do something without providing the way to the wholeness that awaited me.
A very precious friend of mine, Julie Tyner, started sharing with me about a program on which she had great success. Not just great success, phenomenal success!! She looked amazing! But, she is MUCH younger than I am, and I didn't hold out much hope of it really working for such an old girl like me! After seeing the wedding video and feeling the prompting of the Lord, though, I made the first step. I registered on Grace and Strength's home page. Within just a day or so, someone called me and talked me through all the basics of the program. My husband and I prayed over it, and prayed over it. We decided this was my opportunity to possibly get my life back. So on March 12, 2013, I started the weight loss phase of the Grace and Strength Lifestyle.
I cannot begin to express the impact this journey has had on my life, physically, mentally and spiritually. I have been stretched and challenged and strengthened and, most importantly, changed from the inside out! The coaching I have received along with the encouragement from my small group has been crucial to the outcome of this experience. I started this program with weight loss as my goal, but only a few weeks in I realized this is not only about weight loss, it is really about self loss! Psalm 73:26 propelled me through the hard lessons: My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my PORTION forever. Learning to turn loose of my selfish habits regarding food has moved me into a freedom I never dreamed possible.
It has brought me to this day, February 8, 2014, I am happy with my current weight, which is significantly less than I weighed a year ago, and feeling like I did when I was in my 40's! No, actually even better!! My doctor is thrilled. Please, don't hesitate to take the first step toward the next chapter of your life. God's grace and strength await you!!
* Individual results may vary.
Ready to Start Your Journey?
Are you ready to show YOURSELF some LOVE? Making your well being a priority is not about being selfish. This is about putting yourself first so that you can love and serve others well. We want to see you find wholeness, health, and freedom in every area of your life! We want you to love yourself!
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