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Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17 (NIV) Temptation is much harder to resist when we wait un

Sometimes overeating isn’t really about the food. We may turn to food after an argument. When we’re resentful. When someone hurts us. When we’re afraid, disappointed, or feeling sorry for ourselves. That’s one reason Step Six is so important in recovery. By this point in the Steps, we’ve begun to recognize some of the patterns within us that contribute to our struggles—things like resentment, fear, self-pity, impatience, perfectionism, criticism, or pride. Step Six asks us to

Have you ever reached the end of the week and realized just how tired you are? Not just physically tired, but mentally and emotionally tired too. Sometimes we may even feel tired of trying — tired of working on the same struggles, tired of making good choices, tired of waiting for things to change. But God does not grow tired. "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his u

You don't have to figure out how you're going to eat well for the rest of your life today. You only need to make the next right choice. For me, recovery became much more manageable when I stopped looking so far ahead. What will I do at Christmas? What about my next vacation? Can I really give up my binge foods forever? Those questions could become overwhelming. Instead, I learned to focus on today. What food have I planned for today? Have I prayed about my eating today? Am I

Some of my closest friendships began at recovery retreats. There is something special about spending a few days with people who understand the struggle with food — people who don't need a long explanation because they've been there too. At retreats I've attended over the years, I learned more about the 12 Steps and how to actually apply them to my life. I picked up practical tools that helped strengthen my recovery. I had time away from everyday distractions to focus on God a

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17 (NIV) Temptation is much harder to resist when we wait un

There are some things we would rather keep hidden. Mistakes we’ve made. Ways we’ve hurt others. Resentments we’ve carried. Things from our past that still bring shame when we think about them. But keeping those things buried can keep us stuck. Step Five in recovery is about bringing what we discovered in Step Four out of hiding—first before God, and then with someone we trust. That can feel frightening. We may wonder what another person will think of us if they really know ou

Have you ever found yourself looking for something to eat when you know you're not physically hungry? I've certainly been there. During the years I struggled with overeating, I didn't always stop to think about *why* I wanted to eat. I just knew I wanted food. Over time, I began to recognize that physical hunger and the desire to eat aren't always the same thing. Sometimes we're stressed, lonely, tired, anxious, bored, or simply looking for comfort. Food may make us feel bett

My grandpa painted this picture of me from my senior picture, and whenever I look at it, I think about what a talented artist he was—and what a sweet grandpa he was to me. But looking at it recently also brought back memories of my school years. About this time every year, as the beginning of school approached, I would often decide I needed to lose a few pounds. I'd recommit to counting calories or find a new diet to try. Sometimes I was successful. I'd lose some weight and f

Have you ever found yourself standing in front of the pantry... even though you weren't really hungry? I've done that more times than I'd like to admit. What I've learned is that sometimes what feels like hunger isn't physical hunger at all. It's anxiety. It can be stress about work, relationships, finances, health concerns, or simply the pressures of everyday life. Instead of recognizing those feelings, we reach for food, hoping it will bring relief. One practice that has he

There was something special about the recovery retreats I attended over the years. For one weekend, I could step away from the noise of everyday life. The endless to-do lists. The responsibilities. The distractions. Instead of just trying to squeeze recovery into my busy schedule, recovery became the priority. I had time to pray, reflect, learn, listen, and reconnect with God. I could honestly look at where I was struggling, recommit to the process, and return home encouraged

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25 (NIV) God calls us to be generous, both financially and with our time, encouragement and caring for others. When we do this, we will see time and again that we are blessed. It is easy to be focused on our own struggles, but we do well when we serve others. It is a blessing to others as well as ourselves. Dear Lord, help me to be generous with what You have given me. Show me someone I ca

When I got to Step 4 while working the 12 Steps of recovery from overeating, I felt overwhelmed. This is the step where you take an honest look at your past so you can understand why you do what you do. I didn't think I really had any resentments. Someone in the program suggested I start by making a list of people who had hurt me. That felt different. I could think of plenty of people who had hurt me over the years—family, friends, and others. As I began writing their names d

There was a time when I used the weekend as an excuse to overeat. I'd tell myself, I'll do better on Monday. Sometimes Monday was better, and sometimes it wasn't. Now I know that every day can be blessed by God, without overeating. Every day is an opportunity to walk with Him. Every meal is an opportunity to make a healthy choice. Every moment is a chance to depend on His strength instead of my own. Today, weekends don't have to be about overeating. They can be about enjoying

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." — Psalm 27:14 (NIV) Recovery has taught me that waiting is one of the hardest parts of the journey. We wait for cravings to pass. We wait for our emotions to settle. We wait for God to change us, often wishing He would do it overnight. I know I did. But looking back, I can see that God wasn't just changing my eating habits—He was changing my heart. Through the waiting, He was teaching me to depend on Him ins

When was the last time you set aside an entire weekend just to care for your spiritual, emotional, and physical health? We make time for work. We make time for errands. We make time for family. We make time for everyone else's needs. But our own health often gets pushed to the bottom of the list. I know how easy it is to think, I'll focus on myself later. The truth is, if we don't intentionally make time for our health, life will always find something else for us to do. That'

“Trust in him at all times, you people: pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8 (NIV) God’s Word encourages us to go to Him in all things. We can trust God in ALL things and at ALL times. We can go to Him in prayer. He hears our prayers, and we can trust that He is always working for our good. The next time you are feeling sad or anxious, rather than going to food, go to God in prayer. Seek guidance from His Word. Be with other believers and pour out y

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." — Proverbs 3:5 (NIV) That's really what Step 3 is about. Not giving up... Giving God control. Step 3 reminds us that lasting freedom doesn't come from trying harder—it comes from surrendering our will to God. As I wrote in my book, 12 Steps to Recovery from Overeating: "Just believing that God can help us overcome our food addiction is not enough. We must turn our will and our lives over to God to

The week doesn't always go the way we hoped. Some victories are big. Others are simply making one good choice when no one else sees. As you head into the weekend, remember that God isn't asking for perfection. He's inviting us to walk with Him—one meal, one decision, one day at a time. Take time to rest. Spend time with the people you love. Thank God for His faithfulness. And if you've had a difficult week, don't give up. Your next good decision is never far away. Have a bles

Have you ever wondered why willpower alone isn't enough to overcome overeating? For years, I thought my biggest problem was simply that I ate too much. While that was true, it wasn't the whole story. Everything began to change when I realized I was turning to food for comfort, peace, and relief—things only God could truly provide. In this video, I share a personal part of my recovery journey and how God helped me move beyond focusing only on my eating habits to addressing the