After being in church my whole life and as a deacon in my local church, I thought I had a close relationship with God. After the birth of our son combined with the stress of motherhood and career as a nurse, my wife had gained 50 pounds. I didn’t realize the effect it had on my wife who now was very depressed, moody and frustrated which affected our marriage negatively. I didn’t realize that I also was overweight mentally, emotionally and physically. My wife’s frustration led her to attend a Bible study class called Weigh Down Workshop. These classes made her realize what was truly " weighing" her down. It brought her to a closer relationship with God in which she went to God to feed her in every area.

I immediately saw a change in her spirit as the pounds came off. We had a renewed love in our marriage and for the first time in our marriage I saw my wife’s humility through her total submission to God. Being raised by a single Black mother, she was fiercely independent who was taught the survival mechanism to protect self at all costs. This was always a constant conflict in our marriage which she had trouble surpassing. My wife lost a total of 50 pounds and so much emotional weight from her past that had been holding her down for years. I took the class wanting the same peace that my wife had discovered. From the Weigh Down class, I learned to trust God in all areas of our life and to stop grabbing things for myself. I discovered that when I get " hungry"(financially, mentally, emotionally) that I am not to go grab for myself but allow God to be my provider for my every need.

As I finished the class, I was diagnosed with malignant brain cancer. The Weigh Down class had prepared our family for the battle of our life. We knew that the diagnosis had nothing to do about us but it was a privilege for God using us to glorify God for others saw the peace that surpasses all understanding. Our example in the midst of the storm helped others that didn’t understand the trust that we had in God no matter what decision God decided. From the grace of God, I have been in remission for 5 years. God used the cancer to reveal his deep love for us. I never expected to find God thru the journey of losing weight and the struggle of cancer, which was totally UNEXPECTED!