I never had a weight problem or food focus growing up. My family of five would eat a meal by splitting two pork chops and a hamburger patty. I could eat anything and was just naturally active to control my weight. As I grew older I gradually packed on the pounds, but was never concerned with what I ate or with dieting or exercising. My wife began the Weigh Down Workshop in October 1999 and lost weight but never kept it off so I just wasn't really impressed. She convinced me to attend one session and I just didn't take it seriously. I just didn't think that loosing weight was necessary for me. On November 10, 2001 I went with my wife to see Gwen Shamblin speak in Southbend Indiana. I remember David Martin introducing Gwen and saying to mark this day on your calendar because your life is about to change forever. Boy was he right! I remember this experience to be like a boxing match. The bell rang and Gwen came out swinging with the truth. I was undeniably convicted with a right cross to my conscience. God was speaking directly to me through Gwen. I realized that overeating is a sin and that greed for anything like food would keep me out of heaven. We are cursed with overweight because of disobedience with food.
        By sharing the words of the Prophets, the Apostles and Jesus himself, Gwen was able to show me that I needed to repent of my past sin and obey all of God's commands or I didn't stand a chance of getting into heaven. God the Creator of all could not rule when I was the god of my eating and my life. God was to be first in my life and I was to have no other gods! I was so grateful that God spared me long enough to hear this truth. My family completed the Weigh Down Advanced series and lost 165 pounds. I lost 40 pounds by simply obeying hunger and fullness. God's boundaries with food are so generous. God has renewed my love for life and I have more energy than I dreamed possible. Through Weigh Down Advanced I picked up a Bible for the first time in my life and I was amazed at how the living God communicated to me personally. I didn't just read the Word of God. I put it into practice. That was the difference. I actually did what the Bible said and my life was blessed. I wear a suit and tie to work everyday and I remember the embarrassment of having to go to the tailor to have my pants let out AGAIN! Now I have the incredible jewel of having my pants taken in again. It's just great! It's not about being a certain size or at a certain number on the scale. It's about obeying God in everything so He can come back in and bless us! God truly multiplies and returns everything we give to Him. You couldn't pay me to go back to my old way of thinking and eating!