See Something More

One afternoon as I was browsing through the aisles of the library, a certain book caught my attention. I was not searching for any book in particular, but the thick spine, bold words, and deep color caused this book to pop out in comparison to the old and dusty volumes that squeezed against it on either side. I had not intended to check out a book from the library that day, but upon reading the title of my random discovery in the library shelves, I decided to give this one a try. That night before bed, I curled up with my new book called Come Be My Light . On the shiny new cover was a picture of Mother Teresa. The subtitle read, "The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta." As far as I knew, Mother Teresa was just a simple nun who cared for the poor, but opening the pages of that book was like opening the pages of her true character. From reading her letters, journal entries, poetry, and prayers, I gained many insights about her calling, her faith, her struggles, and her r

As we wrap up this top ten countdown of encouragement and advice from an eating disorder patient, I have saved the best for last! This #1 tip is possibly the hardest, yet most powerful of them all. I have saved this top position in our countdown just for these words: See yourself through God's eyes . When you look in the mirror, see something more . Look beyond your skin, your hair, your body, and your imperfections. See youself through God's eyes, the perfect and holy eyes of the loving and gracious Father who created you beautifully. When He gazes upon you, He sees your beauty, your heart, and His image stamped upon your heart. He sees His fingerprints imprinted on you and His forgiveness covering you. He sees His daughter, a princess, whom He purposefully knitted together. He doesn't see your outward imperfections, but rather He admires the gifts and talents He gave you and the purpose He has in store for you. In His eyes of unconditional love, you are gorgeous! What we

As we continue with number two in our countdown, I want to offer a little piece of encouragement and advice regarding emotion. Emotion is something that we can all relate to when it comes to our day-to-day struggles. Sometimes, it is subtle and confusing while other times it is bombarding and overwhelming. We tend to view these inward battles with emotion as a negative thing, but with the help of the Lord, you can see something more in your emotions. The following paragraphs are an excerpt from my book project, Boundless: Discovering God in Your Eating Disorder. God Himself has powerful emotions. He is angered by the injustice in the world, saddened by the hurt of His children, and overjoyed at the salvation of a soul. As humans created in the image of God, we have the gift of an emotional sensitivity just like His. To experience emotion is not sinful, nor is it a curse to be emotional. There is no need to withhold your emotions from God or push then into the back of your heart. You d

One of my teachers used to always say, "You act the the way you act because you feel the way you feel because you think the way you think." Not only is that saying clever and creative, but full of truth as well. Every struggle can be traced back to some kind of faulty thinking. Satan, the king of lies, knows that he can plant lies in our heads about God and ourselves, then He can also control our feelings and actions. That brings us to tip #3 in our countdown: turn your thoughts! The first step to conquering any negative thought is to consciously recognize it. Althought this idea is somewhat abstract, it is very possible with a little bit of training. It takes practice to be able to recognize when you are thinking negative, impure, or untrue thoughts, but the best way to begin this training is to fill your mind with truth. The best source of truth about God and yourself is God's Word, the Bible. However, books, music, mentors, and other resources can also provide you with

Any struggle, including an eating disorder, is overwhelming when you step back and look at the big picture. You know where the finish line and where you stand, but the distance between the two can be vast and disheartening. You can't just wake up one morning and say, "I am not going to struggle today. I'm completely done with temptation, stress, fear, and failure." When I was first diagnosed with an eating disorder, I convinced myself that the healing process would be quick and easy. I knew I needed a better balance in my diet and exercise, so I set a goal. From that point on, I told myself to eat more, gain weight, and be healthy. It seemed like a good plan...except that it didn't work. The finish line was way too far away for me to take only one giant step to get there. Long term goals are great, but I needed some stepping stones in between. Daily goals are the small steps along the way that help you reach your long term goal with energy and confidence. Without

This next piece of advise goes hand in hand with tip #6 about writing and posting God's words around you. My next simple and humble word of advice is to keep a Scripture and prayer journal. Before you sign out and say, "I don't know, I've tried that whole journal thing and it just doesn't work for me," let me offer a few encouraging words about journaling. First of all, here are a couple of things that journaling is NOT: 1. Journalling does not have to be daily. For most people, sitting down to write every day can be overwhelming. Many people start journals, but give up because they can't find time every day to do it. Don't get bogged down by how long it has been since you've written. Instead, enjoy writing when you can. The more you do this, the more you will find yourself drifting toward a daily habit of journalling. 2. Journalling is not draining. I used to think that every journal entry I wrote had to be filled with all my deepest thoughts and

Here is the next simple piece of advice in our countdown! This tip could be the best one for all the hands-on people out there. I really benefit from concrete and practical ideas, not just words and thoughts. That's why this tip made it in our "top ten pieces of advise-from-an-eating-disorder-patient" countdown. During the season of my eating disorder, nothing encouraged and supported me more than God's Word. I recieved a shower of hope from reading the Bible, but I receieved a downpour of blessing by actually writing Scriptures out and posting them around me. My bedroom walls, bathroom mirror, locker, planner, and even my steering wheel were all covered in post it notes and index cards containing motivating verses. For me, it was one thing to read the Bible, but a whole other mission to actually remember what I read and live it. In response to my forgetfulness, I began writing out a verse from my Bible study every day and sticking it somewhere that I would see it oft

The top ten list continues with number seven today! Of all the things I could say and of all the advice I could give, this is one of the simplest and most rewarding tips. As a young lady who has battled an eating disorder, I hope that this small suggestion will offer you some help or comfort in the battle you face, whether that battle it is related to an eating disorder or not. When I joined the track team, I thought that track was a simple and easy sport. Unlike many athletic sporting events, there are no rules, penalties, or plays to learn in track. To this day, I do not fully understand all the calls or whistle-blows in a football or basketball game, but I can enjoy watching a runner sprint around the track because of the simplicity of the sport. At first glance, I perceived a track race to be easy, but once I began training I realized how much strategy and effort goes into every step. When I began running in junior high, I was surprised to learn that practices and training included

"When I compare myself with others, I engage in a game that has no winners. God, help me remember that what matters most is that you love me, just as I am." (A True-ism from the True Campaign, www.TrueCampaign.org ) In a little box on my desk, I keep a bunch of index cards with Scriptures, quotes, and other encouraging things written on them. Whenever I feel weak, discouraged, or vulnerable to temptation, those words are easily accessible and always comforting. The True Campaign's "True-isms" have made it onto several of those cards in my box, and the one above is one of my favorites. As an eating disorder struggler, I understand the game of the "compare snare," but I know that I am not the only one who relates to that battle. Here is a verse of encouragement for you who are familiar with this battle and the pressures it carries with it: "...So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts

If I could give only one piece of advise to any person who is struggling, especially if it happens to be an eating disorder, it would be this: never underestimate the power of Scripture memorization. For me, storing God's words in my heart made the biggest difference in the world in my attitude and outlook regarding my eating disorder. An eating disorder can get pretty good at sneaking negative thoughts into your head, but God's Word is even better at conquering those dangerous and damaging voices. When negative thoughts creep into your mind, God's Word has the power to push them out. When temptations permeate your thoughts, the truth of God's voice has the strength to scatter the enemy. That is why memorizing verses or passages from the Bible is so valuable and effective in defeating negative thoughts! The first step to putting this into practice is to simply dig into God's Word, the Bible, on a daily basis. Write your favorite Scripture discoveries on index cards

I have always been a fan of top ten lists, so I thought it was about time I posted one of my own! For lack of a better term, I could title the next ten blog posts as "Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Had an Eating Disorder" or "Top Ten Tips from a Recovered Eating Disorder Patient." But to be honest, that sounds a little boring and impersonal. All I really want to accomplish through this series of posts over the next few weeks is to share a little encouragement in a heart-to-heart format. This is not intended to be professional, but personal. Consider these short entries as little pieces of my conversaion with you or as little snapshots of the things God taught me during my eating disorder. They are like highlighted words in my life that I want to stand out in bright yellow. These little glimpses of my heart are written specifically for you, my sisters and friends who may struggle with an eating disorder or self-image issue. May you find practical advice and

This video was just too cute, so I thought it would be fun to share the joy with you! This is my cousin's daughter, and she loves to sing! In this clip, you can hear her enthusiastic version of "Joy to the World" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." Although she may forget some of the words and mumble some of the phrases, I admire her joyful enthusiasm! I always smile when she comes to the part in "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" that states, "God and sinners reconciled." Until that line, many of the words are blurred together in her cute toddler voice. But when she comes to that particular phrase, she proudly and clearly proclaims the one word- reconciled ! (Watch it again if you didn't catch it the first time!) Reconciliation. When all else in the world is uncertain, that is one word that stands out. When our surroundings or circumstances seem mumbled, confusing, or misunderstandable, we can sing out one word with certainty and clarity - r