mild or wild?

Last week the staff from our church went to NewSpring to attend Unleash 2012. I along with two of my friends tagged along with them. Perry Noble is absolutely one of my favorite pastors on the planet (I mean next to Richard of course). I always listen with such intent because I know he is going to pull out some crazy truth from a passage I have read a 100 times.  This conference was on Thursday and when we left we all walked out of there just in awe of what God has already done within our lives and also within our church.  Revolution is less than 6 months old and over 110 salvations?? This can only be God!  God is using such broken people to bring about change in a dry and parched city. Just last week the volunteers gathered to celebrate, pray and get pumped up about our day and we clapped and cheered for a man who graduated from rehab just two weeks ago. He gave his life to Christ and now volunteers.  Saturday is Richard's day of getting into the zone. He works a full time therapist job so his nights consist of family time, meetings, life groups etc. He studies throughout the week and Saturdays it’s just Him and God to pull it all together. He has sermon series planned out through the summer. He works so hard and so I try and really honor his time with God on Saturdays. It’s turned into a mommy/daughter day and it’s been so good for my relationship with my girls. This past Saturday (just two days after unleash) I went over to a friends house to drop off Rebekah for a sleepover/movie night and I was going to take Rachel to see the new Lorax movie. I had it all planned out! When we arrived Rachel suddenly changed her mind and wanted to play with our friend’s son who is around her age. So that meant me staying and hanging out with the girls and so on. Around 9:30 I decided to leave to give the older girls some time and to also spend a little time with Rachel before her bed time. I started down the stairs and BAM I landed on my face and in seconds I felt intense pain that I can't even describe. I literally almost started throwing up.   I immediately knew my ankle was broken and busted into tears.  Everyone acted calmly and began attending to every need. Getting me pain medication, icing it, elevating it, calling Richard, and keeping my girls calm. It was like it was in slow motion. I sat there in complete shock that God would allow this to happen to me. Actually I was TICKED OFF. Just that morning I celebrated with my workout buddy Heidi that we had accomplished level 2 of Jillian Michaels 30 day shred WITHOUT modifications! Do you understand WITHOUT modifications! All the planking, sits ups, abs, etc we completed it all. I have gone from a size 24 and that night my sweet bride to be friend Brittany had brought to me the dress she ordered for me and it was a size 16!!! I walked into the bathroom and prayed ok God if it’s so tight I cant breathe please help me to not become discouraged or give up.  As I turned around and looked in the mirror this dress fit. I mean snug in a few places but IT FIT! I was dumbfounded. All my hard work was paying off. I was overcoming food addiction with a vengeance and then bam… I was now sitting outside the house on my badonka donk crying uncontrollably because God had done this to me.   Little did I know that God was about to rock my world.  Brittany sat down and began speaking truth to me. “Holly, stop thinking those thoughts”. I hadn’t said a word… “Holly you are beautiful and God wants to know if you want mild or wild”. I laughed and yet in that moment I realized that God didn’t push me down the stairs haha He just wanted to turn up the heat on this fight against obesity and food addiction.  Another friend drove me to the ER to meet Richard and I said Blake why would this happen and yet again God spoke to me through her and she said “Holly what if this is a way for God to prove to you that you truly have overcame this addiction in your life”. I cried again and we were silent for a few miles.  When we arrived at the ER the wait was grueling because I dreaded to hear the words and yet they still came. I chipped the bone on my ankle and I had torn ligaments in my foot surrounding my ankle.  I was so upset to say the least.  My sweet friend Heidi text me early Sunday morning and she had been researching workouts for us to do while sitting since 4am.  She was willing to sit with me and help me continue to exercise.  It’s now Wednesday and I have been in more pain and yet what I realized that it’s only been mild up to this point. This ride has turned WILD really fast. I sat in my chair yesterday and did 30 crunches, a bunch of leg lifts, arm lifts and I haven’t once thought about over eating. God has poured into me and I am seeing freedom take place in a whole new area of this addiction.  Perry had no idea that his crazy funny rafting story would benefit this thick chick with a food addiction and yet God has shaken me up! I have lost a ton of weight since this time last year and added daily exercise and nutrition into my lifestyle. He has placed around me an amazing support system to experience a WILD ride to the finish! I am thankful for this dumb yet cute hot pink cast at the moment. This has forced me to rest allow people to surround me and given me a whole outlook on the book I am writing.  Thanks to everyone for your constant encouragement, for speaking truth into me and allowing me to push through the pain in order to see this addiction in a whole new light as I conquer it once and for all. I am free… … yes FREE!

Joshua 14:11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out: I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God…