Mount Olive Church ---- A Safe Place For Recovery

Like a lot of things the Internet is a mixed blessing. This blogspot is an excellent idea for sharing and communicating information in our congregation and I thank Vicar Jon for bringing us this tool. However, we must remember that whatever we place on here for our own use is available to the entire world. I have seen my comments show up in surprising places when I have “googled my Name”. I am fully prepared to confess my sins when needed but only to my brothers and sisters in Christ, not the whole internet community.

With this little caveat in mind I do wish to share this shortened testimony concerning my recent miraculous weight loss.

The shortened version starts in September of 2007. Pastor Pingel presented the continuing education portion at our monthly Stephen Ministry supervision session. At that time he casually mentioned that he had some twelve step recovery materials and this was an area that someone could pursue if interested. Roughly 14 years previously I attended some 12 step meetings for compulsive overeaters and achieved considerable success. I didn’t stay with the program, relapsed into compulsive overeating and gained a lot of weight. I started reading 12 step materials again. The morning of September 29 I decided to once again read “The Big Book” by alcoholics anonymous (AA). It required some editing on my part. I substituted food for alcohol and compulsive overeater for alcoholic. AA like other 12 step groups, in order to be very inclusive, talks about a Higher Power of your own understanding. I naturally read Jesus Christ every time the “Big Book” said higher power.

After only reading a few pages, I asked God, in prayer, to please grant me abstinence from compulsive overeating. I then ate a small lunch and went down to my favorite Saturday afternoon “watering hole” and or “feeding trough” for what usually was two or three beers and a hamburger or two. I nursed one beer all afternoon and symbolically put the money for the hamburger that I didn’t eat in the tip jar. What a miracle - abstinence from compulsive overeating descended on me at that point. It is as if God was waiting for me to ask. I experience normal hunger at normal times but my cravings for food are gone. This power comes from God and not from me. (2 Cor. 4:7)

Step twelve of AA is to carry this message to others. I plan to continue attending 12 step meetings and hopefully when needed function - like Paul - as an apostle to the gentiles.
My true passion, however, is to bring a totally Christ centered program to Mt. Olive. This group could serve not only compulsive overeaters and alcoholics but other compulsive behaviors. I have spoken confidentially with others and there is interest in forming a Christian 12 step group here. Please feel free to talk with me in confidence and anonymity if you want to participate or need more information.

Ron H.