Shame is like a smothering cocoon; it seems "safe", and it's not. The only way you can emerge from it is to invite someone else into the space so they can help you break the seal. It shines light into where there was only darkness. And once there is a pinhole from sharing (or confessing, which I honestly believe is a deeper, more intimate action), true healing and transformation can result.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” -Isaiah 9:2 NIV

I discovered this when I told my husband, after 28 years of marriage, and 32 years of knowing each other, about my past struggles with food & body image. And by making that choice, in 2011, to invite him into that dark, what I thought, ugly space, our relationship deepened and there was more intimacy in our emotional relationship and in our marriage.

I recently lost a friend to an eating disorder. She regularly talked about the guilt & shame she felt over w...

The 2025 Eating Disorders Day of Prayer will be held this Wednesday, February 26th. This event is open to anyone interested in seeking the Lord’s healing and receiving encouragement for recovery from food & body image issues; it’s for those with an eating disorder, their loved ones & friends, and health care providers- anyone interested in praying together.

Prayer and community are a powerful combination! 

At the prayer event, we have brief introductions, followed by prayer; some pray out loud, and some pray silently. It’s wonderful to bask in the prayers of others!

The prayer time is guided by the A.C.T.S. format (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). This structure can be an effective way to organize our thoughts and requests. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

- Adoration/Attributes: Praising God helps remind us of who He is. Each time I praise Him for His attributes, my frustrations and worries are eclipsed by His greatness. God is greater than our circumsta...

As you feel, you heal, and to heal, you must feel.

Many times, eating disorders, or disordered eating, stem from a desperate grasp for control. Parts of our lives are so painful that we numb our hearts and then look to control other areas of our lives. The result is the inability to feel coupled with hope; feeling that security is out of reach. 

Healing comes with feeling. Opening our hearts to feeling again can be scary. I feel more deeply now than I did last year, last month. Sometimes the things we feel can catch us off guard. A casual comment from a friend that she forgot our plans led me to gut-wrenching sobs. The pain from my childhood of feeling overlooked, and the lies that came with it, gripped my soul and threatened to tear it apart. Feelings from the past of hurt, anger, and shame resurface with unparalleled intensity. Yet, I must go there. As much as my heart aches and longs to go numb, I need to feel that pain. More than that, I need to grieve for that lonely little g...