”…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.“ -Hebrews 12:2 NASB 1995

I recall when I was in the throes of an eating disorder, and was daily living in a shame cycle. Shame that was so heavy I couldn’t bear to look my Friend, Jesus, in the eyes.

Until one day, my counselor gave me the advice to invite Jesus into the pit with me. The next night, with an ounce of courage, armed with the faith given to me by my Savior Jesus Christ, I extended an invitation to Him. I said, “Jesus, I'm tired. I can’t stop these behaviors. I don’t want to feel this way anymore, so I invite You to sit with me.” 

Even after this invitation, I didn’t change my behaviors that night. However, I did envision my Friend Jesus sitting with me, and from then on, I was no longer alone. I continued to fix my...

Summer is upon us, and with it comes a whole slurry of emotions; the excitement and energy of more free time mixed with anxiety and uncertainty of schedule changes. Right in the middle of that is the reality that seasonal changes also mean wardrobe changes. For those of us struggling with body image issues, this brings a whole separate set of emotions as well.

Yesterday, I took the plunge and dug out my summer clothes. As I looked through each item in the box, I remembered when I last wore it and how it made me feel. Some items were from last year but there were also several that I hadn’t worn in years and still kept, "just in case someday I fit in this again.” Not anymore! I was tired of waiting and hoping. The dream of the “one day body" was keeping me from enjoying my “today body". I was over it, so I bagged up all the clothes that no longer fit me.

Even with this new resolution in my spirit, the lies that bombarded my heart were...