Success Spotlight ~ Gerri V.

In January 2017 I started a spiritual journal. The first word in my journal was DISCIPLINE. This was the scripture right under it:

“No DISCIPLINE is enjoyable while it is happening – it’s painful! But afterward, there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Hebrews 12:11 NLT

Added to that first day in my journal were nine months of notes with scriptures and me crying out to God for help. On September 5, 2017, there was this heading: “Began a new 21-day devotional, ‘Healthy by Design’. Yes, after crying out for nine months, I stumbled on Cathy’s 21-Day Challenge! Did you catch that? Nine months!!—about the time for new birth! God heard my cry and answered my prayer. And He started the DISCIPLINE that day in September 2017 and is continuing the DISCIPLINE with me today. Yes, it is painful at times, but I am now reaping some of the “peaceful harvests of right living.”

What advice/tips or suggestions could you offer to your fellow sisters on this journey?

Become a member. Earnestly try to attend every Thursday and every Saturday meeting that you can. Take your time going through the lessons. Make friends and become a part of a group. And finally, Cathy is truly anointed for this ministry—heed her advice.

What was your highest weight? Current weight? And when are you projected to achieve your goal?

My highest weight was 263 lbs in March 2018. My current weight is 213 lbs—a loss of 50 lbs. I am projected to achieve my goal weight of 150 lbs by December 2020. I’ve lost 36.5 inches since February 2019!

Aside from your physical weight, what other changes have you received from taking better care of yourself?

Everything is easier—walking, cleaning, moving. I also have a lot more energy and stamina. And just the other day my husband said, “I cannot believe how good your skin looks than it did before!” And he is right! My skin had been cracked and dry. My feet made noise as I walked across a rug. This change in my skin is definitely a great surprise! But the most significant change is the change that is taking place internally—spiritually. God is truly renewing my mind and my heart. God’s Word is coming ALIVE to me more than ever before! If I sound a little too exuberant, it’s because I am! I’m excited about what God is doing in me. He is transforming me!

How long have you been a member and what keeps you coming back?

I enrolled in [Step 1] The 21-Day Challenge in September 2017, then continued with [Step 2] Breakthrough in October 2017. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish Breakthrough. When resistance came I was not prepared. I truly believe it was a spiritual battle. I gained the weight I lost, plus more. In January 2019, I decided to “try again”. I knew I had to go back to where I was learning the truth that I believed would set me free! That’s what keeps me coming back!!

What was the turning point in your journey?

The turning point was when I took the second course in the WLGW program called Breakthrough. The first time around, although it didn’t appear to be successful, I realized that it was! I was changing and learning the truth. At that time I was not ready to succeed, and I definitely was not ready to let go. But God called me back, and it was in Breakthrough the second time when I truly started to become FREE. I was able to receive truth and started to break down the lies that chained me. The strongholds started falling down. For the first time, I actually believed that change was possible.

What’s the most profound principle you’ve learned in the Healthy By Design program?

This one is hard to answer because there are so many principles that I have learned and continue to learn in WLGW.

If I have to choose the most profound principle, I would say it has to be the lesson in Breakthrough on Integrity and Values. I learned that if I actually valued something I should be living it out. If I was not living it out, I was not walking in integrity so I was out of alignment with who God created me to be.

It’s funny because I didn’t even understand that lesson while I was doing it! But as Breakthrough continued, the truth was working its way into my mind. Finally, one day I understood it. Obviously, I’d not been living in accordance with my Integrity and values and that was why I was so miserable! That was the turning point for me—that was my breakthrough!