In His Image Testimony:

I began overeating at an early age. It was my way of comforting myself, because I was truly overwhelmed with situations that were going on in my life. There were school bullies, my parents' divorce...I learned that a good way to numb out was to stuff my face with cookies in front of the TV after school. By third grade I was a little overweight, which made me even more self-conscious and socially inept.

In 7th grade I was thrilled to go on my first low-calorie diet. I really wasn't overweight by more than 5 or 10 pounds. But I wanted to look like the models, or my naturally thinner friends. I was so happy to have found the "secret" of dieting. I could finally control my destiny, I thought.

But I still have my well-ingrained habit of binging in front of the TV. So began many years of dieting/binging. It was a terrible prison that went on well into my adult life.

When I was thin, I was happy and full of pride. I would look at myself in the mirror so much and admire my image. I worshiped that image, sad to say. I was completely self-absorbed and very far from God.

I became a Christian at age 33. I had a great husband, two beautiful children, had put away a lot of sinful behaviors. But even as a Christian, I couldn't get a handle on the weight issue. I tried to find help within the church, but people would always just say, "you're not fat"--they didn't get the obsession I was living with. I knew it was sin, but I didn't know how to deal with it and I couldn't find anyone who did.

I finally found a Christian weight loss program which really did help. It taught about hunger and fullness and got me away from dieting--for a time. But eventually I went back to overeating for comfort, and of course that led back to the diets.

When I found In His Image online it was perfect timing. God knows how stubborn I am. I had to suffer with this problem for 40 years, trying everything possible innumerable times before I was ready. I had been stuck in my Christian walk for several years. Through this course I became un-stuck, through true repentance.

Before this course, when I was saved, I finally realized, I had never truly repented. I was sorry about my sins because they made me look bad. The Lord was not on the throne of my heart. Many other things, including myself, were. Through this course the Lord began to show me these things, and by His Grace He began to help me to let go of them.

I cannot express how grateful I am for this course. It drew me in because right away the authors were relating with me my exact problem--pride. I knew it was true. And then throughout the lessons, and with my mentor's help, I began to grow and change, and experience freedom from the bondage to overeating and dieting/pride.

I am not perfect now, but I am free. I can see much more clearly when something is taking the Lord's place in my life, and move to correct it, through repentance. My relationship with the Lord is growing, my Bible has come alive, and I am much less focused on myself and more concerned with truly loving and serving others.