A Walking Miracle: Carolyn’s Story

With God, all things are possible – and Carolyn Henderson Copeland can testify! Serious health challenges got her off-track in maintaining a healthy weight a few years ago, even threatening her ability to walk!

But now as a Take Back Your Temple member, Carolyn says:

“I’m getting the real me back! It’s never too late, even in the senior years, to let the Lord ‘take back his temple’.”

To encourage others in their healing and deliverance, I am sharing Carolyn’s story. I hope it inspires you!

1. What was your motivation for wanting to change your weight and health at this time?

With some serious health issues over the last few years, my physical condition had deteriorated. The issues included a Sclerotic Bone Lesion tumor in my left hipbone, bursitis, arthritis, a torn hamstring and gluteus minimus, and plus energy-sucking fibromyalgia.

I knew that if things didn’t start turning around soon, I would become disabled permanently.

It was a sobering and fearful thought that, by stopping all exercise and poor eating choices, I was heading towards a much lower quality of physical life.

Two years after my first hipbone MRI, I got another MRI and went to a surgeon. She said astonishingly, “There’s no tumor now, just a few inactive remnants of the small egg-sized tumor we removed a decade earlier!’”

A year earlier, I had gone to a healing prayer service and the speaker called out ‘tumors are dissolving!’ I said, ‘Lord! That’s for me and I’ll take it!!!’

As I left the service, I noticed my hipbone had a numbing sensation on it and that the pain was gone. A year later, the surgeon confirmed that supernatural healing. She sent me to physical therapy for the arthritis/bursitis and torn muscle issues.

While all of that was wonderful, it did not deal with my heart issues regarding food and eating. Enter the Take Back Your Temple (TBYT) program.

2. What drew you to Take Back Your Temple?

For many years, my heart sensed what ‘being normal’ in my attitudes and behaviors regarding food would look like through not dieting and not obsessing. However, I didn’t know how to head in that direction as I went from either being overly strict with food to just throwing caution to the wind!

One day I ‘happened’ across TBYT’s public page on Facebook, then signing up to receive the emails. I read and digested them for probably a year before I joined the TBYT program.

What I was hearing and learning in TBYT, along with the very practical teachings/advice, was not about the latest diet, but about asking the Lord to change my heart and desires to what He had in mind for me, a lifestyle of moderation and healthy choices.

Wow, was it ever resonating with my spirit!

3. What have you learned as a Member or can do now that you weren’t before?

I’m continuing to learn and one of my favorite things is re-listening over and again to the live sessions! I like to listen in the morning when I’m getting ready for work as I hear something helpful with fresh ears.

The study materials and Live sessions are anointed with God’s power to speak instruction, healing and deliverance to our hearts as we receive and apply them.

I also greatly appreciate and am benefiting from the group support and input shared by our TBYT family. Such rich insights and often perfectly timed ‘God encouragements’ come through our members sharing!

As for what I can do now that I couldn’t before…just last spring I was only able to walk a couple minutes down our long, level driveway to the bridge creek. Now, I’m easily hiking our little mountain canyon surrounding trails for about an hour. I’m sure I could go 2 hours without a problem!

There’s even a 5-minute steeper ascent that I do with no problem! This is miraculous to me after the condition I had spiraled down in the previous 2 years.

Another joy is that I can easily sit on the floor with my grandkids and the little ones at my preschool job. And, I can get up again without an act of Congress! 😅

4. What was most helpful to you about the program?

My last ’physically successful’ diet a decade ago was extremely restrictive in eating up to only 800 calories and day and no fats! I lost the weight, but I would have to return to the diet when I’d gain some weight back. That was NOT real freedom or peace to me.

In contrast, TBYT has taught me that my desire and belief that somehow I could be free and normal is not only possible, but is God given!

At one point, last spring, as I watched the replay of a new Live sessions, Kimberly said, ”Ask the Lord what you should do – a first step – then obey and trust Him to enable you with His strength and ability!” It will be a custom-fit answer from the Lord for each of us.

It wasn’t a formula or magic bullet, but what the Lord knows I needed. Nothing is forbidden or restricted, but the tracking for me has made me more aware of my freedom to make healthy choices! Overall, I mostly avoid processed junk food and sugary foods. Am I perfect? Nope! and I’ve realized that’s okay.

We’re all on a journey, progressing, learning and growing more into what God intended for us. And, I’m now allowing Him to truly comfort me instead of the false, momentary comfort overeating gives, with its consequences of destroying my health.

5. What advice would you give someone who’s afraid to try again that would motivate them to move forward?

Set aside some purposeful quiet, quality time with the Lord, your Bible and a notebook – then pour out your heart, getting real. Tell Him about your discouragements, frustrations and your fears.

Then, tell Him you’re ready to do it it His way! ASK Him what your next step needs to be. Listen and write down what you sense He’s impressing on your heart. It may be one single ‘next step’ or a plan.

He knows you intimately, better than you know yourself, and knows exactly what you‘re needing this very moment.

As you lean into Him, He will give your heart the peace and courage to act on it one moment, one day at a time. He wants you whole and living in freedom more than you do!

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