Courage to Overcome (Christy’s Story)

The other day, I received an email from a TBYT reader named Christy Koch. Christy has overcome incredible challenges, including being hit by a semi-truck! Yet she relied on God, and His strength helped battle her feelings of hopelessness during her recovery process. Over the last 6 months, Christy has lost 30 pounds! Her story lifted my Spirit and I know it will do the same for you. If you need encouragement, Christy's story is a must-read. With her permission, here is her email below: *************************** Hello Kim, I just wanted to thank you for all your wonderful emails with words of encouragement and scriptures you apply to your teachings. I decided back in February 2015 that I wanted to lose weight after struggling for years after my mother passed away while I was in my twenties. Having some added extra pounds that haunted me everyday of my life thinking that I was fat and unlovable. I am 43 years-old and have made it through some very difficult times in my life. In January 2015 while on the way to my work, I was in an auto accident that involved my paid-for 2006 Chevy Impala. I was struck by a semi truck in an intersection where the semi had turned in front of me on a green light. My car was totaled and the semi...well just very minimal damage to his front end. I have savings that I had to use to purchase a new car and I have a lot of medical bills. I lost 5 weeks of pay and what a strain it was on my love life, but he stayed by my side, forever grateful. I signed up for your Take Back Your Temple emails in February 2015 with the intent to ask God to help me have strength to lose weight, really so I could start to love who I am and not let what traumatic event happened in my life to make me feel ugly. I had no idea how your emails I receive weekly would have ending up actually helping me cope and get through such a traumatic event and events to follow from my auto accident. I found out I needed back surgery and July 1st 2015 I had the surgery. I applied God's word and promises and received into my heart your teachings from your emails and it worked. I recovered from the surgery very quickly. I was supposed to be out for a medical leave from work for 12 weeks and it ended up only being 5 weeks. I lost 30 pounds because I took your wonderful advice. God works. I have grown from my losses, realizing that relationships with others is what matters. I have matured as a woman and I have come closer to God. My faith battle becomes stronger and stronger everyday. The email I received today was meant to be and was perfect timing. I have always struggled with FEAR and have let it have dominion over me for pretty much my entire life. Fear is my next challenge to conquer. I want to use God's word to conquer the enemy’s lies. My weight became an issue for me when I was 30 years old because I started emotionally eating to feel anything that made me feel good, but it was a temporary feel good that I used to cope for way too many years of my life. So then I woke up one day and said "That’s it." I want the feel good to be permanent and I do not want to turn to food anymore for comfort; I want GOD.  I will admit I had some brief moments of feeling hopeless, but as soon as I focused my mind, will and emotions on what Jesus did for me, I persevered through my days of struggle and did not ever want to allow this traumatic event to make me bitter and angry. Reading your emails helped keep me focused and gave me faith and hope that I will get through this and this shall pass. Again thank you so much for helping others by sharing your story. You are such an inspiration and I am forever grateful. Christy Koch Woodstock, IL. *************************** Be blessed with health, healing and wholeness, Kimberly Taylor, Author/Christian Life Coach of the Take Back Your Temple program P.S. Tired of running the same self-defeating cycles? The value of the Take Back Your Temple program is that you will learn how to think differently through Biblical truth. You’ll discover how to lay aside what is weighing you down. Join a support community of other empowered Christians discovering how to release weight and keep it off. Click here to become a Take Back Your Temple program member.