Guest post from my Mommy :)

<sup>The Battle Belongs to the Lord

48</sup> As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. ⁴⁹ Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

⁵¹ David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. ^{1 Samuel 17:48-51}

Hi! I’m Susie LaFollette, Rachel’s mom. Isn’t she awesome?!  She asked me to write a piece to share with you about my journey with food, and let me tell you, it is a love/hate relationship! I love food, but hate that I have to battle something that we need in order to live. I love everything about food; the taste, the feel, the social aspects, etc… I am a Southern Baptist preacher’s daughter and we like food! I am an addict and this has been an epic battle, one of which I have been fighting since childhood. 

When I became a Christian at the age of 21, I was still fighting this battle every second of every day. However, I learned quickly that, as a Christian, the war has already been won, and that the daily battle belongs to the Lord! Now, learning to claim that and live that after a lifetime of bad habits is another thing entirely! That’s where trust in God and the power of choice is of monumental importance. I am truly blessed to have Christian parents who brought me up in the church and taught me biblical principals just by example. I was also very blessed to have been given wise Christian friends along the way to teach me once I became a Christian. Early on in my walk, I had a precious lady who discipled me for twenty years, Dianne Nelson. One of the first principals she taught me was that we all have giants in our lives, some we don’t even realize are there because we’ve been living with them for so long. Or we may know the giant is there and think we are powerless to kill it! As Christians, we have the same power that created the universe living within us to slay these giants! Like David, a boy who was a seemingly unlikely conqueror of giants, I have learned to rely completely on my Heavenly Father to do what I am totally incapable of doing with my own power and strength. Its all about choosing to do the right thing or not. It really is that black and white. This applies to all areas in our lives, but especially in the food/war department! Also, like David, we have tools to slay the giant, such as knowledge of what works with your particular body, researching what is good to eat, learning portion control, healthy cooking methods, prepping food for the next day, knowing how to deal with upcoming “land mines” such as eating out, or unexpected social situations and how to avoid the potential pitfalls in them, etc…..However, the greatest “tool” is relying on God to do it through me. 

It actually helps me to visualize David slaying Goliath, who was taunting him from across the way, the same way that food does to me! I can now say that I have conquered this last big giant that is food addiction in my life! I give all of the credit to Jesus, my savior, for any and all success. During the last 20 years, I have lost 100 lbs and need to lose another 40. I’ve lost 40 lbs since February of this year and am now off of Diabetes and High Blood Pressure medication. I am resolved that this will be a daily battle until I go home to be with the Lord. BUT, because I choose to trust and rely on Him for all of my power and strength, I know that I can finish this race and truly treat my body as the temple that houses Him. The pay-off? Good health and well-being, and He is glorified! GIANT SLAIN!



Well guys, there you have it, some words of wisdom from Mama LaFollette. I hope that her words will help to inspire you even further to get where you want to go. And to quote her, "Its about the journey, not the destination." She has been saying this to me for years now, and until recently, I never truly understood why that's so important. Sure, I'm going to be happy when at my goal, I'll be relieved, but I won't ever forget the amazing process of actually reaching it. I'm learning so much about myself and about life, lessons and experiences I'm not sure I would have discovered otherwise. I love you, Mom, and I am SO very grateful to have been blessed with a friend and role model like you! :)

My sister Hannah (25), Mom, and me.

And one last thing:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! She went to work as Ursula today :)