Julie Dragt – Weight Loss of 55 Pounds

Julie Dragt in her own words…

I praise God for delivering me from so much greed and sin through what I have learned from Weigh Down Ministries. It is only through love and obedience to God that I have a completely changed life! At a very young age, I sought out God on my own as my family was not religious. From early on in my life, there was childhood turmoil and a deep emptiness. I tried to fill the void with so many things in the world and as a result became enslaved to a lot of them. At the age of 12, I began exercising and not eating in order to control my weight. I was spurred on by wanting to please other people, but that only lasted about a year until I figured out that I could eat all I wanted and just purge it up. I thought I was in control of the food, when all the while it was controlling me. In college, it became a vicious daily cycle of waking up, binging and purging sometimes 6-8 times a day, sexual sin, over-consumption of alcohol (to the point of vomiting and even alcohol poisoning), and ungodly relationships. I would fall into bed every night drunk or exhausted, only to get up the next day and do it all over again. After marriage, the eating disorder continued, largely concealed from my husband but still on a daily basis. I began to feel hopeless; like a zombie mindlessly walking through my routine day after day, not knowing how to get out. Other sins plagued my life included controlling my husband, overspending, lying to cover up my sin, bitterness and anger toward just about everyone, self-focus, lust, laziness, and harsh treatment of my children. All of this sin and misery was present in my life while I was employed by our church as Director of Evangelism, my husband and I were youth leaders, I led ladies’ bible study, and participated in Sunday school. I was confused as to why the hope, joy, deliverance, and the relationship with God that I read about in the bible was not becoming a reality for me. I never felt saved; I felt like an imposter and a hypocrite and was filled with guilt. Church leaders would tell me I was fine and that I needed to let that go and accept God’s free gift of grace. Many times I cried out to God for help for I desperately wanted out! I was diagnosed with panic attacks, depression, migraines, and TMJ. I got to the point that I could not get out of bed. I was taking medication for the migraines, sleeping pills so I could fall asleep, and pain medication. I had joint pain, neck pain, foot pain, back pain, fits of rage and uncontrollable crying. The relationships with my husband and children were nonexistent, and he took care of the majority of the responsibility of caring for our children who were 1 and 3 at the time. I went to faith healers and prayer services for healing. I cried out to God, and I couldn’t understand why I was not being healed. The medications did nothing and I knew God was my only hope. In 1998, God led me to the Weigh Down Ministries. I lost 35 pounds and for the first time EVER, began to experience a real relationship with God. He became so real to me, and He rewarded every act of obedience. I saw the bible in a new light. I began seeking out God’s leading and His laws and principles from His word and Weigh Down and putting them into practice. Within three weeks, I was delivered of all of the above physical conditions. By putting into practice what is taught at Weigh Down, I was released from all of the medication I was on. And my heart began changing as well. I have increasingly more joy and more peace and more fruit of the Spirit in my life. I have now lost about 55 pounds and have kept it off for over several years now. I am totally free from the 20-year bondage to bulimia! I know I never want to go back to that empty way of life! I thank God for Gwen Shamblin for teaching me God’s ways so that I could finally see what love and obedience to God looks like! I am changing more and more as time goes on. This is something I never obtained by years of counseling, but only through a relationship with God! His word is TRUE, He is FAITHFUL, and His promises are REAL to all who make him LORD. Praise you God!