If there are any Christians out there who are looking for special support during this time I thought we could start a thread related to this. It might help with those thoughts and doubts as to if this is the right thing we are doing or any other 'shares' that might come to mind. I could use some at this time in my walk.

Sister in Christ,

Valerie

This has been absolutely one of the best decisions of my life. I am self pay ($13,000). I got a medical loan (horrid interest) to pay for it.

I went through my budget (I'm a little OCD) and with the food savings and other little tweaks I could do, we determined that we could afford the payments. I'll have to look it up but there was a website that said having the band would save you $15,000 in one year. I will find that and post it here.

I absolutely wish you the best!! I only wish I could have done this sooner!

Hugs & Prayers,

Geneva

Here it is

Hello, I have been lurking on the boards for a while. I used to be quite active here on the boards when I first had my surgery almost 5 years ago (Feb 08 will be my 5 year anniversary of my band) I have been on a plateau for a while and need more support.

Being five years out you would think I would "have it altogether" in my head by now and I do for the most part but have been hit lately with some mild depression and anxiety due to my father being diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer. We have had a strained relationship previous to this but now we talk daily. I am a christian and have been for years, but the devil somehow drove a wedge between us through my mom, she is very selfcentered and hard to deal with.

I am glad I found this thread on his board, I sure need some prayers and support as my emotional eating habits are wandering back into my life and I feel helpless sometimes but he band is my helpful tool, but I have been sneaking candybars and icecream, my old life comfort foods. Please help me pray for more control over my emotions.

I picked up a couple of books lately one is The First Place diet book/plan with devotions, and bible verse cd to help memorize scriptures and the second book I picked up is LeslieSansone's "Walking the Walk, Getting fit with Faith" with daily devotions as well, it also includes a walking dvd as well, she is the one who does the "walk off the pounds" programs. Well, guess, I have rambled on long enough.

Anyone who wants to correspond or pray with me and keep in touch daily on our lapband journey, I would love to. I will check this board later when I get time to see.

Have a blessed day!

Lapbandfan

Thanks Geneva and Cindy for your answers - I really appreciate your feedback. I've been thinking about this overnight and really feel that I should go ahead now. This has all fallen into place for me so quickly - getting the surgery date, super released etc and I don't want to miss my opportunity. I've even arranged to have the time off work and prayed and psyched myself up for it. I really appreciate your prayers as well. God Bless you!

Hello LapBandFan!!

I'm so sorry to hear about your father! My prayers are most definitely with you

Dear Heavenly Father, I bring LapBandFan before you Father and ask that You supply her with Your infinite Grace and Mercy. Give her the ability to control her emotions and eating Father, with you as the guide and providing comfort the comfort that she truly needs. Her father is ill and we know that You are the one in control and that all you do and allow works for good. We lean not unto our own understanding but that your will be done. We pray all this in your most prescious name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

wombat (Geneva) <><

Hello, please add me to your distribution list (if there is such a thing). I believe the LB is a God-send for me as I am sure for most who will take the time to think that maintaining our bodies is our "reasonable service" unto The Lord. Thanks fo rstarting the thread. I promise to be an active poster

Angelsma

Welcome, Lapbandfan and ChrissyD!!!!!

I also agree with the prayers and advise that was given. Only God and the Holy Spirit could have directed that prayers. Such wonderful and God-sent people. I, too am glad that I was directed to this thread.

Father, I pray for direction and wisdom for our "new" sisters. You are the author and finisher of our faith. Please give them unsurmounable peace. Help us to lean on you and not our own understanding. We stand boldly before you and worship and praise your name, for you are holy. Direct our steps in your word. Father, you put Lapbandfan and her father's relationship back together for reasons we might not ever understand, but I know that she has given him words of encourgement and she has shared the love of you with him. I come against depression, emotional eating, and confusion. I speak joy, peace, wisdom and unconditional love. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Also, I had my 3rd fill yesterday and I think I have some restriction cause I lost my egg this morning and I ate about 4 teaspoons of yorgurt for lunch and I'm full. I had only lost 2lbs and was a little discouraged, but my DH said that 2 lost was better that 2 gained (LOL). Sometimes I guess we need to look at the glass as half full instead of half empty. I love God and I love my band. I don't know if some of you saw that I changed my name from gloharmar to 2bemegain. Well, be blessed today!!!!!!!!

I was reading out of the Message Bible translation (easier for me to understand) and thought this was very fitting!!!

1 Corinthians 6:13

13You know the old saying, "First you eat to live, and then you live to eat"? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that's no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!

LapBandFan,

Your request has already been heard. When you speak, know in your heart that God has heard you and by faith you are believing that He will do the things that you ask of Him.

I am waiting for insur approval for my procedure. It has been almost a month. I have contacted the insurance company and they said that a decision would be made with in the 30 day period. Next Friday, 14th, will be the 30th day. I also asked them if they were needing anything else from me. No, she said. There are no notes on your case. The case is working.

So, I will wait. I have been getting better at waiting lately. Relating my experience with Habbakuk. God told him that the things he had asked for would slowly but surely come. Not a moment too soon or a moment too late.

Welcome Angelsma!!

So glad to see people coming to this thread; I was on here for several months before I found it. It was easy enough to find the alternative life styles/pagan religions etc so I do count this thread as a tremendous blessing!!

Geneva (wombat) <><

:angel: I have not had time to come back on here since my post and I am blown away at your response, support and prayers! God is so good! I have been superbusy with my job and dealing with dad's doc appts, etc, and you all just about made me cry with your kind words and wonderful prayers. Thanks so much, I can feel God working through all this.

I have been on track since I posted and have exercised every day this week, got in at least 8 glasses of Water and not snacked at night while watching TV. I am trying to add more healthy choices to my diet and am sipping on hot green tea while I am typing this. :ranger: I have heard nothing but good about green tea including that it helps to kill any cancer cells if there are any. Well, it might all be hype but I thought God created the stuff so it has be good for you and a whole lot better than other drinks.

Well gotta run, just wanted to touch base with you all, I will try to be mroe regular as I NEED you all badly. Good luck to each of you and May God bless you richly in all your endeavors.

MY DAILY MOTIVATIONAL BIBLE VERSE:

I Corinthians 6: 19 & 20 ".... your body is the temple.... Ye are not your own... For ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body"

DEEZ9, On getting your insurance approval, I will pray that God will give you more patience to wait. I know the band was God-sent to me as I had prayed prior to getting the band that if was in Gods will for my life that he allow insurance to cover and it did, now I praise the Lord and thank Him daily for it. He is way too good to this child of his!

I praise the Lord for what he is gonna do in your life! Keep the faith!

A Father’s Comfort

Bible teacher Kay Arthur tells about getting out of the car one day, arms loaded down with books, and not wanting to go into her house. She was a young widow with two children, and it had been a bad day. She was hurting. As she stared at the grass, her mind went back to a time in her childhood when she had been running through the grass toward her dad, terrified and screaming. He had scooped her up in his arms and given her comfort. She wished that she could be a little girl again. She wished that she had someone to hold her right then. As she turned to go into the house, she suddenly saw herself in her mind’s eye, a little girl in pigtails, flying down a vast marble corridor. Oil paintings bigger than life hung on the walls. She could hear her little shoes on the marble floor and see the tears that ran down her cheeks. It was a long corridor. At the end, two huge gold doors glistened in the sunlight which filtered through beveled cathedral windows. On either side of the imposing doors stood two magnificently dressed guards holding huge spears and blocking the entrance into the room beyond. Undaunted, the little girl ran straight toward the doors, still crying, “Abba!” She never broke her stride for, as she neared the doors, the guards flung them opened and heralded her arrival: “The daughter of the King! The daughter of the King!” Court was in session. The cherubim and seraphim cried, “Holy, holy, holy!” and the elders sat on their thrones, dressed in white, wearing crowns of gold, and talking with the King of Kings. But none of this slowed his daughter! Oblivious to everything going on about her, she ran past the seven burning lamps of fire and up the steps leading to the throne, and she catapulted herself into the King’s arms. She was home and wrapped in the arms of his everlasting love. He reached up and, with one finger, gently wiped away her tears. Then He smoothed the sticky hair on her face back into her braids and said, “Now, now, tell your Father all about it.” Kay Arthur walked into the house, left her books on the table, walked through her house, and knelt down by her bedside. She told her Father all about it.

:amen:

* * Kay Arthur, “Lessons on Love” in What My Parents Did Right, compiled and edited by Gloria Gaither (Nashville: StarSong Publishing Group, 1991), 16–18. Morgan, R. J. (2000). Nelson's complete book of stories, illustrations, and quotes (electronic ed.) (131). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

I am so happy that this thread was started. This was the one thing standing in the way of my having surgery. I was wrestling with the whole thing of would God approve. I had already made my decision to go forward but it really helps to get a take from other Christians. Thanks,

In Him.

Alfie

I want to join this thread too! I am a christian and I am having the surgery next week on Wednesday. I am a little nervous, a little scared and anxious to get this over with. Please pray for me. I have a lot of other things going on in my life besides the surgery coming up. :paranoid