October 2003. Hello everyone! I am so happy to be writing you today. My schedule has gotten so busy and that means that I am HELPING people and nothing makes me happier than that.

It's been a really great week for people in terms of strength gains and visible physical improvement. I think the cooler weather agrees with us and I would like to CONGRATULATE everyone on their achievements this week -- you know who you are! And for those I haven't seen face-to-face in a while, let me know how you are, okay? Your health is so important to me!

So that being said I would like to introduce those of you who need a little inspiration to "Jessica." You may recall that I started a health ministry recently. The big guy had been talking to me about it for a while, but I kept telling Him it wasn't yet time. We humans sure do know best, don't we (not!)? Anyway for the life of me I couldn't figure out how adding free sessions into my schedule would be of benefit, and I thought, mistakenly, that giving someone something for free would be a recipe for failure. I was wrong.

About a month ago Jessica called me from a referral from U.S. Fitness Products. Jessica was dying and she was desperate to get help. But Jessica couldn't afford my services. The basic story is outlined for you here: http://www.thebodysculptress.com/Press/030928.htm.

So I've been working with Jessica for 4 weeks and she is an absolute delight and inspiration. Let me tell you a little more about her. Jessica was diagnosed and repeatedly hospitalized with severe asthma when she graduated from high school, about a decade ago. She is now 29 and after all of her hospitalizations and being put on steriods to boot, she basically sat down for 5 years out of fear for her life. She couldn't breathe and was afraid to exert herself. So what happened? She gained about 350 pounds. Really. At 29 years old she was over 450 pounds and that much weight is a killer. When Jessica called she realized she was dying--headed for a massive heart attack, and she feared for her life.

Do you know what? I couldn't refuse her. God convicted me to help and I had to go. Jessica has turned out to be such a joy for me that I leave in tears most days because of her courage and conviction to go forward. We started out just standing. JUST STANDING for a few moments at a time. Not running or getting on the eliptical, but just standing up. And that was a tremendous effort for her. Little by little Jessica has found that she is able to stand up long enough to wash her dishes, stand and run her own bath water, to walk up and down her sidewalk and to move around her house with ease. That has been a HUGE change for her.

In addition, she is sleeping at night without her oxygen mask, is going along and walking through the grocery store, has enough strength and energy to stand up and get visitors a drink, can bend over to pick things up off of the floor, and can tell, although she is still too heavy to weigh on a traditional scale, that her weight has decreased significantly. Her energy is sky-high, too. She says she keeps waiting to feel tired after all of the hourly exercise I'm having her do, but she finds that she is completely energized afterward.

Sometimes when I go to see Jessica, she is connected to an oxygen machine that is steaming a steriod-substance into her mouth. She anticipates my arrival by taking an asthma treatment, and she is so happy to see me that even though on a scale of 1-10 she can only breath well enough to rate a 4-6, she is bound and determined that she is going to do the work. Her courage and commitment touch me deeply. I believe she is going to make it and I am so proud of her.

This is what she wrote in her journal last week.... "when I feel like I want to quit, I remember how good God has been and I just repeat over and over 'I can do all things through Christ.' Everything is all right. I thank God for that. I really want this and that is why I am not going to stop. I told Angela today that I found a reason for living -- me! She asked me in our 1st meeting what my reason was and then I realized I needed a better one. Well I want to live. I want to experience life and I'm not going to give up!"

She continues, "I thank God for Angela every night that God blesses her and her family forever. God sent me Angela because he knew that I wanted to lose this weight. I cried out for His help so many times, but I had to be real in my heart and had to come to the place where my desire to succeed was complete. I am not going to give up because I have God and Angela to walk side-by-side with me. I feel like someone really cares now. She is not in my family but she will always be in my heart. I owe her the world so my pay back to her is to do the things she asks me to do and to lose the weight!"

Why am I telling you this? There are two reasons. First, I want you to remember Jessica when those of you who can feel too tired (lazy?) to do your exercise. Think about how your breath comes easily. Think about how you can just stand up and go without a 2nd thought. Think about how you can do basically anything you want to do, that your body is healthy and functioning and think a bit about what it would be like to lose that. Then go do your exercise. I want you to summon the strength inside of you like this handicapped breathless girl does and NEVER GIVE UP!

Secondly, I want to ask you a question..."when was the last time you gave of yourself to really help another human being." My commitment to you is to do that. And my blessing to you is a promise that you will receive so much more from your gift than the cost of your energy. It is such a precious blessing and I want you to have it.

Make the time to exercise this coming week. Find the time to bless someone, and please do pray for Jessica--that her hopes and dreams come true.

Also, if you would like to tithe to Jessica's cause, I would like to buy her a membership to her YMCA (she doesn't know this) and take her to get a food allergy test. These two needs will cost me about $700 unless I can find someone who can donate them to her, or who would like to contribute to her cause.

Additionally, one of you is having a major ordeal with her back and I ask that each of you say a prayer for her. Pray for her healing and that it be complete. She's new to the area and is alone in her pain and my heart goes out to her, too. Help me keep her lifted up in prayer, okay? And pray for each other, that your commitment and ability remain strong!

My greatest hopes and my pride are with you all. I am so proud of your ongoing commitment to a healthy lifestyle. It's a bit like swimming upstream, isn't it? And my heart is filled joy when you meet your goals! Don't give up!

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This is "The Body Sculptress'" syndicated health and fitness column for October 2003. It is protected by a Copyright 2003 and all rights are reserved.

You may post this in it's entirety with contact information complete and present anywhere you wish.

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