Remnant Fellowship Testimony of the Week: Sheri Barclay

This Canadian Girl was Trapped in a World of Food Focus

Canadian Sheri Barclay was a very athletic child growing up in a small town in Saskatchewan. Having played sports her entire life and year-round, she thought she could eat whatever she wanted and not gain weight.

She says, “I had a greed for food even in elementary school. Any money I could get my hands on was spent on ice cream, candy, cookies, chips, you name it.  I would binge after school and in the evening, often rejecting the nice meals my mom would make.  I even resorted to hiding my favorite snack foods in my bedroom for fear that one of my three siblings would eat it. If I didn’t have money, I resorted to stealing money from my family members to buy more candy. This continued into my teen years when I would steal their candy and lie about it if confronted .”

Sheri explained her greed for food led to so much selfishness and secretiveness. As a teenager, she began smoking cigarettes with friends in secret. When Sheri was in her early 20’s, she was waitressing and smoking a pack a day. “Even though it made me sick, I was addicted to the feeling of social smoking and gossiping about others on my smoke break.

Smoking & Extreme Dieting But Never Thin

“I had a poor self-image as a teen even though I had what seemed like a normal weight. I was very side-ways focused and always jealous of anyone thinner than me. I had friends who dieted or over-exercised to lose weight and who ate ‘healthy”, I loved the food too much to give it up for diet foods.”

Her weight started to rise a steady 5 pounds a year after high school once she stopped playing sports. She tried extreme diets but I was never successful. “In my 20’s and early 30’s, food was my everything, my love. My life revolved around food. My greed for food was insatiable. I would binge in front of the TV all night. I knew it was wrong but I had no idea on how to change. My church had no answers and I began to believe I was destined to be a ‘curvy girl.’ But inside my heart, I was longing to be thin and free from the obsession to food.”

A New City & A New Hope

​In 1999, Sheri moved to Calgary, Alberta where she met a friend who was doing Weigh Down. She watched her lose 60 pounds, then 80. Sheri purchased The Weigh Down Diet book because she wanted what she had. “She was so happy obeying God through hunger and fullness. I read the book and knew I had finally heard the Truth. I tried to coordinate a class, but I didn’t feel I was being led by God and was just trying to do it with my own strength.”

Sheri tried Weigh Down multiple times over the next 15 years but was unsuccessful on her own. “I knew Weigh Down was from God and was the Truth but I was darkened by my own understanding. I so desperately wanted the relationship with God I saw in Gwen Shamblin but continued to fail miserably on my own.”

Overweight, Angry, Depressed & Unrecognizable

She met her husband in 2006 and married in 2008. Resorting to a $1000+ a month extreme diet program, Sheri lost some weight before the wedding but it never helped her deal with the greed and hurt in her heart. “I wasn’t able to eat carbs – I missed bread!”

After her second child was born in 2011, Sheri was at her heaviest. “I didn’t recognize myself after my daughter was born. I was disgusted with what I had done to God’s temple. I was fat, depressed, smoking, eating uncontrollably, angry and full of rage. I was crying all the time and ironically, running to food for comfort.

The Weigh Down Facebook Connection!

“I cried out to God one day to help me and Weigh Down immediately came to mind. I did an internet search and found out there was a Weigh Down Facebook page. I finally had HOPE! I jumped right in and started with the first Facebook group Weigh Down Basics class in January 2012.

“I have stayed in a class ever since! I lost 50 pounds in about 15 months, and then we found out we were pregnant with our third child and due in the fall of 2013. I only gained 23 pounds that entire pregnancy eating the Weigh Down way! I had so much energy which I needed since I had a 1 and 2-1/2 year-old! I obviously stopped smoking and began to do everything Weigh Down suggested.

A Whole New Life Serving God’s Kingdom

“I had stopped going to our church during this third pregnancy, and no one said anything when I left my old church. Even though I had been involved in many areas of ministry, no one contacted me or seemed to miss me. So I started watching the You Can Overcome Show on Wednesdays and then added in the Remnant Fellowship Sabbath assembly webcasts shortly after.

Sheri joined Remnant Fellowship Church in December 2013 when her newborn son was just 2 months old. “I knew I was headed to a whole new life. I had lost the 23 pounds of baby weight and 20 more! It was a few weeks into the Weigh Down Advanced Class that my third baby was born, and I begun to see that I needed to officially align myself with this most HOLY group of True believers. It helped that others reached out to me and I begun to make best friends I still have to this day!”

Remnant Day Camp is Better Than Disneyland!

She and her children travel to Tennessee every July and stay for an entire month! They plan for and pray over their yearly trip. “We may never make it to Disneyland as all our extra money is saved for this trip, but I couldn’t  care less. Day camp in July is better than Disney! I want to raise my children in this beautiful community and to make it my life’s focus to teach them how to have the relationship with God that I have and have been shown at Remnant.

“I am born again and have a whole new life! God has freed me from 70 pounds! I haven’t smoked in years and have no desire. I have learned to be a Godly wife and loving mother. My children are obedient and loving, I no longer gossip or complain. I am not depressed or self-focused. I have a completely positive attitude and outlook. I don’t pity myself and have laid down selfishness. I no longer have road rage or have expectations of others. God continues to refine me to make sure I have no judgmental attitude or pride. Gwen Shamblin has taught me how to be done with deliberately sinning against God to protect my household.”

2,000 Miles Away But Totally Connected in the Middle of the Pack

Sheri may live 2,000 miles (3,200 km) away from the church building and only get to visit once a year, but she fully understands that the Kingdom of God is in her heart and home with her kids.

Sheri makes every effort to fellowship with other Canadian Remnant members and Weigh Downers in close proximity. She loves to encourage people and coordinate Weigh Down classes. She uses Marco Polo, WhatsApp, FaceTime and any new technology to connect. “I think it is the funnest thing in the world to find someone who is interested in Weigh Down and link arms with them and invite them to join us on this narrow road. I am never without a friend. Gwen taught someone who taught me, and if you treat the person you are with like your best friend, you will never be without a best friend!”

Sheri’s favorite classes are the Breakthrough Series and the Revolution Class. Her favorite books are The History of the Love of God and The Tablet by Gwen Shamblin. One of her favorite quotes to live by is from the Revolution class, “Associate the growl with a relationship with God.”

Weigh Down Classes are the Keys to Success

Her secret to continued success is that Sheri listens to the resources on  All Access all the time and continues to stay in a class because one of the staff at Weigh Down, Candace Anger, once said it was a key to success. “Coordinating Weigh Down classes keeps me extra accountable to finish the study strong and to be completely off of self and help others along the way. Words will never fully express the gratitude I have for Gwen, her family and all the Remnant members who have walked this out ahead and have been beautiful living lights for me to imitate. Sheri is currently coordinating the Breakthrough class on Sunday mornings with 170 participants. She’s been coordinating a class on Facebook for the past 15 months straight! Find a Weigh Down Class here.

“Since coming back to Weigh Down this time, I’ve never quit. I took that option off the table. Deliberate sin is no longer something to dabble with. My eyes have been opened to how I can make God happy – it’s through my loving obedience to Him.

Out of Self – Doing God’s Will

“I live out my baptism every day with right living. Pure hearts. Clean hands. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from Gwen Shamblin is to be off of self and onto doing God’s will through finding His Spirit. Serving this beautiful church is my highest joy even from 2,000 miles away! It’s good to be home.”

Watch how to fight spiritual warfare on this episode of You Can Overcome Show with hosts Gwen Shamblin and Candace Anger and featured guests Sheri Barclay and Hannah Langsdon: