Elizabeth Pennington in Her Own Words…
Being Overweight was Genetic – So I Thought
Since finding Weigh Down in 2013, my life is considerably better than I could have ever imagined or hoped. Since around the age of nine I recall being overweight and self-focused. As one of five children growing up in Indiana, I had the “eat it now before someone else does” mentality.
As one who is tall, yet knowing I was overweight, I was told that I had a high metabolism since I could eat so much and still not be extremely obese. I always assumed that my being overweight was due in part to my genetic makeup and heredity.
Overweight was Leading to Headaches, Joint Pain & Allergies
Though I tried many diets and over-exercising to control my weight, it would not come off. If I did lose any weight, it came back relatively quickly as diets were painfully difficult and short lived. Times of no dieting, coupled with a mindset that “I might as well finish off the food now for tomorrow I will start the diet (again)” and “if I finished the food I wouldn’t be tempted,” were sprinkled throughout the many failed diets.
Traveling was always uncomfortable as I dealt with upset stomach regularly, which I controlled using a variety of over-the-counter medications. Other physical ailments from being overweight included chronic headaches, joint pain, and even times of feeling unable to breathe properly due to the weight around my middle. From overloading my system with too much food, I then developed many food sensitivities and some food allergies as a young adult that required me to carry liquid anti-histamine and epinephrine with me at all times.
A Darkness was Growing Inside My Heart
Along with being overweight came moodiness, self-focus, and self-pity, in addition to life woes of hypochondria, fear, control, and times of suicidal thoughts. Besides these sins of the disposition, as an adult I added other strongholds such as self-protection, selfishness, pride, gossip, anger, anti-authority, and more. Most of these were somewhat, if not well, hidden to the world as I was typically referred to as a hard worker, teacher’s pet, innocent, good girl, and the like. But the older I became, the more I sensed the blackness growing in areas of my heart.
Though I was overweight and blind to many of the dispositional sins in my life, I have lovely memories of my childhood that I will forever cherish. I’m grateful that my parents have always shown immense love and care for our family as evidenced by their desire and efforts to raise us to love God and secure a strong nuclear family unit.
Even still, growing up in a Christian home and attending church all my life left me hurting and with many questions. I never fully grasped the once-saved-always-saved and trinity concepts, but moved forward in life with the mentality that I would get some answers once in Heaven.
A Seed was Planted & a Remnant of Truth Stuck
Fast forward to July 2012 when my sister-in-law (Rachael Purdy’s testimony) introduced me to Weigh Down one month after I married. The information mostly went in one ear and out the other, but a remnant of that truth stuck and in February of 2013 I quietly viewed several of the Weigh Down at Home videos.
I was sick of being fat, so during a business trip the following month I decided to give the basic principles a try. Because I wasn’t spending my time or money preparing the food, it was a good time to try eating only half of what I ordered. The weight started coming off and I was enjoying regular foods without guilt and I was letting go of control, anti-authority, and self-induced stress that previously drove me to the food and diets.
Gwen Shamblin Speaks Truth and I Wanted More of It
I began a Weigh Down Basics class that summer when I recognized the legalistic approach I was forming about some of the principles and wanted to understand more about how these principles of eating less connected to a relationship with God. After hearing several You Can Overcome shows, and while not completely understanding all that I was hearing, I KNEW that what was PIERCING my heart and soul was absolute TRUTH.
I wanted more Truth and Gwen Shamblin speaks Truth. In 2014 I was ready to commit to God’s way, all the way, and wanted to be surrounded by those like-minded people who were RUNNING after God with everything they had, so I joined Remnant Fellowship Church.
80 lbs Down with Weigh Down & Feeling Great!
Since first “trying out” Weigh Down in 2013 I have lost a total of 80 pounds (30 of which I didn’t know I had to lose), the physical ailments are gone, and many of the food sensitivities are gone. I experienced a very easy pregnancy in 2015 which I know was due in whole to the blessings of applying what I learned in Weigh Down and Remnant Fellowship. I have returned to my pre-pregnancy weight without fear of regaining it.
When I started Weigh Down in 2013, my newly established marriage was already not ideal, but has since turned into one of love, selflessness, happiness, peace, and with right-sided authority. “Self Focus Self Pity and Depression” and “Forgiveness” were instrumental talks that transformed my outlook on marriage and life. Those talks coupled with the parenting messages, Ancient Paths, and Constant Encouragements were foundational to my new life and every new message that I hear continues to positively transform me and thus my family.
20 Family Members Serving God & the Remnant Church
My child has hope of a real life and future with God, through Jesus Christ, as I now have been equipped with the tools to raise him to love God above all else and then to love others as himself, without me being full of selfishness, expectations, anger, and frustration that would have accompanied parenting prior to learning the truth that is constantly and consistently taught by Gwen Shamblin at Remnant Fellowship Church. We currently have 20 family members serving God at Remnant!
All of this underscores the fact that I now have a real and interactive relationship with the God of the Universe that grows with every passing day and my appreciation for this life compounds exponentially as I give more thought and time to God and His wants, and less to mine. I can neither express enough gratitude, nor give enough praise to God for giving me life and then the eyes to see and the ears to hear this life-changing truth that requires my all…and it is positively a delightfully resplendent and hope-filled life.
