I’m excited to share this inspiring guest post from Gary Anderson (@GanderCo on twitter). He tells about the wake-up call that gave him a new mindset, and the miraculous work of God which improved his health. Thanks, Gary!
A Quick Foundation
I was a good Christian man, the ideal husband and well known as a fantastic father. I was the bass player in my church with near rock-star status. I had an amazing job as a contracted truck driver for Eastman Kodak Company and I was making money hand over fist. I had a nice house, two new cars, a brand new Harley Davidson and I even had the proverbial dog in the yard. I never got the white picket fence… I felt that I had achieved all life had to offer.
God Giveth And God Taketh Away
Fast forward a few years. I was suffering terribly from anxiety and depression. This lasted at a severe level for about three or four years. I finally had two nervous breakdowns landing me in the hospital on two separate occasions. These nervous breakdowns caused my near rock-star status to vanish seemingly overnight.
I simply gave up on life. I just quit trying. Why should I? No one cared anymore anyway, right? I even started drinking lightly, but every day! As a result, according to my blood tests, my cholesterol was up, my blood pressure was up, my blood sugar was up and my liver tests indicated really bad stuff on the horizon. See how my mindset affected my life?
Three Doctors Told Me I Was Going to Die
I believe that a person can achieve seemingly impossible things if they are motivated enough and for the right reasons. When no less than three doctors told me that I was going to die a young man, I got motivated. One doctor wanted to put me on cholesterol medicines immediately! When I refused, he said that if I didn’t start taking care of myself by eating better and getting some exercise, that I would likely die within five to ten years. I was unable to work and was sedentary for these three or four years…. can you say lazy-good-for-nothing-couch-potato?
A New Mindset For My Children
Like a light-switch, my thoughts went to my children. My mind and my way of thinking totally changed in a split second. I knew that I couldn’t change things overnight, but… I decided to do better with each passing moment for the rest of my life.
Two years later, my doctor ran some tests on my blood for a follow-up. “Wow!” he said. All tests came back perfect. And I had even lost 60 pounds. He knew that this was not hard to do, but he said that it has been his experience that people simply refuse to believe that they can do what I did, and so they die. Yes, that’s what he said.
Change From Within
Disclaimer: I realize that everyone is different; not everybody fits into a standard cookie-cutter plan. So, please keep in mind that everything that I say is my own personal opinion based on my own personal experience. That being said, what I’m about to tell you is true and factual.
It’s my opinion that diets, per se, do not work. When people get healthier and thinner and stay that way, this is due to a decision. A life changing decision — not a new year’s resolution. This is a new mindset. Sadly, sometimes it takes a life threatening situation to make people pay attention. I wish that I could tell you exactly what changes I made with myself but that would be a disservice to you because everyone’s chemical make-up is different.
But I can say this…
No matter who you are, no matter what your chemistry, there is one thing that will always make YOU healthier. Ready?
The Right Mindset
If people can have such a mindset change as I did, then they will find and choose better foods and habits as time goes by. If you remember nothing else, please remember this: have the right mindset and the rest will be added to you. Sorry, I don’t have some mysterious complicated super secret. With the help of people like Wardeh and a new way of thinking, you’ll be set for healthy success.
Gary Anderson II @GanderCo
About Wardeh
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“No matter who you are, no matter what your chemistry, there is one thing that will always make YOU healthier. Ready?
The Right Mindset
If people can have such a mindset change as I did, then they will find and choose better foods and habits as time goes by. If you remember nothing else, please remember this: have the right mindset and the rest will be added to you.”
Indeed, it’s not a ‘New Year’s Resolution’ but a life changing way of thinking that, through YOUR daily new choices in eating better, finding the right exercise for YOU, finding the right resources for YOU, be it books, websites, etc. YOU CHANGE…and no doubt God’s help along the way in correctly directing YOUR own particular path toward better health for YOU!…it’s an individual journey.
Good for you, Gary, in embracing your wake up call and doing something about it…each of us is capable of finding the perfect path in course correcting our own ‘wake up calls’…so embrace your wake up call, change your way of thinking, and stay the course in finding the right path for you…WITH GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!
Twitter: homesteadreviva
says:
I agree. When I finally decided to make a change 11 years ago, it was a LIFEstyle change, meaning it had to be for LIFE – all my life. Not some diet that I could do for a month and then be happy. I had to view food differently. And what’s funny is I actually enjoy and appreciate it more.
Gary you have an inspiring story!
The cool thing is that once you do make up your mind, things and people fall into place. It’s like once you make the decision the right people and circumstances come into your life to make your goal possible for you, all you have to do is ask.
God is good!
Holly Michelle, Amy and Tiffany:
Wow! You guys are great, and added stuff that I found to be so incredibly true in my own experience. It just goes to show that, although no two people are exactly the same, there are some “Principles” that we all can count on.
Thanks guys!
Gary Anderson II
aka- @GanderCo
.-= Gary of GanderCo´s last blog post… Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck and Avoid “I’m Broke!” =-.
I’m very happy for Gary that his health has changed for the better, and for those of us who are in Christ, it is our responsibility be good stewards of everything that our Heavenly Father gives us, including our bodies. But where does he speak of the miraculous change God made in his life? He speaks only as if what he accomplished was through his own power.
And since he does mention his Christain faith, however, I would like to remind him that not one of us possesses the power to change ourselves. It is through Christ alone that we are made new: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17) It is not within our power to change the state of our minds, it is only through Christ that those changes can be accomplished: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2) However, “those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-8)
Gary also says, “If you remember nothing else, please remember this: have the right mindset and the rest will be added to you.”
We are not promised that “having the right mindset” will solve all our problems. We are promised, however, that if we “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,” then “all these things [what you eat, drink and wear] will be added to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) Maybe not in our time or the way we think best, but certainly as our Heavenly Father does. And he never promises us good health, even if we eat in a certain way – remember Job!
“Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” (2 Cor. 5:6-9) We also need to remember that “food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.” (1 Cor. 8:8)
I firmly believe that we should all seek a healthier lifestyle as we seek to bring glory to God, and that is what we are all trying to learn about here on this site, but following a set of dietary laws never made anyone righteous in His sight. Seek Christ first, and Him crucified, resurrected and glorified. The healthiest body in all the world is still dust before our awesome Creator.
Dear Cindy,
From one Christian to another, (I will use your quotes) -
“I’m very happy for Gary that his health has changed for the better, and for those of us who are in Christ, it is our responsibility be good stewards of everything that our Heavenly Father gives us, including our bodies. But where does he speak of the miraculous change God made in his life? He speaks only as if what he accomplished was through his own power.”
I cannot speak for Gary, but I’m pretty sure that he was ‘inspired’ along the way in accomplishing what was needed to make the necessary and permanent changes in his life. Everyday IS a miracle and so those daily changes ARE miracles in and of themselves.
“And since he does mention his Christain faith, however, I would like to remind him that not one of us possesses the power to change ourselves. It is through Christ alone that we are made new.”
I respectfully disagree…being a Christian, I whole heartedly believe and know that we all possess the power to change ourselves for the better in all areas of our lives…with God’s help, nothing is impossible…God gave me a brain and I use it to my full advantage in sorting through life’s challenges and being the best person I can to then go on and glorify God…and no amount of listed Bible verses will show me otherwise…experiencing real life problems and solutions IS the ‘mighty change of heart’ necessary to be all we were each meant to become…Gary took the proper steps to fix his health and the rest is history…good for him!
“Gary also says, “If you remember nothing else, please remember this: have the right mindset and the rest will be added to you.
“We are not promised that “having the right mindset” will solve all our problems”. “
Having the right mindset is everything in getting the ball rolling toward solving each of our own problems and then solutions as we seek them…and you better believe that the rest WILL be added unto you…as YOU do YOUR part, God does HIS!
“I firmly believe that we should all seek a healthier lifestyle as we seek to bring glory to God, and that is what we are all trying to learn about here on this site, but following a set of dietary laws never made anyone righteous in His sight.”
Are you sure about that?…’cuz I got my ‘wake up’ call in 2001 when I was at death’s door…and the first thing I did with my ‘diagnosis’ was to get on my knees and thank God Almighty FOR that wake up call…I was given a second chance…and so through my first step in humility and humbly seeking ‘help’ from God, He then whispered into my ears, eyes and very soul the flaws I was making with different ‘dietary laws’ that I was breaking… and I was then guided through sheer inspiration and complete strangers coming into my life at that time to share ‘information’ that was custom made for ME, and I was able within 18 months to crawl out of my living “hell” and course correct the horrible dietary lifestyle I was eating and doing and, as with Gary, change my then daily bad habits into better daily habits that then completely transform my life and my health…and you better believe that God was with me EVERY step of the way!…without HIS hand reaching out to me everyday, I would not have survived and would probably be dead by now…WE ARE NOT ALL A BUNCH OF APPLES THROWN INTO ONE BASKET…WE ARE EACH UNIQUE IN GOD’S EYES AND WITH SPECIFIC ROAD MAPS TO FOLLOW THROUGHOUT OUR LIVES THAT ARE CUSTOM BUILT FOR EACH OF US…GOD EXPECTS US TO DO OUR PART…TO THINK FOR OURSELVES…AND GOD HELPS US ALONG THE WAY…like parents who send our grown child go out into the world to finally be on their own, we get to watch from a distance as our children spread their wings and fly…how glorious to behold!
“I firmly believe that we should all seek a healthier lifestyle as we seek to bring glory to God, and that is what we are all trying to learn about here on this site, but following a set of dietary laws never made anyone righteous in His sight.”
Never underestimate the power of following God’s dietary laws in their proper order in healing the body, mind and soul!…look at what Wardeh does with this website…she glorifies God through what she offers the world in the form information and the sharing of her own personal life through proper eating that greatly enhances and enriches all our lives!…we are expected to use common sense to then experiment and find that perfect fit for each of us…so I whole heartedly and RESPECTFULLY disagree with you…YOU BETTER BELIEVE THAT FOLLOWING A SET OF DIETARY LAWS (CUSTOM TWEEKED FOR EACH OF US DUE TO THINGS LIKE ALLERGIES) IS INDEED SO VERY RIGHTEOUS IN THE EYES OF GOD WHO EXPECTS US TO TAKE CARE OF THESE BODIES WE DWELL IN HERE ON EARTH.
Just wanted you to see from my point of view as a Christian, how I view my world…no judgement here…just another perspective…it is not so cut and dry and simply reiterating Bible verses as an end all to solve a problem…I know what the Bible says…and I also have the sure personal knowledge and witness of what God continues to whisper into MY heart and soul of what is best for ME in better helping me to serve my family and my fellowman, all of which glorify God Almighty…and proper eating IS one of those things God delights in us partaking of!
With love from your fellow Christian sister,
Holly Michele
You’ve all been wonderfully gracious to Gary. I enjoyed reading about his transformation and I’m thankful for how welcoming you’ve been to him.
I love that Cindy made the point that no diet will secure our salvation; following dietary laws don’t make us righteous.
And as Holly pointed out, we don’t know Gary’s exact mindset because we can’t see inside his heart. What we can see though is that he changed. The what and the why are mysterious and miraculous.
I want to reiterate what the GNOWFGLINS slogan is…. Embracing “God’s Natural, Organic, Whole Foods, Grown Locally, In Season.”
Why do we eat the way we do? Why do we eat well? My family embraces God’s foods, not because we think they will save us, but because we want to honor God. Our hearts are responding to His creation and recognizing His perfect design. We know that these efforts are meaningless unless we call on Him through faith to save us from our sin (and disease, if there be any).
Wow!
Informative discussion and strong opinions. Praise God, for these arguments demonstrate something very special about our Creator and our image in Him.
Thank you Cindy and Holly Michele for your dialogue. You are both right on the mark, though you each offer a different perspective.
Cindy:
You are correct to confirm what Christ said in Scripture, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26) Truly nothing else matters in this world if we do not secure eternal life in Him. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:9-10)
Holly Michele:
You successfully argue what is unique about man in relation to the rest of God’s creatures. In Genesis 1:26 God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” And part of God’s likeness is the ability to make rational choices. Here’s a verse to a song my children sing. It illustrates the point.
“God could have made us like the simple animals, as instinctive creatures too. But he gave us minds to follow Him, or shun his grace and walk away.”
All:
Wardeh and I are fond of this saying too: “Live within the limits of God’s perfect design.” It summarizes the arguments above: that truth and righteousness abide in Christ alone, but that we should live life abundantly by the free exercise of our minds to the glory of God.
May I also celebrate Gary’s testimony. It is a remider to all that the choices we make have real-world consequences. Thank you Gary for sharing your experiences, and thank you all for contributing.