"You look like you're running towards freedom..."

This was a friends honest opinion when she viewed my recent set of family photos. 

She was completely right

It's 8:42pm on a Saturday night and even though the day has been long and the kids are asleep I am still up working. Why? Well, I make my own hours and like to be "present" with my family, so on days that they aren't at school I stay up a bit later out because of my passion. I have a passion and desire to make my misery my ministry; and sometimes that means a few late nights.

You see this time four years ago we were homeless and living in a crappy extended stay hotel. We had just moved to WA and couldn't afford to buy a home, rent a home, or rent an apartment. Our area had tons of available rooms at wonderful average costing hotels but we could not afford them. When I would tell the hotel how many kids I had they would kindly tell me that we required two rooms. I couldn't afford the cost of one room, and here every hotel was telling me I needed TWO. Impossible! There wasn't any housing available on post so my family would stay on a wait list and in a hotel, where if we wanted clean towels and sheets, we were required us to exchange our dirty towels and sheets to a person that sat behind plexiglass. Sometimes we had to place dibs on the next load of clean linens out of the dryer, it could've been worse, but it wasn't awesome. 

My kids were going stir crazy, we were miserable and the heavy constant rain did not help. My spirit was broken, I was falling into a depression and felt helpless as I would very privately eat my emotions. If I ever created an amazing recipe for a cake that was totally bad for you I would call it "Emotions", but anyway back to my story. Prayers were going up and tears were falling down.

God answered my prayers. He didn't make an affordable home appear out of thin air or drop cash from the sky, no in God's creative fashion my prayers were answered via "man".

 It's so like God to do that, isn't it? 

Here's where Angie comes in. Angie was on a mission to help others in their weightless journey and God had us cross paths. I met this wonderful woman for not even two minutes as she rushed off to an engagement she was running late to. We had each others information and sent empty messages back and forth every other month or so. She was a complete stranger who I started to trust with every post she made on social media. She was confident, kind and had a passion that pulled me in. I was completely broke and trusted my last dime to her. That was a big deal, and my a big leap of faith that changed my life ENTIRELY

For what I didn't realize was only a $30 commission to her, she gave me a sounding board, accountability, help with my eating, a friend, a GROUP of new friends, and poured into me in away that allowed me to be SUCCESSFUL. 

IN 30 DAYS I LOST 9LBS AND GAINED SO MUCH MORE.

I am becoming more physically and financially fit everyday. Shortly after starting my journey with Angie I started coaching others and giving them the support that got me to where I am today. God has blessed my heart to help, and has really grown my business

.

I have been a coach for four years now.

 It has been FOUR years since:

-I have qualified for WIC checks and had my groceries decided for me by a coupon

-I have had to apply for food stamps or even qualified to receive them

-I stood in line for free backpacks and school supplies

-I had my family adopted to receive gifts at Christmas

-Since I hid my grocery and fast food receipts deep in the trash because some food that I purchased I ate privately before even making it home.

-Since I felt alone in my battle against obesity

-Since I have asked a friend to crop my arm out of a photo 

If you have made it this far in my post my prayer for you is that you have the clarity to see when God answers your prayers as you cry out to him, in hopes of a healthier life. Sometimes he answers our prayers via opportunities. We have to be brave and trust his answer. 

So what does any of this have to do with that photo of me and my kids running barefoot?  Well we're in a season of celebrating freedom. This holiday season we are spending a week on an island! Can you believe that? The same family that couldn't afford a decent hotel is going on an adventure. That's right, we are making memories and enjoying God's masterpiece. We are celebrating the freedom God has given use to travel and eat what we want to eat, live where we want to live and spend lots of time together. We are celebrating our financial freedom and the clarity that even though we can now afford things, we don't need and rarely desire them. I am and will always celebrate the freedom of not feeling ashamed and hopeless anymore.

Four years ago, we had stopped our 9 year stint of being on the receiving end charity. I was born into food assistance programs and NEVER thought I would lead a life that didn't include them. 

This year, I and my oldest set of twins went from receiving school supplies for free to flying to Guatemala to pass them out (with God and our church family, we also did some other amazing things while we were there, things that I will post about another time.) 

I just want you to be brave now, and listen to answered prayers, receive the people and opportunities God is trying to gift you with.

Didn't he come so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly?

"God has a reason for not giving us the quick fix: He wants us to be conformed to His image and He uses trials to help us grow. Weight loss is one of those trials. It’s not fun, but God can do great things in our lives if we persevere and keep going to Him for help.” 

― Barb Raveling, Taste for Truth: A 30 Day Weight Loss Bible Study

Thanks for reading, 

Natalie Fisher-Davis