FEATURED AUTHOR: SHELLIE BOWDOIN

ABOUT THE BOOK

Does God really care about your weight? He cares a lot, but not in the way you might think.

Galatians 5:11 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."

Actually, God is not concerned with how much you weigh. Author, Shellie Bowdoin discovered that even when her thoughts and attention were consumed by her outer appearance, God was primarily interested in the condition of her heart. She found that God was most concerned when the "weight" of her weight robbed her from living out the joy and freedom that Jesus secured for her, once and for all, on the cross.

The Find Your Weigh: Walk In Freedom Bible Study Guide is a companion guide for the book, Find Your Weigh by Shellie Bowdoin. This 9-Session Bible Study is designed to reveal many of the common misconceptions we have about food and to show you how to implement God's word and His promises to yield lasting change.

Free video content is available for use with each of the nine Bible study sessions.

This study helps you integrate the spiritual and physical aspects of weight loss by offering biblical weight-loss strategies to renew your mind and transform your thinking about food. God can speak strength into your weakness and temptation with food.

You will learn that God's Word does speak directly to your need; that you can approach food with confidence and that God really does care about your weight... Why? Because you care about it! And, He wants to speak into your life in an authentic, personal way.

Suggestion: The study guide discusses principles and practices from Find Your Weigh and study participants are asked to refer to book pages in each session. For this reason, the study guide is best used with a print version of the book for the best user experience.

Book Details:  

Title: Find Your Weigh

Author’s name: Shellie Bowdoin

Genre: health & fitness, Christian, non-fiction 

Published: Source Publishing, January 6, 2020

Page count: 239 pages

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT WITH SHELLIE BOWDOIN

Something you’re really good at: I am really good at grabbing the bull by the horns and trying something myself, if I want it badly enough. And, that’s what I’ve done with a lot of elements of this book.

Something you’re really bad at: I really don’t like asking someone else to do things for me. This whole book-writing thing has been a real growth experience for me, because there are just things you’ve got to ask others to help you with. 


Something you wish you could do: I really wish I could actually understand all the code that it takes to make a website run. When things go wrong, I can just feel the wash of anxiety because I know I am out of my league to fix it if there’s not a button marked, “Fix Here.”
Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Sometimes, I wish I wasn’t an editor . . . that I was ignorant of active and passive voice and the correct uses of the there, they’re, and their. It could really free me up from the inner editor voice.

People you consider as heroes: I have immense admiration for people who own up to their mistakes, their difficult upbringings or unfair circumstance and just chose to do better.

People with a big L on their foreheads: I lack patience for people who wholeheartedly believe something just because someone else told them to. I am not a big fan of the celebrity culture and the growing penchant for opinions. It’s not enough for someone to say something; instead, you’ve got “experts” telling people what to believe about what the person just said and what he/she really meant by what they said . . . ???



Things you always put in your books: I always try to leave the reader with a sense of hopefulness. Today’s choices fashion tomorrow’s reality, so I encourage my readers to make them great ones.
Things you never put in your books: I never want to come off like I have all the answers they will ever need. Only God holds the answers to every question.

Favorite places you’ve been: I have lived most of the last two and half decades in Asia, so I have seen some pretty fabulous things. You can’t beat the sunset in Boracay, Philippines and authentic Thai food is out of this world!
Places you never want to go to again: I would love it if I never had to step foot into another jet for a 13+ hour pan-Pacific flight! But, I know this is the stuff of dreams, so I just wear comfy clothing and hope for an empty seat beside me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Shellie Bowdoin is a writer and speaker with a graduate degree in ministry/counseling. She also writes at her website: The FABulous Journey; encouraging women to make good choices and live fulfilling, God-inspired lives. She’s a southern gal through and through, but she’s lived and served as a missionary for over half of her life in Asia; picking up two additional languages along the way. Shellie, and her husband Sam, have two grown kids, Jay and Mary Kate.

Connect with Shellie:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads

Buy the book:
Amazon

Marti MacGibbon's Eight Ways...

Eight Ways to Reduce Stress and Increase Bliss

by Marti MacGibbon

Life is precious and fragile, so why spend time stressed out and anxious about the future or past when you can be serene and steady, living in the present moment? Make an action plan to counteract negative thinking and resulting negative emotions that can drain you of energy and joy. When you practice any or all of the following strategies, you can build your enthusiasm, sense of purpose, and fun. You’ll notice you’re more relaxed, more productive, and more optimistic as you apply the following techniques:

Exercise Daily. Physical exercise reduces stress, counteracts depression, and pumps up your energy. Design a personal program that works for you. Whether it’s a walk in the park or a fiendishly brutal MMA-type workout, be sure you’re consistent. If your plan is three, six or even days a week, stick to it. And consult with a professional trainer for best results. The point is that when you’re building your muscles, you’re building your brain, and a strong brain and body will result in greater self-confidence, better health, and greater bliss!

Socialize, in Real Time, With Real People. Avoid the tendency to isolate. It’s so much easier to get stressed out when you’re all alone, and trying to connect with others on your phone, i-pad or computer can only take you so far. Humans need social contact. When you attend meetings and parties, go out for coffee, take a fun class, or even stroll around a museum, you get outside your own head and most likely begin to feel more creative, happy and confident.

Do Something Nice for Somebody. This works best if you do the good deed without expecting any credit or recompense. Let somebody go ahead of you in line at the ATM, grocery, or gas pump. In traffic, let another car merge or make a turn. Open a door for someone, hold the elevator, take time to acknowledge someone of lesser status. Give someone a sincere compliment or praise. Pay the toll for the car behind you. These simple acts of kindness can slow your frantic pace momentarily and give you a chance to get centered. And there’s always the “karma” factor: you feel good when you do good.

Set Aside Time to Meditate. Daily meditation is proven to relieve stress and anxiety while promoting both mental and physical health. Mindfulness meditation is simple and practical. Practice your “now” awareness: you do this sitting, lying down, or even while taking a walk in the outdoors. Focus on the present moment, observing your body, mind and emotions. Refrain from judging, but simply observe each thought or sensation. Allow your senses to record your environment as you relax, breathing slowly. A quick way to begin is to close your eyes, then as you slowly inhale, say, “I am,” and slowly exhale, say, “…relaxed.” Try repeating that statement in sync with your breathing.

Engage in Positive Visualization. The conscious practice of positive visualization is a powerful and effective way to lift your mood, improve your outlook, and increase your confidence. Athletes, artists and entertainers utilize this amazing tool to accomplish goals and increase skills and ability. Visualization works best when you’re totally relaxed. When you visualize, picture yourself in the desired situation, and “act out” the scene carefully, paying attention to each desired detail. You can turbo-charge this by consciously allowing yourself to luxuriate in a strong positive feeling as you guide yourself through the visualization.

Use Positive Self-Talk. Instead of allowing a negative inner monologue to influence or even dominate your emotional life, apply layers of super-positive, self-enhancing statements that will effectively counteract the negative default programming. Use mantras — quick, alliterative phrases that will pump you up and keep your focus optimistic. When I quit doing hard drugs and started my journey back from homelessness and PTSD, I used the mantra, “There’s hope after dope!” Another simple mantra is, “Thank you!” Encourage yourself, be your own best friend and keep a pep talk going through challenges and stress.

Remember to Have Fun. Laugh, play games, joke around and make sure you allow yourself plenty of time for celebrating each and every one of your accomplishments, as well as those of your friends. Practice the art of not taking yourself too seriously. Even when you’re working or doing something serious, cultivate a sense of fun and enjoy the moment. Appreciate other people and give them credit for saying something funny or contributing to a fun vibe or experience.

Harness the Power of Gratitude. Make a gratitude list and read it to yourself daily. Take care to acknowledge and thank people around you that you may be taking for granted. Think of all the good things, nice words, help, money and love you’ve received in life up to this point. Who has taught you, encouraged you, made you laugh, listened to you, and employed you? Breathe in and appreciate the fact that you’re alive. Anticipate and express gratitude for all the promise that life holds for you. Gratitude increases exponentially as you use it, and as you find more and more things to be grateful for, you’ll find yourself wanting to pay it forward to others, completing the gratitude circle.

Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom, the enhanced edition of this darkly funny, dramatic memoir, describes an emerging standup comic’s drug-fueled descent into the underworld, escape from human traffickers, homelessness, and ultimate redemption. With brutal honesty, humor, and clarity, the author vividly describes her experiences as she rides her downward spiral: a near-miss with a notorious serial killer, a series of tragically hilarious misadventures in the California drug world, and a terrifying account of imprisonment at the hands of Japanese organized crime, to name a few.

This revised and re-edited version contains three additional chapters that introduce readers to quirky characters, insights into standup comedy, resilience and recovery, and deliver an inspiring message about healing, hope, and courage to change.

What readers are saying …

“Marti MacGibbon shows readers just how rough the road to redemption is in her gritty memoir of addiction… Her raw, honest, casual, funny voice permeates every page… A dark yet inspiring look at conquering addiction and regaining hope.” –Kirkus Reviews

“Marti’s natural humor and storytelling help balance out the book into a symmetrical tale of both hurt and healing. Never Give in to Fear is a book everyone needs to read. This is not only a book about the danger of drugs, but about the power of the human spirit.” –San Francisco Book Review

“Her narration is funny—she can laugh at her old self, even as she shows the reader the terror and loss she felt in the past… Honest to a fault… captivating from the very first sentence. A memoir that offers hope, even in the worst of times, Never Give in to Fear is a terrific read.” –Claire Foster, Foreword Clarion Reviews

“It’s amazing that Marti MacGibbon survived her harrowing life and had the guts to recount it… not too preachy, the author’s candor and sense of humor keep the pages turning.” –Suzanne Daly, the bohemian.com

Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom
Genre – Biographies & Memoirs
Rating – R
Buy Now @ Amazon

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