Have you ever felt like your personal battles were insurmountable walls keeping you from true peace? Leslie Greene joins us and brings her remarkable story of how God changed her perspective through Revelation Within. Leslie's candid sharing about her weight and body image struggles, and the incredible transformation that unfolded when she chose to weave her faith into the very fabric of her journey, will move and inspire you. Her experiences underscore the profound shift from self-accusation to personal growth and the peace that comes from walking hand in hand with God through life's trials.
Throughout our conversation, Leslie illuminates how personalized scriptures and breath prayers have become her compass in navigating the complex landscape of cravings and emotions. Her story is a testament to how renewing your mind in Christ leads to restored relationships, self-perception, and the cultivation of a grace-filled mindset. Leslie's brave admission of how she turned setbacks into steppingstones for learning, reveals a resilience that resonates deeply, reminding us that our greatest triumphs often lie in the journey, not just the destination.
As we wrap up this heartening discourse, Leslie's gift of vulnerability shines through, highlighting the transformative influence authenticity can have within personal ministry. Her story confirms the need for us all to embrace our identity in Christ and the unique paths God has in store.
Ashley T Lee Podcast Ashley T. Lee Podcast will cover many life issues such as overcoming stress, anxiety...
Learn more about our Revelation Within Community: https://www.revelationwithin.org
Speaker 1:
Hi and welcome to our podcast, revelation Within on the Go.
Speaker 2:
I'm Heidi Biles-Neperson, one of your hosts and the owner and lead coach of the RevelationWithinorg ministry, and I'm Christina Vontley, your other host, also a Revelation Within coach and Heidi's partner in all things Revelation Within, and we are so happy to invite you to this very special episode of Revelation Within. Go on, go on.
Speaker 1:
Well, today is super special. We have a special guest with us, Leslie King. We're so excited, Leslie, you're here.
Speaker 3:
Hello, hello, thank you. I'm excited too.
Speaker 2:
Oh, we're so glad you're here, Leslie. I'm so excited about this time together.
Speaker 1:
All right. So what brought you to us, Leslie?
Speaker 3:
Well, originally it was the weight loss. I was at such a point in my life that I thought I would never, ever overcome this feeling I had with my weight loss, with my body issues, and had tried many, many things and knew finally that I needed to turn to the Lord for this. And so I got on the Internet. I had heard about Judy Halliday's book prior to Revelation Within. I read it many, many years ago and when I really was very desperate, august of 22, I got on the Internet and just Googled Christian weight loss because I knew God had to be in there somewhere. I was just by myself and, sure enough, your website came up and I remembered I had read that book. So I got on the website and I knew I was home. When I heard you both of you speaking, I thought this is where I need to belong and it's like I've had friends that were going to help me get through this. And God has just worked a wonder since I have been a part of Revelation.
Speaker 1:
Within my life. Oh yay, and you are such a source of encouragement to other people in our groups. And to us. Yes, I love it when I see your name pop up. It's fun.
Speaker 2:
What were you really looking for? I mean, I know that you Googled, and actually, leslie, I did the very same thing. That's exactly how I found Heidi. I already had known about Thin Within, but I was looking for something on the website, something I could grab ahold of. And I did the same thing. I Googled, just like you did, anyway. So when you did that, when you punched in those words into the Google, into that bar, what were you looking for? What were you hoping for?
Speaker 3:
I was looking for peace. I had been in such turmoil about my weight and my body issues for so many years. I was just at a point where I've got to find something. I just knew I couldn't do it on my own. And I just gotten back from a dream vacation of hiking in the European Alps with my brother and I loved it, but the whole time there I was obsessing about what I was eating, how much I was eating, and I got back and I said this has got to stop. I've got to start enjoying my life and living in the body that God gave me. And so my initial idea was I needed help. So I came for the food and the issue and the diet thing and found so much more behind all of it. So I just continued to start with. First of all, I took that 30 day class that you have offered, which I've recommended. Fred of mine just joined Revelation Within and she was a little apprehensive about what to do and I said take that 30 day, it's online. Take that class that you guys offered.
Speaker 3:
The way you approached me, it was dealing with the food. That's what I thought. I saw Christina's little six inch plates. I saw Heidi's little lightly clenched fist and I thought, well, those are good tools, I'm going to try that. And that's what it started. But then my whole perception it changed, because I realized I was being affected inwardly and and the Lord was showing me so many things about myself, who I was, and I knew that I could be more in him than I could imagine. Beautiful.
Speaker 2:
That's so, so, so exciting to hear Leslie.
Speaker 1:
So you mentioned when we first started inviting God into this area. Had you not ever before really thought about inviting God into this, or had you just in?
Speaker 3:
work or what. I had been a Christian for many, many years, since I was a teenager, and I just thought this was my problem. This was something I did to my body. I never dreamed that he could be a part of the whole weight loss, because I was. I did this to myself, which I'm now learning. I mean, after all, this time is he wants to be so much a part of this and he purposely gave me this problem so that I would draw to him, but I didn't realize that until just 2022.
Speaker 3:
So that's the all these years. I've gone through so much turmoil and stress because I blame myself and I thought you've got to fix this. God gave you a perfectly beautiful body in the beginning and look what you've done to it. You've got to fix this and I realized that I couldn't. I was absolutely at my lowest point and I knew I couldn't. So he led me. It was a spirit that led me to. We have revelations within and the spirit that continues showing me these wonderful ways and these tools that you have shown us through revelations within, and I just it's been just the Holy Spirit guiding me Awesome.
Speaker 2:
That's amazing. Okay, so you've kind of answered this, but maybe flesh it out a little bit more. What has changed for you? You know, when you kind of look at not just weight, food and eating, but yes, that too but what has changed for you since you came to revelation within?
Speaker 3:
The biggest thing is there's a piece that I have never had before in my life, in my relationship with the Lord and into my life. It's a piece that I know he is with me and because I've seen him work in my life, I'm able to draw on that trust. I realize only he can feel me. There's not any food in the world, any situation in the world where I can't come to him, and I've learned that's the biggest part of it that he created me for a purpose. He created me to be who I am and I think I finally am accepting that and I'm finally seeing that what he's made is good, and so I've come away with so much more.
Speaker 3:
I mean, and to be honest with you, the weight loss has just, believe it or not, it was wonderful when it was happening, but I was in such a state of trying to find out who I was without the food. There was a sadness and loneliness when I started this journey for myself and I used to wonder what am I going to do with myself? What am I going to turn to? I don't have food. And he said turn to me, turn to me. I am your private failure. And there's not anything, any food, any body size or anything in this world that can compare to his love and his grace and acceptance of me. It's not about anything outwardly, it's all inwardly.
Speaker 2:
Wow, wow, wow. That's amazing. How amazing. I mean, how many of us. That is exactly what we're longing for, you know. Oh, leslie, that's beautiful, love it. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:
So how would you say, Leslie, that this time around for you has been different? I mean, you've kind of shared this with us already, but how has it been different than the times you tried losing weight before?
Speaker 3:
I think mainly it's the tools that have been offered through Revelation within. I use them constantly. It's something to grab a hold of because these feelings haven't gone away and they'll never go away this feeling of wanting to use food as a form of satisfaction when I need the Lord. It just it'll be a part of it, and so I'm able to now take these tools that I never had before. I always had diets, weight watchers, whatever. I never had the tools that I really needed to make this work, and the tools are focusing on God.
Speaker 1:
That's all.
Speaker 3:
There's different ways of doing it, but it's focusing on God and feeling your heart and your mind with His I love it.
Speaker 1:
So are there favorite tools that you have that you return to again and again? Maybe you could share what they are and a little description of how you use them. My manual is huge.
Speaker 3:
I use the scriptures and I personalize them Breath prayers has become my go-to. It has helped me in so many ways. I've and I have told people about it because it's been such a big help to get rid of some of those areas in my life that I have anxiety over, but I think a lot of it is. God is good and I love that when I'm walking I'll just look around and think how, how wonderful he is and and he's so good in every aspect of my life. I do love personalizing the scriptures. I think that's a huge part of when I'm reading the scriptures I personalize them. When my my mom recently passed away, I sat there and I personalized songs for her. I put her name in those and it brought such peace to me and I know her, even though I don't know if she heard it. But personalizing is what God wants us to do with scripture. Yes, and that's been a huge, huge help in my my journey and getting beyond the whole issues of body image and eating and trying to find a replacement for that.
Speaker 1:
Have you found that this is affecting other aspects of your life, not just food, eating and body image?
Speaker 3:
Yes, it is. I didn't realize it, but it's affected my past forgiveness of people and what I have thought were truths, little lies about myself. I'm just finding that out this week Body image workshop, that we're the book that we're going through. I've had a much better relationship with my husband because I love myself more. Oh good, I give grace to people because I feel kinder towards people, because I'm kinder towards myself. Yes, I feel quieter in my mind because I'm coming to the Lord more often. There's so many areas of my life that I am just finding a presence of acceptance and intolerance of others. It's definitely hit every area of my life. There's not one, there's not one area I can say that I haven't changed for the better in growing in him and just just all that he has. He has waiting for me, yay.
Speaker 2:
That is just so beautiful, so beautiful, leslie. Okay, so I'm going to ask maybe a harder question and I know that this is on a lot of people's minds, probably, who are listening. Do you ever mess up and I know you do, because there's no way to be perfect. But, leslie, what do you do with your mess ups and failures? You have found so much peace and freedom in your journey, which is just amazing to hear about. So how do you deal with the ups and downs? How do you deal with your mess ups?
Speaker 3:
That is such a good question because I love thinking about how this has affected me. Look and learn tool has been my go to and I do mess up. I have daily mess ups, but I stop after that mess up and I look at why did I do it. But first of all, what did I do wrong? Or where was my mind at that time when I was doing that? Was I hungry? Was I, was I not hungry? Or, as my son-in-law said, did I have a snack attack or a snack accident? Actually called it a snack accident.
Speaker 3:
Well, you just think you need something. You don't really you're not hungry. And where was, where was my mind at the time and why did I need that? And then might tell myself it's okay, I'll start again next time and I wait until I'm hungry and I have another chance. I have many, many chances to correct that and I love that. I'm not an all or nothing doomsday girl. When I choose to eat something that I I'm not hungry or overeat, something outside of my zero to five, I can start over again. It's not a lost cause and that's the biggest thing that I have come through from my past, because we always started diets when we were younger, and then we'd eat something in the morning while I blew it.
Speaker 3:
Guess that's it. I'll start again tomorrow, but today I'm going to enjoy and eat whatever I want, which was an enjoyment. It was just torture, but anyway, that's another story.
Speaker 3:
So I stop and I'm able to go on and not repeat the mistake the next meal, and then I love the fact that I honor the lord, I obey him, and there's such a good feeling about that that's. Another positive feeling that I have come away with is the feeling of knowing that I'm in his will, I'm obeying him. It brings me peace. That guilt feeling isn't there anymore because I'm not going somewhere when he doesn't want me to go.
Speaker 2:
Oh, I love that so much. Thank you, leslie, you just shared that so beautifully, thank you.
Speaker 1:
So, leslie, have you experienced? I know you have Experienced any physical changes and while Revelation Within is not about weight loss, I know it's on the minds of many people. They want to know yeah, but did she lose weight? And I know that's part of your story, so would you share that?
Speaker 3:
Yes, yes, the weight was really a wonderful part of the whole process, but it wasn't the only process, you know. I thought well, if I lost the weight, my life would be easier. Yeah, all my dreams would come true right.
Speaker 3:
Actually, because I wasn't addressing what was really wrong and that was my heart and where I was with the lord. I realized that, you know, this body, although my weight is where I want to be, it's just a shell. It doesn't cover what my heart and my soul it. It doesn't bring me perfect peace. God brings me perfect peace.
Speaker 3:
He's the solid rock that I see hey it's wonderful to feel healthy, and I have actually physically. I mean, my body is healthier and I have less heartburn. I have stopped drinking as much wine because I realized that that too was again another Area of my life that I kind of substituted when I stopped eating the food. So that's been a process, and then God led me to have upset stomachs and so these things all came back to. I'm the only one you can come to, there's nothing else. So even though the physical part of it is outwardly oh and outwardly appearance, it's not it's just kind of like an addition to what's really happening within my heart and my soul you said that we started about.
Speaker 1:
The desire for weight loss gets you here, but then something shifts.
Speaker 3:
I'd love to oh, you realize that there's so much more, that the weight loss wasn't the problem. It was, and it was internal. It was. It was just a symptom of how I was feeling.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 3:
And so I came for the weight loss. But then I found out it wasn't the weight loss, it was so much more. It was what my heart was about and. Then that's been biggest thing and I wish everybody could hear that, could find that in their life as well, because it hurts. Not to address the heart issue. I've come out, you know, in a physical way, because your heart is hurting. I just so wish everybody could find that and you do find it in the Lord. That's the answer.
Speaker 2:
Yes, oh, thank you, Leslie, that's awesome. Okay, so now you've talked about some physical changes that you've experienced. So what are some non weight related changes that you've experienced, leslie?
Speaker 3:
Well, I think one area that's been huge in my life has been anxiety. I think that led me to a lot of the problems that I had in my life, but I'm finding that now going to the Lord and my renewal, releasing the lies that I have believed about myself, that has definitely allowed myself the ability to come to the Lord to calm and release the anxiety. Breath prayers has been huge and that was a significant by Heidi is to get that book and and or start using that and I can be in the worst anxiety situation and I just start the breath prayers and breathing in the scripture and breathing out his truth changes. That is a non weight related item because, yes, I physically feel better.
Speaker 3:
It blows my mind that there was something out there like that and. I didn't know about. I'm just incredibly blessed to have.
Speaker 2:
Well, I just I love that, leslie, because I think so many people are struggling with issues of anxiety right now, especially after COVID and with all that's going on in the world, and there's just a lot, a lot to be anxious about right now and in our lives and challenges and struggles. So I think a lot of people can relate to that. I certainly can. So I really appreciate you talking about that. Thank you so much, leslie.
Speaker 1:
So, leslie, how would you say your view of yourself and how you believe that God sees you has shifted.
Speaker 3:
Well, visually, when I look in the mirror now, I see myself differently. I'm not as critical. I notice my eyes first of all and they are beautiful I used to be so critical of myself and now I just look in the mirror and I think Lord you made me. You made me just as I am and I'm just learning to see myself through his eyes. That's the biggest thing, just not feeling this constant. I'm not good enough, I'm not where I should be, I'm not pretty enough.
Speaker 3:
I'm not where. I'm just seeing how he sees me and I smile at myself and I say, I say Lord, you're here with me, and it's just, it's total body, it's total acceptance of who I am, I think, and I'm not there. Yet it's a daily struggle, but I've never felt this way in my life before. In fact, my son-in-law said you know, I've just known him, you know, for four or five years. And he said I've seen pictures of you when you're younger and you're getting more beautiful as you age.
Speaker 2:
And I thought oh, that's because he's talking to me.
Speaker 3:
He sees the Lord, I mean my being content with the Lord, and I and I didn't say oh, oh, really, I said in my head I'm saying that's true, I do feel I feel more beautiful as a person and I was that sweet of him. I thought you know.
Speaker 2:
Oh, that is, that is amazing. That is beautiful, so beautiful.
Speaker 3:
I love that. That just happened last week, he told me that. And I thought, wow, I said that's an incredible thing to say, and it's an incredible thing for me to accept it and say, wow, yeah, I do feel more beautiful, and not physically, just my radiance. And that's what I mean, it's my radiance.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's the name of our plan, or radiant grace.
Speaker 2:
Yes, and you know what? We've seen that in you, leslie. We've seen that just grow and grow and grow, yes, but it's true, and we've seen that change happen with other people that come to us too, and it's like you know, they come just feeling so hopeless and so sad and down on themselves and anxious, and then, as the weeks go by and we're renewing our minds and turning to the Lord and, like you said, that radiance just starts to come out. It's beautiful.
Speaker 3:
I love that In the podcast that you do weekly, I hear that whenever you interview someone I don't get a chance to really get to know them. But when you interview them, then I get to know them and I see, oh wow, that has changed. And just when they first started. You know, even though I've only been coming for over a year, some of these newer people, I think, gosh, that's amazing, the change that God makes in us.
Speaker 2:
Oh, I love it. How has your relationship with the Lord changed since being a part of Revelation within, renewing your mind about who you are and you know just all that you've learned? How has that most important relationship changed?
Speaker 3:
Well, it's been huge. Like I said, I've been a Christian for so long but I had never had this kind of relationship that I have now with the Lord. My joy is in obedience and that has never been a part of my life. I've always felt like I've got to do this, I've got to do that to be a good person. But now my obedience brings me joy. I want to please Him, I want to walk with Him in faith and obedience, and I'm so grateful to have learned this now in my life. If I had waited or never learned it, it adds to my daily walk with Him. And I wake up in the morning and think, lord, what have you got planned for me? Even if I've got a lot of it to do, I think, lord, be with me, go with me, and the excitement is that I don't have all that guilt and all that junk to take with me. I just wake up and say, okay, lord, what is it you would have for?
Speaker 3:
me today I walk closer with Him and I feel like I know Him yet.
Speaker 1:
I've got to interject another question. If a person said, yeah, all this mind or null stuff, I just want to lose the weight, what would you say to them if they were like no, I don't want to, that's just a bunch of gobbledygook, a bunch of whatever. I just want to lose the weight and they love Jesus. But that's what they say. What would you encourage them with?
Speaker 3:
What if, through my renewal, you could lose the weight but you could grow closer to the Lord and that would become your priority? I would encourage them to that. It's hard to tell someone who's just set on I just want to lose weight and be fine, because inwardly that's where the herd is. It's hard to tell someone that they want quick, let's get this weight gone, but they always gain it back.
Speaker 3:
And until you accept the Lord and what he wants to show you through the weight and the body image and the food issues, will it ever come off? Will you ever truly be free?
Speaker 1:
What is the thing that rises to the top? If you could be sure that anybody listening could grab ahold of one thing that you want to convey to them, what would that one thing be?
Speaker 3:
I would say that your weight issues, your food issues, whatever's going on in your life, is there because God wants to use it. It's a blessing, and God wants to use it to bring you closer to Him, and it's hard to see it that way at the time, but that is what I would tell them that he wants you to see that he is the only answer and through this weakness he becomes strong. You rely on Him and I absolutely believe that now and I've told other people that it's not been a curse, it's been a blessing, because now I'm where he wants me to be and I mean, we've seen that time in time where people have had trials and tribulations in their life only to say I'd rather be here, I've gone through it than not to have gone through it.
Speaker 3:
And I think Joni Erickson is the perfect example of that I know.
Speaker 2:
these girls know who she is.
Speaker 3:
She was injured in a wheelchair, but I will never forget what she said I'd rather be in this chair, knowing God, than not walking around and not knowing Him. And that's where I feel like what I walk away with in the end of the day is that. Thank you, lord, for showing me, through my struggles, that you are my strength and my purpose.
Speaker 2:
Wow, oh, leslie.
Speaker 3:
You, too, have been such inspiration in my life. God led me to you and I would not, honestly and I give the Holy Spirit credit for this I would not be where I am without you, two girls, and without Revelation within. I would not. I would not have been able to find this journey without you guys. I can take you wherever I am because we're online. I will never lose you guys, because you'll always be there and I have the tools that you've given me and I love the support that you give, and I'm praying so much that this community will grow, because it really is the answer to so many people that are out there looking for these ways to be happy and lose weight and be comfortable and be confident. It's God that brings us to this point and you guys have just. You're phenomenal. You're a ministry we always think of ministries as helping third worlds or whatever but what you're doing in my life and in so many others, that's where God wants you completely and you give us all just so much joy.
Speaker 2:
That's amazing. No, you know, we're just regular girls.
Speaker 3:
I know you are, but you're so transparent about what you've all been through, and that lets us be transparent too. We don't have to hide anymore, and that's another thing that, no matter what, I always know that I think that's what makes it easy to say whatever we want to say to you guys is because you've been there before, you are always open about who you are, and that makes us open about who we are, and that's what God wants. He wants us all to be transparent in him. You know, be who we are, be who he made us.
Speaker 1:
Yes, thank you so much for doing this with us today.
Speaker 2:
Thank you so much for being here, leslie, so we hope that something that was shared here encouraged you today. Of course, it did. I know We've been so, so blessed to have Leslie with us today, and we hope that you'll join us for our next episode of Revelation Within no Go, go, go, go, go, alright, bye.