During the next couple of months, it is my intention to share with you this journey more diligently..the journey that began a couple of weeks ago when I posted that God has revealed to me that I have made this (again) more about food and weight than about DELIGHTING in Him. In order to focus on feasting on the Lord, on turning to HIM for my satisfaction, in slaking the thirst in my heart that is really what life is about, I decided to get out a workbook. It isn’t a Thin Within workbook. Having been one of the writers of Thin Within, I occasionally like to enjoy something that I didn’t have a thing to do with! I mean that with all humility and appreciation. But I have gone through the TW workbook and the book about 10 times each…and while God always brings me something new and I LOVE the material, I felt like this time he was guiding me to something different.

So a clarification…while I will share about a different workbook here, I do so with hesitation. I will explain that in a minute.

I have NO such hesitation about Thin Within. 🙂 Any of the materials associated with the Thin Within ministry, anything with the Hallidays’ name on it…is definitely, in my view, God-touched.

In fact, I think the same is true of the material I will share about on this blog over the next couple of months…and I will explain my hesitation along the way. For a couple of weeks, I have grappled with whether I should even mention this or not. But I feel God leading me to do so…so, I will share my journey through a “non-Thin Within” workbook! 🙂

I realize that ANY workbook, program, teaching can be misconstrued, misapplied, misinterpreted…and the one I will share about is no exception even on its own. But this is even more so the case because this workbook has an online version of it that is available for free. But frankly…I feel like there IS a cost involved…it is risky. When a person signs up to do the free version, they are assigned a “mentor.” This is, of course, a wonderful idea and often turns out beautifully (as it did for me when I went through it last spring).

But it is just as likely that a human mentor can flavor the experience negatively…and that happened for me about 6 years ago when I first tried the online version.

So…that said, I highly recommend NOT giving in to the temptation to using the FREE version. Instead, I HIGHLY recommend that a person purchase The Lord’s Table in the workbook version from Amazon or some other source.

If a person goes with the online program and is assigned a mentor who is, for instance, a bit legalistic, this will totally ensnare a person…or it can potentially. The material isn’t legalistic when taken alone. The online program doesn’t allow for a person NOT to have a mentor.

Let me be specific. Of the 5 or 6 different mentors that people I know of have been assigned (including myself 2 times), all but one of them has affected the participant with an all out legalistic approach to the material. This grieves my heart as I believe the material in The Lord’s Table is definitely God-touched! So please…don’t run to the free version because I recommend the material so highly. I would hate to think that someone is ensnared in legalism because of a recommendation they thought I made…

But please do consider the WRITTEN workbook called by the same name: The Lord’s Table. Here…a link to find it at Amazon…please make my day by buying the workbook…and do NOT sign up for the online program…pretty please!!!! I know that many people probably LOVE the online program, but in my experience with friends who have come out of legalism and dieting mentalities, all but ONCE, The Lord’s Table online experience has been *detrimental* and they had to bail.

So that said, and disclaimers hopefully suitably stated and heeded :-), I will be sharing daily (it is my hope) how God is using this material in a fresh new way…cuz BOY is he!!!! I love that about God!

Just a recap…I will be sharing about the workbook called The Lord’s Table. There is a print version available and I recommend it. The free version online is the same, but comes with a mentor who may negatively color the experience for you…so please don’t consider this a recommendation to sign up for that. It is most definitely NOT a recommendation for the online program. (My apologies to many folks who may read this and take issue with my statement. I would love to hear from you about how positive your experience with a mentor has been. I just haven’t heard many stories like that so must speak about it…)

Lord, may my words here not hinder anyone in their walk. You know I have struggled with sharing about how you are using this material in my life out of concern…yet I know that this material may be precisely the trigger that flips the switch to help someone walk in freedom. I must trust you with the results…this is in your care, Lord. I hope that my words don’t come across as unloving. Certainly, Lord, as humans we are frail…and any of us may come across in ways we aren’t even aware. Please, Lord, keep us free from legalism…from trying to win your approval through our deeds or behavior. Thank you that in Christ we have your full 100% approval. I pray that we might sense your grace and love afresh and that, as we do, we might desire to show you how much we love you by the way we live our lives. As I am even slightly aware of all you have done and do for me, I want to commit my life and actions and thoughts and desires to you…may my life reflect the fact that I am so thankful and grateful for all you do for me. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.