Category: The Journey

These are general entires about where I am in my life process and journey with Jesus, and thoughts on new lessons I’m learning.

Parenting in the Wake of an Eating Disorder

 

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“Carbs and sugar. All she wants are carbs and sugar,” I huffed at Ryan as we attempted to cram peas and chicken into Summer’s mouth. I wanted her to want meat and vegetables, yet she would grasp for tortillas and cookies and pieces of bread. All trigger foods for me.

As I felt these words falling from my lips, I realized I was responding to Summer out of my broken past. I was not viewing her desire as an attempt to taste and explore solids, but rather as a desire to binge – a concept foreign to a 9 month old.

Continue reading “Parenting in the Wake of an Eating Disorder” →

Eating Disorders in Bed

 

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WARNING: I share these intimate details of my life with hesitation and caution, knowing the great risks associated with sharing such information. I share my story because I desperately want to normalize the hardships that accompany marriages involving a partner with an Eating Disorder. I want to impart hope to couples that are struggling through the relational dance that can feel tangling and disappointing, at times. It is not easy to share these personal details with such a broad audience, so I pray you will consider my story with sensitivity and grace, knowing that every experience and every path is different. So, if you are someone who would take offense or feel uncomfortable reading about my sex life, I encourage you to move along. For others, I pray this entry imparts hope. I pray for those who have found themselves suffering in a relationship impacted by an Eating Disorder – that you would experience personal healing, a fun marital friendship, and the sexual fulfillment God intends for you to have.

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Loving Through Disorder

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Today is the day I have been waiting for.  Today is the day I get to introduce you all to the most amazing man in the world – my husband – Ryan Hudson! This incredibly strong, courageous and tender-hearted man of God has been generous enough to share his experience of my eating disorder from the spouse’s perspective.

I cannot lie – just last night we held hands on the couch with tears in our eyes as we reflected on how far God has carried us. As we re-visited some of the darkest moments of my eating disorder, we were reminded of the soul-level scarring this disorder inflicted on us individually and on our marriage. We celebrate how greatly God has redeemed and restored us as individuals, and how he has touched our marriage in the years following this disorder.

I pray you will take time to read Ryan’s words, particularly if you are supporting someone with an eating disorder. I pray that his story helps to normalize your experience and breathe hope into your journey.

Continue reading “Loving Through Disorder” →

Eating Disorders: The Roots and a Framework for Healing

I am amazed at the amount of comments and questions I have received regarding Eating Disorders since launching Livinguncovered.com. Questions like, “how do I overcome? How do I connect in marriage and relationships? How do I engage my sexuality in the midst of this battle? How do I keep my eating disorder from affecting my parenting?”

The conversations that have surfaced in the wake of publishing this blog have been intense, and powerfully relevant.

My disclosure: the content I plan to discuss will not be adequately explored in one, or even multiple, blog entries. I pray the limited information I share based on my experience and studies will be practical and helpful to those who are struggling with Eating Disorders, as well as their support system. If you find yourself experiencing thought patterns relevant to Eating Disorders or are engaging in obsessive-compulsive feelings/behaviors around body image, please seek professional help. You can search https://therapists.psychologytoday.com/ to find a therapist to suit your needs, or you can consider online counseling through a forum like www.betterhelp.com.

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Continue reading “Eating Disorders: The Roots and a Framework for Healing” →

Eating Disorders in Marriage

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The most devastating impact my Eating Disorder has had on my life has been within my marriage. Of course, the toll the disease has had on my body is disturbing. The healing my spirit and mind have required has been exhausting and intense. But the affect the disease has had on the most sacred and precious relationship in my life – my marriage – has been the most unexpected upset.

When Eating Disorders begin to take root nobody warns you that your relationships will suffer and that you will lose touch with Love. You find that out in the most inopportune moments – like on your honeymoon, or shopping as a couple, or when you get pregnant, or when your child indulges on your trigger food. These are the moments when you realize the breadth and depth of this disorder and how it impacts those around you.

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Diagnosing a Nation

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:25

Eating Disorders (ED) have become an epidemic.

In order to see the number of people suffering from EDs diminish, we must better understand the causes, the warning signs, the all-consuming nature, and dynamic evils at the core of EDs.

EDs have the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses.

Every 62 minutes at least one person dies as a direct result of an eating disorder. (1)

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A Worthy Resolution

“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9

Happy New Year! Is it just me or do we need a new year? Most people I know are welcoming 2017 with an unprecedented embrace. If 2016 was a good year for you, you’re welcome. The rest of us sent you our good…

(Just kidding. That’s not a thing. And most of us can, in fact, dig some good out of this year if we tried.)

As 2017 comes upon us, I sense an unparalleled longing within most people to shed the toxic substances that clung to us this year almost as fervently as a molting insect.

Of course, there will be the common attempts to attain a physically healthy lifestyle. When things feel icky we tend to grasp for the physical elements within our realm of control: often, our weight and overall appearance.

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10 Hacks for Life with a Newborn

“Raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare” -Ed Asner

One of my dearest friends is going to have a baby within the next two weeks. My insides are about to implode with excitement for them!

We are going to have a little boy in our midst and I know my Summershine and her fur-brother are going to be so excited when they find out – there’s nothing like shepherding little world-changers alongside your besties.

In honor of my sweet friend, Kailey, I’m sharing 10 hacks I discovered for life with a newborn:

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I’m Unfit for Motherhood

It’s been one year. A year that I will never forget. A year that is leaving deep imprints on my soul.

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Moving into motherhood, I knew I had nothing figured out. I knew I was clueless and that it was going to be hard and that I was going to need friends and family to come alongside us on the journey. I remember questioning the basics: Do I really know how to change a diaper? Am I supposed to burp her if she falls asleep or just let her be? Do I heat the bottle up in the microwave or on the stovetop or under water? Does any of this matter?

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Like Babies Playing with Power Tools

Summer’s hands pressed against the edge of the door as she was trying to finagle it open. She knew her daddy was on the other side doing woodwork and she wanted to watch. Baylor also paced looking at me as if to beg, “please can we go?”

I cracked open the door and asked Ryan if we could join him. He nodded, letting me know our presence was okay. I grabbed a few candy canes and followed Summer outside. There, we played soccer and watched Ryan work under the rumbles of the power tools.

Ryan paused with the saw and moved over to another tool. During the transition, I ran indoors to grab a toy. The silence felt piercing in the wake of his power tools.

While inside, I heard Ryan’s fierce, loud cry, “NOOO! Get away right now. That is never okay. Bad. Do not touch.”

His tone sent a chill down my spine.

Continue reading “Like Babies Playing with Power Tools” →