Part of The 50 Million Pound Challenge is getting more churches involved. To that end, I had the pleasure of visiting and speaking at Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City. It was a Sunday I will not forget. Rev. Bernadine Ladson was the guest speaker at 9 AM morning service. She took to the pulpit with authority and grace only God can provide.
With passion and poise, Rev. Ladson re-acquainted the congregation with the story of Esther and her calling to save her people. Esther was "called to the edge” to convince her husband, King Xerxes, to have mercy on the Jews—and she did so against all odds.
The crux of Rev. Ladson’s message, and the story of Esther, reveal that we are all called to love God and to love others as ourselves. This effort to selflessly love others calls us to “the edge”.
As I thought about the message, I naturally began to wonder about The Challenge. The two relate to each other in a profound way, so allow me to ask: is it possible to understand how to love God and others when we are not taking care of our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies?
The Challenge isn’t the ultimate answer, BUT it does help us understand how to get there if we engage in it. The Challenge calls us to an edge that enables us to love what God has freely given us… our lives, families, and families.
I’m writing this, in full appreciation of the message presented on Sunday, and I am encouraged to share how critical our movement is to us and our children. The Challenge saves lives. It helps us love God and others by helping us learn how to love ourselves.
The Challenge helps us cultivate habits that enable us to love well. We all know that to love isn’t easy, and it requires commitment. Love balances being gentle and kind with being bold and disciplined. Love takes work because it asks us to be selfless, and that battle takes place… at the edge.My dear Challenge Family, at this very moment we are called to an edge that brings us face to face with the subtle, unhealthy evils that are destroying us… one life at a time.
I hope that you understand what we are about and why we’re taking on The 50 Million Pound Challenge with passion. We are through allowing preventable illnesses to take away too early the ones we love so much. We are tired of diabetes, heart disease, and stoke afflicting our bodies and causing us pain. So we are living at the edge.
I urge you to renew yourselves and remember why you’re with us in The Challenge. Let’s make the choices that help us live longer, healthier, and happier lives.
Tell everyone you know that we need them to join our historic fight at www.50millionpounds.com.
Yours in The Challenge,
Dr, Ian
Comments (4)
Hey good stuff...keep up the good work! :)
Posted by Bill Bartmann Scam | September 5, 2009 12:01 PM
Posted on September 5, 2009 12:01
I thank God for Dr.Ian
i am looking for the new celebrity fit club
an i have your books,but i have been losing
weight an gaining it back so at the start of the year,i had to be fitted for a wedding i was
like 250 pounds..i told the lady to order my dress two size smaller they said no,so when we went back an i need it taken in on both size
right now i am 212 pounds my goal for me is to be under 200lb by nov 17 my birth day if i can do that then the next 40 pounds will be a breeze for me i will never give up i like most black wemon have a family history of high blood
preasure, high blood sugar,my family has real
heart failure my mother has and my 22 year old cusin died from it so did my 35 year old cusin,an my uncle who did drugs in the past who is 44 was sent him to die because he cant get a heart transplant if you ever did drugs before so i must lose the weight now,its not the weight in his case but being over weight dont help, i am 38 an my grand child she is 8 months an the says she has somthing wrong with her heart.i know God is a healer.i will reach my goal we need a work out group here in fort.worth i need a buddy to walk with
Posted by lisa | October 15, 2007 11:59 PM
Posted on October 15, 2007 23:59
I'm sorry, but it is a battle! I don't think it is negative. It is possitive to have a battle to look forward to and conquer it by reversing that negativity to positivity and the only way to do that is giving the Battle to the Lord because it's not ours to fight!
God is good to me and with that in mind I can do all things as he strengthens me.
Thank U Dr. Ian for your view and making it our mission! It's a very slow process FOR ME, but I am going to make it well worth the result!
Peace & Love & Blessing's
Ms. Dell from Pgh, Pa!
Posted by Ms. Dell | October 9, 2007 8:01 AM
Posted on October 9, 2007 08:01
love has nothing to do with it.
You been saying love for centuries
and it does no good.
Think differently.......at least try it
and if doesn't work you can go back to
you love solution.
Use your mind not love.......exercise at least 3 times a week and change your diet.
Remember it is not a battle....that is to negative. It is leading a healty lifestyle
over a period of years and the results will come.
Love will not get you there. You have to make the choice no one else.
God does not need your love.....think about it
that is only a human emeotion or word that
if you haven't figured out fades.
Here why don't you first try just liking yourself and others.
Love ultimately creates hate......they have to balance out
Now do it human .......
Posted by deod | October 4, 2007 2:02 PM
Posted on October 4, 2007 14:02