I AM F.E.D. was established four years ago. It came as a surprise to me. I was standing in my kitchen one morning preparing breakfast when God spoke to me. It was that quiet voice He uses inside our hearts. He told me I was going to write a book and talk to others about healthy living. No matter who you are, when God calls you, you are compelled to answer. I immediately jumped into action. I mean God told me I was going to write, with Him on my side this would be an easy task, right? Wrong. God often calls us and then puts us in the trenches and teaches us many lessons before we can fulfill our calling. Being His faithful servant took on a whole new meaning for me as He was asking me to go out of my comfort zone and step blindly into an area in which I was unfamiliar. I answered God’s call, at times, kicking and screaming and questioning why He would call me to do something I had no experience doing. One of the days that I was arguing with God about my new calling I told Him I did not have a name for it. He immediately replied I AM F.E.D. What a title! I understood the Fed part. It was an acronym for Faith, Exercise, and Diet and then it hit me The Great I AM feeds us. If we do not know Him, we cannot be fed properly. We may be able to keep our physical bodies in good shape, but our spiritual and emotional bodies will starve. Since this time He has made it evident that He loves to show His glory when we are faithful and let Him lead us. This journey has been one of the most adventurous rides I have ever taken. I have met people I would never have met without this journey, I have learned more about writing than I have ever cared to know and I stand in awe of how God can open locked doors and make the impossible possible. I have fallen head over heels in love with our God and see myself in a whole new light. I am the daughter of the King. I am God’s princess.
At the time when I heard God’s voice, I thought it happened quickly, and it came as a surprise to me. As I look back at my life, I now see how God has been preparing me for this leg of my journey for over 25 years. There are so many things that God put into place. He used experiences that when we try and go through alone can be devastating and yet, when He is involved can have marvelous outcomes and change our lives forever. I went to school to be a physical therapist and have worked in this field for over 35 years. I loved my job and saw myself retiring from this field and hoped to make nature photography my hobby. I would often tell people “when I retire I want to travel the country and take pictures to publish a book of what I see.” I now know God was looking down at me shaking His head and smiling thinking if she only knew what my plans are for her she would put down the camera and run the other way. I now use my photography to proclaim His Word. As my boys got older a way I found to stay connected with them was by working on home projects. Thus, I now have an understanding of the basics needed to construct a building. The foundation I needed to write the books on Rebuilding our Temples. Although we often want to see all God’s plans for our lives up front, He knows these plans could overwhelm us, paralyze us with fear and cause us never to fulfill them. Thus, He spoon feeds us and builds our confidence so we can make the next leap.
The final event which led up to my new calling was my receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer. Anyone who has heard the “C” word knows how that word can shake you to your core. It changes how you see life and often causes a person to reevaluate their priorities. For me, it was no different. The day of the diagnosis I vowed to give up all “junk” food and would get back to eating as my chiropractor father had taught me. I spent a lot of time in the gym and exercising. I invested much of my free time into researching diet and exercise. I also spent time in prayer and getting to know God personally. Building this relationship was the turning point of my life. When I gave God control, and He overhauled me. He not only healed me physically but also spiritually and emotionally. I learned to forgive and to enjoy life. One of my doctors told me I was an anomaly because I experienced very few side effects from chemotherapy. I know better. It was my commitment to my new lifestyle that changed me. People around me were noticing the chances. I not only was in the best physical shape having lost 60 pounds but I was also more at peace and calmer. People wanted God to transform their lives too.
All this led up to this ministry. The I AM F.E.D. ministry is dedicated to empowering people to live life to the fullest through FAITH, exercise, and diet. Knowing God’s love and seeing ourselves as lovable is the key ingredient to pursuing a healthy lifestyle and fulfilling our calling that God has given us.
I would love to hear your story. Contact me at Faithexercisediet.com
With love, your sister in Christ,
Laurie K. Dahle