Illinois

One day in early March 2002, I (Nancy Gable) picked up a colorful flyer that arrived in the mail. It caught my interest because it was an invitation to a Bible prophecy seminar starting later in the month. My husband and I were not churchgoers, but we had a special interest in the prophecies of Revelation. This seminar would cover the prophecies of Daniel and include several topics about which we had questions.

Through the series of meetings, we listened, learned, and questioned. When the series was completed, we were invited to attend weekly Bible study sessions to learn more. Sometimes we had questions about the things we were learning, and the pastor would come to our home to help us get answers. Our grown son, Jeremy, sometimes joined us during these home studies.

As I became convicted of the Sabbath truth, I began to make changes in my life so I could start keeping the Sabbath. Jeremy was also learning, and he, too, began to turn away from working on the Sabbath.

When our study group completed the Revelation studies, we decided to focus on biblical teachings for healthful living, primarily healthful eating. I was particularly interested in that topic because I had been trying to lose weight and wanted to make a lifestyle change that would not only take off the weight but would keep it off for good. Through our studies, we learned about the good foods that the Creator gave us for healthy living and why many of the foods in our American diet are not good for us. We received and shared recipes for healthy eating and sampled many delicious new foods.

As we learned how to eat healthfully, I began to change my diet. Soon, I was losing weight without counting anything and without going hungry. I had more variety in my diet than ever before, at less cost, and my cravings and urges to nibble between meals were disappearing.

Having learned that caffeine and artificial sweeteners were unhealthy, I knew that I should give up drinking soda—my preferred drink for over 30 years. I prayed for help in dealing with this addiction, but wasn't yet truly committed to giving it up. One day we ran out of soda and would have no money to buy more for several days. I knew that if I could go without soda that long, I could give it up for good. With no soda to drink, I substituted lemon water when I wanted a flavored drink. Without the soda, I experienced a constant mild headache for three days from caffeine withdrawal, but successfully gave up the soda for good. Jesus had answered my prayer.

My relationship with Jesus was growing, and I made the decision to be baptized. Jesus was changing my life, and as I prepared for baptism, I was surprised at changes I didn't even intend to make. I found that I now preferred Christian music to the music that I had previously enjoyed, which was no longer enjoyable. Even my blood pressure improved.

Jeremy, too, was making changes in his life and growing in his relationship with Jesus. He had signed up for the Army, and just before leaving for Basic, he decided he wanted to be baptized, but there was insufficient time for him to prepare. While he was in Receiving (pre-Basic preparations), he joined a small group of recruits who were studying the Bible. As questions arose, Jeremy quickly located the Bible passages that provided answers. He was soon nicknamed "Preacher."

When Jeremy came home for Christmas, he was as committed as ever to leading a Christian life, including keeping the Sabbath and being baptized. He knew that keeping the Sabbath would be especially difficult while in Basic, but he was committed and prepared himself for whatever consequences he would face when he returned to Basic and took his stand.

Jeremy and I were baptized December 27, 2003. By the time I was baptized, I had lost 46 lbs. with the biblical principles of abundant living and Jesus' help. We praise God for that colorful flyer (the little seed) that came in the mail and changed our lives.

Nancy Gable, new member of the Savanna (Illinois) Church