Alright, let's do this thing together...

Those are the words of encouragement provided by a talking punching bag in my daughter's Wii Fit video game. I hear them echoing frequently through my head as I pray through this idea of an online small group. Who knew God's voice could sometimes sound like that?

I am not sure how we're going to do "Guided By Him" (GBH) here, but I am very open to ideas and suggestions - even your criticisms! My goal is to prayerfully support you as we walk through this life lesson together. God has called us here for a purpose - let's make the most of it!

I'll start with a brief introduction (and I'll ask you to do the same!). My name is Myra. I'm a 40-coughcough-something mother of two and I own two The UPS Stores with my husband Jeff. My children are Jake, 18, a freshman at the University of Alabama (and on the Dean's List for his first semester, thankyouverymuch) and Claire, 16, a junior at Wellspring Academy in Brevard, NC. She's my inspiration for becoming who God wants me to be and really where my story starts now.

Some of you may have seen the show "Too Fat for Fifteen: Fighting Back" on Style Network - it is about this current generation of children who will not live to be as old as us, the parents, because of childhood obesity. Wellspring began in California as a boarding school for these children, then spread across the country to North Carolina. Here, the students have not only their curriculum (they are accredited) but they learn how to live more active lives. They have three activity periods each day, are required to wear pedometers (goal = 10,000 per day) and have culinary classes to help them learn to eat in the big bad world outside the campus. But to me, the most important part of the program is the counseling. Students meet once a week with a therapist and twice a week with a peer accountability group.

We took Claire to Wellspring in October. She weighed in at 212 lbs (she's 4'10"), carrying emotional baggage that the scales couldn't measure. She is severely learning disable - ADHD - but also extremely bright - formerly in the gifted programs. She also has bipolar tendencies and social issues.

To say she isn't the same child I dropped off on that cool fall morning is an understatement: Her transformation is nothing short of miraculous. Within three weeks, she was baptized at at a small community church. She has become team captain for this semester and is an A/B Honor Roll student. She is working on getting her Varsity letter in Field Hockey (previous activities, at home, consisted of walking to the kitchen, then back to her room, to spend hours on the Internet). The 40+ pounds she has shed are minor when taken into the whole of her metamorphosis.

So, now we come to why I'm here. When Claire comes home in May, I want to have a support group in place - you - who can help keep her whole. Her counselor suggested we call on Claire's faith to use as a basis for her after-care, and I'd love to use this group as a springboard to launch a similar group for teens who have struggled like Claire has. I plan to use our trial and error, our successes and failures, to develop a group for girls who need a place to vent, rant, elate, exalt, and be loved unconditionally, as we are called by Christ to do.

My prayer, as a leader, is Ephesians 4:29 - 32 (NIV)

²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

So join in by posting your comments below (click the "comments" link - I hope it takes you to a block). Be patient with me as I work through the kinks - I'm new to all this stuff, too!