Are you tired of starting over on your health journey? Do you feel like every diet begins with hope but ends in defeat? In this episode, we’ll show you how inviting God into your weight loss journey can change everything. Jes and Martin explain why Phoenix Chronicles isn’t a diet—it’s the spiritual foundation to help you stay on one. Through prayer, worship, and scripture, they break down how to fight the emotional, spiritual, and mental battles that threaten your progress. This episode is about more than food—it’s about freedom. Learn how to develop spiritual discipline that fuels lasting change and restores your relationship with your body.

Jes and Martin also share daily habits you can adopt right away: 15 minutes of prayer, daily worship, and Bible reading—with a bonus tip to make your health boundaries stick. They also reflect on powerful testimonies of faith that remind us what it means to live boldly and sacrificially for Christ.

For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below:

[0:00] Intro

[1:04] Phoenix Chronicles isn’t another diet—it’s a tool to help you stay faithful on a good one. Jes and Martin talk about how prayer and worship strengthen your ability to stay the course.

[4:54] Why worship matters: Singing transforms the heart. God sees you in your weakness and meets you there through praise.

[6:33] Dive into God’s Word. Use specific scriptures to prepare for the battle of dieting. Highlights include Ephesians 3, Philippians 4:13, and Romans 12.

[9:14] Martin shares a moment when stress didn’t lead him to food—and how that revealed God’s transformation in his life.

[13:24] Count your blessings! Jes and Martin share personal gratitude examples and why this simple act keeps your mindset joyful.

[16:54] Jes and Martin reflect on the sacrifices others have made for Christ and what we can learn from their courage.

[23:05] Jes breaks down the Phoenix Chronicles daily practice: 15 minutes of prayer, worship, and Bible study—plus the power of Scripture memorization.

[31:12] Add one more habit to the daily three. Review your health boundaries daily. Pray over them, keep them visible, and let God help you stay committed.

[33:36] Jes shares encouraging feedback from a podcast listener at church.

[34:15] Closing thought: How hungry are you for change? Surrender the idols and let God transform your health from the inside out.

RESOURCES

Visit the Pheonix Chronicles Website: https://www.thephoenixchronicles.com/

Buy A Pheonix Chronicle by Martin Crowe: https://www.thephoenixchronicles.com/book

Have you interacted with the mainstream therapeutic world in your pursuit of weight loss? When Jes was struggling with her eating disorder, she went to rehab and saw a secular therapist. In doing so, she processed much of her trauma, but also started to lose sight of God’s importance in her life.

When you navigate the mental health world, sometimes you encounter messages from professionals that will conflict with the importance of God in your life. Learn how to balance healing with the teachings of the Bible, and hear Jes’s story of disorder, recovery, and surrender in today’s episode of Phoenix Chronicles.

For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below:

[0:00] Introduction

[1:07] When Jes was in her early 20s, she did a diet called HCG Sublingual Drops and ate almost nothing for many months. She ended up in the hospital four times with debilitating pain, and eventually her gallbladder shrunk.

[4:14] At 24, Jes checked into a rehab program for her eating disorder. Initially, her program was great, and she learned about food addiction and coping mechanisms.

[6:10] Jes gained wait as a means of protecting herself from male attention as a trauma response to sexual abuse. Her rehab program helped her stop constantly weighing herself and controlling her surroundings.

[9:08] The Health at Every Size movement gave Jes the idea that it does not matter if you are overweight. Because Jes had such a fraught relationship with food before, she went from total rules to no rules, which was intoxicating.

[11:09] This view also put Jes in the view of her own healer, and made her values the only thing that mattered. She thought that she was doing the right thing, but she was only focusing on herself.

[15:00] Through all of this, Jes’s disordered behaviors never stopped. She started asking herself where God was in her journey.

[19:30] It was very difficult for Jes to accept that her approach to her relationship with food was wrong. It has been difficult for her to surrender. She began seeing a Christian therapist, who was game-changing for her.

[24:58] When Jes surrendered to God, she finally was able to change her behavior around food. It was the only thing that worked.

RESOURCES

Visit the Pheonix Chronicles Website: https://www.thephoenixchronicles.com/

Buy A Pheonix Chronicle by Martin Crowe: https://www.thephoenixchronicles.com/book

We live in a self-care-obsessed culture. Anyone who has ever been to a therapist or opened social media has seen it: we’re all about taking time for ourselves, setting boundaries for ourselves, and feeling like our best selves. These goals often leave us feeling empty. That’s because real rest does not come from ourselves; it comes from God.

In today’s episode of the Phoenix Chronicles, Jes is joined by her mother Lauri Crowe to discuss rest as it relates to weight loss and to God. Jesus tells us to rest in him. In doing so, we give him our problems and are able to feel real relief from stress. Tune in to learn how.

For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below:

[0:00] Introduction

[1:09] In today’s episode, Jes is joined by her mother Lauri Crowe. They will be talking about rest and self-care.

[2:19] Jes was once heavily involved in the therapeutic world in trying to get help with her mental health. The focus on self-care in mental health spaces became an unhealthy obsession for her.

[6:46] For Jes, the idea of self care does not deliver what it promises. In practicing self care, Jes was trying to deliver what God promises in putting herself at the center of all facets of her life instead of God.

[10:41] In John 14:27, Jesus says “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.

[13:21] Proverbs 31 provides a description of a woman who lives virtuously. Jes tries to emulate this vision of womanhood in her life.

[16:30] In the Count Your Blessings segment, Lauri and Jes recount some things they are thankful for.

[18:40] Resting in Jesus is about being in peace and understanding that you do not have to handle anything. We honor God by resting in Him.

[25:20] You can ask God to show you windows of time where you can cut back and rest and connect with Jesus.

[32:55] If we make God the center of everything and give him all of our struggles, we should not be experiencing stress. We know in our hearts that God will take care of us.

RESOURCES

Visit the Pheonix Chronicles Website: https://www.thephoenixchronicles.com/

Buy A Pheonix Chronicle by Martin Crowe: https://www.thephoenixchronicles.com/book