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"I was leery but desperate," says Hope, who began attending meetings. "Didn't God have anything better to do than keep me from eating another chocolate chip cookie?" But the changed lives around her were compelling. "I began to dabble in the steps and think maybe God could change me."

On her knees, she accepted the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as her own and gave Him control over her life. "I had been doing such a lousy job eating and managing my relationships, but after that moment they improved just enough for me to believe that God was real and active in my life."

That Jesus was not the Messiah was a belief deeply entrenched in Hope's family history, but her newfound appreciation for God and His ability to work miracles caused her to reconsider. "If God could create the world in six days, maybe the Jesus stuff was true too," says Hope. She sought the truth with an open mind, discovering information about Jesus that contradicted her traditionally held beliefs. That truth eventually produced fruit in every area of her life. While her family didn't celebrate her choice, they were pleased to see the positive changes.

As a new believer, Hope was encouraged to read the whole Bible and to take it literally. She did, starting with Genesis. She quickly came upon some things that disturbed her new beliefs. "It seemed a lot of Jewish things that were in the Christian Bible weren't in Christianity." She was used to things adding up, and this one didn't. "I was shaken because the Bible didn't reconcile with the way I saw Christians practicing their faith."

For most of us, the connection between God and food is a loose one; maybe we pray before eating or meditate during Communion. But ordinarily, the God we serve has little to do with the food we serve.

That's what confused Hope. Most Christians ignored Old Testament food laws. This became a stumbling block as she tried to grow in her new faith.

"I took in the Christian beliefs about eating pork and shellfish through osmosis. Even when I got in and read the Bible, I continued to ignore the Scriptures because it was easy to go with the flow. People smarter than me were eating these things."

When Hope asked why Christians ate foods that were contrary to the guidelines in Leviticus 11, she received theological answers about why it was okay. The apostle Peter's dream in Acts 10 was often referenced. "It was the answer I wanted to hear," she admits. She continued to eat ribs.

Later, however, a chronic illness forced Hope to revisit the food issue. The only cure was a strict diet that eliminated common foods and ingredients such as sugar and wheat. She could no longer eat out; she learned to cook healthy and tasty meals from scratch.

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