The title was bold and big in the newspaper…EAT...PRAY...LOVE. The article began with the following paragraph: The influence of Elizabeth Gilbert's literary travelogue, Eat Pray Love, now a movie starring Julia Roberts, continues to spread. It's impacting fall home décor by increasing sales of imports as home accents, according to local designers and national trend reports.

Out of curiosity I looked at the back cover of the book online and read a few reviews and found out that Elizabeth Gilbert had had a broken heart and had fallen into a dark place personally. So, she went on a search for God by visiting three places to try to find her heart again. She thought she might find God through eating and enjoying simple pleasures in Italy (EAT). Then she traveled to India to try to practice spiritual devotion (PRAY) and after that she was in Indonesia to try to find overall life balance with love (LOVE).

As I thought about Gilbert's search, my mind began thinking about scriptures that do indeed teach us to EAT...PRAY...LOVE. But how are we instructed by the one and only God?

In Psalm 81:10 the LORD says that He had told His people to open their mouths wide and then He would fill them. The LORD was the one that wanted to fill them. And Jesus tells us that we can't live by bread alone, but we must live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Many down through the ages have discovered the joy of this truth. Remind yourself of the testimony of Job: I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. Picture the scene with Jeremiah as described in Jeremiah 1:9: Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth." The touch was meant to inspire and empower.

Impatient. This summarizes our state of mind when we have a need that is not being met or a problem that is not resolved. We have all been there. When we realize we or our loved-ones are facing life's struggles, we want it to be fixed--NOW.

Many new arrivals to Living Free Groups feel this way. They are driven by immediate needs and want immediate solutions so they can regain control of their lives. They may ask, "What can I do to make this better?...Take a pill?, Have surgery? Follow these steps?...Tell me what to do so I can be in control and feel be better".

Experienced Living Free facilitators know that quick solutions usually don't bring lasting change. True, salvation comes at the moment of conversion, but becoming like Jesus and living daily in the freedom that comes from knowing him takes time. The problems that came as a result of our poor choices are not quickly unraveled and some are never completely solved in this life.

The Florida Integrity Program under the direction of Dr. Don Pratt is working in communities, prisons, rehab facilities and churches in much of the state of Florida. Utilizing several of the Living Free Curriculums and some developed by Dr. Pratt, volunteers facilitate groups weekly. Their mission is to: Assist the incarcerated, addicted, homeless, brokenhearted, and recently released in transitioning back into society through the comprehensive "100 Hour" curriculum program.

Below is a listing of Integrity Curriculum Units completed, along with the location, graduates and number of student hours from 2008 to the present.

Sarasota Region
580 Graduates, 9122 Student-Hours for 3/13/2008-5/24/2010