169. Why Am I Discouraged?

Episode 233-Forgiven I sat on the back deck of the lodge at the north rim of the Grand Canyon while my family was hiking. I just wanted to sit there forever and take in the glory and the splendor of God’s majestic, vast creation. The canyon is miles across. It looked huge. I thought of the song, “There is a cross to bridge the great divide.” The width of the chasm visibly reinforced the fact there is a wide gulf between me and God. There is no earthly way I can jump to the other side of the Grand Canyon.  As a human many things look impossible, but with God everything is possible, especially forgiveness. Overcomers Academy link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers

Episode 232-Am I Greedy? I never really thought of myself as greedy, but my journey has really been one of greed. What is greed? The definition of greed is “an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.” Did you get that? It’s not just an intense desire for money or position. It’s also a selfish desire for food!  Are you greedy? Listen to this episode to find out if you are and what to do about it. Overcomers Academy Link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers/  

Episode 231-Deception A person who deceives is one who misleads by a false appearance or statement. Isn’t it interesting Satan can appear as an angel of light.  One big deception the enemy threw to me was that I needed food to eat so I could eat all I wanted to. The devil is a deceiver who turns something, which looks good, into something which leads to death, even though it may be a while coming. So what can we do when we have bought into a lie that has become such a habit we think we can never get free? That’s what this episode is all about. Overcomers Link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/  

Episode 230-Prayer Answers For many years I was frustrated because I would pray and it felt like God wasn’t answering my prayers. I knew the Bible said He would, but I didn’t believe it because I wasn’t experiencing the answers I wanted, which was to have my mother healed of her bipolar disorder. They weren’t selfish prayers so why wasn’t He answering? This episode examines two huge instances of how God answered prayer but it wasn’t because of me. It was because it was because it was in God’s will and His time. If you have unanswered prayers, this is the episode to listen to. Overcomers Link: https://teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers  

Episode 229-This is My Surrender The other day I was listening to a church service and they were singing, “I will Make Room”. As I sang along with them the words arrested me. “Here is where I lay it down. Every burden and every crown. This is my surrender. This is my surrender.” God stopped me and asked, “How are  burdens and crowns alike so that when we lay them down they define surrender?” Burdens are negative. Crowns are positive. We want to get rid of burdens. Crowns are what God gives us in return for the good we’ve done here on earth. How are both of these related to surrender?  We explore that in this episode. Overcomers link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers. 

Episode 228-Backdoor Grace "Crisco, Crisco fat in the can" churned around and around in my head for decades after a three-year-old said that to me when I was 11. He said it so he could distract me.  Thoughts of I am fat went through my conscious mind and were archived in my subconscious right then. Our childhood emotions can lie dormant for years ready and waiting to be retrieved and then expressed in our actions.  Through the years I did gain weight. God told me what to do, but I didn’t listen to His straight-forward approach. He had to come in through the backdoor. You’ll want to listen to this episode. It’s one of my favorites. Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy link:  https://www.teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers  

Episode 227-Lies or Truth? It’s hard for children to separate truth from lies. When we grow up lies from childhood still chase us and take us down treacherous roads.  Then my lies sounded like this: “I can eat whatever I want whenever I want it. If I want sugar or dessert I can eat as much as I want. It doesn’t hurt me. If I’m upset foods with carbohydrates will make me feel better.” Losing physical weight is wonderful. Many things change just because of being thinner, such as having more energy and stamina. However, true freedom for me came at handing each piece of emotional baggage to Him and receiving a gift of renewal in exchange. “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36 NIV). Overcomers Link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers/  

Episode 226-I Can't Lose Weight I CAN’T lose weight, I just can’t. I carried this feeling of defeat with me for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was always outgrowing my clothes. Hey, it’s what kids do. They grow.  It was true, as a child I couldn’t lose weight. I was designed to grow, not lose weight. The difficult part, especially for a child, is separating out what is true and what is a lie. A child is not meant to understand all of this. They are to be loved and supported by the adults in their lives. They are not supposed to overhear conversations which make them feel like they are hopeless.  I can’t lose weight was a lie the enemy fed me because he didn’t want me to know the truth. He wanted me to think eating desserts and candy was the best thing in the world. And yet, God loved me too much to leave me wallowing in that lie. His truth would completely set me free! Overcomers Academy Link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers  

Episode 225-Listen to Gdd All the time there are at least three voices vying for our attention: my voice, the tempter’s voice, and God’s voice. For years, though, I listened to the tempter’s voice constantly. It always has an element of truth to it. What he tells me is half-truth, half-lie. In the past he hadn’t needed to be too subtle. He just put the bait out there and like a hungry, naïve fish, I’d bite, and gobble it up plus more.  I listened because my rational mind agreed with him. My flesh wanted something sweet and carbohydrate-laden with tons of unhealthy fats. This time though I had made a firm decision. I was going to listen to the voice of God. I had invited God to tell me when I was making a wrong decision.   Listen to episode 225 and I’ll share with you 10 things that help you know it is God’s voice instead of the enemy’s. Overcomers Academy link: https://teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers/  

Episode 224-Fighting the Battle Eleven years ago I weighed 430 pounds. Now let’s be honest that’s really, really large, especially for a woman who isn’t that tall. I’ve lost 250 pounds and I feel a whole lot better. However, to me the more important thing is I’ve undergone a total lifestyle change of a slow, steady weight loss. No matter what the quick fix, it doesn’t work to keep the weight loss off. We must change our habits. It’s not easy, but it is worth it.  The only way to change our habits is to realize that overeating is sin. If we want to do what God wants us to do we must listen to Him and do what He says. Romans 12:2 MSG states it as plainly as possible. “Fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.”  In order to lose weight, the inside of us needs to be transformed, changed and renewed first. We help you do that in Overcomers Academy. Join us Overcomers Academy Link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/