235. Self-Effort

Episode 238-Intimacy I love this episode! I love talking about real intimacy with my husband and with Jesus. Intimacy is a deep, close relationship that makes us feel validated and safe  In simple language  Jesus told us how to be his intimate friends “You show you are my intimate friends when you obey all that I command you … I call you My intimate friends for I reveal to you everything I have heard from My Father” (John 15:14-15 TPT).  Obedience to God unlocks the door to intimacy with Him. Trust then becomes the foundation for intimacy with Jesus, as well as deep and true intimacy with our husbands and other loved ones.. One-on-One Coaching link: https://www.teresashieldsparker.com/one-on-one-coaching/. Overcomers Academy link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers/.

One of my issues growing up was I was the oldest child and my mother had many issues that caused her to be unable to do a lot of household duties. Many of these fell to me because otherwise they wouldn’t get done. So, as the oldest child of three, I stepped into a controlling, bossy mini-Mom.  From an early age I took on a works mentality. I took over Mom’s duties to they would get done. I did housework, laundry, cooked supper, took care of the kids, and did my own homework and school activities. I was always working. It was who I was. I became an in-charge Martha. Finally came the day, though, when God showed me how wrong I was.  One-on-One Coaching link: https://teresashieldsparker.com/one-on-one-coaching.

Episode 236-Hiding from Fear? Are you afraid of people, things you failed at, things that want to make you go somewhere and hide and never come out again? Many are. This episode contains a fictional story about a woman who wanted to just live never having to deal with fear. When she thought about stepping outside the room, she felt naked, exposed, and vulnerable. To go for her dreams felt way too difficult, impossible, and scary. Fear can keep us stuck. Fear can cause us to disconnect from everyone we love. Fear can cause us to even hide from ourselves and make us stop trying to reach the dreams God has placed inside us. This woman learns how to step into life and go for her dreams. You can as well. Overcomers Academy link: https://teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers/ One-on-One Coaching link: https://teresashieldsparker.com/one-on-one-coaching/

Episode 235-Self-Effort Are you doing things in your own self-effort? Or are you doing them with God’s help and strength? How do you know? How can you do things with Him instead of for yourself? Overcomers Academy link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers  

Episode 234-Who Am I? Who am I? Who are you? Many times in our lives, people knowingly or unknowingly tell us who we are. This happened to me when I was six years old. At the time, I didn’t really know what was said would define me. I tried to push it out of my mind. It stayed there until another similar statement when I was an adult jogged my memory. And I realized how what was said along with what others said had set the tone for my life. I finally understood that I should allow no one but God to set the direction for my life. After all, He is the only One who truly knows me and can lead me. He is the only One who knows who I am and what I will become. I will follow Him. Overcomers Academy link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers

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.