Episode 197-Seven Lessons in 70 Years I turned 70 last week. I’m not any wiser, but God challenged me to come up with the seven most important lessons I’ve learned. These principles really do guide my life today but in order to learn them I went through a lot of trials and turmoil.  I go into depth with each of these on the podcast along with scripture references.    Listen to God.   Don’t bite off more than you can or should chew.   Surrender everything to God.   The devil is real.   Sin leads us away from God.   Grace is strength.   God loves you and has a great plan for your life.   Sweet Victory: Winning the Battle link:  https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Victory-Winning-Battle-Book-ebook/dp/B0CBW8F57V

Episode 197-Seven Lessons in 70 Years I turned 70 last week. I’m not any wiser, but God challenged me to come up with the seven most important lessons I’ve learned. These principles really do guide my life today but in order to learn them I went through a lot of trials and turmoil.  I go into depth with each of these on the podcast along with scripture references.  <ol> <li> Listen to God. </li> <li> Don’t bite off more than you can or should chew. </li> <li> Surrender everything to God. </li> <li> The devil is real. </li> <li> Sin leads us away from God. </li> <li> Grace is strength. </li> <li> God loves you and has a great plan for your life. </li> </ol> Sweet Victory: Winning the Battle link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Victory-Winning-Battle-Book-ebook/dp/B0CBW8F57V/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Victory-Winning-Battle-Book-ebook/dp/B0CBW8F57V</a>

197. Seven Lessons in 70 Years

Episode 196-Victory is Here! Victory can be defined as overcoming or winning in a competition or struggle over an opponent, or difficult problems. The Bible tells us we already have the victory if we have Jesus. “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4, NIV).   The problem is when difficulties, troubles and hard seasons come, we tend to forget God’s glorious promise. His promise is if we stay true to Him we win in the end, even though our current circumstances may not look like it right now.   My 10th book in 10 years, Sweet Victory: Winning the Battle, was released August 1 in kindle and paperback on Amazon. It takes a while with Audible, but it will be coming soon.   Get it by going to Amazon and searching for Sweet Victory: Winning the Battle by Teresa Shields Parker. Read it and write a review on Amazon, then share it on Facebook, Instagram, Good Reads or any place else.  It really helps people find the book. https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Victory-Winning-Battle/dp/0986159263/

Episode 196-Victory is Here! Victory can be defined as overcoming or winning in a competition or struggle over an opponent, or difficult problems. The Bible tells us we already have the victory if we have Jesus. “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4, NIV). The problem is when difficulties, troubles and hard seasons come, we tend to forget God’s glorious promise. His promise is if we stay true to Him we win in the end, even though our current circumstances may not look like it right now. My 10th book in 10 years, Sweet Victory: Winning the Battle, was released August 1 in kindle and paperback on Amazon. It takes a while with Audible, but it will be coming soon. Get it by going to Amazon and searching for Sweet Victory: Winning the Battle by Teresa Shields Parker. Read it and write a review on Amazon, then share it on Facebook, Instagram, Good Reads or any place else.  It really helps people find the book. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Victory-Winning-Battle/dp/0986159263/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Victory-Winning-Battle/dp/0986159263/</a>

196. Victory is Here!

Episode 195- How Can I Hear God? How do we hear from God? We listen for His voice. We have a conversation with Him. He most often speaks to us and we hear Him as the still, small voice. He speaks to us from the depths of our souls, which we hear in our minds. Then we make a decision as to whether we will do what He says or not. Many times we tell God what we want Him to do and then it doesn’t happen so we wonder is He really listening or not? We go to Him with our to-do list and then say, “Ok, talk to You when You’ve done all that.” We had a monologue. Not a dialogue. God is the boss of the universe. We don’t tell Him what to do.  God is waiting for us to stop giving Him our wish list so He can get a word in edgewise. It is important to converse with Him as we go through our days, but that does not mean we chastise Him for not doing what we want Him to do. This episode includes 10 things we should know about God’s voice.  Sweet Victory link:  https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Victory-Teresa-Shields-Parker-ebook/dp/B0CBW8F57V/

Episode 195- How Can I Hear God? How do we hear from God? We listen for His voice. We have a conversation with Him. He most often speaks to us and we hear Him as the still, small voice. He speaks to us from the depths of our souls, which we hear in our minds. Then we make a decision as to whether we will do what He says or not. Many times we tell God what we want Him to do and then it doesn’t happen so we wonder is He really listening or not? We go to Him with our to-do list and then say, “Ok, talk to You when You’ve done all that.” We had a monologue. Not a dialogue. God is the boss of the universe. We don’t tell Him what to do.  God is waiting for us to stop giving Him our wish list so He can get a word in edgewise. It is important to converse with Him as we go through our days, but that does not mean we chastise Him for not doing what we want Him to do. This episode includes 10 things we should know about God’s voice.  Sweet Victory link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Victory-Teresa-Shields-Parker-ebook/dp/B0CBW8F57V/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Victory-Teresa-Shields-Parker-ebook/dp/B0CBW8F57V/</a>

195. How Can I Hear God?

Episode 194-Do I Trust Jesus? Do I trust Jesus? How do we know if we really trust Jesus completely or not? He’s the member of the Trinity who is most like us because He knows what it’s like to live as a human. If we have a trust issue with Jesus it will affect our relationship with those we think we love.   One day God dropped these words into my heart. “Any disconnect with the one we are closest to here on earth will affect our intimacy with Jesus.”  When I asked Jesus if I trusted Him there was silence. I knew there was a trust issue and I knew I wouldn’t be able to do anything He asked me to do if I didn’t resolve it.   There is a way through this issue and others like it. Why do we argue with Jesus when He asks us to do something? Why do we run in the other direction when He tries to guide us? Want to know more. This episode will help. For help check out Teresa’s one-on-one coaching.  One-on-one coaching link:  https://Teresashieldsparker.com/one-on-one-coaching/.

Episode 194-Do I Trust Jesus? Do I trust Jesus? How do we know if we really trust Jesus completely or not? He’s the member of the Trinity who is most like us because He knows what it’s like to live as a human. If we have a trust issue with Jesus it will affect our relationship with those we think we love. One day God dropped these words into my heart. “Any disconnect with the one we are closest to here on earth will affect our intimacy with Jesus.”  When I asked Jesus if I trusted Him there was silence. I knew there was a trust issue and I knew I wouldn’t be able to do anything He asked me to do if I didn’t resolve it. There is a way through this issue and others like it. Why do we argue with Jesus when He asks us to do something? Why do we run in the other direction when He tries to guide us? Want to know more. This episode will help. For help check out Teresa’s one-on-one coaching. One-on-one coaching link:  <a href="https://Teresashieldsparker.com/one-on-one-coaching/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://Teresashieldsparker.com/one-on-one-coaching/</a>.

194. Do I Trust Jesus?

Episode 193-Work With God For most of my life, I’ve been working for God in some shape or form. It’s good to do things for God, but it’s better to do things with Him. After all, He is our commander-in-chief. He’s in charge.  The other day I was busy trying to get everything done, which seemed impossible. During my time with God He told me, “Never focus on the work you do for Me. Focus on being in My presence. Never mistake work for Me. Always make Me first place. Then, the work will get done. Let Me lead you. I want to be involved in every piece of what you are doing.” We are so easily sidetracked. It might be that we are focused on working for God, but we have forgotten to consult Him on the very thing we are trying to do for Him. Instead of working for God, we need to work with Him. Things will go so much better when we do that.  Sweet Victory Book Launch With Teresa Shields Parker link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1478262903001114

Episode 193-Work With God For most of my life, I’ve been working for God in some shape or form. It’s good to do things for God, but it’s better to do things with Him. After all, He is our commander-in-chief. He’s in charge.  The other day I was busy trying to get everything done, which seemed impossible. During my time with God He told me, “Never focus on the work you do for Me. Focus on being in My presence. Never mistake work for Me. Always make Me first place. Then, the work will get done. Let Me lead you. I want to be involved in every piece of what you are doing.” We are so easily sidetracked. It might be that we are focused on working for God, but we have forgotten to consult Him on the very thing we are trying to do for Him. Instead of working for God, we need to work with Him. Things will go so much better when we do that.  Sweet Victory Book Launch With Teresa Shields Parker link: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1478262903001114" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/1478262903001114</a>

193. Work With God

Episode 192- Fears, Tears and Freedom Fear is a huge obstacle to overcome. Fear comes in many different shapes and forms. It can be the fear of I’m not enough. I’m a failure. There’s nothing good in me. I never do anything right. I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want to be abused. I’m not good enough and so much more.   When we finally get to the point where we can identify our fears and their roots, it can be a difficult process. The fears we have many times cause us to self-protect with food. Then food becomes what we run to instead of God.   When we finally see that God is the only one who can protect us and take away our fears, we will cry. The tears, though, will wash away our fears and the wrong things we did to try to get fear to go away. It will take some tears to wash our souls from the overwhelming fears  we have finally decided to hand to God. But, oh the freedom that comes when we do that!    Overcomers Academy link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/   Sweet Victory Book Launch with Teresa Shields Parker: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1478262903001114/

Episode 192- Fears, Tears and Freedom Fear is a huge obstacle to overcome. Fear comes in many different shapes and forms. It can be the fear of I’m not enough. I’m a failure. There’s nothing good in me. I never do anything right. I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want to be abused. I’m not good enough and so much more. When we finally get to the point where we can identify our fears and their roots, it can be a difficult process. The fears we have many times cause us to self-protect with food. Then food becomes what we run to instead of God. When we finally see that God is the only one who can protect us and take away our fears, we will cry. The tears, though, will wash away our fears and the wrong things we did to try to get fear to go away. It will take some tears to wash our souls from the overwhelming fears  we have finally decided to hand to God. But, oh the freedom that comes when we do that!  Overcomers Academy link: <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/</a> Sweet Victory Book Launch with Teresa Shields Parker: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1478262903001114/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/1478262903001114/</a>

192. Fears, Tears and Freedom

Episode 191-Pay Attention What are you paying attention to? Is it how great, mighty and strong God is? Or is it how stressed you are trying to get everything done that you think you, and you alone, have to do? You are stressed. You want the stressors, whatever they are, to go away.  However, the things that stress us are not going away unless we make God more important than what we are stressing about.  We need to pay attention to God. We need to give Him the power instead of stress, which is always instigated by the evil one. We have to “be strong in the Lord, draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him and in the power of His boundless might” (Ephesians 6:10 AMP). We must learn how to take back power from the enemy and live our lives in Christ’s freedom.  Overcomers Link: https://teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers/

Episode 191-Pay Attention What are you paying attention to? Is it how great, mighty and strong God is? Or is it how stressed you are trying to get everything done that you think you, and you alone, have to do? You are stressed. You want the stressors, whatever they are, to go away.  However, the things that stress us are not going away unless we make God more important than what we are stressing about.  We need to pay attention to God. We need to give Him the power instead of stress, which is always instigated by the evil one. We have to “be strong in the Lord, draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him and in the power of His boundless might” (Ephesians 6:10 AMP). We must learn how to take back power from the enemy and live our lives in Christ’s freedom.  Overcomers Link: <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers/</a>

191. Pay Attention

Episode 190-Called and Anointed What I’ve learned through my weight loss journey of losing over 250 pounds is growing closer to God is not an add-on in any area of my life. Growing closer to God is God’s main objective for us. Weight loss is the add-on. He has a calling and anointing for each of us, but He won’t unveil it until we are all-in with Him. We have to shift our total dependance back to Him. We were there one time for sure. That was when we accepted Jesus into our hearts. We vowed to follow Him. Then the evil one whispered lies in our ears and we went back to indulging in what we thought we needed in order to fix us. On this episode we’re going to talk about how to jump all-in with God to do the things He is waiting patiently to reveal to us.  Overcomers Link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/

Episode 190-Called and Anointed What I’ve learned through my weight loss journey of losing over 250 pounds is growing closer to God is not an add-on in any area of my life. Growing closer to God is God’s main objective for us. Weight loss is the add-on. He has a calling and anointing for each of us, but He won’t unveil it until we are all-in with Him. We have to shift our total dependance back to Him. We were there one time for sure. That was when we accepted Jesus into our hearts. We vowed to follow Him. Then the evil one whispered lies in our ears and we went back to indulging in what we thought we needed in order to fix us. On this episode we’re going to talk about how to jump all-in with God to do the things He is waiting patiently to reveal to us.  Overcomers Link: <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/</a>

190. Called and Anointed

Episode 189-From Shame to Faith For every single thing that brings us down, God has provided a portion of the fruit of the Spirit to combat it. This is more than true when we are dealing with fear of shame and condemnation. It feels like there is no way to break free from addictions we have given into.  When we are Christians and are indulging in sins that have become addictions we will feel shame. When we realize what we are doing, if our next step isn’t desiring to discover how to get free, we will slip over into fear of what will happen to us because we aren’t following God. Then, our faith, the very thing that can rescue us, will be under attack because we aren’t trusting the one we believe in. This week we are talking about how to step out of the shame of what we are doing and into a strong, vigorous faith in God. Overcomers Academy link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers/

Episode 189-From Shame to Faith For every single thing that brings us down, God has provided a portion of the fruit of the Spirit to combat it. This is more than true when we are dealing with fear of shame and condemnation. It feels like there is no way to break free from addictions we have given into.  When we are Christians and are indulging in sins that have become addictions we will feel shame. When we realize what we are doing, if our next step isn’t desiring to discover how to get free, we will slip over into fear of what will happen to us because we aren’t following God. Then, our faith, the very thing that can rescue us, will be under attack because we aren’t trusting the one we believe in. This week we are talking about how to step out of the shame of what we are doing and into a strong, vigorous faith in God. Overcomers Academy link: <a href="https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers/</a>

189. From Shame to Faith

Episode 188-What Destiny? God loves to talk about plans and destiny. You may be thinking, what does that have to do with me? Let me assure you that you are here on earth because God has a plan for your life. You may have no clue what it is or you may have an inkling. In either case, He’s working out your plan even right now. He’s even given you gifts to help you reach your destiny.   Part of the plan is for your very bones to vibrate with life. We talk about that and more on this episode. Time to discover how to step into your God-given destiny. Overcomers Academy link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/

Episode 188-What Destiny? God loves to talk about plans and destiny. You may be thinking, what does that have to do with me? Let me assure you that you are here on earth because God has a plan for your life. You may have no clue what it is or you may have an inkling. In either case, He’s working out your plan even right now. He’s even given you gifts to help you reach your destiny. Part of the plan is for your very bones to vibrate with life. We talk about that and more on this episode. Time to discover how to step into your God-given destiny. Overcomers Academy link: <a href="https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/</a>

188. What Destiny?

Sweet Grace for Your Journey is the podcast for women who want to lose weight and live healthy—body, soul and spirit. Author Teresa Shields Parker shares tip and advise each week from her personal journey of losing over 250 pounds and having kept it off since 2013.

I love this podcast! I find it very encouraging. I was wondering if you could cover your experience with the difference in cost of eating healthy versus unhealthy. I feel like healthy foods are really expensive! Thank you!!

Thank you!

I discovered this podcast a couple of days ago while trying to find something about weight loss from a Christian perspective.  There are some great podcasts out there but so many are filled with profanity and I just don’t want that in my life.  It’s so refreshing to hear of Teresa’s success with the help of the Lord.

So inspiring!

Sweet Grace For Your Journey

I’d sung the song I Surrender All many time. I’ve even felt like I surrendered to God. But there was still one thing I held back for myself. There was one thing that I clung to as if my life depended on that. When I gave up that one thing, everything, and I do mean everything changed in my life.  Have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? Send it to info@TeresaShieldsParker.com and it might end up as an episode of its own. TeresaShieldsParker.com   Quick Episode Summary:  All things work together for good The similarities between sugar and alcohol When the weight started coming back Breaking the addiction to sugar The sugar cycle Coming back to sanity Setting boundaries Setting smart goals 

I’d sung the song I Surrender All many time. I’ve even felt like I surrendered to God. But there was still one thing I held back for myself. There was one thing that I clung to as if my life depended on that. When I gave up that one thing, everything, and I do mean everything changed in my life. Have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? Send it to <a href="mailto:info@TeresaShieldsParker.com">info@TeresaShieldsParker.com</a> and it might end up as an episode of its own. <a href="mailto:info@TeresaShieldsParker.com">TeresaShieldsParker.com</a> Quick Episode Summary: <ul> <li>All things work together for good</li> <li>The similarities between sugar and alcohol</li> <li>When the weight started coming back</li> <li>Breaking the addiction to sugar</li> <li>The sugar cycle</li> <li>Coming back to sanity</li> <li>Setting boundaries</li> <li>Setting smart goals</li> </ul>

3. The Beauty of Surrender

God Nudges Following God Towards Our Health     God is always nudging us. He’s always speaking to us. We just aren’t always listening to what He has to say. I learned this lesson the hard way, by doubting something God told me to do and regretting it. It taught me a lesson I will never forget. Now when I even think it might be God nudging me to do something, I’m all in. I don’t want to be one of His rebellious children, especially if it has to with living a healthier lifestyle.

God Nudges Following God Towards Our Health God is always nudging us. He’s always speaking to us. We just aren’t always listening to what He has to say. I learned this lesson the hard way, by doubting something God told me to do and regretting it. It taught me a lesson I will never forget. Now when I even think it might be God nudging me to do something, I’m all in. I don’t want to be one of His rebellious children, especially if it has to with living a healthier lifestyle.

5. God Nudges

Peggy Burgess

Episode 11—Lasting Weight Loss Peggy Burgess Loses 79 Pounds Peggy Burgess, 69, is a single mom of five, grandmother of seven and great-grandmother of six, with another one on the way.  Since coming into my coaching courses and groups she has lost 79 pounds. She’s doing it the right way, slow and steady and incorporating habit changes as she goes. That is resulting in her lasting weight loss. She’s gone from constantly using a wheelchair, not driving and being housebound to walking, volunteering, driving wherever she wants and even babysitting her great-grandchildren and other children. Listen to her remarkable story of transformation. Join Peggy and the other members of Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy when doors open Jan. 30. Get on the waitlist to be notified when doors open and receive free resources while you wait. Go here: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/

Episode 11—Lasting Weight Loss Peggy Burgess Loses 79 Pounds Peggy Burgess, 69, is a single mom of five, grandmother of seven and great-grandmother of six, with another one on the way.  Since coming into my coaching courses and groups she has lost 79 pounds. She’s doing it the right way, slow and steady and incorporating habit changes as she goes. That is resulting in her lasting weight loss. She’s gone from constantly using a wheelchair, not driving and being housebound to walking, volunteering, driving wherever she wants and even babysitting her great-grandchildren and other children. Listen to her remarkable story of transformation. Join Peggy and the other members of Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy when doors open Jan. 30. Get on the waitlist to be notified when doors open and receive free resources while you wait. Go here: <a href="https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/</a>

11. Lasting Weight Loss: Peggy Burgess Loses 79 Pounds

Everyone loves comfort food. This time of the year comfort foods abound when family and friends get together to celebrate the holidays. Too much comfort food, though, ends up in us being very uncomfortable because of the weight we’ve gained.  I learned I was really eating comfort foods because of three ways I was broken. Find out what those ways are, how I got through them and how you can too. Have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? Send it to info@TeresaShieldsParker.com and it might end up as an episode of its own!

Everyone loves comfort food. This time of the year comfort foods abound when family and friends get together to celebrate the holidays. Too much comfort food, though, ends up in us being very uncomfortable because of the weight we’ve gained.  I learned I was really eating comfort foods because of three ways I was broken. Find out what those ways are, how I got through them and how you can too. Have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? Send it to <a href="mailto:info@TeresaShieldsParker.com">info@TeresaShieldsParker.com</a> and it might end up as an episode of its own!

7. Uncomfortable Comfort Foods

Episode 016—The Breakup Do you have a relationship with sugar? If so what kind of relationship do you have? I had a co-dependent relationship. That means I have an excessive emotional and psychological reliance on my partner, which was sugar. It was this relationship that became an addiction. It’s important to understand several things to understand the level of your indulgence and your own relationship with food or sugar. Answering questions like: Where you learned your relationship with food or sugar? What is that relationship specifically?  Do you have a casual flirtation, an occasional date, one of those once a week dates, a date that goes too far way too often, an every night affair or a co-dependent relationship where you can’t live without it and think you’ll die if you have to give it up.  The level of your indulgence will speak loudly to what you need to do. If it hasn’t already sugar addiction will lead to obesity, which will lead to diseases like cancer, stroke and heart disease. Read more about Sugar Addiction and Cancer HERE. (https://teresashieldsparker.com/sugar-addiction-cancer/). Tips on how to break the chains of sugar’s hold is available in my free course, KickSugar. Go here to get immediate access. (https://Teresashieldsparker.com/kicksugar/).  To get on the waitlist for Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy go HERE. (https://TeresashieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/)

Episode 016—The Breakup Do you have a relationship with sugar? If so what kind of relationship do you have? I had a co-dependent relationship. That means I have an excessive emotional and psychological reliance on my partner, which was sugar. It was this relationship that became an addiction. It’s important to understand several things to understand the level of your indulgence and your own relationship with food or sugar. Answering questions like: Where you learned your relationship with food or sugar? What is that relationship specifically?  Do you have a casual flirtation, an occasional date, one of those once a week dates, a date that goes too far way too often, an every night affair or a co-dependent relationship where you can’t live without it and think you’ll die if you have to give it up. The level of your indulgence will speak loudly to what you need to do. If it hasn’t already sugar addiction will lead to obesity, which will lead to diseases like cancer, stroke and heart disease. Read more about Sugar Addiction and Cancer HERE. (<a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/sugar-addiction-cancer/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://teresashieldsparker.com/sugar-addiction-cancer/</a>). Tips on how to break the chains of sugar’s hold is available in my free course, KickSugar. Go here to get immediate access. (<a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/kicksugar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://Teresashieldsparker.com/kicksugar/</a>).  To get on the waitlist for Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy go HERE. (<a href="https://TeresashieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresashieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/</a>)

16. The Breakup

Episode 019—Rest Is Necessary Even God rested on the seventh day, so what makes you think you can get by without doing the same? The minute I heard those words I was convicted down to my toes. Indeed if the almighty God of the universe saw the necessity to rest what makes me think I can work seven days a week. Of course I was going to church on Sunday and hanging out with my family around Sunday dinner, but I had gotten in a bad habit of working on Sunday. It was a great time to do my weekly video lessons because face it I was all dressed up and had taken some care of my hair and makeup.Still I knew things had to change. Working nonstop was taking its toll on me even though I loved what I was doing. My schedule that constantly caused me to be “on” caused me to be overwhelmed and stress drives me to want to eat. For someone who’s lost 250 pounds putting myself in a state of temptation is not a good place to be in. I love Matt. 11:28-30 MSG says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Like God, I don’t want you to feel so overwhelmed. So, here are four don’t and three dos to help keep you from being constantly tired, worn out and burnt out. So in this podcast I give you seven things that include four things not to do and three to do in order to step into the rest God has for you. I talk about these more on the podcast but in summary, here they are:  Don’t say Yes to another job, unless God has said Yes to you doing it.  Don’t feel like you HAVE to burn out in order for God to be pleased with you.  Don’t assume that God wants you to overwork for Him.  Don’t assume that doing yet another thing for God will mean you don’t have to do what God really wants you to do.  Do rest in God.  Do learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  Do learn how to live freely and lightly.  By the way, in May we will be opening the doors of my Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy for a few days only. You will need to be on the waitlist to be notified of when we open. To do that go here: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers-Christian-weight-loss-academy/

Episode 019—Rest Is Necessary Even God rested on the seventh day, so what makes you think you can get by without doing the same? The minute I heard those words I was convicted down to my toes. Indeed if the almighty God of the universe saw the necessity to rest what makes me think I can work seven days a week. Of course I was going to church on Sunday and hanging out with my family around Sunday dinner, but I had gotten in a bad habit of working on Sunday. It was a great time to do my weekly video lessons because face it I was all dressed up and had taken some care of my hair and makeup.Still I knew things had to change. Working nonstop was taking its toll on me even though I loved what I was doing. My schedule that constantly caused me to be “on” caused me to be overwhelmed and stress drives me to want to eat. For someone who’s lost 250 pounds putting myself in a state of temptation is not a good place to be in. I love Matt. 11:28-30 MSG says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Like God, I don’t want you to feel so overwhelmed. So, here are four don’t and three dos to help keep you from being constantly tired, worn out and burnt out. So in this podcast I give you seven things that include four things not to do and three to do in order to step into the rest God has for you. I talk about these more on the podcast but in summary, here they are: <ol> <li>Don’t say Yes to another job, unless God has said Yes to you doing it. </li> <li>Don’t feel like you HAVE to burn out in order for God to be pleased with you. </li> <li>Don’t assume that God wants you to overwork for Him. </li> <li>Don’t assume that doing yet another thing for God will mean you don’t have to do what God really wants you to do. </li> <li>Do rest in God. </li> <li>Do learn the unforced rhythms of grace. </li> <li>Do learn how to live freely and lightly.</li> </ol> By the way, in May we will be opening the doors of my Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy for a few days only. You will need to be on the waitlist to be notified of when we open. To do that go here: <a href="https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers-Christian-weight-loss-academy/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers-Christian-weight-loss-academy/</a>

19. Rest Is Necessary

There is one major mistake we make when we want to lose weight. We go on a diet. We might lose weight, but 80% or more of us will gain that weight back again. Part of the reason we do that is we want a quick and easy fix. But for lasting change to happen quick and easy won’t work. In order to keep the weight off we must change our lifestyle. To do we have an intense desire for what we really want. Which means, we have to know why we want to lose weight in the first place. We also have to accept where we are, own our issues and then, surrender them to God. Walking out our journey will involve every part of us—body, soul and spirit. Don’t miss the exercise I mention in this podcast. It will be very revealing.  Also here’s the link to join the waitlist for Overcomers Academy: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers-Academy/. Get on the list now to be notified when doors open the end of January. They will only be open for seven days. Those on the waitlist will be notified before the public and be the first to be able to take advantage of our early bird bonus!

There is one major mistake we make when we want to lose weight. We go on a diet. We might lose weight, but 80% or more of us will gain that weight back again. Part of the reason we do that is we want a quick and easy fix. But for lasting change to happen quick and easy won’t work. In order to keep the weight off we must change our lifestyle. To do we have an intense desire for what we really want. Which means, we have to know why we want to lose weight in the first place. We also have to accept where we are, own our issues and then, surrender them to God. Walking out our journey will involve every part of us—body, soul and spirit. Don’t miss the exercise I mention in this podcast. It will be very revealing.  Also here’s the link to join the waitlist for Overcomers Academy: <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/Overcomers-Academy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers-Academy/</a>. Get on the list now to be notified when doors open the end of January. They will only be open for seven days. Those on the waitlist will be notified before the public and be the first to be able to take advantage of our early bird bonus!

10. Diet Is A 4-Letter Word

Episode 009—One Word from God Discovery Is A 2020 Word One word from God can make all the difference in our lives. Just one word! At the beginning of the year, I look forward to God giving me a word to define the year. He’s done this for me for a long time, but I didn’t start keeping track of those words until 2013, which was a pivotal year for me. That was the year He gave me the word grace. That word has made all the difference in my life. This year He gave me the word discovery. I was a little let down by that word. It just didn’t seem very spiritual. However, when God began pulling back the curtain, I was amazed at what I saw. Come with me on a journey of discovery of how just one word can change us completely. Share your 2020 word for us by submitting a review to Apple Podcasts or commenting on this episode at https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/podcast/. You can also send us an email to info@teresashieldsparker.com. I’d love to hear from you.

Episode 009—One Word from God Discovery Is A 2020 Word One word from God can make all the difference in our lives. Just one word! At the beginning of the year, I look forward to God giving me a word to define the year. He’s done this for me for a long time, but I didn’t start keeping track of those words until 2013, which was a pivotal year for me. That was the year He gave me the word grace. That word has made all the difference in my life. This year He gave me the word discovery. I was a little let down by that word. It just didn’t seem very spiritual. However, when God began pulling back the curtain, I was amazed at what I saw. Come with me on a journey of discovery of how just one word can change us completely. Share your 2020 word for us by submitting a review to Apple Podcasts or commenting on this episode at <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/podcast/</a>. You can also send us an email to <a href="mailto:info@teresashieldsparker.com">info@teresashieldsparker.com</a>. I’d love to hear from you.

9. One Word from God

Barb Raveling

Episode 020—Barb Raveling: Separating Truth from Lies This week on the podcast, I’m chatting with Barb Raveling all the way from Montana. She and her husband have four children. She is a Christian weight loss author, podcaster and coach. Her podcasts are Taste for Truth and Christian Habits. Her books include: Freedom from Emotional Eating, Taste for Truth, I Deserve a Donut, The Renewing of the Mind Project, Rally and her most recent book Freedom from Procrastination.  We visit a lot of topics during our conversation, but the thing Barb is well known for is the concept of truth journaling. She teaches this as well as uses it to help people who want to lose weight renew their mind with truth instead of lies. She began using truth journaling as a way to help her get rid of anger, frustration and annoyance. It is a way to help us see what lies we believe and replace those lies with the truth. “After I was successful with overcoming annoyance,” she said, “I began to use truth journaling to gain control over my weight.  “I found getting rid of annoyance was much easier than gaining control over my weight and food. It became easier, though, when I committed to truth journal every time I broke my food boundaries.” She adds that she also realized she needed lifelong boundaries to maintain her weight. Boundaries will be different for different people, but the important thing is to know your boundaries and stay within them.  “Establish lifelong boundaries and renew your mind every time you break your boundaries,” Barb says. “We eat for fun and comfort, but life should be about God. We should be willing to give up all foods for Him. The more we see life and food from His perspective, the better off we will be.  “Food issues are so hard to get over. Don’t get discouraged. Memorize scriptures. Get good coaching.” To get in touch with Barb go to BarbRaveling.com. Her podcasts are Taste for Truth and Christian Habits. You can also find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram under Barb Raveling For those interested in Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy, go here to sign up on the waitlist:  https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/. You’ll get free resources while you wait for doors to open in a few months.

Episode 020—Barb Raveling: Separating Truth from Lies This week on the podcast, I’m chatting with Barb Raveling all the way from Montana. She and her husband have four children. She is a Christian weight loss author, podcaster and coach. Her podcasts are Taste for Truth and Christian Habits. Her books include: Freedom from Emotional Eating, Taste for Truth, I Deserve a Donut, The Renewing of the Mind Project, Rally and her most recent book Freedom from Procrastination.  We visit a lot of topics during our conversation, but the thing Barb is well known for is the concept of truth journaling. She teaches this as well as uses it to help people who want to lose weight renew their mind with truth instead of lies. She began using truth journaling as a way to help her get rid of anger, frustration and annoyance. It is a way to help us see what lies we believe and replace those lies with the truth. “After I was successful with overcoming annoyance,” she said, “I began to use truth journaling to gain control over my weight.  “I found getting rid of annoyance was much easier than gaining control over my weight and food. It became easier, though, when I committed to truth journal every time I broke my food boundaries.” She adds that she also realized she needed lifelong boundaries to maintain her weight. Boundaries will be different for different people, but the important thing is to know your boundaries and stay within them.  “Establish lifelong boundaries and renew your mind every time you break your boundaries,” Barb says. “We eat for fun and comfort, but life should be about God. We should be willing to give up all foods for Him. The more we see life and food from His perspective, the better off we will be.  “Food issues are so hard to get over. Don’t get discouraged. Memorize scriptures. Get good coaching.” To get in touch with Barb go to <a href="http://BarbRaveling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BarbRaveling.com</a>. Her podcasts are Taste for Truth and Christian Habits. You can also find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram under Barb Raveling For those interested in Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy, go here to sign up on the waitlist: <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/</a>. You’ll get free resources while you wait for doors to open in a few months.

20. Barb Raveling: Separating Truth from Lies

Episode 014—Rhonda Burrows: Overcoming Food Addiction Rhonda Burrows, an Overcomers Academy member, a trained addiction counselor and ordained minister, knows addiction well. Still, she was sober from alcoholism for over 30 years when the truth hit her that she is also a food addict. She has been walking out of food addiction for almost six years after joining my various coaching groups and courses. Today she has lost over 50 pounds off of her small 4-foot, 11-inch frame. She says there are mental, spiritual and physical components at play that she has to navigate to walk in the freedom Christ is bringing her. Along the way, she learned she had to give up her “golden calf” of comfort. “I thought food was my golden calf, but God showed me it really was what I thought I was getting from food and that was comfort.” Today she’s learning how to live in the real, true comfort of the Holy Spirit. Right now Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy is open for new members only through Feb. 7 at noon. To join Rhonda, Teresa and the other members go here: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers-Christian-Weight-Loss-Academy/

Episode 014—Rhonda Burrows: Overcoming Food Addiction Rhonda Burrows, an Overcomers Academy member, a trained addiction counselor and ordained minister, knows addiction well. Still, she was sober from alcoholism for over 30 years when the truth hit her that she is also a food addict. She has been walking out of food addiction for almost six years after joining my various coaching groups and courses. Today she has lost over 50 pounds off of her small 4-foot, 11-inch frame. She says there are mental, spiritual and physical components at play that she has to navigate to walk in the freedom Christ is bringing her. Along the way, she learned she had to give up her “golden calf” of comfort. “I thought food was my golden calf, but God showed me it really was what I thought I was getting from food and that was comfort.” Today she’s learning how to live in the real, true comfort of the Holy Spirit. Right now Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy is open for new members only through Feb. 7 at noon. To join Rhonda, Teresa and the other members go here: <a href="https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers-Christian-Weight-Loss-Academy/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers-Christian-Weight-Loss-Academy/</a>

14. Rhonda Burrows: Overcoming Food Addiction

Temptation will happen to us. That is a given. The issue is how do we see the temptation coming? God doesn’t tempt us, so we know it is the evil one partnering with our own desires. What kind of strategies does he use? How can we guard against falling into his trap? How does God help us? How can we help ourselves? We discuss four types of temptation, how to recognize them and not fall prey to them again.  Have a question you’d like Teresa to answer on the podcast? Send it to info@teresashieldsparker.com.

Temptation will happen to us. That is a given. The issue is how do we see the temptation coming? God doesn’t tempt us, so we know it is the evil one partnering with our own desires. What kind of strategies does he use? How can we guard against falling into his trap? How does God help us? How can we help ourselves? We discuss four types of temptation, how to recognize them and not fall prey to them again. Have a question you’d like Teresa to answer on the podcast? Send it to <a href="mailto:info@teresashieldsparker.com">info@teresashieldsparker.com</a>.

6. Temptation

Episode 012—No More Diets When SundiJo Graham’s seven-year-old cousin told her his Christmas wish was for her to be able to ride the roller coaster with him, she was devastated when she failed to give him the gift he wanted the next year.    It took time, lots of struggle, dealing with issues in her past and getting real with God before she would finally lose enough weight to give him his gift. She has lost 145 pounds, but she did not diet and still doesn’t. Hear SundiJo’s amazing story on this week’s podcast. To contact SundiJo, go to SundiJo.com. Get a free download of her book at  http://www.sundijo.com/stepaway. Check her out on Facebook.com/SundiJo.  Here’s the link to join or get on the waitlist for Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy where Teresa and SundiJo hang out: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomrs-Christian-Weight-Loss-Academy/

Episode 012—No More Diets When SundiJo Graham’s seven-year-old cousin told her his Christmas wish was for her to be able to ride the roller coaster with him, she was devastated when she failed to give him the gift he wanted the next year.  It took time, lots of struggle, dealing with issues in her past and getting real with God before she would finally lose enough weight to give him his gift. She has lost 145 pounds, but she did not diet and still doesn’t. Hear SundiJo’s amazing story on this week’s podcast. To contact SundiJo, go to <a href="http://SundiJo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SundiJo.com</a>. Get a free download of her book at <a href="http://www.sundijo.com/stepaway?fbclid=IwAR0R5BavaSXqLwHyD3E6t5oaA6VkLm54k9LJx7aAr8SAxS4ERQ74ykw27HY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> http://www.sundijo.com/stepaway</a>. Check her out on <a href="http://Facebook.com/SundiJo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook.com/SundiJo</a>.  Here’s the link to join or get on the waitlist for Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy where Teresa and SundiJo hang out: h<a rel="noopener">ttps://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomrs-Christian-Weight-Loss-Academy/</a>

12. SundiJo Graham: No More Diets

Episode 008—Leaving a Legacy What legacy are you leaving to your family? Here are a few questions to ponder based on Deuteronomy 30:19. What have I done to my children and to my family? What bad habits am I teaching them? What comfort foods will they become addicted to? Is there any way I can turn this around? Have I already done too much damage? What things do I want to change now in order to make my life better in the future? What kind of legacy do I want to leave that would honor my life and honor my God? Here is the url for my gift to you: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/kicksugar/. Enjoy!

Episode 008—Leaving a Legacy What legacy are you leaving to your family? Here are a few questions to ponder based on Deuteronomy 30:19. What have I done to my children and to my family? What bad habits am I teaching them? What comfort foods will they become addicted to? Is there any way I can turn this around? Have I already done too much damage? What things do I want to change now in order to make my life better in the future? What kind of legacy do I want to leave that would honor my life and honor my God? Here is the url for my gift to you: <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/kicksugar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/kicksugar/</a>. Enjoy!

8. Leaving a Legacy

Episode 004—Great Adventure With God We all long to take that great adventure with God, maybe go to a foreign country, save an indigenous tribe, put a little excitement in our lives. Instead, we look at our lives and feel like they are dull, ordinary and mundane. God, though, wants us to take us on a great adventure with Him. Learn the secret ingredient necessary to make that trip.  Have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? Send it to info@TeresaShieldsParker.com and it might end up as an episode of its own. Quick Episode Summary:  Everyone needs a good adventure How Teresa used to deal with stress Surrendering to the Lord How Sweet Grace started Walking in compassion Faith takes courage Why Teresa started a podcast 

Episode 004—Great Adventure With God We all long to take that great adventure with God, maybe go to a foreign country, save an indigenous tribe, put a little excitement in our lives. Instead, we look at our lives and feel like they are dull, ordinary and mundane. God, though, wants us to take us on a great adventure with Him. Learn the secret ingredient necessary to make that trip. Have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? Send it to <a href="mailto:info@TeresaShieldsParker.com">info@TeresaShieldsParker.com</a> and it might end up as an episode of its own. Quick Episode Summary: <ul> <li>Everyone needs a good adventure</li> <li>How Teresa used to deal with stress</li> <li>Surrendering to the Lord</li> <li>How Sweet Grace started</li> <li>Walking in compassion</li> <li>Faith takes courage</li> <li>Why Teresa started a podcast</li> </ul>

4. Great Adventure With God

Episode 015—I Was a Rebel When we don’t follow what God shows us to do, even if it is just in one area, we are a rebel. Of course I didn’t see myself that way. It would take some inner healing work to even find the lies I believed that were holding me back from trusting God completely. I went so far as to ask God how I could lose weight. He gave me a plan, but it was a plan I didn’t like, so I rejected it. I continued to do everything else I knew to do, the easy things like going to church, reading my Bible, leading groups and even praying, but my relationship with God was dry. It was dry because I knew I was in rebellion. The only cure for rebellion is surrender and yet, I felt like I had to fix the mess I had made of my life when I gained up to 430 pounds. Hear how I got through that and how you can find that same cure. My free course #KickSugar is available now on my website. It contains 10 videos that lead you through a process to surrender this issue to God. Go here: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/KickSugar/. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on Apple Podcasts (itunes).

Episode 015—I Was a Rebel When we don’t follow what God shows us to do, even if it is just in one area, we are a rebel. Of course I didn’t see myself that way. It would take some inner healing work to even find the lies I believed that were holding me back from trusting God completely. I went so far as to ask God how I could lose weight. He gave me a plan, but it was a plan I didn’t like, so I rejected it. I continued to do everything else I knew to do, the easy things like going to church, reading my Bible, leading groups and even praying, but my relationship with God was dry. It was dry because I knew I was in rebellion. The only cure for rebellion is surrender and yet, I felt like I had to fix the mess I had made of my life when I gained up to 430 pounds. Hear how I got through that and how you can find that same cure. My free course #KickSugar is available now on my website. It contains 10 videos that lead you through a process to surrender this issue to God. Go here: <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/KickSugar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/KickSugar/</a>. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on Apple Podcasts (itunes).

15. I Was a Rebel

Episode 013—Kieawnie Clar: Going Forward Kieawnie Clar is a lifestyle consultant who is finally going forward on her weight loss journey. Understanding the basics was difficult for her. She discovered a rebellious streak that she had to deal with in order to surrender her will to God’s. She had obstacles to overcome, but working on her mindset, her emotional eating issues and her relationship with God helped her finally begin her journey. She’s lost 30 pounds and says she finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel.  Overcomers Academy has helped challenge her and redefine her as a bold, courageous woman of God. This is a big change from how she saw herself for years. Her journey is one everyone can relate to. To connect with Kieawnie, email her at Kieawnie.clar@gmail.com. Or check out her Beauty 4 Ashes page on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kieawn/ To join Overcomers Academy or get on the waitlist, go to https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers-Academy/  I’ll see you in the group

Episode 013—Kieawnie Clar: Going Forward Kieawnie Clar is a lifestyle consultant who is finally going forward on her weight loss journey. Understanding the basics was difficult for her. She discovered a rebellious streak that she had to deal with in order to surrender her will to God’s. She had obstacles to overcome, but working on her mindset, her emotional eating issues and her relationship with God helped her finally begin her journey. She’s lost 30 pounds and says she finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel.  Overcomers Academy has helped challenge her and redefine her as a bold, courageous woman of God. This is a big change from how she saw herself for years. Her journey is one everyone can relate to. To connect with Kieawnie, email her at <a href="mailto:Kieawnie.clar@gmail.com">Kieawnie.clar@gmail.com</a>. Or check out her Beauty 4 Ashes page on facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kieawn/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/kieawn/</a> To join Overcomers Academy or get on the waitlist, go to <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/Overcomers-Academy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers-Academy/</a> I’ll see you in the group

13. Kieawnie Clar: Going Forward

Episode 017—Are You a People Pleaser? People pleasers fall into the trap of thinking that they need to take care of others before taking care of themselves. This flows out of a well-meaning, but jaded way of looking at how we are to live the Christian life. The Great Commandment actually tells us to love and take care of our mental, emotional and physical self first so that we can love both God and others. We have to take care of our passions, our thoughts, and our energy so we can love God with all that we are. Only then can we love others as we love ourselves. We need to have good self care. For me that meant I had to go from having no priorities and doing everything for everybody to being willing to set some priorities by discovering what God wanted from me. Then, I needed to resign from things that were time-fillers and pride-builders that were stealing my time in order to work on my health and weight loss which is what God wanted for me.This helped me establish healthy activities that are still priorities for me today and will be for the rest of my life. Then God began to add destiny priorities which include what God has called me to do in this time and season, which isn’t being a people pleaser, but it is working with people to share His message of health and wellness. After you listen to the podcast, tell me what helped you most and what questions you still have?  If you’re ready to start your healthy living journey, check out my free 10-video course, #KickSugar. Go here to get immediate access. (https://Teresashieldsparker.com/kicksugar/).  To get on the waitlist for Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy go HERE. (https://TeresashieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/)

Episode 017—Are You a People Pleaser? People pleasers fall into the trap of thinking that they need to take care of others before taking care of themselves. This flows out of a well-meaning, but jaded way of looking at how we are to live the Christian life. The Great Commandment actually tells us to love and take care of our mental, emotional and physical self first so that we can love both God and others. We have to take care of our passions, our thoughts, and our energy so we can love God with all that we are. Only then can we love others as we love ourselves. We need to have good self care. For me that meant I had to go from having no priorities and doing everything for everybody to being willing to set some priorities by discovering what God wanted from me. Then, I needed to resign from things that were time-fillers and pride-builders that were stealing my time in order to work on my health and weight loss which is what God wanted for me.This helped me establish healthy activities that are still priorities for me today and will be for the rest of my life. Then God began to add destiny priorities which include what God has called me to do in this time and season, which isn’t being a people pleaser, but it is working with people to share His message of health and wellness. After you listen to the podcast, tell me what helped you most and what questions you still have?  If you’re ready to start your healthy living journey, check out my free 10-video course, #KickSugar. Go here to get immediate access. (<a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/kicksugar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://Teresashieldsparker.com/kicksugar/</a>).  To get on the waitlist for Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy go HERE. (<a href="https://TeresashieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresashieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/</a>)

17. Are You a People Pleaser?

Episode 018—Be Still and Know God Life is noisy and somehow that noise all converges in our heads and we have no time to be silent and sort out our day or our life. Not only that but it’s really hard to hear that still, small voice of God above the cries of our to do lists and hectic lives!  We can even turn off all the myriad of electronic devices we have and yet there is still noise in our own minds. It never seems to stop. Calgon take me away, right?  In the midst of the hustle and bustle of our lives God wants to tap into who He is. It doesn’t take a lot of time and it isn’t about reading devotionals or Bible studies or giving Him our endless prayer lists. It’s about getting to know Him.   It’s about spending intentional, no agenda time with Him. It’s not about studying Him or knowing the right words to say to Him. It’s about discovering who He is. It’s about listening to His heart. It’s about how 30 minutes drenched in His presence can feel like seconds and make us hunger for more of that simple connection with the God who loves us more than we ever knew. Then when I get to know more of who He really is I realize when He speaks gently to me about why I shouldn’t eat the thing I’m wanting to eat right that minute, I know it’s because He loves me and wants the best for me.   The Holy Spirit longs to lead us on our journeys, even our weight loss and healthy living journeys, and He will do that. Spending intentional time in His presence will help us understand exactly what He wants us to do because we know Him better. Because we have been with Him. This episode outlines a whole new way of approaching God and getting to know Him better.  We will be opening Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy in a few months, but you can get on the waitlist now to get free resources while you wait. Here’s the link:  https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers-Christian-Weight-Loss-Academy/

Episode 018—Be Still and Know God Life is noisy and somehow that noise all converges in our heads and we have no time to be silent and sort out our day or our life. Not only that but it’s really hard to hear that still, small voice of God above the cries of our to do lists and hectic lives!  We can even turn off all the myriad of electronic devices we have and yet there is still noise in our own minds. It never seems to stop. Calgon take me away, right?  In the midst of the hustle and bustle of our lives God wants to tap into who He is. It doesn’t take a lot of time and it isn’t about reading devotionals or Bible studies or giving Him our endless prayer lists. It’s about getting to know Him. It’s about spending intentional, no agenda time with Him. It’s not about studying Him or knowing the right words to say to Him. It’s about discovering who He is. It’s about listening to His heart. It’s about how 30 minutes drenched in His presence can feel like seconds and make us hunger for more of that simple connection with the God who loves us more than we ever knew. Then when I get to know more of who He really is I realize when He speaks gently to me about why I shouldn’t eat the thing I’m wanting to eat right that minute, I know it’s because He loves me and wants the best for me.   The Holy Spirit longs to lead us on our journeys, even our weight loss and healthy living journeys, and He will do that. Spending intentional time in His presence will help us understand exactly what He wants us to do because we know Him better. Because we have been with Him. This episode outlines a whole new way of approaching God and getting to know Him better.  We will be opening Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy in a few months, but you can get on the waitlist now to get free resources while you wait. Here’s the link: <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/Overcomers-Christian-Weight-Loss-Academy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers-Christian-Weight-Loss-Academy/</a>

18. Be Still and Know God

Episode 026—Peace Amidst Confusion I think the state I am currently living in is the state of confusion. If you are like me, I don’t do well in confusion. I like to be decisive, to make a decision and stick to it. But these days no one wants to make a decision that goes past tomorrow at the most. We feel like we can’t plan for the future so we are living in this never-never land of being perpetually on hold with most everything. That really goes against my nature so there is turmoil and confusion rolling around inside me.  Confusion means having a lack of understanding, uncertainty, a breakdown of order, doubt, skepticism, indecision, perplexity, upheaval and a general feeling that everything is a giant disorderly jumbled up mess. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 14:33 that God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. I’ve known this to be true in my life. When confusion hits, that means God is not in that decision or choice.  So, how do we even know that we are in confusion instead of peace and how can we find peace in the midst of these topsy-turvy times? For 20 years we took care of mentally challenged foster teens and young adults. To say they lived in confusion is an understatement. Each one we took care of had different diagnoses and issues. But one of the biggest things each of them had was a tendency to misuse food.  One of our foster sons tried to eat everything in sight even if it made him sick.  Several foster daughters would carry off bags of chips or cookies or anything they could find to their room and eat them in the middle of the night. However trying to eat away their confusion and turmoil never worked for them and it won’t work for us either I have a feeling there are many who are trying to do some of these same things. Like my foster son you are trying to hoard food and other items that for some odd reason you think you can’t do without. If this crisis had happened when I was super morbidly obese, I’d be freaking out. I couldn’t let there be any vacant space in my pantry, refrigerator or freezer because I didn’t want to chance being without food. To me that would have been the worst thing in the world. Some of you are like the foster daughters I had and are sneaking food so others can’t see what you’re doing. Not that they would care, but if they did see you then you’d have to be accountable for what you are eating. It’s interesting to me that we don’t want others to see what we are doing, but what we are doing will eventually show up on the scales anyway. Why do we play this game of if no one sees me eat it then it doesn’t count? The biggest thing we have to learn on the journey to healthy living is personal accountability first to ourselves and then to God. We cannot be accountable to God if we are constantly lying to ourselves.Lying to ourselves means we aren’t keeping track of what we are eating. It’s like if we don’t know how many calories we are eating in a day then we don’t have to worry about it. And if we don’t step on the scales then our weight will just magically stay the same. There are many things that we like to bury our heads in the sand about and pretend they will just go away. For many years I would pray that God would just magically remove the weight from my body without any effort on my part. What I learned is God will do His part, but only when I surrender my right to eat whatever I want whenever I want it. I have to be willing to surrender the foods that are making me unhealthy. When I finally made that commitment, God led me on the wildest journey to transformation ever and all at the courtesy of His matchless, powerful grace. He will do the same for you. In this podcast I continue to talk about how to discover God’s peace by going through Romans 7:19-Romans 8:4 TPT. I also talk about 3 John 2 AMP and Philippians 4:6-7 TPT. Be prepared for some deep revelations and personal challenges. If you are interested in joining Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy, doors are open now. Go here to join or for more information:  https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/. For those who want immediate access to my Blueprint for Losing Weight and Living Healthy, go here: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/blueprint/.

Episode 026—Peace Amidst Confusion I think the state I am currently living in is the state of confusion. If you are like me, I don’t do well in confusion. I like to be decisive, to make a decision and stick to it. But these days no one wants to make a decision that goes past tomorrow at the most. We feel like we can’t plan for the future so we are living in this never-never land of being perpetually on hold with most everything. That really goes against my nature so there is turmoil and confusion rolling around inside me.  Confusion means having a lack of understanding, uncertainty, a breakdown of order, doubt, skepticism, indecision, perplexity, upheaval and a general feeling that everything is a giant disorderly jumbled up mess. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 14:33 that God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. I’ve known this to be true in my life. When confusion hits, that means God is not in that decision or choice.  So, how do we even know that we are in confusion instead of peace and how can we find peace in the midst of these topsy-turvy times? For 20 years we took care of mentally challenged foster teens and young adults. To say they lived in confusion is an understatement. Each one we took care of had different diagnoses and issues. But one of the biggest things each of them had was a tendency to misuse food.  One of our foster sons tried to eat everything in sight even if it made him sick.  Several foster daughters would carry off bags of chips or cookies or anything they could find to their room and eat them in the middle of the night. However trying to eat away their confusion and turmoil never worked for them and it won’t work for us either I have a feeling there are many who are trying to do some of these same things. Like my foster son you are trying to hoard food and other items that for some odd reason you think you can’t do without. If this crisis had happened when I was super morbidly obese, I’d be freaking out. I couldn’t let there be any vacant space in my pantry, refrigerator or freezer because I didn’t want to chance being without food. To me that would have been the worst thing in the world. Some of you are like the foster daughters I had and are sneaking food so others can’t see what you’re doing. Not that they would care, but if they did see you then you’d have to be accountable for what you are eating. It’s interesting to me that we don’t want others to see what we are doing, but what we are doing will eventually show up on the scales anyway. Why do we play this game of if no one sees me eat it then it doesn’t count? The biggest thing we have to learn on the journey to healthy living is personal accountability first to ourselves and then to God. We cannot be accountable to God if we are constantly lying to ourselves.Lying to ourselves means we aren’t keeping track of what we are eating. It’s like if we don’t know how many calories we are eating in a day then we don’t have to worry about it. And if we don’t step on the scales then our weight will just magically stay the same. There are many things that we like to bury our heads in the sand about and pretend they will just go away. For many years I would pray that God would just magically remove the weight from my body without any effort on my part. What I learned is God will do His part, but only when I surrender my right to eat whatever I want whenever I want it. I have to be willing to surrender the foods that are making me unhealthy. When I finally made that commitment, God led me on the wildest journey to transformation ever and all at the courtesy of His matchless, powerful grace. He will do the same for you. In this podcast I continue to talk about how to discover God’s peace by going through Romans 7:19-Romans 8:4 TPT. I also talk about 3 John 2 AMP and Philippians 4:6-7 TPT. Be prepared for some deep revelations and personal challenges. If you are interested in joining Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy, doors are open now. Go here to join or for more information: <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers-christian-weight-loss-academy/</a>. For those who want immediate access to my Blueprint for Losing Weight and Living Healthy, go here: <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com/blueprint/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/blueprint/</a>.

26. Peace Amidst Confusion

Episode 025—Verna Laboy: Healthy Is the New Sexy Verna Laboy is the health educator for Columbia/Boone County, MO, public health and human services who runs the Live Well by Faith program. She is an advocate for how health needs to be woven into our everyday lives. Through various classes and programs, she helps women learn how to change their lives by incorporating ways to cook, eat, exercise, garden and live healthier.  “I tell women, healthy is the new sexy,” she declared. Since heading up this program, she herself has lost 40 pounds and lowered her A1C to a healthy level simply by diet and exercise.  She continued, “I have to be authentic from inside out. People have to see that what I’m teaching is really working for me. I’m taking the medicine that I’m spoonfeeding others. I don’t want to just put makeup on and feel good. I really want to be good at the cellular level.” Her goal is for women to begin to take a stand for their own health. “You have to be a little selfish. You have to learn that you are worth fighting for. In this day and age when health insurance isn’t all it used to be, we need to do things differently. We have to give our minds, bodies and souls an opportunity to heal. We don’t have to live our lives traumatized and on a roller coaster. We can say enough is enough.” The fact that individuals are now living longer is another reason we should be especially concerned about our health, Verna explained. “Who wants to live a long life in a nursing facility or having to pay anyone to do anything for you because you can’t? I want to be able to get out and do yard work, plant flowers and enjoy my garden and go for walks.  “I’m a grandma,” she continued. “That means I need to do stretching, exercising, strength conditioning because I’m not 18 anymore. I don’t want to be limited in mobility because I’m eating a bunch of junk and destroying my organs.” God cares about our bodies, Verna explained. “Our bodies are His temple. We cannot carry the mantle of the assignment on our lives if we are sick. There are foods we eat in this country that are banned in other countries. Not everything we eat that tastes good to us is good for us. It’s time for us to open up to the information that will save our lives and our legacy that we are leaving our families.” Verna explained that obstacles to the health journey are everywhere. One obstacle is cultural foods and foods others in our homes want to eat. However, she feels the biggest obstacle to eating healthy is “feeling alone while doing it, especially when you have never really taken a stand for yourself before.  “It is very lonely to be quite honest unless you become a part of a community,” she added. “That’s where Live Well by Faith is strong. We are building a community of like-minded individuals where we are coaching one another. They are using new language and they are talking about their health.”  All too often those with healthy living or weight issues use food as an emotional support. This is another reason to have a community where individuals encourage and support each other. For those interested in joining an online healthy living teaching and support group, Teresa’s Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy is open now. To join, go here: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com. To get in touch with Verna Laboy, go to the “Live Well By Faith” Facebook group or email her at MIZVerna@gmail.com

Episode 025—Verna Laboy: Healthy Is the New Sexy Verna Laboy is the health educator for Columbia/Boone County, MO, public health and human services who runs the Live Well by Faith program. She is an advocate for how health needs to be woven into our everyday lives. Through various classes and programs, she helps women learn how to change their lives by incorporating ways to cook, eat, exercise, garden and live healthier.  “I tell women, healthy is the new sexy,” she declared. Since heading up this program, she herself has lost 40 pounds and lowered her A1C to a healthy level simply by diet and exercise.  She continued, “I have to be authentic from inside out. People have to see that what I’m teaching is really working for me. I’m taking the medicine that I’m spoonfeeding others. I don’t want to just put makeup on and feel good. I really want to be good at the cellular level.” Her goal is for women to begin to take a stand for their own health. “You have to be a little selfish. You have to learn that you are worth fighting for. In this day and age when health insurance isn’t all it used to be, we need to do things differently. We have to give our minds, bodies and souls an opportunity to heal. We don’t have to live our lives traumatized and on a roller coaster. We can say enough is enough.” The fact that individuals are now living longer is another reason we should be especially concerned about our health, Verna explained. “Who wants to live a long life in a nursing facility or having to pay anyone to do anything for you because you can’t? I want to be able to get out and do yard work, plant flowers and enjoy my garden and go for walks.  “I’m a grandma,” she continued. “That means I need to do stretching, exercising, strength conditioning because I’m not 18 anymore. I don’t want to be limited in mobility because I’m eating a bunch of junk and destroying my organs.” God cares about our bodies, Verna explained. “Our bodies are His temple. We cannot carry the mantle of the assignment on our lives if we are sick. There are foods we eat in this country that are banned in other countries. Not everything we eat that tastes good to us is good for us. It’s time for us to open up to the information that will save our lives and our legacy that we are leaving our families.” Verna explained that obstacles to the health journey are everywhere. One obstacle is cultural foods and foods others in our homes want to eat. However, she feels the biggest obstacle to eating healthy is “feeling alone while doing it, especially when you have never really taken a stand for yourself before.  “It is very lonely to be quite honest unless you become a part of a community,” she added. “That’s where Live Well by Faith is strong. We are building a community of like-minded individuals where we are coaching one another. They are using new language and they are talking about their health.”  All too often those with healthy living or weight issues use food as an emotional support. This is another reason to have a community where individuals encourage and support each other. For those interested in joining an online healthy living teaching and support group, Teresa’s Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy is open now. To join, go here: <a href="https://teresashieldsparker.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://TeresaShieldsParker.com</a>. To get in touch with Verna Laboy, go to the “Live Well By Faith” Facebook group or email her at MIZVerna@gmail.com

25. Verna Laboy: Healthy Is the New Sexy

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