Sweet Grace For Your Journey

Episode 220-Move My Mountain

In order to lose weight and keep it off we have to begin and continue.  We have to be committed to transformation. I was a reluctant loser, but God helped me lose 250 of the 430 pounds I once had on my body.  I say I was a reluctant loser because God told me to give up sugar and I didn’t want to.

Today, I'm a Christian weight loss author, coach, speaker and podcaster. I pray my story impacts and moves you to do what God wants you to do, whatever that is.

If you desire to lose weight and keep it off, check out my new Overcomers Academy. Doors are open now.

Overcomers Link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers

Episode 219-Overcomers Academy New

God called me to coach others with weight issues after I lost 250 pounds. With His help I’ve been coaching now for 10 years. I was hesitant, but I have learned if God calls me I don’t have to worry about my qualifications. When God asks us to do a specific task, He and He alone will qualify us. 

He goes before us to pave the way. He is all we need to complete whatever He calls us to do. “It is not your strength, but it is God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work, that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 AMP).

In Overcomers Academy, diet is a four-letter word and not a very nice one. Instead we talk about commitment, habit change, surrender, along with accountability to God and ourselves and many helpful tools. These were huge keys for me and should be for you too. They are difficult concepts for many to grab hold of and implement. I know, for me, everything changed when I tapped into these. 

In Overcomers I also help members identify root issues that have them stuck in the cycle of overeating and lead them to get set free and reconnected to Father God, Holy Spirit, and Jesus. 

We have four lines of defense in our group. First: Join Overcomers. Second: Join the weekly call. Third: Listen to and apply our courses each week. Fourth: Pray for each other.

Overcomers webpage: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/

Overcomers Academy circle community link: https://overcomers-academy.circle.so/checkout/join-overcomers-academy

Episode 218-God's New Thing

I read this somewhere and it resonated with me. I don’t know the author. “God is telling me today, rest in Me. I am already ahead of you, working in your life. I will turn around every bad situation you are in. I will bless you and your family with all that you need. I will heal all that needs healing. I will wipe away of your tears. You will be blessed.”

Rest became my word for 2024, but it’s not the ordinary sleeping kind of rest. God showed me some new reasons to embrace this word. Check out the podcast to learn more. 

Doors to the New Overcomers Academy are open now. To join go to:

TeresaShieldsParker.com/Overcomers/. 

Episode 217-Here's My Heart, Lord

You’ve likely gotten all kinds of gifts for Christmas already, but I want to give you another one. When I take the love language test, mine comes back words of affirmation, imagine that. It’s what I love to receive, but it’s also what I love to give. 

Words can build us up or tear us down. I hope these words, which one day may become a picture book or illustrated book, will make you think and cause you to draw closer to our loving Heavenly Father. 

So here is the Gift of Purpose.

Overcomers’ Academy link: https://teresashieldsparker.com/Overcomers/

Episode 216-Season for Temptation

It’s the season for temptations especially for a sugar and comfort food addict like I used to be or like you may be right now. How can we resist falling into temptation? 

If we are surrendered to God it can help us resist temptation.

Overcomers Academy link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/

Episode 215-Make Time for God

With so many time-stealers in our lives, how do we make room for God? First, we have to first above everything else. If we don’t have time set aside specifically to spend time listening to God, How will we know what He’s saying to us. How will we know what He wants us to do?

James 4:8 NLT tells us, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” It is really up to us to find time to meet with God. It boils down to making time, space, and room for Him. 

Overcomers Link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/

Episode 214-Stubborn Surrender

My mother used to say to me, “You’re so stubborn you’d argue with a fencepost if it would talk back.” Stubbornness is not a good trait when you are not wanting to do what you know God wants you to do. It just reveals a whole lot of the very worst of our humanness. 

Stubbornness is a huge part of being human and we think we don’t really need any help from God.  However, if we stay stubborn and never surrender to God, we will just sink deeper into sin. We will never experience the life He wants us to have. God gives us the option of life and death. He wants us to choose life. 

Will we?

Overcomers Academy link:  https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers

Episode 213- Grace and Surrender

Without the grace of God, I would never have surrendered to Him. I’d still be trying to work my way to heaven by trying to earn God’s favor

God understands us though. He is not a distant far away God. He is the God of grace. We don’t have to earn anything. Failure is part of the learning process. 

God gives us grace. It’s a gift, but its more than just a box we unwrap on Christmas morning. It has substance to it. It is endless. From grace we take and grace remains. 

When I began my weight loss journey God showed me three pivotal steps I keep in mind.

1. I am powerless over food and my life has become unmanageable

2. I know there are times I am insane especially around certain foods. I need a Power greater than myself to restore me to sanity and set me free.

3. In order to stay free I surrender my will and life over to the care of God, the only One who is able to sustain and lead me on this journey.

Overcomers Link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers

Episode 212-Efficacy and Surrender

It was during my quiet time recently when kind of like a benediction on our time, God said, “May your day be filled with efficacy.” He does this kind of stuff to me a lot. It is one of the great benefits of a real quiet time. I said, “Efficacy? Why are you giving me this word, God?”

He was quiet and I sensed He wanted me to look-up it’s meaning. It means the ability to produce a desired or intended result. It also means to produce effectiveness. It doesn’t mean just to be effective, but to be able to produce effectiveness on an ongoing basis.

So I asked God, what in my life has efficacy? We’ll explore that on Efficacy and Surrender.

Overcomers Waitlist: teresashieldsparker.com/overcomers/

Episode 211- Surrender to His Majesty

Lord, Don’t allow me to make a mess of my life, for I cling to Your commands and follow them as closely as I can. (Psalms‬ 119‬:31‬ TPT‬‬).‬‬‬

We all need to pray that verse every day, especially in the days we’re living in now. Everywhere I look it seems like everyone is in a world of self-doubt. Today I got a flyer in the mail. Don’t usually read these flyers this one happen to be from evangel University, where my daughter graduated. It’s talking to students so it’s not talking to those over 21 or is it. I’ll let you decide. 

Dr. Mike Rakers president of the school said, “Recent events in the Middle East and the ever-changing culture around students causes high levels of insecurity and uncertainty. 

Every day, Students walk under the clock tower ringed with scriptures etched around it. Scripture like 1 Samuel 7:12. “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

Since 1955 students whether impacted by the Korean war, Vietnam war, Afghanistan war, Iraq war. the war against Isis, or all of the other minor conflicts or pandemics that have come see that God never leaves us or forsakes us.

Overcomers Link: https://TeresaShieldsParker.com/overcomers/