The Feeling Better - Gambling Addiction & Spiritual Warfare

Send us a text Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text Friends, this has been a long, incredible, unbelievable journey with you all. I'm sorry (not sorry?) to say this is my very last episode of The Feeling Better podcast. After a tough week where I suffered with a weird physical imbalance, I had some illumination from God about how to truly be the best ME for HIS kingdom: physically, mentally, and spiritually. And that means saying good-bye. The Feeling Better gambling addiction podcast and website will stay up for new listeners to discover or current ones to go back and listen to. But my new podcast launching March 3rd is called WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS: Biblical Breadcrumbs for the Lost Here is my new podcast Buzzsprout platform player: https://wanderinginthewilderness.buzzsprout.com Here is my new podcast website with all the info, including where to listen: https://www.wanderinginthewilderness.com/ Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text Friends, this topic is a big one. The Imbalance of Bigger Barns addresses the whole "Keeping Up With the Joneses" mentality and wanting things we don't have. We don't have them and we think we should, and so we envy others. The grass is always greener on the other side... or is it? What kind of damage can envying things and coveting what other people have do to our mental health and spiritual walk? Have a listen as I give some real examples of my own life and the things I'd felt recently. Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text Well, friends. In this episode, I get really into the guts of something that paints me out to be a complete jerk. Sometimes I wonder how God even stands me, let alone how I can stand myself. Let's just say I'm thankful for His grace and mercy, as well as my husband's. If you are someone suffering an addiction of ANY kind, whether gambling, porn, alcohol, drugs, food, video games, smoking, shopping, etc., and you've lied to someone you love, this is the episode for you. Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text #demons #satan #ishellreal #hell Yeah, this might be a difficult episode for some people to grasp. My intention was to give you a short introduction to the discussion about the imbalance of a demonic tongue, which every one of us needs to hear. But I get into talking about Satan and hell, and I share with you my really creepy demon story, and provide you with advice on what to do if you find yourself in a real demonic encounter. I also provide you with a current pop culture example using famous YouTubers to showcase how God's law is God's law, whether it's popular opinion or not. Before I knew it, I ran out of time and didn't actually get to the topic at hand. Stay tuned for next week, when I get to the meat and potatoes of our 9th imbalance about demonic tongues, as a part 2 of sorts to this week's episode. Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text In this episode, I tell you three crazy stories about grace and mercy that happened to me last week, one of which explained why I wasn't able to get a podcast episode uploaded last Sunday. I also finally dive into the imbalance of character and integrity, and how I turned into wretched thief who stole while I was gambling. Sometimes imbalances invoke correction and discipline from God. Other times it leaves mental doors open for the enemy to sneak through. If any of the character or integrity imbalances I mention in this episode touch a nerve, it might be time for some serious change. Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text In this episode, I tell you how once again God came through for us, with an amazing story that defies explanation. I don't think anyone can deny the power of prayer at this point. How many times have I shared stories like this now? It's kind of mind-blowing! And that perfectly ties into a question I got from a listener, who asked me what kind of things we should be praying for, and if it's wrong to pray for more than just the necessary things in life that sustain us. You're going to love this episode about big, hairy, audacious prayers! Next week, I promise we're back to imbalances, with a topic that references a lot of gambling addiction behaviors and feelings. Be sure to subscribe to listen in each Sunday! If you feel led to make a donation to help me get back on my feet and to be a blessing to our household, here is a link the secure donation page on my website: The Feeling Better online donation box Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text Enough is enough, right? Enough gambling. Enough loss. Enough failure. Enough living a life of confusion, anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. Do you all want to make 2024 the most incredible and impactful year of your life so far? Then join me on this new venture. In this episode, I share with you two resolutions that will change everything for you. That's it, just two. And I'm not leaving you on your own to do it. I'm going to do it with you. This is the episode you don't want to miss if you really want to live your best life. Here is the link to download the YouVersion Bible App for your phone: https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/ And here is the link to BibleGateway: https://www.biblegateway.com/ If you feel led to make a donation to help me get back on my feet and to be a blessing to our household, here is a link the secure donation page on my website: The Feeling Better online donation box Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text Merry Christmas! You will never guess the gift God gave me for Christmas. I have finally learned the spiritual secret to letting go completely of worry, anxiety, stress, depression, and sadness. Once again, I got passed over for a job despite going through an intensive interview process. And I had COVID that lasted three weeks. My bank account is at zero, and I have no idea how my January bills are going to get paid. But do you know what? I am SO full of joy! All our bills are paid for December, and I was able to tithe a nice check. AND we were able to bless a few people ourselves this Christmas. Wait until you hear the huge epiphany I had about joy and peace. It's pretty incredible, and I hope my message blesses you as well. Here are a few videos that I recommend in this podcast episode: Skip Heitzig: How to Have Unfathomable Peace Francis Chan: Living with Joy Kenneth E. Hagin: Casting Your Cares Upon the Lord Also, one of my favorite worship songs. Jireh means "provider." Elevation Worship, Jireh Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text Friends, I can't thank God enough for all of you. Here is a short message for this week. And this is the link to my paid subscriber membership. More to come! The Feeling Better Spiritual Warrior Community Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text Hello, friends! Man, as you can tell from my nasally voice, I am still under the weather, presumably with COVID as I had recently lost my sense of smell and taste. This is the hardest time of year for many of us current or former addicts. Between the short, dark days and all the holiday festivities, it can be tough to stay upbeat, positive, and productive. I share some ideas for keeping our minds off of gambling here during the winter months, as well as a suggestion for reading/listening that will remind us all how blessed we truly are. For a link to the audiobook "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom, click here at this link: "The Hiding Place" audiobook biography Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text In this episode, I read from my new book, Imbalances: The Addict's Guide to Fixing Our Broken Lives, Chapter 7--The Imbalance of Sex, Trust, and Intimacy. My apologies for not uploading a podcast episode last week, folks. I came down with some kind of nasty flu or virus that shifted to one of those horrid head colds. I had recorded my episode, but didn't have the energy or brain power to edit it. I start off by telling you all about my strange Thanksgiving, and then I start this chapter off by telling you a pretty juicy but amusing story about my teenage years when I got my first two jobs. They were doozies! But the moral of this story is understanding what's imablanced in our lives--especially in society as a whole-- with regard to sex, lust, and intimacy. Do you have the backbone and conviction to be held to a higher standard than what society (AKA "the enemy") deems acceptable? If you want to learn more about how to have a more godly marriage, here is the link to the audiobook "Sacred Marriage: What if God Designed Marriage to Make Us More Holy Than to Make Us More Happy" by Gary Thomas, as mentioned in this episode. Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text #gamblingaddiction #spiritualattack #suicide *NOTE: TRIGGER WARNING IN THIS EPISODE!* Happy Thanksgiving! It's my 40th episode! And, I just hit the 10,000 download milestone. I know it's crazy, but I am so ridiculously thankful for my gambling addiction. In this episode, I share with you actual recordings from me back this time last year in 2022. It's heartbreaking to hear the dark despair I was in back then, the hopelessness I felt, the confusion and fear and utter darkness. But I juxtapose that with where I am today, and I tell you the main reason I believe so many of us are getting spiritually attacked with addiction, suffering, and hardship. Have a listen. If you want to watch Pastor Craig Groeschel from Life Church speaking about how there is purpose in your pain, here is the YouTube video link. Also, if you want to check out the amazing song "Jireh" by Elevation Worship, here's the link to that video. Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text In this episode, I read from my new book, Imbalances: The Addict's Guide to Fixing Our Broken Lives, Chapter 6--The Imbalance of Negative Thoughts. It's human nature to have negative thoughts, but did you know it's sinful nature to be someone who continually thinks, voices, or acts on negative thoughts? Sometimes, Christians are the worst at this. But both Jesus and the Apostle Paul tell us that true Christians don't behave in this way. Today, I share an awful story about my past, and how my best friend's negative thoughts hurt me very deeply. I also discuss Kat Von D's baptism in her Christian faith, and the negativity she received from so-called "fellow Christians." If you want to see the awesome interview Kat did on Allie Beth Stuckey's YouTube channel, where she gives her full testimony, you can view that here: Kat Von D's story To watch Pastor Craig Groeschel's first sermon in the 6-part series on the Book of Ruth, click here: Life Church - Book of Ruth, Part 1 Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text In this episode, I read from my new book, Imbalances: The Addict's Guide to Fixing Our Broken Lives, Chapter 5--The Imbalance of Relationships. This is also a bit of a tribute episode to actor Matthew Perry from the show "Friends," who battled the spiritual attack of addiction for many, many years. I also share three (actually four) heartbreaking stories of relationships gone bad, and show you the easiest way to love in the way God wants us to. AND, in the way that brings balance to our lives, which in turn prevents spiritual attack. I mention at one point the video by Pastor Vlad Savchuck about the ten signs you're battling a demon or unclean spirit, of which I had 6 or 7 of them when I was in the depths of my gambling addiction. Click here to watch that YouTube video: https://youtu.be/92Q_Zo3C1DA Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text I struggled putting my words together for this week's regular episode, which was supposed to be chapter 5 of my book, because this situation in the Middle East has been dominating my thoughts. I got into some heated arguments (again) with my family. And it wasn't even my Muslim family members that I clashed with, but rather, my Christian siblings. And this disturbed me. So I felt compelled to give my perspective on the situation. Who occupied the land first? And who does it belong to now? What are the facts, and should we take sides? And what does all of this have to do with end times and spiritual attack by the enemy? Have a listen, and please share it around if you feel led. In this episode, I mention Pastor Skip Heitzig's video sermon: Israel or Palestine: Who's Right? I also suggest listeners check out my podcast episode from back in the summer: Islam vs. Christianity: The Spiritual Attack of a False Religion Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text In this episode, I'm reading from my new book, "Imbalance: The Addict's Guide to Fixing Our Broken Lives." This week is Chapter 4, The Imbalance of Busyness. I think many, many people, old and young, rich and poor, of every location and demographic suffer with having too busy lives that are chaotic, disorganized, and overwhelming. I bet you weren't aware of how damaging this can be, and how frustrating this is to God. In fact, were you aware that this could not only be the one main thing that contributed to your addiction, but also may be the one big reason why you haven't seen blessing in your life? Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text In this episode, I'm actually inserting a mini-chapter in between chapter 3 and chapter 4, because I realized that some of you may not actually know what it is that you're competing for in this contest of life. Do you really know what Heaven is? Do you understand what's revealed to us about our inheritance throughout the Bible? If not, have a listen to this succinct description (with resources for more info) about what Heaven really is, and where we all go when we die. As referenced in my episode, here is the link to Pastor Skip Heitzig's video about the New Jersualem, from his end time Revelation series on YouTube. You've GOT to watch this one! Heaven is absolutely incredible! HEAVEN'S CAPITAL CITY, Revelation 21 & 22 by Skip Heitzig Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text In this episode, I'm reading from my new book, "Imbalance: The Addict's Guide to Fixing Our Broken Lives." This week is Chapter 3, The Imbalance of Self-Importance, or "Know Your Role." In this episode, I share the deepest, most intimate and personal story. I was finally able to dissect the real reason why I fell into a gambling addiction, and I break down the raw, hard truth of it. And I also share a crazy scary story about a spiritual demon attack that happened to me while my hubby and I were on a camping trip the summer I started gambling. You don't want to miss this episode. It's a juicy one! I pray it helps you this week, and going forward in your life. Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com

Send us a text In this episode, I'm reading from my new book, "Imbalance: The Addict's Guide to Fixing Our Broken Lives." This week is Chapter 2, The Imbalance of Self-Worth, Value, and Influence. I think you'll be kind of surprised what I deem to be the biggest, most off-balance thing that nearly everyone around the world has as an idol to give them self-worth, value, purpose, and importance. Check out all the things I have to say about the internet and social media. Does social media come from the devil? Is the internet evil? Have a listen and tell me what you think. Here is the link to the article I reference about phone and social media usage statistics: https://backlinko.com/social-media-users# Support the show For more information about my books, podcast, resources, please visit my website: https://www.thefeelingbetter.com To get in touch, please click this link for my contact page: CONTACT ME Or you can email me directly: maria@thefeelingbetter.com