Participants: Shelley Quinn (Host), Magna Parks
Series Code: IAA
Program Code: IAA000439A
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00:29 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
00:30 And we welcome you to Issues and Answers. 00:33 This is a program that talks about issues 00:36 that are important to today's population. 00:40 And we provide answers... 00:42 Practical answers from the Bible. 00:44 And today we have a wonderful program. 00:46 I think, you're going to enjoy this so much. 00:48 We will be speaking about keys to optimal mental health. 00:53 And our special guest is Magna Parks-Porterfield. 00:57 Magna is a PhD in counseling psychology. 01:02 And the thing I love most about her 01:05 is her humble spirit and just Christ-like behavior. 01:09 So let me introduce. 01:10 Magna, so glad that you're with us today. 01:12 So good to be here, Shelley. 01:14 Yeah, now where are you living now? 01:15 I'm actually living on the campus 01:17 of Uchee Pines Institute. 01:18 All right. 01:20 My husband is the education director there, 01:21 and we live there. 01:22 Wonderful. Alabama. 01:24 Alabama. Yes. 01:25 But you don't have that southern accent yet. 01:26 Because I grew up in New York City. 01:29 Okay. 01:30 Magna, tell us just a little bit about yourself. 01:33 Why did you pursue a PhD in counseling psychology? 01:37 Well, you know, Shelley, 01:39 I actually started out in nursing 01:41 and then I went to physical therapy 01:42 but in the back of my mind, I was always interested 01:45 in listening to people and observing people 01:48 and I thought why not do a career 01:51 where I could get paid for doing that. 01:53 And I went into that with that desire to listen, 01:57 to observe, and then the desire grew to help people. 02:00 And I thought that if I could get that degree, 02:02 then I could help people but then, you know, 02:03 God brought me through a path of recognizing 02:05 that that's good, it's a door opener, 02:08 but His word has everything that we need. 02:10 And so I'm trying to mix the two together when I can. 02:13 Well, that's beauty of when you have a close, 02:17 intimate relationship with the Lord of even though, 02:20 you've got the best of, you know, 02:22 when you get your doctorate, you've had the best training 02:24 that's available in the... what the world has to offer. 02:28 But then you can supplement that 02:32 with the truth from the Bible. 02:34 So that's what's good. 02:36 All right, so let's just get into this 02:37 because I'm really anxious to hear about it. 02:39 We're going to be talking about the keys 02:41 to optimal mental health. 02:44 What is the first key? 02:45 The first key... 02:46 Can I say something before the first key? 02:48 Sure. 02:49 How I came up with these keys is that 02:51 I'm very interested in looking at science, 02:54 true science that goes along with what God's word says. 02:57 I love it that you said true science 02:59 because if the science contradicts God's word, 03:02 we know that in the years, it will correct itself 03:05 because we see over and over again 03:07 that science has often contradicted God's word, 03:09 and usually people will say, 03:11 "Well, that means the Bible is an error." 03:13 But you know, if you wait just long enough, 03:15 science will correct itself, doesn't it? 03:16 It does. It does. 03:18 It comes into line with what the Bible says. 03:20 It does. 03:21 So I started looking at science for this particular show. 03:24 And I've been doing it for a while. 03:25 And I said. 03:27 What if science is showing right now that goes along 03:29 with the Word of God for mental health?" 03:31 Things that God told us 3000, 4000, or 5000 years ago 03:35 that science is starting to catch up, as I call it. 03:38 So that's how I came up with these different keys. 03:40 And the first one that the Lord revealed to me 03:42 was the importance of taking care of our bodies. 03:46 You know, the Lord tells us that our body is his temple, 03:48 the Holy Spirit dwells there, and He wants us to recognize 03:51 that not only for spiritual reasons 03:53 but I think he wants us to recognize that 03:54 for physical and mental health as well. 03:57 I certainly know that if your body... 04:00 If you're suffering in the body, what happens is, 04:03 you can become, you know, like when people get sick, 04:06 they become... 04:09 Essentially, you become emotionally depressed 04:12 after a while because you're sick 04:13 and tired of being sick and tired. 04:15 And then you can become spiritually depressed 04:17 and you're just, kind of, there's a decline that happens. 04:20 So, yes, I think when the Lord told us, 04:23 you know, there's so much in the Bible 04:24 that has to talk about taking care of our bodies, 04:28 and the reason why is God knew that 04:30 we are a whole, aren't we? 04:32 That's right, we're faithfully and wonderfully made, 04:34 and when both of those are put together, 04:36 and it was so exciting to me in 2011, 04:39 and I was reading through one of the psychology journals 04:42 and a Dr Roger Walsh actually from Australia, 04:44 he looked at several studies, 60 or 70 of them, 04:47 and what he came up with is that 04:50 if we take care of our bodies, if we have a proper lifestyle, 04:53 it can be just as effective. 04:55 And I thought this was powerful when he says, 04:57 just as effective as drugs 05:00 and counseling for various mental health concerns. 05:02 And I said, and he calls it therapeutic lifestyle changes, 05:07 exercising, 05:09 he even talks about religious and spiritual involvement, 05:12 getting out into nature, proper diet, 05:14 getting proper sleep. 05:15 And I was just jumping up and down because, you know, 05:17 we've known about this for years 05:20 but now science has started... 05:21 Hundreds of years, science is starting to show that now. 05:24 And, you know, we certainly know that 05:26 there are people that if they're depressed, 05:28 if they get outside and get the sunshine 05:30 so their body can make vitamin D, 05:32 so the body can make serotonin, 05:35 God did, HE created us to be active human beings. 05:42 And, you know, on one part of that, 05:43 that I was particularly interested in, 05:45 we know about the diet and all of that, you know, 05:47 people know when you eat properly. 05:49 I have case studies of examples of people 05:51 I've worked with who... 05:52 One young lady was molested for years 05:54 and when she came to me, 05:55 she had been through all this therapy. 05:56 And God had already started to change my way 05:58 of working with people. 05:59 And, Shelley, all I did was change her diet, 06:01 and she's plopped in front of me. 06:03 And at that point in time, I was Dr Parks. 06:04 She says, "Dr Parks, I feel better 06:06 than I felt out of all these therapies 06:08 where we went through all my childhood." 06:09 Praise God. 06:10 And so I know that the diet helps 06:12 but one thing that's really catching my attention now 06:14 is nature. 06:15 They actually have come up with a term 06:16 called nature deficit disorder. 06:20 Really? Yes. 06:21 So people who are living say, in the inner city, 06:26 who don't get out and get to see 06:28 a beautiful sunset, or trees, and the birds 06:31 and that it actually affects them mentally. 06:34 Exactly. 06:35 And they're tracing back some of the emotional 06:38 and behavioral problems that children and adults 06:41 are experiencing to not being in nature. 06:43 And they're talking also about the fact that 06:45 we have so immersed in media. 06:46 Media is good. 06:47 I mean, people are watching now because of media. 06:49 So I don't want to, you know, completely bad mouth it 06:51 but we're getting so involved with the lack of reality, 06:55 the artificial way of relating. 06:57 We're not relating to people one on one anymore, 06:59 we're not getting out into nature, 07:01 and so we're saying that because of that, 07:03 this nature deficit disorder is affecting us mentally. 07:06 That's amazing. It is. 07:07 And so, you know, I always tell people, 07:09 even if their living in a city, find a park, 07:12 try to go to it as often as possible. 07:14 Plant some pots right outside on your patio. 07:17 I mean, there are things we can do 07:18 to just get us in touch with nature more, 07:21 and it helps our mental health. 07:22 It really can enlighten us or help us. 07:25 You know, it's interesting because for me, 07:27 I can't be in a room where there's no greenery. 07:29 I like green living plants wherever I'm at. 07:32 And it seems, I've heard studies where they say that 07:35 that actually improves the air quality... 07:38 Yeah, I have heard that too. 07:39 Yeah. I heard that too. 07:40 That's very interesting. It is. 07:42 So one key for mental health, 07:44 optimal mental health is to enhance your lifestyle, 07:47 get out in the nature, eat better, 07:48 exercise and all that. 07:50 And another thing Dr Walsh doesn't talk about this, 07:52 we talk about exercising your body. 07:54 We also need to exercise our minds. 07:56 And what I mean by that is we need to watch 07:58 what we're reading, 07:59 we need to watch what we're watching, 08:01 we need to be careful with we're listening to 08:04 because all of these things can either exercise our mind 08:07 or just kind of make us passive receivers, 08:10 and went on exercising it. 08:11 And what you don't lose, you use, right? 08:13 What don't use, you lose. 08:15 I said it the wrong way. 08:16 I knew what you mean though. 08:18 No, that's very, very good. 08:19 So exercising the mind is also important. 08:22 That's critical. 08:25 When, you know, the thing that you're saying 08:29 is be careful. 08:30 We need to have a filter. We do. 08:33 To what we let into our mind 08:34 because there are certain things 08:36 or certain types of music, there are certain programs 08:40 that you can watch that you don't realize 08:42 how it is effecting to you in a very negative way. 08:45 And you're not really using your mind, 08:47 you're just absorbing a message from someone else. 08:50 So that's a very good message. 08:51 That's right, it can effect your mental health. 08:53 A quick story, I was working with a young lady 08:55 and she kept jumping in and out of this relationship 08:57 with this man who kept going in and out of jail. 08:59 And every time he get out of jail, she would get, 09:00 you know, take him back in and again when she came to me, 09:03 I had changed how I work with people. 09:04 So I started to ask her, 09:06 "What type of shows do you watch?" 09:07 She says, "Oh, Jerry Springer." 09:09 And, you know, these kind of other different kind of shows. 09:12 And I said, "Well, what do you read?" 09:13 "Oh, mostly novels." 09:14 I said, "Tell you what, we're going to go on a TV fast 09:16 and a novel fast." 09:18 She says, "I don't know if I could do that." 09:19 I said, "Let's just try it. And I want you to read." 09:22 And I have heard this from another doctor, 09:24 "I want you to read the first chapter of Proverbs 09:27 that corresponds to the day." 09:29 I think, I first heard that from Dr. Neonataly. 09:31 And she says, "The Bible is so boring." 09:33 I said, "I promise you. 09:34 As you take out the TV 09:35 and you take out the novels, the interest would..." 09:37 What happened, initially, it was hard for her 09:38 but then she kept doing it. 09:39 And, you know, Shelley, for the first time, 09:41 she was able to write that man a "Dear John letter" 09:44 and stay out of that relationship 09:45 for a long period of time. 09:47 And she says, "Why did that happen?" 09:48 I said, "Because you started to take care of your mind, 09:50 so you could think more clearly, 09:52 and you started feeling it with scripture." 09:54 And that exercised her mind to make better decisions. 09:57 And she also began to, you know, 09:59 you become what you behold, if you're constantly beholding 10:04 stuff like, you know, programs that are elevating 10:09 that kind of behavior to make it sound as 10:11 if it's normal, a negative behavior is normal, 10:14 then you won't break free of those bad patterns. 10:18 Yeah, that's good. 10:19 So those things are important. 10:21 That's really good. Yeah. 10:22 So a second key is looking at how our thoughts affect us. 10:28 How do our thoughts affect us? 10:29 We get into a lot of trouble because of our thoughts. 10:32 Just this morning, Shelley, you don't realize 10:34 but you changed my thought for me. 10:36 You walked into the room and you heard me sniffling. 10:38 And you said, "Oh, it sound like 10:39 you have the sniffles too." 10:40 I said, "Well, no. 10:42 I don't really have the sniffles. 10:43 That's my nervous reaction." 10:44 And you says, "Magna, it's just you and I 10:46 talking on the set. 10:47 Just think about you and I talking on the set." 10:50 And I said, "Well, I'm just going to let that thought 10:51 just keep going through my mind." 10:53 And it actually decreased my anxiety. 10:55 It did, it calmed me. 10:56 We get into a lot of trouble because of the things 10:58 we say to ourselves. 11:00 I was in there getting nervous because I'm thinking, 11:02 "This is going to be shown, 11:03 thousands of people are going to watch it. 11:05 I'm going to be in trouble," you know. 11:06 But because I changed my thought, it calmed me. 11:10 And, you know, the thing I think most about thoughts 11:14 is there are people who rehearse the negative 11:19 just over and over. 11:20 And that actually makes the emotions, 11:24 you get that. 11:26 The adrenal glands are flowing, and you just get... 11:28 people get worked up over something. 11:30 That may never happen, or else they really focus on the past 11:35 and on the negative things of the past. 11:37 And that's my next thought. 11:38 That is your thought, oh. The next principle, yes. 11:41 But before we jump to that, I just wanted to say too 11:43 that the bible talked about it years ago. 11:46 Remember, Paul in Philippines 4:8, 11:48 "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, 11:52 just, pure, think on these things." 11:54 And so if we train our minds to think on things 11:58 that will be elevating and enlightening, 12:00 it really will help us to adjust better in life. 12:02 I know a precious Christian woman 12:04 who said that she spent some time at home 12:07 and became hooked on daytime soap operas. 12:11 And something that surprised her 12:13 actually was that she began to... 12:20 She said like she was experiencing 12:23 for the first time in her life lust. 12:26 And so if you're watching this kind of thing, 12:28 we have to understand that there's so many things 12:31 that affect our thought pattern. 12:33 And again, we're back to media that it can, 12:36 if you're watching bad media, 12:37 it can affect you know very negative way. 12:38 That's what I thought. That's a very good point. 12:40 Yes. 12:42 So what I was going to move onto 12:43 was the third one about not living in the past, 12:46 moving past the past, 12:48 and accepting responsibility for our choices. 12:52 In my feel, I was taught that 12:54 when a person comes in with problems, 12:56 I need to dig into their past and find out 12:58 what has led to that problem. 13:00 That has some merit. 13:01 But sometimes, we can stay too much in the past. 13:04 You just rehearsing the negative. 13:06 Just rehearsing the negative and that is not healthy. 13:09 Because, really, don't people... 13:11 when you go back and relive things from the past, 13:14 quite often, it's the very same emotions are coming up. 13:17 It's just like going through it again. 13:19 And can I share a Scripture with you? 13:21 Sure. 13:23 I just love this Scripture because the Lord 13:24 really helped me. 13:25 There were a lot of negative things in my past. 13:27 I grew up in a very dysfunctional environment. 13:32 And this one is Isaiah 43:18 and 19. 13:37 And here's what the Lord says, 13:39 "Do not remember the former things 13:42 nor consider the things of old." 13:44 In other words, don't dwell on the past. 13:48 "Behold, I will do a new thing. 13:51 Now it shall spring forth. 13:53 Shall you not know it?" 13:55 Oh, that's beautiful. Isn't that? 13:57 I love that. 13:58 And when I got to that I realized that 14:01 there were some things from the past 14:03 that were kind of anchoring me, if you will, 14:06 they were kind of keeping me, holding me back. 14:09 So I think, that's very important. 14:11 It is, it is. 14:12 We have to recognize the past does affect us 14:14 but as adults we can make decisions even now 14:18 that will either help us or hurt us. 14:21 And so I think and I've seen this where people 14:23 stay in the past and it makes them victims 14:26 because what happens is, "My parents did this to me 14:30 and that's why I am, that's why..." 14:32 Yes. "Who I am right now. 14:34 You know, that's what turned out to be 14:35 because of what my parents did." 14:37 We cannot undo what our parents did 14:38 but we could deal with what we are facing right now. 14:42 And so when we can say to ourselves, 14:44 "This has happened in the past 14:45 but by God's help, I can move forward, 14:47 I can become a survivor instead of a victim," 14:50 it gives us more of a sense of power in our lives 14:52 and we don't feel as victimized and helpless. 14:55 And you know what I'm excited about? 14:57 I ran across a group of psychologists, 14:58 they were doing research and what they found was that, 15:01 "We need to encourage people 15:03 to start looking at our parents," 15:05 and I have to read this 'cause it was so powerful. 15:08 "Looking at our parents as someone 15:10 with his or her own or her own fragilities, 15:15 insecurities, and longings." 15:17 You know, I was just getting ready 15:18 to say that what helped me too... 15:19 Were you, Okay. 15:21 If you look into the past and say, 15:22 "Okay, my mother did the best she could 15:26 under the circumstances," 15:28 or, "My father did the best he could," 15:30 and you may think, "Well, there were abusive," 15:33 but that means that they were broken people 15:36 who didn't know any better themselves, 15:39 they needed the counseling, 15:40 but you can't let a broken person 15:43 what they've done to you ruin your life. 15:47 Amen. 15:48 That's the bottom line. Yeah. 15:50 And they're saying that when you do that 15:51 and, you know, I don't want to be insensitive to people 15:54 who's going through some horrible things as children, 15:57 so I don't wanna just... 15:58 I'm not just saying, you know, brush off your knees 15:59 and just get up and keep moving. 16:01 It's a process. 16:02 But changing that perspective is healthy not only for you 16:05 but it's healthy for your current relationships. 16:08 If you have children, it's healthy for them 16:11 because if you stay in the past 16:13 you cannot develop those positive relationships 16:15 with your spouse, with your partner, 16:17 with your children. 16:19 But once you start to change your perspective 16:20 on what your parents haven't done 16:22 and look at your parents in a more empathic way 16:24 then that will help you to have healthier relationships 16:27 right around you. 16:28 And you know, I think I've been doing 16:30 a little counseling with a young man 16:32 who has really... he is having 16:36 a difficult time forgiving his mother 16:39 and his mother knew he was being sexually abused. 16:42 She did nothing to protect him, 16:44 but she did nothing to show him love either. 16:47 And, of course, there were drugs 16:48 and many things involved and I think of all people, 16:52 it's probably the most difficult to, 16:55 you know, you expect your parents to care for you, 16:59 to nurture you, especially your mother, 17:01 you expect to experience that maternal kind of love, 17:06 and some people are so sick themselves, 17:09 sad to say they shouldn't even have children is what it is, 17:14 but you have to get beyond, if you can get to that point 17:17 where you recognize that 17:18 parent was troubled and a sick person, 17:21 then I think it helps you get beyond. 17:22 It does, yeah. 17:24 That's an excellent point. Yes. 17:25 I remember working with a woman who was molested 17:27 by several different men, 17:29 physicians, teachers, it was just amazing 17:32 there's something that happens with 17:33 sometimes when people are molested 17:35 that they are prone re-victimization... 17:36 Yes. 17:38 And so that happened to her a lot. 17:39 But it was only as she started to work on forgiveness 17:42 that she started to heal. 17:44 And I know you know of that 17:45 because I've heard you talk about that 17:47 and that's the same perspective of starting to reframe 17:51 how we look at our past. 17:52 It's so important for optimum mental health. 17:55 I really believe that. 17:56 Amen. 17:58 Another one that we could talk about 17:59 is looking at happiness that lasts. 18:03 And there's so much research, you know, 18:05 there's a new branch of psychology, 18:07 I say new, it's maybe been around 20 years or so, 18:09 called positive psychology. 18:11 This branch of psychology, 18:13 they decided that, "You know what? 18:14 We're always looking at abnormalities, 18:15 we're looking at schizophrenia, we're looking at depression, 18:17 we're looking at all these psychopathologies. 18:19 We want to look at people's strengths now 18:22 because as you encourage strengths, 18:24 you can even help all of these disorders 18:26 that we're talking about 18:27 as opposed to just focusing on the abnormalities." 18:30 Does that make sense what I'm saying? 18:31 Yeah, absolutely. 18:33 So positive psychology looks at things 18:34 and we're gonna talk about this probably in the future like, 18:36 gratitude and joy and all of that, trying to see 18:39 the human strengths that we have 18:41 and how that could help us through various things, 18:44 and one of the areas is happiness. 18:46 And what psychologists are founding 18:48 is just amazing to me. 18:50 They have differentiated between 18:53 short term happiness and long term happiness. 18:56 And they're saying that with the former 18:59 we're always looking for something to help us feel good, 19:02 you are never satisfied. 19:03 You want more money, you want more degrees, 19:06 you want more relationships, 19:07 whatever you're looking for that short term happiness, 19:10 you're never satisfied. 19:12 You know, the Bible talks about broken cisterns? 19:13 Right. That's right. 19:15 The short term happiness focus is like a broken cistern. 19:18 And so psychologists are saying we need to be focusing 19:21 on happiness that lasts. 19:23 And they're saying the way we do that 19:25 is to do something that's worth doing, 19:27 to look at things that's bigger than ourselves, 19:31 to try to get more meaning and purpose in life, 19:34 and to fulfill our potential. 19:35 So these are the things that they're saying 19:37 will bring long term happiness, 19:39 not just things to help us feel good for the moment. 19:42 You know, how interesting that science is 19:44 once again catching up with the Bible. 19:46 Exactly. 19:47 When you said that, Proverbs 15:13 came to my mind. 19:50 It says, "A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance 19:54 but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." 19:58 If there are things, you know, the way I put it 20:01 and I don't know if you would agree, Magna, 20:03 but the way I put it is that 20:05 happiness is what I call circumstantial. 20:10 Yes. 20:11 If your spouse has just died you can't be happy. 20:14 Joy is something that, you know, 20:16 the joy of the Lord is our strength, 20:17 so joy is something that we can always experience 20:20 but happiness is something that is circumstantial. 20:24 If I just fell and broke my arm and I'm in pain, 20:28 it's hard to be happy. 20:29 But that is so important. 20:31 What you were just saying is that 20:33 people who are reaching out to do something 20:36 bigger than themselves 20:38 they find that they are lifted rather than having this sorrow 20:43 hold them down, they're being lifted up. 20:45 Amen. Amen. 20:46 Amen. Amen. 20:48 Listen to this too that they found. 20:50 "This happiness that's long term, 20:52 it is not problem-free," this is psychology talking, 20:56 "And it sometimes brings personal hardship 20:59 and effort over the long term." 21:01 Boy, this is beginning to sound more like the Bible. 21:04 That's what I thought when I read that. 21:05 It said, "But the key is that it will still bring 21:08 more life satisfaction than pursuing activities 21:12 or emotions merely for our pleasure." 21:14 Amen. 21:16 And I thought about the beatitudes, 21:18 that immediately came to my mind 21:20 because when Jesus said, "Blessed," 21:21 He's really meaning happy, right? 21:22 Yes. 21:24 "Happy are those who mourn, 21:25 happy are those who are pure in heart," 21:27 you know, it's like these things 21:29 don't come automatically. 21:30 There may be some hardships that bring 21:33 some of this meekness and the mourning 21:34 for their spiritual state 21:37 and all of these things may come with some difficulties 21:40 but in a long run you're going to have 21:42 the better sense of happiness. 21:43 Amen. 21:45 And I thought to myself, 21:46 the rocks are crying out, really. 21:48 I believe that God is allowing research 21:50 to show that His Bible, not that He needed that 21:53 but because of our human mind and how we think, 21:56 I believe He's allowing these things to say, you know, 21:59 "All along I've had this but you won't... 22:00 might not listen to someone preaching at you, 22:03 so I'll allow researchers..." 22:05 To finally come up with truth. It's amazing. 22:07 Magna, we are just clipping through our time here. 22:10 Really? 22:12 So tell us what you had another point 22:14 that you wanted to cover. 22:15 Yes, I did. 22:16 And that is we wanted to talk about still another key 22:20 for optimal living and that is 22:22 I mentioned monitoring changing... 22:23 Oh, I have to read this. Can I just read this quote? 22:25 Sure. It comes from Steps to Christ. 22:27 She says, "Happiness that is sought from selfish motives, 22:31 outside of the path of duty is ill-balanced, 22:35 fitful, and transitory." 22:37 Amen. 22:39 "It passes away and the soul is filled with loneliness 22:42 and sorrow but there is joy and satisfaction 22:45 in the service of God." 22:47 Amen. You know. 22:48 And for me to fully understand that I went back to 22:50 what the psychologists found where they said 22:52 that sometimes pursuing this long term happiness 22:55 may bring some difficulties, in the service of God 22:57 we're gonna have some difficulties, 22:59 it won't always feel happy. 23:01 But God knew that in the long term, 23:03 service to Him brings true happiness. 23:05 Absolutely. 23:07 So it gives a purpose to our life, 23:09 a life without purpose is empty. 23:11 That's right. 23:12 So do we have for one more, time for one more point? 23:14 Sure. We do. Okay. 23:16 So let's talk about this another key 23:18 that the Lord helped me to find and that is taking time 23:21 to engage in activities 23:23 that are aimed at helping others. 23:25 Oh, amen. So... 23:26 You know, that kind of, it just, 23:28 that really dovetails with what you just said. 23:31 That that's where true happiness is found 23:33 is when something is bigger than yourself. 23:35 Amen, amen. 23:36 And Isaiah 58 says it so well, the true fast... 23:38 Yes. 23:40 When he talks about the things about ministering to the poor, 23:42 clothing the naked, and giving bread to the hungry 23:45 but then in one of the verses Isaiah says, 23:47 "Then the shall thy light break forth as the morning 23:51 and thine health shall spring forth speedily." 23:55 So these things about helping others 23:58 can actually help our health, not only our physical health, 24:01 I believe our mental health as well. 24:03 Absolutely, that's perfect. 24:05 And there's so much research now being done 24:07 on the importance of generosity and altruism 24:12 and it just goes back to the Bible 24:13 telling us about the benefits that come from giving. 24:16 Amen. 24:17 You know, I'm thinking of my sister, 24:19 I member once when she was living in Chicago, 24:22 this is 25 years ago. 24:23 She called me, she was depressed, Magna, 24:26 and she was just kind of, "Woe it's me, 24:28 Poor Pitiful Pearl," 24:31 that's what I'd always call her when she get like that. 24:33 I'd say, "You're doing a Poor Pitiful Pearl party." 24:35 And I told her, I said 24:38 what you need to do is get involved helping someone. 24:43 What she did was went down 24:45 and she volunteered at a ministry, 24:48 helping to feed the poor, helping to, you know, 24:51 do clothing drives but I mean, 24:53 she served in a line feeding them, 24:55 it didn't take any time whatsoever 24:58 to have that depression that had her 25:01 so oppressed for months, was just totally gone. 25:05 Because she was reaching out to help somebody else. 25:07 Reaching outside her, that's a perfect example, 25:09 Shelly, of what we're talking about. 25:11 And even if you're not depressed, 25:12 see we're talking about keys to optimal mental health 25:15 and so I want the listeners and those who are watching 25:18 and listening to be able to realize, 25:19 you don't have to have a diagnosis with depression 25:22 or anxiety to apply these principles. 25:25 Amen. 25:26 Because some of us might not have those diagnoses 25:28 but we do not have, we're not experiencing 25:30 that optimal mental health. 25:32 Amen. 25:34 Yeah. It's so for us. It is. 25:36 So these things are good for all of us 25:38 whether or not we're depressed. 25:39 Altruism, I mentioned that, 25:41 listen to some things they've found. 25:42 People who volunteer tend to experience 25:45 fewer aches and pains, less depression. 25:47 Some studies suggest that giving to others 25:50 makes people feel happier 25:52 than when they spend some money on themselves. 25:53 Yes. That's amazing to me. 25:56 Blessed to give than to receive. 25:58 Than to receive. 26:00 You see how these things, 26:01 the Bible just has given this to us years ago 26:04 and science is just now showing this. 26:07 And we have a term within our Seventh-day Adventist Church 26:12 called systematic benevolence. 26:14 When I started to understand and read the research 26:17 on giving, I said, "Lord, that's why you came up 26:20 with this whole plan of giving." 26:21 It's started during the time of Israel. 26:23 It did. You know? 26:24 It's not just to sustain His cause 26:27 but it's also for our own mental health. 26:30 My husband and I are reading through a book right now 26:32 and the author is talking about the fact 26:34 that when we give, 26:36 God has given people things, but when we give, 26:39 it actually removes the selfishness 26:41 and the covetousness from our own hearts. 26:43 That's very good. 26:44 So the whole system of giving God 26:46 has given to us to help us mentally. 26:48 That's beautiful. Isn't it? 26:50 And so when we give now 26:52 we don't have to give of a grudging spirit. 26:54 Yeah. 26:55 You know, recap, I can't believe 26:57 how quickly this went by. 26:58 Recap those four points for us real quickly. 26:59 Okay. 27:01 We talked about, we're not doing it 27:02 in the same order but we talked about 27:03 aiming for true happiness, taking care of our bodies... 27:06 Right. 27:07 Monitoring our thoughts, moving away from the past 27:10 and then we slipped in the fifth one 27:12 and that's the importance of finding time 27:14 to engage in activities to help others. 27:16 That's wonderful. 27:17 Now, Magna, we're all out of time. 27:19 We're going to have Dr. Parks come back 27:21 and I just want to thank you so much for... 27:24 and I should say, Dr Parks Porterfield, 27:26 I'm accustomed to calling you Dr Parks as well. 27:29 She's going to be coming back 27:30 and doing another program with us. 27:32 And today you've heard some things 27:35 that God can teach... 27:37 If you will accept it and allow God to do this 27:40 they will help you have optimal health. 27:43 God bless you and join us again next time. |
Revised 2017-09-11