>> Hello and welcome to It Is
00:00:01.36\00:00:02.86
Written Canada.
00:00:02.86\00:00:04.37
Let me ask you a question, how
00:00:04.37\00:00:06.63
do you feel about the future?
00:00:06.63\00:00:08.84
How do you deal with the
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unexpected?
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>> The truth is that life can
00:00:12.11\00:00:13.48
be so unpredictable.
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Beautiful blessings and
00:00:15.61\00:00:17.38
distressing difficulties, joys
00:00:17.38\00:00:19.41
and sorrows can come
00:00:19.41\00:00:21.02
unexpectedly.
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>> Our life's dreams and plans
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can change in an instant.
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>> Because we all know this to
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be true, there is so much
00:00:28.76\00:00:30.49
anxiety and fear for the
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future.
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>> So how can we find peace and
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hope in the midst of such
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unpredictability?
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>> Horatio Spafford was a
00:00:39.07\00:00:40.77
successful attorney and real
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estate investor who lost a
00:00:42.77\00:00:44.41
fortune in 1871.
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>> Around the same time, his
00:00:47.14\00:00:48.88
dearly loved four-year-old son
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died of scarlet fever.
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>> Thinking a vacation would do
00:00:53.18\00:00:55.02
his family some good, he sent
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his wife and four daughters on
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a ship to England, planning to
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join them after he finished
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some pressing business at home.
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[MIKE] However, while crossing
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the Atlantic Ocean, the ship
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was involved in a terrible
00:01:09.30\00:01:11.13
collision and sunk, drowning
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more than 200 people, including
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all four of Horatio Spafford's
00:01:15.14\00:01:17.47
precious daughters.
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[RENÉ] His wife, Anna, survived
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the tragedy and upon arriving
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in England, she sent a telegram
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to her husband that read,
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"Saved. Alone.
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What shall I do?"
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[MIKE] Horatio immediately set
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sail for England.
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[RENÉ] At one point during his
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voyage, the captain of the
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ship, aware of the tragedy that
00:01:36.96\00:01:38.86
had struck the Spafford family,
00:01:38.86\00:01:41.33
summoned Horatio to tell him
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that they were now passing over
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the spot where the shipwreck
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had occurred.
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[MIKE] As Horatio thought about
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his daughters, words of comfort
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and hope filled his heart and
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mind and he wrote them down and
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they have since become a
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well-loved and well-known
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Christian hymn.
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[René reading]
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>> Our special guest on It Is
00:02:16.63\00:02:18.50
Written Canada today is Joy
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Astolfi, a mental health
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clinician who, through her own
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journey, has learned life
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lessons that have enabled her
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to help many people experience
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hope and healing, guiding them
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to put their faith in a loving
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God and trusting in His divine
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help to confidently say, "It is
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well, it is well with my soul."
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¤¤
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>> Joy, welcome to It Is
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Written Canada.
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>> Well, thank you, Mike and
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René, so much for having me,
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it's great to be here.
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>> So, Joy, you grew up in the
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amazing province of
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Saskatchewan and that I'm sure
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influenced you as a child.
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Do you wanna tell us
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about that?
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>> Sure.
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I was born and raised in a
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small town east central
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Saskatchewan to parents of
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European descent who had a very
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strong work ethic and wanted to
00:03:50.76\00:03:52.99
instill that in us as well.
00:03:52.99\00:03:55.23
And so at one point in time, we
00:03:55.23\00:03:57.63
were each involved in working
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in one of Dad's businesses and,
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of course, my mother thought
00:04:00.74\00:04:01.94
that it was important also that
00:04:01.94\00:04:03.27
we should have some practical
00:04:03.27\00:04:04.57
skills so we learned to do some
00:04:04.57\00:04:06.37
responsibilities and chores
00:04:06.37\00:04:07.81
around the house as well.
00:04:07.81\00:04:09.58
And even though as a child
00:04:09.58\00:04:10.91
sometimes you think you might
00:04:10.91\00:04:12.45
be really hard done by, I am so
00:04:12.45\00:04:14.45
grateful for the moral and
00:04:14.45\00:04:16.02
ethical upbringing and
00:04:16.02\00:04:17.42
certainly the work ethic that
00:04:17.42\00:04:18.59
my parents instilled in me.
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>> Joy, do you have any more
00:04:20.72\00:04:22.19
childhood memories that you can
00:04:22.19\00:04:23.76
share with us?
00:04:23.76\00:04:25.03
[JOY] Yes, my parents were very
00:04:25.36\00:04:27.66
active people and they really
00:04:27.66\00:04:30.33
put their money where their
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mouth was in terms of being
00:04:31.70\00:04:33.27
active in community things and
00:04:33.27\00:04:35.34
spiritual activities that
00:04:35.34\00:04:36.74
interested them.
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My parents were also very
00:04:38.01\00:04:40.31
conscientious charitable donors
00:04:40.31\00:04:42.14
to a number of organizations
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and one of my fond memories is
00:04:44.01\00:04:45.95
growing up and we had this
00:04:45.95\00:04:47.75
calendar on our wall in our
00:04:47.75\00:04:49.75
kitchen and it was from the
00:04:49.75\00:04:52.25
Orange Benevolent Society and I
00:04:52.25\00:04:54.82
came later to find out that
00:04:54.82\00:04:56.19
there was a home, an Orange
00:04:56.19\00:04:57.69
Benevolent home, in Indian
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Head, Saskatchewan and I didn't
00:04:59.66\00:05:01.46
even know as a child what that
00:05:01.46\00:05:03.40
word, "benevolent," meant, but,
00:05:03.40\00:05:05.20
Mike, when I heard your
00:05:05.20\00:05:06.67
testimony, I was so touched
00:05:06.67\00:05:08.14
because it was really something
00:05:08.14\00:05:10.01
that came home thinking that
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maybe my parents had possibly
00:05:11.51\00:05:13.24
had some influence in your own
00:05:13.24\00:05:15.18
upbringing because of their
00:05:15.18\00:05:16.95
generosity and that generosity
00:05:16.95\00:05:19.78
and desire to help people was
00:05:19.78\00:05:21.38
something that was certainly
00:05:21.38\00:05:22.82
transferred onto me.
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>> So someone might be watching
00:05:23.95\00:05:25.42
and doesn't know, I grew up in
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an orphanage in Indian Head,
00:05:26.76\00:05:28.39
Saskatchewan which is not too
00:05:28.39\00:05:30.16
far from where you lived and
00:05:30.16\00:05:32.69
your parents were contributing
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to that organization.
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>> Yes.
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[MIKE] It's a small world.
00:05:36.16\00:05:37.73
>> It is a very small world.
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>> So, Joy, continue with some
00:05:39.37\00:05:41.27
of the other childhood memories
00:05:41.27\00:05:42.54
you had.
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>> Sure.
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My mother was a very
00:05:44.74\00:05:46.24
compassionate person and she
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had a particular desire to help
00:05:47.98\00:05:49.84
people that were going through
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pain and suffering and I
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believe that that was instilled
00:05:53.65\00:05:55.28
in me as well and ended up
00:05:55.28\00:05:56.69
coming out in my career and one
00:05:56.69\00:05:58.12
of the memories that I have was
00:05:58.12\00:06:00.29
that my mom would consistently
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invite people to holiday
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dinners and events that people
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that would probably be at home
00:06:06.19\00:06:07.50
alone and lonely, people with
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nowhere else to go, or that
00:06:08.90\00:06:10.27
wouldn't be able to reciprocate
00:06:10.27\00:06:11.63
her hospitality and this was a
00:06:11.63\00:06:13.23
very common event in our home.
00:06:13.23\00:06:14.70
So my parents also had many
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causes and things that they
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believed in and so they
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actively pursued those things
00:06:21.01\00:06:22.64
and wanted to be contributors
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not just within our family, but
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also in the community.
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>> Joy, did you have any
00:06:27.92\00:06:29.25
challenges going up?
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>> Yes, I did.
00:06:31.72\00:06:33.56
My teenage and adolescent years
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in particular were very
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difficult for me.
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I had a number of very dark
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days and dark years, not really
00:06:39.43\00:06:41.40
realizing what was going on
00:06:41.40\00:06:43.06
inside of me.
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I didn't really talk with
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people much about it, didn't
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really share much, but looking
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back now with the education,
00:06:49.14\00:06:50.87
the experience I have, I can
00:06:50.87\00:06:52.64
say I was probably experiencing
00:06:52.64\00:06:54.54
depression and at times was
00:06:54.54\00:06:56.34
requiring clinical intervention.
00:06:56.34\00:06:58.18
In particular, in my early
00:06:59.21\00:07:01.12
adult years while I was in
00:07:01.12\00:07:02.75
college, I experienced the loss
00:07:02.75\00:07:04.59
of my grandmother and she was
00:07:04.59\00:07:06.45
very close to me and this made
00:07:06.45\00:07:09.29
an already serious situation
00:07:09.29\00:07:11.86
even more intense because I was
00:07:11.86\00:07:13.96
feeling the loss of her
00:07:13.96\00:07:15.73
combined with the existing
00:07:15.73\00:07:17.37
depression already.
00:07:17.37\00:07:18.53
And I didn't realize that life
00:07:19.03\00:07:21.30
didn't have to be this way and
00:07:21.30\00:07:23.14
that that wasn't normal.
00:07:23.14\00:07:24.57
>> So, Joy, now that you know
00:07:25.37\00:07:27.04
what you know about the
00:07:27.04\00:07:28.34
development of the brain and
00:07:28.34\00:07:29.64
you're in mental health
00:07:29.64\00:07:30.85
commission, how do you
00:07:30.85\00:07:32.21
understand what you were going
00:07:32.21\00:07:33.31
through at that time?
00:07:33.31\00:07:34.48
>> Yes, hindsight can be 20/20.
00:07:34.48\00:07:36.58
In retrospect, knowing what I
00:07:36.58\00:07:38.32
know now, I can see that I was
00:07:38.32\00:07:40.72
struggling with a very common
00:07:40.72\00:07:43.06
stage of development that many
00:07:43.06\00:07:45.66
young people go through and
00:07:45.66\00:07:47.60
that is the final stage of
00:07:47.60\00:07:49.30
development of the part of the
00:07:49.30\00:07:50.73
brain called the frontal lobe
00:07:50.73\00:07:52.20
and this process starts between
00:07:52.20\00:07:53.77
the ages of 12 to 14 and it
00:07:53.77\00:07:56.47
doesn't usually finish 'til
00:07:56.47\00:07:57.94
between the ages of 25 to 30
00:07:57.94\00:07:59.54
and depending on what a
00:07:59.54\00:08:00.78
person's going through,
00:08:00.78\00:08:01.98
sometimes that could be
00:08:01.98\00:08:03.28
even longer.
00:08:03.28\00:08:04.28
And what we know about this and
00:08:04.28\00:08:05.65
what's so critical, is that
00:08:05.65\00:08:07.35
during this time, the higher
00:08:07.35\00:08:09.28
levels of executive functioning
00:08:09.28\00:08:11.25
of our brain are developing.
00:08:11.25\00:08:12.92
So things like our critical
00:08:12.92\00:08:14.59
thinking, cause and effect,
00:08:14.59\00:08:16.59
decision-making,
00:08:16.59\00:08:18.36
problem-solving, our emotional
00:08:18.36\00:08:20.90
regulation and control, our
00:08:20.90\00:08:23.33
behavioural control, as well as
00:08:23.33\00:08:25.17
our personality development.
00:08:25.17\00:08:27.00
Our spirituality and morality
00:08:27.00\00:08:28.57
are also housed in this part of
00:08:28.57\00:08:30.31
the brain and so how that part
00:08:30.31\00:08:32.47
develops and the influences
00:08:32.47\00:08:34.04
that we have during this time
00:08:34.04\00:08:35.68
can impact us for the rest of
00:08:35.68\00:08:37.48
our lives.
00:08:37.48\00:08:38.61
>> Joy, do you think you would
00:08:39.71\00:08:40.98
have been better prepared to
00:08:40.98\00:08:42.38
deal with your mental health
00:08:42.38\00:08:43.95
struggles at this time if you
00:08:43.95\00:08:45.62
had this knowledge?
00:08:45.62\00:08:47.09
>> There are many things that
00:08:47.76\00:08:49.02
can happen during this time of
00:08:49.02\00:08:50.29
life to interrupt and/or to
00:08:50.29\00:08:52.23
positively or negatively impact
00:08:52.23\00:08:53.93
this time of life and
00:08:53.93\00:08:55.40
development which, of course,
00:08:55.40\00:08:56.63
influences the rest of
00:08:56.63\00:08:57.87
our lives.
00:08:57.87\00:08:58.90
And at the time, I didn't
00:08:58.90\00:09:00.40
really understand what was
00:09:00.40\00:09:01.64
going on with me, I didn't have
00:09:01.64\00:09:03.17
the information available and
00:09:03.17\00:09:04.91
so in retrospect, understanding
00:09:04.91\00:09:07.21
that, I wish there were some
00:09:07.21\00:09:08.68
things that I would have known.
00:09:08.68\00:09:10.18
But the research wasn't there,
00:09:10.18\00:09:12.05
it wasn't widely talked about,
00:09:12.05\00:09:14.38
and many of my friends and
00:09:14.38\00:09:16.32
schoolmates suffered in
00:09:16.32\00:09:18.19
silence, some not so silently,
00:09:18.19\00:09:20.22
and we were impacted by this
00:09:20.22\00:09:21.69
but we didn't really know what
00:09:21.69\00:09:23.12
was going on within us and when
00:09:23.12\00:09:24.93
you take that in conjunction
00:09:24.93\00:09:27.30
with regular adolescent
00:09:27.30\00:09:29.43
development and the hormonal
00:09:29.43\00:09:30.80
things that are going on and
00:09:30.80\00:09:32.43
all the rest of it, it leaves
00:09:32.43\00:09:35.04
that little being really
00:09:35.04\00:09:37.04
confused and all over the map.
00:09:37.04\00:09:38.81
So there's a lot going on and
00:09:38.81\00:09:40.64
we don't even have the words to
00:09:40.64\00:09:42.78
put to it.
00:09:42.78\00:09:44.35
So, yes, in retrospect, had I
00:09:44.35\00:09:45.88
had some information and
00:09:45.88\00:09:47.42
knowledge that we do now, we
00:09:47.42\00:09:49.42
could have possibly helped many
00:09:49.42\00:09:51.39
of us to not have struggled
00:09:51.39\00:09:52.52
so much.
00:09:52.52\00:09:53.49
You know, our parents and
00:09:53.96\00:09:55.26
teachers and those involved in
00:09:55.26\00:09:56.52
our lives really did the best
00:09:56.52\00:09:57.73
with the information that we
00:09:57.73\00:09:59.19
had at the time, but we just
00:09:59.19\00:10:00.53
didn't have what we do today.
00:10:00.53\00:10:02.00
So, yes, it would've been nice.
00:10:02.00\00:10:04.07
Many times teens and
00:10:04.70\00:10:06.07
adolescents are just looking
00:10:06.07\00:10:07.27
for ways to cope with this
00:10:07.27\00:10:08.77
difficult time of life and what
00:10:08.77\00:10:10.31
happens is when they feel that
00:10:10.31\00:10:11.91
they don't have somewhere to go
00:10:11.91\00:10:13.41
or somebody to turn to, they
00:10:13.41\00:10:15.04
will turn to substances,
00:10:15.04\00:10:16.91
unhealthy relationships and
00:10:16.91\00:10:18.15
activities.
00:10:18.15\00:10:19.41
Unfortunately, this can then
00:10:19.41\00:10:20.88
end up having life-long impacts
00:10:20.88\00:10:22.95
of addictions and unhealthy
00:10:22.95\00:10:24.85
relationship patterns.
00:10:24.85\00:10:26.72
And often times, they're just
00:10:26.72\00:10:28.06
looking for ways to find
00:10:28.06\00:10:29.22
solutions and they just don't
00:10:29.22\00:10:30.66
really know how to cope and
00:10:30.66\00:10:32.29
sometimes the people around
00:10:32.29\00:10:33.63
them don't realize what those
00:10:33.63\00:10:35.00
needs are and aren't able to
00:10:35.00\00:10:36.26
help them either.
00:10:36.26\00:10:37.47
>> So, Joy, it's a time of
00:10:38.60\00:10:40.67
struggle, adolescence, you were
00:10:40.67\00:10:42.87
making difficult decisions, how
00:10:42.87\00:10:44.81
was that affecting your
00:10:44.81\00:10:46.64
spiritual development?
00:10:46.64\00:10:47.88
>> Well, during those
00:10:48.34\00:10:49.61
troublesome years, I made a lot
00:10:49.61\00:10:51.01
of decisions that impacted my
00:10:51.01\00:10:53.08
frontal lobe and some of them
00:10:53.08\00:10:54.35
with permanent consequences and
00:10:54.35\00:10:56.28
our spiritual life is also
00:10:56.28\00:10:57.95
housed in our frontal lobe, and
00:10:57.95\00:10:59.72
at the same time, you're trying
00:10:59.72\00:11:01.19
to make career choices and life
00:11:01.19\00:11:03.69
choices and things compound and
00:11:03.69\00:11:05.73
not really knowing where to go
00:11:05.73\00:11:07.10
and where to turn, so my
00:11:07.10\00:11:08.56
spiritual life was impacted in
00:11:08.56\00:11:10.43
that I didn't really have one.
00:11:10.43\00:11:12.00
God still had a plan for me and
00:11:13.23\00:11:15.70
that came clear later, but at
00:11:15.70\00:11:17.21
the time there were very, very
00:11:17.21\00:11:18.67
serious and dark days and
00:11:18.67\00:11:20.14
combined with that was the fact
00:11:20.14\00:11:21.94
that I had also some health
00:11:21.94\00:11:23.78
issues going on, the particular
00:11:23.78\00:11:25.61
condition that I had for over
00:11:25.61\00:11:27.42
ten years and that further
00:11:27.42\00:11:29.18
impacted my ability to function
00:11:29.18\00:11:32.79
spiritually in a healthy way.
00:11:32.79\00:11:34.56
>> So, Joy, what brought you to
00:11:35.79\00:11:37.16
your current career as a mental
00:11:37.16\00:11:39.06
health clinician?
00:11:39.06\00:11:40.43
>> From a very early age I can
00:11:41.33\00:11:42.80
remember having a genuine
00:11:42.80\00:11:43.93
interest and compassion
00:11:43.93\00:11:45.03
in people.
00:11:45.03\00:11:46.40
I can remember specifically at
00:11:46.40\00:11:47.90
the age of four when I was at a
00:11:47.90\00:11:50.11
friend's home and I was sitting
00:11:50.11\00:11:51.74
in their kitchen having an
00:11:51.74\00:11:53.24
adult conversation with her
00:11:53.24\00:11:54.71
mother instead of playing with
00:11:54.71\00:11:56.01
my friend.
00:11:56.01\00:11:57.11
And as an adolescent and in
00:11:58.01\00:12:00.55
high school, I can remember
00:12:00.55\00:12:02.18
people coming to talk with me
00:12:02.18\00:12:03.72
to confide in me, not simply
00:12:03.72\00:12:05.19
because of their problems, but
00:12:05.19\00:12:06.62
also to discuss issues and
00:12:06.62\00:12:08.32
various other things.
00:12:08.32\00:12:09.82
So I kind of came by it
00:12:09.82\00:12:11.69
naturally, however, my number
00:12:11.69\00:12:13.36
one goal and plan was to become
00:12:13.36\00:12:15.00
a corporate lawyer.
00:12:15.00\00:12:16.60
And so I started out in college
00:12:16.60\00:12:18.43
as a business major, however,
00:12:18.43\00:12:21.07
what happened was that various
00:12:21.07\00:12:22.87
choices, relationships and the
00:12:22.87\00:12:24.54
resulting death of my
00:12:24.54\00:12:26.17
grandmother, impacted that and
00:12:26.17\00:12:28.11
so life took another turn.
00:12:28.11\00:12:30.01
I was able to complete an
00:12:30.01\00:12:31.41
undergraduate degree in
00:12:31.41\00:12:32.85
psychology with a business
00:12:32.85\00:12:34.05
minor.
00:12:34.05\00:12:35.02
My hopes were to get into human
00:12:35.02\00:12:36.65
resources, but God had other
00:12:36.65\00:12:38.02
plans.
00:12:38.02\00:12:38.89
At the time of my graduation,
00:12:39.69\00:12:41.06
the economy had taken a
00:12:41.06\00:12:42.36
significant downturn and so the
00:12:42.36\00:12:44.03
jobs in HR were primarily
00:12:44.03\00:12:45.66
focused on massive downsizings.
00:12:45.66\00:12:47.86
So, desperate to want to start
00:12:48.73\00:12:50.33
paying off student loans and to
00:12:50.33\00:12:52.10
get working, I contacted a
00:12:52.10\00:12:53.80
friend of mine who suggested
00:12:53.80\00:12:55.64
that I contact one of their
00:12:55.64\00:12:57.67
relatives who happened to work
00:12:57.67\00:12:59.21
in the human services field and
00:12:59.21\00:13:00.94
that that would maybe tide me
00:13:00.94\00:13:02.34
over until we could work in
00:13:02.34\00:13:03.91
HR-- and resume a career in HR.
00:13:03.91\00:13:07.55
God had other plans.
00:13:07.55\00:13:09.95
So this suggestion led me to
00:13:09.95\00:13:11.52
working for-- in a non-profit at
00:13:11.52\00:13:14.12
a group home with troubled
00:13:14.12\00:13:15.96
youth and the rest we can say
00:13:15.96\00:13:18.69
is history.
00:13:18.69\00:13:19.96
[MIKE] And, Joy, the rest was
00:13:20.93\00:13:22.63
history, what happened next?
00:13:22.63\00:13:24.30
>> My work with troubled youth
00:13:25.20\00:13:26.63
then led me to the U.S. where I
00:13:26.63\00:13:28.40
expanded my knowledge and
00:13:28.40\00:13:29.90
experience in the areas in
00:13:29.90\00:13:31.47
particular of gangs and other
00:13:31.47\00:13:32.81
criminal organizations.
00:13:32.81\00:13:34.81
I was able to work with the law
00:13:34.81\00:13:37.25
enforcement and probation in
00:13:37.25\00:13:38.85
our county to establish some
00:13:38.85\00:13:41.65
programs and interventions to
00:13:41.65\00:13:43.82
address these issues that were
00:13:43.82\00:13:45.29
happening in our community.
00:13:45.29\00:13:46.72
This experience was one of the
00:13:46.72\00:13:48.26
richest of my whole life and
00:13:48.26\00:13:49.42
was a springboard of things
00:13:49.42\00:13:50.66
to come.
00:13:50.66\00:13:51.73
>> So, Joy, what brought you
00:13:51.73\00:13:53.36
back to Canada then?
00:13:53.36\00:13:54.66
>> So due to ongoing health
00:13:56.23\00:13:57.73
concerns, I came back to Canada
00:13:57.73\00:13:59.47
and continued to struggle
00:13:59.47\00:14:00.50
through life.
00:14:00.50\00:14:01.54
I chose to work alongside law
00:14:02.20\00:14:05.47
enforcement and in corrections
00:14:05.47\00:14:07.24
with youth as a volunteer while
00:14:07.24\00:14:09.68
working in the corporate world.
00:14:09.68\00:14:11.65
So in 2002 my spiritual life
00:14:11.65\00:14:13.82
took a pivotal turn.
00:14:13.82\00:14:16.12
I had a friend that knew that I
00:14:16.12\00:14:17.42
was struggling and she
00:14:17.42\00:14:18.75
introduced me to a Bible study
00:14:18.75\00:14:20.09
and she was very insistent and
00:14:20.09\00:14:21.66
this was really tugging at me
00:14:21.66\00:14:23.12
that this was a direction that
00:14:23.12\00:14:24.76
I should go and for the first
00:14:24.76\00:14:26.19
time in my life, I realized
00:14:26.19\00:14:27.93
that God and Jesus Christ was
00:14:27.93\00:14:29.46
real, that they wanted to have
00:14:29.46\00:14:31.17
a real relationship with me and
00:14:31.17\00:14:32.90
that this was actually possible
00:14:32.90\00:14:34.40
and not just something you hear
00:14:34.40\00:14:35.77
about or that just happens for
00:14:35.77\00:14:36.97
certain people.
00:14:36.97\00:14:38.84
Once I turned my health, life,
00:14:38.84\00:14:40.48
and career over to God, things
00:14:40.48\00:14:42.18
began to change rapidly and
00:14:42.18\00:14:43.55
doors opened to me that I never
00:14:43.55\00:14:45.15
dreamed were possible.
00:14:45.15\00:14:47.05
And finally I can say it was
00:14:47.05\00:14:49.25
well with my soul.
00:14:49.25\00:14:50.72
¤¤
00:14:54.32\00:15:12.71
¤ When peace like a river
00:15:12.71\00:15:20.15
¤ attendeth my way
00:15:20.15\00:15:26.76
¤ When sorrows
00:15:26.76\00:15:30.69
¤ like sea billows roll
00:15:30.69\00:15:42.00
¤ Whatever my lot
00:15:42.00\00:15:48.51
¤ Thou hast taught
00:15:48.51\00:15:51.71
¤ me to say
00:15:51.71\00:15:55.45
¤ It is well, it is well
00:15:55.45\00:16:02.26
¤ with my soul
00:16:02.26\00:16:08.26
¤¤
00:16:08.26\00:16:20.11
¤ My sin, oh the joy
00:16:20.11\00:16:26.95
¤ of this glorious thought
00:16:26.95\00:16:34.79
¤ My sin, not in part
00:16:34.79\00:16:40.23
¤ but the whole
00:16:40.23\00:16:46.03
¤ Is nailed to the cross
00:16:47.80\00:16:53.34
¤ and I bear it no more
00:16:53.34\00:17:00.08
¤ Praise the Lord
00:17:00.08\00:17:03.08
¤ praise the Lord
00:17:03.59\00:17:07.06
¤ Oh my soul
00:17:07.06\00:17:12.89
¤ It is well (it is well)
00:17:14.73\00:17:22.54
¤ With my soul (with my soul)
00:17:22.54\00:17:29.74
¤ It is well, it is well
00:17:29.74\00:17:36.82
¤ with my soul
00:17:36.82\00:17:41.72
¤ And Lord, haste the day
00:17:41.72\00:17:48.33
¤ when my faith shall be sight
00:17:48.33\00:17:56.04
¤ The clouds be rolled back
00:17:56.04\00:18:02.08
¤ as a scroll
00:18:02.08\00:18:09.42
¤ The trump shall resound
00:18:10.22\00:18:16.16
¤ and the Lord shall descend
00:18:16.16\00:18:22.43
¤ Even so, it is well
00:18:22.43\00:18:29.07
¤ with my soul
00:18:29.07\00:18:33.84
¤ It is well (it is well)
00:18:36.95\00:18:44.35
¤ With my soul (with my soul)
00:18:44.35\00:18:51.49
¤ It is well, it is well
00:18:51.49\00:18:59.30
¤ with my soul
00:18:59.30\00:19:03.27
¤ It is well
00:19:03.27\00:19:07.81
¤ with my soul
00:19:07.81\00:19:14.18
¤¤
00:19:14.18\00:19:32.93
>> So, Joy, your friend
00:19:35.60\00:19:37.87
insisted that you read the
00:19:37.87\00:19:39.54
Bible and that was a
00:19:39.54\00:19:41.34
transformational experience,
00:19:41.34\00:19:42.84
you could see the love of God
00:19:42.84\00:19:44.25
and you experienced that it was
00:19:44.25\00:19:45.68
well with your soul, you had a
00:19:45.68\00:19:46.92
rich experience.
00:19:46.92\00:19:48.22
What happened next?
00:19:48.72\00:19:50.35
>> Well, I was able to attain
00:19:50.82\00:19:52.12
some vital information that
00:19:52.12\00:19:53.42
helped me to address the
00:19:53.42\00:19:54.92
autoimmune illness that I had
00:19:54.92\00:19:56.22
struggled with for so long.
00:19:56.22\00:19:57.79
And so as I got stronger,
00:19:57.79\00:20:00.20
physically and mentally, I was
00:20:00.20\00:20:02.16
able to reconsider going back
00:20:02.16\00:20:04.60
into the mental health field to
00:20:04.60\00:20:06.60
pursue graduate studies and then
00:20:06.60\00:20:08.54
end the physical and career
00:20:08.54\00:20:09.94
paralysis that I had been
00:20:09.94\00:20:11.24
experiencing.
00:20:11.24\00:20:12.64
So this opened up doors for me.
00:20:13.21\00:20:15.88
Through God's intervention and
00:20:15.88\00:20:17.55
provision, I was able to attain
00:20:17.55\00:20:19.18
a position in corrections while
00:20:19.18\00:20:20.98
working on my masters program.
00:20:20.98\00:20:22.55
Both of these opportunities
00:20:23.79\00:20:25.05
were something I certainly did
00:20:25.05\00:20:26.22
not expect and every day in
00:20:26.22\00:20:28.82
corrections was exciting, never
00:20:28.82\00:20:30.83
dull, and I-- those young
00:20:30.83\00:20:34.00
people still have a very, very
00:20:34.00\00:20:35.50
special place in my heart to
00:20:35.50\00:20:37.20
this very day and I would've
00:20:37.20\00:20:39.23
probably stayed there, but God
00:20:39.23\00:20:40.80
had other plans and He had
00:20:40.80\00:20:42.50
other opportunities and things
00:20:42.50\00:20:44.67
that He wanted to show me.
00:20:44.67\00:20:46.98
So it is my privilege today to
00:20:46.98\00:20:49.04
continue my passion in
00:20:49.04\00:20:51.25
corrections by volunteering in
00:20:51.25\00:20:52.81
a federal corrections committee
00:20:52.81\00:20:54.25
which I enjoy very much and
00:20:54.25\00:20:55.98
it's also been my privilege to
00:20:55.98\00:20:57.52
visit eight different
00:20:57.52\00:20:58.82
correctional facilities in four
00:20:58.82\00:21:00.52
countries and I count this as a
00:21:00.52\00:21:01.82
huge gift from God to be able
00:21:01.82\00:21:02.86
to do that, too.
00:21:02.86\00:21:04.13
[RENÉ] So, Joy, what other
00:21:04.39\00:21:05.86
challenges did you end up
00:21:05.86\00:21:07.10
facing?
00:21:07.10\00:21:08.16
>> Well, during grad school, I
00:21:08.76\00:21:10.30
experienced a severe car
00:21:10.30\00:21:11.97
accident that some of the
00:21:11.97\00:21:13.57
injuries to which I still
00:21:13.57\00:21:15.20
suffer from today, and in spite
00:21:15.20\00:21:17.04
of that, God still saw me
00:21:17.04\00:21:18.61
through to complete my masters
00:21:18.61\00:21:20.24
program which was a very, very
00:21:20.24\00:21:21.58
challenging and gruelling
00:21:21.58\00:21:23.11
experience.
00:21:23.11\00:21:24.48
Through that I have seen Him
00:21:25.08\00:21:27.02
work in other ways in my life.
00:21:27.02\00:21:29.02
Little by little God's shown me
00:21:29.02\00:21:30.65
that His way is best and He has
00:21:30.65\00:21:32.49
ways and ideas for us that we
00:21:32.49\00:21:34.69
can't even possibly imagine.
00:21:34.69\00:21:36.93
I had to go through my own
00:21:36.93\00:21:38.96
physical and mental healing in
00:21:38.96\00:21:40.93
order to effective and to do
00:21:40.93\00:21:42.43
the work that I do today.
00:21:42.43\00:21:44.17
This is no easy task, it can be
00:21:44.17\00:21:46.33
very daunting and it can take
00:21:46.33\00:21:47.77
us a lot of work.
00:21:47.77\00:21:49.54
However, it's worth it.
00:21:49.54\00:21:52.31
My personal experience and that
00:21:52.31\00:21:53.91
of my patients and clients is
00:21:53.91\00:21:55.51
testimony to the fact that no
00:21:55.51\00:21:58.11
matter what has happened to
00:21:58.11\00:21:59.75
you, no matter what you've been
00:21:59.75\00:22:01.28
through in your life, the
00:22:01.28\00:22:02.62
difficult circumstances, the
00:22:02.62\00:22:03.95
developmental challenges that
00:22:03.95\00:22:05.39
you've had, there is always
00:22:05.39\00:22:06.69
hope, there's hope for a
00:22:06.69\00:22:08.19
future.
00:22:08.19\00:22:09.42
Every single human being has a
00:22:09.96\00:22:11.66
purpose and a reason for
00:22:11.66\00:22:13.63
being alive.
00:22:13.63\00:22:15.33
Every single person has value
00:22:15.33\00:22:18.33
and I take that into my work
00:22:18.33\00:22:19.87
with me every day because I
00:22:19.87\00:22:22.04
really truly believe it and I
00:22:22.04\00:22:23.64
see it and it's a real
00:22:23.64\00:22:25.11
privilege to be able to do the
00:22:25.11\00:22:26.98
work that I do and to work with
00:22:26.98\00:22:29.11
people, it's a sacred trust
00:22:29.11\00:22:31.25
when you work with people in
00:22:31.25\00:22:32.55
this capacity and I just thank
00:22:32.55\00:22:33.78
God for giving me the
00:22:33.78\00:22:35.05
opportunities that He has
00:22:35.05\00:22:36.65
to do this.
00:22:36.65\00:22:37.95
It is possible to be free from
00:22:37.95\00:22:40.39
all types of debilitating mood
00:22:40.39\00:22:42.22
disorders, grief and loss,
00:22:42.22\00:22:45.29
trauma, and all types of pain.
00:22:45.29\00:22:48.80
>> Joy, since you finished your
00:22:48.80\00:22:50.27
masters degree, what kind of
00:22:50.27\00:22:51.73
blessings and experiences have
00:22:51.73\00:22:53.07
you had?
00:22:53.07\00:22:54.57
>> Oh, it's been really
00:22:54.57\00:22:55.90
exciting and some of my dreams
00:22:55.90\00:22:57.07
and unexpected dreams have
00:22:57.07\00:22:58.44
actually come true in terms of,
00:22:58.44\00:23:00.11
you know, what a person can
00:23:00.11\00:23:01.64
experience in a career.
00:23:01.64\00:23:03.48
It's been my privilege to work
00:23:03.48\00:23:05.05
with people in all kinds of
00:23:05.05\00:23:06.38
areas and capacities.
00:23:06.38\00:23:07.92
I've worked in private
00:23:07.92\00:23:09.45
practise, youth probation,
00:23:09.45\00:23:11.45
consulting, and in primary
00:23:11.45\00:23:13.66
care.
00:23:13.66\00:23:15.09
It has been an honour to
00:23:15.09\00:23:16.76
present seminars, webinars,
00:23:16.76\00:23:18.99
programs and other interventions
00:23:18.99\00:23:20.76
as well as to be an instructor
00:23:20.76\00:23:22.23
on two courses on mental health
00:23:22.23\00:23:23.87
and social issues.
00:23:23.87\00:23:25.50
All of these opportunities are a
00:23:25.50\00:23:27.47
huge privilege and sometimes
00:23:27.47\00:23:29.20
they come at a cost, but it's
00:23:29.20\00:23:30.91
always worth it.
00:23:30.91\00:23:32.47
>> So, Joy, what makes you so
00:23:33.14\00:23:35.41
genuinely interested in others?
00:23:35.41\00:23:37.65
>> Well, when I was a child, I
00:23:38.58\00:23:41.28
came across a quote that has
00:23:41.28\00:23:43.05
stuck with me through life and
00:23:43.05\00:23:44.95
it was about the importance of
00:23:44.95\00:23:47.22
being genuinely interested in
00:23:47.22\00:23:49.22
people and I sincerely believe
00:23:49.22\00:23:51.63
that every life has a value and
00:23:51.63\00:23:53.16
has importance.
00:23:53.16\00:23:54.93
There is a purpose and a reason
00:23:54.93\00:23:56.73
for every human being and the
00:23:56.73\00:23:58.63
late Serge LeClerc, a very
00:23:58.63\00:24:01.37
infamous Canadian, when he used
00:24:01.37\00:24:03.34
to give motivational speeches
00:24:03.34\00:24:04.97
to youth, what he used to say
00:24:04.97\00:24:06.47
was, "You're either part of the
00:24:06.47\00:24:08.21
problem or part of the
00:24:08.21\00:24:09.88
solution," and that always
00:24:09.88\00:24:11.71
stuck with me so my aim is to
00:24:11.71\00:24:14.18
be part of the solution.
00:24:14.18\00:24:16.12
>> Joy, in closing, what kept
00:24:16.72\00:24:19.12
you going during your
00:24:19.12\00:24:20.56
darkest days?
00:24:20.56\00:24:21.86
>> During those darkest days of
00:24:22.92\00:24:24.53
my adolescence and youth, I
00:24:24.53\00:24:26.46
didn't plan to live past 25
00:24:26.46\00:24:28.66
years old, I didn't want to
00:24:28.66\00:24:31.53
live past 25.
00:24:31.53\00:24:33.84
God had other plans and He
00:24:33.84\00:24:35.47
preserved and protected me.
00:24:35.47\00:24:37.61
One of my favourite Bible
00:24:37.61\00:24:39.31
verses is Jeremiah 29:11 where
00:24:39.31\00:24:42.24
God states that He has good
00:24:42.24\00:24:44.45
thoughts towards us and He
00:24:44.45\00:24:46.48
wants to promise us a future
00:24:46.48\00:24:48.28
and a hope and that goes for
00:24:48.28\00:24:49.85
every single one of us.
00:24:49.85\00:24:51.49
That's what keeps me going.
00:24:52.12\00:24:53.86
>> Well, Joy, we have come to
00:24:54.69\00:24:56.29
the end of our program and I
00:24:56.29\00:24:57.79
wonder if I could please ask
00:24:57.79\00:24:59.36
you to pray for us?
00:24:59.36\00:25:00.96
>> It would be an honour.
00:25:00.96\00:25:02.43
Our dear Heavenly Father, I
00:25:03.47\00:25:05.43
thank You so much for the
00:25:05.43\00:25:07.04
opportunities that You've given
00:25:07.04\00:25:08.90
us in our lives that we don't
00:25:08.90\00:25:10.61
even see sometimes.
00:25:10.61\00:25:12.27
I thank You for the provision
00:25:12.27\00:25:14.01
and for the care for each one.
00:25:14.01\00:25:16.41
And, Lord, I just pray for
00:25:17.01\00:25:18.35
those that might be watching
00:25:18.35\00:25:20.18
today, that You would reach
00:25:20.18\00:25:21.68
their hearts and know that they
00:25:21.68\00:25:23.42
are important to You and that
00:25:23.42\00:25:25.12
they matter and no matter what
00:25:25.12\00:25:26.86
mental health issues or
00:25:26.86\00:25:28.56
physical struggles they might
00:25:28.56\00:25:30.06
be going through, that You have
00:25:30.06\00:25:31.76
a future and a hope for them.
00:25:31.76\00:25:33.90
I ask all of these things in
00:25:33.90\00:25:35.30
Jesus' name, amen.
00:25:35.30\00:25:36.93
[MIKE] Amen.
00:25:36.93\00:25:38.67
Joy, thank you so much for
00:25:38.67\00:25:40.64
joining us and for sharing your
00:25:40.64\00:25:42.64
journey today on It Is Written
00:25:42.64\00:25:44.07
Canada.
00:25:44.07\00:25:45.57
>> Thank you for having me.
00:25:45.57\00:25:47.48
>> It was through a friend's
00:25:49.98\00:25:51.41
insistence that Joy study the
00:25:51.41\00:25:53.25
Bible which led her to see for
00:25:53.25\00:25:55.22
the first time that God is
00:25:55.22\00:25:57.79
really real and that His love
00:25:57.79\00:26:00.56
was all she needed for it to be
00:26:00.56\00:26:03.12
well with her soul.
00:26:03.12\00:26:05.46
That decision changed her life
00:26:05.46\00:26:08.00
and through Joy's life, it has
00:26:08.00\00:26:09.80
brought hope and healing to the
00:26:09.80\00:26:11.53
people she has worked with as a
00:26:11.53\00:26:13.34
mental health clinician.
00:26:13.34\00:26:15.34
So we want to offer you a set
00:26:16.20\00:26:18.14
of Bible study guides.
00:26:18.14\00:26:20.18
[MIKE] Whether you want to
00:26:20.18\00:26:21.54
learn the major teachings of
00:26:21.54\00:26:23.41
God's word or Bible prophecy,
00:26:23.41\00:26:25.98
we can assist you to find
00:26:25.98\00:26:27.48
answers for how to face the
00:26:27.48\00:26:29.52
issues and challenges you deal
00:26:29.52\00:26:31.72
with every day.
00:26:31.72\00:26:33.49
Here is the information that
00:26:33.49\00:26:34.79
you will need to receive your
00:26:34.79\00:26:36.49
own free set of Bible study
00:26:36.49\00:26:38.86
guides.
00:26:38.86\00:26:39.96
[VOICEOVER] To receive today's
00:26:40.80\00:26:41.80
offer, you can simply go to our
00:26:41.80\00:26:43.77
website at iiw.ca and click on
00:26:43.77\00:26:46.94
the "News and Offers" tab.
00:26:46.94\00:26:48.64
Again, it's iiw.ca.
00:26:48.64\00:26:51.61
You can also call us at
00:26:51.61\00:26:53.07
1-888-CALL-IIW.
00:26:53.07\00:26:56.41
That's 1-888-225-5449.
00:26:56.41\00:27:00.95
Call anytime!
00:27:00.95\00:27:02.45
We can be reached 24 hours a
00:27:02.45\00:27:03.85
day, 7 days a week.
00:27:03.85\00:27:05.92
Or if you'd like to write to
00:27:05.92\00:27:07.52
us, our address is It Is
00:27:07.52\00:27:09.52
Written Canada, Box 2010,
00:27:09.52\00:27:11.96
Oshawa, Ontario, L1H 7V4.
00:27:11.96\00:27:16.23
We also wanna thank you for
00:27:16.23\00:27:17.70
your prayer requests and
00:27:17.70\00:27:19.23
donations that make it possible
00:27:19.23\00:27:20.60
for us to connect people to the
00:27:20.60\00:27:22.27
abundant life found in Jesus.
00:27:22.27\00:27:24.34
>> Before you go, we also would
00:27:29.38\00:27:30.98
like to invite you to follow us
00:27:30.98\00:27:32.78
on Instagram and Facebook and
00:27:32.78\00:27:35.02
subscribe to our YouTube
00:27:35.02\00:27:36.79
channel and also listen to our
00:27:36.79\00:27:38.69
Podcasts.
00:27:38.69\00:27:40.29
And if you go to our website,
00:27:40.29\00:27:42.46
you can see our latest programs
00:27:42.46\00:27:44.16
including our cooking
00:27:44.16\00:27:45.73
demonstrations, our short
00:27:45.73\00:27:47.56
spiritual messages entitled
00:27:47.56\00:27:49.10
Daily Living, and our
00:27:49.10\00:27:51.10
exercise workouts called
00:27:51.10\00:27:52.77
Experiencing Life.
00:27:52.77\00:27:54.40
>> We want you to experience
00:27:55.14\00:27:56.64
the truth that is found in the
00:27:56.64\00:27:58.24
words of Jesus when He said,
00:27:58.24\00:28:00.34
"It is written, 'Man shall not
00:28:00.34\00:28:01.88
live by bread alone, but by
00:28:01.88\00:28:04.01
every word that proceeds out of
00:28:04.01\00:28:05.81
the mouth of God.'"
00:28:05.81\00:28:07.65
¤¤
00:28:08.55\00:28:54.10