My guest today has not only counseled those 00:00:00.96\00:00:03.87 with adversity but by God's grace 00:00:03.90\00:00:05.93 she has overcome it herself... 00:00:05.97\00:00:07.94 My name is Yvonne Lewis and you're watching 00:00:07.97\00:00:10.64 Urban Report... 00:00:10.67\00:00:12.37 Hello and welcome to Urban Report... 00:00:32.53\00:00:35.20 My guest today is Dr. Magna Parks 00:00:35.23\00:00:37.87 Psychologist and woman with her own interesting story 00:00:37.90\00:00:41.67 of victory in Jesus... 00:00:41.70\00:00:43.24 Welcome to Urban Report Dr. Parks... 00:00:43.27\00:00:46.21 Hi Yvonne, good to be here... I'm so happy you're here. 00:00:46.24\00:00:49.11 I'm going to call you Magna... That's just fine... 00:00:49.14\00:00:50.78 Magna, you are such an accomplished person 00:00:50.81\00:00:58.42 so humble... and you love the Lord... 00:00:58.45\00:01:01.79 and you have... 00:01:01.82\00:01:03.29 you have your own journey... 00:01:03.32\00:01:06.09 everybody has a testimony... Yes... 00:01:06.13\00:01:08.50 you have your own journey... share some of that 00:01:08.53\00:01:11.67 journey with us... Well, Yvonne, you know 00:01:11.70\00:01:14.97 it's interesting how you hear people's stories 00:01:15.00\00:01:18.64 and until you have your own story... 00:01:18.67\00:01:20.98 their stories don't become very real to you... 00:01:21.01\00:01:23.68 That's so true... and I think God allowed me 00:01:23.71\00:01:25.75 to have my own story... I don't even know 00:01:25.78\00:01:27.68 where to start... but... I went through school, 00:01:27.72\00:01:32.29 got my graduate degree taught at Oakwood, 00:01:32.32\00:01:34.56 private practice... but during the latter years 00:01:34.59\00:01:37.79 of that time... even before getting into 00:01:37.83\00:01:40.56 private practice... I always start out with this 00:01:40.60\00:01:43.20 story... I was in engaged to someone 00:01:43.23\00:01:44.50 and a month before... I broke the wedding off 00:01:44.53\00:01:47.20 and this was the big wedding of Oakwood 00:01:47.24\00:01:49.84 everybody was all excited, 00:01:49.87\00:01:52.44 so, I left Oakwood 00:01:52.47\00:01:54.38 because I didn't want to hear all the questions 00:01:54.41\00:01:57.98 you know... moved to Atlanta and a few months 00:01:58.01\00:02:01.52 after I moved to Atlanta... my brother who was a physician 00:02:01.55\00:02:04.35 he was missing... he went missing... 00:02:04.39\00:02:06.09 Oh... you know, we didn't know 00:02:06.12\00:02:07.92 where he was... what happened... 00:02:07.96\00:02:09.72 and for 3 years... he went missing... 00:02:09.76\00:02:12.33 and I met another person, another gentleman 00:02:12.36\00:02:16.10 we got married... a week before 00:02:16.13\00:02:18.13 we were to marry... they found my brother dead... 00:02:18.17\00:02:20.30 Oh... and my father called me 00:02:20.34\00:02:23.64 and told me... because he was thinking 00:02:23.67\00:02:25.27 I'd be able to handle it, you know... 00:02:25.31\00:02:26.68 my family members were like... 00:02:26.71\00:02:27.78 "Why did you call her at that time... " 00:02:27.81\00:02:28.84 and the whole week I was on Ambien... to sleep... 00:02:28.88\00:02:31.18 a psychiatrist friend... I couldn't sleep 00:02:31.21\00:02:33.05 so I asked her to give me prescription meds to sleep 00:02:33.08\00:02:35.82 and I slept that whole week and the next day 00:02:35.85\00:02:38.15 after the wedding... we told my mother 00:02:38.19\00:02:40.39 because we didn't tell her before the wedding... 00:02:40.42\00:02:42.56 we told the family gathering, and we told my mother, 00:02:42.59\00:02:44.69 and the week after I got married... 00:02:44.73\00:02:46.49 my brother was funeralized... 00:02:46.53\00:02:47.96 Oh... so what a... that's just the beginning... 00:02:47.96\00:02:51.60 Just an up and down... Yes... 00:02:51.63\00:02:54.97 because you're on a emotional high 00:02:55.00\00:02:56.64 with the wedding and the stress too... 00:02:56.67\00:02:58.87 Yes... of getting ready for a wedding 00:02:58.91\00:03:01.08 but wait... let's go back to Oakwood 00:03:01.11\00:03:03.21 because that's a lot of pressure too... 00:03:03.24\00:03:05.35 Yes... it was... when you have... 00:03:05.38\00:03:07.42 a similar thing happened to me, so I can relate... 00:03:07.45\00:03:10.69 so, you're getting ready to get married... 00:03:10.72\00:03:14.12 and it breaks off... Yes... 00:03:14.16\00:03:15.99 and everybody had known about the impending wedding... 00:03:16.02\00:03:19.23 Hmmm... hmmm... and then it breaks off... 00:03:19.26\00:03:21.13 and then, it's like... "Okay, so what happened?" 00:03:21.16\00:03:23.30 so you got out of there... I did... 00:03:23.33\00:03:24.90 so that you wouldn't have to deal with that... 00:03:24.93\00:03:26.43 I didn't want to deal with the questions... 00:03:26.47\00:03:27.74 Yes... yes... yes... and so then... 00:03:27.77\00:03:30.17 you get to Atlanta... and tell us again what happened. 00:03:30.21\00:03:35.41 About two months after I got to Atlanta, 00:03:35.44\00:03:37.45 we get a call... my brother went missing... 00:03:37.48\00:03:39.98 we didn't know... we got Private Investigators 00:03:40.02\00:03:42.52 they couldn't find him... Two months...? 00:03:42.55\00:03:44.09 Two months after breaking off the wedding... 00:03:44.12\00:03:45.62 so you had that stress to deal with, 00:03:45.65\00:03:48.76 Yes... your missing brother... 00:03:48.79\00:03:50.66 Now, there are only two of you? There were four of us... 00:03:50.69\00:03:53.16 Okay... so, you know, I have my sister 00:03:53.19\00:03:54.96 and my brother left... actually there are others 00:03:55.00\00:03:56.46 because my dad had a few kids 00:03:56.50\00:03:58.47 before he married my mom... 00:03:58.50\00:04:00.40 but those were the ones that we all grew up together... 00:04:00.44\00:04:02.87 Okay... so... 00:04:02.90\00:04:04.27 So your brother went missing, and then a week 00:04:04.31\00:04:07.34 before your wedding, 00:04:07.38\00:04:08.51 Three years later, he was found dead... 00:04:08.54\00:04:10.75 so all 3 years... your family is on pins and needles 00:04:10.78\00:04:14.58 That's right... What's it like for 00:04:14.62\00:04:16.22 because there are programs on television 00:04:16.25\00:04:18.72 about missing children, and abductions, 00:04:18.75\00:04:21.22 what's it like... not knowing? 00:04:21.26\00:04:22.89 It's just... you wake up in the middle 00:04:22.92\00:04:24.66 of the night wondering... where could my brother be... 00:04:24.69\00:04:27.66 what will happen... you know, he was a physician 00:04:27.73\00:04:29.93 he was doing in Infertility Specialty 00:04:29.96\00:04:32.60 at the top of his class... I mean... doing so well 00:04:32.63\00:04:35.24 and you just wonder... was he killed... 00:04:35.27\00:04:37.37 did something happen... it's just... 00:04:37.41\00:04:39.44 like I can't even explain it... 00:04:39.47\00:04:40.54 you just live in uncertainty all the time 00:04:40.58\00:04:42.61 wondering... where that person is... 00:04:42.64\00:04:44.35 Yes... So, even though I was sad 00:04:44.38\00:04:45.98 to find out that he had died, it brought some closure... 00:04:46.01\00:04:48.28 Yes... and to this day... 00:04:48.32\00:04:50.25 we're not sure how he really died... 00:04:50.29\00:04:51.75 there are a lot of questions... So, his body was found... 00:04:51.79\00:04:55.09 Yes... Right behind Dodger's Stadium 00:04:55.12\00:04:57.23 in LA... because that's where he lived... 00:04:57.26\00:04:58.96 And you still don't know... 00:04:58.99\00:05:01.96 No, we're not sure... 00:05:02.00\00:05:03.26 there are a lot of theories, but we don't know 00:05:03.30\00:05:05.70 for sure... what happened... Oh... so then... 00:05:05.73\00:05:08.10 so you had the wedding... then you funeralized your brother, 00:05:08.14\00:05:12.47 so then... what happened? Six months later, 00:05:12.51\00:05:14.74 my mom had a stroke, due to the stress 00:05:14.78\00:05:17.91 of losing her first son, and then... 00:05:17.95\00:05:21.08 a year and a half after that... 00:05:21.12\00:05:23.49 I started feeling some tingling in my fingers... 00:05:23.52\00:05:27.69 and my girlfriend had said, "Oh, sometimes when you eat 00:05:27.72\00:05:30.56 too much salt... it causes tingling in your fingers, 00:05:30.59\00:05:33.36 and I didn't take it seriously, then it started to kind of 00:05:33.40\00:05:35.53 go through my whole arm, and one day 00:05:35.56\00:05:37.43 I was baking something and I put it in the oven 00:05:37.47\00:05:39.93 and when I took it out, it just fell and splattered, 00:05:39.97\00:05:42.14 and I called my husband crying, I said, "Al, I just lost, 00:05:42.17\00:05:45.54 you know, I broke this dish" 00:05:45.57\00:05:46.98 and he says, "That's it, we're going to the doctor... " 00:05:47.01\00:05:49.01 so, I had a girlfriend who was a Nurse Practitioner 00:05:49.04\00:05:51.01 she said the quickest way to get testing done 00:05:51.05\00:05:53.78 is to just go to the Emergency Room 00:05:53.82\00:05:54.98 so I went to the Emergency Room, they did all the testing 00:05:55.02\00:05:57.52 and the doctor came back and says, 00:05:57.55\00:05:58.92 "I'm sorry Ms. Parks, you have MS-Multiple Sclerosis 00:05:58.95\00:06:01.79 and I said, "Are you kidding?" he says, 00:06:01.82\00:06:03.99 "No, we've seen all of this stuff in your brain and 00:06:04.03\00:06:07.60 in your spinal cord and... " so... 00:06:07.66\00:06:10.37 So on top of everything else, now you have a diagnosis 00:06:10.40\00:06:17.24 to deal with... through all this... 00:06:17.27\00:06:20.21 are you practicing... Yes... 00:06:20.24\00:06:23.38 you're doing the counseling and all the psychological testing... 00:06:23.41\00:06:26.95 Yes... that's right... testing and all that? 00:06:26.98\00:06:28.52 Yeah... yeah... yeah.. Yes, I'm going through 00:06:28.55\00:06:29.88 all of that... during that time... 00:06:29.92\00:06:31.29 and then you found out that you had MS... 00:06:31.32\00:06:33.96 How did you respond? Initially, I thought, 00:06:33.99\00:06:36.59 "Well, that's it... I'm going to be an invalid 00:06:36.62\00:06:39.33 a disabled person for the rest of my life... 00:06:39.36\00:06:41.56 my husband will have to take care of me, 00:06:41.60\00:06:43.80 I have to... go into... " I mean... my mind just went 00:06:43.83\00:06:45.73 Right... then the Holy Spirit just 00:06:45.77\00:06:47.14 stopped me and said, "You know, 00:06:47.17\00:06:48.44 you don't know if that's the route it's going to go" 00:06:48.47\00:06:50.24 so He just kind of stopped me, 00:06:50.27\00:06:51.67 I went to the Neurologist 00:06:51.71\00:06:53.24 and the Neurologist said, "You need to get on steroids" 00:06:53.27\00:06:55.98 and at that point... I didn't want to do that... 00:06:56.01\00:06:57.78 I'm not saying that everyone should follow this 00:06:57.81\00:06:59.41 but my husband and I decided 00:06:59.45\00:07:00.75 we wanted to do the natural treatment... 00:07:00.78\00:07:02.28 Hmmm... hmmm... so we told the Neurologist 00:07:02.32\00:07:03.65 we're just not going to do the steroids 00:07:03.69\00:07:04.79 and he says, "Well, Magna, you'll never get better. " 00:07:04.82\00:07:07.39 that's what he said to me... we ended up doing "Natural" 00:07:07.42\00:07:09.76 we went to Wildwood Lifestyle Center 00:07:09.79\00:07:11.36 which uses natural ways and two months later 00:07:11.39\00:07:14.20 I could fully use my hand... I had completely 00:07:14.23\00:07:17.00 lost use of this arm... it was like... I was paralyzed 00:07:17.03\00:07:20.24 my husband had to help me comb my hair 00:07:20.27\00:07:22.40 I had to eat with my left hand, 00:07:22.44\00:07:24.41 and I couldn't write, so... 00:07:24.44\00:07:26.91 And it came on you suddenly, Suddenly... yeah... 00:07:26.94\00:07:29.04 it didn't take much time, it just kind of... 00:07:29.08\00:07:31.08 Usually, I've read somewhere or heard in a lecture 00:07:31.11\00:07:36.72 or something... that there's an emotional 00:07:36.75\00:07:39.39 component... something has happened 00:07:39.42\00:07:41.89 Yes... that leads to MS... 00:07:41.92\00:07:44.63 Yes... And look at what was going on 00:07:44.66\00:07:48.06 with you... That's right... 00:07:48.10\00:07:49.03 my mother, my brother, so... Yes... yes... 00:07:49.06\00:07:51.80 they also found out that my Vitamin D levels 00:07:51.83\00:07:54.64 were... not low... but deficient... 00:07:54.67\00:07:56.64 and the doctor showed me there's a relationship 00:07:56.67\00:07:59.47 between that as well... so... that's where I was 00:07:59.51\00:08:02.28 but in 2 months... the Lord... 00:08:02.31\00:08:03.58 and it's been 7 years and I've had no symptoms... 00:08:03.61\00:08:06.88 Praise God... Yes... yes... 00:08:06.92\00:08:09.42 See our... and again... 00:08:09.45\00:08:10.79 you're not saying... this is for everybody 00:08:10.82\00:08:12.89 that "Natural Route" is for everybody 00:08:12.92\00:08:14.92 but for some people it works 00:08:14.96\00:08:16.32 for some people it doesn't... but... 00:08:16.36\00:08:18.33 praise God... it worked for you. Amen... 00:08:18.36\00:08:20.30 and... really... how can it hurt... 00:08:20.33\00:08:21.96 we're not saying... "Stop your meds" or anything... 00:08:22.00\00:08:25.33 That's right... but what we are saying 00:08:25.37\00:08:26.43 that eating right... and following the laws of health 00:08:26.47\00:08:29.67 can help... Right... amen... 00:08:29.70\00:08:31.67 and it helped me... And it helped you... 00:08:31.71\00:08:33.68 praise God... Praise the Lord... 00:08:33.71\00:08:35.31 so... you got through that... 00:08:35.34\00:08:36.91 the Lord brought you through that... 00:08:36.95\00:08:38.38 and then what happened? Two years later... 00:08:38.41\00:08:41.85 my mother was diagnosed with Colon Cancer 00:08:41.88\00:08:45.25 and 6 months later she died... 00:08:45.29\00:08:46.49 So now you've lost your brother, Hmmm... hmmm... 00:08:46.52\00:08:49.79 and your mother... hmmm... hmmm... 00:08:49.82\00:08:52.49 Yeah... and the time in between 00:08:52.53\00:08:55.06 were you near your mother, were you helping her, 00:08:55.10\00:08:57.83 or were you far... did live away from her... 00:08:57.87\00:08:59.87 I was in Georgia... she was in Florida... 00:08:59.90\00:09:02.17 so it was about 7 hours away from each other 00:09:02.20\00:09:04.47 but then they moved... closer to me... 00:09:04.51\00:09:06.34 Uchee Pines was just two hours away... 00:09:06.37\00:09:08.14 they moved in that area, so I was able to see 00:09:08.18\00:09:10.75 her a lot... for those 2 years before she passed... 00:09:10.78\00:09:13.58 Yeah... that's good... And a year after that... 00:09:13.62\00:09:17.39 I lost my husband... Oh, this is... you know, 00:09:17.42\00:09:21.16 as you said before... when you're talking to people 00:09:21.19\00:09:26.16 and you haven't had your own 00:09:26.19\00:09:28.43 hardship and adversity, 00:09:28.46\00:09:31.03 it has a different feel... from when you have been 00:09:31.07\00:09:34.84 through it... Yes... yes... 00:09:34.87\00:09:36.67 just all of these losses back to back... 00:09:36.71\00:09:39.77 What happened with your husband? 00:09:39.81\00:09:41.11 Well, he had something called AV malformation 00:09:41.14\00:09:43.95 which they say is a congenital brain disorder... 00:09:43.98\00:09:46.82 the capillaries and veins are kind of confused or 00:09:46.85\00:09:49.65 twisted or mixed up or something... 00:09:49.68\00:09:51.22 I don't know the exact way to describe it... 00:09:51.25\00:09:53.09 but he was born with that, and people... typically 00:09:53.12\00:09:56.32 the only reason they may find out 00:09:56.36\00:09:57.56 is when they're younger and they could do something about it 00:09:57.59\00:09:59.96 or when they're older and they get rushed 00:10:00.00\00:10:02.03 to the hospital with an aneurysm 00:10:02.06\00:10:03.30 that's what a physician told me 00:10:03.33\00:10:04.60 and that's what happened to him, 00:10:04.63\00:10:05.87 he had some symptoms going on... 3 weeks before 00:10:05.90\00:10:08.07 and then he was rushed to the hospital... had an aneurysm 00:10:08.10\00:10:11.04 and 2 days later... he died... 00:10:11.07\00:10:12.27 49-years-old... Oh... 00:10:12.31\00:10:15.48 what was going through your head, Magna, 00:10:15.51\00:10:18.58 right after he died? 00:10:18.61\00:10:20.12 Why me? Why did God allow this? 00:10:20.15\00:10:22.98 we had started a ministry 2 or 3 years earlier... 00:10:23.02\00:10:26.49 3 years earlier... and during the year that he died 00:10:26.52\00:10:29.92 the ministry really started to take off... 00:10:29.96\00:10:31.93 and I was just saying... "Lord, we were just doing 00:10:31.96\00:10:34.30 all these wonderful things... we had come here 00:10:34.30\00:10:36.60 and done some cooking programs 00:10:36.63\00:10:37.63 I had done some things with "Issues and Answers" 00:10:37.67\00:10:39.53 why now? Why would you take him away now? 00:10:39.57\00:10:41.44 He's a man who loves you... all kinds of questions 00:10:41.47\00:10:44.51 were going through my mind... 00:10:44.54\00:10:45.97 but, one day the Lord said to me... 00:10:46.01\00:10:47.38 "Magna, you're so concerned about your ministry... 00:10:47.41\00:10:49.28 but I'm more concerned about salvation... " 00:10:49.31\00:10:51.08 Hmmm... just as bold as... 00:10:51.11\00:10:53.55 I could just hear the words... and it just... 00:10:53.58\00:10:56.82 we don't understand sometimes 00:10:56.85\00:10:59.69 why things happen as they do, but, I guess the key is... 00:10:59.72\00:11:06.96 and this is what you have found 00:11:07.00\00:11:08.53 because you are a woman of faith... 00:11:08.56\00:11:10.07 that the faith comes in... after you've asked 00:11:10.10\00:11:13.74 the questions or whatever... trusting that God knew 00:11:13.77\00:11:17.24 what had to be done... and knew the best place 00:11:17.27\00:11:20.98 for him to be saved... Yes... amen... 00:11:21.01\00:11:22.98 so, sometimes this life is so short and 00:11:23.01\00:11:27.78 it's so painful though 00:11:27.82\00:11:29.48 we lose that loved one... and it's just so... painful... 00:11:29.52\00:11:34.62 Yes... yeah... So how did you adjust... 00:11:34.66\00:11:36.76 after that... because it was so sudden... 00:11:36.79\00:11:38.63 It was... It wasn't like he was sick... 00:11:38.66\00:11:41.13 he just had the aneurysm and was gone... 00:11:41.16\00:11:43.60 Yes... yes... yes... how did you adjust after that... 00:11:43.63\00:11:46.63 what did you do? You know, one of the biggest 00:11:46.67\00:11:48.57 things that helped me was... I really tightened up 00:11:48.60\00:11:52.07 my walk with the Lord... I spent more time 00:11:52.11\00:11:54.98 in the Word... I asked questions but 00:11:55.01\00:11:57.28 I wanted God to direct me to things that I could read... 00:11:57.31\00:12:00.38 promises that I could hold on to that was the foundation 00:12:00.42\00:12:03.49 of me being able to deal with my husband's death... 00:12:03.52\00:12:05.62 and another piece that the research shows 00:12:05.65\00:12:09.12 when you're dealing with adversity is... social support 00:12:09.16\00:12:11.26 my Church members were there for me... 00:12:11.29\00:12:14.00 my friends were there for me, I didn't stay in the house, 00:12:14.00\00:12:15.93 I didn't want to stay in the house... where we... 00:12:15.96\00:12:17.77 you know... my husband and I had our home together... 00:12:17.80\00:12:19.53 so I stayed with a few friends here... 00:12:19.57\00:12:21.24 I went to St. Croix and stayed with my cousin for 6 weeks, 00:12:21.27\00:12:25.14 and different people just opened their homes to me, 00:12:25.17\00:12:27.74 sometimes I felt like a bag lady... 00:12:27.78\00:12:29.18 because I was going around from home to home 00:12:29.21\00:12:30.68 but it was my way of dealing with this difficulty... 00:12:30.71\00:12:33.45 Yes... so that was really important 00:12:33.48\00:12:35.42 my walk with God and then 00:12:35.45\00:12:37.35 following the laws of health, that really helped me 00:12:37.39\00:12:39.85 because I would regularly get up and walk, 00:12:39.89\00:12:42.26 I made sure that I ate my meals at a regular time, 00:12:42.29\00:12:45.06 I had healthy meals... I tried to get to bed on time 00:12:45.09\00:12:47.83 and I know that those laws of health... 00:12:47.86\00:12:49.86 were very important in helping me work through 00:12:49.90\00:12:52.80 that grieving process... that is so true because 00:12:52.83\00:12:55.70 without that... the depression could have 00:12:55.74\00:12:57.94 overtaken you... That's right... 00:12:57.97\00:12:59.87 the walking stimulates those endorphins... 00:12:59.91\00:13:02.21 and so you're moving around and so you feel 00:13:02.24\00:13:04.31 better even though you're feeling terrible 00:13:04.35\00:13:06.38 but you feel better than you would 00:13:06.41\00:13:10.59 if you didn't do it... even sleep deprivation... 00:13:10.62\00:13:13.09 had you not gotten enough sleep, 00:13:13.12\00:13:15.09 had you been eating improperly... 00:13:15.12\00:13:17.03 all of that... can make you spiral down 00:13:17.06\00:13:19.39 and then the depression is worse... 00:13:19.43\00:13:21.63 That's right... So praise God that you had 00:13:21.66\00:13:23.57 the support... that you got into the Word more 00:13:23.60\00:13:27.64 that is so important... because when we're going 00:13:27.67\00:13:31.61 through things sometimes you don't even want to pray... 00:13:31.64\00:13:36.24 I know... You don't want to read the Word 00:13:36.28\00:13:38.11 you have to make a conscious decision to do it. 00:13:38.15\00:13:41.48 You do... that's right... it can't be based on feelings 00:13:41.52\00:13:44.05 see... that's what gets us in trouble... 00:13:44.09\00:13:45.52 is that... we make decisions and we do things a lot 00:13:45.55\00:13:48.16 based on how we feel... but the healing came 00:13:48.19\00:13:51.26 as I said... even though I feel terrible today, 00:13:51.29\00:13:53.70 in my stomach... you know... you just have this pit 00:13:53.73\00:13:55.66 in your stomach when you're going through things 00:13:55.70\00:13:57.73 in spite of that, I am going to pick up the Bible 00:13:57.77\00:13:59.83 and sometimes... you may not even feel anything 00:13:59.87\00:14:01.80 while you're reading the Bible, but the promises 00:14:01.84\00:14:03.57 are still going into your head and your mind... 00:14:03.61\00:14:06.04 and it's affecting the brain, so, I said, 00:14:06.07\00:14:08.41 "Lord, I don't feel like this, but help me to do this 00:14:08.44\00:14:10.48 even if I don't feel like this, that's what I used to tell 00:14:10.51\00:14:13.08 my people... when I talk to my clients, 00:14:13.11\00:14:15.55 my patients and now I had to put it to practice... 00:14:15.58\00:14:18.62 what I was saying to them... Yes, yes... you had to 00:14:18.65\00:14:21.66 do... you had to follow your own counsel... 00:14:21.69\00:14:24.53 that's right... 00:14:24.56\00:14:25.83 and you saw... how it works... 00:14:25.86\00:14:27.13 Yes... first hand... 00:14:27.13\00:14:28.30 Amen... So, okay, so, you lost your 00:14:28.33\00:14:31.50 husband, your mother, your brother, 00:14:31.53\00:14:34.67 you had the diagnosis of MS... 00:14:34.70\00:14:36.94 what happened with you 00:14:36.97\00:14:39.27 professionally... as you were going through all of this... 00:14:39.31\00:14:42.34 what were you noticing professionally? 00:14:42.38\00:14:46.15 You know what I noticed, believe it or not, 00:14:46.18\00:14:48.38 specially towards the latter part... 00:14:48.42\00:14:50.12 I started to develop more empathy and compassion 00:14:50.15\00:14:53.96 for people in their suffering, 00:14:53.99\00:14:55.69 you know, before I had more 00:14:55.72\00:14:57.39 of the "I'm the doctor role, you come here to help" 00:14:57.43\00:15:00.13 but I felt myself now as I'm talking to people 00:15:00.16\00:15:02.40 I could feel more of what they were going through 00:15:02.43\00:15:05.00 because I had walked and had been walking my own path 00:15:05.03\00:15:07.57 so I definitely developed more compassion 00:15:07.60\00:15:10.47 at times... sometimes... I got a little more involved 00:15:10.51\00:15:14.68 than I should have... Hmmm... kind of over-identified? 00:15:14.71\00:15:18.81 Exactly... so that was going on as well 00:15:18.85\00:15:21.12 but the good part was... that the Lord developed more 00:15:21.15\00:15:23.85 compassion and empathy and more... 00:15:23.89\00:15:25.45 feeling people's sorrow and suffering more... 00:15:25.49\00:15:28.96 Yes... yes... yes... which is so, so important... 00:15:28.99\00:15:32.39 Yes... and that other factor 00:15:32.43\00:15:33.86 which is critical... is that support piece... 00:15:33.90\00:15:37.27 Yes... when your brothers and sisters 00:15:37.30\00:15:40.27 are praying for you, you can almost feel 00:15:40.30\00:15:43.24 that you're being held up by something... 00:15:43.27\00:15:45.87 Yeah... because you're going through 00:15:45.91\00:15:47.94 this dark time and you just you're rocking and reeling... 00:15:47.98\00:15:52.11 Yes... and when you get those prayers 00:15:52.15\00:15:54.38 I mean, that is just such a critical piece... 00:15:54.42\00:15:56.48 if we would just pray for other people 00:15:56.52\00:15:59.09 that are going through it just means so much 00:15:59.12\00:16:01.99 to make such a difference... You know that text, 00:16:02.02\00:16:04.89 "Comfort others wherewith we are comforted" 00:16:04.93\00:16:07.50 that text became real... very real for me... 00:16:07.56\00:16:09.50 Yeah... yes... I understood a little more 00:16:09.53\00:16:11.33 about what the Apostle Paul was saying... 00:16:11.37\00:16:13.07 Yes... yes... Because I had been comforted 00:16:13.10\00:16:14.80 by God... and He gave me more 00:16:14.84\00:16:16.77 where I could comfort other people... 00:16:16.81\00:16:18.31 because of what God had done for me... 00:16:18.34\00:16:19.64 Absolutely... that's such a beautiful thing 00:16:19.67\00:16:22.31 Yes... so, after all of this, 00:16:22.34\00:16:25.21 that now... you reached a place where 00:16:25.25\00:16:27.92 your symptoms had gone away, 00:16:27.95\00:16:29.68 did they return after your husband's death? 00:16:29.72\00:16:31.85 No, thank God, they did not... 00:16:31.89\00:16:33.72 I was fearful that that would happen... 00:16:33.76\00:16:36.29 because stress can sometimes make the MS flare up again 00:16:36.32\00:16:40.50 Yes... but no symptoms 00:16:40.53\00:16:41.70 By God's grace... I attribute it all to Him and His power. 00:16:41.73\00:16:45.27 Amen... amen... and it's natural laws 00:16:45.30\00:16:47.60 that He has given us... Natural... 00:16:47.64\00:16:49.47 just... if we do certain things, we can really prevent 00:16:49.50\00:16:53.34 certain outcomes by the grace of God... 00:16:53.38\00:16:55.58 Yes... yes... So that's great... 00:16:55.61\00:16:56.61 so after all of this, where did your life go... 00:16:56.64\00:17:00.58 after your husband died, and you went through 00:17:00.62\00:17:03.69 the whole grieving period and all that... 00:17:03.72\00:17:06.76 where did your life go after that? 00:17:06.79\00:17:09.12 Well, my ministry picked up, I started traveling more, 00:17:09.16\00:17:13.40 and then the Lord brought a wonderful man 00:17:13.43\00:17:15.50 into my life... Praise the Lord... 00:17:15.53\00:17:17.63 tell us about how that happened. Well, you know, I actually 00:17:17.67\00:17:20.37 had known him... my husband and I... 00:17:20.40\00:17:22.87 he works at Uchee Pines... and I had actually known him 00:17:22.90\00:17:26.31 my husband and I would go down there 00:17:26.34\00:17:27.98 we'd sit and eat with him, I actually... 00:17:28.01\00:17:29.54 this is so funny... I have to tell this funny story 00:17:29.58\00:17:31.51 I actually thought he was such a nice man 00:17:31.55\00:17:33.21 I tried to match-make him with somebody else... 00:17:33.25\00:17:35.25 he actually came to our house one weekend 00:17:35.28\00:17:38.55 and spent the weekend because I wanted him to meet 00:17:38.59\00:17:40.69 someone... that tells you how much 00:17:40.72\00:17:42.49 I thought of him... That's right... 00:17:42.52\00:17:44.19 and 8 years later... I would visit Uchee Pines 00:17:44.23\00:17:46.83 when my dad lived on the campus and we started to interact 00:17:46.86\00:17:51.47 and one thing led to the other and he came into my life 00:17:51.50\00:17:56.07 and now, we're engaged... Oh... look at God... 00:17:56.10\00:17:58.67 Yes... Look at God... He is so loving 00:17:58.71\00:18:02.11 He knows it's not good for us to be alone... 00:18:02.14\00:18:03.98 Yes... and He's got somebody for you 00:18:04.01\00:18:06.55 He does... yes... and that also speaks of... 00:18:06.58\00:18:09.85 I always talk about the "Plan" God's master plan for us... 00:18:09.88\00:18:14.52 Yes... and even though we don't see 00:18:14.56\00:18:16.69 where things are going... He's always got something 00:18:16.73\00:18:20.96 good for us... He does... 00:18:21.00\00:18:22.26 If we would just trust Him, you know... 00:18:22.30\00:18:25.30 Matthew 6 became real important for me 00:18:25.33\00:18:28.27 where it says... "Take, therefore, no thought 00:18:28.30\00:18:30.27 for the morrow... for the morrow shall take thought for itself 00:18:30.31\00:18:33.68 sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof... " 00:18:33.71\00:18:35.48 Yes... and that was a promise 00:18:35.51\00:18:36.95 that kept me... because after my husband died... 00:18:36.98\00:18:39.78 I wondered... "What's going to happen 00:18:39.81\00:18:41.12 to the Ministry... what am I going to do, 00:18:41.15\00:18:42.25 my ministry partner is gone, and I would just have to 00:18:42.28\00:18:45.05 repeat that text... "Don't worry about tomorrow 00:18:45.09\00:18:47.62 Magna, just deal with each day as it comes... " 00:18:47.66\00:18:50.16 Yes... Don't take thought about 00:18:50.19\00:18:51.59 tomorrow... I haven't conquered that completely, 00:18:51.63\00:18:54.03 because even now there are some issue going on 00:18:54.10\00:18:56.46 and I have to remind myself of that... 00:18:56.50\00:18:58.27 but I got good practice when I lost my husband 00:18:58.30\00:19:00.70 in exercising that... And it's a journey... 00:19:00.74\00:19:02.97 it's a process... I mean we have to... 00:19:03.00\00:19:05.21 just kind of stay in the moment.. 00:19:05.24\00:19:07.64 Yes... but sometimes if we go 00:19:07.68\00:19:09.98 to the left... the Lord just brings us right back 00:19:10.01\00:19:12.51 on the right path... He's so faithful... 00:19:12.55\00:19:14.72 And so merciful... He is... 00:19:14.75\00:19:16.22 And look what He did... He brought you someone 00:19:16.25\00:19:18.62 that's involved in health too Isn't that a blessing... 00:19:18.65\00:19:21.49 you know what I mean... I just praise His name... 00:19:21.52\00:19:23.53 I know... I know... I know... this is so great... 00:19:23.56\00:19:25.49 so now, where is your ministry now... 00:19:25.53\00:19:27.60 tell us about your ministry... what is it 00:19:27.60\00:19:29.40 and what are you doing? Okay, it's called 00:19:29.43\00:19:31.20 "Be in Good Health" and when my husband was there 00:19:31.23\00:19:34.10 we had to the physical health piece 00:19:34.14\00:19:35.27 because he went through Uchee Pines Training 00:19:35.30\00:19:36.81 and now... I'm going to be able to add that back again... 00:19:36.84\00:19:40.24 but since he's been gone... I do mostly mental health 00:19:40.28\00:19:43.68 I do a lot of Mental Health Seminars... 00:19:43.71\00:19:45.35 I travel and I educate people because I like Mental Health 00:19:45.38\00:19:48.02 that's focused on Science, the Bible, and inspired writings 00:19:48.05\00:19:50.65 Science is just revealing some wonderful things 00:19:50.69\00:19:53.25 about mental health now... that just goes right along 00:19:53.29\00:19:56.09 the Bible... can I give an example? 00:19:56.12\00:19:57.46 Oh, yes, please... I was going to ask you... 00:19:57.49\00:19:58.86 it's called "Post-traumatic Growth" 00:19:58.89\00:20:00.53 that scientists are now talking about 00:20:00.56\00:20:02.20 and what they're saying is that 00:20:02.23\00:20:04.47 when people go through trauma 00:20:04.50\00:20:05.53 many of them can become better people 00:20:05.57\00:20:08.30 as a result of adversity... and hasn't the Bible 00:20:08.34\00:20:10.81 been telling us that all along? 00:20:10.84\00:20:12.17 Is that not amazing! It's amazing... 00:20:12.21\00:20:14.48 so I do seminars on things like that... 00:20:14.51\00:20:16.98 and I also do one-on-one consultation 00:20:17.01\00:20:19.05 when I'm available either over the phone 00:20:19.08\00:20:21.02 or here and there I might do it face-to-face... 00:20:21.05\00:20:23.39 and so that's basically the bulk of my ministry... 00:20:23.42\00:20:25.72 so you're showing really how Science is actually supporting 00:20:25.75\00:20:30.56 what the Bible says... Amen... 00:20:30.59\00:20:32.63 which is... of course we know that 00:20:32.66\00:20:34.56 we're going to choose the Bible before anything... 00:20:34.60\00:20:38.10 but, it's so interesting that with Science saying 00:20:38.13\00:20:41.57 "Eat more fruits and vegetables" you know what I mean... 00:20:41.60\00:20:44.24 going back to the original plant-based diet... 00:20:44.27\00:20:46.81 it's like all of these things are really 00:20:46.84\00:20:49.98 supporting... the teachings... That's right... 00:20:50.01\00:20:52.38 and I think God's allowing that because God reaches us 00:20:52.41\00:20:56.18 where we are... Yes... 00:20:56.22\00:20:57.45 some people will not hear a minister get up and say 00:20:57.49\00:20:59.59 "When you go through adversity you'll be a better person... " 00:20:59.62\00:21:02.26 you know, "The trying of your faith worketh patience" 00:21:02.29\00:21:05.33 Yes... some people are not there... 00:21:05.36\00:21:07.13 but when Science says, "Post-traumatic Growth" 00:21:07.13\00:21:09.73 and it sounds all professional then... 00:21:09.76\00:21:11.40 their ears start to perk up and they listen then... 00:21:11.43\00:21:13.94 that's a door-opening for you to say... 00:21:13.97\00:21:16.97 "You know what... Science is just finding this 00:21:17.01\00:21:18.84 but thousands of years ago 00:21:18.87\00:21:20.94 God inspired Paul to write it, 00:21:20.98\00:21:22.98 and that kind of opens their ears... 00:21:23.01\00:21:24.71 they want to hear more truth... Absolutely, because, for them, 00:21:24.75\00:21:28.68 "if Science says it's okay, then it must be okay... " 00:21:28.72\00:21:33.32 That's right... Which... okay... 00:21:33.36\00:21:35.12 if that's what you want... exactly... you know.. 00:21:35.16\00:21:37.63 God just looks at us and reaches us where we are 00:21:37.66\00:21:40.13 that's what I think... He does... 00:21:40.16\00:21:41.46 I love Him for that... God is so amazing... 00:21:41.50\00:21:44.57 Yes... I interviewed an author 00:21:44.60\00:21:48.17 as far as I know... he's not a Christian author, 00:21:48.20\00:21:50.97 he wrote a book about how children succeed... 00:21:51.01\00:21:55.11 and he was saying that the... of course, 00:21:55.14\00:21:59.18 Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, all that stuff is critical 00:21:59.21\00:22:02.92 Hmmm... hmmm... but there are other parts of 00:22:02.95\00:22:05.99 success that aren't measured like that... 00:22:06.02\00:22:08.99 and he was saying that character-building 00:22:09.02\00:22:13.36 is something that is... 00:22:13.40\00:22:15.33 is integral... for success... 00:22:15.36\00:22:19.47 There you go... wow... and I thought, 00:22:19.50\00:22:20.94 "Wow, this is what we teach" this is why Christian education 00:22:20.97\00:22:25.71 is so important... Amen... 00:22:25.74\00:22:27.04 because, yes, we're teaching the academics... 00:22:27.08\00:22:29.71 but academics alone are not the key for success... 00:22:29.74\00:22:33.72 Character-building, discipline, the ability to defer 00:22:33.75\00:22:38.35 gratification... all of these things are critical pieces 00:22:38.39\00:22:41.79 and this is Biblical... so, it's like 00:22:41.82\00:22:45.49 Science... again... because the research 00:22:45.53\00:22:47.76 is supporting this... 00:22:47.83\00:22:48.76 Science is supporting what the Bible says... 00:22:48.80\00:22:51.73 Wow, and I just think that you know, so what you're doing 00:22:51.77\00:22:54.70 was showing what Science is saying... 00:22:54.74\00:22:57.74 and showing how... this is what's in the Word, 00:22:57.77\00:22:59.74 this is what's in the Spirit of Prophecy... 00:22:59.77\00:23:01.71 all these things are so important... 00:23:01.74\00:23:04.21 Yes... yes... Where do you see 00:23:04.25\00:23:05.85 God taking your ministry... like where do you want 00:23:05.88\00:23:09.68 it to go... and where is it going... 00:23:09.72\00:23:11.49 where does it feel like it's going 00:23:11.52\00:23:13.25 because we don't know God's going to do... 00:23:13.29\00:23:14.79 That's right... you know what my ideal thing 00:23:14.82\00:23:16.29 would be Yvonne? What? 00:23:16.32\00:23:17.23 to have a place where people could come 00:23:17.26\00:23:19.23 and I can take these principles 00:23:19.26\00:23:21.36 they'd be there for a while and I could take these principles 00:23:21.40\00:23:23.80 and apply... you know... what Science is showing 00:23:23.83\00:23:26.37 what the Bible says, what lifestyle says, 00:23:26.40\00:23:28.47 out in the natural setting, people can just get away 00:23:28.50\00:23:31.27 because you can hear God's voice more 00:23:31.31\00:23:32.74 when you get away from the hustle and bustle 00:23:32.77\00:23:34.31 and so that would be... just the ideal situation for me 00:23:34.34\00:23:38.25 to be able to work with people like that... 00:23:38.28\00:23:39.91 Yes... yes... for several weeks... 00:23:39.95\00:23:42.28 You know... there are some places where... 00:23:42.32\00:23:45.79 and I don't know if you'd want to collaborate 00:23:45.82\00:23:49.19 but there's some places that have been established 00:23:49.22\00:23:52.69 where people are able to invite others to come 00:23:52.73\00:23:56.10 away from the cities... come out... get ministered to... 00:23:56.13\00:23:59.40 health-wise and then you have the emotional piece... 00:23:59.43\00:24:02.67 Yes... which is so important 00:24:02.70\00:24:04.84 because people don't understand how to deal with stress 00:24:04.87\00:24:08.48 and depression... what suggestions do you have 00:24:08.51\00:24:11.11 for depression? Depression, definitely, 00:24:11.15\00:24:12.91 the first thing that comes to my mind 00:24:12.95\00:24:14.62 is the laws of health that we talked about, you know, 00:24:14.65\00:24:17.62 helping people to eat healthy, you know, I've worked with 00:24:17.65\00:24:20.59 people... just by changing their diet... 00:24:20.62\00:24:22.16 they could have been molested, abused or whatever as children 00:24:22.19\00:24:25.53 we talk about that... but when you want to deal with 00:24:25.56\00:24:27.50 the brain... and just by changing the diet 00:24:27.50\00:24:29.80 I've had people say to me, "I feel better than before 00:24:29.83\00:24:32.27 I was depressed," you know, Yes... 00:24:32.30\00:24:33.90 the first thing is to just understand 00:24:33.94\00:24:35.84 how the body works and how the mind 00:24:35.87\00:24:37.74 and the brain and the body 00:24:37.77\00:24:39.34 are related and helping people to understand 00:24:39.37\00:24:41.91 if you could take care of your brain... 00:24:41.94\00:24:43.18 you can deal with a lot of that depression... 00:24:43.21\00:24:45.18 That is... I'm shaking my head 00:24:45.21\00:24:47.92 because that is so important 00:24:47.95\00:24:50.59 if we can take care of the brain and how do we do that? 00:24:50.62\00:24:52.95 we give the brain... the nutrients that it needs... 00:24:52.99\00:24:56.66 to function optimally... Yes... 00:24:56.69\00:24:59.76 if you're putting a lot of junk in your body, 00:24:59.79\00:25:02.16 that's what you're going to get... 00:25:02.20\00:25:03.40 and you're going to be more depressed... 00:25:03.43\00:25:05.53 because the chemical... it's the chemical deal... 00:25:05.57\00:25:08.64 That's right... so the Chemistry is off... 00:25:08.67\00:25:11.07 then your brain is not going to function right... 00:25:11.11\00:25:13.48 Exactly... so, this is good stuff... 00:25:13.51\00:25:16.08 so... one of the things then is... 00:25:16.11\00:25:18.65 changing lifestyle... changing lifestyle... 00:25:18.68\00:25:20.62 and another key thing that I know the enemy 00:25:20.65\00:25:22.48 really tried with me... with all my losses is... 00:25:22.52\00:25:24.72 asking God to help you with your thoughts... 00:25:24.75\00:25:26.86 our thoughts... I remember a Neuropsychologist saying, 00:25:26.89\00:25:29.79 "Our thoughts are killing us... " 00:25:29.82\00:25:31.33 what we think... is killing us... 00:25:31.36\00:25:32.83 you know, if I rolled a chair across your foot, 00:25:32.86\00:25:36.10 what you thought will determine 00:25:36.13\00:25:37.73 how you respond to me... 00:25:37.77\00:25:38.73 if you say to me... "Oh, she didn't see me... 00:25:38.77\00:25:40.87 she probably did it accidentally" 00:25:40.90\00:25:43.00 it won't affect you as much, but if you say, 00:25:43.04\00:25:45.37 "Magna did that on purpose, she knows... she saw my foot" 00:25:45.41\00:25:47.61 that would cause anger, so what you say to yourself 00:25:47.64\00:25:50.05 will determine how you respond to situations... 00:25:50.08\00:25:52.48 That's key too... that's key... you know how, so often, 00:25:52.51\00:25:57.45 people are saying... 00:25:57.49\00:25:58.92 "Why are you looking at me like that?" 00:25:58.95\00:26:00.29 Yes... "Why did you do that?" 00:26:00.32\00:26:01.99 Yes... "Don't look at me like that... " 00:26:02.02\00:26:04.33 I mean... jumping to a place of anger 00:26:04.36\00:26:06.59 when you really don't have to, and that generates 00:26:06.63\00:26:09.86 a whole other physiological response as well... 00:26:09.90\00:26:13.17 It does... so, what you're saying is... 00:26:13.20\00:26:15.80 if you can just change the way you respond to things, 00:26:15.84\00:26:21.64 Yes... and you can use a word 00:26:21.68\00:26:23.71 to do that... Amen... 00:26:23.75\00:26:25.01 to give you the foundation for that... 00:26:25.05\00:26:27.05 Amen... That is so good... 00:26:27.08\00:26:28.68 and it's an ever... it's a process that you continue 00:26:28.72\00:26:32.42 because though I teach this, I still have to teach myself, 00:26:32.45\00:26:35.29 "Watch your thoughts Magna... watch your thoughts... " 00:26:35.32\00:26:38.09 because... once you start going down the path... 00:26:38.13\00:26:40.16 it would get you in trouble depending on what 00:26:40.20\00:26:41.93 you're thinking... For sure, do you know, 00:26:41.96\00:26:43.67 there's a Neuroscientist in Texas, Dr. Caroline Leaf, 00:26:43.70\00:26:48.17 and she said that, "thoughts actually have an 00:26:48.20\00:26:50.74 anatomical representation in the brain... " 00:26:50.77\00:26:52.81 and I think she's talking about neurons... 00:26:52.84\00:26:56.08 but on these neurons are little thorns... 00:26:56.11\00:26:59.28 thorn-type of appendages on the toxic thoughts 00:26:59.31\00:27:03.42 so when we re-visit these... they shoot out toxic chemicals 00:27:03.45\00:27:09.39 into the blood stream... I believe that... 00:27:09.42\00:27:11.06 and so, we're going to be sick, That's right... 00:27:11.09\00:27:13.53 we're going to... all of these things happened 00:27:13.56\00:27:15.80 because we're not thinking 00:27:15.83\00:27:18.17 positively... 00:27:18.20\00:27:20.14 That's right... so what does the Bible say 00:27:20.17\00:27:21.37 about we think... 00:27:21.40\00:27:22.70 "Whatsoever things are true, 00:27:22.74\00:27:25.21 noble, pure... think on these things... " 00:27:25.24\00:27:29.38 That's right... 00:27:29.41\00:27:30.75 Thank you so much for being with us... 00:27:30.78\00:27:32.25 I just love talking to you and I'm so thankful 00:27:32.28\00:27:35.22 for where God has brought you 00:27:35.25\00:27:37.19 and what He's doing in your life and I'm super happy 00:27:37.22\00:27:40.29 for your relationship, may God continue to bless you... 00:27:40.32\00:27:43.36 I want to thank you too... 00:27:43.39\00:27:45.76 for choosing to tune in today and I hope that the information 00:27:45.79\00:27:50.17 that you heard can somehow be used 00:27:50.20\00:27:52.83 to change your life... 00:27:52.87\00:27:54.67 That's the end of our Program for today... 00:27:54.70\00:27:57.51 Thank you so much for tuning in... 00:27:57.54\00:27:59.14 Join us next time... because you know what? 00:27:59.17\00:28:01.61 It just wouldn't be the same... without you... 00:28:01.64\00:28:04.11