40 DAYS TO
BETTER LIVING
OPTIMAL HEALTH
© 2011 by Church Health Center of Memphis, Inc.
Print ISBN 978-1-62029-738-4
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-60742-582-3
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome, from Dr. Scott Morris, Founder of the Church Health Center
Week 1: Eddie’s Story
Beginnings / Direction / Goals / Expectations / First Steps / One Step Forward, One Step Back / Celebration!
Week 2: Frank’s Story
Habits / Triggers / Cleaning Up / Attitudes / Wholeness / Enjoyment / Thanksgiving
Week 3: Arthur’s Story
Balance / Grace / Balanced Senses / Balancing Outside the Comfort Zone / Our Purpose / Change / The Halfway Point
Week 4: Rev. Clark’s Story
God’s Creation / The Sun / The Air / Water / Our Bodies / Community / Our Spirit
Week 5: Kathy’s Story
Varieties on the Journey / God with Us / The Seasons / Sounds / Sight / A Changed Life / Healing
Week 6: Deb’s Story
Our Conversion Stories / Knowing Ourselves / The Next Steps / Fellow Travelers / Forty Days! / Review / Looking Ahead
Welcome, from Dr. Scott Morris, Founder of the Church Health Center
I first came to Memphis in 1986. I had no personal ties to Memphis and did not know anyone here. Having completed theological and medical education, I was determined to begin a health care ministry for the working poor. The next year, the doors of the Church Health Center opened with one doctor—me—and one nurse. We saw twelve patients the first day. Today we handle about 36,000 patient visits a year and 120,000 visits to our Wellness facility. A staff of 250 people shares a ministry of healing and wellness while hundreds more volunteer time and services.
So what sets us apart from other community clinics around the country?
The Church Health Center is fundamentally about the Church. We care for our patients without relying on government funds because God calls the Church to healing work. Jesus’ life was about healing the whole person—body and spirit—and the Church is Jesus in the world. His message is our message. His ministry is our ministry. Local congregations embrace this calling and help make our work possible.
More than two decades of caring for the working uninsured makes one thing plain: health care needs to change. In the years that the Church Health Center has cared for people in Memphis, we’ve seen that two-thirds of our patients seek treatment for illness that healthier living can prevent or control. We realize that if we want to make a lasting difference in our patients’ lives, the most effective strategy is encouraging overall wellness in body and spirit. At a fundamental level, we must transform what the words well and health mean in the minds of most people.
To do that, we developed the Model for Healthy Living. Living healthy lives doesn’t just mean that you see the doctor regularly. Rather, healthy living means that all aspects of your life are in balance. Your faith, work, nutrition, movement, family and friends, emotions, and medical health all contribute to a life filled with more joy, more love, and more connection to God.
How to Use This Book
This book gives you the chance to improve your health in whatever way is needed for managing your depression. For the next forty days, we invite you to be inspired by the real-life people whose lives have been changed by the Church Health Center. Each day gives us a new chance to more effectively manage our depression, so each day we will give you helpful ways that you can make your life a healthier one.
Some days you may choose to focus on just one or two of our “tips”: Faith Life, Medical, Movement, Work, Emotional, Family and Friends, or Nutrition. Some days you may want to try all of them. The important thing is to remember that God calls us to an abundant life, and we can always make changes to strive for better health as it relates to depression.
Forty days and numerous ways to live a healthy life—come and join us on the journey!
Week 1
Eddie’s Story
Eddie has been a fairly healthy individual. High school football dominated his free time while he was growing up. As an adult, he continued to remain active through daily walks in his neighborhood and time at a local gym.
On Tuesday, June 6, 2006, Eddie was involved in a serious car accident. Six major operations and five months in the hospital left him confined to a wheelchair, and the possibility of amputation was very real. Many around him were not optimistic, but Eddie was hopeful that if he could get moving, he could save his legs and possibly run again.
Twelve months after the accident, Eddie came to Church Health Center in a wheelchair. For the next few months, Eddie committed his heart to the task of walking and eventually running. Through physical therapy and regular exercise, Eddie gradually built strength and flexibility in his legs. Eddie was regaining independence.
Over the next four months, Eddie was faithful to his recovery. He attended exercise sessions five days a week. He progressed from the bikes to standing to eventually walking for a few minutes on the treadmill. Excited by the results, he worked even harder to make progress.
Today Eddie continues his recovery. The physical effects of the accident only serve as a motivation to maintain his health. He walks at least five miles daily after his evening shift at work. At our Wellness Center, you are likely to find him on one of the treadmills, encouraging someone else to walk a few more steps. Many around him were not optimistic, but Eddie was hopeful.
Day 1:
Beginnings
Morning Reflection
The beginning of a journey is always difficult. Change often happens slowly, and our minds and bodies may be reluctant to take the necessary steps to make positive change. Even the start of God’s creation was somewhat chaotic—beginnings are not easy. But just as God created the world, He also created our bodies, and He will walk with us as we begin the journey toward wellness.
Faith Life
Faith is an important part of overall wellness. Do you pray before meals? If you do not, start today. When we take a moment to return thanks to the One who has given us the food before we dig in, we acknowledge what we are putting into our bodies.