Abundant Living

Don't Be S.A.D.

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Curtis & Paula Eakins

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Series Code: AL

Program Code: AL00175A


00:01 I have a habit of thinking negative thoughts.
00:04 And I know it's not healthy but,
00:06 I just can't help it. Well, today program is
00:09 just for you entitled "The Art of
00:11 Positive Thinking." So, stay by.
00:40 Hi, welcome to Abundant Living.
00:42 I'm glad you're with us today and this is
00:44 my beautiful bride of over 10 years Paula
00:48 Eakins, hello, hello, doing alright baby?
00:52 I'm doing wonderful. I'm glad you're with me
00:53 today on these programs. I'm glad to be with
00:55 you today too. I really appreciate you.
00:57 I'm excited about this particular program.
00:59 I'm excited that you are my wife.
01:02 Praise the Lord, okay no comment on that one.
01:05 Thank you; let's move on swiftly, thank you
01:06 Jesus. Thank you Jesus, okay that's what I
01:08 get, yes, yes, yes, yeah, thank you Jesus,
01:10 alright. Of course now we're continuing our
01:12 series of mental wellness. And today is entitled
01:16 "The Art of Positive Thinking."
01:19 Again for thinking our thoughts plays a great
01:24 impact on our mental wellness and also those
01:28 who maybe going through depression,
01:30 mild or moderate. So, therefore this is
01:32 the program that is needed for this series.
01:36 Well, I guess the first question we want to have
01:38 Curtis as we kind of talk about that positive
01:40 thinking and that is what impact does
01:43 negative thinking have on the body?
01:46 Well, now we mentioned before the body and the
01:49 mind is closely related, alright. So, when the
01:53 mind suffers of course the body follows suit,
01:56 vice versa. And so therefore there is a lot
01:59 of things that the body goes through if the
02:01 mind is not healthy we have a diseased mind.
02:05 For instance, negative thoughts as far as
02:08 thoughts of grief, remorse, discontent,
02:13 jealousy, envy, hatred, revenge, all these
02:19 negative thoughts sends a negative message
02:23 throughout our entire system from head to toe.
02:27 I'm just going to enumerate just a few of
02:29 those. Number one, and a lot of people may
02:31 not be aware of this one; so I'm gonna start
02:33 with this one first osteoporosis. When we
02:36 have negative thoughts of those such of
02:39 that I just mentioned, then it actually depletes
02:42 calcium from our bones and sets us up for
02:46 osteoporosis just our thoughts. Now, we're not
02:49 talking about diet, we're not talking about
02:51 exercise, we're not talking about Sunlight or
02:54 eating foods that's rich in calcium, just our
02:57 thoughts alone will impact osteoporosis and
03:01 raise that risk of us getting a fractured
03:03 hip or other areas in the body. Another
03:07 negative impact of negative thinking has on
03:10 our system is also the Immune System.
03:14 Now, our immunity is also impacted from negative
03:19 thinking. It's decreased the white blood cells.
03:23 Now, with that in mind of course we open
03:25 up our selves for all types of bacteria's and also
03:28 infections, urinary tract infections,
03:31 also cancer as well. Breast cancer,
03:34 colon cancer, so all those will be impacted by
03:37 negative thinking. Now, if that's not bad enough,
03:40 also when we have negative thinking and
03:42 negative thoughts it constricts our blood
03:46 vessels. Thereby there's more pressure of
03:49 blood going through the artery wall, guess what
03:51 happens to our blood pressure, it goes up.
03:54 So, when our blood pressure goes up,
03:55 it also puts stress on the heart muscle,
03:58 heart attack or also the stroke. And well
04:02 there is also another thing as far as
04:04 negative thinking, it also impacts of course
04:07 depression. People can really slip into depression
04:11 just based on their thoughts alone and nothing
04:14 else. So, there's tremendous impact as far
04:17 as how we think what we think
04:19 about and our health overall well being.
04:23 Then I guess then I just speaking about that
04:26 then what about that the spiritual component.
04:29 How does our spiritual life or
04:31 component actually impact us?
04:33 Well, now our spiritual component plays a vital
04:36 role as far as our thoughts are concerned.
04:38 Okay. Now, there's several texts we're going
04:41 to look at and you may just wanna jot these
04:44 down, but Jesus said and I think it's Matthew
04:47 chapter 7 and verse 22. It says there in that
04:51 verse they, they say, "Lord, Lord, didn't we
04:56 prophesy in Thy Name." Now, that's the preacher
05:00 or the pastor or whoever. And it says, "Lord,
05:02 Lord didn't we cast out devils in Thy Name."
05:07 That's the healer. "Lord, Lord didn't we do
05:11 wonderful works in Thy Name." And then Jesus
05:16 response is very profound. Jesus response was,
05:20 depart from me, I never knew you, ye workers of
05:27 iniquity. Now, Jesus didn't say depart from me,
05:32 I knew you at one time but I forgot about you,
05:34 but Jesus said, we were never acquainted.
05:37 Oh, I see. I never knew you. Workers of not
05:42 sinners, workers of not transgression,
05:47 workers of iniquity, which is worse than the other
05:51 two. And so therefore, based on that statement
05:54 alone, what we do does not dictate who we are.
06:01 And then also we go to Matthew chapter 15 and
06:04 verse 8, where the Bible says there. Jesus says,
06:08 they honor me with their mouths,
06:11 they honor me with their lips, but their heart
06:16 is far from me. In other words, what we say.
06:20 Now, a lot of people can speak very eloquently,
06:23 alright, very profound and can lift one's spirits,
06:27 preaching and teaching, etc, but Jesus says,
06:30 what we say, what we speak with our lips
06:35 does not dictate who we are. So, who we
06:41 are is found in Proverbs 23 and verse 7.
06:46 The Bible says, "As a man or woman thinketh
06:51 in His heart, that's who He is." Therefore that's
06:56 the bottom line. And so therefore, the Bible
06:58 says, we will be judged by our thoughts.
07:00 So, that's why there is a profound spiritual
07:03 implication as far as our thoughts, be it
07:06 negative or positive would dictate who we are
07:10 and would be brought into the judgment.
07:12 Well, we're speaking about the word of God now,
07:14 here once again. And so, my question to
07:16 you is that then how can our thoughts
07:18 be in harmony with Christ?
07:20 Okay, let's go to the graphic and there is a
07:22 profound text I like to read and then
07:25 also expand upon at this time.
07:29 The Ultimate Solution, Proverbs 16:3,
07:33 the Amplified Version and it says this.
07:35 "Roll your works upon the Lord.
07:38 Commit and trust them totally to Him.
07:43 He will cause your thoughts to become
07:47 agreeable to His will." Amen, amen.
07:52 Therefore this is one way that we can coming
07:55 to harmony with God thoughts, we roll our
07:58 works upon Him. Commit and trust and our thoughts
08:02 will become agreeable to God's thoughts.
08:06 I'm thinking that you brought
08:07 that up about devotional time.
08:10 Yeah, if you have a, you know,
08:11 devotional place in our home, yeah.
08:13 I'm thinking about you know,
08:14 in order to be in harmony with the Lord we
08:17 have to have a time in which we connect with
08:19 the Lord, okay. And when we speak about
08:20 depression, when we speak about being blue,
08:22 when we speak about negative thoughts.
08:25 The Cross is where we need to go.
08:28 And you know, I've, I've said this before,
08:29 people have called me on the phone and have
08:31 talked to me about different things going on
08:32 in their lives and the first thing I asked them
08:34 is that, do you have a place in your home
08:37 where you meet with the Lord?
08:39 And they'll say things like, well you know,
08:40 I can talk to God anywhere. I said, no, no,
08:42 no that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying
08:44 do you have a special place in your home where
08:47 you and God meet? And the reason I said is
08:49 because you know, when you have a place
08:51 where you and God meet. It means that you
08:53 can go there, you can sit down, and you could
08:56 actually meditate on the word of God.
08:59 Now, in our home I have a special chair in my
09:02 home, it's next to a window, so, I can see
09:05 nature. It is absolutely a fantastic way and I
09:08 do it so much Curtis until, if I neglect in the
09:11 morning. If I'm going somewhere quickly or
09:13 whatever, I can actually feel the voice,
09:17 and I hear the voice of God calling me in that
09:20 room. When I get in that room and I sit back
09:23 in that chair, listening to music, I love fragrant
09:26 candles, I like to open a word of God,
09:29 my devotional books are there everything.
09:31 And this is where God and I meet.
09:34 And I tell people, if you've got a special place
09:36 no matter what is going on with you,
09:37 you could always run to that special place.
09:40 I call it getting up into God's lap and telling
09:43 him what's going on. And there's a scripture
09:45 that I like because God gives to me a peace,
09:48 no matter what is going on, okay,
09:50 it gives me a peace. And I'm thinking about a
09:52 scripture also, this in Philippians 4:7.
09:54 And in that scripture there is a comment
09:56 that's being made. It says, "And the peace
10:00 of God, which passeth all understanding,
10:04 shall keep your hearts and minds through
10:07 Christ Jesus." Amen, you know, Christ Jesus,
10:11 Christ Jesus is the one and when we think
10:12 about the fact that He died on that Cross
10:14 for us, yeah. You know, He would have
10:16 paid their price no matter what it would have
10:17 been, He would have down it again and again
10:19 for you and for me. And I think about that
10:21 one, it's one of my favorite texts because it
10:23 says that His peace. God will give us His peace.
10:28 We don't, the peace we have is not gonna work,
10:30 but the one that He give us, alright, and just
10:33 by having that special time with God.
10:35 Every morning begin your day with God,
10:37 do not neglect talking to Him. And say Father,
10:40 I know that nothing is going to happen to me
10:43 today that you and I together cannot handle.
10:46 Amen, amen. Wonderful text, wonderful passage.
10:49 And again we give you some strategies for the
10:51 art of positive thinking. I remember also this
10:55 one author that we mentioned before Ellen G.
10:57 White. I'm just gonna paraphrase. There are
11:00 three statements that she used that I read
11:02 that's very powerful as far as trying to create
11:05 positive thinking. She says three things
11:08 basically in a nutshell. Number one, Communion
11:12 with God. Number two, Study His word.
11:17 Number three, working with Christ.
11:22 Communion with God, prayer, prayer time in
11:24 the morning. Study His word preferably in
11:27 the morning time when the brain is alert.
11:29 Therefore, whatever you study that morning it
11:33 carries with you for the rest of the day.
11:34 Then number three working with Christ.
11:37 Get involved in something and therefore with
11:39 that text we just mentioned on our graphic
11:42 then our thoughts would become agreeable to
11:45 God's will. You just Asking for that and those
11:47 are some of the key things we can do and these
11:50 are some of the arts of positive thinking.
11:53 So then of course to start thinking positive then
11:56 you say that we, we need to really begin.
11:59 Yeah and, and also, yeah, begin.
12:00 And begin in the morning time, yes,
12:02 because this is very critical again as I
12:04 mentioned before. This is Christ's method and
12:06 the Bible says that Christ woke up early in
12:08 the morning while the town was still asleep to
12:11 go out in nature to commune with the Lord.
12:14 So, that's the key where the brain is alert,
12:16 it's refreshed. It's almost like a sponge.
12:19 So, whatever the brain takes in, in the
12:20 morning time it tends to stay with
12:23 us for the rest of the day.
12:24 Now, you have a time too at the house, so you
12:26 have a quiet time that you have with God also.
12:28 Oh, yes I do. And I have my office there in
12:32 my in our home and I close the door.
12:34 Now, my wife has a open door policy.
12:37 My door is closed. And I close the door and
12:39 I pray and the Lord and I we just come
12:42 together in the Holy Spirit. And we really have
12:44 a good time and sometimes you find
12:46 yourself when you study the word of God.
12:48 And those who study thoroughly, you find
12:51 yourself one subject would lead you into
12:54 another's topic. And that topic will lead you
12:56 into another topic. And you really have
12:58 to almost force yourself to stop and do
13:00 other things as well, but it's very confronting
13:03 to be there with the Holy Spirit,
13:05 asking for wisdom. Therefore, our thoughts
13:09 become agreeable with God's thoughts.
13:12 I was thinking of a time for me,
13:14 when I was diagnosed with cancer, yes.
13:17 And I thought about how as I was going
13:19 though, trying to make the decision,
13:21 talking to the family, what I was gonna do
13:23 next all those kind of things were going on at
13:25 the same time. And I remember sitting in that
13:27 my room once again in my favorite chair and
13:29 talking to the Father about everything that
13:31 was happening right away, of course you're
13:33 thinking life and death and all this kind of
13:34 stuff. And you know, this thought came to me
13:36 Curtis you know, you have every right at this
13:38 point to as you have been diagnosed.
13:41 You know, scream, holler, shout, get mad,
13:42 do all of that, you know. And, and, and go
13:45 into depression and you certainly have a right
13:47 to do that you know. And all of a sudden
13:50 the Spirit of God said to me, no you don't want
13:52 to do that because if you allow yourself to have
13:55 that negativity go on, it might set you into
13:58 a depression that you will not come out of it.
14:00 And so, I'm glad for the time that I have
14:03 with Him, so that when things are going on,
14:05 I don't care what it is, whether it's death or
14:07 illness or finances or your children or your
14:10 marriage, you can always go to the Father
14:13 and He will hear you, so I got a scripture.
14:15 Okay, what's your scripture honey?
14:17 I mean I have a lot of scriptures,
14:18 but I'm going to tell you right now.
14:20 This is one of my favorites, okay; it was
14:21 give to me quite a while back from a friend
14:23 of mine. And it's one that I really like,
14:25 okay, and, and if you have your Bible you have
14:27 got to go there and that is Jeremiah 29.
14:30 Now, its verse is 11, 12, and 13, but I want
14:33 to start kind of at 12 and move back up.
14:36 It starts off by saying, "Then shall ye call upon
14:41 me, and ye shall go and pray unto me,
14:44 and I will hear you."
14:48 Then it says, "And ye shall seek me and find
14:52 me when you search for me with all your heart.
14:55 Amen, amen, and then God comes back
14:57 and says this. "For I know, I know
15:00 the plans that I have towards you.
15:02 I've got plans to prosper you, not to harm you.
15:05 I have got plans to give you hope and a future."
15:09 In that verse is housed all of the information
15:12 that God wants to tell us about His love for us.
15:14 Now, when I think about the fact that He says,
15:17 I know the plans I have for you.
15:19 What I want you to do when you read that,
15:21 is to put your name there. What I say is,
15:23 oh but I know the plans that I have for you,
15:26 Paula, declares the Lord. Jeremiah didn't declare it.
15:29 Moses didn't declare it. God declared it,
15:32 and He said, I declare to you I got thoughts.
15:36 And my thoughts are not to harm you, so just in
15:38 case you're thinking I'm bringing this on,
15:40 that's not my thoughts toward you. He said,
15:41 but I want you to know that I have hope
15:44 and a future for you, amen.
15:46 Oh! What a wonderful feeling you get
15:48 when you read God's word.
15:50 Such, such a comfort, and now he is, such a comfort.
15:52 He has our best interests in mind, always.
15:54 And, and this is what we want to emphasize
15:56 in this program the art of positive thinking.
15:59 He has our best interests in mind.
16:01 So, it's wonderful, yes.
16:03 Well, I think at this point we're ready to
16:08 go into kitchen. I know that there is one
16:15 more point before we do this that talks about,
16:19 how do we get started? Okay, how do we get
16:22 stared, how? Yes, because a lot of people
16:24 out there maybe listening say,
16:25 Curtis, I have a history of just,
16:27 just negative thinking. How do I get started?
16:30 I mean it's a long road and how can I
16:32 just make the first step.
16:34 I ask people the same question
16:36 in a different way.
16:38 What's the best way to eat an elephant?
16:43 One bite at a time. Is that a vegetarian elephant?
16:49 Yes, probably, okay, and I wasn't expecting that part.
16:52 Let's go to our graphic you see what I'm talking
16:54 about because this graphic is very profound.
16:58 One Drop At A Time. Mind, Character & Personality,
17:03 it says this, "As one drop of rain prepares the way
17:09 for another, so one good thought
17:13 prepares the way for another."
17:16 In other words, let's start with one drop
17:21 or one good thought at a time. And before long
17:27 our thoughts would become so habitual
17:29 that positive thinking is so natural as a flower
17:33 that naturally turns towards the Sun.
17:36 Wow! Yes. So, a lot of times it maybe
17:38 difficult for some to do that, but again one
17:41 drop at a time, one thought at a time.
17:44 And replace negative thoughts with positive
17:47 thoughts, Philippians 4:8, "Finally brethren,
17:51 whatsoever things are pure, honest, just,
17:54 good report, it could be into virtue, it could be
17:57 anything that's worthy of praise,
18:00 think on these things. So, get yourself a pad,
18:04 write down those positive thoughts and
18:06 rehearse them throughout the day,
18:07 the art of positive thinking, okay.
18:09 Now, I think it's time to go into the kitchen.
18:11 We're gonna go into kitchen and we have a
18:14 wonderful dish. This is Pasta Lenticchie,
18:18 that's actually a, a recipe that was given
18:21 to me by the friend. I remember. And so,
18:23 you've got to get your paper and pencil
18:25 and meet us in the kitchen.


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Revised 2014-12-17