Scott Morris - 40 Days to Better Living—Diabetes

2012 by Church Health Center of Memphis, Inc.

Print ISBN 978-1-62029-736-0

Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-60742-782-7

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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683 www.barbourbooks.com

Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

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 doctormeand 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 personbody and spiritand 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, weve 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 doesnt 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.

This book gives you the chance to improve your health in whatever way is needed for managing your diabetes. 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 diabetes, 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 our diabetes.

Forty days and numerous ways to live a healthy lifecome and join us on the journey!

When Michael started coming to the Church Health Center in 2003, he knew that he had diabetes, but he knew very little about how to manage his illness. He felt ill most of the time because he was often tired and sick. His work suffered, and he worried that he might actually lose his job. His solution to feeling ill was adding more and more insulin and medication to his regimen rather than really changing his lifestyle.

Then a friend recommended he look into the Church Health Center. At first he was skeptical, thinking that he couldnt exercise because he felt too ill. When he started coming to the Church Health Center, he met with a nutritionist and a wellness expert who helped him develop strategies for managing his illness and medication.

He started walking every day, and he took cooking classes to help him learn how to prepare diabetic-friendly meals. Before too long, he was managing his disease with more confidence than he ever had in his life.

Now, at the age of sixty-two, Michael says that he feels healthier than ever. He no longer takes insulin and manages his diabetes with diet, exercise, and a couple medications. When I started, I didnt know how good I could feel, he says. I am so thankful for my health now. I didnt even think it was possible.

Congratulations! Today we are setting foot on a journey to better manage diabetes. It is a journey that will take us on highs and lows and will lead us toward a wellness-oriented lifestyle. Diabetes can be a difficult diagnosis to live with, and even though it is a manageable disease, it can be intimidating. But each journey has a beginning, and today is yours! Starting today, we will focus on taking those first steps toward diabetes management and healthy living.

If you do not have a journal, start one today. Take a few minutes and write ten words that describe your faith life right now. Be honest and include both positive and negative aspects of your faith life.

Make a list of your medical concerns. Diabetes is among them, but other medical issues often accompany diabetes. Having a list of your medical concerns will help you to set goals and measure your progress.

We all have to start somewhere. Go for a walk today, walking as far as you can. Do not exhaust yourself, and stop when you feel you need to. Make a note in a journal so that you can track your progress.

Today take a few minutes and write in your journal about what makes up your work. Keep in mind that work can mean your job, volunteering, and parenting. As we move forward on the journey, it will be very important to find ways to make our work healthy.

Our emotional wellness is an important part of overall wellness, and an aspect that often gets overlooked. Today write in your journal about your feelings as you begin the journey. Are you excited? Frightened? Anxious?