WEBVTT 1 00:00:23.700 --> 00:00:27.700 Hello and Welcome to Word and Work an Intersection. 2 00:00:27.700 --> 00:00:30.800 I'm your host Dale Meyer joining us. 3 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:31.800 Once again is Dr. 4 00:00:31.800 --> 00:00:36.900 John Eckrich a Christian physician and the founder of Grace Place 5 00:00:36.900 --> 00:00:41.800 Wellness Ministries. And he's written a new book entitled Family 6 00:00:41.800 --> 00:00:46.600 Wellness Raising Resilient Christ Purposed 7 00:00:46.600 --> 00:00:48.400 Children. John, 8 00:00:48.400 --> 00:00:49.300 thank you for being here. 9 00:00:49.300 --> 00:00:51.200 Always glad to have you on the program. 10 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:52.700 This is third fourth time. 11 00:00:52.700 --> 00:00:54.100 It's wonderful 12 00:00:54.100 --> 00:00:57.700 thanks for having me. And one of the things that you can tell me off 13 00:00:57.700 --> 00:01:02.700 camera is how to be as productive in my retirement as you have been in 14 00:01:02.700 --> 00:01:03.200 yours. 15 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:04.200 It's a slow process. 16 00:01:04.200 --> 00:01:06.900 You've written a number of books 17 00:01:06.900 --> 00:01:07.700 in these last years. 18 00:01:07.700 --> 00:01:08.000 Yeah. 19 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:08.100 Yeah. 20 00:01:08.100 --> 00:01:08.300 Yeah. 21 00:01:08.300 --> 00:01:09.300 Absolutely. 22 00:01:09.300 --> 00:01:16.000 Yeah, you know to keep your mind active and and to keep learning 23 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:20.600 because all of these books as you know, our writing a book as a 24 00:01:20.600 --> 00:01:25.000 learning process, so it's a it's been wonderful. And one of the things 25 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:27.200 that that I'm thinking is that even though 26 00:01:28.300 --> 00:01:33.300 you and and I now don't have you know an organization which were 27 00:01:33.300 --> 00:01:33.800 guiding. 28 00:01:34.800 --> 00:01:39.400 The things you write are going to spread wide and have a long 29 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:40.200 influence. 30 00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:43.000 So it's it's not like we've been put out to the farm. 31 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:46.100 That's exactly right now. At least our wives haven't yet. 32 00:01:46.100 --> 00:01:50.900 Hopefully hopefully wisdom some of the things that you pick up and and 33 00:01:50.900 --> 00:01:55.300 the sort of maturity that your pickup comes through some of this 34 00:01:55.300 --> 00:01:55.600 material. 35 00:01:55.600 --> 00:01:58.500 So it certainly doesn't John's case that we're going to have to see 36 00:01:58.500 --> 00:02:02.700 with me, how that turns out. What prompted you to get into this book? 37 00:02:02.700 --> 00:02:09.100 You know it was rather interesting the last book that I wrote was about resilient aging and I 38 00:02:09.100 --> 00:02:13.800 think that we had actually met and talked about that book a few years 39 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:14.100 ago. 40 00:02:14.100 --> 00:02:19.100 But as I was going around the country and speaking to senior 41 00:02:19.100 --> 00:02:25.300 groups about resilient aging. Often times, the question was or the 42 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:29.300 statement was I wish I had something like this when I was raising my 43 00:02:29.300 --> 00:02:34.700 kids and I would have it would have been so helpful and productive. 44 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:39.600 To have that sort of material about health and wellness from a 45 00:02:39.600 --> 00:02:41.300 holistic viewpoint. 46 00:02:41.300 --> 00:02:44.600 And so that's really what prompted the writing of the book. 47 00:02:44.600 --> 00:02:48.000 What do you mean by the word resilient? 48 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:52.600 As I use it in the book. 49 00:02:52.600 --> 00:03:01.200 It really means the ability to respond to changes and stresses and 50 00:03:01.200 --> 00:03:06.100 challenges that we have in life in an effective manner. 51 00:03:06.100 --> 00:03:11.000 I think one of the words that I really like to describe people who I 52 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:16.600 think are resilient is if they have perseverance. They can try and try 53 00:03:16.600 --> 00:03:22.900 again and in the midst of that not necessarily repeating the same 54 00:03:22.900 --> 00:03:30.400 efforts or mistakes that led to poor consequences. But actually being 55 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:35.900 creative and being a collaborative as they as they develop new 56 00:03:35.900 --> 00:03:38.000 approaches. Two part question. 57 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:42.100 Could you give me an older person example of resilience? 58 00:03:42.100 --> 00:03:44.200 Can you call one up in your mind? Dale Meyer 59 00:03:46.200 --> 00:03:50.400 for example. But I think that there's lots of people that that 60 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:55.400 actually we were just talking about Professor Kolb. Now 61 00:03:55.400 --> 00:04:01.900 there is a resilient mature gentleman who is still thinking and 62 00:04:01.900 --> 00:04:06.900 teaching and writing and responding no matter sort of what's going on 63 00:04:06.900 --> 00:04:07.700 around him. 64 00:04:07.700 --> 00:04:11.700 But I think that's a wonderful example of somebody who I would say is 65 00:04:11.700 --> 00:04:16.390 resilient in there and their aging. You mentioned perseverance and it 66 00:04:16.390 --> 00:04:19.390 is the Greek word for that is (hippy won me). 67 00:04:19.390 --> 00:04:25.600 It means my image of that is that the best football player is in a has 68 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:30.100 a ball and it's a broken play but he keeps persisting until he can 69 00:04:30.100 --> 00:04:34.100 find the opening to run through. He finds creative ways to 70 00:04:35.200 --> 00:04:40.100 find the path forward and it involves collaboration, which I think 71 00:04:40.100 --> 00:04:42.100 is very important parts of being resilient. 72 00:04:42.100 --> 00:04:48.400 But that ability to team up with others in some sort of relationship. 73 00:04:48.400 --> 00:04:52.000 Whatever that would happened to be on the football field or elsewhere 74 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:54.000 to get the get the job done. 75 00:04:54.000 --> 00:05:00.400 Now today is my oldest grandson's first day in high school. Lutheran 76 00:05:00.400 --> 00:05:00.600 South. 77 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:01.400 Yes. 78 00:05:01.400 --> 00:05:05.800 Yeah, and and and so you just explain what resilience means in an 79 00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:06.300 older person. 80 00:05:06.300 --> 00:05:13.700 What does it mean in a younger person, a child, a teenager who doesn't 81 00:05:13.700 --> 00:05:18.700 have the life experiences to drawn that you and I have? Well, I think 82 00:05:18.700 --> 00:05:21.200 there are some of the same components. 83 00:05:21.200 --> 00:05:30.200 It's that ability to try and try again understanding that there is 84 00:05:30.200 --> 00:05:34.900 this thing called forgiveness in Jesus. 85 00:05:35.200 --> 00:05:39.000 But also forgiveness from parents from those who are guiding and 86 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:45.500 influencing. And that you can start over again, you know that you have 87 00:05:45.500 --> 00:05:52.700 that opportunity to give another try at it. And I think again rather 88 00:05:52.700 --> 00:05:57.600 than always attempting to do the same thing over and over again for a 89 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:05.400 teenager to really learn that creativity. That is necessary often times 90 00:06:05.400 --> 00:06:09.200 to solve problems and to find other people to help you solve that 91 00:06:09.200 --> 00:06:13.700 problem with you. Is is the forgiveness the essence of your word 92 00:06:13.700 --> 00:06:15.600 Christ-centered resilience. 93 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:20.100 Well absolutely absolutely that that's that's the anchor point. 94 00:06:20.100 --> 00:06:27.000 That's that's the foundation of the development of that that really 95 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:31.000 that personality characteristic that personality trait that that is so 96 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:31.200 important. 97 00:06:31.200 --> 00:06:35.200 I think for for all of us, especially our children as they go 98 00:06:35.200 --> 00:06:36.000 forward in life. 99 00:06:37.300 --> 00:06:43.700 I would think that a child who has a failure and and we all do. 100 00:06:45.100 --> 00:06:46.500 Is often shamed. 101 00:06:46.500 --> 00:06:51.900 Yeah. And ashamed to admit that and and and without the 102 00:06:51.900 --> 00:06:53.100 forgiveness of Jesus, 103 00:06:56.400 --> 00:06:57.900 that's crippling 104 00:06:57.900 --> 00:07:00.100 Isn't? It is very crippling. Shame of course 105 00:07:00.100 --> 00:07:02.000 is a huge part of our culture. 106 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:07.300 When we look at the amount of suicide the amount of self-mutilation, 107 00:07:07.300 --> 00:07:11.500 cutting those sorts of things that are we're seeing so prominently in 108 00:07:11.500 --> 00:07:16.600 our teenagers and I address that in the book under that age group. But 109 00:07:16.600 --> 00:07:22.200 shame is and depression those sorts of emotions are very much at the 110 00:07:22.200 --> 00:07:24.500 at the basis of that. And I think 111 00:07:27.300 --> 00:07:33.100 one thing that I tried to talk about in the book is is with these 112 00:07:33.100 --> 00:07:39.600 failures is helping the child understand that the failure there is 113 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:43.200 something that they do it's not who they are. 114 00:07:43.200 --> 00:07:50.700 And you know, I think helping our children understand that their loved 115 00:07:50.700 --> 00:07:56.900 through those challenges through those valleys that they have in life 116 00:07:56.900 --> 00:08:00.900 as well as the times that they're on the mountaintops. But but really 117 00:08:00.900 --> 00:08:06.300 helping them differentiate between those two and if you a child 118 00:08:06.300 --> 00:08:11.100 develop shame when they think that they are bad, you know, not just 119 00:08:11.100 --> 00:08:15.400 that perhaps what they did or didn't do what could you just wish that 120 00:08:15.400 --> 00:08:17.900 the difference between shame and guilt because it's an important 121 00:08:17.900 --> 00:08:19.700 concept to me. 122 00:08:19.700 --> 00:08:24.600 The difference is that you know guilt is is a result of something that 123 00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:27.100 you do and you do it you do it and 124 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:34.000 You have this remorse for doing that but shame then starts to see 125 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:42.200 yourself as a as a bad being as a bad person as a failure as in 126 00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:47.400 ability to accomplish anything not just whatever that task was that 127 00:08:47.400 --> 00:08:51.300 you did or that behavior that you did but it really become self 128 00:08:51.300 --> 00:08:54.100 internalizing that and end. 129 00:08:54.100 --> 00:09:01.200 I think Jesus took all of that on his on his shoulders that you know 130 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:02.300 on the cross for us. 131 00:09:02.300 --> 00:09:08.200 So we we don't have to live with that sort of shame but it is 132 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:14.900 predominant, especially in our in our teenagers and in a rose out of 133 00:09:14.900 --> 00:09:15.700 their childhood. 134 00:09:16.500 --> 00:09:20.000 You know, I was thinking in advance of the program. 135 00:09:21.100 --> 00:09:23.500 My parents are parents. 136 00:09:25.500 --> 00:09:26.900 Were formed during the Depression. 137 00:09:28.300 --> 00:09:34.700 And then came the World War II and that indelibly mark them in their 138 00:09:34.700 --> 00:09:35.700 individual ways. 139 00:09:35.700 --> 00:09:38.500 But but that that shape them so many ways. 140 00:09:40.100 --> 00:09:41.800 I was born in 47. 141 00:09:42.800 --> 00:09:46.500 Grew up in the 50s became whatever I'm going to be in the 50s. 142 00:09:46.500 --> 00:09:50.000 That was a wonderful time in America Emily with these terrible times 143 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:53.600 are behind us and as a kid, I didn't realize it that it just happened 144 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:58.000 a few years before and then and there was there was Prosperity. 145 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:02.600 I mean people watch their bucks and and and there were issues, but it 146 00:10:02.600 --> 00:10:04.800 was a wonderful time to grow up in America. 147 00:10:04.800 --> 00:10:05.700 There was peace. 148 00:10:06.800 --> 00:10:10.300 There was hope optimism after all and me we got through the 149 00:10:10.300 --> 00:10:10.600 depression. 150 00:10:10.600 --> 00:10:14.000 We defeated the enemy Dale you can do anything. 151 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:16.100 It's dawned on me. 152 00:10:16.100 --> 00:10:20.700 The kids today are growing up in a far different world then I 153 00:10:20.700 --> 00:10:23.800 experience I can intellectually I can think about it, but I didn't 154 00:10:23.800 --> 00:10:24.100 live it. 155 00:10:24.100 --> 00:10:26.600 So could you talk about what's changed? 156 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:32.300 Yeah, well, I think the bottom line is it it it probably is in 157 00:10:32.300 --> 00:10:34.100 identity issue. 158 00:10:36.600 --> 00:10:42.100 We've always had change change has been a part of life since the 159 00:10:42.100 --> 00:10:48.700 garden but we are being fed both is adults and as children and 160 00:10:48.700 --> 00:10:54.200 teenagers we're being fed that changed on such a rapid and continuous 161 00:10:54.200 --> 00:11:00.300 basis that quite frankly are I think our brains and our emotional 162 00:11:00.300 --> 00:11:04.400 beings and perhaps our spirit is not quite sure what to do what to do 163 00:11:04.400 --> 00:11:09.900 with it the the body of the brain and the nervous system have sort of 164 00:11:09.900 --> 00:11:16.000 four components to it from the from the cerebrum and cerebral cortex 165 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:22.000 and the midbrain hippocampus and all that and then the cerebellum and 166 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:22.500 brainstem. 167 00:11:22.500 --> 00:11:28.200 Well everything passes through the mid part, which is the which is the 168 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:34.700 hippocampus the memory centers for example are all store. 169 00:11:34.700 --> 00:11:36.400 The emotional centers are stored. 170 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:39.900 And that midbrain all of the wires are being crossed in there. 171 00:11:39.900 --> 00:11:46.500 So when we're faced with change we go to a default setting which for 172 00:11:46.500 --> 00:11:53.300 human beings is anxiety that's kind of the default and and we keep 173 00:11:53.300 --> 00:11:58.700 falling back into that place and with the rapid changes occurring 174 00:11:58.700 --> 00:12:06.200 within our society instead of changes seeming to appear over decades 175 00:12:06.200 --> 00:12:08.000 or centuries or whatever. 176 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:13.100 We're seeing stuff occurring minute-to-minute is watching a new show 177 00:12:13.100 --> 00:12:15.000 its breaking news now. 178 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:20.600 Well, yes and no, you know, but yeah that's always start of the the 179 00:12:20.600 --> 00:12:22.600 minute-to-minute headline of those sorts of things. 180 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:25.400 So our kids are dealing with that. 181 00:12:25.400 --> 00:12:26.700 You're the thing. 182 00:12:26.700 --> 00:12:29.500 They're they're dealing with is identity. 183 00:12:29.500 --> 00:12:35.300 I think that when you and I were kids and I know when my parents were 184 00:12:35.300 --> 00:12:42.200 kids they were Lutheran kids growing up in the Lutheran Community. 185 00:12:42.200 --> 00:12:47.300 They knew who their family was their extended family for the most part 186 00:12:47.300 --> 00:12:50.300 their identity. 187 00:12:50.300 --> 00:12:55.700 Their image was very much revolve and set by their family and 188 00:12:55.700 --> 00:13:01.800 Interfaith Community it and I think I mean perform any of us now, 189 00:13:03.100 --> 00:13:08.000 Kids are trying to figure out their identity based on Facebook and the 190 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:13.500 internet they actually many of them are dealing with short of a false 191 00:13:13.500 --> 00:13:20.300 self that they're struggling with all the time to keep up with to 192 00:13:20.300 --> 00:13:23.700 adjust to so that everyone loves them. 193 00:13:23.700 --> 00:13:25.600 Everyone likes them. 194 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:29.600 Everyone says positive things about them and they're constantly 195 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:34.500 dealing with I think being cut down and their image cut down. 196 00:13:34.500 --> 00:13:37.800 So they're trying to adjust to really a False Image instead of 197 00:13:37.800 --> 00:13:42.100 remembering who they are who they are in their baptism what you're 198 00:13:42.100 --> 00:13:45.000 saying it is is Rich and 199 00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:50.900 You all can go to the Concordia Seminary website and end in review 200 00:13:50.900 --> 00:13:53.800 this program because the content that we just heard from Doctor 201 00:13:53.800 --> 00:13:57.600 Eckrich in his last last moments is it is great. 202 00:13:57.600 --> 00:14:02.600 You talked about the change now, there's a man named Ray Kurzweil who 203 00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:05.900 said that the rate of change in this century is going to be the 204 00:14:05.900 --> 00:14:08.700 equivalent of 20000 years of human history. 205 00:14:08.700 --> 00:14:14.300 I mean and we can't keep up with it and it's causing us a whole lot of 206 00:14:14.300 --> 00:14:14.800 ox. 207 00:14:14.800 --> 00:14:19.800 The second thing is that this strikes me as as as as you were 208 00:14:19.800 --> 00:14:26.100 lecturing and I mean that in a positive way is that people today think 209 00:14:26.100 --> 00:14:28.300 that they can make their own identity. 210 00:14:28.300 --> 00:14:28.400 Yeah. 211 00:14:28.400 --> 00:14:34.700 I mean, what what was the gender assigned to you at your birth? 212 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:35.700 What? 213 00:14:36.700 --> 00:14:40.100 we can make our own identity and the third thing is 214 00:14:41.500 --> 00:14:46.800 That that we're finding out that we can't that we have these Givens 215 00:14:46.800 --> 00:14:53.100 and and the soul of the default view mention our brain. 216 00:14:53.100 --> 00:14:57.000 We have a part of our brain and in my limited understanding it is is 217 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:01.900 it automatically react sphere flight exactly, but then we have this 218 00:15:01.900 --> 00:15:05.200 part that you described as I think you call it the hippo campus where 219 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:08.900 memory is and that's where the word of God gets stored. 220 00:15:08.900 --> 00:15:09.600 Exactly. 221 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:14.400 And and and so that over the years has especially in the formative 222 00:15:14.400 --> 00:15:21.700 years of childhood mental development Spiritual Development of the 223 00:15:21.700 --> 00:15:25.500 word of God getting in here makes a huge difference. 224 00:15:25.500 --> 00:15:31.200 So could you talk about being faith-filled on the basis of that in as 225 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:36.000 it is in this time, when we think we can make our own identity and and 226 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:40.500 and kids are terrified cuz they're not making it they think exactly 227 00:15:41.500 --> 00:15:43.200 you know, I look at some of the 228 00:15:44.600 --> 00:15:50.300 people in in the 2022 Century in particular have written about how we 229 00:15:50.300 --> 00:15:54.800 learn things about education Dorothy Sayers might be a name that's 230 00:15:54.800 --> 00:15:58.200 familiar to our listeners, but 231 00:15:59.100 --> 00:16:04.100 She basically said there's three components to the way that we as 232 00:16:04.100 --> 00:16:04.500 humans. 233 00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:06.500 Learn three requirements. 234 00:16:06.500 --> 00:16:10.200 The first is we need a language of some sort. 235 00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:16.600 Secondly, we need a logic and finally we need an application of all of 236 00:16:16.600 --> 00:16:18.900 those within our own being 237 00:16:20.400 --> 00:16:26.000 To me for our for our children teaching them the language meeting 238 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:32.100 means teaching and the stories of the Bible stories of Jesus teaching 239 00:16:32.100 --> 00:16:38.000 them law and gospel which I think the Lord puts in the term of love, 240 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:41.100 you know, the love the Lord with all your heart soul mind and strength 241 00:16:41.100 --> 00:16:45.900 and love your neighbor as yourself and the gospel we love because he 242 00:16:45.900 --> 00:16:50.900 first loved us and I mean that that that's the language that we're 243 00:16:50.900 --> 00:16:56.800 trying to engender in and still in our in our children as they get a 244 00:16:56.800 --> 00:16:57.500 little bit older. 245 00:16:57.500 --> 00:17:02.300 We want to challenge them with the logic of our faith. 246 00:17:02.300 --> 00:17:06.500 And of course here I think is where confirmation and particularly is 247 00:17:06.500 --> 00:17:11.400 so extremely important learning the catechism is so extremely 248 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:19.090 important, you know be to allow our children to question and two 249 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:25.200 With the things that they've they've had ingrained in them as they 250 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:29.600 grow and then finally hopefully in their teenage and young adult years 251 00:17:29.600 --> 00:17:33.300 and onward, how do I apply this to my life? 252 00:17:33.300 --> 00:17:35.700 How do I apply this to my relationships? 253 00:17:35.700 --> 00:17:39.200 You know my relationship with Jesus in my relationship with my 254 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:41.100 neighbor and my spouse and family. 255 00:17:41.100 --> 00:17:47.200 So those those components are really did I think the development of 256 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:51.800 our faith obviously all under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit and and 257 00:17:51.800 --> 00:17:57.300 the importance of we as parents even start to understand where we've 258 00:17:57.300 --> 00:17:59.900 got the spirit right there with us at all times. 259 00:17:59.900 --> 00:18:05.500 Could you say that the language the logic and the application is one 260 00:18:05.500 --> 00:18:07.100 way of looking at resilience? 261 00:18:07.100 --> 00:18:08.200 Absolutely. 262 00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:14.200 It it's it's the it's the basis the anchor points I think to 263 00:18:15.300 --> 00:18:22.400 effective and and good characteristics and personalities going in into 264 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:24.800 this century, especially in in this country 265 00:18:24.800 --> 00:18:29.500 and in this world. You need the anchor points of your being loving 266 00:18:29.500 --> 00:18:36.200 being a loving person understanding that language of love and the 267 00:18:36.200 --> 00:18:41.600 logic and and the application of it. And then your identity and if 268 00:18:41.600 --> 00:18:45.200 you have those two anchor points, then you can go on to some other 269 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:48.100 important characteristics, which I talked about it look as well. 270 00:18:48.100 --> 00:18:49.300 How can parents 271 00:18:50.500 --> 00:18:54.800 teach this apply this love this into the hearts of their kids? 272 00:18:54.800 --> 00:19:03.800 I really like the the meal table breakfast, lunch, dinner. Bill Decoman, 273 00:19:03.800 --> 00:19:07.400 who I know is a friend of both of ours, but the many others. I was 274 00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:08.900 having a conversation with him 275 00:19:08.900 --> 00:19:14.200 actually when I was beginning to formulate this book in my mind. And I 276 00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:20.200 said Bill, you know, I think we were raised pretty well, you know. 277 00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:28.400 I think we've been. So you and Bill were a seat of the three of us. I said why you think that was he 278 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:31.900 said well in my case it was because we had 21 meals a week together. 279 00:19:31.900 --> 00:19:35.000 You know, we sat as a family 280 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:42.800 and we learned as a family and we forgave as a family we learned Jesus 281 00:19:42.800 --> 00:19:45.100 as a family around our dinner tables. 282 00:19:45.100 --> 00:19:46.300 I'll vouch for that. 283 00:19:46.300 --> 00:19:50.200 Yeah. Because my dad was a milkman so we didn't do breakfast together 284 00:19:50.200 --> 00:19:56.700 or actually lunch and Bill went to school to, but but the evening that 285 00:19:56.700 --> 00:20:04.400 that of all the things that that shaped our family and taught us. 286 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:09.400 It was a teachable moment of eating together and in among other things 287 00:20:09.400 --> 00:20:17.900 seeing how the adults handle something. Absolutely. To gain that wisdom 288 00:20:17.900 --> 00:20:24.400 to have that guidance of at least that one time together. And I'm sure in your 289 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:27.800 home and it certainly in our home will it was also a devotion time, 290 00:20:27.800 --> 00:20:32.400 you know. There was some teaching that was going on, you know some 291 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:35.400 some spiritual teaching what was going on as well as 292 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:40.000 all the other aspects of relationship and family life. 293 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:48.000 So I and I and I really think if families could set aside that one 294 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:52.400 time it would just be so valuable, 295 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:58.100 so valuable. Kids activities today are so many, at least pre-Covid 296 00:20:58.100 --> 00:21:03.500 they were, but but to set aside if not every day as often as possible. 297 00:21:03.500 --> 00:21:07.400 You talk in the book about children being courageous. 298 00:21:07.400 --> 00:21:09.700 What does that mean? 299 00:21:09.700 --> 00:21:14.600 The devil asked Jesus to be courageous in his temptation on the Temple 300 00:21:14.600 --> 00:21:14.600 Mount. 301 00:21:14.600 --> 00:21:18.200 I think that courageous kind of 302 00:21:19.900 --> 00:21:25.700 falls back under the resilient aspect. But it's it's it's understanding 303 00:21:25.700 --> 00:21:30.700 that Jesus giving you another chance to be very honest. So that you 304 00:21:30.700 --> 00:21:39.500 can you can fail. And being courageous also is tied into the way that 305 00:21:39.500 --> 00:21:47.900 we make choices and the fact that we not only should sort of think 306 00:21:47.900 --> 00:21:53.300 about what God's will is as we make choices, but also that we need to 307 00:21:53.300 --> 00:21:56.800 live with the results of those choices. 308 00:21:56.800 --> 00:22:02.100 There are certainly times where we make poor choices and one of the 309 00:22:02.100 --> 00:22:05.400 issues I think families have today is parents are continuously 310 00:22:05.400 --> 00:22:10.800 stepping in and trying to solve the problems for the kids. Helicopter 311 00:22:10.800 --> 00:22:18.400 parents. Yeah, helicopter parents, I mean there are so many different names for it. But that's what courage does a child have? 312 00:22:19.900 --> 00:22:25.100 What courage can a child develop two to think through and struggle with and 313 00:22:25.100 --> 00:22:28.300 develop a creative way to solve a problem. 314 00:22:28.300 --> 00:22:33.500 If that is being taken away from them by parents were trying to 315 00:22:33.500 --> 00:22:38.900 protect them and certainly in good in good faith parents are trying 316 00:22:38.900 --> 00:22:43.000 to do it that way for the most part. But you established parameters as 317 00:22:43.000 --> 00:22:48.100 a parent and and you let the kid learn out how to do it pass or fail 318 00:22:48.100 --> 00:22:51.000 within those parameters, but it's not like you're off on your own. 319 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:55.900 Yeah. And the parents I think task is to make sure there are healthy parameters there. 320 00:22:55.900 --> 00:22:58.400 There are healthy boundaries. 321 00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:02.600 One of the things you talk about in the book is integrity and we're 322 00:23:02.600 --> 00:23:04.500 going to get to that after we take a short break. 323 00:23:04.500 --> 00:23:06.600 So please stay with us. 324 00:23:06.600 --> 00:23:08.200 I'm enjoying the conversation. 325 00:23:08.200 --> 00:23:09.800 I'm learning from it. 326 00:23:09.800 --> 00:23:14.200 And as I mentioned before there is so much content here that you want 327 00:23:14.200 --> 00:23:14.500 to read. 328 00:23:14.500 --> 00:23:14.700 Dr. 329 00:23:14.700 --> 00:23:19.900 Eckrich's book and also perhaps visit our Concordia Seminary website 330 00:23:19.800 --> 00:23:25.400 and watch the program again take it to heart in an even deeper 331 00:23:25.400 --> 00:23:26.700 way. Stay with us. 332 00:23:27.560 --> 00:23:29.160 Concordia Seminary St. 333 00:23:29.160 --> 00:23:33.960 Louis provides continuing education resources for pastors and lay 334 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:39.060 people to discover all the Concordia Seminary has for you visit us on 335 00:23:39.060 --> 00:23:41.560 the web at CSL. 336 00:23:41.560 --> 00:23:42.360 EDU. 337 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:48.960 Welcome back to Word and Work an Intersection. 338 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:52.260 I'm your host Dale Meyer. Today 339 00:23:52.260 --> 00:23:56.060 our guest is doctor John Eckrich a Christian physician and the founder 340 00:23:56.060 --> 00:23:57.860 of Grace Place Wellness Ministries. 341 00:23:57.860 --> 00:24:01.360 He has a new book published by Concordia publishing house called 342 00:24:01.360 --> 00:24:07.660 "Family Wellness Raising Resilient Christ Purposed Children." 343 00:24:08.660 --> 00:24:09.360 John, 344 00:24:10.760 --> 00:24:13.060 you talk about integrity in the book. 345 00:24:13.060 --> 00:24:16.560 And honestly, I don't hear much about integrity in our public culture 346 00:24:16.560 --> 00:24:17.560 today at all. 347 00:24:17.560 --> 00:24:18.760 And frankly, 348 00:24:18.760 --> 00:24:19.960 I don't see much of it either. 349 00:24:19.960 --> 00:24:21.960 Could you talk about that? 350 00:24:21.960 --> 00:24:32.160 It's a huge issue frankly lying being dishonest has become sort of a 351 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:39.460 characteristic that we see extraordinarily, commonly. Not not just in our 352 00:24:39.460 --> 00:24:46.560 political discourse with in this country, but I think as well 353 00:24:46.560 --> 00:24:52.360 within our students in in school. Instead of understanding that the 354 00:24:52.360 --> 00:24:58.060 truth is in the scriptures that that is God's true communication to 355 00:24:58.060 --> 00:24:58.460 us. 356 00:24:58.460 --> 00:25:06.460 There many other definitions of I think of what people feel is 357 00:25:06.460 --> 00:25:08.360 true and perhaps something the worst of it. 358 00:25:08.360 --> 00:25:10.260 Is that true as whatever they think 359 00:25:10.760 --> 00:25:18.560 Is true instead of having a a an actual a bar on a measure of what it 360 00:25:18.560 --> 00:25:19.760 is to be truthful. 361 00:25:19.760 --> 00:25:27.560 So we see the sort of cheating that we've observed by parents within 362 00:25:27.560 --> 00:25:28.760 the school systems. 363 00:25:28.760 --> 00:25:35.460 We see that rampantly and in many of the high school and college sort 364 00:25:35.460 --> 00:25:40.960 of situations of education that are going on in this country. And so 365 00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:43.360 being dishonest, 366 00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:51.960 being not truthful about things as has become sort of an acceptable 367 00:25:51.960 --> 00:25:57.960 way of life and it's a very dangerous characteristic creeping into our 368 00:25:57.960 --> 00:25:58.560 young people. 369 00:25:58.560 --> 00:26:04.660 So I'm in grade school, high school and the peer pressure is intense. Yes. 370 00:26:04.660 --> 00:26:10.660 And it is exactly as you described whatever suits me is is is what I'm 371 00:26:10.660 --> 00:26:15.960 going to do and don't you don't tell me any different. What does a parent 372 00:26:15.960 --> 00:26:22.860 do to first of all instill integrity but to confirm integrity and to 373 00:26:22.860 --> 00:26:27.660 say beware of this kind of conduct from some of your peers? 374 00:26:27.660 --> 00:26:39.160 I think again that is a very powerful dinnertime conversation or I think the other point pause point within the day is 375 00:26:39.160 --> 00:26:42.960 before kids go to go to bed at night. You know as they're saying their 376 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:45.860 prayers, hopefully in the and as you're sitting with them 377 00:26:45.960 --> 00:26:50.660 before they go to sleep. It's really having those discussions, 378 00:26:50.660 --> 00:26:52.760 you know asking the question. 379 00:26:54.660 --> 00:26:57.560 No necessarily putting it on them. 380 00:26:57.560 --> 00:27:02.460 But did you see somebody being dishonest today as an entry point or if 381 00:27:02.460 --> 00:27:06.860 they're in their teenage years and they're watching internet 382 00:27:06.860 --> 00:27:10.860 or there are there watching the news, you know, did you see something 383 00:27:10.860 --> 00:27:16.160 that you felt was not truthful honest as it as an entry point to 384 00:27:16.160 --> 00:27:21.660 having that discussion. And it's really critical to actually confront 385 00:27:21.660 --> 00:27:21.960 them 386 00:27:21.960 --> 00:27:27.960 I think with with these challenges to their honesty and integrity. 387 00:27:27.960 --> 00:27:30.460 I think a parent has to a parent or parents, 388 00:27:30.460 --> 00:27:37.260 we have single parents, traditional two-parent homes. Is going to have 389 00:27:37.260 --> 00:27:41.960 to over day after day create an environment where the child will 390 00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:43.060 actually answer that question. 391 00:27:43.060 --> 00:27:48.560 Not only answer that but also see it in their parents. That is, you know, 392 00:27:48.560 --> 00:27:53.260 children are such an incredible sponges they really observe and learn 393 00:27:53.260 --> 00:27:53.960 through observation. 394 00:27:54.860 --> 00:27:57.560 Almost more powerfully than what they hear. 395 00:27:57.560 --> 00:28:01.260 So while those conversations are extraordinarily important. 396 00:28:01.260 --> 00:28:06.560 They need to see their parents being honest in their dealings within 397 00:28:06.560 --> 00:28:11.360 the family and with other people and that becomes very obvious to 398 00:28:11.360 --> 00:28:15.260 children as they as they watch interactions of their parents. 399 00:28:15.260 --> 00:28:20.560 Would it be great to have a resurrection of the word integrity in our 400 00:28:20.560 --> 00:28:22.360 public conversation? Absolutely. 401 00:28:22.360 --> 00:28:27.060 The first half of your book looks at worthwhile goals where we 402 00:28:27.060 --> 00:28:27.760 need to head. 403 00:28:28.660 --> 00:28:32.860 The second half is more of a road map that shows us how to get there. 404 00:28:32.860 --> 00:28:36.960 And you describe 5 Wellness behaviors. 405 00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:40.760 The first is called a Blue Zone? 406 00:28:42.260 --> 00:28:48.960 Well, I think one of the it one of the good solid sort of medical 407 00:28:48.960 --> 00:28:54.160 scientific writings that is commonly available to all of us and is 408 00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:57.560 understandable came out of some work that was done in the National 409 00:28:57.560 --> 00:29:05.060 Geographics under an author Dan Buettner. And Dan and his colleagues 410 00:29:05.060 --> 00:29:09.560 went around the world looking at somewhere close to three hundred 411 00:29:09.560 --> 00:29:16.460 different cultures to see where were people living the longest and the 412 00:29:16.460 --> 00:29:22.960 healthiest and the most joyful. And the reality is they found five very 413 00:29:25.260 --> 00:29:38.960 desperate settings for that Greece, Japan Costa Rica 414 00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:44.760 Italy and one place in the United States where people were living. 415 00:29:44.760 --> 00:29:52.160 Really. And where where might you guess that to be? St. Louis, Missouri. Not really but 416 00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:58.360 of all places it was in Loma Linda, California, which is the home of 417 00:29:58.360 --> 00:30:04.360 the Seventh-day Adventist. And The Seventh-Day Adventist follow a very 418 00:30:04.360 --> 00:30:11.860 Levitical lifestyle, you know vegetarian diet for the most part, lots 419 00:30:11.860 --> 00:30:18.860 of physical activity built into their life, rest focus on family and 420 00:30:18.860 --> 00:30:23.460 and their faith and and really sort of living missionally these sort 421 00:30:23.460 --> 00:30:24.460 of characteristics. 422 00:30:25.260 --> 00:30:31.560 It's interesting that those same characteristics movement, nutritious 423 00:30:31.560 --> 00:30:38.760 plant based diet, rest faith and family and and living missionaly. 424 00:30:38.760 --> 00:30:46.760 Those were characteristic of all five of those different locations. And 425 00:30:46.760 --> 00:30:53.060 the Blue Zone comes from the fact that once the the the researchers laid 426 00:30:53.060 --> 00:30:54.960 all this out on a big map of the world. 427 00:30:54.960 --> 00:30:57.960 They just took a blue pen and circle the five places. 428 00:30:57.960 --> 00:31:00.260 So that's where the Blue Zone idea comes from. 429 00:31:00.260 --> 00:31:06.760 But I think that over and over we've seen in scientific and medical 430 00:31:06.760 --> 00:31:14.460 literature that certainly those five behaviors, health habits are 431 00:31:14.460 --> 00:31:20.560 extremely wonderful ways to not just to help us live longer but to 432 00:31:20.560 --> 00:31:25.160 help us live more effectively and better. Less cancer, less diabetes, 433 00:31:25.160 --> 00:31:31.560 less obesity all those sorts of illnesses that really limit our 434 00:31:31.560 --> 00:31:34.060 quality of our life. In the book 435 00:31:34.060 --> 00:31:40.960 I understand that you you move us through ages. Yes. And and how we react 436 00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:43.860 conduct ourselves in an in these various respects. 437 00:31:43.860 --> 00:31:45.260 Could you talk about that progression? 438 00:31:45.260 --> 00:31:55.560 So I wanted this book as well to be a reference book for parents. Much 439 00:31:55.560 --> 00:32:00.160 like Benjamin Spock's book about parenting but from a Christian 440 00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:04.960 perspective. So that I wanted parents to be able to read it 441 00:32:04.960 --> 00:32:09.860 but then to go back when their kid transition from first grade or 2nd 442 00:32:09.860 --> 00:32:16.060 grade into 3rd or 4th grade and to look at ways, practical ways to help 443 00:32:16.060 --> 00:32:22.160 them grow healthy and well in body, mind and spirit. And so each each 444 00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:24.460 section starting in the prenatal period 445 00:32:25.160 --> 00:32:29.260 and going through high school and young adulthood is covered 446 00:32:29.260 --> 00:32:36.760 addressing those 5 behavioral 5 behaved behavioral habits. 447 00:32:36.760 --> 00:32:40.960 From the viewpoint of the parent or the child or both both? 448 00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:47.660 Both. The point of the book is healthy children exist in healthy families, you 449 00:32:47.660 --> 00:32:52.460 know that whole children live in whole families. 450 00:32:52.460 --> 00:32:57.660 And so this is this is information for the parents for the brothers 451 00:32:57.660 --> 00:33:02.260 and sisters and for the child that you're raising as a as a family 452 00:33:02.260 --> 00:33:02.460 unit. 453 00:33:02.460 --> 00:33:06.960 Is there any of those age groups that has more impact than others? Well I think 454 00:33:08.760 --> 00:33:13.160 health and wellness education learning is it is a continuous process. 455 00:33:13.160 --> 00:33:19.160 But I think our educators tell us quite frankly that the formative 456 00:33:19.160 --> 00:33:23.060 years that set lots of things in motion, 457 00:33:23.060 --> 00:33:29.860 lots of good habits in motion really occur sort of before up to 458 00:33:29.860 --> 00:33:35.560 the third grade. In those very early times and they're refined and 459 00:33:35.560 --> 00:33:40.660 matured and improved on and obviously new things are learned as we go 460 00:33:40.660 --> 00:33:41.260 onward. 461 00:33:41.260 --> 00:33:48.460 It's really interesting that because of testing within our school 462 00:33:48.460 --> 00:33:53.960 system, which the formalized testing really begins sort of in 3rd, 4th 463 00:33:53.960 --> 00:33:55.160 5th grade onward. 464 00:33:55.160 --> 00:34:01.960 We tend to push our teachers into teaching those upper maybe to be 465 00:34:01.960 --> 00:34:07.260 more valued in those upper grades because we can test and measure it. 466 00:34:08.060 --> 00:34:13.560 And the reality is I think where we need powerful teachers are in that 467 00:34:13.560 --> 00:34:17.760 preschool, kindergarten which is coarse kindergarteners grade now, you 468 00:34:17.760 --> 00:34:21.960 know, but I mean in those early years. I think that's so formative to 469 00:34:21.960 --> 00:34:27.060 laying down to the baseline the foundation for children.I may 470 00:34:27.060 --> 00:34:34.760 sound like a dinosaur here, but when we had our children age 0 to 3, I 471 00:34:34.760 --> 00:34:41.060 think we just did to them what our parents did to us. And and I've 472 00:34:41.060 --> 00:34:45.960 observed there's more intentional learning about parenting and so I'm 473 00:34:45.960 --> 00:34:50.760 going now and maybe that's just the way things have changed in our 474 00:34:50.760 --> 00:34:51.160 culture. 475 00:34:51.160 --> 00:34:55.460 But if a healthy family produces healthy children and I think ours are 476 00:34:55.460 --> 00:35:03.560 healthy that confirms what you're you're saying. Absolutely. It has to flow out of the family. And of course 477 00:35:04.260 --> 00:35:10.260 all of us can look around not just within our American culture, but 478 00:35:10.260 --> 00:35:11.560 around the world and 479 00:35:12.760 --> 00:35:18.660 I think agree that the breakdown of our families is really at the 480 00:35:18.660 --> 00:35:22.160 basis of a lot of the difficulties that were they were seeing 481 00:35:22.160 --> 00:35:23.160 throughout the world. 482 00:35:23.160 --> 00:35:28.560 So the importance of that family unit preserving it having those meals 483 00:35:28.560 --> 00:35:28.660 together. 484 00:35:30.360 --> 00:35:34.960 Passing the wisdom on passing the behaviors passing the faith on 485 00:35:34.960 --> 00:35:37.760 generation to generation is just critical. 486 00:35:37.760 --> 00:35:39.360 So let's 487 00:35:40.160 --> 00:35:45.360 let's pursue that because we do have broken families. 488 00:35:47.060 --> 00:35:50.160 And they're as important as anyone. 489 00:35:54.060 --> 00:35:55.460 The church has a role. 490 00:35:58.760 --> 00:36:01.460 Friends have a role older friends. 491 00:36:01.460 --> 00:36:05.260 Could you could you talk about the scenario where we have let's say a 492 00:36:05.260 --> 00:36:09.460 single parent usually a mother whose 493 00:36:10.760 --> 00:36:15.060 unemployed or employed with a couple jobs trying to make it and she 494 00:36:15.060 --> 00:36:17.960 may not always be able to sit down and have a calm meal. 495 00:36:19.660 --> 00:36:24.760 Yeah, it's well child care is a huge issue that we have in this 496 00:36:24.760 --> 00:36:32.360 country particularly amongst single-parent homes, but also in dual 497 00:36:32.360 --> 00:36:39.660 parent homes. The fact that our parents are exhausting themselves 498 00:36:39.660 --> 00:36:47.660 trying to financially, emotionally, spiritually, physically raise our 499 00:36:47.660 --> 00:36:55.760 children up as is just a really really huge issue. And I think it is 500 00:36:56.760 --> 00:37:01.560 foundational for the future of our country to be starting to think 501 00:37:01.560 --> 00:37:09.560 about how we help how we surround people as as communities. As Faith 502 00:37:09.560 --> 00:37:15.060 communities as societal communities to help raise our kids. 503 00:37:16.760 --> 00:37:23.060 You know the Holy Spirit provides this for us in our pastors and our 504 00:37:23.060 --> 00:37:29.560 teachers in our friends particularly, if we if we are close within 505 00:37:29.560 --> 00:37:32.460 our church community. 506 00:37:32.460 --> 00:37:36.260 I think that's one of the great values of this cloud of witnesses 507 00:37:36.260 --> 00:37:39.660 being surrounding us continuously and helping us. 508 00:37:39.660 --> 00:37:45.560 And so I think particularly as we go forward in this in this sort of 509 00:37:45.560 --> 00:37:51.760 isolated fashion as a culture now. Which I think is going to be a part 510 00:37:51.760 --> 00:37:56.560 of our culture going forward the importance of our faith family 511 00:37:56.560 --> 00:38:02.660 coming around us and and helping children no matter what their family 512 00:38:02.660 --> 00:38:06.760 setting has been particularly paying attention to the services that we 513 00:38:06.760 --> 00:38:10.160 can provide for our families. Back in back in the days of Christian 514 00:38:10.160 --> 00:38:13.460 America where the Republic culture was complementary to what the 515 00:38:13.460 --> 00:38:14.460 church taught. 516 00:38:16.460 --> 00:38:17.560 That happened. 517 00:38:17.560 --> 00:38:22.260 But if I'm hearing you correctly in this day and age the church has 518 00:38:23.860 --> 00:38:31.060 got a duty. The church has a duty not only to take care of the kids and 519 00:38:31.060 --> 00:38:31.760 its own cocoon. 520 00:38:31.760 --> 00:38:37.960 But to try them find however in the neighborhood those young people 521 00:38:37.960 --> 00:38:45.160 and struggling parents and start to draw them in with with with care 522 00:38:45.160 --> 00:38:49.760 and concern for how those parents are growing. A friend of mine, a friend 523 00:38:49.760 --> 00:38:54.360 of yours, is John Schmidtke he's pastor at Bethlehem, which is an 524 00:38:54.360 --> 00:38:55.460 inner-city St. 525 00:38:55.460 --> 00:38:59.860 Louis, tough area. And he is said that in those tough areas once he is 526 00:38:59.860 --> 00:39:03.460 established as interested in the welfare of the children. 527 00:39:04.260 --> 00:39:08.860 He's safe, you know because of the people in the neighborhoods know 528 00:39:08.860 --> 00:39:12.660 that he is there and the church is there for the young people. 529 00:39:15.060 --> 00:39:19.460 Is that a fair observation that that it is not only are our cocoon 530 00:39:19.460 --> 00:39:25.060 taking care of our own Lutheran's but but but this is an opportunity a 531 00:39:25.060 --> 00:39:28.660 mission of an act of love to our community. 532 00:39:29.860 --> 00:39:33.760 Who's your neighbor that's been that's been our conversation at 533 00:39:33.760 --> 00:39:38.460 Concordia in the last many Sundays about who's your neighbor. 534 00:39:38.460 --> 00:39:41.760 We can't even as a church body. 535 00:39:41.760 --> 00:39:47.860 We can't rely on the public dollar some how to take care of these 536 00:39:47.860 --> 00:39:52.760 needs of families within our communities were there within our church 537 00:39:52.760 --> 00:39:56.160 Community or outside of our church family are outside of our church 538 00:39:56.160 --> 00:39:56.460 family. 539 00:39:56.460 --> 00:40:01.860 We really think this is a place where we can have a tremendous impact 540 00:40:01.860 --> 00:40:11.660 and live out our faith in really helping families heal, restore, stay 541 00:40:11.660 --> 00:40:12.760 healthy, stay well. 542 00:40:12.760 --> 00:40:19.260 And and I think it is a it is a real responsibility and opportunity 543 00:40:19.260 --> 00:40:24.560 that we're being called to. Go back to the ages and and how about us 544 00:40:24.560 --> 00:40:25.260 grandparents? 545 00:40:26.160 --> 00:40:31.460 Well, as I was telling you I'm just a grandparent for the first and 546 00:40:31.460 --> 00:40:35.960 second time in my early seventies our kids just haven't been able 547 00:40:35.960 --> 00:40:40.160 to get married and have have children very early on in life. 548 00:40:40.160 --> 00:40:47.760 But yeah, grandparent is such a blessing as you know. And I think a 549 00:40:47.760 --> 00:40:50.660 couple things for grandparents to remember. Number one 550 00:40:50.660 --> 00:40:56.360 they are important. A grandparent is important not just to the legacy 551 00:40:56.360 --> 00:41:00.360 of the family as the keeper of the stories in the history and 552 00:41:00.360 --> 00:41:07.560 traditions. But they're the pass along their wisdom down into their 553 00:41:07.560 --> 00:41:11.660 children and their grandchildren is is essential. 554 00:41:12.560 --> 00:41:17.360 Secondly grandparents need to remember their the helpers are not the 555 00:41:17.360 --> 00:41:22.960 primary caretakers in this in this family process, you know, and so 556 00:41:22.960 --> 00:41:30.760 they need to understand that and do so wisely. And I and I don't mean 557 00:41:30.760 --> 00:41:35.460 that you shouldn't spoil your grandchildren you should but just 558 00:41:35.460 --> 00:41:39.260 within that parameters is that aren't that are acceptable to their to 559 00:41:39.260 --> 00:41:40.060 their parents. 560 00:41:40.060 --> 00:41:43.760 I told our older grandchildren who can understand this, I 561 00:41:43.760 --> 00:41:48.160 said, listen, we're tight because we have a common enemy. 562 00:41:48.160 --> 00:41:49.060 Yeah. 563 00:41:49.060 --> 00:41:49.160 Yeah. 564 00:41:49.160 --> 00:41:50.160 Exactly. 565 00:41:50.160 --> 00:41:51.460 Exactly. 566 00:41:51.460 --> 00:41:57.060 I think the other interesting thing that even 567 00:41:58.160 --> 00:41:59.960 in the prenatal 568 00:41:59.960 --> 00:42:05.360 period certainly early on in the life of a child, grandparents 569 00:42:05.360 --> 00:42:09.760 they need to have a conversation with the parents about what they as 570 00:42:09.760 --> 00:42:14.760 grandparents are capable and willing to do. You know, I mean are they 571 00:42:14.760 --> 00:42:20.160 are they physically able to do the kinds of things that might be 572 00:42:20.160 --> 00:42:25.460 necessary including babysitting and day trips and all that sort 573 00:42:25.460 --> 00:42:30.460 of stuff, you know. Are they financially as grandparents able to help 574 00:42:31.260 --> 00:42:37.760 with school supplies or you know education costs are those sorts of 575 00:42:37.760 --> 00:42:37.860 things. 576 00:42:37.860 --> 00:42:43.260 So it's having those honest conversations as Grandparents with your 577 00:42:43.260 --> 00:42:47.760 children not necessarily in the presence of your grandchildren. 578 00:42:47.760 --> 00:42:53.860 I think the other big point is never disagree with your children's 579 00:42:53.860 --> 00:42:58.760 child-rearing in front of your kids in front of your grandkids, you know. 580 00:42:58.760 --> 00:43:02.460 That's an important conversation if you have a difference 581 00:43:02.460 --> 00:43:06.560 of opinion, but that's something to have one-on-one with your children 582 00:43:06.560 --> 00:43:09.860 as parents and not in front of those grandkids. 583 00:43:09.860 --> 00:43:15.860 So now we have parents listening, parents of younger children and 584 00:43:16.960 --> 00:43:20.660 they get your book and I've been I hope you truly consider this. 585 00:43:21.760 --> 00:43:25.060 And and get it for the church library get it for your school library. 586 00:43:26.560 --> 00:43:31.060 How is the book to be used by a parent who is contending with 587 00:43:31.060 --> 00:43:33.660 everything that's going on now including the kids. 588 00:43:33.660 --> 00:43:39.160 I would hope that they would take a quick first pass through the book 589 00:43:39.160 --> 00:43:41.860 and particularly the early part of the book that's looking at 590 00:43:41.860 --> 00:43:46.560 parenting styles and and as some of these important characteristic 591 00:43:46.560 --> 00:43:51.960 values that I think are important to instill in children. And 592 00:43:51.960 --> 00:43:55.760 take a quick look through the back part which are all of these healthy 593 00:43:55.760 --> 00:44:00.860 habits that we would share these five healthy habits. But I hope that 594 00:44:00.860 --> 00:44:06.760 parents then do you have that around somewhere close so that they 595 00:44:06.760 --> 00:44:13.260 continuously can go back and use it as a reference book. And look 596 00:44:13.260 --> 00:44:16.560 specifically I think it's the way it's laid out 597 00:44:16.560 --> 00:44:21.760 it should be quickly accessible to a particular chapter area that you 598 00:44:21.760 --> 00:44:25.660 might have a specific question about. Particularly through the teenage 599 00:44:25.660 --> 00:44:26.360 years, which 600 00:44:26.560 --> 00:44:30.560 I spend a fair amount of time talking about those difficult times. 601 00:44:30.560 --> 00:44:33.460 This would be great for study groups. 602 00:44:33.460 --> 00:44:38.360 Yes, and there is a study guide in the back on each of the chapters in 603 00:44:38.360 --> 00:44:44.760 and just a few hopefully conversation-starting questions that that 604 00:44:44.760 --> 00:44:49.060 people can share and either as a group of parents together or family 605 00:44:49.060 --> 00:44:53.460 together as a larger Bible study. Does a book have a bibliography for 606 00:44:53.460 --> 00:45:00.660 further reading? Yes absolutely, and each chapter actually I listed them at the end of each chapter so that as you're reading 607 00:45:00.660 --> 00:45:05.560 something it's right there. And some suggestions for further study 608 00:45:05.560 --> 00:45:09.760 and reading. And how can we get a copy of the book? CPH.org. 609 00:45:09.760 --> 00:45:13.160 Okay. And Amazon of course is carrying it 610 00:45:13.160 --> 00:45:20.360 and so I think those are two readily available resources as just, 611 00:45:20.360 --> 00:45:21.860 actually just released yesterday. 612 00:45:21.860 --> 00:45:24.760 So it's it's hot off the press. 613 00:45:25.460 --> 00:45:26.160 That's wonderful. 614 00:45:26.160 --> 00:45:29.360 Thank you Dr. Eckrich for being with us today. 615 00:45:29.360 --> 00:45:33.160 And and now that it's off the press we certainly look forward to 616 00:45:33.160 --> 00:45:35.560 getting it to sharing it here 617 00:45:35.560 --> 00:45:39.860 on Concordia campus and and hopefully in various ways but also through 618 00:45:39.860 --> 00:45:44.560 our audience sharing it in in your family in your congregation and 619 00:45:44.560 --> 00:45:45.560 into your circle of friends. 620 00:45:46.760 --> 00:45:51.260 I'd like to give you a new book that has just been published and this 621 00:45:51.260 --> 00:45:52.860 a called "Let the Gospel Lead." 622 00:45:52.860 --> 00:45:56.560 It has a series of essays and interviews. 623 00:45:58.160 --> 00:46:04.060 In honor of my retirement they were so glad to have me leave that they 624 00:46:04.060 --> 00:46:05.260 they did this. 625 00:46:05.260 --> 00:46:10.060 You have been such a friend of Concordia Seminary and as a small token we'd like 626 00:46:10.060 --> 00:46:13.660 to share that with you. I better get an autographed copy and I do have 627 00:46:13.660 --> 00:46:13.860 one. 628 00:46:13.860 --> 00:46:14.460 That's wonderful. 629 00:46:14.460 --> 00:46:14.860 Thank you. 630 00:46:14.860 --> 00:46:16.060 I'll treasure this. 631 00:46:16.060 --> 00:46:17.160 Thank you. 632 00:46:17.160 --> 00:46:18.360 Thank you for being with us. 633 00:46:18.360 --> 00:46:23.360 This has been a wonderful edition of Word and Work an Intersection. 634 00:46:23.360 --> 00:46:27.860 I'm Dale Meyer and may the intersection of Word and Work 635 00:46:27.860 --> 00:46:29.860 be busy on your corner.