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Beating the Winter Blues: Finding Hope When “Blue Monday” Hits · Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

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Speaker 1: Life Audio today, or we're tackling a topic that hits
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Speaker 1: many people hard each January Blue Monday. You may have
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Speaker 1: heard it called the most depressing day of the year,
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Speaker 1: a day when motivation runs low, bills come do, and
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Speaker 1: the sparkle of the holidays fades into the grayness of winter.
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Speaker 1: But is Blue Monday reel? Why do so many people
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Speaker 1: feel down this time of the year And what can
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Speaker 1: you do spiritually, emotionally and physically to climb out of
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Speaker 1: the slump and find renewed hope. Welcome back to your
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Speaker 1: Hope Build perspective, where it's always our goal to restore hope,
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Speaker 1: renew minds, and empower listeners to live in your God
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Speaker 1: given identity. I'm your host, doctor Michelle Bankson, a board
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Speaker 1: certified clinical neuropsychologist, author of several books, and your companion
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Speaker 1: in the journey towards emotional and spiritual wholeness. If you've
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Speaker 1: ever felt like the light of Christmas faded too fast,
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Speaker 1: or that you're struggling to find joy in January, this
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Speaker 1: is the episode for you. Today. We are going to
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Speaker 1: be talking about how to beat the blues finding hope.
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Speaker 1: When Blue Monday hits. We'll unpack where the idea of
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Speaker 1: blue Monday came from. What really contributes to winter sadness,
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Speaker 1: how to recognize when it's more than just a passing mood,
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Speaker 1: and how God invites us to nurture our mind and
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Speaker 1: soul even in the darkest season. We'll dive into that
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Speaker 1: right after this quick word from our sponsor. Welcome back
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Speaker 1: to your hope filled perspective. Friends. I hope that you
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Speaker 1: enjoyed the holidays, that there was peace present, there was joy,
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Speaker 1: there was love and laughter. But here we sit facing January.
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Speaker 1: Every January the search engines light up with people looking
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Speaker 1: for answers about Blue Monday. Some call it the most
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Speaker 1: depressing day of the year. But here's the truth. God
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Speaker 1: doesn't mark any day on his calendar. Is hopeless even
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Speaker 1: when we do. Even when science can't explain some of
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Speaker 1: the factors that make us feel low. Scripture reminds us
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Speaker 1: in John one point fifteen that the light shines in
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Speaker 1: the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. So
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Speaker 1: today let's uncover both the science and the Savior's invitation
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Speaker 1: to find peace, joy and renewed perspective. No matter what
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Speaker 1: your calendar says. I thought we would start off this
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Speaker 1: conversation talking about where blue Monday even came from. You
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Speaker 1: might be surprised to learn that the term blue Monday
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Speaker 1: actually originated not from a psychologist or a neuroscientist, but
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Speaker 1: from a marketing campaign in the early two thousands. True
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Speaker 1: a marketing campaign. A British travel company wanted to boost
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Speaker 1: winter vacation sales and partnered with a psychologist to create
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Speaker 1: a formula that supposedly calculated the most depressing day of
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Speaker 1: the year and put it out there for all of
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Speaker 1: us to hear and align our thinking with. They based
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Speaker 1: it on factors like weather, post holiday debt, level, time
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Speaker 1: since Christmas or Kwanza, failed New Year's resolutions, and low motivation.
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Speaker 1: That date usually lands on the third Monday every January.
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Speaker 1: But here's what's interesting. The science behind it was never validated.
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Speaker 1: It was largely pseudoscience, catchy idea meant to sell trips
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Speaker 1: to sunny places. Not that I really need a justification
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Speaker 1: to go someplace sunny, but that's what it was. Yet
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Speaker 1: it resonated with people because truthfully, many do feel a
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Speaker 1: dip in their mood this time of year. The question
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Speaker 1: is why there's a real physiological as well as psychological
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Speaker 1: basis for that. The first reason is because at least
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Speaker 1: in my hemisphere, they have shorter daylight hours, and those
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Speaker 1: shorter daylight hours have been shown to disrupt our circadian
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Speaker 1: rhythm and lower serotonin levels, which is our brain's natural
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Speaker 1: mood stabilizer. Another reason is the colder temperatures that means
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Speaker 1: less outdoor activity, less sunlight, and fewer endorphins. There's also
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Speaker 1: the holiday aftermath that leaves us financially stressed, emotionally fatigued,
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Speaker 1: and sometimes needing a bigger pant size. And then the
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Speaker 1: last significant contributor is unmet resolutions or expectations of ourselves
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Speaker 1: or others that can stir up shame or disappointment. So
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Speaker 1: while Blue Monday may not be an official scientific day,
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Speaker 1: it really does point to something many experience, what we
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Speaker 1: might otherwise call the post holiday blues or a seasonal
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Speaker 1: effective slump. So, now that you know where it came
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Speaker 1: from and really kind of what contributes to it, let's
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Speaker 1: turn our attention to how to identify it. Let's talk
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Speaker 1: about how you can tell if what you're feeling is
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Speaker 1: just a short term dip or something more concerning yours.
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Speaker 1: Where As a neuropsychologist. Let me lend just a little
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Speaker 1: bit of my thirty five years of expertise. Here are
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Speaker 1: some common symptoms of the not just the blue Monday
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Speaker 1: slump with post holiday blues or the seasonal effective blip.
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Speaker 1: The first one is low motivation or energy. Yeah, frequently
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Speaker 1: we extend so much energy extra energy during the holidays
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Speaker 1: and nothing else comes off our plate that when the
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Speaker 1: holidays are over, we can feel a depletion in both
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Speaker 1: our motivation or energy. That in and of itself is
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Speaker 1: not a reason tory that what you're experiencing is something
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Speaker 1: out of the ordinary. But there's other symptoms, and we're
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Speaker 1: really looking for a pattern or multiple symptoms for a
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Speaker 1: prolonged period of time. Another symptom is irritability or tearfulness.
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Speaker 1: If you find yourself being more irritable, more snappy, more emotional,
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Speaker 1: more easily hurt or agitated, or you find yourself crying
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Speaker 1: more than usual, it's an indicator that you need to
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Speaker 1: pay at time and kind of monitor for some of
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Speaker 1: these other signs and symptoms. We talked about having decreased
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Speaker 1: energy after the holidays because we often extend a lot
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Speaker 1: more energy during that time of year when nothing else
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Speaker 1: comes off our plate. But sometimes that also translates into
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Speaker 1: feeling irritable and agitated because well. Another sign or symptom
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Speaker 1: to consider is changes in sleep or appetite. You notice
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Speaker 1: yourself needing to sleep more, or for some reason you're
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Speaker 1: not sleeping as well and you're sleeping less, or conversely,
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Speaker 1: you notice changes in your appetite, either eating more than
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Speaker 1: usual or less than usual. It's something to consider, especially
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Speaker 1: because when we don't get enough sleep, that can add
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Speaker 1: to our already decreased energy or motivation or feelings of irritability.
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Speaker 1: Another sign or symptom is difficulty concentrating. Now that's not
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Speaker 1: too surprising because if you have decreased energy or motivation,
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Speaker 1: or if you're not consistent in your sleep patterns and
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Speaker 1: you find yourself not sleeping as well, that can contribute
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Speaker 1: to difficulty concentrating and paying attention. That in and of
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Speaker 1: itself is not necessarily something to be overly concerned about,
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Speaker 1: but again, we're looking for a pattern, and we're looking
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Speaker 1: for how often you're experiencing these over time. Another sign
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Speaker 1: or symptom is feeling disconnected or unproductive. And I'm sure
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Speaker 1: that in all these signs and symptoms you can see
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Speaker 1: how one might influence the other. But when you find
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Speaker 1: yourself feeling disconnected from the things you normally enjoy, or
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Speaker 1: from people that you would normally enjoy spending time with
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Speaker 1: where you're less productive, then what is typical for you?
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Speaker 1: It's just another data point to pay attention to. And
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Speaker 1: then another sign or symptom is hopeless thoughts, something along
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Speaker 1: the lines of what's the point or I don't know
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Speaker 1: if this is ever going to get any better. Feelings
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Speaker 1: and thoughts of hopelessness are definitely a sign or symptom
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Speaker 1: you want to pay attention to. If you've noticed these
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Speaker 1: signs are symptoms for a few days after the holidays,
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Speaker 1: you're not alone. Where I am recording today, it's colder
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Speaker 1: than usual, it's very gray, I haven't seen the sunlight.
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Speaker 1: My body's feeling the chill, and I'm feeling a bit tired.
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Speaker 1: But again, that's not terribly atypical. After the holidays, our
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Speaker 1: bodies and brains rabe rhythm and light, and winter in
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Speaker 1: the northern hemisphere often disrupts them both. I grew up
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Speaker 1: in Michigan, and I struggled with seasonal effective disorder a lot.
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Speaker 1: Michigan is beautiful if you've never been there. I think
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Speaker 1: it's one of the most beautiful states. But it's very
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Speaker 1: difficult for me to make it through the Michigan winter
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Speaker 1: because it's gray and cold, and I can't get outside
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Speaker 1: as easily to walk to get the sunlight, and that
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Speaker 1: affects my mood. So I love going back home to
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Speaker 1: visit in the spring, summer, or fall. But I think
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Speaker 1: the only time I've gone back to visit in the
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Speaker 1: winter was for a family funeral. But sometimes, friend, what
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Speaker 1: starts is a temporary funk can evolve into something more serious,
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Speaker 1: like seasonal effective disorder or major depressant. So how do
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Speaker 1: we know when to see help. We're going to dive
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Speaker 1: into that right after this brief word from our sponsor.
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Speaker 1: Welcome back. So today we are talking about beating the blues,
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Speaker 1: finding hope when that blue Monday sets in. We talked
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Speaker 1: about where did this concept of blue Monday come from?
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Speaker 1: And what are the signs or symptoms that can clue
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Speaker 1: us in that we're struggling. Now let's turn our attention
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Speaker 1: to how to know when to seek professional help. I've
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Speaker 1: got several suggestions. If you've got a pen and paper,
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Speaker 1: you might want to jop these down. I would encourage you,
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Speaker 1: as a mental health professional who's been in the field
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Speaker 1: for thirty five years, to seek professional help if your
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Speaker 1: sadness lasts more than two weeks, if you lose interest
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Speaker 1: in those things you usually enjoy, that light you up,
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Speaker 1: that grow your energy and motivation because you feed off
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Speaker 1: of them. I'd also consider seeking out professional help if
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Speaker 1: you notice that your sleep or appetite drastically change for
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Speaker 1: more than about a week. Furthermore, if you feel worthless, helpless,
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Speaker 1: or hopeless, you don't have to suffer a loane and
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Speaker 1: I would say please, please seek out professional help. You
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Speaker 1: don't have to walk this journey by yourself. Furthermore, if
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Speaker 1: you find yourself withdrawing from others, again, a way to
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Speaker 1: help learn how to cope with that is seeking out
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Speaker 1: professional help. True, sometimes we don't want to share what's
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Speaker 1: going on with those that are closest to us for
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Speaker 1: whatever reason. But if you find yourself withdrawing from those
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Speaker 1: that you normally enjoy spending time with, another factor to
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Speaker 1: consider in terms of seeking out professional help and lastly,
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Speaker 1: friend if you experience thoughts about death or about hurting
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Speaker 1: yourself or others, please please please consider seeking help, professional
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Speaker 1: help to walk with you, to give you some accountability,
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Speaker 1: and to help you know how to combat this. Those
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Speaker 1: are not signs of weakness. In fact, those signs and
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Speaker 1: symptoms are signals from your body and brain that you
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Speaker 1: need care and support. Friend, just as you would seek
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Speaker 1: medical help for persistent pain, heart disease, diabetes, or cancer,
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Speaker 1: it's wise to seek mental health help for persistent sadness
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Speaker 1: and mood changes. As a clinical neuropsychologist, I've seen firsthand
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Speaker 1: the depression and anxiety are treatable. There are excellent therapies,
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Speaker 1: medical interventions, and lifestyle approaches that absolutely can help. I'm
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Speaker 1: a testimony to that. If you have read my book
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Speaker 1: Hope Prevails, Insights from a doctor's personal journey through Depression,
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Speaker 1: I share about my own journey and what helped. If
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Speaker 1: you've not read it, but you find this episode resonating
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Speaker 1: with you, friend, please pick up a copy. It's available
13:40
Speaker 1: wherever books are sold, and Amazon can probably deliver it
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Speaker 1: to you within a couple of days. I was very
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Speaker 1: vulnerable and transparent. I didn't want to be the poster
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Speaker 1: child for someone struggling with depression, but once I learned
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Speaker 1: how to manage it. I wanted to share that hope
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Speaker 1: with my readers. I wanted to make those insights available
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Speaker 1: to those who couldn't come into my private practice for help.
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Speaker 1: So consider picking up a copy of Hope Prevails. But friend,
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Speaker 1: getting help requires the first step, which is reaching out.
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Speaker 1: And as a believer in Christ Jesus, I want you
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Speaker 1: to know this, Needing help does not make you a
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Speaker 1: failure of faith. Hear that again, Needing help does not
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Speaker 1: make you a failure of faith. God often works through
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Speaker 1: professionals to bring healing. He created our minds and our
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Speaker 1: bodies with complexity, and He delights when we care for
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Speaker 1: them wisely. For example, remember Elijah in One Kings nineteen.
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Speaker 1: He was exhausted, afraid and said, it is enough, now,
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Speaker 1: Lord take my life. He admitted to God how he
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Speaker 1: was feeling and what he was thinking, and God did
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Speaker 1: not rebuke him. God had compassion on him. God fed him,
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Speaker 1: let him rest, and then gently spoke truth to him.
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Speaker 1: That is a model of divine compassion toward our emotional distress.
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Speaker 1: Your heavenly Father loves you and wants to see you
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Speaker 1: get help. Part of getting through this, getting to the
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Speaker 1: other side, is learning how to take care of yourself.
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Speaker 1: These are things that you can do in conjunction with therapy,
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Speaker 1: alongside therapy, but especially they're things that you can do
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Speaker 1: on your own. They're things that I do, and when
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Speaker 1: I don't do them, I have to kind of check
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Speaker 1: back in with myself what has changed that might be
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Speaker 1: contributing to how I'm feeling. So, if you are feeling
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Speaker 1: those blue Monday blues or a longer winter sadness, or
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Speaker 1: even seasonal effective disorder or major depression, here is some practical,
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Speaker 1: biblically grounded ways to cure for your mind, body, spirit.
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Speaker 1: The first is get more light exposure to sunlight, or
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Speaker 1: if you live in a climate like I mentioned I
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Speaker 1: grew up in Michigan, if you live someplace where the
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Speaker 1: sunlight is much less easy to come by in the
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Speaker 1: winter months, get a light therapy box. Either way, it
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Speaker 1: helps boost serotonin and regulate your circadium rhythm. Ideally, you
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Speaker 1: want to get sunlight early in the day or use
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Speaker 1: your light therapy box early in the day, like first
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Speaker 1: thing in the morning and maybe right after lunch, but
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Speaker 1: later in the day. I want you to avoid those
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Speaker 1: two things because I'll actually interfere with your brain's melatonin
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Speaker 1: production that can make sleep more difficult. In Genesis one,
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Speaker 1: verse three, we read and God said, let there be light,
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Speaker 1: and there was light, and I read that. I'm reminded
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Speaker 1: that light was God's first gift to creation and it
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Speaker 1: still brings life today. So the first get more light.
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Speaker 1: My second suggestion is move your body. Exercise increases in
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Speaker 1: doorphins and dopamine, which helps improve both energy and outlook.
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Speaker 1: You don't need to run a marathon. Start with a
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Speaker 1: short walk or a stretch, or if you're finding it
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Speaker 1: difficult to walk outside, consider a treadmill, a rebounding machine,
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Speaker 1: a vibration plate, something to move your body. First. Corinthians six,
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Speaker 1: verses nineteen through twenty reminds us our bodies are temples
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Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit, so caring for them consider it
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Speaker 1: an act of worship. So again the first tip, get
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Speaker 1: more light. Second tip, move your body. Third tip, nurture connection.
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Speaker 1: When we isolate, sadness grows louder and we are more
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Speaker 1: susceptible to believing the lives of the enemy, and he
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Speaker 1: can get really loud. And when we're not around those
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Speaker 1: that we trust, there's trusted family or friends, church community,
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Speaker 1: it can be really hard to fight back against the
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Speaker 1: enemy's lines. So consider reaching out to a friend in
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Speaker 1: a text or a phone call, or meeting for coffee,
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Speaker 1: perhaps attending a Bible study, or consider volunteering. Volunteering has
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Speaker 1: the added benefit that when we go beyond ourselves to
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Speaker 1: do something for someone else, it boosts our own moove.
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Speaker 1: It can remind us that other people are struggling too,
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Speaker 1: and many times worse off than we are. Ecclesiastes four
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Speaker 1: versus nine through ten says two are better than one.
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Speaker 1: If one of them falls down, one can help the
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Speaker 1: other up, and that goes both ways. So when you
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Speaker 1: reach out to a friend, they can help lift you
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Speaker 1: up and you can encourage them. Tip number four is
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Speaker 1: adjust your expectations after the holidays. Oh friend, it is
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Speaker 1: so easy to compare today's ordinary moments to the excitement
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Speaker 1: that was December. Give yourself permission to slow down, to reset.
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Speaker 1: The Bible gives us multiple examples of Jesus, the Son
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Speaker 1: of God, taking time to rest. If Jesus needed rest,
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Speaker 1: why would we expect anything different of ourselves. Matthew eleven
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Speaker 1: twenty eight reminds us, come to me, all you who
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Speaker 1: are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
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Speaker 1: The fifth tip is to feed your spirit, immerse yourself
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Speaker 1: in scripture, prayer, and worship music. Depression dims our perspective,
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Speaker 1: but God's word renews it some forty two. Verse eleven
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Speaker 1: reminds us, why my soul, are you downcast? Put your
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Speaker 1: hope in God, for I will yet praise Him to
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Speaker 1: see even when we feel down, even when we feel sad,
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Speaker 1: when we feel a lack of energy, we can still
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Speaker 1: choose to put our hope in God, to trust him
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Speaker 1: and to praise him. Number six. This might seem simplistic,
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Speaker 1: but when we're feeling down, it can be difficult, and
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Speaker 1: that is practice gratitude. Gratitude actually activates the brain regions
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Speaker 1: associated with joy and resilience. Even small blessings count blessings
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Speaker 1: like warm coffee, our friend's text, a sunset, even something
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Speaker 1: as simple as a short line at the grocery store.
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Speaker 1: Let's activate those brain regions associated with joy to help
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Speaker 1: counter the blues. In January one, Thessalonians five eighteen says
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Speaker 1: give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will
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Speaker 1: for you in Christ, Jesus friend. It doesn't say give
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Speaker 1: thanks for all circumstances, but in all circumstances. So when
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Speaker 1: our circumstances are difficult, we can still get thanks that
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Speaker 1: God is faithful. God is good that he never leaves
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Speaker 1: us alone, he never forsakes us. There's still a lot
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Speaker 1: to be grateful for. My seventh tip is to set
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Speaker 1: rhythms of rest. Winter is nature's reminder to rest. When
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Speaker 1: I look outside, the trees are bare, the leaves have fallen,
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Speaker 1: and there's not much observable growth going on. But this
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Speaker 1: season allows turnover in ourselves and in the earth ready
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Speaker 1: for wind spring comes. God himself reminded us, not just
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Speaker 1: reminded us, but model rest on the seventh day, not
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Speaker 1: from exhaustion, but completion. Rest fuels your mind and aligns
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Speaker 1: your soul with His peace. Friends, right after this brief
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Speaker 1: word from our sponsor, I want to share a few
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Speaker 1: thoughts about reframing this season. We'll be right back. Friends.
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Speaker 1: We've talked about where blue Monday came from. We've talked
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Speaker 1: about how do I identify it. We've talked about how
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Speaker 1: to know when to seek professional help, as well as
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Speaker 1: things that we can do on our own or in
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Speaker 1: conjunction with seeking professional help that will help Maybe this
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Speaker 1: January feels especially heavy for you. Maybe you're tired of
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Speaker 1: gray skies or unmet resolutions. But let's reframe it. What
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Speaker 1: if winter isn't a punishment but an invitation, an invitation
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Speaker 1: to slow down, to nurture your inner life, to rediscover hope,
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Speaker 1: not in circumstances, but in Christ himself. Remember, no day
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Speaker 1: is truly blue when it's covered in God's grace. God
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Speaker 1: specializes in turning mourning into dancing, ashes into beauty, and
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Speaker 1: despair into praise. As Isaiah reminds Us and Isaiah sixty one,
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Speaker 1: verse three, the same God who paints the sunrise after
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Speaker 1: the darkest night will bring light to your soul again. Friend,
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Speaker 1: if you are listening today and feeling the weight of winter,
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Speaker 1: know this, You're not alone. I've been there, I understand.
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Speaker 1: I have great compassion for you. But more importantly, God
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Speaker 1: sees you. He is not disappointed by your sadness. In fact,
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Speaker 1: Psalm thirty four eighteen reminds Us he is near to
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Speaker 1: the broken hearted. So please don't walk away during this
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Speaker 1: season from God, but lean into him, ask him to
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Speaker 1: be able to feel his nearness, and remember there is
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Speaker 1: no shame in reaching out for help from God, from
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Speaker 1: loved ones, or from professionals. Healing doesn't mean pretending everything
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Speaker 1: is fine and back. Far from it. Healing means letting
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Speaker 1: God meet you in the reality of your pain. Loved
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Speaker 1: to pray for you. Heavenly Father, thank you that no
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Speaker 1: season last forever. Thank you that your mercies are new
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Speaker 1: every morning. For the one listening today who feels discouraged,
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Speaker 1: would you bring light to their darkness? Would you renew
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Speaker 1: their strength, lift their spirits, and remind them that their
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Speaker 1: hope is secure in you and you alone in Jesus name. Amen. Friends,
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Speaker 1: I hope that there was something in today's episode that
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Speaker 1: has encouraged your heart, that has helped you to hold
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Speaker 1: on to hope. I want you to always remember there's
24:32
Speaker 1: always hope because this world would never offer what only
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Speaker 1: God can provide, and He promises to be with you
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Speaker 1: through every season. So many people struggle with the blues
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Speaker 1: during the winter months. It's not an uncommon phenomenon. If
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Speaker 1: you have a friend who you know struggles, would you
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Speaker 1: consider sharing this episode with them to give them a
24:58
Speaker 1: biblically based hope, build for s respective and a jolt
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Speaker 1: of encouragement. I'd so appreciate it, and I know they
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Speaker 1: would too, And it's been a delight to be with
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Speaker 1: you to share my thoughts and insights as a mental
25:10
Speaker 1: health professional. It's my prayer that you're able to take
25:14
Speaker 1: what we talked about today, put it into practice, and
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Speaker 1: see the blue skies return. Until we're together again, my friend,
25:20
Speaker 1: it is my prayer for you that you have a
25:23
Speaker 1: hope filled week.
25:25
Speaker 2: Depression is now our greatest epidemic worldwide, greater than heart disease, cancer,
25:31
Speaker 2: and aids all put together. If you have looked for
25:35
Speaker 2: help with depression, you have found that there's a scarcity
25:38
Speaker 2: of biblically based resources that identifies the spiritual component that
25:43
Speaker 2: will actually help with the depression and also will help
25:46
Speaker 2: the loved ones who are trying to support the ones
25:49
Speaker 2: who are depressed. Over her thirty year career, doctor Benson
25:53
Speaker 2: has treated thousands of individuals with depression and has even
25:56
Speaker 2: suffered from it herself. Because of her suffering, she understands
26:00
Speaker 2: the need to address the spiritual dimension of depression along
26:03
Speaker 2: with the physiological and emotional components. Doctor Benkson has written
26:07
Speaker 2: an award winning book, Hope Prevails, Insights from a doctor's
26:12
Speaker 2: personal journey through depression, for she shares with us her
26:15
Speaker 2: own experiences, and she combines decades of professional expertise in
26:19
Speaker 2: mental health with her personal insights so she can help
26:22
Speaker 2: us overcome depression. Script Jennifer Strickland, author of Beautiful Lies,
26:28
Speaker 2: had this to say about Hope Prevails. Hope Prevails as
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Speaker 2: a treasure trove of scripture, music, and medicine for the soul.
26:35
Speaker 2: This book shares truth upon truth for anyone encountering the
26:39
Speaker 2: obscurity of depression. Is a very important work that should
26:43
Speaker 2: be held in the highest regard in any family library.
26:47
Speaker 2: Most of all is honest. Michelle genuinely opens up a
26:51
Speaker 2: window of her heart, shamelessly revealing her own darkest hours
26:55
Speaker 2: in order to shine a light of hope for you
26:58
Speaker 2: and me. If you were anyone you love touch even
27:01
Speaker 2: the fringe of depression, I highly recommend this work as
27:05
Speaker 2: a key doorway to your journey towards joy, peace in
27:09
Speaker 2: the full life we can have in Christ. Hope Prevails
27:12
Speaker 2: is available from Amazon dot com and other fine online retailers,
27:17
Speaker 2: or you your website at doctor Michelbe dot com. You
27:21
Speaker 2: can obtain your copy today and begin your healing journey
27:25
Speaker 2: from depression. Thank you for joining doctor Bankson to your
27:33
Speaker 2: hope build perspective. We hope you are encouraged by her authenticity, vulnerability,
27:39
Speaker 2: and biblical truths. If you enjoy today's conversation, when you
27:42
Speaker 2: take a moment right now, open up your podcast app
27:46
Speaker 2: and look for the subscribe button right next to our
27:48
Speaker 2: podcast profile image. We think this podcast is best enjoyed
27:52
Speaker 2: with friends, so tell a friend and click share and
27:55
Speaker 2: in your podcast app and send a friend our link
27:57
Speaker 2: to share Hope with them. If you have a comment, question,
28:01
Speaker 2: or suggest a topic for a future show, reach out
28:04
Speaker 2: to our staff at info at Hope Prevails dot org.
28:07
Speaker 2: For additional resources. Information about doctor Bankson's books where free downloads,
28:12
Speaker 2: or to contact her to speak at your next event,
28:15
Speaker 2: please visit doctor Mishelbe dot com. Until next time, may
28:20
Speaker 2: you have a hope filledweek.
28:25
Speaker 1: I'd like to take just a second to thank the
28:27
Speaker 1: team at Life Audio for their partnership with us on
28:30
Speaker 1: this podcast. If you go to lifeaudio dot com, you'll
28:33
Speaker 1: find dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network.
28:37
Speaker 1: They've got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more.