CONFERENCE 2004 SPEAKERS

<< BACK TO MBC CONFERENCE 2004

Reverend Jeremy Mahood: Humour Works
The main message was we should invest ourselves in the lives of our children, passing on our values to the next generation. To accomplish this important task we must note the effects of cumulative stress. He suggested that one’s capacity for coping with stress is like a glass. Stress comes in waves, and when it does, the glass keeps filling up. The glass may fill up in parts, perhaps quarters, but when the water level reaches the top, if there’s one more drop, the water will overflow. Keeping this in mind, we must remember to do things for ourselves too! The number one antidote for stress is physical exercise. A walk alone with your spouse a few times a week also allows for private relationship building time. Changing your focus and your attitude can counter stress and change the amount of stress that comes into your life. A positive outlook can do wonders!

Father Mark Curtis: ABC’s of Caregiving
This speaker produced his prescription for a healthy life: Vitamin A with which to AFFIRM yourself; Vitamin B with which to find BALANCE; Vitamin C with which to build a COMMUNITY; and Vitamin E with which to ENERGIZE yourself with laughter. He reminded the delegates that life is not a dress rehearsal; we should make the most of what we have. He asked us to consider our roles, do we lift others up or weigh them down. Specifically, he pointed out that the way you think is the way you feel, and the way you feel is the way you experience. The way you think determines the way you feel, determines the way you act. You have to know you’re wonderful. As a community we are here to “see each other through.”

Dr. P.J. Pace, B.A., M. Div., M.D.: Coping with Stress
This interactive workshop gave delegates a medical look at how stress affects our bodies, and how we as knowing individuals can take this knowledge and change the way that we deal with stress. Building on the above two presentations, this speaker showed us why it was important, in medical terms, to put balance in our lives in order to reduce stress. This balance is relevant to our relationships with self, our children, our spouses and the other important people in our lives.

Dr. Joseph Gold, Ph. D.: Building a Solid Marriage Relationship
This speaker asked delegates to consider their role in the positive growth of their marriage relationship. He described the fundamentals of building the type of marriage our families need.