The fifth and most recent episode of the “NewsPoints ON THE AIR” podcast features an interview with the pastor, author, and researcher Will Johns of the Beltsville (Maryland) Seventh-day Adventist Church. In the episode, he discusses the benefits of exercising gratitude as a lifestyle and not just a trendy practice around the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday in the autumn season. He shared scientific research that explains the physical, mental, and spiritual outputs of seeing life through the lenses of gratitude—a practice that requires intentionally fighting pervasive, deeply-rooted negative thinking patterns.

“There’s some disciple [sic] and habit-forming that’s required because we’re up against the way our minds have been trained over the course of our lives. It’s not a bad thing that we naturally focus on problems, that has helped us in certain times in [our lives] where we may have needed that for certain reasons,” said Johns, author of Everything is Better Than You Think: How Gratitude Can Transform Your Life. “However, there comes a time where it gets overdone, and we end up over-focusing on problems to the exclusion of all that is good in our lives. As we begin to train our minds to see the good in life, we will be surprised to see that very often, the good largely outweighs what is bad in our lives; it’s just that we haven’t seen it.”

The interview, led by Mylon Medley, assistant director of NAD Communication for news, who produces, edits, and hosts the show, is one example of the topical, relevant conversations featured on the podcast, which airs twice a month. The show is the first official podcast of the North American Division. It is also a brand extension of NAD NewsPoints, a weekly, digital newsletter that reaches more than 16,000 subscribers with news, ministry resources, and special announcements. Executive producers of “NewsPoints ON THE AIR” are Dan Weber, director of NAD Communication, Julio Muñoz, and Kimberly Luste Maran, the department’s associate directors.

“‘ON THE AIR’ is such a rich and unique extension of the NAD’s news portfolio,” said Maran, who is also the editor of the NewsPoints e-newsletter. “I’m sure those who listen or watch will thoroughly enjoy this informative and inspirational podcast.”

Previous episodes have covered 1) safely re-entering public spaces as it relates to COVID-19, featuring Dr. Vincent Hsu, internal medicine, infectious diseases, and preventive medicine physician at AdventHealth; 2) understanding the role of civic engagement in Adventism, featuring Orlan Johnson, director of NAD Public Affairs and Religious Liberty; 3) using an authentic chai tea recipe as a means of storytelling, featuring Kevin Wilson, pastor and viral TikTok sensation; and 4) navigating the effects of daylight savings time, featuring Dominique Gummlet, certified wellbeing expert and transformation coach.

“We are so excited to finally join the cutting-edge podcasting community, connecting with 144 million Americans who listen to this medium of broadcasting. With such a talented storyteller as our host, it will give the Adventist Church in North America the opportunity to speak with influential, inspiring guests who discuss contemporary issues and how we can help share hope in our communities,” said Muñoz.

The podcast came to fruition after Medley successfully pitched the show to the communication department and the division’s leadership, which includes NAD officers, vice presidents, and special assistants to the president. The leaders thanked Medley for seeing the void and creating a solution.

“In her presentation, Mylon highlighted the growth and consumption of podcasts among young adults, one of the core, target audiences of the NAD administration. They saw this as an opportunity to empower a young adult to reach out to her own community,” Weber said. “I’m excited that Mylon is using ‘NewsPoints ON THE AIR’ to further our goal of reaching all our members in the NAD territory.”

“I’m especially grateful for the support from NAD leadership, who did not hesitate to green-light this endeavor,” added Medley. “They understood the need for the division to enter into the booming podcast world with a creative take of spreading the message of hope and wholeness. I don’t take that for granted.”

Where to Find “ON THE AIR”

“NewsPoints ON THE AIR” can be found on the platforms below. Listeners are encouraged to subscribe and share the program with their family and friends.

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/newspoints-on-the-air/id1532913430
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4QrZRZDlMeRfjp6LOhLXNl
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL25hZHBvZGNhc3RzL2ZlZWQueG1s?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjKkoj64JntAhWng3IEHTxhAWYQ9sEGegQIARAC
Podbean: https://nadpodcasts.podbean.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CD3QUGEF5w&list=PLdHOMDEbKmFw4suszGIIIjfe50wRk2YNR

This article was originally published on the North American Division’s news site