Explore every episode of the podcast Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Dive into the complete episode list for Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
292 How a Mother Helped Her Child Find Healing from Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal Thoughts
14 Nov 2024
00:25:01
Episode Summary:
In this Sacred Scar Story, we hear from Lori Wildenberg who faced the unimaginable pain of nearly losing her daughter to depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. She shares how her faith and God’s presence guided her through this dark journey, ultimately bringing healing to both her daughter and herself. This story of resilience and hope offers encouragement for anyone navigating similar struggles.
Quotables from the episode:
Wounds have to be uncovered and cleaned out before real healing can take place.
With great pain often comes fear, which can paralyze us and keep us from moving forward.
Even when God healed my loved one, I had to come to the realization that I, too, had wounds that needed healing.
It sounds counterintuitive but helping others helped heal me.
God sets us up to have interdependent relationships.
God is our helper.
Even those parts of our lives that are messy and embarrassing can be used by God to help others.
If you suspect your child is suffering from anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation, ask them if they are thinking of hurting themselves, so you don’t have to ask, ‘Why didn’t they tell me?’
Scripture References:
Hebrews 6:19 (NIV) We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
John 16:33 (NIV) I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals
Helping families create connections that last a lifetime is Lori Wildenberg’s passion. Lori, wife to Tom, mom of 4, and Mimi to 1, shares her stories of failures and successes, in her books and talks, to encourage and equip parents. As a licensed parent and family educator, she leads the Moms Together Facebook group and page and co-hosts the Moms Together Podcast. The Wildenberg home is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. www.loriwildenberg.com
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
291 How to Find Freedom from Anger and Build Healthier Family Relationships Through Faith
07 Nov 2024
00:31:32
Episode Summary:
Our guest on this episode, Kathy Collard Miller, was raised by a very angry mother. The more Kathy tried to suppress her anger, the more it surfaced. Over time, Kathy found herself expressing her anger toward her husband and her daughter, and in her own words, abusing her daughter. Kathy shares her painful wounds in this episode, as well as the story of redemption and the beautiful sacred scars God has given her.
Quotables from the episode:
Sometimes when we talk about pain or wounds, that pain comes at the hand of another. Sometimes we have no explanation for why it happens (like a medical diagnosis), and sometimes we participate in choices that end up hurting us in the long run.
Frequently our greatest areas of ministry come out of our greatest areas of pain.
I have a unique story because not only was I wounded, but I wounded others in turn.
As a child, I didn’t know I had anger building up inside of me until in third grade I hit my best friend in the nose. To this day, I have no recollection what I was so angry about that would prompt me to be aggressive. As my friend ran away sobbing, I thought to myself, “See what happens when you get angry, Kathy? You’d better never get angry again!”
Buried anger doesn’t go anywhere except making a volcano.
Also in the third grade, I was sexually harmed, although I didn’t know that that was what it was called, but I thought it was my fault and that I should have prevented it. So the anger toward myself began to build.
My mother was orphaned at the age of ten, resulting in her own anger issues toward me that built up inside of me. I didn’t know it would be detrimental toward others later, but I’ve also found it to be something that God has used in amazing ways.
I was never taught how to appropriately deal with my anger. As a little girl who tried to be perfect to prevent me from overreacting in anger, I then thought that God must be disappointed in me and that he was expecting me to be angry.
Because of the messages I was taught when I was growing up, I pictured God in heaven with his arms crossed saying, “Kathy, when are you going to be perfect so I can love you?”
After I became a Christian at 17, I married my husband, Larry. But all the anger that had built up in me started coming out toward him because his promise of being my perfect, Godly, prince charming didn’t come true and left me totally disappointed. I interpreted that as there was something wrong with me.
I began to believe I wasn’t loved or cared for and that came out in bitterness, anger, criticism, never being happy, or never being thankful for what my husband did do.
I began to displace my anger toward my husband on to my two-year-old daughter because when she misbehaved, I interpreted that as “I am a horrible mother.” In the end, I began to physically abuse her.
I kept praying for an instantaneous deliverance of my anger and when God didn’t do that, I believed God had given up on me, and I almost took my life. But God intervened.
We have to feel it to heal it, meaning we have to acknowledge the pain. Then we have to choose to engage in the healing process. When we don’t choose the path of healing, other things will happen and there will be consequences of that, until one day it comes out at a less opportune time and a less opportune way.
Scripture talks about the importance of getting wise counsel. There is no shame in needing help. Seek out a trusted friend, a mentor, a counselor, a coach, or a pastor and get help. Do not try to handle your pain alone.
When people didn’t follow through with what they said they were going to do, I concluded that I was worthless.
My healing began when I got the courage to share my sin with the women in my Bible study that I led in my neighborhood. They began to hold me accountable, and they prayed for me. I started taking parenting classes and reading books and I read in the Bible Ephesians 4:26, “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”
I can be angry, but surrender whatever it is that I think I deserve that’s causing my anger.
God showed me that I was making my husband an idol because I was expecting him to be responsible for my happiness and contentment. That brought me to the place where I could acknowledge God was the only one who could fully meet my needs. And whether or not my husband ever changed, that was up to God.
As God began to have me share my story, other women would come up to tell me that they struggled with the same thing but had never told anyone else.
My relationship with my daughter and our family is healed. She has always supported my ministry sharing with others how I treated her. She loves God. I thought I had destroyed her, but God has redeemed us and brought about a sacred scar. There is always hope with the Lord.
What the enemy intended for evil, God is using for good.
There is healing when we share our story in safe places. We need to get wise, safe counsel so that we don’t go back into the hiding. Satan loves secrets and he loves to cause us to hide and isolate.
My journey of healing came little by little by little.
When we have thoughts, we need to stop and ask, “Is this the truth according to scripture?” If it is, we allow it in. But if it is not, we need to reject it, and recite God’s truth.
If God can deliver a child abuser on the verge of suicide, God can help you!
I was more concerned about Jesus’s reputation than my own.
Scripture References:
Ephesians 4:26 NIV “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”
Genesis 50:20 NIV “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Revelation 12:11 NIV “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
James 5:16 NIV “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals
Kathy Collard Miller (www.KathyCollardMiller.com) is the author of over 60 books including women’s Bible studies, a memoir, Christian living books and Bible commentaries. She is also a popular women’s conference speaker who has shared in over 30 US states and 9 foreign countries. She has been married to Larry for 55 years, is the mother of two and grandmother of two and lives in Boise, Idaho.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
282 How to Find Hope and Healing When Life and Parenthood Don’t Go as Expected
05 Sep 2024
00:22:00
Episode Summary:
It’s human to have a picture, an expectation, in our mind of how life is going to go. But what do we do when our experience doesn’t match our expectations? My guest today, Julie Sunne, shares from her painful wounds of when life and parenthood didn’t go as she expected, having gone through five miscarriages and two children born with significant disabilities. But Julie also shares about the faithfulness of God and how she has seen Him redeem her pain and bring beautiful sacred scars from it.
Quotables from the episode:
As a young wife, I experienced four miscarriages, and gave birth to four children, two of whom had disabilities: my oldest son was born with a disabled arm, our daughter was born with significant intellectual disabilities, and another son was born with learning disabilities.
I expected my pregnancies and parenthood being textbook, and my view of God, since I viewed myself as a “good person,” I expected to have a “good life” so to speak.
We often have this naïve expectation that if we do good, God will bless us. It’s not that he doesn’t bless us, but too often, we are expecting him to bless us in a certain way and it doesn’t always look like that.
My wounds caused me to turn away from the source of all freedom. I was very angry and had a lot of bitterness which captured me and took me to a very dark place. I didn’t have peace, I didn’t have joy, and I didn’t know the freedom that Christ would give.
My anger was largely toward God, although also toward my husband because we were grieving differently. We both needed to grow in our faith but were growing at different rates.
I also had some guilt that I couldn’t save my baby, and that I had perhaps done something wrong.
In my deepest depression, after a miscarriage, I didn’t want anything to do with God, and I didn’t want to get out of bed, I didn’t want people talking to me, and I didn’t want to hear from God.
God exercises His sovereignty not based on what makes us comfortable but on what will edify and refine us.
Looking back, I so clearly see how he used the most devastating things in my life to bring about such beauty and hope. I couldn’t be the parent I am now, I couldn’t be the caregiver I am now, without the trials I went through.
One of the things I had to learn with my daughter was to accept the whole of who she is and not to separate her out from her disabilities.
Looking to the future is a scary thing for us with our daughter, but I would be in a panic all the time if I didn’t know and had seen his faithfulness through all these years in the struggles and the valleys.
God has allowed me to share my story to help others feel less alone in what they are experiencing. Since he has healed me, I’ve been able to draw strength from what I’ve gone through.
I’ve been able to accept my daughter, draw strength from my daughter, and love her for who she is, and even learn from her. She has taught me so much like how to love and have compassion and empathy. Those are not that were inherent in me.
The Lord used those wounds to make me a more beautiful person on the inside. I wouldn’t want to walk through what I walked through again but I can see so much beauty in what he’s done through it. He allows me to comfort others and reach out to others to make a difference and point them toward Him.
Because He has created beauty on the inside, that is what spills over onto others when we get bumped and pressed.
Whatever difficult situation we face, the God of the universe is in charge of it. Whether large issues or seemingly small ones, He knows what’s going on, and He has a plan.
As the Sovereign, He is allowing the hardship in this season for a reason. We may not understand, but when we accept the mystery of the Divine Supreme Being, believing He has control over all and is never caught off guard, we can choose trust over worry.
When something difficult happens in my life, God has to keep reminding me that it took me by surprise, but it didn’t take Him by surprise, and He already knows how He’s going to get me through it.
What flipped the switch for me was taking my attention off my anger and putting it on the needs of my daughter; it gave me purpose and realizing apart from Him, I didn’t have the strength for that either.
God showed me that I couldn’t fix my daughter the way I wanted to, and it made me put my eyes on Him. He created her, He knows her. When that realization came, that I had to surrender my strength to Him, surrender her, and surrender all my expectations to Him, I could begin to see that He was there all along.
God is trustworthy. We can trust Him even when we can’t understand Him. He’s going to be there for you; He loves you. Just take it one minute at a time. He’ll meet you in that minute. You’ll look back and see that He was faithful and He’s not going to leave you.
We all have wounds. But in the hands of a sovereign God, we can trust that He really will use it all for good.
Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals
Julie Sunne writes about finding real hope amid life’s real struggles. Her own struggles include enduring multiple miscarriages and caregiving for her adult daughter who has significant intellectual disabilities. Julie’s writing has been featured in print devotionals for several online sites. Julie and her husband, David, are parents to three grown sons and a daughter and reside with their daughter in rural northeast Iowa.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
192 Partnering with God in the Nitty, Gritty Details of Business and Life
15 Dec 2022
00:38:36
Episode Summary:
Have you ever thought about the fact that God doesn’t need us to accomplish things in this world, but that he offers the opportunity for us to partner with him? Have you ever pondered what partnering with God means, or how to go about it? In this episode, I chat with Kim Avery about partnering with God in the nitty, gritty details of business and life.
Quotables from the episode:
I took a long, hard and honest look at my business and my client’s businesses and had to ask myself these questions: if our business partner is the Almighty, all-knowing, all-providing God why don’t our businesses look any different than the businesses of those who don’t know God?
More than that, we don’t we look any different than entrepreneurs who don’t know God? We are just as hurried, worried, and stressed as they are.
We try to do things for God, but the invitation is to have God with us. That’s a totally different game when we make God our CEO.
I’m so thankful to be learning that God really does care about all the details of my life and that He is available and waiting to help me with it.
As Christ-centered entrepreneurs, God wants us to be bold, humble, joyful, peace-filled, so that what overflows out of us onto others will be consistent with His character.
Partnering with God in prayer doesn’t have to be complicated, fancy, or heroic. Instead it can be BRIEF:
Business-Related: Abandoning our default mindset of if it’s going to be, it’s up to me, we invite God into our daily work, seeking his supernatural presence, purposes, and power.
Relevant: Exchanging our typical global requests, “Bless this business, Lord,” for our granular reality, such as “Help me to be humble and self-forgetful in today’s meeting with Bob,” we ask God to work in and through every specific attitude, activity, and engagement of each particular day.
Inside out: Shifting our prayer focus from a results-only orientation, we pray in cooperation with the way God most likes to work—from the inside out:
In us
In our relationship with him
In our relationships with others
In our relationship with our business
The results our work has in the world
Expectant: Acknowledging that God is always at work, even when things are not what we’d hoped, each day we watch for his moment-by-moment movement, trust his promises, and celebrate his answers.
Frequent: No longer compartmentalizing our relationship with him to discrete times of the day, we practice the presence of God throughout each day, ceaselessly interacting with him as we partner with him to change the world.
We all have a head knowledge that God is for me, but we need to take God’s grand principles into our small, granular reality.
The failure rate in small business is so high because we need to shift our focus to what God is doing in us rather than because of us.
Failure comes when our contribution outpaces our character.
We live in a largely unchurched world, so as entrepreneurs, God gives us the opportunity to reach those who might not otherwise be reached because they don’t set foot in a church.
When we are not trusting God with every aspect of our business, and instead default to worry and hurry, we are essentially being a functional atheist, because we are believing God will not provide.
Start super small with very specific requests that you know God also wants for you, then walk expectantly through your day watching for how He is at work. It’s a treasure hunt and a grand adventure.
Scripture References:
Jeremiah 33:3 NASB ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
Isaiah 28:16 ESV “Whoever believes shall not be in haste.”
2 Corinthians 9:8 NASB "And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;"
After leaving her career as a counselor to become a Professional Life Coach, Kim also became an accidental entrepreneur. Coaching was in its infancy then, so it took her years of trial and error and training to create a path to success.
Since that time, she’s made it her goal to help other Christian coaches and entrepreneurs shorten and streamline the business building process.
Kim is now a successful business coach, Vice-President of Marketing at the Professional Christian Coaching Institute, co-host of the Professional Christian Coaching Today podcast, author of The Prayer Powered Entrepreneur: 31 Days to Building Your Business with Less Stress and More Joy.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
191 How to Experience Revival in our Hearts
08 Dec 2022
00:40:28
Episode Summary:
Do you long to feel a closer connection to God? To discern His voice, experience His peace, and live in His joy? Erica Wiggenhorn and I talk about how to experience God’s faithfulness when surrounded by uncertainty, how to reignite our hope instead of losing heart, and how to realize the call of God, reawakening our purpose when we experience revival in our own hearts.
Quotables from the episode:
Revival is a personal heart cry before God, asking Him to meet us in our desperation and brokenness.
We tend to doubt our beliefs and believe our doubts because of distraction, and as a result, God feels far away.
Doubt can be the doorway to intimacy with God.
Revival brings us to God who can do anything and is always doing the best for us.
The enemy’s desire is to cause us to doubt God’s character.
There is no intimacy without first an investment of time.
Faith is always intermeshed with fear.
What we see as punishment, like God saying no to a request, may actually be God’s protection for us.
Scripture References:
Ezekiel 11:19-20 “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from then their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”
Ezekiel 20:42 “Then. You will know that I am the Lord, when I bring. You into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.”
Erica Wiggenhorn is an award-winning author and the founder of Every Life Ministries, bringing you the truths of Scripture to transform your life. By digging deeply into God’s Word, Every Life Ministries encourages you to discover your unique purpose, accept God’s promises, and live by His power. She loves to bring God's Word to anyone who’ll listen, whether it’s a large women’s conference, a church women’s retreat, her own kitchen table, or across your computer screen with her teaching series or YouTube Channel.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
190 How to Enjoy Creative Bible Study
01 Dec 2022
00:36:43
Episode Summary:
Do you ever get in a rut with your Bible study? Have you ever wondered “how can I make my Bible study more creative?” Or perhaps, “what’s the most effective way to study the Bible for me?” You won’t want to miss this week’s episode. My friend Pam Farrel and I will talk about how to make our Bible study time more creative! By the time the podcast is over, you’ll want to grab a copy of one of her Bible studies so you can start reaping the benefits!
Quotables from the episode:
Creative Bible study helped me memorize scripture better.
You can’t think of your problems while you’re in the midst of being creative.
Creative Bible study slowed me down to help me pause to ponder God’s word.
The most effective way to study the Bible is whatever method gets you engaged and consistent.
Hope is waiting expectantly for God to show up and show off for your good and for His glory.
The good news is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Good=beautiful, best, bountiful, and blessed
Scripture References:
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
“…I [Jesus] came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]” John 10:10 AMP
Pam Farrel is an international speaker, author of 57 books including bestselling "Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti" translated into over 15 languages. Her newest creative bible study, co-authored with Jean E Jones and Karla Dornacher, is Discovering Good News In John: A Creative Bible Devotional Study Experience, an Amazon #1 bestseller.
Pam and her husband, Bill, together run Love-Wise, and Proverbs 19:8 ministries to equip, enrich and encourage people in their most vital relationships. Pam's favorite role is being Mom to 3 sons, 3 daughter-in-love’s and Nana to her 5 grands and two new grand babies soon to arrive. Pam and Bill make their home on a live aboard boat docked in Southern California so she also loves biking, a beach walk, kayaking or a paddleboard adventure.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
189 How To Get Organized and Simplify Your Christmas Holidays
24 Nov 2022
00:43:48
Episode Summary:
We're approaching that time of the year again where the stress and overwhelm of the holiday season can take our emphasis off the reason for the season. We're sharing a replay of a popular podcast episode with Marcia Ramsland, the Holiday Pro. She shares how we can get organized and simplify our Christmas holidays. And the good news is, we can start now!
Quotables from the episode:
Getting organized is something that can be learned and will save you time, give you focus, and mental clarity.
It’s always too early to start preparing until it’s too late to begin! So start your holiday preparations now.
Part of what makes our holidays stressful is the fact that we already fill our days 24x7, then have to add more to our schedules for the holidays.
Simplifying our holidays and our lives starts with decreasing our expectations.
The problem with the poverty in the world is not God’s provision but our distribution.
Scripture References:
Proverbs 13:4 “The sluggish crave and have nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”
Proverbs 14:1 “A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Marcia Ramsland is well known as The Leading Online Organizing Coach, a Business Productivity Expert, and author of the Simplify Your Life: Get Organized and Stay that Way book series, which has sold over 100,000 copies. Marcia is a nationally recognized media guest appearing in Woman’s Day and Real Simple magazines, the Wall Street Journal, and Martha Stewart radio. Marcia believes anyone can become more organized – even you – with the Motivation, Momentum, and Mastery which she provides in her Online Courses and Fast Track Coaching!
For more information or a free consultation visit her website www.organizingpro.com.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
188 How To Have a Simple Christmas and Reconnect with the Real Reason We Celebrate
17 Nov 2022
00:28:10
Episode Summary:
Christmas time can be so stressful. Would you like to experience calm in the midst of the holiday chaos? What if I told you that you could enjoy a more simple Christmas and, in doing so, reconnect with the real reason we celebrate the holiday? Join me with Tama Fortner as we talk about how to have a Simple Christmas.
Quotables from the episode:
“Simple Christmas” is the book I wish someone had written for me when my children were little, before I had all these life experiences under my belt. So many things about “how Christmas is supposed to be” just didn’t work for my family. I want to give moms permission to chart their own course, while also providing some thoughts to draw them closer to God and His Son.
It’s important to learn to be more thoughtful and intentional about what we allow into our life and our family time, especially at the holidays. Just because we’ve always done this or everybody does that, doesn’t mean it’s right for us this year.
As you launch into this holiday season and start filling up calendars and to-do lists, ask yourself three questions: Does it make me smile? Does it make my loved ones smile? (Because aren’t those the things that makes us mamas smile?) And, most importantly, does it make God smile? When you filter everything through these three questions, the things that really matter quickly rise to the top.
If a holiday tradition is no longer working for your family, kick it to the curb!
The need to keep up with what everyone else is doing is overwhelming. Give yourself permission to simplify, to let some things go to savor the most important things this holiday.
Recognize that as a child or daughter of God, you are loved regardless of what you do, how perfectly wrapped the gifts are, or how beautiful the holiday table is.
When you reach yours or others’ expectations for yourself, the bar moves, the level increases, and you’re under more stress to continually be doing even more.
Always start with reading the Bible! That is where God talks to us, where His will, His way, and His peace are found. Quiet time can be hard to carve out for moms, so I suggest that quiet time doesn’t have to look “perfect”—with a cozy chair, coffee, Bible, and an hour of uninterrupted silence.
Sometimes quiet time is a state of mind that we carry with us into the chaos. And sometimes it has to be snatched up in a moment here and there. So keep a Bible with you always. I love an actual paper Bible, but apps on the phone are so convenient to soak up a verse waiting in carpool or whenever you have a moment.
When we start our day off in the word, and allow Him to set our intentions, we will get done what HE deems important for the day, and we will feel more at peace.
Jesus’s ministry was centered around interruptions. When we allow ourself to be interrupted and look for the possibility in those interruptions, we will find the people in need and what they need, so that we’re accomplishing God’s to-do list for the day.
Let other moms be good at what they are good at without the need to compare yourself to them. You’ll shine in the areas that you are good at.
Consider what it is that you want at the end of the holiday season, and then your to-do list will begin to reflect what you ultimately desire.
Scripture References:
Luke 2:19 (NIV) — Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) — You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Luke 1:47–48 (NIV) — My spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
Acts 17:28 (NIV) -- For in him we live and move and have our being.
Tama is an ECPA award-winning author with more than forty titles to her credit. She is the writer behind the bestselling Indescribable for Kids series with Louie Giglio, as well as a number of books in the Jesus Calling children’s line, including the wildly successful Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids, which has sold more than 1,000,000 copies to date. Tama has collaborated with such well-known authors as Max Lucado, Rebekah Lyons, and Emily Ley to create inspirational books for all ages.
Tama has been working as a freelance writer, ghostwriter, and editor for more than twenty-five years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of the Cumberlands and a master’s degree from Appalachian State University. Tama and her husband have two children who are growing up much too fast for their mama’s liking. They live on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee, where they enjoy sampling new restaurants, watching old movies, and eating lots of popcorn with far too much butter and salt.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
187 How to Rest Effectively to Refill and Refuel when Life is Busy
10 Nov 2022
00:37:10
Episode Summary:
Life is busy. There always seems to be more to do than time to do it. We often miss the special moments because we rush through life. Resting allows us to savor those moments. If you struggle to rest effectively so that you can refill and refuel, this episode is for you! Marci Siether shares the art of how to rest effectively.
Quotables from the episode:
We often miss the special moments because we rush through life. Resting allows us to savor those moments.
Resting is often about pacing and prioritizing…like the difference between sprinting versus running a marathon—those runners don’t start off at the same pace. We need to pace ourselves, with moments of rest so we can make it through the things that must be done.
If we don’t take time to come to a full rest and refuel, we end up “bleeding out” on ourselves and those around us.
Too often we reserve rest and relaxation for vacation because we feel guilty for resting. But God offers us rest as a gift.
We need to give ourselves buffer in our lives to create margin, which reduces our stress when things don’t go as planned.
We need rest, we deserve rest, and we will be more productive for taking time to rest.
Rest is something God set as an example for us from the beginning. It isn’t something that we HAVE to do..it is something that refills and refuels us. When we don’t fully rest..it is like the lesson of the bell ringer.. that knows an unsilenced bell allows the sound to “bleed’.
Don’t wait. Put it on the calendar. Take time and MAKE time to set apart a moment to rest. Rest and peace are often interchangeable. In a world so desperate for peace..set the pace in your own heart, with your own family. Whether it is at the cabin on a lake or on the back porch with a cup of your favorite tea or coffee. Take time to rest in the Lord today.
Peace and patience go hand in hand.
Scripture References:
Psalm 62:1-2 NIV “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”
Matthew 11:28-29 NIV “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give your rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
John 14:27 NIV “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Marci Seither’s writing career began after her humor article was published in a small-town newspaper over twenty years ago. Since then, she has authored two books and hundreds of articles for local papers as well as Guideposts, Focus on the Family, and Clubhouse Magazine. Her biggest joy, besides being married to John for 37 years and raising six kiddos is spending time with her grandkids in the kitchen.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
186 Learning to Trust God with Our Decisions
03 Nov 2022
00:33:55
Episode Summary:
Kristine Brown and I talk about learning to trust God, especially in our decisions. Making decisions is a process, and it can seem overwhelming at times. Kristine shares what she learned in order to move from decision fatigue to trusting God with her decisions.
Quotables from the episode:
So often we trust God with the big things in life, when it’s the little things that seem so hard to trust Him with.
When my pastor said, “You know God’s got this, right?” I realized I wasn’t so sure I did. That’s when I realized something needed to change.
I wanted to go from saying I trusted God to actively living it out in my life.
In order to fully trust God, we have to trade our “what ifs?” for “living as if!”
I came to the place where I prayed, “Lord, show me what you want me to learn through the hard stuff.”
We struggle to trust God because we want the assurance that everything will be okay.
We must make our decisions in good faith to trust that the Holy Spirit is guiding us.
The best thing we can do as we learn to trust God more with our decisions is to make a daily commitment to release control to God.
Scripture References:
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Psalm 73:24 ESV “You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.”
Hebrews 10:23 ESV “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Kristine Brown is a ministry wife, mom, stepmom, and Mimi. A former chronic worrier, Kristine loves connecting women today with women of the Bible and sharing lessons learned through her website, freelance writing, and speaking to women’s groups. Any given day you can find her texting her young adult kids, taking a walk through her neighborhood, or ordering another new book to read. To connect with Kristine, visit kristinebrown.net.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
185 Raise children to have a strong foundation in Jesus
27 Oct 2022
00:34:37
Episode Summary:
Lee Ann Mancini and I talk about raising children to have a strong foundation in Jesus. It’s her passion to equip parents with valuable resources so they can raise their children to have a strong foundation in Jesus—the only foundation that will last. This is such an important topic given the world we live in and the influences our children are under. We talk about how to help kids with bullying, why forgiveness is important, why kids are walking away from their faith and more.
Quotables from the episode:
I see how children are walking away from their faith – first priority is the salvation of our children and the preservation of Christianity.
Kids are leaving home and being influence by a humanistic perspective from their professors and peers.
The enemy of our soul and our children’s souls likes to attack at the foundation. We need to give our children spiritual meat, not mild.
If our children don’t have a solid foundation in Jesus by the age of 10, they are significantly more likely to walk away from their faith.
I believe His will for me is to equip all who are raising the next generation to have a strong foundation in Jesus that will last a lifetime.
Don’t look at the world and have despair – With God’s help, we can overcome. God’s word tells us the whole narrative, and we only need to walk in faith and spiritual sight.
Your kids will reflect the mirror of your character.
Our children are our future. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit for their transformation and do all we can to teach them the ways of the Lord.
One of the most important things we can teach our children is how to forgive each other.
Play is the highest form of science and education for our children.
Make today the day that you decide what is most important for raising our children to have a strong foundation in Jesus.
Scripture References:
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Psalm 78:5-6 NIV: He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.
Psalm 51:6 NIV: Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Lee Ann hosts the award-winning Raising Christian Kids podcast, which can be found on all major platforms, including CounterCultureMom.com, Pray.com, and Edifi.app. Raising Christian Kids is a five to ten-minute podcast that equips and empowers parents, grandparents, teachers, and all who are raising the next generation to have a strong foundation in Jesus. Lee Ann also has an informative webinar presentation that highlights her research and biblical knowledge in this area. “It is first about the salvation of the children and then about the preservation of Christianity.” There is truth to the adage, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world!”
Lee Ann is an award-winning Christian children’s author and Executive Producer of the new animation series Sea Kids, which can be seen on Trinity Broadcasting Network, Pure Flix, Right Now Media, and SeaKidsTv.com.
Lee Ann Mancini received a B.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies from Regent University, a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Trinity International University), and two Master’s degrees from Knox Theological Seminary in Biblical and Theological Studies and Christian and Classical Studies.
She is a professor at South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary teaching Apologetics, Romans, Ministerial Ethics, Prison Epistles, and The Bride of Christ. She holds a board position with South Florida Bible College & Theological. She also holds a board position with the Alexandrian Forum, under the tutelage of Dr. Warren Gage Th.M., J.D., Ph.D., an organization seeking to bring a greater understanding of the Bible by hosting annual Typology Conferences in South Florida dedicated to the theme of Christ as the center of scripture.
Her God-given mission and desire are to serve all who are raising the next generation of Christians by preparing the soil to be rich from the womb to age three in which to plant the seeds that grow deep roots from ages four to ten.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
184 How To Forgive Someone Who Hurt You Emotionally and Isn’t Sorry
20 Oct 2022
00:37:08
Episode Summary:
How do you forgive someone who hurt you emotionally? How do you forgive someone who traumatized you? How do you forgive someone who isn’t sorry? Our guest, Mark Sowersby, shares a gripping testimony of forgiveness, God’s grace, and overcoming in the midst of life’s hurts, pains, and abuses. Join us as we talk about how to forgive someone who has hurt you and isn’t sorry.
Quotables from the episode:
I was an abused victim but I learned that was not my identity. My identity was a child of God.
I came to realize, I’m not a victim—I’m victorious because I made it through.
The first casualty of trauma is the loss of trust.
When you ask God hard questions, you get hard answers, but you get the right answers for you.
If you start by moving a pebble, then a stone, then a hill, eventually with faith you will move mountains.
God became bigger than my mountain of pain, abuse, and trauma.
Forgiveness comes through Jesus.
Forgiveness does not mean reconciliation.
Trusting God is where forgiveness begins.
Scripture References:
Psalm 10:14 NIV “But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”
Acts 10:34 KJV “Then Peter opened his mouth and said, ‘Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.’”
Pastor. Husband. Father. Reverend Mark Sowersby has been married to his wonderful wife Jennifer for 18 years and is the father of four children. Mark has been an ordained minister with Assembly of God for over 25 years and is currently the Pastor of Calvary Community Church in Dudley, MA. Pastor Mark holds a BA in theology from Zion Bible College/Northpoint Bible College.
In 2019 Pastor Mark went through a time of great healing. He began speaking about the experiences of his past and God’s grace and the transformational work of forgiveness in his life. He now speaks about his story through his ministry, Forgiving The Nightmare.
When he isn’t serving his congregation and his community through ministry, teaching, and support, you can find him on all the trails and lakes in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Upstate New York, spending time with his family.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
183 How To Heal from Sexual Trauma and Violence
13 Oct 2022
00:39:16
Episode Summary:
Latest statistics indicate that about 20% of Americans have experienced attempted or completed rape. That is over 430,000 American victims each year, 1 rape every 73 seconds. Yet only 5 out of 1,000 rapists go to jail. What has led to tolerance of sexual violence and trauma? Why is this the most underreported and under-prosecuted crime in this nation? Why are so few perpetrators held accountable? What can we do to end sexual violence, compassionately meet the needs of victims and show perpetrators that we take this crime seriously? Our guest, Lisa Saruga, is going to share how to heal from sexual trauma and violence.
Quotables from the episode:
Not everyone who is the victim of sexual assault is a survivor. This title is used to empower victims, but some victims carry a burden of trying to live up to that title. Do the hard work of surviving.
God doesn’t forget our experiences. He wants to heal us, but we have to be open to the work that healing entails. God didn’t purpose for you to be abused, but he can use all things for his purpose.
I have learned to trust God, his timing, and his faithfulness. He showed me in a powerful way that when we are working to chip away at walls that stand in the way of healing, we have no idea what kind of powerful work he is doing on the other side of that wall.
Often justice doesn’t look like we think it should, but God is just!
Only 2.5% of all rapists go to jail.
Sadly, in our justice system, if there is no conviction of a perpetrator, there is no protection of the victim.
While God does not purpose for us to experience trauma, he can use our trauma for his purposes if we let him. Sometimes he is up to great things when we don’t even sense that he remembers our trauma.
I encourage victims to find a support network and talk about the experience. Hiding it away on a back shelf in our brain does not work forever.
If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you first have to decide what is right for you. Some people want to report the assault, but others don’t because of the resulting blaming and shaming. But definitely seek a support system to walk you through the healing process. Know that it takes hard work to be a survivor.
We all experience bad things in our life. We can heal from trauma with appropriate help, but tragedy results when we don’t heal from the trauma.
Scripture References:
Romans 8:28 (NLT) And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT) He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
Psalm 27:13 (NLT) Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.
Recommended Resources:
Lisa’s Journal: Writing a Bright Future (Upside Down and Inside Out) and the white gel pens are available in her shop at LisaSaruga/Shop
Lisa is a licensed professional counselor, keynote speaker, author, and legal and ethical specialist. She specializes in therapy for victims of sexual violence. Her own story resulted in the reopening of her thirty-five-year cold case, when someone finally reported the identity of the man who wore a ski mask when he assaulted Lisa as a freshman in college. The man was never arrested because of archaic laws and loopholes that protect perpetrators over victims. Lisa regularly meets with legislators to advocate for laws to protect victims of sexual violence. She believes that, although God doesn’t purpose for us to experience trauma, he can use every event in our lives for his purposes.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
281 How to Find Your True Worth in Christ: Overcoming Lies and Embracing God’s Truth
29 Aug 2024
00:24:44
Episode Summary:
In this episode, I talked with former runway model, Jennifer Strickland. Jennifer shared how she suffered emotional and spiritual wounds when she allowed others’ opinions of her to determine her worth and value. Through her journey, she discovered the importance of finding the true source of her worth -- in Christ. Now, she ministers to other women who need to know this life-changing truth as well.
Quotables from the episode:
We all have pain and hurt, and if we aren’t careful and don’t get healing, that is what the enemy uses to hold us back, to think that we are not worthy to be used by God, that we are not worthy of love and acceptance.
Sometimes, those things are things that have happened to us. Other times, they are things that we have made a conscious decision to participate in.
But I’m here to tell you that your past is not wasted. And that thing that you think is so shameful, embarrassing, or disgraceful is often exactly what God wants to use to encourage others and to help you grow.
I was 22 years old when I lived in Milan and was modeling on the runway. A particular man came into my life as a father figure and he saw that I could be a top model. That began a long journey in my life of believing that I was what man said about me.
The lens that agents and photographers saw me became the lens through which I saw myself. If they said I was beautiful, I believed it, but if they said that I was ugly or anorexic then I believed that.
This particular relationship became toxic for me spiritually. I really believe that the enemy worked through this man to plant some really poisonous lies in my heart.
When I didn’t make the choices that he wanted me to make, he told me I was disposable, so I allowed man to determine my value.
On the spiritual side of things, when I discovered Jesus, it drove me into a deep study of who was man? The word of God says, “do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save…but if you put your trust in God it will be like a well-watered garden.”
It was the destructive lies that I heard from my interaction with this man that led me to write many of the messages I write now which helps women understand what’s going on with them when they allow a good man or a bad man to give them their identity, value, or worth.
I carried the lies I believed about man determining my identity even into my marriage even after I became a Christian. So, if my husband said anything, even if he was trying to help me, I became very defensive and fearful based on what he said. I had to heal from those lies.
I had to wallpaper my mind with truth. I had to forgive. It was very difficult for me to forgive a couple of particular people in the modeling industry for how they impacted my life, but when I did, I could then filter what other people were saying to me through a lens of wholeness.
I had to do that healing work first before I could receive from Godly men, like my husband or father figures in a healthy way. I could receive constructive criticism or correction without believing it had anything to do with my identity.
The enemy often plants lies in our childhood before we are mature enough to identify them as lies. The longer and more frequently we hear them, the more they become imbedded. It takes a lot of time and willingness to go deep and ask, “what lies have I believed?”
Healing is a process and if we will take those wounds to God, he can take them, heal them, and turn them into beautiful sacred scars.
The key to healing is always honesty.
For me, healing began with writing my story, speaking my story, and identifying the patterns that were going on.
I also believed that I was only as valuable as what I saw in the mirror or what I saw in other girls. That continued into my ministry as social media was throwing other people in my face, whereas when ministry was one on one with me and another girl, I never thought about that or played the comparison game.
I had to learn to celebrate other women and continue running in my own lane and do it well.
It’s a matter of dealing with the memories, assessing the lies and replacing them with the truth of what God says about us.
I am his ambassador, I am his daughter, I am the apple of his eye. He never takes his eye off of me. I am loved by him every single day. His grace is sufficient for me.
We have to stand on his truth and then walk in it. Confession and repentance is so important. The power of being honest about our sin is unmatched.
Once we get honest about our struggle, is the first step, and then replacing it with truth of who we are.
Culture today talks about “my truth” but that is just more deception from the enemy because there is only one truth and it is God’s truth based on what he has already spelled out and told us in his Word.
You are already loved, accepted, and adored by the God of the universe!
Scripture says that the heart is deceitful above all else, and we rely on “our truth” that is deception.
What I admire about your ministry is that you are taking a very painful wound from your teen and young adult years, and using it to minister to other women, as a beautiful sacred scar because you can say, “I’ve been through this. I know the lies you’re believing. But let me share with you what I’ve learned on my journey.”
God showed me my scars served a redemptive purpose by allowing me to get to the bottom of the well where things were so dark and so destructive for me. I was suicidal, I was using drugs and alcohol. I was starving myself. I hated myself. God allowed me to get to a place of total darkness.
At that point, when I began reading God’s Word for the first time, and Christians invited me to church, I began to see that the lies the world tells us about beauty, worth, purpose, “my truth” means nothing. It’s such a shallow wide ocean that you drown in real quick.
But his love is endlessly deep. You can dip your toe into the word of God the rest of your life and stay endlessly refreshed.
It’s a lifelong walk of saying society is not going to define me, media is not going to define me, but God is going to be the one to define me and fill me up.
We need to turn every day to the Lord and say, “I need you to fill me up. I need your wisdom today. I’m not going to find it in me.
If something devastating has happened to you, or if you’ve made poor choices, you are not too far gone for the God of the universe to reach down into that pit and say, “Let me show you a different way and let me not only bring you out of it but redeem it for good and for my glory.”
When it seems impossible, remember God is the God of the impossible so let him do the seemingly impossible in your life.
The hope filled perspective is that God will shine his light into the depths of your dark sea, but you have to choose to swim after it. God sold everything he had for you, and that was his son, Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world. So, when he wants to shine that light on the beautiful person you are, but you have to be honest and let him wash you with his spirit to be able to reveal who you are really intended to be.
When you’re in that very painful place, that sand of adversity, let it shape you more into his likeness.
Scripture References:
Psalms 25:20 NIV “Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.”
Psalms 146:3 NIV “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.”
Jeremiah 17:9 NIV “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”
Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals
Jennifer Strickland is a former international model, TEDx speaker, author, wife, mother of three, and the founder of a non-profit called U R More, that helps women and girls discover their value, identity, and purpose.
Jen has written several books and studies teaching women and girls their true worth, including Girl Perfect, More Beautiful Than You Know, Beautiful Lies, and 21 Myths (Even Good) Girls Believe About Sex. She holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and a master’s degree in writing with an emphasis in biblical studies.
In her earlier days, Jen worked for 15 years as a professional model, appearing in Vogue, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan. She was featured in ads for Converse Tennis Shoes, Oil of O’lay, Mercedes Benz, Eddie Bauer, and Jordache; and at the height of her career, she walked the runways of Europe for Giorgio Armani and represented Barbie for the 35th anniversary of the doll. But Jen learned beauty is more than what meets the eye when she discovered what she looked like in God’s eyes.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
182 Domestic Abuse in a Christian marriage
06 Oct 2022
00:54:46
Episode Summary:
Domestic abuse is the most misunderstood yet silenced epidemic of our time in our churches and in society. The numbers are mind-boggling. 35% of women at some point in their lives experience stalking, rape, and/or physical abuse, and nearly half experience coercive control and/or emotional and verbal abuse. Those numbers are astounding. And they are no different in the church. We all know someone whose life has been turned upside down by domestic abuse. Charlene Quint and I talk about recognizing, removing, and recovering from domestic abuse in a “Christian” marriage.
Quotables from the episode:
In its simplest form, abuse is any behavior that is used to gain and maintain power over another.
Domestic abusers tend to have a lack of empathy, a grandiose sense of self, pride, and a lack of remorse.
Cheap grace is grace that is extended without true repentance.
The #1 reason people stay in an abusive relationship is fear regarding a lack of financial resources.
Every relationship with an abuser will end badly.
If you’ve been in an abusive relationship, be gentle with yourself, heal, restore, and live intentionally.
If God has removed someone from your life, you don’t need them.
Scripture References:
2 Timothy 3:2-5 NLT “For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”
Genesis 50:20 NLT “You intended to harm be, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”
Charlene Quint is a family law attorney in the Chicago area who focuses her practice on helping women overcome domestic abuse. She wrote "Overcoming the Narcissist, Sociopath, Psychopath, and Other Domestic Abusers: The Comprehensive Handbook to Recognize, Remove and Recover from Abuse" to help victims of domestic abuse become the fearless victors that God designed them to be. She is the founder of AbuseCare.org, a nondenominational faith-based organization designed to provide hope and healing to women in their journey from victim to victorious and to educate and equip churches in caring for victims of domestic abuse. Quint is co-chair of the Partnership for a Safer Lake County, a network of organizations combating all forms of abuse. She is a Certified Domestic Violence Professional, an advocate for victims of abuse, a facilitator of multiple support groups, and a domestic abuse survivor. She speaks publicly to raise awareness of domestic abuse and provides training for churches on how to address abuse in the church.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
181 How To Identify Toxic Friendships
29 Sep 2022
00:32:05
Episode summary:
If we’ve lived long enough, many of us have gone through difficult friendships. Sometimes, we’ve endured friendships where we’re just not appreciated as much as we give out and others seem to die way too early. Some of those relationships can be some of the most painful experiences that we go through. Join me for this replay of an author interview with Mary DeMuth about her book, 7 Deadly Friendships.
Quotables from the Episode:
There can be redemption in a relationship that’s hard.
No one should demand that you forgive on their timetable.
If someone is really angry at me, I have prayed a lot, Lord, deliver them from their bitterness and give them the power to forgive me.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation.
I believe that life is, life really is boiled down to our relationships.
If someone is bringing you down and it’s affecting your relationship with God and your relationship with others, it’s important to recognize that for the sake of your own soul.
Mary DeMuth is an international speaker and podcaster, and she’s the novelist and nonfiction author of more than 40 books, translated into five languages. She loves to help people re-story their lives. She lives in Texas with her husband of 29 years and is the mom to three adult children. Find out more at marydemuth.com, or be prayed for on her daily prayer podcast prayeveryday.show. For sexual abuse resources, visit wetoo.org.
180 How We Can Be Transformed and Not Conformed to the World
22 Sep 2022
00:28:41
Episode Summary:
Missy Eversole and I talk about how we can be transformed and not conformed to the world. What does conformity to the world mean? How can we avoid being conformed to the world? If you’re a people pleaser, you won’t want to miss her story.
Quotables from the episode:
The older I get, the more I realize that all I really need is Jesus. I don’t need to be “Pinterest perfect.” I just need Jesus.\
No matter how spiritually dry you are, Jesus is waiting for you with open arms, ready to quench that thirst with the Living Water that He provides.
It’s not sustainable to think we can live in a Pinterest-perfect life.
Conforming means we are blending in with the world when we are called to be salt and light.
When we begin the transformation process, we see small results right away.
If you have time to scroll on social media, we have time to read the Bible.
Scripture References:
Romans 12:2 ESV “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Missy Eversole is a wife, mom of two sons, an author, and a speaker. She and her husband, Craig, have been married for twenty-one years and live in Morton, Illinois. Missy shares her love for digging deep into God’s Word as a contributing writer for Proverbs 31 Online Bible Studies. She is the author of Transformed, Not Conformed: Embracing a Life-Changing Approach to Spiritual Habits and writes about her faith and family on her blog, MissyEversole.com.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
179 Importance of Sharing Your Story to Encourage Others
15 Sep 2022
00:28:15
Episode Summary:
In this episode, my guest, Meg Glesener, and I talk about the importance of sharing our stories. Meg lived a hard life of childhood abuse, alcoholism, berating, and abandonment, yet through her trials, she learned the value of our individual stories. Sharing your story is powerful! Join us for encouragement that comes from an extraordinary story of faith.
Quotables from the episode:
God has taught me that we don’t have to prove ourselves loveable to Him. He loves us regardless.
It’s not time to share our story with others until we are no longer reliving the pain of it.
Sharing our story with others, whether one or many, is planting seeds of courage in them to do the same.
Scripture References:
Ps. 147:3 ESV "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
Rom. 11:4 ESV "But what was the divine response to him? I have kept for myself seven thousand people who have not bent the knee to Baal.” (Elijah felt sooooo alone in his pain and struggle. But he wasn't. And we aren't either.)
John 14:3 ESV "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."
Meg Glesener is the host and producer of the Letters From Home Podcast, where she publishes every other week for your encouragement, "Everyday Extraordinary Faith Stories". Her podcast can be found on Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher and all of the places podcasts live, including most social media platforms. She and her husband Mike, and their youngest 3 kids live and serve in Seattle, Washington.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
178 How To Navigate Life Transitions Triumphantly
08 Sep 2022
00:27:56
Episode Summary:
How do you navigate major life transitions? Life doesn’t always go the way you planned. How do you find hope when pain and heartache enter your story? If you are struggling with an unexpected and unwanted transition in your life, today is the episode for you. Page Geske shares how to navigate life transitions triumphantly. There is hope for the journey.
Quotables from the episode:
Our physical scars can point people to Jesus if we allow them to.
When navigating a difficult transition, you have to choose to press into God and trust Him regardless of the outcome.
Instead of asking “Why me?” It’s more productive to ask “Why not me?”
God gives a test and develops a testimony to those who will testify about what God has done.
Scripture References:
Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding, seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”
1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.”
John 14:26 NIV “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Page Geske’s professional career involved being a former campus pastor with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. She also worked in the healthcare industry, and as a sales professional within the advertising industry. Her professional life has been as important as the adversities in defining her. She experienced a severe automobile accident with many subsequent surgeries and rehabilitation, and the loss of a marriage at a time when she needed support most. Yet despite it all, Page has intentionally pursued living out loud according to God’s original design.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
177 How To Look at Pain as a Gift
01 Sep 2022
00:42:05
Episode Summary:
Have you ever thought about how to look at pain as a gift? Is it possible? In this episode, I talk with Tera Bradham DeNeui, a swimmer who had her sights on the Olympics until injury and chronic pain entered her life, changing the path God had for her. If you suffer with chronic pain, you won’t want to miss her hope filled message.
Quotables from the episode:
When you can’t hold on anymore, you have to trust that God is still holding on to you.
Lord, complicate my life with a holy complication.
My discipline with swimming led to my discipline in spending time with God in my daily quiet time.
We are socialized to believe questioning God indicates a lack of faith. But in reality, asking God questions shows our trust and faith in God.
If you find God in your suffering, and prove Him to be faithful, you will likely never walk away from Him.
Your pain has a tendency to close you in and decreases your vision.
Because we cannot turn off our pain, it forces us to look to God.
Freedom is being able to live outside our circumstances and know that our pain doesn’t define us.
God’s heart in suffering holds us in our suffering and redeems it.
Because Jesus suffered, He understands our suffering.
God heals people in the way that brings Him the most glory.
While we may long for God to heal us physically, the ultimate healing is in our hearts.
Scripture References:
Jeremiah 33:6-9 (Tera's life promise) “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and I will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise, and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant peace and prosperity I provide for it.”
Jeremiah 17:14 (NIV) “Heal me and I will be healed. Save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”
2 Corinthians 6:3-10 (NIV) “We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry may not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance, in troubles hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, good report and bad report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many people rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”
Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Tera Bradham DeNeui is an author, speaker, and podcast host. She loves to talk to animals like they're humans, curl up with a great book in an equally great blanket, and help others see God's faithfulness amidst their suffering. Her journey has led her across the world to deliver messages of empowerment and purpose. Tera writes and leads the Heal Ministry from her home in Vancouver, Washington.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
176 How To Keep Your Heart Happy in the Midst of Chaos
25 Aug 2022
00:42:24
Episode Summary:
Have your circumstances ever stolen your joy? Have you ever wanted to maintain a happy heart despite chaotic circumstances? Author and speaker, Tricia Goyer has a message for all the overworked, underappreciated moms: now is the time to tend your soul. We talk about how to have a happy heart in the midst of chaos.
The key is to stay centered on God’s love during chaotic circumstances.
Quotables from the episode:
“When we make small, positive changes to cultivate a heart that's happy in the Lord everything changes.”
Happiness can also be translated blessed. It’s not happy – I’m going to Cancun, or happy – I lost 10 lbs. It is that deep blessed settledness that comes from walking in God’s ways.
Happiness comes from walking out what the Lord is asking us to do.
Getting our heart happy is walking out the happiness that only God can provide.
By resting in the joyous comfort and love of God, true transformation can be found.
Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of ten, grandmother of many, and wife to John. Somewhere amid the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales that delight and entertain readers, and nonfiction titles that offer encouragement and hope. A USA-Today bestselling author, Tricia has published seventy-five books to date and more than 500 articles. She is a two-time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award finalist. Tricia is a member of the blogging team at TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites. In addition to her roles as wife, mom, and author, Tricia volunteers in her community and mentors teen moms. Learn more about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
175 Reinvent Yourself after Empty Nest
18 Aug 2022
00:41:35
Episode Summary:
So often as parents we focus on raising our children but give little attention to preparing for life when they are no longer in our home. Today we’re going to be talking about reinventing yourself after the empty nest. Jill Savage is here to give us hope from her own experience.
Quotables from the episode:
Empty nesting is like experiencing grief upon grief…nothing prepares you for the tsunami of emotions.
Think of the empty nest as your encore season.
If we don’t let go of what was, we can’t hold on to the new.
You’ll always be a mother or father, but you are no longer parenting them.
Our expectations are preconceived resentments. The higher our expectations, the greater the risk of discontentment.
It’s time to keep our opinions to ourselves and join the “keep it shut club” and pray it, don’t say it.
When we let go of opinions, we become a safe place to be around.
Your kids’ new life is not a rejection of you, it’s a reflection of their growth and independence, learning how to navigate adulthood.
Sometimes we’ve made our kids’ successes/choices an idol in our heart.
Worry is a worship of our circumstances.
Motherhood is a ministry of availability.
“What do you have for me, Lord? Help me to see that more than less.”
Jill Savage is an author and speaker who is passionate about relationships. She has been called one of today’s most exciting female speakers. Her honest, engaging communication is strengthened by her ability to make her audience laugh while they learn.
Jill is the host of the No More Perfect Podcast and the author of fourteen books including Empty Nest, Full Life, Real Moms ... Real Jesus, the best-selling No More Perfect Moms, No More Perfect Kids, Better Together, and No More Perfect Marriages. Jill and her husband, Mark, live in Illinois and have five children and eight grandchildren. You can find Jill online at www.jillsavage.org.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
174 How to Break Free from Regrets that Hold You Back
11 Aug 2022
00:41:47
Episode Summary:
Have you ever wondered how to break free from regrets that hold you back? I talk with Rhonda Stoppe (a.k.a. the “No Regrets Woman”) about how God’s word gives us hope to break free from the regrets that often hold men and women back from living the abundant life Christ came to give. You won’t want to miss the personal anecdotes and Scripture she shares to help us in our pursuit to live a life without regret.
Quotables from the episode:
Regret keeps us stuck.
Regret leads to shame and blame, neither of which are productive.
Shaming drives us to sin more.
Knowing truth keeps us from being stuck in shame.
The providence of God is in the moments of our lives.
When we fail, Jesus meets us in the place of our failures.
When God forgives, He forgives to the utmost!
What you feed your flesh, it craves.
What you’ve done is not who you are—you are a new creation.
I am more knit together with those whom I study God’s word with than anyone else in my life.
God is bigger than your regret!!
Scripture References:
Philippians 3:13b-14 ESV “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Psalm 139:23-24 ESV “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
Rhonda Stoppe is the NO REGRETS WOMAN. With more than 30 years’ experience helping women build no regrets lives. “I could have listened to Rhonda talk all night, “ is what audiences say about Rhonda’s enthusiastic, humorous, transparent teaching, and zeal as an evangelist.
She’s committed to fulfill the Titus 2:4 commission by mentoring, teaching and writing books that are inspiring, grounded in Scripture and easy to read––like you're visiting with a friend over coffee.
Rhonda is the author of 6 books and appears on numerous radio programs including: Focus on the Family, Family Life Today and Dr. James Dobson’s FamilyTalk, & hosts The No Regrets Hour. She’s an evangelist and speaker at women’s events, College Women’s Chapel, Pastor’s Wives Conferences, MOPs and Homeschool Conventions. Sharing the gospel at her NoRegretsWoman Conference is her sweet spot. Rhonda is a regular contributor for Crosswalk and many other magazines.
Rhonda ministers alongside her husband Steve, who for 20 years has pastored First Baptist Church of Patterson, California. They live out their own Real Life Romance writing books and speaking at their No Regrets Marriage Conferences, but their favorite ministry is their family. They have four grown children and 10 grandchildren. To learn more about Rhonda’s speaking topics, watch her teaching and to book Rhonda for your next event visit: NoRegretsWoman.com.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
173 Overcome Low Self-Esteem with Audacious Grace
04 Aug 2022
00:45:18
Episode Summary:
Nancy Kay Grace and I talk about how to overcome low self-esteem with audacious grace that sustains us. Nancy shares where low self-esteem comes from and how we can overcome and combat it by taking our thoughts captive. By the grace of God, we can overcome.
Quotables from the episode:
In studying grace, I see that God provides salvation through grace but also grace for daily life.
Grace sustains us in all the seasons of life. We are then to be grace givers to share grace with the hurting world.
Part of overcoming low self-esteem is learning to rest in His refuge of his love and peace.
It’s a gift when we accept God’s gift of peace and realize no matter what, God is with us.
I determined to use my faltering tongue to speak for God.
Low self-esteem is often the result of comparison, the performance trap, perfectionism, and people pleasing.
God accepts me as I am, and I can become a new creation.
All grace starts with God. He makes himself known to us. He gave us the ultimate gift of grace in Jesus Christ.
Hope in God is a secure foundation in ever-changing life situations.
When I struggle with depression, I have to recall God’s promises of hope and what his word says about my worth.
To combat low self-esteem, we need to change our view of ourselves for God’s view of us.
Learn God’s word so that you can replace negative thinking with God’s truth. It’s not easy, but through grace, God will help us take our thoughts captive.
Scripture References:
2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV) “God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things at all times, may have an abundance for every good work.”
Psalm 42:5,11 (NIV) “Why, my soul, are you so downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put you hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
Psalm 139:14 (NIV) “I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
John 14:27 (NIV) “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Nancy Kay Grace enjoys sharing coffee and conversation. She is a Bible teacher, speaker, and award-winning author of The Grace Impact, a devotional about God’s grace in our lives. Nancy is married to her favorite pastor, and is enjoying the stage of life with two married children and six precious grandchildren. For relaxation, Nancy loves hugs from grandchildren, playing piano, and hiking. Nancy’s blog and GraceNotes newsletter signup are found at www.nancykaygrace.com.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
280 How to Find Purpose in Pain After a Hemorrhagic Stroke
22 Aug 2024
00:26:57
Episode Summary:
My guest today suffered a hemorrhagic stroke at the age of 29, and then subsequently developed epilepsy. I speak with Lori Vober about how God has taken her painful wounds and fashioned them into beautiful sacred scars, teaching her that every trial we face provides us with unique opportunities we might not have otherwise encountered.
Quotables from the episode:
With the right perspective, attitude, and perseverance, we can stay unstuck and keep moving forward even with our difficulties.
Some of our greatest areas of ministry come out of our greatest areas of pain and woundedness.
My journey took me through pain physically, mentally, and emotionally but God had me in the palm of his hand because he not only saved my life but he started me on my faith journey long before the stroke so I had a firm foundation to stand on and I learned more and more about how to depend on him.
He gives us a choice regarding how we are going to look at our painful wounds, and I’m so grateful that allowed me to go through the fire but also to become closer to him.
When we go through trials, we can either lean into God or we can run the other way. But he’s not going to chase us. He wants us to willingly come to him.
When things are going well, I have a tendency to think, “I’ve got this, God. I’ll let you know when I need help!” But when I go through the trials that seem so dark, that’s when I hold onto every nugget that the Lord has given me over my life.
Trials offer opportunities. Too often, we begrudge the trials and don’t dig in to look for opportunities and don’t consider things outside our box.
Perseverance ends up yielding the blessing of God’s mercy and compassion.
Perseverance has definitely been required. No one clued me in that 21 years down the road I would still have a disability.
Grief and loss have also been part of the equation but didn’t hit me right away, but rather, has been a journey that I’ve had to go through over time. But it has helped me to recognize the importance of processing grief and loss in order to move forward.
Sometimes we associate grief and loss with the death of a loved one, but grief and loss also occur when we lose our functioning or lose our dreams.
God gives us so many mini-miracles, and when God doesn’t give you the dream of your heart, we have to be okay with that and thank him for all the other mini-miracles He has provided. If He had granted me the full desires of my heart, I would not have had the blessing of the journey that has led me to where I am today.
We need to let God be God and still trust him.
I woke up paralyzed on one side. I can walk, but I do so with a limp. I have physical pain. I’m still actively engaged in therapy. But He keeps giving me amazing opportunities.
God can handle our anger…He knows about it anyway.
When I finally expressed my frustration and anger to God, it was as if He was saying, “now we can deal with it and get somewhere.”
Vulnerability is so important, but we can do so honestly in a positive way.
I’ve learned so much through my own need for emotional support, that was never really met, how to support others.
When we are vulnerable in our suffering, it gives other people permission to be honest and vulnerable about their situation too.
We’re all going to go through something painful, embarrassing, shameful, but in the hands of a redemptive God, he can bring about a beautiful sacred scar.
We have to give grace to ourselves as well as to our friends and family members who aren’t sure how to help because they haven’t gone through it themselves and truly don’t understand.
Every challenge, every trial that we go through is part of His master plan and purpose for us, it’s just a matter of us getting out of the way of our plans and saying, “Yes, God, I understand that this doesn’t fit into my plan, but it does fit into yours.” We have to be willing to look at how our situation fits into God’s master plan.
I have a tendency to make my plans and want God to fit in it, but we need to surrender to His perfect plan.
God is the only thing that is going to get you through painful situations. Our true hope is in God. The One who created us and the One who is waiting for us at the end of this earthly life is the only One who truly matters.
Scripture References:
James 5:11 “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals
Lori Vober suffered a hemorrhagic stroke at age twenty-nine, and then developed epilepsy from the stroke. She is a survivor, overcomer, connector, and passionate about sharing hope with others. With the right perspective, attitude, and perseverance, we can stay unstuck and keep moving forward. Even with her difficulties, Lori and her husband, Dainis, were able to become adoptive parents to a sibling group of three. Lori’s journey and books can be found at www.lorivober.com.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
172 How To Overcome Adversity
28 Jul 2022
00:39:57
Episode Summary: Have you been knocked down by life’s circumstances and are struggling to get back up? Join me with Dr. Mel Tavares as we talk about how to overcome adversity and rise from the ashes. Those things that seem impossible are not impossible when we’re working with God and cooperating with Him.
Quotables from the episode for Overcoming Adversity:
If we aren’t advancing in the battle, we are retreating.
We have to serve our way out in order to rise up from our ashes. As we pour into others, our pain is redeemed.
To be content, we have to let go of what we think we should have or deserve to have.
Our circumstances don’t define us.
Scripture References for Overcoming Adversity:
Matthew 17:20 (Amplified) He answered, “Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, [a]if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.
John 10:10 (NIV) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NIV) Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Dr. Mel has a unique 35-year concurrent background in church ministry, writing, publishing, counseling, and education. She holds a Doctorate of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling and is on-staff in her local church, wearing multiple hats as the Pastoral Assistant. She is an award-winning author who has written four books penned under her name, is a contributing writer to several books including the (August 2021) DaySpring release “Sweet Tea for the Grieving Soul”, contributes to several online magazines including CBN and Inspiration Ministries, has served as a ghostwriter for ministry leaders, and coached dozens of published authors. Mel passion for equipping and teaching has led her to found a local ACW Chapter, teach at Writers Conferences, as well as Bible courses.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
171 How To Know God's Purpose for Your Life
21 Jul 2022
00:51:33
Episode Summary:
My guest, Ronne Rock, and I talk about knowing what God wants us to do with our life; how we know our purpose. We have a God-designed influence, impact, purpose, and story, and yet so often we don’t see it for what it is. We compare ourselves to others and think we are supposed to be like them. But the truth is, God created each of us with a unique set of gifts, talents and personalities.
Quotables from the episode:
One of the things I learned as a child was that I had to do it all myself and I couldn’t count on anyone else.
True leadership requires humility, a servant attitude, and valuing others.
When God said that He blessed man and woman, blessing means ‘happy am I.’ God delights in you!
Sometimes we may feel we are lacking in ability, but we all have time and can offer the gift of our presence.
When you’re seeking to know God’s purpose for your life, start by filling the space you’ve been given.
God takes everything in our lives and makes it purposeful.
When you’re seeking to know God’s purpose for your life, start by asking God, “How do you see me today?”
Scripture References:
Genesis 1:26-31 Now let Us conceive a new creation—humanity—made in Our image, fashioned according to Our likeness. And let Us grant them authority over all the earth—the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, the domesticated animals and the small creeping creatures on the earth. So God did just that. He created humanity in His image, created them male and female. Then God blessed them and gave them this directive: “Be fruitful and multiply. Populate the earth. I make you trustees of My estate, so care for My creation and rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that roams across the earth.” God (to humanity): Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant that grows on the earth and every fruit-bearing tree. They will be your food and nourishment. As for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and every small creeping creature—everything that breathes the breath of life—I have given them every green plant for food. And it happened just as God said. Then God surveyed everything He had made, savoring its beauty and appreciating its goodness. Evening gave way to morning. That was day six.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are the product of His hand, heaven’s poetry etched on lives, created in the Anointed, Jesus, to accomplish the good works God arranged long ago.
Ronne Rock weaves themes of transformative hope and grace-filled leadership into everything she shares on page and stage. She's an award-winning marketing executive who travels around the world to gather words and images that inspire others to action with Orphan Outreach, a global nonprofit dedicated to serving the orphaned and vulnerable. Ronne offers battle-tested wisdom about leadership, advocacy marketing, and finding God in the most beautiful and painful of circumstances. She lives in Austin, Texas.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
170 Alcohol & Addiction: Never Too Lost for God to Find You
14 Jul 2022
00:28:36
Episode Summary:
I talk with Tonie Camacho who lost a parent early in life, lived with a mentally ill mother, was sexually abused, raped and left for dead. She turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism. After her third DWI, and time in jail, God saved her. She learned that you are never too lost for God to find you. Sobriety is a daily struggle. But Tonie learned that the storm doesn’t last forever and God is on the other side with His hand open.
If you or a loved one struggle with alcoholism and addiction, you’ll want to listen to this hope-filled perspective.
Quotables from the episode:
You are never too lost for God to save you.
My saving grace was when God showed me He truly was willing to leave the 99 to save me.
Addiction is about control and requires surrendering to God for control.
I maintain my sobriety because God saved me and drinking again would be thumbing my nose at God.
The storm doesn’t last forever. God is on the other side with His hand open.
God was with her the whole time. All she had to do was turn around.
Scripture References:
Psalm 5:10 NKJV “Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a new spirit in me.”
Psalms 27:1 NKJV “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; whom shall I be afraid?”
Tonie Camacho is a 53-year old woman in recovery from alcoholism; drinking since the age of 14. She was sexually abused as a child, raped at age 24 and left for dead. Today she is a new woman with a thirst for life and the Lord. She believes that with God all things are possible.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
169 How To Hold Onto a Christian Worldview
07 Jul 2022
00:38:32
Episode Summary:
In this week’s episode, Cindy Sproles and I talk about how to hold onto a Christian worldview despite what we see going on in our country and our world. Cindy shares some startling statistics about the direction of our youth and we discuss questions like…What is a Christian worldview? How do we share it? Are we teaching our children?
Quotables from the episode:
We need to focus on doing what makes God happy rather than what makes man happy.
The best way to share our Christian worldview is by our example…how we demonstrate love.
Our Christian worldview comes out of our genuine love for God.
A church with no history is bound to repeat its mistakes.
Scripture References:
John 14:16 (ESV) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Deuteronomy 31:8 (ESV) It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Cindy K. Sproles is a writer, speaker, and conference director. She is the co-founder of ChristianDevotions.us and Christian Devotions Ministries. Cindy is a mentor with Write Right Author Mentoring Service and serves on writers conference faculties nationwide. She is a best selling, award-winning author of three novels with the 4th releasing soon.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
168 Self-Care for the Caregiver
30 Jun 2022
00:36:50
Episode Summary:
Jess Ronne and I talk about self-care for the caregiver. You may not currently be in a caregiver role but at some point in our lives many of us find ourselves there. Today’s guest is the mother of eight children, one of whom has profound special needs, and she was the caregiver for her husband who suffered for three years with brain cancer. She shares today about what she’s learned regarding self-care for the caregiver.
Quotables from the episode:
As a caregiver, my life depends on respite. Sometimes we have to search for pockets of respite.
As a caregiver, we need to be intentional about good habits to take care of ourselves so we can continue caring for others.
Self-care is taking care of your body (exercise, nutrition, adequate sleep) so we can continue caring for others.
As a caregiver, you may need to ask your spouse when they can give you a little time for yourself that fits around their needs and schedule.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned through caregiving is not to get caught up looking at the future and trying to control it.
As a caregiver, your job is to stay obedient to what God called you to do and release control to God.
The caregiver’s to-do list never ends.
Caregivers desperately want to be seen.
Scripture References:
Psalm 23:1-3 “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths bringing honor to his name.
Isaiah 35:10 NLT “Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.”
Jess Ronne is an author, speaker, documentary producer, and caregiver advocate. She is the founder and executive director of The Lucas Project—a non-profit dedicated to provide recognition, resources, and respite for special needs families. She and her husband, Ryan, live in Tennessee with their 8 children, including their son, Lucas, who has profound special needs. Her story of beauty from ashes has been shared on The Today Show, Daily Mail, and Huffington Post, and is detailed in her memoir Sunlight Burning at Midnight. To follow the ongoing saga, she can be found at Jessplusthemess.com or thelucasproject.org.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
167 How to Maintain Hope while Waiting on the Salvation of a Loved One
23 Jun 2022
00:34:54
Episode Summary:
Bunny Yekzaman and I talk about how to maintain hope while waiting for the salvation of a loved one. My guest today was a Christian when she married a Muslim. She was in love and thought it was her job to save him. She’ll share what transpired and what she learned through it on today’s episode.
Quotables from the episode:
There are two ways of praying: in faith or in doubt.
When praying for our lost loved ones to be saved, we must ask God in faith without doubt.
If we pray His will, we have the confidence that He will answer those prayers.
We can’t prove God to someone—He proves Himself.
My love for God kept me in my marriage…not my love for my husband.
God took my mess and used it to create my message.
Prove God’s love to your loved ones by loving them regardless of how they respond to you.
When I think of and pray for my lost loved ones, I have to first remember I was once lost.
Scripture References:
1 John 5: 14-15 “This is the confidence we have in Him, that, is we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request we have asked of Him.”
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
Philippians chapter 4:6-7 NASB "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
James 1: 6-7, 19 NASB "But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
1 Corinthians 7:12-16 "But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?"
Bunny Yekzaman is a child of the King, a wife of 42 years, mother of 4 & grandmother of 8. She is a disaster relief chaplain, and works as an Enrichment specialist for a nursing home. Her passion is sharing God’s love & truth with a faith in His faithfulness to His promises. She lives with hope for her lost family and friends and finds it her calling to pray in faith for them.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
166 Healing from Abuse and Trauma to Walk in the Fullness of Who God Created You To Be
16 Jun 2022
00:27:59
Episode Summary:
Kristin Clouse and I talk about how to find healing from abuse and trauma to walk in the fullness of who God created you to be. Healing from abuse is possible for all through Jesus. We talk about overcoming shame, breaking the power of secrecy, and more.
Quotables from the episode:
Healing from abuse is possible for all through Jesus.
Nothing of no one is beyond restoration with our Jesus.
The love of God and counsel of Godly people helped heal me.
Shame often misappropriately dictates our identity, value, and self-worth.
What happened to me doesn’t dictate my present or future.
I know where I was. I know the despair, brokenness, and destructive places I came from. Jesus found me, healed me, and set me back on the path He created me for. I believe this is for every woman.
It is possible to live a life where no longer our past dictates our present and our future.
Ignoring abuse or trauma doesn’t mean pain and resulting issues go away on their own.
Challenge your shame-led thoughts with the truth of God’s word.
Nothing and no one is beyond the restoration of Jesus. What He did for me, He can do for you.
The first step is to bring your story to the light. Find someone who you trust, who you can share your story with.
When we break the power of secrecy off of our lives, healing can begin, and shame can be broken off of our lives.
One of the ways we attempt to cope with abuse is by shutting all the memories and pain away inside of us. We lock them up and try to ignore them.
All that energy you use to escape your past, use to fight for your future.
You are worth fighting for because Jesus died for you.
Scripture References:
Psalms 23:3 "He restores my soul." (NKJV)
Psalms 34:18 "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted. And saves those who are crushed in spirit." (NIV)
Psalms 147:3 "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (NJKV)
Kristin Clouse is a speaker, licensed professional clinical counselor, pastor, published author, podcaster, and life, trauma and spiritual coach. She is an abuse survivor who helps hurting individuals find freedom, healing and restoration from trauma, abuse, and life difficulties by helping them recognize their soul wounds so they can grow closer in their relationship with Jesus. She is the author of Healing for our Soul Gardens: Restoration and Wholeness After Sexual Abuse and contributing author to She Writes for Him: Stories of Resilient Faith.
God has a purpose for each of us and Kristin is passionate to see women living out the FULLNESS of who God created them to be. Kristin can be found at: www.FullyRestored.love
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
165 How To Live from a Place of Grace
09 Jun 2022
00:47:28
Episode Summary:
I talk with Jami Amerine about learning to live from a place of grace. Jami shares how living from grace begins with your mindset and what you focus on. Because what you focus on grows, when you focus on love, gratitude, peace, joy and faith, those will grow and be magnified.
Quotables from the episode:
Grace is everything and once you are free, you are free indeed.
There’s no “but” in a good “I love you.” God never says “I love you, but…”
Fear is our most dangerous operating system.
Hope is a confident expectation.
Ask God to open your eyes to a greater appreciation of His grace.
Stop talking AT Jesus and listen TO Him.
I truly know I am cared for, I cannot get in trouble with God and I can never be separated from Him.
Scripture References:
Colossians 1:27 "To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of what is hoped for the evidence of that yet seen."
Romans 8:39 "Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Jami Amerine is an author, speaker, and artist. She and her husband, Justin live in the North Houston, Texas area. Jami and Justin have six children ranging in age from 6-25. Jami is a four-time published author and royalty artist. Jami and Justin are advocates for foster care and adoption. You can learn more about Jami at sacredgroundstickyfloors.com
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
164 How Mentoring Can Change Your Life and Even Help You Overcome Loneliness
02 Jun 2022
00:42:03
Episode Summary:
We talk about how a mentor can change your life and even help you overcome loneliness. My guest, author and speaker Jayme Hull, shares how her life was changed when she accepted Christ because her church assigned a mentor to her that walked with her and pointed her to Christ. She also shares about her experiences both as a mentee and a mentor and how a mentoring relationship can positively impact your life.
Quotables from the episode:
Knowing you need help growing in your faith is the beginning of mentoring.
A mentor is simply someone who is just a little further along in their Christian walk and is still growing and able to point you to Christ.
A mentoring relationship discusses how God is showing up in your lives.
A good mentor is a good listener, encourager, teachable, approachable, and always moving forward and growing.
Loneliness is what the enemy desires for us. But mentoring can help us overcome loneliness.
In the absence of a mentor, the Bible tells us that David encouraged himself in the Lord.
Scripture References:
Psalm 78:4,6-7 NIV “We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders…so the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.”
Titus 2:1-8 NIV “As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.”
1 Thessalonians 5:24 "God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful."
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”
JAYME HULL is a speaker and author of Face To Face: Discover How Mentoring Can Change Your Life with Moody Publishers and Side By Side: 8 Conversations To Build Your Confidence In Christ An 8-Week Bible Study to encourage women to stop avoiding the tough conversations and begin talking with the God of hope. She is also the host of Face to Face Mentoring Podcast. Jayme is a graduate of New York University and Certified Spiritual Direction Coach with the Blackaby Ministries International. She has spent a lifetime mentoring and training hundreds of Christian women to connect with God and others through a mentoring relationship. Her passion is to encourage others to invest in the next generation and make a positive difference in today’s culture. Jayme and her husband call the Nashville area their home and have three married children and 6 happy grandkids.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
163 Daily habits and practices that help you have a good day
26 May 2022
00:32:16
Episode Summary:
Our mindset matters. The choices we make matter. Our habits and disciplines matter. Join me with Jayne Patton as we talk about daily habits and practices we can put into place so that when we get up in the morning, our day is already off to a good start. Jayne also shares the one practice, above all else, that helps determine whether or not you’re going to have a good day.
Quotables from the episode:
When we ask the Lord for His lens through which to view our situation, it changes our perspective and frames our day.
We are told to put on the armor of God, and put on the garment of praise, but those are intentional choices we make to do what God has told us to do to fight our battles.
A key to having a good day is not just to be in the word, but to saturate your life with God’s word, actually believe what you are reading, and apply it to your everyday life.
We are told that in this world we will experience trials. In order to have a good day despite the trials, we must take a pre-emptive approach and do what we can ahead of time to help foster a good day.
When we have a cluttered environment, we also then tend to have a cluttered mind and a cluttered heart.
By taking the time to clear your area of clutter the night before, you can awaken in a state of peace, and the clutter and chaos around you won’t distract you from your quiet time with God.
Think about the fact that the Creator of the Universe wants to spend time communicating with you personally. Are you going to deprive Him of that?
Our homes should be a place of refuge and calm away from the stress and the chaos of the world.
Scripture References:
Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Jayne Patton holds a deep love for the global and diverse body of Christ followers. She believes in crossing over denominational lines to bring the gospel in a way that is powerful and relevant. Her prayer is that God uses her personal presentation style to bring others to a deeper level of understanding of the scriptures. She married her husband Mike in 1999 and together they have 3 children.
In 1996, Jayne graduated from Missouri Baptist University with a B.A. in Business Administration with a minor in Management. She left a lucrative sales career soon after the birth of her first child, and entered into the world of women’s ministry via the local church through facilitating Bible studies, hosting events, speaking locally, and more. Before launching Altered Ministries, she currently holds the position of Women’s Ministry Director for her local church, and has worked with government officials regarding the plight of persecuted Christians worldwide.
Jayne is a popular speaker at events, conferences, banquets, and churches through her inspirational and motivational speaking. Jayne loves to read in her spare time, can always be bribed with Mexican food, and never…EVER…turns down a double-stuffed Oreo. Ever.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
279 How To Find Healing After Unplanned Pregnancy and Adoption
15 Aug 2024
00:23:27
Episode Summary:
As part of our Sacred Scar Story Series, my guest, Julie McLaughlin, opens up about her deeply personal journey through teenage pregnancy and the heart-wrenching decision to give her baby up for adoption. For over 40 years, Julie and her husband kept this secret hidden, carrying the heavy burden of shame that often follows birth moms in similar situations. Julie shares how God transformed her painful wounds into sacred scars, bringing healing and redemption when her son found them decades later. Tune in to hear Julie's powerful story of overcoming the stigma of unplanned pregnancy and discovering the freedom that comes from sharing her story.
Quotables from the episode:
Areas that God puts us in to minister to others often comes out of our areas of our painful wounds.
I was shamed, embarrassed, and shocked when I became pregnant by my then-boyfriend (now-husband). I wasn’t ready to be a mom, and I wasn’t ready to get married, and with a lot of help by my parish-priest and others, I made the difficult decision to put my baby up for adoption.
The stigma of that unplanned pregnancy has been with me my entire life. I kept that secret from everyone for over 40 years.
I experienced so much shame attached to my actions. Shame makes you feel like you have fallen off the pedestal of life. I disappointed my parents (I was the oldest of five, and my younger brothers didn’t even know about it), and I disappointed myself. There was so much shame. I didn’t feel like I was the good Catholic girl I thought I was supposed to be.
I married my baby’s father, and we kept the secret for forty years from most of the people in our lives, including our two daughters we had. We didn’t tell that I had had a son and had put him up for adoption. At the time that happened, only a few people knew. I fabricated a story and that’s what people believed.
Although I lived a very full and fulfilling life, there were many things I shied away from (like running for public office) because I didn’t want my story to be found out.
Even when other people talked about teenage pregnancy or adoption, I never talked about it.
Our painful wounds often tempt us to keep our secrets hidden. Shame prompts fear (fear that we are going to be found out, fear of ridicule, fear that we are going to be rejected or abandoned, fear that people will share our story and it won’t be within our control…).
Out of fear, we often then isolate because we don’t want anyone to find out.
I probably experienced undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I suffered with medical problems through the years, I tried counseling but found out that the counselor’s husband worked with my husband so I feared my story wouldn’t be kept confidential, so I quit going.
When you keep your secrets quiet, I believe it will come out manifesting in different ways emotionally, physically, etc.
About six years ago, after I placed my son in an entirely private adoption, through Facebook and an ancestry service, my son found us (we had not been looking for him).
He found us and told us that he had had a great life, and that he appreciated the decision we had made, and ironically, he and his wife adopted a child (from the same agency I had used) when they were initially unable to have a baby, but then went on to have two more biological children.
When my son validated the painful decision we made decades before, not only healed the wound, but filled a hole in my heart all those years.
Because the story was out after my son found us, we started sharing our story, and we were received in such a loving way that was nothing like I had feared all those years ago. What we received instead was love and joy and peace.
So I was able to write a book about our story, shared my story with countless people and I’ve had the incredible opportunity to meet other birth moms with the same story, adoptive parents, adoptive kids, which has helped to heal me and my husband, and now there’s no longer a secret we can talk about it openly.
So often, when we are vulnerable enough to share our story with others, the outcome is rarely as bad as the enemy convinces us it will be. God wants to redeem and restore us, but He is waiting for us to come out of the darkness to share our pain with Him in the light of His love.
The most important redemption came through our daughters, who for over 30 years had no knowledge of having an older brother, loved us and accepted us and told us they were proud of us when we told them the news. They lovingly and unselfishly opened their hearts to him and his family.
God’s hand has been in this since our son was conceived. A friend told me that we had given a gift to another family years ago, and God has given it back to us to see his redemptive work and to see the joy. I’m not ashamed anymore!
Healing came with validation. We all need some sort of validation.
You may be in a situation where no one is validating you. But Jesus has already validated you. He died to pay the price, so He has already validated you.
Guilt, shame and regret do not come from your heavenly father. Scripture says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So accept his validation of you.
There is enough love to go around if we will open our hearts.
Keeping a secret all those years was VERY very hard. Being able to talk about it openly has been freeing physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Find someone to trust with whom you can talk it out.
There are resources out there for women with an unplanned pregnancy.
For me, that adoption decision was nothing short of a true blessing. I had given it over to God, but it does feel good to openly and honestly talk about it from a real human perspective.
We all have a story, and someone out there needs to hear our story.
After sharing our story with our daughters, one of them said, “Mom, you actually seem like a new you!” That shocked me. I think she was picking up on freedom.
Scripture References:
Romans 3:10 NIV “There is no one righteous, not even one.”
Romans 8:1 NIV “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals
Julie McLaughlin is a retired paralegal and legal secretary. She won numerous awards during her career in the legal field, and she is very active in her church. “The Gift of Time: A Birth Mother’s Memoir” is Julie’s first book about her adoption journey. She and her husband, Mike, have been married for 43 years.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
162 How What You Focus on Grows
19 May 2022
00:24:18
Episode Summary:
What we focus on grows and impacts the quality of our day for better or for worse. We’ll talk about the neurological reason why this happens! And, we’ll discuss how to improve your day with some simple steps on how to focus on God instead of problems.
Quotables from the episode:
If we are not careful our minds will rule for us. God tells us to stay close to the vine (John 15:4), be transformed (Rom 12:2) and the stories of sowing and reaping (Luke 8).
Before we decide what to focus on, we have to start with the end result. So often I have to ask myself, “What is the goal?” What do I want? Peace, joy, favor…the good stuff.
It’s possible to focus on God, not our problems.
There is a difference between focusing on facts as opposed to truth.
Simple steps for focusing on God.
Scripture References:
1 Timothy 4:13 Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.
Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Luke 6:45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Dr. Michelle Bengtson is an international speaker, a national and international media resource on mental health, and the author of the bestselling, multi-award-winning books Hope Prevails and the Hope Prevails Bible Study. Her book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip won the 2020 AWSA Golden Scroll Book of the Year and the 2021 Christian Literary Reader’s Choice Award in four different categories. She is also the host of the award-winning podcast Your Hope-Filled Perspective. A board-certified clinical neuropsychologist in private practice for more than twenty years, Dr. Bengtson blogs regularly and offers a wide variety of resources on her website, DrMichelleB.com.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
161 How Gratitude and Thankfulness Help Us Have a Good Day
12 May 2022
00:21:59
Episode Summary:
Are you wondering how gratitude and thankfulness could help us set ourselves up to have a good day? God commands us to come to Him with thanksgiving, but what difference does it make? I’m here to tell you, it changes everything. In this episode, we’ll talk about why they’re important how the positive impact they have on your well-being and stress level.
Quotables from the episode:
Gratitude is an emotion expressing an appreciation for what one has as opposed to what one wants.
Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what one receives—tangible or intangible—as they acknowledge the goodness in their lives.
Remember that being grateful is about appreciating what one has, as opposed to what one wants. Being thankful or thanking someone often implies you are acknowledging your thanks for something that someone has given you.
Gratitude helps make us happier, builds positivity, fosters sleep and relaxation, helps increase productivity. It leads to a less self-centered and materialistic life. Gratitude also improves our health and mental health, and helps improve relationships.
A grateful person experiences a higher level of positive thoughts like love, happiness, and lower stress level.
When we practice gratitude in life, we are creating a happy and less competitive life around ourselves, therefore, our overall well being increases.
There are several ways to express gratitude and thankfulness.
Scripture References:
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:11-13 “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Dr. Michelle Bengtson is an international speaker, a national and international media resource on mental health, and the author of the bestselling, multi-award-winning books Hope Prevails and the Hope Prevails Bible Study. Her book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip won the 2020 AWSA Golden Scroll Book of the Year and the 2021 Christian Literary Reader’s Choice Award in four different categories. She is also the host of the award-winning podcast Your Hope-Filled Perspective. A board-certified clinical neuropsychologist in private practice for more than twenty years, Dr. Bengtson blogs regularly and offers a wide variety of resources on her website, DrMichelleB.com.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
160 How God’s Promises to His People Help Them to Have a Good Day
05 May 2022
00:19:29
Episode Summary:
In today’s episode, we are talking about how God’s promises to his people help us have a good day. There are very few things we can depend on in this world, but we can depend on God to keep His promises, and because of that, we can have a good day despite our circumstances.
Quotables from the episode:
People change their mind, and they break their promises, but God is not a man and he cannot lie, so he cannot break his promises.
A promise is of no more value than is the ability of the one who makes it to carry through. It also includes willingness to do so.
There are over 1000 promises from God to his people.
God supplies every need we have and His grace is sufficient for us.
God promised his children won’t be overtaken by temptation.
God promised victory over death and that all things work together for good.
He promised love and forgiveness for those who believe in Jesus.
Scripture References:
2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”
Romans 4:13, 16 "For the promise that he should be heir of the world, was not to Abraham or his seed through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. . . therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed."
Genesis 22:18 "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice".
Acts 13:32-33 says: "And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again."
Philippians 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus".
Jude v24 "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present your faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."
Acts 2:32 "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses."
1 Corinthians 15:3,4 "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."
1 Corinthians 15:57 "but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Dr. Michelle Bengtson is an international speaker, a national and international media resource on mental health, and the author of the bestselling, multi-award-winning books Hope Prevails and the Hope Prevails Bible Study. Her book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip won the 2020 AWSA Golden Scroll Book of the Year and the 2021 Christian Literary Reader’s Choice Award in four different categories. She is also the host of the award-winning podcast Your Hope-Filled Perspective. A board-certified clinical neuropsychologist in private practice for more than twenty years, Dr. Bengtson blogs regularly and offers a wide variety of resources on her website, DrMichelleB.com.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
159 How to Have a Good Day by Starting Your Day with God
28 Apr 2022
00:20:49
Episode Summary:
Have you ever gone through really difficult circumstances, and just craved a good day? A really good day? Many years ago, that’s what I longed for. In this episode, I’ll share what I’ve learned about how to have a good day by starting your day with God. When we start our day with God, He will be on your mind throughout the day, and that helps make every day a good day!
Quotables from the episode:
The course of our day will be directly impacted good or bad, dependent on whether we start our day with God.
The Bible warns how to start our day (Psalm 118:24; Psalm 103:1; Ephesians 6:11; Lamentations 3:22-23; Matthew 5:16)
Let’s talk about how do I pray to start a day:
Thanksgiving;
wisdom and guidance;
protection;
believing he works all things for good.
There’s a 5-minute morning routine that makes a huge difference on whether I have a good day or not.
Scripture References:
Psalm 42:8 But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.
Dr. Michelle Bengtson is an international speaker, a national and international media resource on mental health, and the author of the bestselling, multi-award-winning books Hope Prevails and the Hope Prevails Bible Study. Her book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip won the 2020 AWSA Golden Scroll Book of the Year and the 2021 Christian Literary Reader’s Choice Award in four different categories. She is also the host of the award-winning podcast Your Hope-Filled Perspective. A board-certified clinical neuropsychologist in private practice for more than twenty years, Dr. Bengtson blogs regularly and offers a wide variety of resources on her website, DrMichelleB.com.
158 Words of Encouragement for Mothers
21 Apr 2022
00:36:12
Episode Summary:
As a mother, do you ever struggle with comparison? Or do you look at other moms and wish you could be “amazing” like them? Do you ever wonder about your God-given purpose in life? I’ve been there. That’s what Jenny Dean Schmidt of Channel Mom and I are talking about in this episode…words of encouragement for mothers.
Quotables from the episode:
I came to Christ through motherhood; it was then that God showed me that my former work in the “spotlight” was a false light compared to His light in my life, as His child, and as a mother with children of my own.
Very soon after my son’s birth, God allowed me to lose my high-profile job in television. Because it felt like losing my religion, identity, honor and self-worth, I sunk into a postpartum depression for a year-and-a-half.
The place of humility is a great place to be. It is there that we are shaped, blessed, and perfected.
Mom’s preserve life, teach life, correct life, and sacrifice their lives.
Moms do what Jesus asked us to do each and every day, and in serving their families, they are the most Christ-like.
As I missed the accolades and attention I got when I was on TV, God revealed to me how we honor people on our screens who are not necessarily doing anything good for the world (and, often, giving us bad news) and yet we don’t honor the women charged with raising up His children.
I saw this as a travesty, that mothers don’t know their own value because the world does not affirm it. God called me to encourage moms through the media and support them through outreach.
God proves Himself throughout history and throughout our lives. Personally, I can say that He has never failed me. His love saves us daily.
Scripture References:
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
Exodus 3:14 “I Am Who I Am.”
Romans 8:28 “And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, and who are called according to His purpose.”
Jenny Dean Schmidt is executive director of ChannelMom media, and has hosted ChannelMom radio and podcast for 11 years. Before founding ChannelMom, Jenny had an extensive career in TV news, where she worked as an on-air report, host, producer, and writer for media entities across major U.S. cities.
Jenny has interviewed and posed questions to two U.S. presidents, as well as many other politicians and celebrities. She’s covered high-profile news stories, including the OJ Simpson trial, the Columbine massacre, and a number of presidential campaigns.
Beyond her media career, Jenny is passionate about the important role of today’s mothers, charged with raising up the next generation. Jenny chose to leave her TV career to commit to raising her own children at home. She believes the motherhood role is over overshadowed by popular culture values that glorify celebrities and the celebrity lifestyle.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
157 The Best of Year 3 - Who We Are and Mindset
14 Apr 2022
00:39:17
Episode Summary:
On this week's podcast, we're celebrating the 3rd anniversary of Your Hope-Filled Perspective where we offer you a Biblically-based Hope-Filled Perspective. This week, we’re sharing the 6 episodes that you downloaded the most over the past year. To introduce a snippet of each one, I’ll share a bit about what I liked about each episode. I find it interesting that the top 6 episodes of the past year come down to knowing who we are and paying attention to our mindset.
Thank you so much for tuning in each week! Without you, this program wouldn't exist!
And, now for the featured episodes.
Quotables from each episode:
In episode 115, we talked with Kris Reece about How To Train Your Brain to Trust God. You’ll get to hear a bit about her story and what led her to become so passionate about helping others to train their brain to trust God.
In episode 29, How To Help Someone with Depression, I recorded with my husband, Scott. We cover so many helpful topics including common signs & symptoms, helpful things to do, what to say, and what not to say.
I have written prolifically about depression on my blog. Just search for “depression” in the search bar. I also include links to resources below.
In episode 131, we talked with Erica Wiggenhorn about How to Untangle Yourself from the Fear of Inadequacy. Many people struggle with fear of inadequacy or the imposter syndrome and don’t even know it. Earlier in my career, I certainly did, but I didn’t want to. That’s why I was so grateful for Erica’s wisdom and insight.
In Episode 116, we talked with Tina Yeager about Hope for Overcoming Shame or Discouragement. I absolutely loved my interview with Tina regarding how to overcome shame or discouragement, because when the enemy can’t defeat us, he tries to discourage us. Tina vulnerably shared from her own personal and professional experiences, so you’d know she knows.
In Episode 130, we talked with Amy Joob about How To Get Unstuck in Life and Move Forward. Many people have written to me during the last couple of years, lamenting how stuck they feel, despite their desire to move on to bigger and better things. Amy Joob and her husband faced that same thing during the Covid Pandemic. She shares how they moved forward.
In Episode 125, we spoke with Marcia Ramsland about how to keep our life and mind decluttered by Getting Organized and Staying Organized. I have benefited from Marcia’s wisdom, and so appreciate how simple she breaks down tasks to make them more manageable and sustainable.
I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s anniversary episode. It was so much fun to dive into those episodes that were most popular with our listeners. When we consider that God tells us how important it is to take every thought captive, these six episodes do exactly that. For future episodes, we'd love to know what you enjoy, the guests you've loved, and the topics you'd like us to cover.
Dr. Michelle Bengtson is an international speaker, a national and international media resource on mental health, and the author of the bestselling, multi-award-winning books Hope Prevails and the Hope Prevails Bible Study. Her book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip won the 2020 AWSA Golden Scroll Book of the Year and the 2021 Christian Literary Reader’s Choice Award in four different categories. She is also the host of the award-winning podcast Your Hope-Filled Perspective. A board-certified clinical neuropsychologist in private practice for more than twenty years, Dr. Bengtson blogs regularly and offers a wide variety of resources on her website, DrMichelleB.com.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
156 How To Hang On to Threadbare Hope {When Circumstances are Too Hard to Handle}
07 Apr 2022
00:36:10
Episode Summary:
Lisa Appelo and I talk about how to hang onto threadbare hope when our circumstances are too hard to handle. Our guest today speaks from her own personal experience. When her husband died suddenly, Lisa was left alone to walk herself and her seven children through loss and grief. She shares what she learned.
Quotables from the episode:
When life felt incredibly bad, I needed to know life could be good again.
Sometimes we have to let go of the life we wanted and take hold of the life in front of us.
It’s okay to feel our emotions, but they do a poor job telling us the truth.
Utter dependence on God isn’t what we want, but it’s where God designed us to be.
Loss revealed where I had misplaced my hope and I learned to hang onto Biblical hope when my emotions were screaming different.
God does give us too much to handle so that we will learn to depend on him and relinquish the myths of self-control and self-sufficiency.
When we become helplessly dependent on God we will see God is faithful and that He will come through.
I’ve seen that being in a place of helpless dependence on God is the best place to be.
Even in the unknown, we can thank God.
God doesn’t have a plan B! He already knows how He is going to see you through!
The 3 best words you can say to someone going through a difficult time is “You’re not alone.” And they aren’t…even when it feels like they are alone, God is with them and will not forsake them.
Even as life feels better now, as I’m used to the pace, weight and isolation of single parenting following loss, I never want to forget I’m utterly dependent on God for wisdom, guidance, provision and so much more.
I might be facing a scary future, but I’d learned God’s promises would hold there.
We can daily anchor in God’s Word to let Him refocus our perspective, renew our hope and exchange our emotions for His truth.
We can remember God’s past faithfulness and His character.
We can tender our heart to God so that we don’t waste the suffering.
We can look for God’s good hand all around us, which is such a boost to our faith that God is working even in painful circumstances.
For the one who feels underwater in circumstances that are too much to handle, I’d tell them to look to God to do what we cannot.
We can’t fix a broken heart or force an outcome. But in that place, we can enter a trust relationship God designed for us.
We can chisel out idols of control and comfort we’ve polished and learn to trust in the Lord with all our heart.
Scripture References:
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
Psalm 46:1 (ESV) “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Deuteronomy 33:26-27 (NIV) “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you, and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
Access to Dr. Bengtson’s Hope Vault, a library full of free resources that restore hope, renew minds, and empower you to live in your God-given identity.
Lisa Appelo is an author and speaker inspiring women to cultivate faith in life’s storms. Ten years ago, Lisa became a sudden widow and single mom to 7. She’s published at many sites including Proverbs 31 Ministries, (in)courage, and Risen Motherhood, and her book Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It All Falls Apart releases April, 2022.
As a former litigating attorney, Lisa is passionate about rich Bible teaching. Get your free copy of 7 Days of Hope for Your Shattered Heart at LisaAppelo.com and connect with Lisa on Instagram @lisaappelo.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
155 How To Move Past Fear and Say Yes to God
31 Mar 2022
00:29:26
Episode Summary:
Jenn Hand and I talk about how to move past fear and say yes to God. What does it look like to say yes to God? We cover what it means to put your yes on the table for God and move from fear stops to faith steps. When we say yes to God, we can move past fear to walk in faith into all He has for us to do.
Quotables from the episode:
Putting your yes on the table begins with saying, “I want to say yes to God, but ____.” What is it that stops you from saying yes to God?
We want to minister the hope of Christ on the holy ground of suffering.
Faith is believing God in the dark for what you heard Him say in the light.
Common “fear stops” are fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of not being enough, etc.
We can get so caught up in watching other peoples’ race that we forget to pay attention to the race God has us running.
As you put your “yes” on the table for God, consider writing out the word yes on paper, a post-it, even a rock, as a sign and a symbol of your desire to obediently say yes to Him.
Scripture References:
Joshua 1:9 ESV “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Isaiah 6:8 ESV “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Matthew 28:16 ESV “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Recommended Resources:
Subscribe at www.comingaliveministries.com and receive 4 free beautiful scripture lockscreens to help encourage you in your faith steps anytime you use your phone
Jennifer Hand is the Executive director of Coming Alive Ministries. She wishes she could sit down and have a strong cup of coffee with each of you and ask you what makes you come alive? The things that make Jenn come alive are strong coffee (did we mention Jenn loves coffee), Jesus (of course), collecting coffee mugs, missions around the world, and spoiling her nephews and nieces.
Jenn founded Coming Alive Ministries in 2012 and loves the honor of traveling nationally and internationally providing the invitation to come alive in Christ through conferences, retreats, written resources and counseling. Jenn has had the joy of serving in over 30 countries and speaking at around 40 ladies events a year. With her Master’s degree in trauma counseling, God has opened a unique door for Jenn to respond after natural disasters around the world, providing trauma counseling and the hope of Christ on the holy ground of suffering.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
154 How to Slow Down and Enjoy Life
24 Mar 2022
00:38:25
Episode Summary:
Jennifer Dukes Lee and I talk about the advantages of slowing down to live life and how the most important things in life take the longest to grow. If you’re ready to make a break from fast-paced living and learn how to adopt a growing slow lifestyle, you won’t want to miss this episode.
Quotables from the episode:
We are an output-driven society and we forget about the importance of what we take in.
In order to live the fullest life by slowing down, pay attention to the things that really matter.
Take time to appreciate what God is doing in each season.
Most of us don’t appreciate winter, but winter offers the opportunity to rest, to celebrate what we’ve been through, and to heal.
Time is our friend, not our enemy, and is to be cherished.
God views time differently than we do. We tend to always be in a hurry, but God makes everything beautiful in its right time.
Consider adopting habits of the unhurried: like lighting candles at dinner, walking around your gardens, lingering in conversation at the end of a church service.
Scripture References:
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart."
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."
Jennifer Dukes Lee lives on the fifth-generation Lee family farm in Iowa, where she and her husband are raising crops, pigs, and two beautiful humans. She writes books, loves queso, and enjoys singing too loudly to songs with great harmony. Once upon a time, she didn't believe in Jesus; now he's her CEO. Find Jennifer at www.JenniferDukesLee.com and on Instagram at @JenniferDukesLee.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
153 How To Deal with Grief and Maintain our Hope
17 Mar 2022
00:28:06
Episode Summary: In this episode, I talk with my friend, Donna Fagerstrom, about how to deal with grief. Donna shares the truths she learned during her own grief journey and in walking with others through the grieving process. We can maintain our hope, because Jesus is our hope, and become an overcomer through the tough times.
Quotables from the episode:
The gift of mercy is feeling another’s pain as though it were your very own.
When we grieve or mourn, it attests to the degree we loved someone or something.
After most every loss, we experience grief.
The fact that Jesus wept after Lazarus died, knowing He was going to bring him back to life again, modeled the healthy nature and the gift of grief God gave us.
We need to give ourselves permission to grieve.
When we stuff our grief, it will end up coming out at another albeit less expected and less appropriate time.
We don’t grieve like people who don’t know Jesus. Our grief leads to our hope and our hope leads to Jesus. The hope of Heaven is our great comfort.
Our hope here is temporal, but our hope in Heaven is for all eternity.
There are so many different ways we have experienced grief, loss, and mourning over the past couple of years.
Don’t stand in judgment when others grieve…it’s a very individual process.
The example of the thief on the cross when Jesus died can comfort us when we don’t know where a loved one will spend eternity.
There’s no right or wrong way to grieve—only the best way for you.
If you haven’t given yourself permission to grieve, you will just beat yourself up by putting unrealistic expectations on yourself.
Don’t let others put their expectations on you for how you should grieve or how long it will take. Be gentle and kind with yourself.
In your grief, seek out those who have the gift of mercy and a willingness to listen.
Scripture References:
Jeremiah 31:3 "I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow, says the Lord."
Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and He saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Hebrews 13:5 "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Born and raised in West Michigan, Donna Fagerstrom was spiritually impacted by Holland Youth for Christ, surrendering her life to God and full-time ministry. Donna is a gifted writer, communicator, worship leader and women’s disciple-maker. Her alma mater, Cornerstone University, awarded her the Woman of Influence award in 2010. After serving for 49 years in a variety of life-engaging ministries (Local Church; Seminary; Church Planting and Marketplace Chaplaincy), Doug and Donna have retired to write, coach executive leaders and nurture their family.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
278 How to Heal and Find Hope After an Incarcerated Child’s Trauma
08 Aug 2024
00:29:01
Episode Summary:
In this episode, I chatted with Shonda Whitworth, who shared about her wounds, her pain, and now her sacred scars after walking through a most devastating experience when her son was incarcerated. What the enemy tried to use to quiet and shut Shonda down, God has now used to bring her into a greater aspect of her calling.
Quotables from the episode:
When they said “Your son has been arrested for aggravated assault,” I went numb and didn’t know how to respond because the person they were describing on my phone was not the son I knew.
I grabbed hold of Romans 8:28. At the time, that verse just felt overused to me, like a Bible verse Band-Aid. But I held my Bible and declared that this was God’s Word, and asked Him to make it real for me.
This was one of the last things I ever expected to happen. I raised him in the way he should go, taught him the word, took him to Sunday School, and taught him about God. I didn’t expect him to depart from his upbringing and it just devastated me.
I was hopeful things would turn around, but that’s not what happened. I was looking for a miracle ending.
We take either the fight or flight response, and I took the flight response. I just wanted to hide in my cave. I didn’t want to be seen in social situations and wanted to hide from conversation about our children.
The depression and anxiety were overwhelming. It knocked me down. I went dark for a while and retreated for a season.
The enemy brings shame, guilt, regret, and fear.
I felt like I was wearing a big “F” for mother of a felon. The depression and anxiety came from listening to all the lies about myself. I was operating with a double-mind.
In prison, my son began experiencing freedom that doesn’t depend on a location. Scripture says, “where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” He began operating in freedom as he started growing in his relationship with the Lord.
I thought, “Isn’t this ironic? Here I am living in the free world, but all these bars of fear, guilt, shame, condemnation were keeping me captive in my own home. But my son who is in prison is experiencing freedom!”
The amazing thing is that when I did share about what I was experiencing, I got nothing but compassion, the opposite of what the enemy convinced me I would experience.
It gets better as healing comes in layers.
One thing that was so helpful in my journey was having a reason to get up every day.
The more I share my story, the more I put myself out there, the more healing comes; the more I have courage, and the more my confidence builds.
When we experience shame, we want to stay in the dark where no one can see us because with shame comes embarrassment. We fear “if others find out, what will they say? Will they reject me? Will they abandon me? Will they gossip about me?”
But when we take what’s in the dark and bring it out into God’s healing light, rarely is it as bad as we think it’s going to be and it brings healing.
My husband and I started a ministry to other families with family members incarcerated. By me opening up and sharing our story, it’s helping other people find hope, to find healing, and to encourage them not to give up on this side of eternity.
Every life is valuable, and we can see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Even those who are in prison, their life is invaluable. Everyone has a purpose whether it’s inside prison walls or outside prison walls.
The more I tell my story, the more it silences that accusing voice that comes against us from the enemy. When we open our mouths and testify what Jesus has done for us, the more it silences the enemy who accuses us.
Jesus came to set the captives free and that includes you.
Never give up. Always pray and never give up!
Speaking out the Word of God gives us courage and hope and reminds us that everyone has a purpose and not to quit on your purpose.
John 15:16 reminds us that Jesus has chosen us. You are chosen. You are not forsaken. You have a purpose. Don’t quit!
We are all imperfect and in need of a Savior. The cross levels the playing field.
Scripture References:
Romans 8:28 NKJV “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
2 Corinthians 3:17 “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Luke 18:1 “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” NLT
Psalm 27:13 NIV “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”
Revelations 12:11 NIV “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”
John 15:16 NIV “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”
Recommended Resources:
A free downloadable PDF of 8 Prayers to Pray for Your Incarcerated Loved One is available at FortressofHopeMinistries.com
Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals
Shonda Whitworth’s expertise as an author span two decades, from articles to her most heart-wrenching book, Appeal to the Courtroom of Heaven: Petitions for Prisoners and Prison Families. She is a writing and self-publishing coach who nurtures authors visions from manuscript to the marketplace. Discover more at ShondaWhitworth.me.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
152 My Favorite Things
10 Mar 2022
00:30:12
Episode Summary:
In celebration of my birthday month, I’m sharing a personal peek into some of my favorite things. Little things that make life more pleasant. And, some of the things that get me through the hardest of times. I’ve enjoyed getting to know some of you throughout my years of writing and podcasting. I thought it might be a bit fun to let you know a bit about me.
Scripture References:
Job 42:5 NLT “I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes”
Dr. Bengtson studied neuroscience and is board certified in clinical neuropsychology. She established her own clinical practice in the Dallas area. From her professional and personal life, she recognized a deep lack of understanding of the call to “renew our minds” and the transformational effects a robust understanding of this has on our physical and mental health and outlook.
Dr. Bengtson lives to foster regeneration and renew life in her listeners. She recognizes brokenness in her life and others’ and offers steps we can take as we walk with Christ through the thin places.
Dr. Bengtson authored the award-winning “Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression,” its award-winning companion “Hope Prevails Bible Study,” the award-winning “Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises,” and her fourth book will be available in May 2022 (Revell). She blogs at DrMichelleB.com and speaks at conferences and churches internationally.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
151 How to Laugh Out Loud When Life is Hard
03 Mar 2022
00:33:29
Episode Summary: We talk about how God views joy and how to laugh out loud when life is hard. We all go through difficult times that snatch our very breath, and steal our laughter. My guest, Rhonda Stoppe (the “No Regrets Woman”) has experienced her share of heartache. Today, she’s going to share what she has learned about how God views joy and how to laugh out loud even when life is hard.
Quotables from the episode:
Fighting for joy by counting our blessings rather than our concerns is key.
The Lord knows what is on your horizon and He will equip you ahead of time.
When Scripture tells us to “rejoice in the Lord,” it’s not rejoicing in the trial but in the character of God.
Joy is different than happiness which depends on our circumstances. Joy is a deep-seeded confidence that my life is in God’s hands.
It is the Word of God that will speak to your life when you don’t know what to do or where to go when life is hard.
The God of the Bible takes what was meant for evil and produces good.
Happiness increases and decreases based on our circumstances and feelings. Rejoicing in the Lord is a constant because we know He is in control.
Joy that comes with gratitude is genuine joy.
Scripture References:
Nehemiah 8:10 ESV “The joy of the Lord is our strength.”
Philippians 4:4-7 ESV “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Rhonda Stoppe is the NO REGRETS WOMAN. With more than 30 years’ experience helping women build no regrets lives. “I could have listened to Rhonda talk all night, “ is what audiences say about Rhonda’s enthusiastic, humorous, transparent teaching, and zeal as an evangelist.
She’s committed to fulfill the Titus 2:4 commission by mentoring, teaching and writing books that are inspiring, grounded in Scripture and easy to read––like you're visiting with a friend over coffee.
Rhonda is the author of 6 books and appears on numerous radio programs including: Focus on the Family, Family Life Today and Dr. James Dobson’s FamilyTalk, & hosts The No Regrets Hour. She’s an evangelist and speaker at women’s events, College Women’s Chapel, Pastor’s Wives Conferences, MOPs and Homeschool Conventions. Sharing the gospel at her NoRegretsWoman Conference is her sweet spot. Rhonda is a regular contributor for Crosswalk and many other magazines.
Rhonda ministers alongside her husband Steve, who for 20 years has pastored First Baptist Church of Patterson, California. They live out their own Real Life Romance writing books and speaking at their No Regrets Marriage Conferences, but their favorite ministry is their family. They have four grown children and 10 grandchildren. To learn more about Rhonda’s speaking topics, watch her teaching and to book Rhonda for your next event visit: NoRegretsWoman.com.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson
150 Recovering from Trauma and the Mistakes of Our Past
24 Feb 2022
00:37:27
Episode Summary:
In this week’s episode, I talk with BJ Garrett about recovering from trauma from sexual abuse and the mistakes in the past. She shares that no matter what you’ve done or what has been done to you, healing is available in Jesus Christ. Love changes everything.
Quotables from the episode:
If you have a secret burden, find a safe person to tell. A friend, a counselor, a pastor, etc.
If we allow our pain to turn into purpose, God will never waste it.
God will take the ugliest of the ugly and make it beautiful.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation or saying that what someone did was okay, but that they no longer hold you emotionally hostage to their behavior.
We forgive because we’ve been forgiven.
We are commanded to forgive ourselves. When we don’t, it’s like telling Jesus that His death on the cross wasn’t good enough for us.
When we allow God to turn our pain into purpose, the trauma triggers become less and less.
Love changes everything.
As long as Satan keeps you silenced, he remains in control.
Telling the secret is the first step to releasing you from Satan’s bondage.
I fail, I learn, I do better. I fail, I learn, I do better.
No matter what you have done, no matter what has been done to you, there is hope and healing through Jesus Christ.
Scripture References:
Psalm 147:3 NIV "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
Revelation 12:11a "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony."
John 4:39 "Many of the Samaritans from town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony."
BJ Garrett is the award-winning author of Unwanted No More from Exploited to Embraced by God. BJ is an energetic speaker, passionate about telling her life story of overcoming a life full of abuse and bad decisions, loves serving on the mission field and serves as the Executive Director for Christ-centered Abortion Recovery & Education (CARE)
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson