085 Benefits of Taking a Break from Social Media
Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Release Date: 11/27/2020
Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: Join me with Melissa Heiland as we talk about an important but sensitive topic: what is sexual abuse, and how we can offer hope for sexual abuse survivors. In the US, 10% of all children experience some form of sexual abuse before they turn 18. These numbers are likely low since sexual abuse is underreported. The victims are most likely to be female (75%), but these numbers are rapidly changing as boys are increasingly the targets of molesters. A whopping 90% of the children who are abused know their abuser which often points to a family member, teacher, scout...
info_outline 258 How to Hold Onto Faith While Waiting for HealingYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: Dr. Michelle Bengtson joins David Robison of LifeToday to explore the challenging journey of maintaining faith during periods of waiting for healing. Drawing from her personal struggles and professional insights as a neuropsychologist, Dr. Bengtson shares about the emotional, physical, and spiritual pain that tests our faith. Through her new book, "The Hem of His Garment," she offers hope, encouragement, and practical advice to those navigating the complexities of pain and waiting. Join us as we discuss the importance of pressing into faith, the biblical examples of those who...
info_outline 257 The Truth About Anxiety in Motherhood: How to Overcome Overwhelm and FearYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: All moms worry, right? Motherhood tempts many moms to worry, especially about the wellbeing of their children. Are they breathing? How can I keep them healthy? What if they don’t make friends at school? But for moms who experience anxiety, worry quickly elevates into debilitating overwhelm, fear, and doubt. This can make normal tasks of motherhood overwhelming and joy-less. Courtney Devich and I share the truth about anxiety in motherhood and how to overcome overwhelm and fear. Quotables from the episode: Many moms believe the adage, “I’m a mom, it’s my...
info_outline 256 Lessons You Can Learn from Broken FriendshipsYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: Relationship conflict can be difficult. Can good come from broken relationships? How do deal with mutual friends after a breakup? How do we get over the pain of friendships that end? And how does Jesus teach us to be a good friend? Join me with Jessica Van Roekel for Lessons You Can Learn from Broken Friendships. Quotables from the episode: It could be safe to say we become God’s enemy when we harbor the sin of unforgiveness in our heart, which is why we must be careful not to point fingers at our ex-friend. Jesus tells us to take care of the log in our own eye before...
info_outline 255 How to Heal After a Friendship BreakupYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: The contributors to a friendship breakup are varied and as individual as the parties involved. A spectrum of relationship commitments falls under the umbrella of friendship. Friendships can range from acquaintances, colleagues, familial, casual, close, or intimate. The type of friendship prior to a breakup affects the depth of the wound. Many questions exist around friendship breakups ranging from “why do friendships end?” to “what does this say about me?” and even “what do we need when friendships end?” In the last episode, Jessica Van Roekel and I talked...
info_outline 254 How To Repair a Friendship with Grace to Move from Hurt to HealingYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: What do you do when your friend walks away from your relationship without explanation or chance for reconciliation? Guilt and shame keep Christian women from talking about it. It’s embarrassing, confusing, and often heartbreaking. In this episode, Jessica Van Roekel and I talk about a common event, that few in Christian circles discuss openly. Misunderstandings happen and disagreements occur even in the healthiest of relationships. In a world that seems to thrive on discord, it can be tempting to run from conflict in a friendship. But conflict can bring about...
info_outline 253 How To Find Your Natural Prayer Style and Unleash Your Prayer PotentialYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: Do you ever feel uncomfortable praying in public? Do you ever envy the prayer-life or prayer style of others after you hear them pray? Do you ever feel guilty for not praying more like those you admire? What if I assured you that God is more interested in your heart and in having a relationship than he is the eloquence of your prayers? Join me with Janet McHenry to discover how your personality influences your prayer life and learn practical ways to pray so that you find your natural prayer style. Quotables from the episode: I started prayerwalking in the fall of...
info_outline 252 Depression: A Christian's Guide to Navigating the DarknessYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: Join me with Alicia Michelle for a candid discussion about my personal journey through depression as a Christian doctor. Not only did we focus on depression's physical, emotional and spiritual components, but we also addressed fundamental questions surrounding depression, such as its definition, the intersection of faith and mental health, barriers to self-recognition, and practical strategies for identification. You won't want to miss this episode as we offer insights on depression from personal, professional, and spiritual perspectives. Questions we answer in this...
info_outline 251 How to Find Mental Rest and Calm Your Racing ThoughtsYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: Do you ever have difficulty calming your racing mind when life is stressful? Do you lay awake at night, unable to tame your thoughts so you can sleep? Do the stresses of life tempt you to fall into the trap of second-guessing yourself or others? Then you’ll be glad you tuned in to today’s episode where Alicia Michelle and I share how to find mental rest and calm your racing thoughts. Quotables from the episode: Our busyness, perfectionism, and people pleasing often originates with core negative soundtracks that play in our minds from early childhood. Our tendency...
info_outline 250 Unmasking the Unexpected: A Guide to Coping with Unforeseen EventsYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: Life doesn't always go as planned, but that doesn't mean we can't navigate the twists and turns. Join me with Jillian Benfield for a guide to coping with unforeseen events—gaining insights into the beauty of vulnerability, the healing process, and finding strength in unexpected places. Learn how to turn unforeseen events into stepping stones for personal growth. Quotables from the episode: When unexpected events hit our lives, we realize just how fragile we really are. Unforeseen events are the gateway to living more vulnerable. For me, grief looks like good pastoral...
info_outlineEpisode Summary: Today we’re going to be talking about how we can exchange our online distractions for real-life devotion. My guest today is friend, Wendy Speake, author of The 40-Day Social Media Fast: Exchange Your Online Distractions for Real Life Devotion. She’ll be sharing what she has learned through her periods of social media fasting and why we may want to consider doing the same.
Quotables from the episode:
- “Whatever keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear.” A. W. Tozer
- Exchange your online distractions for real-life devotion.
- It is possible that what we are turning to, in order to cope with stress may actually be increasing our stress.
- God never called us to a sugar sacrifice, but to a living sacrifice.
- The goal of fasting is always to lay down that which is temporary and pick up that which is eternal and extraordinary.
- When we give God our ordinary hunger, we get a hunger for Him. He will satisfy our hunger.
- The only thing that doesn’t trip us up is running to Him.
- The conviction of God is kind.
- Digital minimalism: Choosing which hours to open up social media instead of what hours to shut down.
- When we take the details of our fast to the person of Christ, He will personalize the process for us.
- We set down social media so we can get social with the Lord.
- The more time we spend on social media, the more we compare ourselves to others, the more we feel like we are missing out, and the more depressed and anxious we become.
- Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe warned, “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”
- We live in a culture that values beautiful pictures but isn’t comfortable with beautiful brokenness.
- When you put your phone down it’s easier to lift your eyes up.
- While our smart devices offer us an easy way to find anything in the world, they can also be a distraction from the things that can’t be found with a Google search.
- If you want to learn to walk right up to God, start by considering how close He already is.
- We run to Him not to get a fix, but for Him to fix anything broken in us.
Scripture References:
- Colossians 3:2 MSG “Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is.”
- Jonah 2:8 “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.”
- Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
- Matthew 6:33 “These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.”
- Joel 2:12 “That is why the Lord says, ‘Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.’”
- Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”
Recommended Resources:
- The 40-Day Social Media Fast: Exchange Your Online Distraction for Real-Life Devotion By Wendy Speake
- The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation by Wendy Speake
- Free Download: How To Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win
- Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
- Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide Free 7-Day YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip
- Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award
- Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award
Social Media Links for Guest and Host:
Connect with Wendy Speake:
Website / Facebook / Instagram
For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at:
Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson