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126 Hope for Parents of Prodigal Children

Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

Release Date: 09/09/2021

262 How To Help a Friend Facing Cancer show art 262 How To Help a Friend Facing Cancer

Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

Episode Summary: We all want to help. When we hear someone whose been given a devastating diagnosis, we want to try to help make things better. Or, at least make things less bad. But, sometimes, inadvertently, we can say and do things that cause more harm than good. Through my history with cancer and my husband's history with cancer, we've learned a few things. So in this replay of a conversation I had with Amy Connell, I'm going to share some insights that I think you'll find helpful so you can know how best to help a friend with cancer. This episode not only sheds light on the emotional and...

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Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

Episode Summary: In a world bent on touting certain diets and restrictive eating, our guest, Amy Connell, desires we learn about our core strength. After releasing her book Your Worthy Body, written for women over 40, she had moms approach her saying “I need something like this for my daughters!”  Her hope is to be a conduit between mom and daughter to help them both foster a healthy relationship with food, exercise and their body so they can grow in their relationship with each other. She does this through her new book Your Core Strength: A Christ-Centered, Diet-Culture-Free book for...

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Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

Episode Summary: Some pro-life advocates mistakenly assume that once a pregnant woman has chosen life for her baby, the battle has been won. However, the truth is that for mothers living in poverty, especially generational poverty, the battle has only begun. These women lack resources, support, finances, and hope. While pregnancy centers succeed in leading women to choose life and providing aid through the baby's first year, impoverished mothers are then left to fight a solitary battle for the life of their child every day. Join me with Marisol Maldonado Rodriguez as we talk about hope for...

info_outline 259 What Is Sexual Abuse and Offering Hope for Survivors show art 259 What Is Sexual Abuse and Offering Hope for Survivors

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 Healing show art 258 How to Hold Onto Faith While Waiting for Healing

Your 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 Fear show art 257 The Truth About Anxiety in Motherhood: How to Overcome Overwhelm and Fear

Your 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 Friendships show art 256 Lessons You Can Learn from Broken Friendships

Your 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 Breakup show art 255 How to Heal After a Friendship Breakup

Your 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 Healing show art 254 How To Repair a Friendship with Grace to Move from Hurt to Healing

Your 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 Potential show art 253 How To Find Your Natural Prayer Style and Unleash Your Prayer Potential

Your 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...

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Episode Summary:

Lori Wildenberg and I talk about hope for parents who have a prodigal child or whose child is making decisions we wouldn’t wish for them. We have a vision of where we hope our children will go and how we hope they will follow the Lord. We hope they live a life that is God’s best for them. What do you do when the person you love, a sibling, or child has stepped off the expected path? How do you build the bridge and keep connections going in the midst of a prodigal situation?


Quotables from the episode:

  • We are to raise our kids according to who God created and gifted them to be.
  • Sometimes when we or our kids veer off the expected path, God will use that as a spiritual journey to ultimately strengthen our/their faith and our/their relationship to Him.
  • Instead of asking why our prodigal child went their own way, instead ask God, “how should I respond to this situation?”
  • It’s important that we teach our children that behaviors have consequences, but those consequences are not tied to our love for them. Our love is unconditional.
  • When you have a prodigal child, always keep working on building a bridge in that relationship, and keep respect in that relationship in order to keep the relationship open.
  • When you have a prodigal child, ask God “do you want me to chase after them or continue waiting while you’re at work in them?”


Scripture References:

  • Psalm 37:3-5, 23-24 NLT “Trust in the Lord and do good. They you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you…The Lord directs the steps of the godly He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”
  • Proverbs 22:6 ESV “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
  • Psalm 118:5-6, 17, 29 NLT “In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?...I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done…Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”


Recommended Resources:

Social Media Links for Host and Guest:

To connect with Lori Wildenberg:

Website / Author Facebook Page / Facebook Community Moms Together / Facebook Group Moms Together / Instagram Lori / Instagram Moms Together / Podcast

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

Guest:

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.

Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson