264 How To Find Hope in God’s Promises in the Midst of Depression
Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Release Date: 05/02/2024
Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: In this episode of the Sacred Scar Story Series on Your Hope-Filled Perspective, I had the opportunity to talk with Becky Beresford about a significant time in her life when things didn’t go as she hoped and meticulously planned. She experienced physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual pain. She shares how her first pregnancy was fraught with complications, leading to grief, loss, and deep wounds. Becky discusses how she learned to trust God through her struggles and how He brought healing, leaving her with beautiful sacred scars as a reminder of His...
info_outline 292 How a Mother Helped Her Child Find Healing from Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal ThoughtsYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
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...
info_outline 291 How to Find Freedom from Anger and Build Healthier Family Relationships Through FaithYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
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...
info_outline 290 How to Pray in Faith and Release Control to God’s TimingYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: Have you ever prayed fervently for something for years, or even decades and began to doubt that God would answer your prayers? My guest on today’s episode is Bunny Yekzaman who prayed for over 20 years for her Muslim husband to receive God’s gift of salvation. Her journey took a powerful turn when she learned to pray in faith and release control to God’s timing. Thought it was a painful time in her life, Bunny shares how God redeemed that pain, bringing beautiful sacred scars in place of her painful wounds. Quotables from the episode: Sometimes we...
info_outline 289 How to Navigate Gender Identity Issues with Faith and LoveYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: In this episode, author, speaker, and mother, Jodi Howe, shares the painful wounds she has gone through as she has parented a child with gender identity issues. She shares the wisdom that God has granted her in how to remain true to the gospel of Jesus Christ, but still love her daughter. Quotables from the episode: Often God uses our most painful experiences to minister to others. The ultimate way to glorify the Lord is to turn our pain into power. My testimonies come from experience with anxiety, divorce, and having a transgender child. But He equips, He leads,...
info_outline 288 How to Move Forward After a Broken Engagement and Heal from Painful TrialsYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: In this episode we continue the “Sacred Scar Story Series.” My guest, Georgia Shaffer, shares the pain of a broken engagement and what she thought that meant for her ministry and service to God. She shares the beautiful sacred scar that her wounds have produced, and how God is using her in the lives of others. Quotables from the episode: Shame from the actions of another made me feel like there was “something wrong with me!” I felt like a fool, and believed I was unlovable. Because of the pain I went through, I was sure God would never use me again....
info_outline 287 How to Overcome Shame and Find Healing After AbuseYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: In this episode, Karen DeArmond Gardner opens up about the deep shame she experienced as a victim of domestic abuse in her thirty-year marriage. She shares the painful journey of living through abuse and the healing after abuse that transformed her life. Karen explains the key factors in her healing process, including how God replaced her pain and shame with sacred scars, giving her a powerful testimony of restoration and hope. Quotables from the episode: Some of our greatest areas of ministry comes out of our greatest areas of pain. I survived a thirty-year abusive...
info_outline 286 How to Cope with the Emotional Impact of Being a Mental Health CaregiverYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: In this Sacred Scar Story, I chat with Carole Leathem, a mental health caregiver who founded a caregiving ministry after becoming the primary caregiver for her pastor husband who struggled with mental health issues, and later, her mother. Carole shares how she coped with the emotional impact of her caregiving journey, including the pain of being disqualified from ministry due to her husband's struggles. She opens up about the deep wounds she experienced and how God turned things around for good, transforming her scars into a powerful source of healing and service to...
info_outline 285 How to Heal from the Scars of Childhood PrejudiceYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: This week’s guest on the Sacred Scar Story Series, Barb Roose, faced prejudice from early childhood. This led to her believing she was never enough and compensating by trying to “outperform her race.” She shares her story, and how she found healing, and God’s peace. Quotables from the episode: I love the message that God can use all things because when we’re in deep pain, that’s the opposite of what we’re thinking: that the pain becomes a limiting factor in our lives. In my particular story, this idea of wounding actually happened even before I...
info_outline 284 How to Stop People Pleasing and Break the Cycle of Co-DependencyYour Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast
Episode Summary: Many of us unknowingly invest our time and energy seeking validation and acceptance from others, often at the cost of our own well-being. On this episode, I sat down with Aliene Thompson, founder of Treasured Ministries International, to discuss her journey through painful emotional wounds that led to co-dependency. She shares how God revealed these patterns to her and brought healing, turning her pain into sacred scars. Aliene shares how this transformation allows her to help others find freedom and healing in God’s love. Quotables from the episode: We will all go...
info_outlineEpisode Summary:
Join me for finding hope in God’s promises in the midst of depression. Did you know God places spiritual limits on the influences of depression and the enemy? We’ll discuss how these boundaries can empower you to find hope and worth through your faith, even when facing the darkest moments of despair. Drawing from my personal experiences and biblical stories, such as that of Job, I’ll share how our worth and destiny are defined by God, not our circumstances or the lies of the enemy.
Quotables from the Episode:
- The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come that they might have life and have it to the full.
- The enemy tries to steal our joy and kill our peace and destroy our identity. But there are limits to what the enemy can do.
- Depression doesn’t define our worth, God does. God already defined our worth when he sent his son to die on the cross for us.
- Your past doesn’t predict your future. God does. Our destiny is secure if we are a Christ follower.
- Depression doesn't separate us from God's love. Jeremiah 31:3 - I have loved you with an everlasting love.
- We must recover ourselves by recognizing that we have cooperated with the enemy, repented to God, and renounced and rejected the enemy’s lies.
Scripture References:
- John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
- John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
- John 8:36: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
- Romans 5:6: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”
- Jeremiah 31:3: “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’”
- 2 Corinthians 10:5: “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.”
- Isaiah 43:18-19: ““Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
- 3 John 1:2: “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”
Social Media Links for Host:
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
About Dr. Michelle Bengtson:
Dr. Michelle Bengtson is an international speaker, a national and international media resource on mental health, and the bestselling, award-winning author of Hope Prevails, the Hope Prevails Bible Study, Today Is Going to Be a Good Day, and Breaking Anxiety’s Grip. 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