Connections with Mike Thom and Colleen Houde

As a police officer for 25 years, Norm Wielsch witnessed his share of trauma and would later fall into a downward spiral following his diagnosis of PTSD. He served eight years of a 14-year sentence on corruption charges and emerged from federal prison determined to help others — particularly first responders — heal from trauma. Today on Connections, Norm shares his powerful story of transformation...

When award-winning hip-hop artist Brinson Wright was just four years old, he was given a cassette tape containing the song “Bible Break” by Stephen Wiley (regarded as the godfather of Christian rap), and a seed was planted.   Since then, Brinson has gone on to found GodChaserz Entertainment and has facilitated more than 20 Christ-centred hip-hop albums. He has also travelled the globe spreading th...

Shelley Thody's childhood started great. She went to church regularly and knew that she loved Jesus.  As she grew older, she stopped reading the Bible and grew further away from Jesus.  By the time she was in grade 12, she had moved, met new people and made some unhealthy choices.  As she grew further away from God, she became involved in an abusive relationship. Once that relationship ended, she...

Christian Artist Sean BE is best known for his unforgettable music, electric high-energy live performances, and undeniable passion for the calling God placed on his life.  Formerly a “Next Gen” Pastor in Denver,  Sean and his family relocated in 2021, to t Nashville where he’s been called to create great Christ-centered music that will continue his mission to inspire the next generation as they fi...

June 8, 1972, is a date that Kim Phuc Phan Thi will never forget.  It was in the middle of the Vietnam war. Kim Phuc was just nine years old when an American military advisor coordinated a napalm bombing of Kim's village by the South Vietnamese. She was photographed running naked down a road, her skin on fire with napalm. A photograph that won a Pulitzer Prize and changed the way we look at war. K...

Laura Barringer is an early years teacher by day and an author in her spare time. Her latest project is a new book she co-authored with her father, Scot McKnight, A Church Called Tov : Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing. Barringer says in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches, and we...

Back to school is just around the corner. School supply lists are out, and parents are searching for the best deal on supplies.  Sandra Fry is an accredited financial counsellor with the Credit Counselling Society. Today on Connections, she shares tips and advice on how we can save money when back-to-school shopping.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a respected professional counsellor, published author and keynote speaker, Andrea Anderson Polk leverages more than a decade of clinical experience, illuminating storytelling, and deep compassion to help people uncover truths, break free of harmful behaviour and relationships, and celebrate newfound freedom.  In her book, The Cuckoo Syndrome, Andrea helps us fend off the cuckoos—unhealthy relat...

Lily grew up in a Muslim family in Iran and immigrated to the US as a teenager, only to find herself in an arranged marriage that her father set up as part of a business deal. That business deal drove her family apart, and she was alone in a new country in an abusive marriage. She became a Christian - and now her life is restored, and she is working with Iran Alive to reach women in Iran - the ver...

Philip Remington Dunn has been a celebrated criminal defense attorney in Southern California for over 30 years. As a Christian, he has been able to use his faith to recover and redeem countless souls, salvaging those who might otherwise have become victims of their own conduct and the criminal justice system. In his book, Eternal Justice , Dunn shares eight powerful examples of spiritual redemptio...

When a child thinks they can rule over their parents, they really have their work cut out for them! What seems impossible, God makes possible. When a mother feels like her life is a mess with a troubled marriage, she needs to rely on God for parenting advice. New moms often have feelings of inadequacy, but we can learn to rely on God for wisdom and strength with a focus on grace. Today on Connecti...

Refuge for Women was formed in January 2009 in Lexington, KY, and was founded by Ked and Michelle Frank. Before starting Refuge, Ked had a series of pivotal conversations with the leader of a group doing outreach to women in local strip clubs. Although the outreach had been ongoing for three years, the women who wanted help with escaping had no long-term places to go. In response to this need, Ref...

Mary DeMuth's life is full of deep wounds. When she was five years old, Mary was sexually abused by neighbourhood bullies. This experience, combined with the tragic loss of her father, led to darkness in her life and eventually to thoughts of suicide.  In her teenage years, Mary found God, and through him, she was able to start her healing journey. She writes about her healing journey in her book,...

Aaron House is the founder and executive director of Piercing Word Ministry.  Piercing Word Ministry is a full-time non-profit based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They tour throughout the United States and beyond, bringing God's word to centre stage and igniting a passion for the Word of God and the art of the church. Part of that was encouraging the audience to memorize God's word. In 2013, House s...

Matthew Kenslow juggles more than balls and clubs at his motivational speaking engagements. He juggles the challenges — and stigma — that accompany his Asperger’s Syndrome. In spite of his disability, the talented juggler, pianist and college graduate recently added published author to his list of achievements. His eye-opening book,  Juggling the Issues: Living With Asperger's Syndrome, is a deepl...

A long way from the North Carolina tobacco farm where he grew up, college basketball standout Wayman Britt captained the University of Michigan Wolverines to the NCAA title game in 1976. It had always been his dream to play the game he loved, and the Wolverines fit the bill. After realizing one dream, Britt set his sights on another. And another. Britt didn’t let his poverty-stricken environment i...

We all experience a “meanwhile” in life. Those endless and challenging moments when God is strategically labouring behind the scenes, yet we find ourselves questioning. Such is Joseph’s story—it might be yours as well. Carol McLeod, a trusted women's ministry leader, well-known speaker and author of 15 books, hopes her latest book, Meanwhile: Meeting God in the Wait , helps women realize that, wha...

Do love songs have any place in Christian music? Is it biblical? Is it right? Is it wrong? Those are the questions we discuss today with Dr. Nicholas Greco. He's the Associate Professor of Communications and Media at Providence University College in Otterburne, Manitoba. He loves to study and talk about religion and popular culture and gives us lots to think about today!  What do you think? Let us...

It's been a busy year for Canadian recording artist Dan Bremnes. In June 2022, Bremnes released his new album, Into The Wild .  Dan wrote most of the album in the midst of the pandemic. He hopes this album will help listeners leave fear behind and allow God to guide them.  'Wouldn't Change A Thing', 'Hold You Tight' and 'Run Away With Me' are some of the singles off the album that are already impa...

Jeannie Cunnion, a pastor’s kid and life-long Jesus follower who became a Christian at the age of eight found herself knee-deep in questions such as: D o I rely on the power of God’s Spirit inside me or am I trying to do life in my strength? How can I experience more of His presence? These questions led her to discover more about the Holy Spirit and entirely rely on Him for the answers. In Don’t M...

In June of 2002, the life of Kara Robinson would change as she knew it. While in her best friend's front yard,  she was approached by a man who put a gun to her neck and forced her into his car. This man would go on to take Kara to his apartment where he held her captive for 18 hours before her daring escape. Not only did she escape, but she also helped capture him. Kara would go on to enter law e...

Isami is a subject matter expert on anti-human trafficking and child safety. She grew up in Japan and was raised by professional con artists under the guise of "missionaries". Her home was an unsafe place for children, as her mother became her sex trafficker at the age of 9. She left her abusive home as an adult and was introduced to a relationship with Jesus Christ at the age of 23. ​Her mission...

It started with a church buying a liquor store 11 years ago, and the results have been staggering.  Chicago's Humboldt Park neighbourhood is known to be a neighbourhood with significantly high crime rates, something pastor Wilfredo "Choco" De Jesus knows from growing up there. Pastor Wilfredo 'Choco' De Jesus has been the pastor of New Life Covenant Church since 2000. Rather than seeking to preser...

Ellen Pierre Louis grew up in a small, rural Ontario town, but at the age of 20 found herself on a plane for the first time, headed for Haiti. Her book, Sweet Surrender, takes you on the journey of a young woman who gave up everything in Canada to go after God's heart and His desires for her life. On today's show (and in the book) she tells you her story of overcoming fears, stepping out in faith,...

Unresolved trauma can take a serious toll on a child, but sometimes families just don’t know what to say or where to turn for help.  Hidden: Her Truth Her Pain, from Shun Jamerson Tomlin, is a thought-provoking story about a young girl who was victimized by a close family friend and the profound impact of her family’s decision to keep quiet.  Hidden candidly explores themes of self-forgiveness, st...