Connections with Mike Thom and Colleen Houde

Love Your Story is a must-read for anyone who wants to truly understand what it means to be a champion in God’s eyes and how true champions are created.  Linda Olson is the go-to story expert who helps authors, speakers and entrepreneurs impact millions with their stories. She is a TEDx speaker, multiple bestselling author and founder of Wealth Through Stories. Her mission is “To Impact a Million...

There may be no more powerful desire in the human heart than to be loved. And not just loved, but loved anyway. In spite of what we’ve done or left undone, we long for an unconditional love that we know deep down we don’t deserve. Bestselling author Jared C. Wilson says that kind of love actually exists, and it is an experience that is ours for the having. He shares this in his new book, Love Me A...

Reading is a common habit shared by many successful people throughout history. It is responsible for unlocking limitless creativity and influence. It is known to reduce stress, improve decision-making skills, and make better leaders. It is the single best thing a person can do to improve themselves professionally. Reading more and better books creates opportunities to learn new skills, rise above...

Do our darkest secrets have a purpose? Can our weaknesses give us strength? Is there a plan for our pain? Yes, says Christine Soule, if we embrace God’s love and ask for His help.  Today on Connections, Christine Soule shares her remarkable journey from unspeakable dysfunction to a life abundant with blessings. She'll also talk about her new book, Broken and Beautiful.   See omnystudio.com/listene...

Leilanie and Michael met when they were just 15 years old. Twelve years later they got engaged, but as they were preparing for their wedding something seemed off with Michael. Today on Connections, Leilanie shares her family's journey as they battle a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. She also talks about how faith and love have helped her family through the ups and downs of caregiving. See omnystudio...

‎Leilanie and Michael met when they were just 15 years old. Twelve years later they got engaged, but as they were preparing for their wedding something seemed off with Michael. Today on Connections, Leilanie shares her family's journey as they battle a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. She also talks about how faith and love have helped her family through the ups and downs of caregiving. See omnystudi...

Adoptive parents often discover that opening their hearts to adoption was the easy part. It’s the emotional journey after the surrender to the idea of adoption that leads to the hard seasons of testing. In Hope When It’s Hard, author Jennifer Phillips beautifully weaves together elements of her personal adoption journey with Scripture and encouraging words that will feed the soul of an adoptive pa...

Have you ever felt alone, even though you're surrounded by people? Or 'liked' but unloved? Doug Bender, I Am Second's chief content writer, knows exactly how this feels, and he shares his story in his latest book titled,  Found Love: True Stories of Discovering Love, Belonging and Friendship. This book is also filled with other powerful stories of men and women in the public eye who have broken th...

When's the last time that you shared your faith with someone? A recent study found that 66% of Christian leaders in Canada say that evangelism is not a priority for their faith communities. Is that a problem? And, if it is, how can we start conversations that lead to sharing the Good News of Jesus? In this episode, Shaila Visser of Alpha Canada shares her thoughts. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Shearon Epps comes from a large family of 18 siblings. Who she is today is a combination of her rich experiences of growing up in humble beginnings and her hard work as a single mom who also solo parents her three grandkids. Never did she imagine that she would be writing books. Her books help readers gain a heart understanding of God’s unconditional, wholehearted and continuous love for them.  To...

Patrick Bell was a Bible Smuggler into Communist Eastern Europe from 1988 to 1990. His purposeful and extensive research in Romania, along with a deep appreciation for the hard issues that the Romanian believers faced, breathe life and authenticity into the story."When you hear gunfire outside your hotel and there are bullet holes in the window and blood on the carpet, you know you're in the thick...

Patrick Bell was a Bible Smuggler into Communist Eastern Europe from 1988 to 1990. His purposeful and extensive research in Romania, along with a deep appreciation for the hard issues that the Romanian believers faced, breathe life and authenticity into the story. "When you hear gunfire outside your hotel and there are bullet holes in the window and blood on the carpet, you know you're in the thic...

As kids head back to school it's a good time to talk with them about bullying. Dr. Wendy Craig from PREV Net (Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network) gives you some great tips on how to protect your kids form bullying as well as ensuring they don't become a bully. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Approximately, 150 million children in the world have a disability. In many developing countries kids with disabilities are ignored, misunderstood and forgotten – many are hidden away in backrooms out of shame or necessity as parents try to put food on the table for all their kids. Most families living in poverty in Africa can’t afford basic medical care, much less surgery. Today, Ed Epp, the exec...

It's no secret that motherhood is hard. Keeping a healthy prayer life in the middle of motherhood can also be hard. But Brooke McGlothlin says that when prayer becomes our first response it also becomes our best response. McGlothlin is the co-founder of Million Praying Moms and has a new book out aimed at helping moms become the prayer warriors their family needs. Praying Mom will help you navigat...

Raising an 'impossible kid' can be a challenge, and Lucille Williams has been there and done that. Thankfully, she's using her years of experience, complete with mistakes and victories, to help other parents face their own challenges. Her new book, The Impossible Kid, looks at rasing high-spirited, stubborn, or just downright disagreeable kids. Perhaps most importantly, Williams points out that an...

How do we teach our kids about being safe when it comes to strangers without scaring (or scarring) them? Today we talk to an expert with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection about just that.  They offer us five great tips to keep our kids safe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Helen Guenther has faced her own struggles with anxiety and depression. But when her daughter was diagnosed with an eating disorder, Guenther says it was as if her "whole world fell apart." Guenther and her daughter have walked side-by-side to find freedom and now she walks alongside others facing struggles. Guenther has created "Grace Groups," faith-based support groups for people who have loved...

Erica Wiggenhorn has a mission to help inspire Christians to not just know God, but to live like God is in control. In her new book, Letting God Be Enough: Why Striving Keeps You Stuck and How Surrender Sets You Free, Wiggenhorn helps readers break down personal issues of inadequacy by examining the life of Moses. Today on Connections, Erica talks about her journey with self-doubt and how she mana...

Talasi Guerra is a Christian author and communicator who is passionate about infusing Jesus into her everyday life and empowering others to do the same. In 2007, Talasi experienced a radical life change when God brought her through a period of healing from her long battle with anorexia and depression. Since that time, Talasi has been committed to bringing light and life to the world around her by...

When the world was impacted by the pandemic, Mike Donehey, like so many others, found himself struggling. Tenth Avenue North, the band that he founded and led for so many years, was amicably disbanding and planning their farewell tour when everything stopped. With the tour cancelled and the band officially over, Donehey found himself lost, not only about what his next steps were going to be but wa...

Today's guest grew up in a catholic home, but it did not influence his life whatsoever. In his teen years, Adam Rieger stopped going to church. He became an atheist and began listening to death metal music. It was then that he also decided that he needed to travel the world. This adventure led him to hitchhike, which then led him back to his faith.  Today on Connections, Adam shares with us this f...

A few years ago, Mike Janzen was approached by a good friend that asked him if he would be interested in writing some music based on the ancient prayers in the Psalms. Although the idea interested him, at the time he had a packed schedule and didn't know if he'd have the time to slow down enough to actually write. Shortly after that discussion, he experienced a life-altering injury that flipped hi...

Home. It’s where you’ve been spent a lot of time over the past year and a half. It’s where the heart is. Where your family’s at. Even where you keep your stuff. It’s also a greater reflection of who you are and what you value. A look into your home can be a look into your heart, your relationships with family and friends, and with your heavenly Father. So how do we make our physical home a reflect...

Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission has a goal to prevent, reduce and eliminate poverty, hunger and homelessness in Los Angeles. Ken Craft is the founder and CEO, and he himself has a powerful story of how he became involved with this mission. Today on Connections, he shares that story. He'll also chat about a pair of tiny home villages they have recently set up in Los Angeles and how we here in Can...