Connections with Mike Thom and Colleen Houde

If there is one family that knows how to do cancer in a big way, it's the Epp-Tiessen family. There have been 10 occasions when a doctor told one of their family of five that they have cancer or that, despite the treatments, the cancer has returned. They also experienced loss after cancer took the life of their eight-year-old son, Tim. Despite all of this, the Epp-Tiessen family continues to cling...

A Christmas quiz at an office Christmas party changed the research path for one historian. Dr. Gerry Bowler was interested in making the quiz both challenging and intriguing, so he started researching the different facts and myths surrounding Christmas. Dr. Bowler says this lead him down a 30-year path of researching everything Christmas. Today on Connections, Dr. Bowler shares the myths and facts...

Who is Mary? How can we relate to her this Christmas season? Dr. Marina Hofman is a Bible and theology professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Today on Connections, Dr. Hofman shares with us how we can relate to Mary in more ways than we think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When author Dione Martin was a girl, she often thought about her biological father. Who was he and what did he look like? Did he ever think about her and wonder if she was OK?  Martin poignantly explores the impact of family secrets and the importance of father-daughter bonds in  The Wool Over Their Eyes,  an authentic story with memorable characters who find redeeming qualities in each other — an...

For many, Christmas is a season they look forward to all year long. For others, it can be stressful and, at times, challenging for those who are missing a loved one. Bob Smickilas, a registered psychotherapist, nationally certified counsellor, and licensed minister, says grief can arise at any time, but it usually rears its head at Christmas. Today on Connections, he gives us tips on how to cope w...

An estimated 80% of people say they feel “stuck.” So what’s the solution? In his new book, Unstuck and Unstoppable , Jimn Kyles provides readers with practical, actionable tools to help them shake off problems from the past, find their purpose and move forward in their lives. Today on Connections, Jimn shares his testimony and how these steps helped him become unstuck and unstoppable. See omnystud...

Christmas is just around the corner. For many of us, this is a festive and joyful time. For others, this can bring on some unnecessary stress.  Today on Connections, Lucille Williams gives us tips on how to avoid the Christmas overload and find a balance to celebrate the real reason for the season.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If the animals who witnessed Jesus’ birth could have spoken, what would they have said? In her 2022 Moonbeam Award-winning book Bethlehem Barn , Debra Westgate-Silva gives young audiences a lighthearted retelling of the classic Christmas story — from the animals’ point of view.   Debra shares more about her book today on Connections. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our image-conscious culture, life can become a never-ending performance. The perfection we feel pressured to project to those in our social sphere comes at the expense of our emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being. In the end, we are left exhausted and unfulfilled. How do we flip the script and feed ourselves rather than simply adding to our feeds? In Manda Carpenter's latest book, Soul Ca...

There is an unprecedented mental health crisis sweeping the globe. People are hurting in more ways than ever and in epidemic numbers. Dr. Jared Pingleton's latest book, Mental Health Ministry: The Struggle is Real, is designed to inspire and activate faith communities to meet the real-world challenges of this overwhelming crisis. Biblically based and clinically proven, this book demonstrates pract...

If you used to go to church but do not anymore, David Wentz says his latest book is for you.  When Church Stops Working: Meeting With God in Your Living Room looks at how the joyful, empowering gatherings of Jesus' followers in Bible times became today's institutional church. It also describes how any small group of friends in a living room can re-create the New Testament model of Christian gather...

From the outside, Julie Ann Rose's childhood home was a place of beauty. Inside those four walls was anything but that. At the age of six, Rose's father began abusing her, both physically and sexually. This went on for years before Julie eventually ran away. Her problems didn't end there. She faced a road of endless trouble until the night she met Jesus. Today on Connections, Julie Ann Rose shares...

Jenita Pace is a licensed professional counsellor (LPC) in Minnesota. She is also a pastor's wife. She experienced a battle with depression and anxiety that led her down a path of destruction. After several years of prayer, counselling, and pursuing God, Jenita and her family experienced God’s grace and restoration.    Today on Connections, Jenita shares her story of restoration. She'll also share...

Sonya Johnson experienced trauma in her teenage years. That led her down a path of destruction that eventually landed her in jail. While she was incarcerated, Sonya surrendered her life to God, and today she is using her experience to help others.  Today on Connections, Sonya shares her testimony. She'll also share how she intends to help others moving forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Pre-pandemic, 1 in 8 Canadians were food insecure, meaning they didn't have enough money to buy food that would prevent them from being hungry.  That number has now risen to 1 in 7 Canadians. Karen Giesbrecht is a registered dietician working in Vancouver.  Today on Connections, Karen shares a bit about the situation when it comes to food insecurity in Canada, how the church is helping and how we...

Global storytelling organization  I Am Second has released an exclusive short documentary that offers viewers an intimate look at entrepreneur, pastor and racer, Don Wickstrum’s years-long journey to conquer the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb  while leaning on his faith and battling an aggressive cancer diagnosis. Today on Connections, Don shares his powerful testimony and what it was like to...

Leslie Thompson wanted an everywhere, anytime kind of prayer life. But how does a young mom and entrepreneur add one more thing to days filled with diapers, laundry, client meetings and dinner prep? Leslie needed a little boost – and she found it in Every Moment Holy , a book of prayers that paired perfectly with her life's ordinary moments. From the “Liturgy for Changing Diapers” to “A Liturgy fo...

If you have ever felt alone, uncertain, overwhelmed, or questioned why God has allowed difficult circumstances to become part of your narrative, Jody McBrayer’s story is for you. Today on Connections, the former Avalon band member shares the ups and downs that he has experienced over the years and how he has managed to come out on the other side. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

What is one way we can prevent clergy sexual misconduct and abuse? Valerie Hiebert says it starts with discussing healthy sexuality in the church. Val Hiebert is a program coordinator for abuse response and prevention with Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba. She is also a professor at the University of Manitoba. Today on Connections, Valerie talks about the importance of healthy sexuality in the...

We all wish we had more control. When our relationships are strained, when our bodies refuse to cooperate, and when the future is uncertain, control promises security and peace. The problem is, the more we seek the illusion of control, the more it betrays us. Thankfully the answer to our craving is not simply to "let go and let God." Instead, God has given us a better tool. In this eye-opening boo...

For the past couple of years, most people were told to isolate, protect themselves from contact with neighbours, and stay indoors. After practicing this for so long, how do we become neighbours again? And should we care? In Shannan Martin's new book, Start with Hello (And Other Simple Ways to Live as Neighbors), Shannan shares simple practices for living as a more open-hearted, empathetic neighbou...

Suzan Nguyen couldn't move her body. Couldn't open her mouth. Couldn't even blink her eyes to signal to those standing over her. She could hear the sirens. See the flashing lights. But she felt nothing. In the end, she would awake from her nightmare without her right arm, which had been severed above the elbow in a car accident. The trauma of the event proved life-altering for Nguyen, who was 22 a...

How do we raise our children to have strong and healthy relationships? Is it okay to argue in front of our children?  These are just some of the questions that Lucille Williams will answer today on Connections.  Lucille Williams is the author of numerous books. She's also a national speaker and has ministered to families and couples for over 25 years.  Today on Connections, she gives us some tips...

Grammy-nominated worship leader Cody Carnes   has released his first-ever live-recorded album, God is Good! The 12-track album was captured this summer during a special two-night worship event at Belonging Co. in Nashville. Special guests on the project include Kari Jobe, Natalie Grant, and Benjamin William Hastings.   Today on Connections, Cody chats about the new album and what it was like to re...

It was 2017 when Heather and Ernie Ginter's lives were turned upside down. Just before a planned trip to Costa Rica to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary, Ernie was experiencing some pain and was quickly diagnosed with gallstones.  He went in for emergency surgery and was able to go on his trip. When they arrived back, they were devastated to find out the doctor had also found a rare form of...