Sheila Walsh is sharing candidly about her mental health struggles in hopes of encouraging the millions struggling to hold on to and live in the love of God.

In her new book, Holding On When You Want to Let Go: Clinging to Hope When Life Is Falling Apart, Sheila Walsh vulnerably shares the traumatic events of her childhood, the loneliness, anxiety, and depression that still creep into her life, how the pandemic magnified and exacerbated her struggles, and the source of the hope that keeps her holding on.

Today on Connections, Sheila shares her struggles with mental health and how we can better help those dealing with mental health issues.

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October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month.

When a person experiences pregnancy or infant loss, they may find themselves in a life they never expected. And even though pregnancy and infant loss are common, they may not be common to you. Instead, they feel like a stranger in their own body, surrounded by well-meaning people who often don't know how to support them.

That's according to today's guest, Rachel Lewis. She is the founder of Brave Mamas, an online community offering support to the pregnancy and infant loss community. She is also a speaker and the author of Unexpecting: Real talk on pregnancy loss.

Today on Connections, Rachel shares her story in hopes of helping others struggling through this journey.

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Joanna Weaver says that letting go of control is hard- unless we hold on to something greater, like God. 

Joanna is the bestselling author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. She also recently released a new book, Embracing Trust: The art of letting go and holding on to a forever-faithful God.  

Today on Connections, Joanna talks about the importance of trust and the inspiration behind her new book.

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September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities.

Patricia Myran of Long Plain First Nation is a second-generation residential school survivor. Her parents both attended residential school, and Patricia spent 12 years in residential school. She has also been a historical researcher for the past 20 years and is on the board of directors for the National Indigenous Residential School Museum.

Today on Connections, Patricia shares personal experience and how people can educate themselves starting today.

**Orginal air date September 29, 2021**

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From a runaway street kid in Uganda to becoming a foster dad in America, Peter Mutabazi discovered the value of being known.  

He is now sharing his powerful story with the world in his book, Now I am Known: How a Street Kid Turned Foster Dad Found Acceptance and True Worth.

Today on Connections, Peter shares his story and the role faith played in it all.

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Awake In the Dawn: Living the Lord’s Prayer is a fresh new devotional concept, that shares a year-long journey of applying the Lord’s Prayer to our daily lives.  

Craig Smith is a beloved pastor, musician, and teacher based in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. While he has pastored his home church for nearly three decades, his heart is to see the broader body of Christ genuinely deepen their relationship with God, which comes from spending more quiet time with God.

He hopes his new book will draw people closer to God. 

Today on Connections, Craig talks about his new devotional and the significance of the Lord's prayer.

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Danielle Strickland is the proud mom of three boys, wife to Stephen, and has been affectionately called the "ambassador of fun".

She is a speaker, activist, podcast host and author. 

Her latest book is The Other Side of Hope: Flipping the Script on Cynicism and Despair and Rediscovering our Humanity.

In this book, she discusses how we can overcome cynicism and despair and find hope by witnessing the power of God's redemptive healing. 

Today on Connections, Danielle shares the inspiration behind this book. She also shares how we can look at hope in a new light.

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Based on the inspirational novel by Ken Blanchard and Wally Armstrong, The Mulligan follows a man trying to right the wrongs of his past as he learns that the game of life is best approached with a clear head. The powerful film about second chances stars Eric Close (American Sniper, Nashville), Pat Boone (A Cowgirl's Story, God's Not Dead 2) and Tanya Christiansen (I Still Believe, The Hate U Give).

Rick Eldridge is the producer. With more than 35 years in the entertainment business as a musician, producer, director, and entrepreneur: Rick Eldridge makes projects happen.

Today on Connections, Rick chats about The Mulligan and the inspiration behind this project. 

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Many people can recall the exact moment their lives changed forever. Jenny and Evan Owens say what happened was wrong, and it hurt, but it does not have to define their lives forever. There is a way to overcome trauma and embrace a brighter future.

Jenny and Evan, founders of REBOOT recovery,  talk about this in their new book, Healing What’s Hidden: Practical Steps to Overcoming Trauma.

Today on Connections, Jenny and Evan share practical steps to overcoming trauma.

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September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

Jay Lowder understands what it can feel like to be in a pit of darkness. He also knows what it feels like to be redeemed and to find God.

He is now the founder of Jay Lowder Harvest Ministries, an evangelistic ministry that works to help people who suffer the same depression and desperation that Jay once felt.

Today on Connections, Jay shares his powerful story of transformation. He also talk about how he is using his experience to help others.   

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, please call the Canadian Suicide Prevention line at 1-833-456-4566. You can also go online to get help at https://talksuicide.ca/.

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