Mother's Day is upon us.

For Marina Hofman, being a mother was something she had dreamed of. However, in 2014, Marina was in a head-on collision that left her with life-altering injuries, including being told that she would not be able to have children. 

Marina prayed day and night for a child, and eventually, she was blessed with a daughter. 

Marina Hofman, Ph.D., is the author of the award-winning book and video series, Women in the Bible Small Group Bible Study and a professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University. 

Today on Connections, Marina shares her testimony of how she became a mother. She'll also chat about who her favourite mother is in the Bible and why it's so important to talk about the mothers and women in the Bible.

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Therapist of 27-years and parent, Jean Holthaus is offering parents and caretakers of children new ways to think about and interact with their child when they have anxiety.

Holthaus says that integrating faith with best practices to reduce anxiety teaches coping skills that will help children live more confidently today and into the future.

Today on Connections, Jean shares some tips and advice on how we can handle our children's anxiety and help them to live their lives more peacefully.

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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.

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After losing a close friend to cancer, a friend for whom she wrote her award-winning song, "Overcomer", Mandisa descended into a dark pit of depression, isolating herself from family and friends, and turning to her familiar friend, food, for comfort.

Clinging to the hope of Psalm 40 in her overwhelming darkness, she slowly began to recognize cracks of light where God was at work. 

She writes about this in her new book, Out of the dark: My Journey through the shadows to find God's joy.

Today on Connections, Mandisa shares a bit about her journey and how she finally managed to come out of the dark.   

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The first week of May is mental health awareness week in Canada.

According to Laura Howe, approximately 43.8 million people per year experience some kind of mental health concern.  However, 49% of pastors say they rarely (if ever) speak to their congregation about mental health.

Laura Howe is the founder of Hope Made Strong, an organization dedicated to equipping leaders with the mental health resources needed to create resilient individuals and churches with knowledgeable and confident leadership.

Today on Connections, Laura shares about her organization. She'll also chat about the importance of discussing mental health, especially within the church.  

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Author, speaker and ex-Playboy Bunny Robyn Dykstra escaped a life of drugs, alcohol and promiscuity for a fresh start with Jesus. She also became the accidental expert on the faithfulness of God and finding joy during difficult times when she buried two husbands in four short years.

Today on Connections, Robyn shares how she went from a Playboy Bunny to finding Jesus and how her faith remained strong even after experiencing tremendous loss.

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We live in a time of radical church decline where one-third of religious buildings in Canada will be abandoned in the next 10-years.

Christians find themselves listening to pastors’ messages through a podcast or YouTube video rather than going to a physical church service. In light of the worldwide pandemic, churches all over the world have moved their services online, begging the question: does church really matter? In a time when the global church is changing to virtual services, Canadian pastor, speaker and author Kevin Makins believes the church still matters – perhaps more than ever.

Today on Connections, Pastor Kevin Makins shares why church still matters and how we can continue to make the church grow.

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According to Lifeway Research, 49% of pastors say they rarely or never speak to their congregation about mental illness, and 65% of churchgoing family members of those with mental illness wish the church would talk more openly about mental illness. 

Brad Hoefs’ life took a dramatic turn in the spring of 1995 due to a manic episode caused by bipolar disorder, which became public and ended his role as the senior pastor of one of the nation’s fastest-growing churches.  

Upon seeing a need for more resources for those loving someone with a mental health diagnosis, Brad started up a ministry, Fresh Hope for Mental Health.

Today on Connections he shares his story and why it's so important to consider the mental health of pastors. He'll also chat about his ministry.

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One day, one of Chris Brown’s colleagues told him, “All we see is this good-looking, all-American man born with a silver spoon in his mouth and who now has his own all-American family. People can’t relate to that. Your opportunities to this point appear to have been endless. You’ve had to have had a better life than most.” Little did this person know, Chris had lived a life of poverty, pain, and rejection for years.

In his new book, Restored: Transforming the Sting of Your Past into Purpose for Today, pastor and author Chris Brown reflects on his painful past and discusses how he overcame his struggles.  

Today on Connections, Chris shares his powerful story of transformation and how he is using it to transform others. 

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As a white Afrikaner woman growing up in South Africa during apartheid, Idelette McVicker was steeped in a community and a church that reinforced white supremacy and shielded her from seeing her neighbours' oppression. But a series of circumstances led her to begin questioning everything she thought was true about her identity, her country, and her faith.

She shares this long, slow journey of healing the past, making things right, changing old stories, and becoming human together in her book, Recovering Racists: Dismantling White Supremacy and Reclaiming Our Humanity

Today on Connections, Idelette shares how her life has changed and how she intends to help others make things right as well.

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