The Brighter Podcast

06/12/2021

We have episodes out for Season 2!

Last week we released part 1 of Steph’s testimony through postpartum depression and psychosis after her second born.

You’ll hear Laura and Steph discuss the common difficulties of the early postpartum phase including the differences between postpartum depression and the baby blues. In this first part of their conversation Steph goes into detail about how she went into crisis, the aftermath and the immediate support that followed. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s episode to hear the second part of our conversation, where Steph shares more on God’s unmerited favour over her life!

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ep-13-psychosis-suicidality-at-5-weeks-postpartum-part/id1576075925?i=1000543486410

13/10/2021

Did you know? The first episode from Season 2 is out!

In today’s episode, we kick off Season Two of the Brighter Podcast with special guest Becky Mattieu. She is a Child and Youth Worker, Registered Psychotherapist, and after-hours on call chaplain. In part one of our conversation with Becky, we go over some of the most common issues that children face in mental health, as well as what’s “normal”, and the worries and fears parents go through.

Find us on Apple Podcasts and all the major podcast platforms, or listen in at the YouTube link below.

https://youtu.be/Ba4tT7hoJSM

In today’s episode, we kick off Season Two of the Brighter Podcast with special guest Becky Mathieu. She is a Child and Youth Worker, Registered Psychotherap...

13/07/2021

Tomorrow we release our episode on practical tips for depression, as well as a bonus ten minute audio guide to listen to on your darkest days. Go to our podcast page at ODCF.ca to grab your free depression printable as well, which includes two full pages of scripture for depression plus three beautiful encouragement cards to put up and remind you of your hope and comfort in God.
You are not alone. Dark days come, and they go. You will get through this! Send this or the episode link to a friend who is struggling… and let them know you care. 🤍

15/06/2021

Garbage in, garbage out. Who knew that we’d be quoting this song 11 years after its release? Truth is truth, no matter how old! (6 slides total) By the way, does anyone remember this song??
Garbage in, garbage out,
What goes in gets found out.
All can see what goes in me,
I pay the price.

06/06/2021

Grief, pain and depression are not indications of a lack of faith. Many of us have believed that in order to be a “good Christian,” we must be happy or outwardly peaceful at all times, when it is in fact God who created us to feel and experience such a range of emotions and mental states. Our pain is a reminder of our temporary place on this broken earth, where the wages of sin still permeate— but because of God’s great redemption, the way we experience our grief, pain, and depression can look radically different! We are struck down, but not destroyed.
Don’t shy away from those difficult feelings, but use them as a prompt to go to your Father in prayer! He can certainly comfort his children in the midst of their troubles, and provide his presence through even the darkest of night.
You are not alone in your darkness. Believers of every generation have walked through great despair, and God has seen and known it all. Sometimes we are tempted to wrap up these experiences in neat little packages, such as to say: “It was so sad, for so long, and then God fixed me and now I’m happy again!”. Those are wonderful testimonies, but for those of us in the waiting, or in a long battle, we need to make space for God within the worst moments of the story, too. Invite him in.

"My life is like a faded leaf,
My harvest dwindled to a husk:
Truly my life is void and brief
And tedious in the barren dusk;
My life is like a frozen thing,
No bud nor greenness can I see:
Yet rise it shall—the sap of Spring;
O Jesus, rise in me."

from "A Better Resurrection," by Christina Rossetti
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01/06/2021

We are LIVE on YouTube, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Anchor!
Other platforms coming today.... I mean, it wouldn't be a launch without some technical difficulties, right? :)

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/7_-p2Jy3p-s
Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mZp4ld0CbAdKRAejyxhc0

Listen to BRIGHTER on Spotify. Ever wonder where God could be in the mental health conversation? We discuss mental illness in the light of the gospel to draw ourselves and listeners closer to God. We're a ministry of Open Door Christian Fellowship in London, Ontario. Hosts: Steph Eckert and Laura Mc...

01/06/2021

TOMORROW!

Our release date is nearly here! We’re so excited to share with you what God has been putting on our hearts in regards to mental health and the gospel.

Available tomorrow morning on all major podcast platforms, including YouTube (link will be available tomorrow)!

21/05/2021

Every major podcast platform & YouTube!

19/05/2021

It’s not simple to just “snap out of it” when we’re stuck in yet another low point.
But why is this relevant to God? Because despite what we’ve done, what others have done to us and what we’ve chosen to believe about ourselves it doesn’t change the fact that we’re all created and loved extravagantly by God.

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10

When these negative thoughts flood our minds it’s natural to get stuck and spiral down. Paul advises us to continuously bring our thoughts to God in prayer. By doing this we enter into God’s rest and experience peace even during the darkest days (Phil 4:7-8).

A good way to stop these spirals down is by thanksgiving. Thank God for the blessings in your life. Some days it’s really difficult to find those blessings. Here’s a good one - His unconditional love for you! Then ask God to reveal His peace and to protect your mind from negative thoughts.

Check out Psalms for more encouragement on God’s steadfast love through the trials.

17/05/2021

Our first episodes will drop in two weeks! Dates and links coming soon!

17/05/2021

(reposted from our Instagram)
What does it mean to live in this world with our minds and hearts set on the eternal?
The early church had such fervency and sustained joy through hardship, constantly exhorting one another to live sober minded for “the end of all things is near.” (1 Pet 4:7) Their everyday-everything was committed to the mission of the gospel, with such a loose grip on their earthly lives— forsaking business, family, physical possessions, comfort, certainty, and reputation for the sake of the spreading the love of Christ.
It’s true that not all of us are called to these specific commitments, and yet we are each to live our lives in light of the hope of eternity.
But. How.
Firstly, let’s read our bibles with fervent faith! When Paul shares that all suffering is but for a moment (2 Cor 4:17), let’s BELIEVE IT. Our depression, our anxiety, our struggles, are but for a moment. This means we can have a LIGHTNESS in our hearts, even in the thick of it.
When Timothy is exhorted that the Spirit of God has not given him a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7) let’s BELIEVE IT. This means we can reject fear and repent for sitting in fear, and be filled with power and love and a sound mind! Believe it.
When Jesus himself shared “Peace I leave with you... do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.” (John 14:27), let’s BELIEVE him. The peace of Jesus is within reach!
When we live in greater faith, and reject the wimpish tendency to focus on self, doubt, fear, shame, and daily difficulty, we can have hope for this life and the life to come! God may not be asking you to forsake your worldly possessions today, but he IS asking you to forsake your worldly views and doubt.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Cor 4:18

Lift your eyes! Jesus has given you peace, power, and all that you need. He is with you. He loves you. Believe.

17/05/2021

17/05/2021

(reposted from our Instagram page )
We all crave answers. Some of our questions around mental illness have real impact on the way we move forward in our treatment, or the way we talk to others about their circumstances and questions.
Within this conversation on mental health and the gospel, Christians and others can sometimes gravitate towards “camps” of belief, such as “this is happening because they’re/I’m not praying enough” or “it’s ALL a chemical imbalance,” or “it’s all a choice how we feel and live.” These statements each contain an element of truth, but when we try to rest in the black and white answers of man, we have missed the opportunity to abide in Jesus through the journey.
Each of these questions we have require nuance and patience to understand— and ultimately, the greatest answer is that we will ALWAYS need to rest in the truth of the gospel, not our own confidence that we’re getting it right. We will always need to admit our weakness before God, and our need for him in every moment will never change. We can rest in the confidence that God loves us, covers us with His grace, and He is always working in our situation to draw us to Himself and share His great story with the world.
Today, your questions may be pressing. But we assure you, your need for answers will never exceed your need for the Father.

13/05/2021

We are so excited to announce this ministry to you! BRIGHTER is a podcast meant to marry two topics that almost never get put together: mental illness and the gospel. We are going to answer lots of hard questions, share real life testimonies and encouragement, and explore what good doctrine can do to our perspectives and experiences. When we allow Jesus to transform our vision, everything changes. Wherever you’re at, whether you have a mental illness yourself, or know others who struggle, or maybe are curious about this topic taking so much media spotlight, you will find something on this podcast for you. Whether or not you call yourself a Christian, this is for YOU.