Dr. Michelle Bengtson

We all endure trials, pain, and hardship in this life. The enemy often uses those experiences to convince us that our brokenness disqualifies us from ever being used by God again--that we can no longer be a testimony because of our emotional or physical scars. The truth is, your past pain and brokenness actually serve as preparation for what God wants to do in you and through you, if you will but surrender to and trust in him. In Sacred Scars, neuropsychologist and fellow sufferer Dr. Michelle Bengtson helps you · understand suffering through a biblical perspective· discover how the trials of your life serve a purpose· reflect on the healing that God has accomplished· comfort others with the comfort God has given youJust as Jesus's scars didn't disappear after his resurrection, our scars tell our story and lend credence to our testimony of the love and power of God. If you are ready to turn your past pain into present comfort and future hope, let Dr. Bengtson be your compassionate guide.

Hope for When the Pain Won't QuitEveryone experiences pain at times. It can manifest physically, emotionally, relationally, or spiritually. It can follow tragic accidents, great loss, sudden betrayal, or unexpected and unwanted change. Often it is temporary. But what do you do when it isn't? When the pain just won't go away, when healing does not come, when the grief and hurt settle in? Drawing on her own experience of chronic pain and her years as a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, Dr. Michelle Bengtson provides a countercultural perspective on pain. Offering hope without any false promises or empty platitudes, Dr. Bengtson unwraps the complex emotional aspects of dealing with pain. She gives you permission to question God, helps you identify the lies you've believed about your pain, and reorients your perception based on the truth of God's Word. Each chapter ends with a recommended playlist, reflection questions, and a prayer. Your pain may not change, but your experience of it can.

No question, we have a lot to worry about. Children, jobs, homes, health, finances, and more. The solution isn't to rid ourselves of the sources of anxiety--as if we could. Instead, we need to recognize that anxiety originates from a spiritual influence and that we can fight back using the God-given weapons of power, love, and a sound mind. Sharing her own story of emerging from the battle with anxiety, as well as the stories of others, Dr. Michelle Bengtson reminds you of your identity as a follower of Christ and of the peace he promises you in spite of everything. She provides tools to cope with the crushing emotional burden of anxiety now and, more importantly, shows you how to reclaim God's peace as a way of life so that you can break anxiety's grip.

Every day can be a good day when you trust the promises of God. Job frustrations, difficult relationships, fluctuating health, emotional upheaval. When life conspires to drag us down with all of its troubles, it can be hard to keep our spirits up. Dr. Michelle Bengtson knows. Severely ill and mired in depression, she desperately needed something to cling to. That is when she decided to stand on God's promises that, despite her circumstances, every day was a good day for a good day. In this uplifting devotional, Bengtson helps you make each day a good day no matter what is going on in your life. Each reading includes Scripture, reflection, prayer, and a recommended playlist song designed to help you live out Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Because our thoughts determine our beliefs, our beliefs determine our attitudes, and our attitudes determine our behaviors.

Ours is an age of anxiety. We worry about our children, jobs, homes, health, and finances. News and social media feed our fears. Even the fear of missing out leads to anxiety. The solution isn't to rid ourselves of the sources of anxiety but to recognize that anxiety originates from a spiritual influence--and then use the weapons of power, love, and a sound mind to fight back and live in God's peace. Sharing her own story of emerging from the battle with anxiety as well as the stories of others, Dr. Michelle Bengtson reminds you of your identity as a follower of Christ and of the peace he promises you in spite of everything. She provides tools to cope with the crushing emotional burden of anxiety now, and, more importantly, shows you how to reclaim God's peace as a way of life so that you can break anxiety's grip.

Neuropsychologist Offers Hope to Those Struggling with Depression As a board-certified neuropsychologist, Dr. Michelle Bengtson sees the devastation of depression. Early on, she practiced the most effective treatments and prescribed them for her clients. But when she experienced depression herself, she found that the treatments she had recommended were lacking. Her experience showed her the missing component in treating depression. In "Hope Prevails," Dr. Bengtson writes with deep compassion, blending her training and faith, to offer readers a hope grounded in God's love and grace. She helps readers understand what depression is, how it affects them spiritually, and what, by God's grace, it cannot do. The result is an approach that offers the hope of release, not just the management of symptoms. For those who struggle with depression and those who want to help them, "Hope Prevails" offers hope for the future.