The Center for Hope and Healing at Broadmoor

05/28/2026

05/27/2026

You Were Never Meant to Control Everything

One of the quiet sources of anxiety is this:
Trying to control things that were never yours to carry.
Outcomes. Other people. The future.

The more we grip tightly, the more pressure we tend to feel.
Scripture offers a different posture: “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for
you” (1 Peter 5:7, NASB).

Not ignoring it. Not denying it.
But releasing what was never meant to stay in your hands.

Try this this week:
1. Identify one thing you’re trying to control
2. Acknowledge what is actually within your responsibility
3. Place the rest, intentionally, before the Lord

Peace often begins where control is released.
Not all at once.
But one honest surrender at a time.

Grace and Peace.
Steve

Dr. Steve Watson, a counselor at The Center for Hope and Healing, grew up in Morton, Mississippi, and answered the call to the counseling ministry while attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His Bachelor’s Degree is in Religious Education and he has two Master’s Degrees in Counseling all from Mississippi College. He also holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Educational Psychology from Mississippi State University.

05/25/2026

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

Mental health improves in connection…not isolation.
We were built for relationship…with God and with others.

“Encourage one another and build up one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NASB).

That’s not a suggestion.
It’s a design principle.

If you’ve been trying to manage everything internally, it may be time to shift.

Try this this week:
1. Reach out to someone you trust
2. Be honest about where you are
3. Take one step toward support

Healing rarely happens in hiding.
It begins when we step into connection.

Grace and Peace.
Steve

Dr. Steve Watson, a counselor at The Center for Hope and Healing, grew up in Morton, Mississippi, and answered the call to the counseling ministry while attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His Bachelor’s Degree is in Religious Education and he has two Master’s Degrees in Counseling all from Mississippi College. He also holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Educational Psychology from Mississippi State University.

05/21/2026

You Are Not Your Worst Moment

One moment does not define your entire story.

Not your worst decision.
Not your hardest season.
Not your deepest struggle.

Scripture reminds us: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus” (Romans 8:1, NASB).

Shame will try to tell you otherwise.
But shame is not a reliable narrator.

Try this this week:
1. Identify one mistake you keep replaying
2. Acknowledge it honestly…without minimizing
3. Refuse to let it become your identity

Growth requires honesty.
But it also requires grace.

Grace and Peace.
Steve

Dr. Steve Watson, a counselor at The Center for Hope and Healing, grew up in Morton, Mississippi, and answered the call to the counseling ministry while attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His Bachelor’s Degree is in Religious Education and he has two Master’s Degrees in Counseling all from Mississippi College. He also holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Educational Psychology from Mississippi State University.

05/18/2026

Rest Is Not a Luxury

Rest is not a reward for finishing everything.
If that were true, no one would ever rest.

Rest is part of how we are sustained.

Even Jesus stepped away from the crowds to be alone and restore;
“In the early morning,
while it was dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was
praying there” (Mark 1:35, NASB).

If you’ve been running without pause, fatigue will eventually make decisions for you.

Try this this week:
1. Set aside a small, protected block of time
2. Step away from noise and demand
3. Be still…before you try to be productive again

Rest isn’t wasted time.
It’s preparation for what comes next.

Grace and Peace.
Steve

Dr. Steve Watson, a counselor at The Center for Hope and Healing, grew up in Morton, Mississippi, and answered the call to the counseling ministry while attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His Bachelor’s Degree is in Religious Education and he has two Master’s Degrees in Counseling all from Mississippi College. He also holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Educational Psychology from Mississippi State University.

05/14/2026

Anxiety Thrives in Silence

Anxiety grows best in the dark.

Unspoken. Unchallenged. Unshared.

Left alone, it tends to get louder…not quieter.

But Scripture gives a different direction: “be anxious for nothing, but in everything… let
your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6, NASB).
Notice the movement…bring it into the light.

Try this this week:
1. Name what you’re anxious about…specifically
2. Put it into words in prayer
3. Say it out loud to someone you trust

Light doesn’t always remove the problem immediately.
But it does begin to shrink its power.

Grace and Peace.
Steve

Dr. Steve Watson, a counselor at The Center for Hope and Healing, grew up in Morton, Mississippi, and answered the call to the counseling ministry while attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His Bachelor’s Degree is in Religious Education and he has two Master’s Degrees in Counseling all from Mississippi College. He also holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Educational Psychology from Mississippi State University.

05/12/2026

Preparing for College: Helping High School Seniors Navigate One of Life’s Biggest Transitions

Brent Johnston | Certified Life Coach | The Center for Hope and Healing

As high school seniors prepare to leave home and begin college, many families understandably focus on academics, scholarships, applications, and career paths. While these are important, one of the greatest needs facing young adults today is preparation emotionally, relationally, spiritually, and personally for the transition into adulthood.

College can be an exciting season filled with opportunity, independence, and growth. It can also become a time marked by uncertainty, pressure, loneliness, anxiety, and difficult decisions. Many students who excel academically still struggle because they feel unprepared for the emotional and personal responsibilities that come with independence and adulthood.

The transition from high school to college is far more than a change in classrooms or living arrangements. For many students, it is the first major season in which they begin making important decisions on their own regarding friendships, relationships, priorities, identity, faith, and future direction. Young adults today are navigating intense social pressure, comparison on social media, fear of failure, and questions about who they are becoming. In many cases, students simply need guidance, encouragement, accountability, and someone who can help them process life with wisdom and perspective.

From a Christian perspective, preparing students for college is not simply about helping them achieve success—it is about helping them become grounded in identity, character, wisdom, and purpose. Scripture reminds us in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

One of the greatest challenges many students face during the college years is discovering where their value and identity truly come from. In our culture driven by comparison, performance, and achievement, students can quickly begin attaching their worth to grades, popularity, relationships, or external success.

Yet healthy long-term growth begins when young adults understand that their identity is rooted in something far deeper than performance alone. The years immediately following high school often become some of the most formative years of a person’s life. During this season, students begin shaping patterns, habits, relationships, beliefs, and decisions that can influence their future for years to come. Helping students gain clarity and confidence during this transition can make a tremendous difference not only academically, but emotionally and spiritually as well.

When I was graduating from Jackson Academy, I had some tremendous mentors in my life who helped guide me and who provided an anchor for my next big step as I entered college. Coaching and mentoring can provide students with a healthy environment where they are able to process goals, fears, stress, transitions, relationships, and future decisions openly and honestly. Some students need help building confidence and emotional resilience. Others may need support navigating anxiety, relationships, communication challenges, leadership growth, or questions about calling and purpose. Often, students simply benefit from having someone walk alongside them with encouragement, perspective, and practical tools for growth.

Preparing students for adulthood also means helping them understand the importance of healthy boundaries, emotional wellness, spiritual grounding, wise decision-making, and personal responsibility. True success is not simply measured by achievement, but by becoming emotionally healthy, spiritually grounded, relationally wise, and purpose-driven. Creating a road map for success also translates into planning - not simply waiting until your student arrives on campus. Identifying Christian campus organizations and possible churches ahead of time are key to finding community.

Parents do not have to navigate this season alone, and students do not have to carry the pressure of transition by themselves. With support, guidance, and intentional mentoring, young adults can enter this next season of life with greater confidence, peace of mind, and clarity about who they are and where they are headed.

For more information regarding coaching and mentoring support for high school seniors preparing for college and early adulthood, contact me today.

Brent Johnston
Center for Hope & Healing
bjohnston@chhms.org
601.898.4947

**As a Life Coach at CHH, Brent takes a holistic approach, guiding clients in personal development, youth and parent coaching, leadership growth, spiritual development, pre-marital mentoring, and relationship coaching. He helps clients gain clarity, maximize potential, and achieve personal and professional growth.

05/11/2026

The Mind Needs Renewal, Not Just Relief

Sometimes we don’t need escape.
We need renewal.

When the mind is left unchecked, it can drift toward fear, frustration, and exhaustion.

Scripture points us toward a different path: “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”
(Romans 12:2, NASB).

That kind of renewal doesn’t happen all at once.
It happens slowly, intentionally, over time.

Try this this week:
1. Notice one recurring negative thought
2. Pause and question its accuracy
3. Replace it with truth—both practical and spiritual

A renewed mind doesn’t ignore reality.
It sees it more clearly.

Grace and Peace.
Steve

Dr. Steve Watson, a counselor at The Center for Hope and Healing, grew up in Morton, Mississippi, and answered the call to the counseling ministry while attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His Bachelor’s Degree is in Religious Education and he has two Master’s Degrees in Counseling all from Mississippi College. He also holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Educational Psychology from Mississippi State University.

05/08/2026

What does valuing your body have to do with Mental Health Awareness Month? The health of your body plays a vital role in your overall well-being. Listen to these tips from Leslie!

05/07/2026

You’re Not Weak, You’re Carrying Weight

Struggling doesn’t mean you’re weak.
More often, it means you’ve been strong for a very long time… without enough support.

There’s a difference.

God never designed us to carry life in isolation. Even in the beginning, “it is not good for
man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18, NASB).

If you’re tired, overwhelmed, or worn thin, that may not be failure.
It may be a signal.

Try this this week:
1. Acknowledge where you feel stretched thin
2. Bring it honestly before the Lord
3. Let one trusted person in

Strength isn’t found in carrying everything alone.
It’s found in knowing when to reach out.

Grace and Peace.
Steve

Dr. Steve Watson, a counselor at The Center for Hope and Healing, grew up in Morton, Mississippi, and answered the call to the counseling ministry while attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His Bachelor’s Degree is in Religious Education and he has two Master’s Degrees in Counseling all from Mississippi College. He also holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Educational Psychology from Mississippi State University.

05/06/2026

How do you value your mind? Listen as Leslie gives you a few quick tips as part of our Mental Health Awareness Month!