Wild Hope Rising: A Podcast for Women on Faith, Healing & Purpose

In this Hope Huddle, we dive into how women can move forward with clarity, courage, and hope, even when life feels overwhelming, obligations are piling up, and the pressure to “do it all” is real. We explore how responding to what God is revealing, rather than pushing through out of obligation or expectation, can help you make intentional, sustainable choices that honor your heart, bandwidth, and purpose. As we step into a new season, many women find themselves navigating the pressure, expectations, and “shoulds” that come with trying to move forward. Chasing resolutions, driven by obligation, fear, or people-pleasing, often leaves us exhausted, disconnected, or stuck in cycles of overwhelm. This episode invites you to pause, reflect, and let God guide your next steps, so your decisions are intentional, sustainable, and hope-filled. We also explore the different postures we navigate new seasons from: The Apathetic, who feel stuck or discouraged by past disappointments; The Ambitious, who try to push through with sheer willpower; and The Expectant, who learn to pause, reflect, and act with clarity and discernment. This conversation is a reminder that lasting change comes from wisdom, prayer, and reflection—not from pressure, proving, or self-reliance. If you’re wrestling with questions like: How do I move forward with clarity without burning out? How can I make choices that honor my time, emotional energy, and God-given purpose? How do I stop responding out of obligation and start responding to what God is revealing? …this series kickoff episode is full of encouragement, practical insight, and faith-filled guidance to help you move forward in your story with intention, courage, and hope. Connect & Keep the Hope Going! 💥 Don’t forget to subscribe, review, and invite others to listen in! Follow Wild Hope Rising    Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope

In this Hope Huddle,  Sunny Cain sits down with Dean Sikes, author, speaker, and advocate whose “You Matter” message has reached millions around the world. Dean shares the story behind the impressive life, the hidden pain, and the incredible way God chose to use the very thing he once worked hardest to hide. After carrying a secret for 22 years, Dean opens up about abuse, shame, and the journey toward healing, and how God has redeemed his story in a way he never could have imagined. At Wild Hope Rising, we often talk about wilderness seasons, the places where we feel limited, disconnected, or fenced in by parts of our story we don’t know how to face. Dean’s story is a powerful reminder that God does not waste our pain. In this conversation, we talk about how the place of deepest shame can become the place of greatest connection, and how what once felt like a barrier can become the very platform God uses to help others feel seen, heard, and deeply valued. What is most striking about Dean’s story is not just that he found healing, but that God continues to use the most painful part of his past to bring hope, belonging, and freedom to others. The place he once tried to outrun is now the place he ministers from. The story he once kept hidden is now the story helping people around the world believe that they matter. Connect with Dean Sikes & Keep the Hope Going! Dean’s You Matter Ministry Facebook | Instagram | YouTube 💥 Don’t forget to subscribe, review, and invite others to listen in! Follow Wild Hope Rising    Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope

We all go through seasons where life doesn’t look the way we planned—our health struggles, relationships fall apart, dreams feel out of reach, and faith can feel smaller than a mustard seed. In these moments, it feels as though our hope gets hijacked. In this Hope Huddle, we sat down with Jaime Jamgochian, who knows this experience personally. Jaime is a Dove-nominated singer, songwriter, worship leader, speaker for women’s events, and author of Sacred Surrender: The Practice of Waiting Well with God. In this Hope Huddle, she shares her journey through unexpected health challenges, the wilderness season of Lyme Disease that caused her to go from living the dream in her newly decorated condo surrounded by community- to moving cross country away from the life she loved in order to be cared for by her parents. She describes the wilderness as a place where everything felt backwards. A place where she learned that her plan B was God’s plan A, and Jaime encountered God and learned to surrender as Jesus loved her back to health If you’re wrestling with questions like: How do I trust God when the story I’m living isn’t the one I wanted? How do I find hope when life feels like it’s falling apart? How do I surrender when it feels like God is far away.  …this episode is full of encouragement, practical insight, and faith-filled guidance from someone who has walked the path herself. Connect with Jaime Jamgochian & Keep the Hope Going! Grab her book: Sacred Surrender: The Practice of Waiting Well with God on Amazon Follow Jaime: Website | Instagram To see her live in Northern Nevada - Sparks Concert 💥 Don’t forget to subscribe, review, and invite others to listen in!    Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope

In the final Rise from Ashes Hope Huddle, Sunny and Tammy pull up chairs around our table to wrestle with one of the hardest questions: Can any good come from the ashes? Drawing from Romans 8:28, we explore what it truly means for God to work all things together for good- and what it doesn’t mean. We talk honestly about seasons of deep grief, betrayal, loss, and pain, and why leaning into these realities (without spiritual bypassing) is essential for transformation. Together, we explore practical steps to process grief, identify lies and fears, and engage in honest conversations with God. Using the metaphor of the butterfly, we reflect on how cocoon-like seasons of suffering can break us down and reshape us into something new, ready to embrace the wide-open, spacious life God has for us. This episode is for every woman navigating life’s wilderness, seeking hope, and wanting to discover purpose and goodness—even in the midst of the hardest seasons. 💥 Subscribe, review, and invite others to listen in!   Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope Keywords: Rise from Ashes, Hope Huddle, Wild Hope Rising, from ashes to good, finding purpose, hope in hard seasons, Romans 8:28, faith through suffering, emotional health, spiritual growth, wide-open spacious life, honest conversations with God

In this week’s Rise from Ashes Hope Huddle, we welcome Cat Fuller, a devoted wilderness woman, nurse practitioner, mom, nana, and a listener around our table. Together, we dive into honest conversations with God- those moments where the “what if” questions start creeping in, especially during seasons of chronic illness and health challenges. Cat shares how bringing our doubts, fears, and questions before God doesn’t mean giving up; it means stepping into trust, even if the outcomes aren’t what we hope for. Listen in as she reflects on how music, prayer, and her special “Sitting Spot” have shaped her worship, hope, and perspective, and how living with health struggles has deepened her ability to hear God’s voice, see His faithfulness, and embrace each breath as a gift. This episode is for every woman navigating wilderness seasons, longing to rise from ashes, and ready to step into the wide-open spacious life God has for her. 💥 Subscribe, review, and invite others to listen in!   Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com

Ever wondered how your emotions and thoughts are connected to what your body feels? In this Hope Huddle conversation with counselor Amy Foraker, we explore how our bodies remember, how words can shape our stories, and how God brings healing even in the hidden places. In this week’s Rise from Ashes, we invited Amy Foraker back for another Hope Huddle. She is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in private practice as well as a clinical supervisor and staff therapist at Bayside Counseling Center in Granite Bay, CA. Her passion is walking alongside others as they navigate the wild complexities of being fully human yet made in the image of God. Have you ever been surprised by your own reactions or emotions? Amy had some fascinating insights about how our bodies are always listening and remembering, even long after we feel like our brains have “moved on.” Surprisingly, we all had stories that elicited strong reactions in us, around the color purple. Listen in as you hear how God has been redeeming those stories — and how we can use our emotions as clues for restorative work in our lives as we get curious and invite Him into our process. 💥 Subscribe, review, and invite others to listen in!   Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope.   Keywords: faith-based healing, emotional health, Christian counseling, Hope Huddle, Wild Hope Rising, living in Christ, emotional awareness, trauma healing, faith and therapy

In this week’s Rise from Ashes, we huddle up with our new friend Amy Foraker a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in private practice as well as a clinical supervisor and staff therapist at Bayside Counseling Center in Granite Bay, CA.  Her passion is walking alongside others as they navigate the wild complexities of being fully human yet made in the image of God. Amy humbly shares about her own wilderness experience and how God met her there & helped her reclaim who she was meant to be. In this episode, you will learn some insightful truths about how to spot and name when you are living “from the flesh” or “In Christ”.    💥 Subscribe, review, and invite others to listen in!   Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope. 

In this Hope Huddle we dive in to an honest conversation about the behaviors and beliefs that keep us bound to our wounds. When life breaks down, we often pick up lies, beliefs, roles, and coping mechanisms that feel like protection, but ultimately keep us stuck. But, what if forward movement was possible? What if freedom is FOR YOU?  You see friend, we believe that your “been through” can become the place of your breakthrough. When you sort through the rubble and do the brave work of naming the impact, you engage in a process that helps you reclaim your identity. This isn’t about self-help, but rather, it’s about partnering with God to experience supernatural healing as you rise and rebuild your life with Him. Subscribe, review, and invite others to listen in! Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope. 

In this week’s Rise from Ashes series, we huddle up with our dear friend Tori Hein- a down-to-earth Bible teacher, trauma-informed coach, and executive program director for Freedom Movement. Tori vulnerably shares about her own wilderness season which led her to a place where her drive to “do more for God” left her in an endless cycle of performance. This was her way of  avoiding the grief that lurked below the surface of her life. In our conversation Tori paints the picture of the transformation that is possible if women will courageously turn toward the rubble and take the invitation to grieve their stories.    What if freedom is found on the other side of grief? What if God could surprise you with goodness again? Buckle up- it’s time for Wild Hope.   Connect with Tori Hein Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/torimaehein Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torimaehein Blog: https://torimaehein.substack.com/   Subscribe, review, share, and tag us on social! Facebook  Instagram www.wildhoperising.com  

What if God could turn your pain into praise? In this week’s Hope Huddle, we’re kicking off our new series, Rise from Ashes. Together, we take the brave step of surveying the territory of our lives — looking honestly at the places that feel broken, the moments that left us heartbroken or stuck. It’s not easy work. Sometimes we’d rather deny our ashes, pretend we’ve moved past them, or fail to recognize how they still impact us today. But what if the pathway forward is back? What if praise could erupt from pain, beauty could rise from the ashes, and joy could break through our mourning? Join us for this honest conversation and be reminded that God meets us right there — in the wilderness, in the ruins — inviting us into a process where hope begins to rise once again. . 💥 Subscribe, review, share, and tag us on social! Facebook Instagram www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope.  

The Holy Spirit. More than a mystery or an afterthought, He’s the friend who walks with us—guiding, comforting, and strengthening us, especially in wilderness seasons. And yet, depending on your background or church experience, talking about the Holy Spirit can still bring hesitation—or even avoidance altogether. In this episode, we huddle up with bestselling author and Bible teacher Margaret Feinberg to talk all things “Holy Spirit.” Our conversation dives into her newest book, The God You Need to Know, and the life-changing invitation it holds—to experience the Holy Spirit’s power and presence in your everyday life. If you’ve ever wondered what it really means to be filled with the Spirit, or if He’s still moving today, this conversation will leave you encouraged, stretched, and hungry for more. Margaret has a beautiful way of making big truths approachable—she’s lighthearted, full of joy, creative, and deeply grounded in Scripture and research. Honestly, some of what she shared is still circling in our hearts and helping us see the Spirit in fresh ways. To Connect With Margaret Website: https://margaretfeinberg.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mafeinberg/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margaretfeinberg/ To Purchase Her New Book, The God You Need to Know:  Subscribe, review, and share the love! Tag WILD HOPE RISING when you listen & let us know how Margaret’s insight impacted you  Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com This interview was originally aired on Pilgrim Radio’s His People and is shared here with permission.  

Have you ever been through a season where you’ve prayed for healing, for a relationship to be restored, for that long-awaited opportunity. You’ve done everything “right,” and still, the answer is silence or an unmistakable no? In this Hope Huddle episode, Tammy and Sunny sat down with author and speaker, Rhonda Velez.  Rhonda spent many years striving, working hard, praying hard and believing that her effort and faith would bring the outcome she desired. But when what she was praying for didn’t turn out the way she hoped- when God said no- it marked the beginning of a painful but beautiful transformation.   In today’s conversation she invites us to see God’s no through a different lens- as redirection, not rejection, as protection, not punishment, as a divine invitation into something better- even if we can’t see it yet.  Her new devotional, When God Say No, Eat Cake helps encourage us to find comfort in God despite the setbacks we experience.  Follow Rhonda on Instagram Listen to her podcast - Qualified for More Pick up her book- When God Says No, Eat Cake 💥 Subscribe, review, and share the love! Tag WILD HOPE RISING when you listen & let us know how Rhonda's insight impacted you.  Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope.   

Our culture is relentless in the messages it sends women about their bodies—what to fix, what to change, and how to make them look younger.  In this episode, Sunny huddles up with author and Bible teacher Lisa Whittle who says, "bodies not viewed through the lens of their Creator will constantly cry out to be changed." Our conversation centers around Lisa's new Bible study Body and Soul.  This is a woman who has gone first and she invites us into a countercultural, biblical perspective that helps us see our bodies as God designed them—bringing freedom, dignity, and hope. Lisa is the host of the popular Jesus Over Everything podcast and has a deep love for God and His people. Whether you’re a woman feeling the pressure of cultural expectations or someone longing for a bigger vision of what it means to live fully in Christ, this conversation will encourage and inspire you. Follow Lisa Whittle on Instagram for more inspiration 💥 Subscribe, review, and share the love! Tag WILD HOPE RISING when you listen & let us know how Lisa’s insight impacted you  Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope.  This interview originally aired on His People and is shared here with permission from Pilgrim Radio.  

When life goes silent, how do you find the words to pray, process, and move forward? We all face wilderness seasons—those times that feel dry, disorienting, and full of obstacles. They can be triggered by grief, life transitions, or resistance from inside or out, and they often leave us feeling stuck, disconnected, or without a clear way forward. For today’s guest, Kirsten Wilson, the wilderness was a place without words. Kirsten is a college instructor, Enneagram coach, and church ministry leader who loves helping people step inside God’s story and discover something new about their own. In this Hope Huddle episode, she vulnerably shares about her own eight-year wilderness season and even guides Tammy through a live story-coaching exercise right from the gospels. This conversation is part story, part spiritual practice, and full of practical tools you can take into your own wilderness season. If you’ve ever felt speechless, stuck, or far from God, this episode will help you find words, find connection, and find hope again. Resources & Connect with Kirsten: STEP INTO THE STORY TOOL Instagram Facebook Email: kirstenwilson.story@gmail.com https://buymeacoffee.com/kirstenwilson    💥 Subscribe, review, and share the love! Tag @WildHopeRising when you listen and let us know how Kirsten’s story impacted you.  wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope.

All of us carry a story. But not all of us know how to name it — let alone face it with kindness, curiosity, and hope. And yet, the truth is: our stories shape everything — our relationships, how we see God, and how we show up in the world. In this episode- Sunny had the honor of huddling up with Adam Young — a trauma therapist, theologian, and the voice behind The Place We Find Ourselves podcast. His new book Make Sense of Your Story is more than a resource. It’s a gentle guide toward healing, connection with God, and discovering who you really are. This conversation might just be the invitation your soul has been waiting for. Follow Adam Young on instagram for more hope-filled encouragement 💥 Subscribe, review, and share the love! Tag WILD HOPE RISING when you listen & let us know how Adam Young’s insight impacted you  Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope.  This interview originally aired on the His People podcast and was used with permission from Pilgrim Radio and Adam Young.  

SEASON TWO KICKOFF!  In this episode, we return to a topic we keep coming back to time and time again; the unforced rhythms of grace. Rooted in Matthew 11:28–30, we share how we’re learning to walk freely and lightly as we work with Jesus in everyday life. We get honest about the pull to strive and prove—and how grace offers a better way. Here are a few guiding principles helping us embrace this rhythm: Done is better than perfect  Prayer over strategy  Divine purpose over ambition  Led by devotion, not demand  Stretched over stressed  This conversation is an invitation to slow down, be present, and remember: you weren’t made to carry it all. You were made to walk with the One who carries you.

As women, we’re well-versed in the power through — pushing past indicators and warning signs, juggling roles, and striving to do “all the things” and “all the things, well.” But what if the real power is found in the pause? In this episode, we’re making a wilderness course correction and exploring the purposeful pause — the kind that doesn’t just recharge you but recalibrates your heart, realigns your soul, and reconnects you with God’s presence in the chaos as well as fueling your life for all he has created you for. And, this episode goes beyond naps and vacations!  We talk about what it looks like to pause with intention: to pray, to prep, to problem-solve, to practice what we see Jesus modeling. This is what it looks like to align to our original design & be propelled by purpose, walking in spiritual power.  From media breaks, to taking a nap, grounding & mindfulness meditations,  to moments of wrestling with God. We’re unpacking the power found in BEING PRESENT and we’ll help you get practical with this one! Plus, you’ll hear all about Wild Hope Rising’s upcoming four week podcast pause and how you can stay in touch. Let’s be intentional. Let’s chase waterfalls stepping out of the rivers and streams of the “power thru” that we are used to!  Together, let’s see hope rise as we step into the wide open spacious life we were created for.  To keep up with us over the pause-  Follow us on social media, email us at thewildhoperising@gmail.com, or shoot us a text or voicemail at 775-391-4243. Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope. 

What if your beliefs are all that is holding you back, keeping you playing small, and leading to the overwhelming feeling of being STUCK? In this Hope Huddle episode, Tammy & Sunny huddled up with mindset and transformation coach, Laurie Dufresne to talk all things “limiting beliefs.”  We discuss marrying action to truth, blaming the enemy (gulp), and other excuses that may be halting your journey.  In Laurie’s own wilderness season, she found a passion, a dream, a bigger mission to serve women, to help them shift mindsets, master emotional reactions and take back control in areas of life where they’ve felt stuck the longest. And today, she graciously huddled up to bring the Wild Hope community a taste of freedom in this area.   Whether you’re struggling with your health, your confidence, your relationships, or your purpose, Laurie reminds us;  you don’t have to stay where you are. You can break free!   This episode will inspire you and have you eager to take hope-fueled action to rise and step into the wide open spacious life.  You can get Laurie’s  “Breaking Free” Journal and her introductory masterclass for FREE! Plus, get on the waitlist for her new digital course and workbook. Ladies, do us a favor- thank her for investing in our community by following her on social media and sharing this episode!  https://www.lauriedufresnecoaching.com/   💥 Subscribe, review, and share the love! Tag us when you listen & let us know what’s shifting in you: Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope.       

**Sensitive Topic Warning. May not want to listen at work or with kiddos running around. ** There are moments when staying silent isn’t an option—and this is one of them. In this raw and deeply honest episode which is outside the norm of our episodes, Sunny throws open the doors on a conversation the church has too often avoided. Abuse. Injustice. Wounds hidden under the rug of religion. This isn’t just a conversation about broken systems—it’s a call to every one of us to rise up, disrupt the comfortable, and be the change.   With holy outrage, personal experience with sexual & spiritual abuse, and tender conviction, Sunny challenges us to stop hiding behind spiritual clichés and Hobby Lobby signs  and start asking the real question: Are we bearing the image of God well in how we show up for the hurting? This episode isn’t about pointing fingers. It’s about staring down the places where compromise and silence have left people suffering alone and with a picture of Jesus that doesn’t accurately reflect his Heart.—and choosing something better. A revival that starts not in the world, the church, but in our own surrendered hearts.  This is a call to courage. A call to repentance. A call to change. Because healing the house of God starts with us. For those of you swimming in the waters of healing from abuse- we ask you to prayerfully consider connecting with a counselor - we were not designed to swim in these waters alone.    💥 Subscribe, review, and share the love! Tag us when you listen & let us know what’s shifting in you: Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope.   

The Curious Shift from Overwhelm to Overflow-  BONUS EPISODE COMPANION- Rise & Step: The Overflow Toolkit Ever feel overwhelmed, like you’re drowning in demands, expectations, and emotions—and just trying to stay afloat?  In this soul-stirring episode, we get real about the weight so many women are silently carrying. From busyness and burnout to the emotional and spiritual toll of doing ALL THE THINGS. Sunny Cain names what so many of us feel—but don’t always say out loud: overwhelm is real, and it’s costing us more than we realize. But what if it doesn’t have to be this way? And what if God has been showing us the way since the opening lines of scripture? Today we introduce a powerful reframe—the curious shift from overwhelm to overflow—plus our OVERFLOW TOOLKIT (FREE Download) to walk you through what it looks like in your mind, body, emotions, soul, and behavior. With compassion and clarity, Sunny offers reflective questions and gentle truth to help you establish order, find margin, and redirect your current choices to align with what matters most to you right now.  All of this so that you can move forward into the spacious life you were created for.  Let’s make the shift—from chaos to clarity, from pressure to peace, from overwhelm to overflow. Because wild hope begins right where you are. 💥 Subscribe, review, and share the love! Tag us when you listen & let us know what’s shifting in you: Facebook | Instagram 🌐 www.wildhoperising.com Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope.