A Little Wray Of Sunshine: Inspirational stories from everyday people

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In this short episode, I made a surprise call to my 97 year old mother-in-law to see if she would talk about her Christmas memories growing up, along with some of her other life experiences. She gives good advice about knowing what is important in life, and taking care of each other, along with the wisdom that can only come from living a good, long life.

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In this episode, Steve Simmons shares his story of finding out who he is, and the path he needed to be on. Steve reminds us that "Heavenly Father loves you.. It doesn't matter what you do, it doesn't matter what you say, He loves you and He will bless you.. you just have to do your part." Steve is a kind soul and he believes that "if we were all kinder to each other, things would be a little easier for us," and he understands the importance of not taking for granted the blessings that are all around us. "It's little things that are beautiful."

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In this episode, Miranda Renee Smith shares her secret to achieving her dreams and aspirations. "I'm learning that if I want to make big strides in any area of my life, I have to be willing to take risks and to risk failure." As a student at BYU majoring in theatre/music, she has been forced to find out who she really is and what she is made of. "I think a lot of people shy away from what they truly want because they're scared and admitting what you want and being real with your desires is scary because what if they don't happen, what if they don't come true." Miranda offers her wisdom and advice about possibilities that exist for each of us.. "Ask yourself "what else could be possible... I find that a lot of people tend to limit themselves very quickly when there's a desire that they want but their brain shuts it down because it's not realistic... just entertain the question 'what else could be possible' and kind of let your mind and your brain go wild with what could be possible."

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In this incredible episode, Camille Smith shares with us her passion for being in tune with our bodies and the importance of human connection, among other things.  She elaborates on how "we're all connected, all parts of us, our spirit, our minds, our body.. and when we go around not taking that time to be still, your body might be giving you a message but you're not hearing it." She also reminds us that "our body gives us subtle clues that something  is not balanced, that something's out of order... as you learn to slow down, as you learn to turn inward and really listen it helps you be in tune with the spirit." Listening to Camille is a wonderful reminder of the importance of human connections.. "We are meant for connection with others... just by connecting with others, giving them our attention, our time, our smile, our gaze, that's really meaningful and helpful... people have a need to be validated, to be heard."

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In this episode, Brittany Foster walks us through her faith promoting and courageous story about her battle with stage three breast cancer. She shares her wisdom of life, family, her relationship with the Savior, and following promptings. "Follow those promptings you are given, they are given to you for a reason, they're given for you to get help." Brittany also realized the importance of letting others help and provide support in times of trials.. "Seek out those who are there to help you, don't push people away, let them help you." 

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In this episode, a former guest on this podcast (Bryan Hatch) invited me to be interviewed by him. I agreed, and I found out that being a guest on a podcast makes you feel vulnerable and even at times a little uncomfortable. I may have over shared, but I gained a deeper appreciation for those who have let me into their lives as they've shared their stories with me for nearly two years now. One of the themes from this podcast was this... "Trust in God, He knows our path, He knows the beginning from the end and we just have to let go and say I have faith that whatever God's plan is there's a purpose for it." 

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In this episode, Sierra Dahl shares her incredible and touching story of having two heart transplants in her young life. If that wasn't enough adventure for one family to process, imagine that two of Sierra's  siblings also became ill, both requiring  heart transplants as well. You will find her story motivating and inspiring.  Sierra put it best when she said: "Trials don't last forever, there is an end, there is a light at the end of the tunnel you just sometimes have to find it."

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In this episode, Lowell Randall shares his experiences growing up on a small farm in Idaho. Lowell was the oldest of eleven children, and knew at a young age that he needed to set a good example for his younger siblings to follow. As you will hear, Lowell found out early that life is never without its challenges... it's how you face those challenges and what you choose to learn from them that matters.  "Life is never a glide down the river in a fancy canoe, there are times when it's nice and peaceful to glide down the river, and other times you gotta row like heck to get across."

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In this episode, Lindsey Smith and I share our experiences we had while participating in a summer camp program for young black and Hispanic boys from inner city Chicago. Lindsey was one of the most amazing camp counselor's that ever participated in this program, and she had a profound impact for good in the life's of so many boys. "We need to show more compassion and more grace... less judgment, more love, more acceptance, more inclusivity... let's just love the way that Jesus did and does." Thank you Lindsey!

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Nate Esplin has worked in the field of cancer treatment as a Radiation Therapist for nearly seventeen years. During the course of Nate's career, he has touched the lives of countless patients, instilling in them hope and optimism. I know, because I was one of his patients and I will always be indebted to him for his tireless efforts to inspire me to keep moving forward. In this episode, Nate reminds us that "life is good and we are blessed," that "even though life is good, life is gonna through you some curve balls," and most importantly, "you're not in this alone." Thanks for being a hero to so many people!