Roe vs. Wade has been overturned and emotions are high! WOW! 

Now is a great time to spend your time and energy on something as productive, SUPER effective, and simple as kindness. In this episode I share a REALLY embarrassing, but funny moment. I call it my "Mr. Rogers Moment" - evidence of just how "weird" I can be. I also share a real story that happened to me when I used to work eons ago at Wal-mart in their Customer Service department, and how that one experience changed me. Never underestimate the power of kindness or question if one person can truly inspire change. 

Remember to mark this podcast "favorite" to stay updated on new episodes and also to give you an opportunity to join us live. 

Have you ever wondered, "Why is history important?" Have you ever had the thought that history is in the past and should stay in the past or that we can't change the past so why invest any time or energy into learning about it? Maybe you have an interest in it, but you just haven't gotten around to it. Perhaps you don't know where to begin or feel overwhelmed by it. Whatever your reason is, at one point or another, I have probably felt each of these things. Let's face it, chances are that your Family History isn't something you have fallen in love with from the get go. Usually, a seed is planted and we GROW to love it the more that we do it.

In this episode, I answer the "why" and "how." I share my own journey of falling in love with Family History. It is this love that developed a passion for history in general and ultimately gave birth to our Facebook group, "American Fork Past & Present." This group, and this podcast, are for those who are passionate about preserving history, writing our own histories, connecting through our stories and in turn, strengthening our communities - specifically, American Fork, Utah. It is for people who care and understand the importance of our relationships and fulfilling our purposes. 

Remember to subscribe by clicking on "favorite" or subscribing to receive notifications of when new episodes are published. You'll also be able to join in on our some of our conversations and sharing your thoughts. 

When Ryan Deveau mentioned that he is a volunteer firefighter of about ten years, I instantly knew that I needed to bring him on as a guest and interview him. I couldn't help but wonder what compels and individual to voluntarily serve, especially when an opportunity may arise that requires you to put your life on the line. I had to know! 

I was SHOCKED to learn the stories behind his volunteer work and I think you will be too! There are so many delicious nuggets in this episode...so many take aways! 

If anyone has ever given thought to how they can become more involved in their community, raise children with a love of service, or inspire an entire community, than this interview will be a treat for you! You're welcome. 

Many thanks to Ryan Deveau for taking the time to do this interview with me all the way from Nova Scotia! Thank you for sharing and inspiring, for being a light in your own community and showing us how we can too. 

You can follow Ryan on Youtube.

Today is Memorial Day. My heart and my thoughts are on the men, women and their families who made ultimate sacrifices for the freedom and liberty we enjoy today. It got me wondering about why some of us aren't doing more to protect and defend our rights and freedom. This brought me to complacency...something I believe each of us has dealt with at one time or another. I share about what it is, how we can show up in complacency, and what we need to do in order to move into action. Then, I talk about how we can apply this to becoming more engaged within our communities, specifically in regards to politics and local government.

This podcast is available on Anchor.fm, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Cast, Radio Public, and Stitcher. Remember to subscribe! You'll be notified whenever a new episode is published. 

You can connect with me on Facebook under JCHatch or email me at: [email protected].

It's been 3 years since the last episode that was part of the "Miles and Smiles" podcast. With a new name and vision, I am relaunching a new podcast titled, "Past and Present." The vision of this podcast is similar to our social media group on Facebook, "American Fork Past & Present." That vision is extracting stories and lessons form the past, to create stronger relationships at home and within our communities, in the present. Today's episode highlights this vision along with others that we have for this podcast. 

I will also be sharing how we can move from isolation to integration...how to connect with others in spite of our differences. I touch on the goal of connection and you may be surprised to learn that the goal ISN'T and shouldn't be to understand. I explain why in this episode and also what the goal NEEDS to be.

Remember to subscribe to our podcast to receive notifications of when our next episode will be published. You can find "Past and Present" on these platforms: Anchor.fm, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Radio Public, and Stitcher. 

If you'd like to share your thoughts about today's episode, you can reach me through Messenger, Facebook (under JC Hatch), or email: [email protected]. 

As I've taken time out in my life to remove myself from the hamster wheel and become still, I have discovered a whole, new world! I had no idea what was in store for me. I can only say that it's been such a rewarding part of my journey in life. For the first time in my life, I am enjoying a sense of fulfillment. I used to think that fulfillment came when I reached goals or benchmarks in my life. It's so much more than that! In this episode, I share some of the pitfalls that keep us from feeling fulfillment in life and offer some suggestions on how to find fulfillment in life for yourself. 

To connect with Julie visit: www.TheTrueLoveTour.com

There are so many ways to find and experience peace in our lives, even amidst chaos or the storms.  Why on earth would anyone, including myself, avoid it? Intuitively,  You may feel drawn to it, crave it in your life and still not surrender to it. Is it because you feel unworthy? Are you afraid of what you may discover in that space of silence? I did until I finally gave in.  Here I was, detached from the "doing-ness" in life and finally listening to my heart and boy was it uncomfortable at first! I really struggled and maybe you can relate. In this episode I discuss this journey that started off as a journey to peace and ended up as a journey to one facet of love and reverence for life....eternal life....that is you and that is me. 

I'm 100% raw, vulnerable and share from my heart. The intent isn't to teach you anything as I feel that this truth I share is already apart of our intelligence - who we innately are. Instead, my desire is to bring it back to your remembrance and hold a space to consider the gift of silence.

Do you have that song going through your head now?

With Valentine's Day around the corner, it just seems appropriate to do an episode about love. Obviously love is complex and I don't think one episode is enough time to cover this topic so I've narrowed it down to a few, juicy nuggets; things like...

How do you love a person who has a different lifestyle, different beliefs, opinions and views without compromising your own in the process?

-OR-

What does self-worth have to do with love? As you know, self-worth is a form of loving yourself - part of the 2nd commandment to love others as you love yourself - not "more than" or less than" but "as." And where does that first and greatest commandment to love God come into the picture. How can you love God if you never see Him?

I also wanted to share what I've learned about love through my relationships. My first marriage, I saved myself for my husband and experienced a very innocent type of love. After my divorce, I no longer lived my faith and experienced relationships and love based upon chemistry and initial attraction. The greatest love I've experienced has been in my marriage of 12 years now. Why? It was a relationship that was unexpected and one where I didn't have an initial attraction or chemistry. I learned about a love that is deeper than any love I've ever experienced to date and didn't know  was possible. I discovered things about my husband that I never knew that I share in this episode. 

It doesn't matter if you have a Valentine or not. Love is a choice. Think of all the people in the world who could use a little love and share a portion of it. No one need be exempt from love.