Grace, Grit & Hope

One year ago this month, Clay Comer took a year off college and began a 2,200-mile journey alone to through-hike 14 states from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail (AT). For six months from March to September 2023, Clay braved tornado warnings, rain, hail and freezing temperatures, encountered wild goats, unforgettable characters and the kindness of strangers. He reached Mount Katahdin in Maine by daily setting small, achievable goals. Don't miss his story of developing a new positive outlook while hiking, away from the anger, news and negativity that surrounds us each day.

For years, Kevin Osbourn dreamed of painting a mural of Daniel Boone in Winchester, KY, a few miles from where America's most famous pioneer changed history. Local citizens got behind his crazy dream to paint Boone three stories high, even though he had never painted anything that large. After painting daily for a month, everything seemed perfect until the last day when the project nearly ended in disaster. For weeks, he obsessed about what went wrong, then remembered that former UK quarterback Will Levis said to forget bad plays and get back in the game. Don't miss this story of making a dream come true and getting over life's inevitable bumps in the road.

For 20 years, John May and the Wolfe County Search & Rescue Team (WCSART) have saved the lives of over 1,500 hikers and climbers in Kentucky's Red River Gorge. As a founding member, John talks about the highs and lows, from the triumphant rescues of over 100 people during Eastern Kentucky floods to a terrible day when he nearly died during a fall from Chimney Top Rock. Although he should not have survived, John didn't let the accident stop him from doing the work that he and his team members love. Their record is incredible because every person who was alive when the team arrived, has lived thanks to their work.

After seeing children begging in her homeland of Nigeria, Divine Oludi began dreaming at the age of 5 of becoming a medical professional. To make her dream a reality, she left everything -- home, family, friends and country -- to study at Campbellsville and Spalding Universities in Kentucky. Covid, car accidents, cancer surgery, family deaths, homelessness and an economic crash at home nearly ended her dream and her life. Divine shares her unbelievable story of overcoming obstacles, doubts and fears to trimphantly reach her dream.

Tom Hailey, host of Bluegrass Region Voices and Views, had a terrible fear of public speaking in his early '20s. When his boss asked him to introduce a speaker, he said he couldn't do it and considered quitting. Through training and regular practice, he developed a love of speaking and conversation. Tom talks about his transformation from being scared stiff to landing the most improbable job imaginable: Central Kentucky's dean of podcasting. He offers advice to anyone thinking about starting a podcast, and discusses his new video venture called "Your Story, Your Voice."

After five years of watching his wife grow sick and pass away from cancer, pastor and writer Paul Prather tells a powerful story of walking through depression and grief. Paul shares a vision that occurred at his church of God always working for our good and His glory, describes how caregivers are also victims and inspires by explaining how love lives on through our memories and families forever.