Lament of Hope

Gevorg Dabaghyan is an esteemed Armenian musician who plays the duduk, which is an ancient, Armenian, woodwind instrument made of apricot wood that makes a deep soulful sound when blown into. Gevorg sat down with me along with an Armenian translator to talk about the duduk and showcase its beautiful and unique sound.

Eliza Huie is the Director of Counseling at McLean Bible Church in the D.C. area. Eliza and I talk about the significance of lamenting, the role of emotions in faith, and the church's responsibility in addressing mental health.

EJ Snyder served 25 years in the army before going on to become a professional survivalist. His survival skills have been featured on several shows such as "Survivor," Discovery's "Naked and Afraid," "72 Hours," "Lost," "First Man Out," and numerous others. EJ parked his car on a mountain en route to his next adventure to talk with me about why he is so passionate about living to the limit.

Harry Gregson-Williams is a respected composer who has scored films for directors such as Ridley Scott, Ben Affleck, and Andrew Adamson. Harry sat down with me to talk about his music journey, partnerships with film directors, and the film scoring process.

Johnny Cannizzaro is a passionate and hardworking individual who pours his energies into acting and writing film/stage stories of his own. Johnny's first big screen debut was in Clint Eastwood's "Jersey Boys" and now in his portrayal of the musician, Stevie Van Zandt, in the biopic "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere," hitting theatres this fall on October 24th. Johnny talked with me about his role in the film, his acting journey, and a clever, comedic play he has written about a narcissist who wants to be a decent man.

John Schu loves reading and sharing that love with children across the nation. "Louder Than Hunger" is a middle grade novel inspired by John's hard journey with an eating disorder as a kid. I sat down with John to talk about his passion for children's books, his past mental health struggles, and his desire to reach the hearts of young people through the power of story.

Maya Stojan is an actress who has appeared in several television shows such as "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and "Castle." Maya sat down with me to talk about how she navigates the ups and downs of life, motherhood, aging in the entertainment industry and more.

Cory Ann Michel is a young, single mom who left an abusive marriage to protect herself and her baby girl. Cory Ann talked with me about the abusive relationship she was in, what her day-to-day looks like now, and how much she loves her daughter despite how she came into the world.

Drew Lynch became known as the "Stuttering Comedian" when he competed on "America's Got Talent" in 2015. He finished as the runner-up and went on to have a successful stand-up comedy career. Drew is currently on tour right now but took the time to sit down with me and talk about topics beyond comedy. We discussed identity, compassion, and the uniting power of laughter.

Russian singer, Bogdan Shuvalov, gained fame by winning the 12th season of Russia's "The Voice." Bogdan and I talked about his musical journey, the themes he explores in his music, and his desire to connect with audiences worldwide through his art. A huge thank you to Mark Shankov for serving as our translator!