Wild Hope Rising: A Podcast for Women on Faith, Healing & Purpose
A Christian podcast for women navigating wilderness seasons, offering honest stories and practical faith-based encouragement. Hosts Sunny Cain and Tammy Claughton create a space for authentic conversations about faith, emotional health, identity, and healing. Each episode feels like a gathering with trusted friends, helping listeners name what's really going on, reconnect with God's heart, and take hope-fueled steps toward transformation. Listeners will find support for rebuilding, rising from ashes, and stepping into purpose even when life feels upside down.
Episodes
Ep. 48 | When God Allures Us Into the Wilderness
Ep. 48 | When God Allures Us into the Wilderness
What if the wilderness isn’t only a place we find ourselves, but sometimes a place God lovingly draws us into?
In this solo episode, Sunny takes us into the book of Hosea and a tender picture of God alluring His people into the wilderness to speak tenderly to them.
Sometimes we run to things that never satisfy. We blame. We measure God’s goodness b
Ep. 47- Becky L. McCoy | When You're Too Weary For the Faith You've Known
What happens when grief, loss, or sheer weariness collide with the faith you’ve always known?
In this Hope Huddle, we sit down with Becky McCoy, writer, retreat leader, spiritual director, and author of In the Company of the Weary: Ten Gentle Spiritual Practices for Your Tired Soul.
After devastating loss rocked her world, followed by depression, anxiety, and chronic illness, Becky entered a wilde
Ep. 46 | Karrie Garcia | What Your Anger is Trying to Tell You
Anger can be uncomfortable—especially for Christian women who may have learned to suppress it, fear it, or even believe that feeling angry is wrong.
But what if anger isn’t the enemy? What if it’s actually trying to tell us something?
In this Hope Huddle, we sit down with Karrie Garcia, speaker, licensed life coach, author, and founder of Freedom Movement, for an honest conversation about anger, s
Ep. 45 | Once Upon a Time, We Were 20: Looking Back, Growing Forward | Wild Hope Summer Porch Conversations
Pull up a chair on the porch, pour yourself a glass of lemonade, and hang out with Tammy and Sunny for another Wild Hope Summer Porch Conversation.
Today, we're looking back at the women we were at 20—and this conversation got surprisingly emotional.
What would you tell your 20-year-old self if you could sit across from her today? Would you correct her? Warn her? Celebrate her? Or maybe finally of
Ep. 44 | Would You Rather?- Wild Hope Summer Porch Conversations
Ep. 44 | Would You Rather - Wild Hope Summer Porch Conversations
Today we’re inviting you onto the porch with a glass of lemonade for a little something different.
As part of our Wild Hope Summer Series, we’re stepping away from our usual conversations and making space for laughter, connection, and the simple joy of connecting hearts around the table.
In this episode, Sunny and Tammy play a little
Ep 43. | How to Have a Wild Hope Summer No Matter What Season You’re In
What if summer wasn't just a season on the calendar?
In this short Hope Huddle On The Go, Sunny explores the idea that our lives move through seasons much like nature does. There are winters marked by loss, springs filled with new beginnings, falls of transition and change, and summers where life feels wide open and full of possibility.
But what if it's possible to experience a little summer even
Ep. 42 | The Wilderness We Choose- God Waits to Be Gracious to You.
Sometimes we choose the Wilderness. Not necessarily because we love camping- but because we love chasing temporary pleasure. The problem is, it never satisfies, and in fact leaves us hungering, thirsting, and longing for the next “hit” of release.
In this hope huddle with Sunny Cain, she speaks with authenticity, and urgency- reminding us where we can turn when “we just can’t” anymore.
In a wa
Ep. 41 | Roger & The Three R’s- Learn to Take Thoughts Captive
This week is a solo episode with practical encouragement from Sunny Cain speaking to the reality that we sometimes live with a misplaced identity. We answer to whispers from the thief who comes “only to steal, kill and destroy," rather than believing the truth of who God says we are.
In this episode we talk about:
The lies we have believed
How to take our thoughts captive.
How to move towards
Ep. 40 | Sending Out an SOS- God Responds & The Clouds Advance
Let’s live with more SOS and less, “I Got This!”
This week is a solo episode with encouragement from Sunny Cain speaking to the reality that as humans we often try to shoulder life alone. More than self-help, or pulling up our bootstraps, sometimes a misunderstanding of who God is sits at the heart of it.
In this episode we talk about:
What keeps us from crying out to God
what we miss out on
Ep. 39| Prayer Pod- One for the Wilderness
Because sometimes you just need someone to pray for you.
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Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope.
Ep 38 | Why You Still Don’t Feel Good Enough: Breaking Free from Shame
This week we are talking about something most women do not want to talk about—but almost every woman has felt: shame.
It is the voice that says, “You are not enough,” “Who do you think you are?” or “You will always be a failure.” Shame does not tell us we made a mistake. It tells us we are the mistake.
In this episode we talk about:
• What shame is and how it differs from guilt
• How shame shows
Ep.37| Laurie Dufresne- How to Help Others Feel Seen & Heard | Listening that Transforms Relationships
Topics: communication in relationships, listening skills, feeling heard, limiting beliefs, healthy relationships
We’re huddled up with Laurie Dufresne, mindset and transformation coach, to talk about how we can show up differently in our relationships by learning to truly listen.
Many of us want deeper, healthier connections, but don’t always realize how our assumptions, distractions, and
Ep 36 | Why Female Friendships Feel So Hard: Natalie Runion on Comparison, Jealousy, and Sacred Sisterhood
Topics: female friendships, comparison between women, jealousy, gossip, insecurity, sacred sisterhood
We’re huddled up with Natalie Runion, speaker, pastor, author, and creator of the Raised to Stay community. Natalie is known for tackling hard conversations with honesty and courage, including church hurt, leadership struggles, and the complex dynamics women often face in relationships with each o
Ep 35 | Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith on Being Fully Known: Emotional Rest, Belonging, and Surrender
Topics: Emotional rest, belonging, surrender as posture, and freedom from performance
We are huddled up with Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith to talk about her book Being Fully Known The Joyful Satisfaction of Beholding, Becoming, and Belonging.
Dr. Saundra is a board certified physician, international speaker, bestselling author, and founder of Restorasis. She blends biblical truth, science, and personal
Ep 34 | How to Overcome Fear, Self Doubt, and the Internal Voices That Hold You Back
Topics: Overcoming fear, self doubt, and the internal voices that hold you back
Have you ever started moving toward something meaningful only to feel an internal pushback that stalls your progress?
Maybe it shows up as fear. Self doubt. Comparison. Perfectionism. People pleasing. Or that quiet voice that tells you to stop before you start.
In this episode, we name resistance for what it is. Resist
Ep 33 | From Lip Service to Lived Trust; How to Let God Be God
What does it actually look like to trust God- not just say we do?
In this episode of the Fresh Sound, New Ground series, we’re confronting the tension many women live in: we say we trust God, yet we still try to control outcomes, fix people, carry what isn’t ours, and strive in our own strength. When control fails, we often swing to worry or helplessness. But real trust looks different.
This conve
Ep 32 | Step Into Your Own Progress
In this week’s Hope Huddle, we talk about the gap many women live in between longing for change and actually participating in it. We say we want growth. We want forward movement in our health, relationships, faith, and everyday life. Yet often we remain stuck. Aware, but unmoving. Hoping, but not stepping.
Through John 5 and the encounter at Bethesda, we explore the disruptive question Jesus asks,
Ep. 31 | When Yes Is Costing You: Growing Your No and Protecting Your Yes
In this week’s Hope Huddle, we talk about a struggle so many women quietly carry: saying yes out of pressure, obligation, or people-pleasing and slowly losing themselves in the process. When every yes is driven by expectation instead of discernment, the cost shows up as exhaustion, resentment, burnout, and disconnection from what actually matters.
We explore why saying yes so often feels easier th
Ep. 30 | What Am I Thinking? How to Take Your Thoughts Captive and Live Free
This week I’m flying solo (Sunny Cain) and sharing my personal testimony about the mind—how our thoughts shape our lives and how they can slowly, subtly take control if left unchecked. Growing up in a cult taught me that the mind can be shaped and influenced in ways we don’t always notice. But I also learned the faithfulness of God and the power of His Word to protect, guide, and set us free.
In t
Ep. 29 | Revelation over Resolution: Responding to What God Is Revealing
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
Ep. 28 | Dean Sikes – When Your Pain Becomes a Platform: How God Heals What We Hide
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 to
Ep. 27 | Jaime Jamgochian – When Hope Gets Hijacked: Finding God When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned
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
Ep. 26- From Ashes to Good: Finding Purpose in Life's Hardest Seasons
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 re
Ep. 25- Cat Fuller- Honest Conversations with God: Hope, ‘What Ifs,’ and Faith Through Health Challenges
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
Ep. 24- Amy Foraker- Healing from Words That Hurt: How Thoughts and the Body Hold What We Believe
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 Counsel
Ep.23 – Amy Foraker: Healing Beliefs, the Nervous System & Living In Christ
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
Ep. 22- Rise From Ashes- The Beliefs & Behaviors that Keep Us Bound to Our Wounds
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
Ep.21- Tori Hein: Turn Toward the Rubble- The Invitation to Grieve
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 lu
Ep. 20- Rise From Ashes- Survey the Territory
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 reco
Ep. 19- Margaret Feinberg- The God You Need to Know
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 Fein
Ep-18-Rhonda Velez- When God Says No, Eat Cake.
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
Ep. 17- Lisa Whittle- More than a Body
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
Ep. 16- Kirsten Wilson-Finding Words in the Wilderness
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 w
Ep. 15- Adam Young- Make Sense of Your Story
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.
Ep.14- The Unforced Rhythm of Grace
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 r
Ep. 13- From "Power-Through" to "Purposeful Pause"
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
Ep. 12- Break Free From Limiting Beliefs- A Hope Huddle with Laurie Dufresne
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 jou
Ep. 11- Outrage. Disruption. And A Call for Change in "WE-The Church"
**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’
Ep. 10- The Curious Shift from Overwhelm to Overflow- A Rise & Step Episode
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 TH
Ep.9- Hope Dud#5- Jerry McGuire Lied- Put the Dud to Death
“You complete me.”
Nope. Not today, Jerry.
In this raw and real episode of Wild Hope Rising, Sunny and Tammy tackle one of the sneakiest hope duds out there: the belief that another person can be your source of completion, healing, or identity.
From the highs of listener wins to the gut-wrenching grief of unmet expectations, they hold space for it all — marriage tension, friendship disappointment
Ep.8- Hope Dud #4- The Pressure for Perfect
Hope Dud #4 The Pressure for Perfect
Ever feel like you’re falling behind on some invisible checklist? Like if your life doesn’t look polished, filtered, and all-together, then somehow you’re not enough?
In this real and relatable episode, Sunny Cain opens up about the pressure for perfection that so many of us carry — from family milestones and life transitions to the messy middle moments (like
Ep.7- Hope Dud #3 – Hope Isn’t Numb: Rethinking What Healing Feels Like
Hope Dud #3 – Hope Isn’t Numb: Rethinking What Healing Feels Like
Is it possible that our pursuit of healing can actually drain our hope? In this real and raw episode, Sunny Cain continues in the "Hope Dud” series- those sneaky false anchors we cling to when walking through wilderness seasons. She unpacks the lie that healing means you won’t still feel the weight of your past—and invites listen
Ep.6- Hope Dud #2- The BOO- The Big Opinions of Others.
Let's chat today about how we are sometimes driven by thoughts in our subconscious, which we may be entirely unaware of. These thoughts form actions driven by internal messages lurking under the surface in our hearts;
“If I can keep everyone happy, manage their mood, please others…”
“if I gain their acceptance or approval…”
“If I can earn my seat at table…into the circle…to the promotion….”
“Th
Ep-5- Hope Dud #1- Self Help Culture; The Exploitation of Hope
We are launching a brand new series called HOPE DUDS today! Our goal is to help women in wilderness seasons identify the many different ways, we attempt to manufacture our own hope. These leave us exhausted, disillusioned, and sitting in disappointment.
In this episode- we’re going there!
-do you turn to the faucet instead of the fountain?
-do you settle for a drip when you could have an endless
Ep.4- Haunting Songs of Freedom
Today Sunny and Tammy gather around the table for real talk around the messages we as women are constantly hearing, internalizing, and carrying with us.
On one hand we are told to love ourselves, embrace our imperfections, but on the other we are told our problems can be solved by simply fixing our shortcomings. “Love yourself?” Or, “Fix yourself?” Hmmm, which is it? This “confidence culture” h
Ep. 3- Probabilities, Possibilities, & Wild Hope
Have you ever played it safe when it comes to “getting your hopes up” because you don’t want to be disappointed again? Yep, me too!
Friend, we are talking about hope today, and let me tell you- over the past several years I have
longed for hope, ached for hope,
tried to talk myself into hoping again.
worked to manufacture my own hope.
I ignored hope, was afraid to hope.
And yet somehow- ho
Ep.2-The (Wild)erness- New Wings
Have you ever walked through a season that left you feeling stuck, unable to move forward? Has that season triggered your insecurity as you look around you and see other people “living their best life?”
These seasons leave us desperate to press the fast forward button as we tell God to “get us out of here!”
Am I right?
But, what if there is more than meets the eye to this season? It’s what I am t
Ep.1-Where Wild Hope Begins- You're Right on Time!
Have you ever felt like you were too late, “behind”, or disconnected from vision and purpose?
Then friend, you are going to find yourself at home here at Wild Hope Rising. Tammy and I have designed this community to help empower you as they navigate the challenging or “wilderness “seasons in your life.
We sat down today to share how this crazy dream got started, how vision sparked, and hope starte
Welcome to Wild Hope Rising
Welcome to our brand new community! Buckle up friends! It's time for wild hope!
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