Wild Hope Rising

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 Feinberg to talk all things “Holy Spiri...

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 her effort and faith would bring t...

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 a woman who has gone first and she ...

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 was a place without words.

Kirsten i...

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. His new book Make Sense of Your St...

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 rhythm:

• Done is better than pe...

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 your soul, and reconnects you with...

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 journey. 

In Laurie’s own wilderness s...

**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’t just a conversation about broken ...

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 THE THINGS. Sunny Cain names what so ...

“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, church hurt, and the deep ache of...

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 a hilariously chaotic trip to the b...

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 listeners to define healing from a new pa...

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 ...

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 supply?

-do you attempt to manufac...

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”  has caused an exhausting ping pong m...

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. 

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 talking about on the podcast today.

...

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 started rising.

We dive into so much good...