Wild Hope Rising: A Podcast for Women on Faith, Healing & Purpose

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 when we try to shoulder it alone.
The reality that when we cry out to God- He Hears Us. 
Strength of soul- how to access it. 
Psalm 18 
If you feel exhausted from shouldering it alone, if you realize you have been carrying a burden that is too heavy- this episode is for you.
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Buckle up. It’s time for Wild Hope.
Keywords/topics:  wilderness season, prayer, faith, strength, soul, crying out to God, depression, shame, forgiveness, self-help, humility, Psalm 18, hope, Jesus hears

Because sometimes you just need someone to pray for you.  
 
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Buckle up — it’s time for Wild Hope. 

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 up through perfectionism, people pleasing, hiding, and playing small • Why we can react defensively or spiral into negative self-talk • The difference between condemnation and conviction • How to spot shame, name it, and begin breaking free
If you have ever felt like you are too much, not enough, or like you will never get it right, this conversation is for you.
Because there is another sound available to us besides shame: the sound of chains falling, prison doors opening, and hope rising.
Psalm 34:5 says, “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”
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Buckle up. It’s time for Wild Hope.
 
Topics: shame, shame vs guilt, feeling not good enough, negative self-talk, perfectionism, people pleasing
 
 
 

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 limiting beliefs impact the way we hear others.
In this conversation, Laurie helps us understand how to help others feel seen, heard, and valued—and how that shift can transform our relationships.
We talk about:• Why listening is harder than we think• What gets in the way of making others feel heard• How limiting beliefs shape communication• Simple ways to become a more present, effective listener
If you want stronger, more connected relationships, this episode will give you practical ways to start.
Connect with Laurie DufresneWebsite: lauriedufresnecoaching.com
Course + Workbook: Breaking Free From Limiting Beliefs
YouTube: Laurie Dufresne Coaching
 
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Buckle up. It’s time for Wild Hope.
 
 
SEO Keywords: communication in relationships, how to listen better, helping others feel heard, relationship communication skills, limiting beliefs, healthy relationships, Christian podcast for women, personal growth for women, Wild Hope Rising podcast
 
 
 

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 other.
In this episode we talk about her new book, I Don’t Even Like Women: And Other Lies That Get in the Way of Sacred Sisterhood.
Let’s be honest. Many women deeply long for meaningful friendships, but insecurity, comparison, jealousy, and past hurt can make those relationships feel complicated and risky. Instead of pursuing connection, we often protect ourselves.
In this conversation we peel back the layers behind that familiar phrase, “I don’t even like women,” and explore what is really underneath it.
We talk about:
Why female friendships can feel complicated
Comparison, jealousy, and insecurity between women
Practical ways to build real, supportive friendships
Natalie also shares the story behind her well known “little black boxes” on Instagram and how they became a place where many women felt seen, understood, and defended during difficult seasons.
If you’ve ever struggled with friendships with other women but still long for deep connection, this conversation will encourage you and challenge some of the narratives we’ve accepted about one another.
Because beneath the tension, comparison, and misunderstandings, there is often a deeper longing: Belonging
 
Connect with Natalie Runion
InstagramRaised to Stay CommunityBook: I Don’t Even Like Women: And Other Lies That Get in the Way of Sacred Sisterhood
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Buckle up. It’s time for Wild Hope.
SEO Keywords
female friendships, why female friendships are hard, Natalie Runion interview, comparison between women, jealousy between women, Christian women friendships, sacred sisterhood, overcoming insecurity in friendships, women supporting women, Wild Hope Rising podcast, faith based encouragement for women
 

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 experience to help women move beyond performance and into emotional rest.
In this conversation we explore what it means to be fully known by God and how that truth becomes an invitation into rest.
We talk about:
Why our culture conditions us to prove our worth through productivity• How surrender is a posture of trust• Why emptiness becomes an invitation to be filled• The barriers of fear, rejection, and self protection• What belonging looks like when we stop performing
Dr. Saundra also shares insight on how emotional rest impacts physical health and daily life, and she invites women to take an honest look at where they need deeper rest.
Take the Rest Quiz at restquiz.com to discover your rest needs and begin moving toward greater awareness and freedom.
Connect with Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith
Instagram
Podcast: I Choose My Best Life
Website
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Buckle up. It’s time for Wild Hope.

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. Resistance is not always a stop. Sometimes it is a signal. But it does not get to drive your decisions.
We talk about the internal voices that try to hold you back and how to recognize them without letting them call the shots. Instead of freezing when fear shows up, you can learn to separate the voice from your identity and choose action anyway.
In this conversation, we explore:
Why fear and self doubt show up when you step into growth
 How to identify the voices that sabotage progress
The difference between discernment and destructive resistance
Practical ways to talk back to the thoughts that hold you back
The “Even Though” Method. (Psalm 23)
When you learn to name the voice, you regain authority over your direction.
Resistance may speak.But it does not decide.
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Buckle up. It’s time for Wild Hope.
SEO Keywords:Christian women podcast, overcoming fear, self doubt, how to stop self sabotage, feeling stuck, spiritual growth for women, breaking fear cycles, overcoming perfectionism, people pleasing recovery, moving forward in faith, emotional resilience for women, faith based encouragement

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 conversation is an invitation to move beyond lip service faith and into lived trust, a posture of open-handed surrender where we stop trying to control and let God be God. 
Because the truth is simple: Only God can do what only God can do.
In this episode, we explore:
The subtle ways control, worry, and striving reveal where trust is lacking
How “lip service trust” shows up in everyday life
The emotional and spiritual cost of trying to carry what belongs to God
What open-handed trust actually looks like in real life
A simple prayer posture: God help. God guide. God provide.
The Fresh Sound
From lip service → to lived trust
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Buckle up. It’s time for Wild Hope.
 
Keywords
Christian women podcast, trusting God, surrender control to God, faith over fear, spiritual growth for women, letting go and trusting God, Christian encouragement, open handed trust, God help God guide God provide, Wild Hope Rising podcast, 

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, “Do you want to be made well?” This question reveals the difference between wanting change and participating in it. The man explains his situation, but does not move. Many of us do the same.
We unpack the mindsets that quietly keep us stuck and camping in hard places instead of walking through them.
In this episode, we talk about• The difference between longing for change and stepping into it• How victim thinking keeps us explaining instead of acting• Why comparison distracts us from stewarding our own progress• The illusion of pity and how it quietly stalls growth• The difference between complacency and true contentment• Why forward movement requires participation, not perfection
Progress does not come from waiting until everything is right. It begins when we move with what we have. Faith often looks like action before clarity. Jesus invites transformation, but He does not force it.
This episode is an invitation to stop waiting, stop explaining, and start participating. Pick up your mat. Take the step. Step into your own progress.
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Buckle up. It’s time for Wild Hope.
 
Keywords:step into your own progress, Christian growth for women, how to stop feeling stuck, faith and action, personal responsibility and faith, overcoming victim mindset, comparison and jealousy, self pity and growth, complacency vs contentment, moving forward in faith, Christian personal growth podcast, John 5 lesson, spiritual growth for women
 

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 than saying no, and how busyness can become both a badge of honor and a form of avoidance. For many women, being needed, being productive, or being the strong one has quietly become part of their identity. But just because you can say yes does not mean you should.
In this episode, we talk about• Why people-pleasing, performance, and fear drive so many of our yeses• The hidden cost of overcommitment on our physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational health• How to recognize when your yes is no longer aligned with your values or God’s invitation• What it actually looks like to grow your no and protect your yes without guilt• Why boundaries are not about withdrawal, but about honesty and stewardship
We return to this anchor truth throughout the conversation: 
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Learning to grow your no is not about becoming unavailable. It is about becoming intentional, discerning, and faithful with what has actually been entrusted to you.
This episode is for the woman who feels stretched thin, overwhelmed, or quietly resentful of commitments she once agreed to with good intentions. It is an invitation to stop living from pressure and start living from wisdom.
Listener Resource- Become a No ProWe have included a worksheet in the show notes to help you begin growing your no, clarifying your yes, and discerning what needs to shift in this season.
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Buckle up. It’s time for Wild Hope.
Keywords:Christian podcast for women, learning to say no, people pleasing, boundaries, burnout, overwhelm, discernment, faith based podcast, protecting your yes, growing your no