This episode was a long time coming and I am so excited we finally got to sit down together! I met Ruth Crowe at her ArtPrize exhibition last fall and immediately was drawn to her vulnerability. Listen in as Ruth gives a very inspiring conversation about taking risks, the importance of community, the significance of the word 'try,' and fighting the battles in our minds on a daily basis. Going from taking 30 years off making art to owning her own gallery, we get an insight to the life pivots it took to get where Ruth is now as well as the risks. "You lose little bits of yourself when you keep playing it safe." Don't let that fear hold you back. 

This conversation lit a fire under my butt and I hope it does the same to you! What an honor to have you on the Podcast Ruth. I appreciate your authenticity. 

Please listen and visit her studio downtown Douglas at 36th center street. 

** Trigger warning for this episode. This episode contains elements of sexual abuse, self harm, and suicidal ideation. Please take caution when listening** 

Jess's story... I am speechless. Her story truly embodies the overall theme of this podcast; finding light in the darkness. Starting at the age of 4 she was horribly abused throughout her childhood. Now, she sits before me sharing her story with nothing but warmth and love surrounding her. Join us as she shares her heartbreaking yet transformative and hopeful story of growing up in over 27 homes, fighting for her life, the struggles of the child protective systems, and how she saw God helping her through it all. Thank you Jess for your courage and love. The world needs more people like you. 

"I believe if everyone reached out and helped one person every day with just one thing, this world would be magically better." 

Thank you for listening. 

Join us as Rebecca and I get cozy and she shares with us her beautiful story. A 24 year old Spanish teacher in Holland who absolutely has the heart for teaching that anyone would dream of for their child to have. Her care for others is amazing and she helps remind us to be kind humans as we are all facing challenges. Rebecca shares with us her teaching journey, how she finds community, and her experience of growing up Catholic while also being queer.  She shares with us how she's learned so much about herself and how a simple sentence can help someone dearly. "I love you, what do you need from me?" Thank you for sharing a part of your growing story Rebecca! Thank you for listening to a story that will make anyone smile and inspired to be more kind. 

What a pleasure to have Alex Kronemeyer on the podcast! Alex is such a joy to listen to as he shares with us his beautiful story. We talk about his experience in the military, his desire to serve, the importance and gratitude of chosen family, his faith journey, and how he has overcome many battles in his life. Alex even puts me on the spot at the end! 
Please listen as he shares his wisdom of being the best version of yourself and overcoming challenges again and again. "Keep pushing through, keep walking because it's always better on the backside." 
I can't even begin to express the gratitude Brett and I have for our chosen family member, Alex. Thank you for sharing and thank you for listening. 

What a fun treat to take the podcast to the streets! Listen in on this quicker episode as I am joined by a handful of sweet souls who passed by me downtown Holland, Michigan and stayed to chat. On a beautiful fall day, I sat at a table with a sign that said. "What makes life meaningful?" I am so grateful for the wisdom of my guests who share a little bit about what brings them light. 

What a lovely episode! I am so happy to share my dear friend Amanda Perry’s story with you all. Amanda has such a beautiful life full of making her dream come true of being a momma. This life she has built came through a series of choices, courage, and self discipline. Listen in as she shares her story about overcoming situations she didn’t expect would come her way. “You can change the projection of your life. You don’t have to stay where you are.” Thank you Amanda for sharing, and thank you for listening! 

We are so honored to have Andrew Nelson on the show to share his story! Andrew is a singer/songwriter, creative of all sorts, and the ‘sound engineer’ as he calls it to the podcast. We get goofy and also deep in this conversation. Listen in as Andrew shares with us up and down journey of religion, mental health, what it really means to love your neighbor, if there are good or bad people, and how he has turned pain into art. We also get the inside scoop of his new album! What I loved most is how he is able to communicate best through his song lyrics as he shares with us a few songs on the pod. At the end, Andrew leaves us with a very powerful statement that all should hear. Thank you so so much for listening! 

I am so excited to share with you all Mitch Bakker’s story! Listen in, and listen close as we dive into many decades worth of life changes including devistating job loss, the journey of adopting, a very transformative faith journey, writing a beautifully honest book, and leading a prison ministry for the last 7 years. Mitch shares with us a very powerful story that will leave you in awe and yet at peace as we go through his transformation of finding multiple lights in many seasons of darkness. Thank you for listening to his wise advice of going toward love, because we all need help. 

We are so happy to have Nick Doornbos on the show! Please join us to hear his inspiring journey about truly finding and owning who he is. Nick inspires us through his adventures of taking on the jump of being a single dad, taking back control of his life, and how moving his body through some crazy marathons has given him community and strength; both inner and outer. You will definitely want to listen to his many words of wisdom in this episode! I can’t wait for you all to hear his advice on “trying to make the world bigger than yourself.” Thank you Nick! And thank you for listening. 

Enjoy our first interview! Brett Hoskins joins us and shares a very inspiring story of how he has overcome many unpredictable challenges in his short 33 years. He encourages us through his tales of travel, his view on grace, family dynamics, and so much more including learning to let go of control and just breathe. 

Episode 1 contains a brief introduction of the host, Anna Hoskins, as she shares a little about what to expect in Stories with Strangers.