Celeste Edmunds childhood was an ongoing cycle of police calls, fighting, and physical, sexual, and mental abuse. At age 7, she was taken by the state and placed into a child welfare system, where moving every few months to a new environment became normal. So did living out of a garbage bag. By age sixteen, Celeste had lived in more than 30 cities.

Her childhood was a difficult and often unbearable experience where evil manipulation almost broke her spirit. But there were also caring people along the way who stepped in to do what they could to protect and nurture her, and as an adult, Celeste looks back at those moments and realizes that they saved her life. Celeste's goal is to help as many children in the child welfare system have the opportunities for success that I was not provided.

In this Episode Celeste discusses her book, Garbage Bag Girl as well as her work as Executive Director of Christmas Box International.

For More information on Celeste and to order the book go to www.celesteedmunds.com

Richard Paul Evans is the #1 bestselling author of The Christmas Box. He has since written 41 consecutive New York Times bestsellers and is one of the few authors in history to have hit both the fiction and non-fiction bestseller lists.

Richard joins the podcast to discuss his memoir, Sharing Too Much.

For more on Richard go to www.richardpaulevans.com

Diane Dreher, PhD, is the author of five nonfiction books including the best-selling Tao of Inner Peace. She is an award-winning university professor and positive psychology researcher whose work on hope has been recognized internationally. Her books, workshops, and webinars blend the wisdom of the past with powerful strategies from contemporary psychology and neuroscience to help us meet the challenges of our time with greater courage, creativity, and hope.

In this episode Diane discusses practical and scientifically based steps to find hope in challenging situation

For more information on Diane go to www.dianedreher.com

Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good.

Brian joins the show to discuss his new book Life After Doom due out on May 14th.
How do we find hope, perspective, joy or love in the midst of such challenging realities? The answer may surprise you.

For more information on Brian and for information on how to get a copy of the new book go to www.brianmclaren.net

Welcome to this first ever Bring It Home 6 part Limited Series called "Hope in the Hard"
We are surrounded with a world that often causes us to lose hope.
When we look at the big picture its easy to feel lost.
In this series, we zoom in to discover that hope is always available and accessible but that it takes intention and attention to find.

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Order Bring It Home HERE

Order you copy of Hope for the 2020s HERE

Find me on Instagram @mattkendziera
Find me on Facebook HERE

Stories give courage to the dreamers and hope to the discouraged. Each one has the ability to motivate and inspire the next brilliant idea from the next social entrepreneur or faith leader. Through speaking, writing, and producing Matt brings these stories, causes and thoughts to the forefront so that they can be seen heard and experienced.

Matt has had the honor to work with incredible difference making organizations such as Rachels Challenge, Ashoka, Fierce Freedom, Soularize, Celtic Way and others create the space necessary to inspire the world to act out of kindness, compassion and love.

After 35 years as a devout, self-proclaimed Jesus freak—spending summers on mission trips, leading Bible studies, and joining the church leadership team—Sarah Henn Hayward has stopped believing in a Higher Being altogether.

She found herself grieving the loss of her core identity and struggling to see a way forward without God at the helm. While she remained grateful for her former faith and the many ways it shaped her, she needed a new lens through which to process good and evil, purpose and meaning.

In Giving Up God, Sarah wrestles for a new identity as she resurrects herself from her former beliefs, exploring new vistas in physics, philosophy, and alternative theologies and drawing inspiration from the natural world.

For more on Sarah go to www.sarahhennhayward.com
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Order Bring It Home HERE

Order you copy of Hope for the 2020s HERE

Find me on Instagram @mattkendziera
Find me on Facebook HERE

Stories give courage to the dreamers and hope to the discouraged. Each one has the ability to motivate and inspire the next brilliant idea from the next social entrepreneur or faith leader. Through speaking, writing, and producing Matt brings these stories, causes and thoughts to the forefront so that they can be seen heard and experienced.

Matt has had the honor to work with incredible difference making organizations such as Rachels Challenge, Ashoka, Fierce Freedom, Soularize, Celtic Way and others create the space necessary to inspire the world to act out of kindness, compassion and love.

Purpose is one of the most overused and over discussed concepts...especially in the new year.
What if we look at it in a different light?
Lets try to find a more life giving concept of purpose!
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Order Bring It Home HERE

Order you copy of Hope for the 2020s HERE

Find me on Instagram @mattkendziera
Find me on Facebook HERE

Stories give courage to the dreamers and hope to the discouraged. Each one has the ability to motivate and inspire the next brilliant idea from the next social entrepreneur or faith leader. Through speaking, writing, and producing Matt brings these stories, causes and thoughts to the forefront so that they can be seen heard and experienced.

Matt has had the honor to work with incredible difference making organizations such as Rachels Challenge, Ashoka, Fierce Freedom, Soularize, Celtic Way and others create the space necessary to inspire the world to act out of kindness, compassion and love.

Conflict is tough. We all deal with it differently. This week Matt's wife Suzie joins the show to talk about the challenges and victories they have had regarding conflict. It's not Holly or Jolly, but it certainly is important. Maybe for Christmas, learn how to handle conflict with your loved ones!

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Order Bring It Home HERE

Order you copy of Hope for the 2020s HERE

Find me on Instagram @mattkendziera
Find me on Facebook HERE

Stories give courage to the dreamers and hope to the discouraged. Each one has the ability to motivate and inspire the next brilliant idea from the next social entrepreneur or faith leader. Through speaking, writing, and producing Matt brings these stories, causes and thoughts to the forefront so that they can be seen heard and experienced.

Matt has had the honor to work with incredible difference making organizations such as Rachels Challenge, Ashoka, Fierce Freedom, Soularize, Celtic Way and others create the space necessary to inspire the world to act out of kindness, compassion and love.