I Believe

Amanda Baida is a loving mother, wife, family member and friend to many. Additionally, she is a strong business-person and active community member. She is also deeply spiritual. At first glance of Amanda’s life, one might see a modern-day American juggling family, business, and all of the craziness of today’s lifestyle. Spirituality may be the last thing someone would consider if observing her life from a distance. Nevertheless, here she is, eloquently and passionately describing her spiritual core. From a liberal Christian background in rural Colorado, to losing her father as a young adult, to a recent mystical experience while hiking in her neighborhood, Amanda weaves her deep well of connectedness to God and the Higher Power into her daily life. Amanda is a shining example of striking a balance in life. She’s honest and authentic about the challenges of being a human and certain of her understanding of the higher realm and the necessity of all of us to live our lives spiritually - to ensure our own emotional well-being, support the health of our families, and to benefit society as a whole.

Many spiritual teachers recognize that it often requires deep darkness and despair before humans awaken spiritually. Why does it happen this way? We may never understand in this life, but many times it occurs spontaneously, causing a shift in consciousness, allowing those who suffer to begin moving with an enlightened presence.  Stella Blessing experienced this. From her earliest memories as a child, she battled behavioral and emotional issues. The darkness grew inside until she finally woke up. Just as she was feeling like there was no path forward, she asked the higher power for help. What happened next transformed her life and she has since been living a sober, healthy and productive existence.  Listen to Stella discuss her Awakening, God and the Universe, life as a Mother and human walking the planet. 

A beloved member of the Colorado Springs community, Roger Butts recently released his book Seeds of Devotion, written during the pandemic. This episode offers an insightful interview, discussing many things, including his time as a hospital chaplain during the early months of the COVID-19 crisis. Spiritual leaders like Roger operate daily in the Space Between - where the spiritual world and physical world collide. Rev. Butts has vast experience working at the intersection of theological training and practical application. His humility, transparency and openness to the Unknown are refreshing during this time of rigid beliefs.  ABOUT THE BOOK In Seeds of Devotion, Roger Butts delivers evocative and lyrical prose while sharing wisdom from some of the most powerful figures in spirituality today. Musings from Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, and contemporaries like Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton are sprinkled in this devotional as he reflects on life's deepest mysteries. Written with an open heart and years of purposeful practice as a chaplain, Roger Butts offers immersive passages with reflection questions allowing for further spiritual exploration at the end of  each devotion. This book invites you to ask bigger questions of yourself and your life while immersed in meditative silence. These prayers and reflections are meant to guide you to a place of peace and spirituality but also challenge you to delve further into your grace. But most importantly, they are all designed to help you listen and connect with the deep wisdom of your heart. ABOUT ROGER Roger Butts is a former Staff Chaplain at a hospital system in Colorado Springs. A graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary in D.C., he is ordained in the Unitarian Universalist tradition. He is a long-time member of the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship and the International Thomas Merton Society. After serving two UU congregations as senior minister, he traveled for a year organizing against the death penalty throughout Colorado. When he can, he sits with the Springs Mountain Sangha (Buddhist) at Colorado College. His prayers and an essay have been published in a number of anthologies from Skinner House Books. He is also a contributing writer for Contemplative Light. His writings have been published in the Boulder Daily Camera, the CS Gazette, and the Quad City Times. For many years he was a board member of the local branch of the NAACP and the Greenberg Center for Learning and Tolerance in Colorado Springs. He is married to Marta Fioriti, a minister in the Black Forest of Colorado Springs. They have three teenagers and a black lab.  He believes humor and grace will save us all.

Natalie Johnson is a leader in her community. She's beloved in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado. She is a feminist, an advocate for various causes, and a mentor and thought-partner for many. At the age of 23, she received a profound message from the Other Side. While driving, a St. Francis of Assisi medal jumped off of the rear view mirror and struck her in the head. It sent her on a path to figure out who was trying to contact her. Listen to her describe the story and weave through thoughts of spirituality and its practical application in our physical world. She does this with humor and introspection, considering Forrest Gump, Dolly Parton, the Virgin Mary and more! 

Bill Morris is the founder of Blue Star Recyclers, a non-profit providing employment to people with developmental disabilities through the recycling of electronics. He has created a remarkable organization that originated from his own spiritual enlightenment. Within days of submitting to the Higher Power, he hatched an idea to employ people that previously could not find meaningful work. Over the last decade, he has opened opportunities to many, allowing people to free themselves from the chains of antiquated beliefs and social norms.  Bill is operating in the Space Between - the thin veil where the two worlds meet. Over the course of nearly two hours, Bill shares his life experiences and personal beliefs. From alcoholism to enlightenment, from the corporate world to the non-profit sector, Bill offers a humble, vulnerable and humorous look at life as a Spiritual Pilgrim.

We are Stardust. We are Bright Lights. We are Energy. We are One with God and the Universe.  We are also VERY human... In 2021, there is a lot of suffering due to the pandemic, technology and overall state of the world. In this episode, Mike ponders how we make sense of it. As we become more and more detached from our souls, how can we reconnect with who we truly are? Quoting Pearl Jam, Black Elk, The Infamous Stringdusters, Ram Dass, Peter Rowan, Nisargadatta Maharaj and a beautiful piece by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, this episode is an attempt to shift from over-thinking and chronic stress, to awareness and glowing light. 

Have you ever been thinking of a friend or loved one immediately before they called or texted you? They entered your mind seconds before the call appeared? How does this happen? Is it a coincidence, or is there something more? This week, Mike shares a few experiences in this vein. In this episode, quotes from Bob Marley and a Sufi Spiritual Teacher are woven into personal accounts. Also, a look at the meaning of Van Morrison's song, Into The Mystic.  This sixth episode of the Hard Sun Podcast is another dive into the Space Between. The place where the physical world and spiritual world collide. 

Daniela Galvan is a successful business-woman, a wife, mother of two beautiful daughters and an immigrant to the United States.  She is also a Spiritual Warrior... Listen to her discuss a lifetime of spiritual growth and the loss of her sister in 2011. Since her passing, Daniela has been receiving consistent messages from her sister, revealing her presence from the Other Side. These stories from Beyond the Proof are undeniable, as she speaks at a kitchen table - somewhere in the universe - with ease, centeredness, confidence and peace in her heart.  Death is stripping away of all that is not you. The secret of life is to "die before you die" - and find that there is no death. -Eckhart Tolle

Quoting a poem from Rumi and a song from The Infamous Stringdusters, Mike discusses an experience in late 2019 where he communicated with a person from Beyond the Proof. As he battled through the memories of traumatic events that occurred almost two decades prior, the message he received that day lifted a weight he'd been carrying for too long. It opened the door for emotional healing and sent him on a spiritual path leading to personal growth and a greater understanding that there is so much more that lies beyond our everyday over-thinking minds. 

Throughout 2018 and 2019, Mike received several spiritual interventions from The Universe. Here he discusses a message of peace and healing through a meditation session. It was another occurrence, in a series of events, that contributed to his belief in the Great Unknown.