How to Be a Sower of Hope with Author and Childhood Literacy Advocate Soraya Coffelt

Hello, good people, welcome to Cancer and Comedy. This is the podcast where we like to lift up, healing through hope and humor.

And we have a special guest with us today. She has a history and a number of areas. She has been a lawyer and a judge and academic person.

And but she's also a children's author, but I know her basically as a sewer, or purveyor of hope. So, we'd like to welcome to cancer and comedy Soraya Coffelt, welcome!

Thank you so much. I'm excited to be here.

It's a joy, you and I have had the pleasure of talking about a couple of occasions.

And I just know you have a really bright countenance about you and a real uplifting sense of hopefulness about you.

Yeah, but tell me something that's kind of put us put something recently in your life that's put a bit of a smile on your face and just kind of lifted you up.

You're lifting up other people what's lifted you up recently?

Well, I love to read, and I love to learn, I love to grow. And I came across this book that is titled an offended being offended.

And it was really something that I said, oh my goodness, what a great title. So, I bought it, someone had recommended it to me, and I bought it.

And I just loved that book. And I'm trying to remember the author's name, but he had written it back in about 2015.

And then he updated it, but it's a wonderful book about it really applies to us Christians. He's a Christian.

And he talks about how we're, as Christians, we've become so entangled and being offended and righteous anger. And that's not what God has called us to do.

I have to look it up. Very good.

Yes. Yeah.

No, that's okay. Just it seemed like there was some impact about that word undefended, that really impacted you.

And things were things I loved to do. Soraya is to see how people what they have written or done has impacted others.

I love this quote, that you have that you share very prominently on your website, in some of our conversations.

If we start and end our day with hope and sprinkle hope throughout, we will be continually motivated to accomplish all of our dreams.

Tell me about that. Where did that come from? What was the motivation for that? Quote? Did you read it somewhere?

Or is that something you came up with? Tell me about that quote does that come from?

I came up with it. And I just believe that coming out of COVID, so many of us, especially as Americans, and even as Christians that we've been operating

without hope, and what does the Bible say? Faith, hope, and love. That's what we're supposed to operate in as Christians, and without hope?

How can we have any happiness, any joy, any belief that God is working in our life and has a destiny for us? So, hope is really a critical foundation.

And that's why my podcast is all about giving people hope, sharing lifetime, life changing stories of hope, I should say.

And it's, it's been a real blessing, but that my podcast came just before COVID.

And I just saw the need for people to focus more and more in on hold, because we, if you read so much, were just suffering, and a lot of people were hopeless.

But I want to play with those two ends of the spectrum here for a second with you, hope and hopelessness, because I do agree

with you that a lot of people are dealing with a sense of being hopeless or hopelessness. But let's kind of be a little more basic than that.

How do you define hope? Help me understand how you understand hope.

Hope is trusting in God as a Christian, hope is trusting in God that God has a lot of really wonderful things in my future.

And that's what motivates me and wakes me up every morning. And even though things may be dark, because we all go through dark periods ourselves, that's what motivates

me, and I hope to motivate people to that. And I trust my trust, as a Christian isn't is totally on God and God's word.

And I know your podcast and a lot of your writing and children's writing and your efforts

in and in helping kids with literacy has to do with hope and hopefulness. Yes, but has

there ever been a time in your life? Sariah kind of a dark time or a time when you may have said it's a bit of hopelessness yourself.

Yeah, As I saw it more during my high school years, I was a Christian from when I was a

little girl, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior during a vacation bible school event. And I think it was more during my high school years when I saw myself as a minority

female and I always loved the law, I wanted to go to study the law, law school after college. And my father used to tell me, I would argue with stop signs, as soon as I

was just constantly arguing, and I just felt that as a woman and then as a minority

woman, a Hispanic woman. I just felt that there wouldn't there weren't going to be many opportunities for me to go to law school. My parents didn't have the money, couldn't

afford it, I couldn't afford it. But despite all that, I trusted that God had put that desire in my heart, I just didn't come up with up I want to be a lawyer, I believe very strongly that

he put that desire in my heart and that he would make a way and he did.

Interesting that you use the phrase you would that your father said you would argue

with a stop sign. And I pick up on it a little bit in the sense of you said you had maybe a

few obstacles, a few challenges as a Hispanic woman going into the law, maybe there

were some people or situations maybe you want to put up a stop sign in front of you.

But it sounds like you found a way. Yeah, argue with a stop sign, if you will, to say it's not

gonna stop my can you be more specific about that about how you think your past or

maybe even more current circumstances where you have argued with a stop sign or

found a way to get around through? Or past some obstacle? And maybe hope was a part of that getting beyond that? Can you be specific?

Yeah, going back to those times, my parents raised me and my sisters to always excel in school. English was a second language for them. And they felt that English was the

language of opportunity. So, when we were at home, we didn't speak any other language other than English. And my parents were really voracious readers. So here,

they were not English not being their native language. But being voracious readers started to speak it well, and then insisted that my sisters and I do the same. So, we were

all raised as voracious readers. And I, it was always ingrained in me that if I did well, academically, that I would get scholarships. They couldn't afford that five daughters,

and they were small business people. So, they ingrained in us that we'll get good grades, you'll get scholarships, and that's what I did and, and I got scholarships to college. And

then after college, I got scholarships, going to an Ivy League Law School, where I was the only Hispanic woman in my class, there were five minority students in my law school

class, three were African American, two were Hispanic, I was a Hispanic woman, and there was a Hispanic man. And I was just so thankful for that opportunity. I don't, I didn't look

at the numbers and say, oh, woe is me. I'm the only Hispanic woman in the class, I was just so glad that I was given this opportunity in an Ivy League school to study law, and

learn the law, but with great professors. So, it's the determination and I bring it all back to my love to promote literacy, how important it is in a child's life is just so

important. And I believe being literate. That's the foundation, one of the foundations that will give a child hope for a really great future.

Sounds like that stops and you went through as a child is one that is continually

continually there. And that is one of the ways you the actions you took was by studying the academic Yes, reading and writing and being articulate and everything you need to

due to accomplish things. Is that a fair assessment? One of the things that you did it

maybe can be a teaching point for others is to lean into your lenient your academics. Is that fair?

That's so true. Yes.

That is, I think that's an important point to make is that we got to take action don't wait if we if we're going to deal with hope with adverse situations. And that you have too not

just have hope that is kind of sitting back and waiting for opportunities to happen to you. You have to be assertive and take action. Yeah. Can you say that about how

maybe that maybe you've done this podcast where you talk to people who've have stories of hope and accomplishment? Can you say a little bit either out of your own experience,

Chris if others were taking action has been a something that's been important to people did to break through whatever Were there adversity was?

Yes. And I'm gonna take it back to me as an example. I remember. Yes, sitting in church one Sunday, and just wondering what direction God was gonna take me. And yes, I was

a lawyer. Yes, I had, at the time I was a judge actually sitting on the bench and praying for God's direction. And the pastor said that he needed volunteers for the children's

ministry. And he needed some parents to volunteer at least once a month to help in the children's ministry, I had two sons in the children's ministry. So, I was reluctant, I was

guilty. And I was reluctant. But I raised my hand. And that was Brad, that was the opening of just this incredible journey that I've been on. I went to the children's ministry,

reluctant thinking I was just going to do at one Sunday. And God revealed to me over a period of time that he had given me a gift to minister to children. And I love working

with children. And then that gave me he planted in me the hope to write these books, these children's books that are faith based.

And then as an author, so much is on the author to promote the books. So, you have to

have hope that people are gonna want to buy your books. You don't just write a book for it to sit in storage, and nobody reads it.

So, it's a continual journey of hope. Because I many times I can be really dismayed and

and God has given me this gift, what I'm going to do or like you said, sit back, you can't sit back.

The power what you're sharing. There's the power of a raised hand and the step forward. Even if it's a little bit scary, you know, even if it's a step of faith, I have to

assume that maybe coming from an academic background, and being a judge, and so on, maybe children's ministry wasn't exactly where you may have seen your tracks Oh,

earlier in life. But now you do children's books. And I know you're a huge advocate of children's literacy, and yes, as a part of who you are. That's right. That's right. You've

mentioned a couple of times your story about how your faith is a real important part of what you're all about, and your message of hope. Tell me a bit about the importance of

somehow connecting with a power greater than self either be it spiritual or something greater than self that is a part of the motivation. Part of what gives you some power

energy to do what you do. Tell me little bit about that connection.

Yeah, so I take it back to when I was a child. I grew up in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. And I remember I was about seven or eight years old. And a Baptist pastor and his wife

came through our community. And when they were having a vacation Bible school, they asked my parents, if I could go with my sisters for this week long or five day long

vacation Bible school, and my sisters and I went and we brought, we invited our other neighborhood friends to go with us. And I was the only one that accepted Jesus as Lord

and Savior. And it just established the entire foundation, I believe, for my success, if you want to call it back going, and my trust in God that he was going to carry me forward. It

wasn't just going to be this Oh, I accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. And that was it. No, it was I took it very seriously. And here's a child. I remember my mother had a Bible. So, I

would read it myself. And try especially the New Testament, I didn't read the Old Testament, I read the New Testament, just a child reading God's word. And I asked me

parents to buy me for my birthday, one year a picture of the I really liked the Last Supper, which is the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting, so they bought me that I had in

my bedroom. And that was really the foundation for me as I look back over the years, trusting God that he had so much in store for me. And that's why I'm so passionate

about working with children because I believe if we can work with children and convince

them of this, this close relationship that they can have with God, and they can read. What best foundation for them.

Well, that's the power comes from beyond comes from a place greater than itself. Yes, yeah. Reading is the application of power and you good, that's where we got to put the

work in and we gotta put some effort in, both as teachers and those who are students. Yeah, we're to be to accomplish something for the greater good. So, let's talk for a

minute or two years right about some of those processes, some of those things that we have to do in order to accomplish for I'm talking to here about kind of the strategic

process or the day to day or the habits that we can have the Yeah, you're a huge advocate here with children and so on. What do you think are some of the things people

can do to be helpful to children? Or to be helpful to ourselves in order to get better every day?

What are some of the things that people can do? Maybe in the context of literacy? But whatever you hear?

Yes, yes. Well, as I talk more and more about literacy, and children, reading and parents

reading with children, I encourage parents, you don't need to spend an hour a day, but

just 20 minutes a day, studies have showed Monday through Friday, 20 minutes a day, and a child learns over a million words a year. And that when I saw those statistics, I was

shocked. So, I encourage parents at least 20 minutes a day, but I encourage seven days a week and put it into your calendar, just like anything else, put it in your calendar at

night, I'm going to, we're going to eat dinner, we're going to then spend some time whether it's 730, or seven o'clock, whatever your schedule is, and, and have this bedtime

story. And then on weekends, go to the libraries because the public libraries are very underutilized. And the school libraries for children are very underutilized. So, parents

don't need a lot of money to purchase books. As a matter of fact, I grew up and we spent our summers in the libraries. That's how we traveled in our minds. So, parents can

do the same thing. Don't say I don't have money, you don't need money, just to get a library card and be there with your children checking out the books, but it's up to the

parents to make that decision. Nobody else can do that. The teacher can't do that. And hand in hand is what a wonderful picture that would be you're reading a bedtime

story with your child and you pray with your child. And and after a period of time, ask your child to pray as well. And this is all developing your child into a prayer warrior. And

helping your child with words learning words and listening and really concentrating not only on what they've read, but also on what is being said verbally out loud. So, the child

can learn from that process. So, there's a lot parents can do. And I did actually just finish producing some a video series with a lot of tips for parents on how to raise

children who love to read, because many parents come up to me, I do sell my books at homeschool conventions, many parents come up to me and they asked me what do I

do? My son is eight years old and he doesn't want to read. So, I said let me put all my tips together in these videos so they can be available for parents as I raise to two sons.

And there's therefore they're voracious readers, they give each other gifts as books.

Yes. And so, it will put connections to everything. You're about your books and your video series in our in our show notes, and your website, as well. But what I'm hearing you

say here is right, is that how you have instilled good habits in your children then and yeah, that becomes a good habit for parents and anyone really to do good things with them

life. Yeah, good. Yes. Whether it's reading or prayer or, or good works, or whatever they will would be. Yes, yes. And I think Do you think maybe wait, let's go. I want to go back

with you from kind of the beginning of our conversation, how there's also a sense of, if you believe it is first of all, a sense of many people says hopelessness in their life or

desperation maybe even saw this in the court system, perhaps that you may be some of this sense of desperation, this kind of thing. And people go through trauma, you

know, we talk a lot of cancer, a combination of people going through cancer and other dilemmas that way, and how attitude and hopefulness you have to kind of seek

hope and grasp onto it. Where, where you can, I guess where I'm going with you this? How do you see some practical means some practical antidote, as it were, to the sense

of hopelessness, and how we may be able to kind of find hope and unusual places or the unexpected that that we can do. Reading you mentioned is one of those. What do you

think are some ways that we can help him maybe turn this ship around a little bit all this hopelessness out there and maybe interjects something positive here?

I've read and I've listened to a lot of radio shows and podcasts about really focusing on gratitude you I don't think that can be overstated, being thankful for the very little

things, you wake up in the morning, a lot of people don't get the opportunity to wake up in the morning, you can get up and you can go to the kitchen, and you can pour yourself

a cup of coffee and all these routines that we are simple for us. But when we think about it, if you're struggling with different physical challenges, they become really difficult. My

late husband had Parkinson's disease, he had suffered a stroke, and he was bedridden for six years. And I became his primary caregiver, we had two sons to raise and he was a

commercial builder. And I just started having to run the business take over business he had, and continue being a lawyer and doing all these kinds of juggling all these things.

But it was with the I was just so glad that I had the opportunity with him. And he would get up every morning. And despite the fact that he had these severe illnesses, he was

able to join the day with his wife with his sons. It Yeah, so it's focusing on the gratitude.

And, look, I'm really appreciating these little things that God has given us so much. And you, so much we just ignore.

You mentioned that, but seeing the opportunity to what you do have what you don't

have, because it's very easy if people go through adversity, and you mentioned, you

know, about losing your husband and a tragic circumstance. And you've mentioned earlier about some of the, you know, situations in life being the only Hispanic woman

and love class and so on, where people can if they allow them to choose to allow themselves to can spiral into despair can spiral into depression, hopeless, and that's why

I believe you have to be very conscientious and very intentional about being a person of gratitude, have positive habits and those type of things.

Yes, definitely.

It seemed like there was some motivation in this for why you even started a podcast,

which is all about the stories, isn't it? It's all about Yes, I love the Euro subtitle a big dose of hope, in 30 minutes,

just 30 minutes.

I love that. And so, tell me a story about what motivated you to do that podcast and maybe a story from your podcast that it was a sign of hope.

Oh, there's so many. And I always tell people, I think I'm more blessed than anybody else to be able to listen to all these stories, and they give me so much hope. I was

approached. I have a friend here on St. Thomas, who is a Christian, non-denominational, non-denominational Christian pastor. And her church was given these licenses by the

FCC to create an internet radio station and an Internet TV station. So, she created the internet radio station first. And just before COVID, she asked me if I wanted to be a host

for a radio show. And I said, Sure. And then I had all these wonderful guests, and it became the podcast. And it, it was just so intriguing, because it from the beginning, it

was about sharing, life changing stories of hope. And there's so many I could talk about. It's just an as a matter of fact, today I recorded one where a young lady suffered very,

she was in a car accident, and she suffered very severe injuries. And she's not able to walk, but she's fighting. She's standing on God's word. She's a Christian, and she's

standing on God's word, and she knows that one day that she will be able to walk. So, it's not everyone that comes on my show is a Christian and it's not broadcasted as a

Christian podcast, but many people are and I believe that we can learn from everyone. Because as we go through adversities and you overcome them, I like to learn I like to

listen to people, no matter if they're a Christian or not, as long as their beliefs don't contradict what I believe.

Sure, sure. And as a part of that process, you've you you've chosen to give back in various ways, through your books and through your tapes and so on. Tell me a story

about how your you know, your, what you've your children's books are what you have

done, what you've produced has been impactful to someone to someone tell me how that's many influential on someone.

Yes, well, the first book I wrote was about Christmas and it's titled, it's not about you, Mr. Santa Claus, a love story about our love letter rather about the true meaning of

Christmas. And that was actually written by me as a play for the children's ministry. When I was one of the leaders in the children's ministry and my youngest son

perform, he was a main character It's a letter that child writes to Santa Claus telling Santa Claus at Christmas really wasn't about him and telling him, please sit down, get a glass of milk and some cookies. And I'm going to tell you what the true gift has been for

us. And he tells us that Santa Claus or the child, I should say, tell Santa Claus, about the

story of the birth of the baby Jesus. So that was my first book. And it's, it's really an evangelical tool to use because I feel very strongly. And there's a prayer at the end to

accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. I feel very strongly as I mentioned, because of my own upbringing, and then how I raise my sons, if you raise your children with a good

foundation in the Word of God, that that's such an important foundation for the future

of their lives. And then God gave me the ideas to go on and look at these other holidays that we celebrate. So, I have a book, as I mentioned, on Christmas, then the fourth of

July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, that go rotating back to Christmas. So, the one book that a lot of Christian parents do not want to read is the one on Halloween.

And it's very puzzling, because I always ask parents, well, why not? And oh, because it's

too scary. My children don't participate in Halloween. And I'll say, Well, why not? And my books are all very historical Christmas, of course, is based on the Bible. But the

others are, are historically based. I do a lot of research to make sure my facts are correct. So, Halloween is all about how did Halloween start? what is trick or

treating? Why bobbing for apples? What does the Scarecrow represent? Why the Black Cat? So, it's their teaching tools. And it turns out, they're teaching tools not only for

children, but also for the adults. So, they learn about what these holidays really are about. And forth. For example, Thanksgiving, it's wonderful to for families to get

together and enjoy the turkey dinner, and play a lot of family games and things like that

But what was the real reason behind Thanksgiving was to Abraham Lincoln declared it was to give thanks to God. So it's bringing us back to what are these holidays about?

And to really learn and celebrate them how they were created to be celebrated,

except for of course, Halloween. You can learn more about what that holiday is all about.

Sure. And then you have seen your passion, of course has to do with helping 3d with literacy as well. 'Yeah, so tell our audience and

how they can find out more about what all the products you

have your website and how people can be in touch with you. And we'll sort of put those connections in our Yes.

But you've got a lot of good stuff here that can be helpful to people and a sign of hope Yes,

What a gift. And what a sign of hope. In fact, I would call base a purveyor or a sewer of hope.

Yeah. So, my website is my name is Soraya, and my maiden name is Diase. And my married name is Coffelt. So that's the website.com. And on it, you will find, under the tab products, all my books, I've also added coloring books because children, especially younger children, they learn by coloring, and I have those and then I develop some teaching kids are truly go into detailed study of these holidays, I have several weeks of studies, a study guide, many links for activity, so parents can really delve into these holidays and children can learn a lot about them. And as I as I just mentioned, then the videos which I just produced and released, there are seven of them. Helping parents raise children who love to read Absolutely.

And that's good. I like that a purveyor who in this sense, you'd like to frame your day with hope begin and end it with hope and sparkle in between.

think that's a good thing. So, give us give us one last word of hope, or a good word to leave our audience with, give us a good word to leave us with.

Yes. I like what you said. We have to have a mindset no matter what we're going

through of hope, of gratitude and trusting in God really, it's because we all go through

these challenges. We all have these dark periods, as we can call them seasons in our lives and the objective is not to give up hope because God is always there and

directing us even though we may think he's not we have to trust in Him to be directing us and be able to look for all the beautiful things in life while we're waiting for him and

hoping that he's going to give us the realization of our Dreams and the accomplishment of our goals.

And that's living with hope. Our guest today we what a way to great way to end our conversation with a purveyor hope a sower of hope her name is Soraya Coffelt. And she

sorayadiasecoffelt.com, author of several books, we put all the connections on our website, cancerandcomedy.com.

Soraya, thanks for being our guest today on Cancer and Comedy.