Well, hello, my friends, and welcome to the Live Inspired podcast Monday Morning Moments with John O'Leary.

And just over a week and a half, Soul on Fire will light up theaters across the

country. And last week, as part of the voices of Soul on Fire podcast series, you heard from one of

the people who helped bring this story to life. Her name, Stephanie's show stack. I love Stephanie.

For me, Stephanie's role in the film is especially

personal. She portrays one of the greatest heroes of my life, my mom, Susan O'Leary. Mom has had

an awesome life, but it has been far from easy. A blessed with a husband, six kids, 22 grandbabies who all love her. She's also

experienced numerous losses. She's endured the agony of a child being burned in a house fire,

and then a decade later, losing that same home in a second house fire. She's navigated major

health challenges, cared full time for my

dad as Parkinson's disease slowly stole his strength, and ultimately grieved his passing just a couple

months ago. And yet every time I'm with Susan O'Leary, my mom, I'm with a woman that radiates joy, which made choosing

the actress to play my mom and Soul on Fire a monumental task. To portray mom, we wanted a woman

who modeled through her own courageous life the power of faithfulness, friendship, family,

and fortitude to overcome struggles and

tragedies. We wanted someone who had lived out the truth that in spite of the challenges we face,

the best is yet to come. That's where my incredible friend and highly regarded actress, Stephanie

Shostak, comes in. Her life is remarkable. Her movies are viewed around the

world and her family is wild about her. And yet her life has not been one that's easy either.

Growing up in France, but also going to school away from family in the United States.

That wasn't easy.

Having a brother as a best friend who then passed away while she was in school,

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