Sunshine Rodgers

"Any thoughts?" Ruth Ann asks the group. I raise my hand, noticing any timidity or prior insecurity I once felt is gone. I am free to be myself at this place. "Yes, Camille." She points at me.

It’s a sick world down there, and it keeps getting darker and more wicked every year! And that’s where I come in. Alfred Deston. Case worker #296752. I’m one of the managers who work in heaven, and I definitely have my work cut out for me....

“I’m fine. I’m fine,” I say, as if repeating myself might make it true. I adjust my bright green tie in the mirror and pat down my hair, hoping the gel will keep it in place. Sunnie tries to assure me, but I detect a nervous tone in her voice....

I like to think there are people that we cross paths with every day for a reason. It may be to help us or it may be to help them. Sometimes, we beg for a sign, but that message from God may be more subtle than we realize. It may be someone who's encouraging us to follow the right path....

Alena is stuck in a mundane marriage and longing for something different. New clothes. Bigger bling. Flashy cars. Miraculously and inexplicably, it all happens in a flash, and she is finally married to the man of her dreams, but something still seems to be missing....

I work as a Receptionist at Hour Glass Dental and trust me, it's just as chaotic as it sounds. Between dealing with angry patients and insurance plans, phone calls and emails, I dread my ten-hour workday as I clock in at the busiest office in Brittleton, Tennessee....

I have learned over time to embrace the Sunshine-ness that is my name. Yes, I may not always be joyful or exuberant all the time, but I have learned that if I rely on my friends, my family, and my faith, I can conquer each day head-on and live every moment with an expectation of goodness....

I didn't know what to expect when the time came for me to go on stage. An attendant with a clipboard and wearing headphones came out to get us one by one in the waiting room as if we were awaiting a Golden Ticket opportunity that may never come....