“We use faith stories. We use testimonies to build bridges and diffuse tension. We recognize Christ in each other and each other in Christ.” - Rev. Dr. Casely EssamuahMerry Christmas, everyone! If you’re listening in the US, you have probably hunkered down with a few extra blankets or your warmest coat to brave the cold front that has crippled nearly all of the country. But maybe it’s a blessing. Maybe this is a great opportunity to take advantage of the time to slow down and spend quality time with friends and family. Ponder the Christmas story that hopefully will take you to a place of worship as we consider our newborn King. Merry Christmas from all of us here at Restoring the Soul.Today, Michael welcomes Reverand Doctor Casely Essamuah to the podcast. Originally from Ghana, Casely is the Secretary of the Global Christian Forum. He is a bi-cultural bridge builder with a heart to see the world united in Christ, loving and respecting each other to build the Kingdom here on earth. Michael met Casely while on a recent pilgrimage in Scotland, and they will recount some of their more insightful conversations. We hope you learn where the Church is thriving and growing in the world and what we all can learn from the church in the global south.HELPFUL RESOURCES:St. Cuthbert’s PilgrimagePark Street ChurchSupport Dr. CaselyENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“You will be at your best if you are doing it from a rested soul.” - Alan FadlingWith the overwhelming pace of life, many of us struggle to stop long enough to be present. Our long to-do lists and full calendars leave little breathing room to hear from God. We know we need to slow down, but we don't even know how to begin.As 2022 comes to a close and we soon turn the page to a new year, it’s a great time to evaluate areas of our lives that need a tune-up and possibly some minor adjustments. Is 2023 the year you start to slow down and live an unhurried life?Alan Fadling joins Michael on today’s episode to discuss his latest book, “A Year of Slowing Down: Daily Devotions for Unhurried Living.” Alan was a recent guest on the podcast, and his wife, Gem, was on a previous episode. The links to their episodes are below...Alan Fadling is the president and founder of Unhurried Living, inspiring people to rest deeper, live fuller, and lead better.HELPFUL RESOURCES:Episode 237 - Gem Fadling, “Hold That Thought"Episode 238 - Alan Fadling, “An Unhurried Life"ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“There’s only one answer to the question, “What is God like?” It’s Jesus." - Dr. James Bryan SmithThe Christian faith is not only about belief and practices but also about the kind of people we become. Yet some of the most significant barriers to our transformation come from our toxic self-narratives. These narratives shape the way we see ourselves and the way we interact in the world. God designed us with a deep longing to be wanted, loved, alive, and connected to Him. Healing our souls requires more than knowing what God thinks about us. Our healing comes not through reason alone but through revelation.This short paragraph was an excerpt from James Bryan Smith’s brand new book, The Good and Beautiful You. Jim is a good friend of Restoring the Soul and is Michael’s guest on the podcast.If you don’t know him, Dr. James Bryan Smith is the Dallas Willard Professor of Christian Spiritual Formation at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. He is also the Executive Director of The Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation and the best-selling author of twelve books, most notably The Apprentice Series, which includes The Good and Beautiful God. Finally, among other things, James is the host of the Things Above Podcast. We’re so glad to have Jim back with us today.HELPFUL RESOURCES:RTS_164 James Bryan Smith “Good and Beautiful God”ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“The Sabbath is the greatest gift from God outside of Jesus Himself.” - Dr. Ruth Haley BartonThe practice of the Sabbath has received quite a lot of attention in recent years and if you’re interested in learning more, today’s conversation will be a perfect compliment to your journey.On this edition of the podcast, Michael welcomes Dr. Ruth Haley Barton to the conversation. Ruth is an author, spiritual director, teacher, and founder of Transforming Center in Wheaton, Illinois.In October, Ruth’s book, “Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again” was released to ground us in God's intentions in giving us the gift of the Sabbath, providing practical steps for embedding sabbath rhythms in our lives. And as a result of today’s conversation, we hope you learn how to think about Sabbath as a gift and that Sabbath helps us live in our true identity. HELPFUL RESOURCES:Transforming Center PODCASTS RTS_164James Bryan Smith “Good and Beautiful God”RTS_237Gem Fadling "Hold That Thought"RTS_238Alan Fadling"An Unhurried Life"RTS_239Dr. Janelle Hallman "Fostering Wholeness"ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“Painting was healing and gave me a way to share my story when I could put words to it.” - Sheila PaigeOn this edition of the podcast, Michael welcomes Sheila Paige to the conversation. Not too long ago, Sheila experienced the tragedy of betrayal trauma and discovered the path to healing through painting. As a result, she found the faithfulness of a Creator who loves her in her pain.Although this podcast is in audio format, we trust you’ll be able to visualize Sheila’s beautiful artwork, which we hope will prompt you to see it yourself. We believe her book, “Healing, One Brushstroke at a Time” will make a great gift for someone this holiday season.HELPFUL RESOURCES:Sheila's book: Healing, One Brushstroke at a TimePodcastsEpisode 165 - Julianne Cusick, "Barriers to Overcoming Betrayal Trauma"Episode 166 - Julianne Cusick, "Treatment Barriers to Healing from Betrayal Trauma"Episode 195 - Julianne Cusick, “Devastated But Not Destroyed”Episode 228 - Julianne Cusick, "Life After Betrayal”ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“I don’t work well with people who have it all together.” - Dr. Janelle HallmanOn this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes his colleague and one of Restoring the Soul’s Intensive Clinical Soul Care Specialists, Dr. Janelle Hallman.Janelle is a Licensed Professional Counselor, ordained minister, professor, author, and speaker on issues such as redemption, healing, and wholeness. Her passion is to counsel, facilitate, teach and share realities about God, life, and the human experience in a way that transforms and touches a person’s deepest heart. She loves working with any individual or couple seeking greater wholeness.Dr. Hallman has served as an adjunct professor at Colorado Christian University. She is currently an adjunct professor at Denver Seminary and regularly supervises, trains, and consults other therapists, pastors, and lay leaders.Dr. Hallman received her MA in Counseling from Denver Seminary and her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. She loves beauty, babies (being a grandmother!), nature, reading, and absorbing spiritual masters.ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“The trajectory of spiritual growth is in the direction of simplicity rather than in the direction of complexity.” - Alan FadlingOn this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes Alan Fadling to ponder questions that not many people want to - or have the courage - to ask, “Do you want a Jesus who is relaxed? When you think of Jesus, is He relaxed?” Living an Unhurried Life is central to Alan’s story - so stay with us as you will hear about his journey out of the fast lane and into the relaxed rhythms of Jesus. You just may find a kinship that will also help your recovery.Alan Fadling is a frequent speaker and consultant with local churches, national organizations, and leaders internationally. A trained Spiritual Director, Alan is the author of “An Unhurried Life and An Unhurried Leader.” He has also written “What Does Your Soul Love?” co-authored with his wife, Gem Fadling, who was Michael’s guest on a recent podcast.Discover more about Alan and his ministry here.In this podcast, we hope you will discover:What a lifetime of being “fruitful that lasts” looks like.The Christian life is a relationship with God through Christ Jesus.What disengagement practices look like.HELPFUL RESOURCES:Episode 237 - Gem Fadling, “Hold That Thought"ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“God is not elsewhere.” - Gem FadlingOn this edition, Michael welcomes Gem Fadling to the podcast to discuss her latest book, “Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads.” Gem is a founding partner of Unhurried Living, a non-profit that trains people to rest deeper, live fuller, and lead better. She is a Certified Life Coach and a trained Spiritual Director who coaches women at the intersection of spiritual leadership and soul care.Today, Michael and Gem discuss the book's genesis and the critical role our thoughts play in our spiritual formation. We hope you will see that when we are able to settle down and pursue things like curiosity and hope, our anxiety can lessen, and our true purposes can come into view.HELPFUL RESOURCES:I Can Do That podcastENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“Suffering and grace are the themes that have emerged - and they have defined the rest of my life.” - Philip YanceyOn this edition, Michael welcomes our good friend, Philip Yancey, to discuss his latest book, his memoir,  “Where the Light Fell.” At its heart, this is a book about the possibility of healing and the hope that nothing in a person’s life need go to waste. A fascinating read - we trust the conversation will be equally as stimulating.No author in contemporary Christian literature is more well-known for their writing on grace and suffering than Philip. He has authored over 25 books in which he has wrestled with God, the Church, and fellow believers. After surviving a church background of what he now calls “toxic faith,” he ultimately came to know a God of grace and beauty. Click here to view Philip Yancey’s blog.HELPFUL RESOURCES:Episode 123 - Philip Yancey, "Easter and COVID-19"Episode 105 - Philip Yancey, "Amazing Grace, Part 2"Episode 104 - Philip Yancey, "Amazing Grace, Part 1"ENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

“There’s no better freedom than being the person God created you to be.” - Kevin TriplettOn this edition of the podcast, Michael welcomes back Kevin Triplett. Kevin was a guest in 2017 alongside Tony Anderson as they recounted their 2013 Restoring the Soul Men’s intensive weekend that catalyzed their radical life change. They also recount their stories in the incredible film, The Heart of Man.Since then, Kevin has joined Michael and the team at more weekend intensives. Today, he and Michael discuss the foundational importance of these gatherings.HELPFUL RESOURCES:Episode 54 - Tony Anderson & Kevin Triplett, "Surfing For God Weekend Intensive"The Heart of ManENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!