Restoring the Soul with Michael John Cusick

Latest Episodes:

Episode 204 - Kevin Triplett, "Men's Weekend Intensive" Dec 04, 2021

Show notes

“There’s no better freedom than being the person God created you to be.” - Kevin Triplett

On this edition of the podcast, Michael welcomes back Kevin Tripplett. Kevin was a guest in 2017 alongside Tony Anderson as they recounted their 2013 Restoring the Soul Men’s intensive weekend that served as the catalyst to their radical life change. They went on to also recount their stories in the incredible film, The Heart of Man.
Since then, Kevin has had the opportunity to join Michael and the team at more weekend intensives. Today, he and Michael discuss the foundational importance of these gatherings.
Restoring the Soul is hosting another Men’s Intensive Weekend in February of 2022 in Colorado Springs and invites you to take an important and courageous step with other men to get your true heart back. Registration opens December 5th and you can find complete details at Restoring the Soul.
HELPFUL RESOURCES:
Episode 54 - Tony Anderson & Kevin Triplett, "Surfing For God Weekend Intensive"

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Episode 200 - Aundi Kolber, "Discovering Self Compassion" Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

“Healing requires fierceness and tenderness.” - Aundi Kolber
On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes back Aundi Kolber to the Restoring the Soul podcast to conclude their 2-part discussion. On this episode, they will be discussing what it means to Discover Self Compassion”. Many of us don’t realize that just as God is profoundly kind and compassionate to us, we are invited to steward that compassion toward ourselves, too, in the form of self-compassion. How do we do this? We begin to practice gentleness and attentiveness toward our wounds in the same way that God is already kind to us.
Aundi Kolber is a Licensed Professional Counselor (MA LPC), writer, and speaker from Castle Rock, Colorado who specializes in trauma- and body-centered therapies and is passionate about the integration of faith and psychology. She has written for Relevant, CT Women, and (in) courage. As a survivor of trauma, Aundi brings hard-won knowledge around the work of change, the power of redemption, and the beauty of experiencing God with us in our pain. Connect with Aundi at aundikolber.com, on Facebook at aundikolberwrites, and on Instagram at aundikolber
HELPFUL RESOURCES:
Episode 199 - Aundi Kolber, "Understanding Attunement"
Episode 111 - Aundi Kolber, "Try Softer, Part 2"
Episode 110 - Aundi Kolber, "Try Softer, Part 1"
Episode 71 - Aundi Kolber Part II, “Healing Trauma: Getting Unstuck and Becoming Whole”
Episode 70 - Aundi Kolber Part I, “Healing Trauma: Getting Unstuck and Becoming Whole”

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Episode 199 - Aundi Kolber, "Understanding Attunement" Oct 29, 2021

Show notes

“Attunement is an awareness and an attendance to your present experience.” - Aundi Kolber
On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes back Aundi Kolber to the Restoring the Soul podcast. They will be discussing what it means to understand “Attunement” and the companion “Try Softer” resources that are now available, including The Try Softer Guided Journey: A Soulful Companion to Healing.
Aundi Kolber is a Licensed Professional Counselor (MA LPC), writer, and speaker from Castle Rock, Colorado who specializes in trauma and body-centered therapies and is passionate about the integration of faith and psychology. She has written for Relevant, CT Women, and (in) courage. As a survivor of trauma, Aundi brings hard-won knowledge around the work of change, the power of redemption, and the beauty of experiencing God with us in our pain. Connect with Aundi at aundikolber.com, on Facebook at aundikolberwrites, and on Instagram at aundikolber.
HELPFUL RESOURCES:
Episode 70 - Aundi Kolber Part I, “Healing Trauma: Getting Unstuck and Becoming Whole”
Episode 71 - Aundi Kolber Part II, “Healing Trauma: Getting Unstuck and Becoming Whole”
Episode 110 - Aundi Kolber, "Try Softer, Part 1"
Episode 111 - Aundi Kolber, "Try Softer, Part 2"

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Episode 198 - Michael John Cusick, "From Accountability to Accessibility, Part 3" Oct 22, 2021

Show notes

“Real accountability leads to accessibility.” - Michael John Cusick
On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael concludes our 3-part series on Accountability:

Cop Accountability
Coach Accountability
Cardiologist Accountability

Today's episode emphasizes the third and final part, cardiologist accountability. With the cardiologist accountability strategy, this is an approach where…
“…we move from accountability to accessibility. We expose our hiddenness, but more than that, we acknowledge our brokenness. Instead of trying to manage our sin, or be inspired to obey, we recognize our need for transformation. We begin to allow God, and a few others, to walk into the messiness of our lives, and we learn that we are more than the sum of our brokenness. Cardiologist accountability does not require a professional therapist or counselor. It begins with the assumption that our whole lives, including our brokenness, are the soil in which God grows us. The only requirements for becoming a cardiologist of this kind are a healthy curiosity, a desire to be a caring friend, and a willingness to grow in your understanding of the process of spiritual transformation.”

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Episode 197 - Michael John Cusick, "From Accountability to Accessibility, Part 2" Oct 15, 2021

Show notes

"The coach model is less about trying to get to the truth, it’s more about trying to inspire." - Michael John Cusick
On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael continues a 3-part series on Accountability:

Cop Accountability
Coach Accountability
Cardiologist Accountability

Today's episode emphasizes the second part, coach accountability. With the coach accountability strategy, Michael says, “Our accountability partner plays the role of an instructor, trainer, and coach, who helps us manage our lives so we can keep moving forward. We are second-string players on God’s team with a pretty good shot of making it to the spiritual big leagues. When we fail to perform well, we check in with the coach, who encourages us from the rulebook, sends us back in the game, and tells us to keep our eye on the ball. This approach implies that if we give it enough effort, time, and attention, we can earn a victory over sin and make our lives work. This ‘try harder’ emphasis concerns itself less with sin management and more with the relentless effort to be good. It is a gospel of inspiration.”

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Episode 196 - Michael John Cusick, "From Accountability to Accessibility, Part 1" Oct 08, 2021

Show notes

"The man who lives under the cop accountability approach will eventually fail in one of two ways that reinforce the gospel of sin management." - Michael John Cusick
On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael begins a 3-part series about Accountability:

Cop Accountability
Coach Accountability
Cardiologist Accountability

Today's episode emphasizes the first part, cop accountability. With the cop accountability strategy, by sharing your sin with someone, you will have a greater incentive to choose what is right. It’s about the avoidance of shame. This form of accountability is a gospel of sin management that is all too common, and fraught with problems.

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Episode 195 - Julianne Cusick, “Devastated But Not Destroyed” Oct 01, 2021

Show notes

Today’s episode is very special since you’ll be listening to a message from Julianne Cusick, Michael's bride of over 25 years. Her talk, “Devastated but not Destroyed” is a message she gave in 2004 where for the very first time she shared her story of heartbreak, hope, and healing from sexual betrayal and sexual addiction that was exposed in 1994. Giving this talk took a tremendous amount of courage and strength, and as you will hear she delivered the message with profound grace and dignity.
Julianne holds a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and her passion is to fight for the hearts of women and men shattered after pornography, affairs, and other forms of intimate partner betrayal. She is EMDR trained and utilizes a trauma-informed lens when working with women, men, and couples. Julianne embodies hope arising from her own story of healing and redemption.
HELPFUL RESOURCES:
Episode 94 - Julianne Cusick, "A Holy & Horrible Journey"
Episode 114 - Julianne Cusick, "5 Facts Wives Need to Know After Betrayal"
Episode 115 - Julianne Cusick, "5 Things Husbands Can Do to Support Their Wives After Betrayal"
Episode 165 - Julianne Cusick, "Barriers to Overcoming Betrayal Trauma"
Episode 166 - Julianne Cusick, "Treatment Barriers to Healing from Betrayal Trauma"

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Episode 194 - Brad Jersak, "IN: Incarnation, Inclusion, Abba & Lamb" Sep 24, 2021

Show notes

“The higher your Christology, the wider you see Abba’s love to be.” - Brad Jersak
Brad Jersak is Michael’s guest on today’s podcast. Their conversation centers around how Christ-followers might hold the tension of two abiding and complementary truths:
- Christ’s one-of-a-kind revelation
- Abba’s all-inclusive love.
IN: Incarnation, Inclusion = Abba & Lamb.
Brad lays out biblical and experiential evidence for integrating and celebrating both these truths together, espousing the beautiful gospel of Christ’s unique revelation of Abba’s all-inclusive love.
Brad Jersak is an author and teacher based in Abbotsford, BC. He serves as a reader and monastery preacher at All Saints of North America Orthodox Monastery. Through his books and seminars, Brad shares the good news that God is Love, perfectly revealed in Jesus Christ. He teaches others how to encounter God through the practice of ”listening prayer,” through which God’s love heals wounded hearts and empowers us to heal this broken world.
In this podcast, we hope you will discover:

The importance of knowing God the Father as Abba.
The Lamb is the revelation of the nature of God
The main point and purpose of the incarnation

HELPFUL RESOURCES:
Episode 50 - Brad Jersak, "A More Beautiful Gospel, Part 1"
Episode 51 - Brad Jersak, "A More Beautiful Gospel, Part 2"

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Episode 193 - Mako & Haejin Shim Fujimura, "Kintsugi Reflects Life" Sep 10, 2021

Show notes

“Risk-taking can lead to restoration only if it’s motivated by love.” - Haejin Shim Fujimura

On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes Mako & Haejin Shim Fujimura. Today, they will discuss a number of topics ranging from trauma, 9/11, Kintsugi, the Covid-19 pandemic, and Human trafficking.

Mako is a leading contemporary artist whose process-driven, refractive “slow art” has been described by David Brooks of the New York Times as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time”. He is also an arts advocate, writer, and speaker who is recognized worldwide as a cultural influencer. A Presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts from 2003-2009, Fujimura served as an international advocate for the arts, speaking with decision-makers and advising governmental policies on the arts.

Married to Mako, Haejin is an international attorney and CEO of Embers International. She also serves as the President of Kintsugi Academy. Her life mission is to bringing light into the darkness and help others being remade in order for them to recover.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:
http://www.embersinternational.org/
https://kintsugiacademy.be/en/

Episode 13 - Mako Fujimura, “Silence and Beauty, Part 1”
Episode 14 - Mako Fujimura, “Silence and Beauty, Part 2”

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Episode 192 - Andy Crouch, "The Tech-Wise Family, Part 2" Sep 03, 2021

Show notes

“It’s not about limits. It’s about filling our lives with what we really want.” - Andy Crouch
Today we conclude our conversation with author, musician and speaker, Andy Crouch, about his book, “The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place.” As school is back in session and families are getting back to some regular life rhythms, we thought a conversation centered around how the entire family leverages technology would be most beneficial for the next few episodes. On the back jacket of the book, it states poignantly, “Reclaiming real life in a world of devices.”
On this episode, keep an ear out for a few of the 10 Tech-Wise Commitments, such as:

Develop wisdom and courage as a family
Create more than we consume
Wake up before our devices do. Go to bed before they do.

If you don’t know Andy Crouch, he was an editor and producer at Christianity Today for more than 10 years. His work and writing have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, —and, most importantly, received a shout-out in Lecrae's 2014 single "Non-Fiction."
We count it a privilege to know Andy and consider him a strong ally and friend in the fight to restore hearts and lives.
HELPFUL RESOURCES:
Episode 191 - Andy Crouch, "The Tech-Wise Family, Part 1"
Episode 11 - Andy Crouch, "Strong and Weak, Part 1"
Episode 12 - Andy Crouch, "Strong and Weak, Part 2"

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