Almost thirty years ago, a small but mighty professor at Gardner-Webb University taught a generation of students how to search their hearts, hear God's voice, and spot the difference between faith and its counterfeits. Her classes were so transformative that students warned each other: "Take a Cullinan class, but be prepared to change your major."

In this episode, Corie sits down with Dr. Alice Cullinan, now in her eighties, still writing, still teaching, to talk about what happens when the marketplace flips your apple cart. They explore what it means when the people who share your faith don't seem changed by it, how to tell the difference between God's voice and your own, and why the spiritual disciplines she taught decades ago might matter more now than ever.

Whether you grew up in the church, left the church, or are trying to figure out what to do with the church, this conversation is an invitation to linger.

In this episode:

If you'd like to watch the raw, unproduced video of this interview, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/HLCDhcSw2Qk

Dr. Cullinan's Resources: 📚 Books on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0a5wfBIy 🎥 Lamplighters Ministries Video Bible Studies: https://www.lamplighters-ministries.org/video-bible-studies/ ✍️ Her blog: https://alicecullinan.blogspot.com/

Share Your Story If this episode stirred something in you, we'd love to hear from you. Record a short voice memo and email it to [email protected] — your story may help shape a future episode.

Connect with Corie 🔗 https://linktr.ee/corieweathers

(Watch this interview instead on Youtube: https://youtu.be/qbuAB-_cPEE?si=s16WkXuBCwv9TG-x)

Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Kau'ilokoikaika Franklin Guard — known to those who loved him as Nick — is the 2026 TUP Virtual Memorial Mile honoree. Nick died on June 20th, 2022 after struggling with the mental and physical impacts of his military service. He was a soldier, a husband, a father, and a friend whose life continues to inspire all who knew him. In this video, Corie Weathers sits down with Nick's wife, Cydney, for a deeply personal conversation about who Nick was, the weight of loss, and the love that endures. We are #MotivatedByTheirLives 🇺🇸

Honor Nick on Memorial Day — May 25th, 2026. Join the TUP Virtual Memorial Mile by walking, running, biking, hiking, swimming, or doing any activity that brings you joy. Every step is a tribute. Register here: theunquietprofessional.org/tupmemorialmile 📌 About The Unquiet Professional (TUP) TUP is a nonprofit organization committed to recognizing and honoring our nation’s Gold Star & Surviving Families, Veterans, and military families by providing rewarding and purposeful opportunities to heal from the wounds of war.

🌐 Website: theunquietprofessional.org

📘 Facebook: facebook.com/TheUnquietProfessional

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/theunquietprofessional

🆘 If you or someone you know is in crisis: Call or text 988, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line, available 24/7. You can also text 838255 or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net.

What happens when stress doesn’t just affect individuals—but entire communities?

In this episode of Restored, I sit down with sociologist Dr. Seth Abrutyn, whose research explores how collective stress, cultural trauma, and social pain shape mental health, belonging, and the survival of communities over time.

Drawing from his book Life Under Pressure and his work on collective and cultural trauma, Seth helps us understand why communities under prolonged pressure—whether schools, neighborhoods, minority groups, or institutions—can begin to fracture, lose trust, and struggle to care for their people.

Seth's article that inspired this episode: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21568693231213088

More about Seth: https://sethabrutyn.com/

If this episode stirred something in you, you’re invited to share your story.

Music: $50 to Breathe & I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie

What if the discomfort we’re trying to escape is actually trying to teach us?

In this solo episode of Restored, Corie Weathers explores cognitive dissonance—the inner tension we feel when our beliefs, values, and lived experiences no longer align. Rather than rushing to certainty or easy answers, this episode invites listeners to slow down and learn how to listen to inner conflict as a source of wisdom.

Drawing on insights from Viktor Frankl, psychology, history, and cultural observation, Corie examines why we struggle to sit with the “messy middle,” how individuals and cultures often resolve tension by avoiding responsibility, and what becomes possible when we stay present long enough for meaning to emerge.

This episode includes a guided reflective practice, helping listeners notice where inner conflict is showing up in their own lives—and how to engage it without fear, rigidity, or avoidance.

This is not an episode about having the right answers.

If this episode stirred something in you, you’re invited to share your story.

What does healing actually require — in a marriage, in a community, or in a culture stretched thin by conflict?

We’re living in a time when tension feels everywhere — in our homes, online, within institutions, and across the nation. The emotional strain we feel collectively often mirrors what happens inside relationships: disconnection, mistrust, stuck narratives, and the fear that things may never return to peace.

That’s why today’s conversation with Dr. Mike Sytsma is so compelling.

For more than 30 years, Mike has worked with couples facing some of the most painful relational fractures imaginable — and he’s learned something stunningly consistent: two things must be present for healing to even begin:

—a genuine willingness to acknowledge harm and soften defensiveness.

—creating space for change without erasing boundaries, truth, or accountability.

These two human capacities, he says, are just as essential for restoring marriages as they are for healing communities and cultures under strain.

In this episode, Mike and Corie explore:

Why deep conflict (personal or societal) emerges when pain goes unaddressed

What makes a contrite heart so transformative — and so rare

How grace functions as an active force in reconciliation, not passive acceptance

The difference between forgiveness, safety, and rebuilding trust

Why some relationships — and some communities — recover while others fracture

How humility, grit, and emotional regulation allow peace to take root again

What healing looks like when it’s slow, nonlinear, and imperfect

The inner work required of both individuals before reconciliation can occur

Corie reflects on how these insights reach far beyond intimate relationships:

Do you have a story of conflict, healing, or peace?

📩 https://intimatemarriage.org/.

Past Episodes with Dr. Mike:

Secrets of Sex with Dr. Michael Sytsma: https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-xc6gm-13cde55

Sexual Intimacy & Post-Affair:

https://www.podbean.com/ep/pb-yettc-97de7e

Restoring Trust: 

https://vimeo.com/117354250?fl=pl&fe=sh

What happens when a community is stretched past its limits?

Military spouses live in a unique tension: deeply tied to the institution, yet often left without a voice in its decisions. Their wellness reflects not just individual resilience, but the health of the entire military community.

In this episode of Restored, Corie Weathers speaks with Evie King, president of InDependent, about groundbreaking research she co-led with the University of Texas on military spouse wellness. Their findings reveal the cost of compounding stress, the reality of isolation, and the essential role of community in healing.

But this conversation doesn’t stop at the data. Evie later came back to re-answer two questions — more honestly, more vulnerably — and issued a sobering warning: if cultural dynamics don’t change, the system risks collapse.

Together, Corie and Evie explore what it takes for individuals, families, and institutions to find peace in the midst of ongoing conflict. And why community is not optional — it is the key to survival and restoration.

Find out more about. Independent, their research, and programming here: https://in-dependent.org/

If you have a story of your own about reconciliation, transition, or choosing peace, record a short voice memo and send it to [email protected] or find all links here: https://linktr.ee/corieweathers

In this episode of Restored, Corie Weathers speaks with author and filmmaker Victoria Kelly, and producer/director Beatrice "B" Becette, the creators of the documentary Atomic Echoes: Untold Stories of World War II.

Their journey began when Karin Tanabe and Victoria discovered that their families were connected by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki — one as an American medic sent into the ruins, the other as a Japanese educator helping rebuild after the war. Together with producer Beatrice Becette, they set out to uncover the forgotten voices of the Japanese atomic bomb survivors and the American atomic veterans who lived in the aftermath.

This conversation reminds us that peace isn’t just the absence of war — it’s the hard, human work of facing history, honoring grief, and choosing hope.

💡 In This Episode:

• The surprising connection that brought Karin and Victoria together
• What it means to reconcile personal and national histories
• The unseen legacy of America’s atomic veterans
• How Beatrice helped translate pain into purpose through filmmaking
• Why remembering is an act of peace
• Click HERE for "Atomic Echoes" Trailer
• Click HERE to WATCH "Atomic Echoes"
•  

  Click HERE for Victoria Kelly and Karin Tanabe’s Bios

  Click HERE for a Photo of Karin Tanabe and Victoria Kelly with the Flag worn by a Japanese Soldier, courtesy of Beatrice Becette for Blue Chalk Media

  Click HERE for Karin Tanabe's Website

  Click HERE for Victoria Kelly's Website

What do you do when two things you love pull you in opposite directions?

In this episode of Restored, Corie Weathers sits down with Joe Byerly, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and founder of From the Green Notebook, and Clint Boling, a former NFL player for the Cincinnati Bengals. Both men faced defining crossroads in their careers — moments where they could push for one more tour, one more play, one more shot at glory. But each realized the cost was too high.

Joe’s decision came after 20 years in uniform, leading through wars, deployments, and the heavy responsibility of command. Clint’s came in the form of a life-threatening blood clot that forced him to consider whether football was worth risking his future.

Their stories reveal a universal truth: the hardest battles are often inside us. Choosing between ambition and family, career and health, identity and transformation can feel impossible. Yet, as Joe and Clint show, choosing peace is not surrender. It’s courage. It’s the decision to align your values with your life and to finish one story well enough to begin another.

Join us for a conversation about conflict within ourselves, the cost of relentless striving, and the grit it takes to pivot toward what matters most.

If you have a story of your own about reconciliation, transition, or choosing peace, record a short voice memo and send it to [email protected] or find all links here: https://linktr.ee/corieweathers

What does it take to feel whole again — especially after conflict?

After 9 seasons and hundreds of conversations, the Lifegiver Podcast is coming to a close.

But this isn’t the end of the story — it’s a pivot.

In this final episode, Corie Weathers reflects on the journey of Lifegiver — the stories the incredible community that has grown along the way. She shares why it’s time to turn the page, what she’s learned about transitions, and how sometimes the bravest thing we can do is pivot into a new season.

And with that pivot comes a new beginning: the launch of Restored: Stories of Conflict, Healing, and Peace.

Restored will take everything you loved about Lifegiver — honest stories, authentic conversations, and lessons for military families — and expand it into bigger circles. From soldiers and spouses to athletes, conflict mediators, and cultural voices, these new episodes will explore how we work through conflict and discover peace, both in our personal lives and in our world.

This is not a goodbye — it’s a continuation. Thank you for walking with Corie and the Lifegiver journey. We hope you’ll join us for what comes next.