Restoring the Soul with Michael John Cusick

“Happiness is a sense of looking back on our life and knowing it’s been well-lived.” - Rabbi Evan Moffic
On this edition of Restoring the Soul, we’re taking a trip in the way back machine to feature a conversation with Michael and Rabbi Evan Moffic. In light of the Coronavirus pandemic and how difficult this year has been for so many, we thought it would be nice to offer a look at the ancient Jewish Happiness Prayer that helps to open up opportunities for gratitude and joy.
Respected as a Jewish thought leader both in the Chicago area and nationally, Rabbi Moffic is the author of four best-selling books. He is regularly featured as part of the Religion Panel on Fox and Friends and on CNN, and his articles appear in Huffington Post.
The Chicago Tribune described Evan as “a brilliant antidote to all that divides us. He constructs bridges where others drive wedges” and “the Rabbi we’d love to call our own. Humble, wise and good beyond words.”
Finally, we have been encouraging you to share a review of Restoring the Soul on Apple Podcasts. In return, we would randomly select a review and award the author of the review with a copy of Susie Larson’s latest book, “Fully Alive”. Well, we received a number of wonderful posts and we’re happy to say that "JimmyinNYC", if you’re reading this, drop us an email at [email protected] with your mailing address and we’ll be happy send you a free copy of Fully Alive by Susie Larson. Thank you and congratulations!
In this podcast, we hope you will discover:

• The connection between forgiving your parents and forgiving yourself.
• The ten elements of the Happiness Prayer
• The difference between happiness and pleasure

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 [email protected]
Thanks for listening!

“Masculine power is intended to be good when it’s wholehearted and in the service of love.” - Morgan Snyder
On this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael welcomes Morgan Snyder to the podcast.
Morgan is a grateful husband of over 20 years and a proud father of a wildly creative and witty daughter and a joyful and passionate son. He serves as a strategist, entrepreneur, teacher, writer, and speaker. In 2010, he established BecomeGoodSoil and serves on the executive leadership team at Wild at Heart alongside John and Stasi Eldredge. Morgan goes off the grid every chance he gets, whether bow hunting in the Colorado wilderness or choosing the adventurous life with his greatest treasures: his wife, Cherie; his son, Joshua; and his daughter, Abigail.
Michael and Morgan discuss, “Becoming a King, The Path to Restoring the Heart of a Man.”
In this podcast, we hope you will discover:

• Why should this issue of power be a category for men?
• The common ways men respond to the desire to wield power.
• What is a generalist and why is it so important for a man to get his heart back?

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 [email protected]
Thanks for listening!

“The Enneagram takes into account that the human personality is fluid, not static.” - Ian Morgan Cron
On this episode of Restoring the Soul, we’re featuring a conversation between Michael John Cusick and Ian Morgan Cron that took place just before the release of his third book, “The Road Back to You”. They discussed Ian’s introduction to the Enneagram and how it has impacted him over the years. They also covered the crucial need of self-knowledge, the beauty of the Gospel, and the counter intuitive idea that we grow in loving others as we grow in loving ourselves.
If you are not familiar with Ian, he is a bestselling author, nationally recognized speaker, Enneagram teacher, psychotherapist, Dove Award–winning songwriter, and Episcopal priest. He also hosts an amazing podcast, Typology.
As you will discover, Ian draws on a wide array of disciplines—from psychology to the arts, Christian spirituality and theology—to help people enter more deeply into conversation with God and the mystery of their own lives.

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 [email protected]
Thanks for listening!

“A contemplative practice is the only place where you begin to learn how to step outside yourself, observe your place, and then begin to let go of that in a substantial way.” - Peter Zaremba
Brad Jersak and Peter Zaremba are Michael’s guests on today’s podcast. Centering prayer is the topic of their discussion.
There’s power in prayer and prayer is one of the best ways, indeed not the only way, to connect with God - but do you know that there are many unique and personal methods of prayer? Centering and contemplative prayer are a few of them.
That’s what Michael John Cusick will be discussing today with our guests, Brad Jersak and Peter Zaremba. At its core, centering prayer allows you to rest deeply in God in silence and to let go of the thoughts, emotions, memories, images or even sensations that will inevitably come into awareness during prayer. Based on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, centering prayer can be tied directly to chapter 4 verses 22 to 24 where Paul says, “put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Centering prayer may be a new concept to you - it may be something you practice in your everyday life. It’s our hope you are drawn in and encouraged by this conversation.
In this podcast, we hope you will discover:

• The purpose of centering prayer.
• The importance of humility and dependence in our prayers.
• The steps on how to practice centering prayer.

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 [email protected]
Thanks for listening!

“The essence of purity is not the suppression of lust, but the total orientation of one's life towards a goal.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
What if the real struggle behind pornography was actually a deep longing for fullness in Christ?
Welcome to Restoring the Soul where for the next 2 podcasts we bring you encore editions of a conversation Michael has with Lysa TerKeurst titled, “Therapy & Theology” on the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast. Lisa is President of Proverbs 31 Ministries and New York Times’ best-selling author of It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way. Proverbs 31 Ministries is a non-denominational, non-profit Christian ministry that seeks to lead women into a personal relationship with Christ, with Proverbs 31:10-31 as a guide.
In these episodes, Lysa and Michael (along with Meredith Brock) introduce us to a new perspective on pornography, a subject that’s often avoided in the Christian world but is affecting us all. No matter your stage of life, we recommend listening with an open mind and open heart to gain a better understanding on how to support a spouse, friend or loved one who may be facing this challenge.
In this podcast, we hope you will learn how to:

• Replace the stigma associated with pornography with a new understanding that the addiction to pornography comes from a genuine desire to be seen, known and loved.
• Let go of your own fear and guilt because of a spouse or loved one’s pornography addiction and discover the role spiritual fullness and emptiness play in the battle with pornography.
• Overcome your hesitation to have “the talk” with a loved one about pornography by learning healthy, biblically based conversation starters.

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 [email protected]
Thanks for listening!