Episodes

  • Hope Beyond Our Sorrows: An Interview with April Yamasaki

    Hope Beyond Our Sorrows: An Interview with April Yamasaki
    Aug 20 2025
    April Yamasaki is a pastor, author, magazine editor, spiritual formation mentor, and resident author with a liturgical worship community in Abbotsford, British Columbia. April's a busy woman but she's also "grounded in sacred pauses, soul care, and living with faith and hope."

    April will tell you that decades ago, when she unexpectedly came into pastoral ministry, she thought it'd be a temporary assignment. But the Lord had other plans. During her time as a pastor, April walked with many in their grief journey. When her own grief journey came, everything changed.

    Join us for this episode about grief, soul care, hope, gratitude, and post-traumatic growth. April shares openly and thoughtfully about the loss of her husband, the mystery of faith and time, and the ways writing can move you through the disorganization of grief. It's a conversation you don't want to miss.

    April is the author of Sacred Pauses, Four Gifts, and several books of liturgical sermons. She is also a devotional contributor for the Women's Devotional Bible in the Message.

    To find April's books, or to connect with her further, go to her author site: https://aprilyamasaki.com/about/
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    40 mins
  • Trauma is a Wound: An Interview with Stacey Sutherland

    Trauma is a Wound: An Interview with Stacey Sutherland
    Aug 6 2025
    When Stacey Sutherland entered the mission field twenty years ago, she knew she wanted to help people who were experiencing crisis and trauma. But she didn't know how trauma and crisis would affect her marriage, her five children, or herself. She couldn't have foreseen how much of her trauma knowledge (or trauma wisdom) would be shaped by her lived experience, by her endless pursuit to heal her family, and by her willingness to wrestle with God over questions that even the strongest faith can't answer.

    Today, Stacey is a certified Crisis Intervention Specialist and Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate, as well as the Executive Director of Crisis Care International. She's served in more than 30 countries, supporting communities impacted by crisis and disaster, and equipping helpers with trauma-informed tools for healing and resilience.

    This vulnerable conversation looks at trauma as a personal experience rather than an externalized experience that only happens to others. As Stacey puts it, "Trauma is a great equalizer." Join us as we talk about faith, deconstruction, reconstruction, and the peace that is found when we accept God's presence...in spite of our circumstances.

    Learn more about Stacey's work at: staceydsutherland.com

    For more about trainings at Crisis Care International: crisiscareinternational.org/events

    To connect with Stacey: stacey@crisiscareinternational.org
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    32 mins
  • Juneteenth, Mental Health & Freedom: An Interview with Jermine Alberty

    Juneteenth, Mental Health & Freedom: An Interview with Jermine Alberty
    Jun 18 2025
    Jermine Alberty grew up with a unique awareness for people and their suffering. Born from diverse parents, he knew he contained the suffering of African Americans who endured transatlantic slave trade. He contained the suffering of the Cherokee people forced to walk the Trail of Tears. As a pastor, he helped people walk through adversity. As a son and a father, he supported his mother and son as each journeyed through mental health conditions. Through all these experiences, Jermine determined that all people want is love--and he dedicated to his life to making sure they find it.

    Today, Jermine is a Mental Health First Aid trainer, a pastor, author, and the founder of the S.A.L.T. Initiative, an initiative that guides others in Serving, Affirming, Loving, and Transforming the lives of others and themselves. He refers to himself a lover of people, and as you listen to him, you can hear his compassion for people--especially those who are considered 'the least of these'.

    Join us for this special Juneteenth episode for a conversation about mental health, the fight for freedom, acknowledging generational patterns, and helping others heal. If you're an advocate of any kind, this episode is for you.

    To connect with Jermine: jdalberty@gmail.com

    To learn more about the S.A.L.T Initiative: https://www.jerminealberty.com/

    To purchase Jermine's book: https://www.amazon.com/Bottled-Up-Inside-American-Depression/dp/0979282314
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    38 mins
  • Getting Past Problems to Fulfill Your Destiny: An Interview with Connie Czepiel

    Getting Past Problems to Fulfill Your Destiny: An Interview with Connie Czepiel
    Jun 4 2025
    God's call on Connie Czepiel’s life began as a teenager when the Lord began to break her heart for people suffering in other countries. With a passion for the medical field, Connie joined the Air Force, but God (and the military) had other plans. Connie was educated in finance - something she never anticipated. After a divorce, and as a single mother of three, Connie acquired work as a contracted finance manager, and it took her around the world. She could have chosen to wallow in hurt and bitterness. Instead, Connie decided to put her eyes on Jesus.

    Today, at 76, Connie is an author in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. She has plenty of stories to draw from as her humanitarian work has taken her to Madagascar, Vietnam, New Guinea, Nepal, Liberia and many more. She served with the Peace Corps in Botswana, and she's worked for organizations such as MAF, Mercy Ships, and Samaritan’s Purse. Needless to say, this is an episode of adventure and encouragement. Connie wants you to know this: it's never to late to pursue your dreams.

    Listen in and be encouraged.

    Connie's written four books. We encourage you to check them out on Amazon.

    Connie is available for interviews, workshops, and speaking engagements. To connect with her: kommertge2012@gmail.com
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    33 mins
  • Healing the Moral Wound: An Interview with Mike Wold

    Healing the Moral Wound: An Interview with Mike Wold
    May 21 2025
    For 40 years, Mike Wold enjoyed success as a consultant, leadership coach, financial director, project manager, and adjunct instructor. Then he retired. Mike quickly discovered just how much of his identity was connected to his success. He reoriented his identity around his being, and before long, God started calling him into a different kind of work - helping veterans heal from their psychological and spiritual wounds. As a US Navy veteran himself, this was work Mike understood well.

    Today, Mike is the volunteer Arizona Regional Coordinator for the Institute for Healing of Memories, an organization that conducts weekend Healing of Memories Workshops throughout the world. He's worked with more than 450 veterans, listening to their stories and encouraging them toward healing. He's worked with churches, teaching them how to help the veterans in their congregations feel a true sense of belonging. He's worked with families and spouses, parents and children. In 2019, Mike was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame for his volunteer work with veterans.

    We're honored to have Mike join us for this important episode on faith, war, and healing moral wounds. Listen in.

    *This episode mentions suicide*

    To connect with Mike: michael_w_wold@msn.com

    There are several workshops happening in 2025:
    Healing of Memories Workshop for Healthcare Workers on June 13-15, 2024 at Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in Carefree. AZ
    Healing of Memories Workshop for Women Veterans on October 17-19, 2025 at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, AZ
    Healing of Memories Workshop for All Veterans on November 21-23, 2025 at Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in Carefree, AZ

    For more info about Healing of Memories: healingmemories@gmail.com

    For more about the Arizona Coalition for Military Families, go here: https://arizonacoalition.org/training-events/
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    31 mins
  • Leading With Jesus, Like Jesus: An Interview with Julie Gustine

    Leading With Jesus, Like Jesus: An Interview with Julie Gustine
    May 7 2025
    When Julie was in high school, she came home from school to find her mother was gone. That traumatic experience changed her life, and although she didn't know it yet, Jesus was creating divine appointments in which she would begin to know Him, trust Him, and draw closer to Him.

    Julie's career path helped to grow her faith. She began as an interior designer, and just as she visualized the beauty of a space's transformation, she began to see the same potential in the hearts of those around her. She worked in church ministry for several years, then in 2018, Julie moved to Arizona and became the Director of a prison ministry. Now she serves as the Director of Programming at House of Refuge Sunnyslope in Phoenix, AZ.

    Listen in as we talk to Julie about leadership, what it means to lead with a trauma-informed lens, and what she envisions for House of Refuge Sunnyslope. With beautiful honesty and humility, Julie shares the wrestlings of her faith and God's revelations to her in the midst of her questions. This episode mirrors the heart of the Weave & Cleave movement and the Great Commission.

    Connect with Julie: julieann@refugesunnyslope.com

    Learn more about House of Refuge: https://www.refugesunnyslope.org/
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    40 mins
  • Painful Grace: An Interview with Cliff Danley

    Painful Grace: An Interview with Cliff Danley
    Apr 16 2025
    Cliff Danley, as he puts it, hit rock bottom several times in his adult life. He started using substances young, and for many years, he struggled with a life of substance abuse, broken relationships, homelessness, and time in jail. But during these years, there was hope. Cliff was introduced to Jesus.

    Cliff entered Phoenix Rescue Mission's residential program, and after completing the program, he went on to head up the residential Aftercare program for 13 years. Today, Cliff is an ordained chaplain and the Senior Scholarship Administrator at Grace Sober Living, where he provides residents with educational scholarships by the Steele Family Foundation. Join us as we talk with Cliff about his life, his faith, and his passion for helping men sustain long term sobriety AND discover their vocational potential. Listen to the end of this episode and enjoy Cliff's reading of one of his own poems, written at a turning point in his recovery journey. Cliff's story is one of true redemption and hope. We know you'll be encouraged.

    Want to connect with Cliff? Reach him by email: cliff@gracesoberliving.org.
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    29 mins
  • A Healthy Lifestyle is a Lifelong Journey: An Interview with Christina Lombardo

    A Healthy Lifestyle is a Lifelong Journey: An Interview with Christina Lombardo
    Apr 2 2025
    Christina Lombaro, holistic nutrition coach for trauma and substance use recovery, knows the journey of whole person recovery - she's lived it for herself. Her experience with substance use and trauma started young and progressed through her teenage years. She faced decades-long battles with insomnia and PTSD, hormone and nervous system dysregulation, and a variety of other somatic symptoms. After several years of being bedridden in her 30s, Christina decided she would do whatever she could to get healthy. This led her to study nutrition, which ultimately led her to a lifestyle of whole person health.

    Listen in as Christina candidly shares her healing journey as well as her faith journey and the many lessons she's learned along the way. She talks about the short-term impact nutrition changes can make, but she's honest about the long-term reality of nutrition goals, too. No matter your goals, Christina offers the best tools for anyone on the lifelong journey to health: tenacity, flexibility, and consistency. Oh, and grace. Listen in.

    Christina is the co-lead of Weave & Cleave's Wellness team, so you're likely to meet her at a Weave & Cleave event. If you'd like to connect with her sooner, find her at any of the following:

    Website: https://nutritionwellnessaz.com/

    Facebook and Instagram: @christinanutritionandwellness

    Tiktok: @christinanutrition
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    32 mins