Restored with Corie Weathers

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:

The "apple cart" moments that reshape what we believe about the people around us.

Dr. Cullinan's origin story of a life-altering decision at her lowest moment to shaping generations of students.

Navigating ministry as a woman when institutions weren't ready.

"Time for a Checkup": the spiritual inventory practice that changed everything.

How to discern God's voice from your own in a noisy marketplace.

What Dr. Cullinan thinks about the evolution of the evangelical church

Why she says, "I do not trust myself ..."

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 restored@corieweathers.com — your story may help shape a future episode.

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

Sacred Spaces: My Journey to the Heart of Military Marriage comes out August 1 and will be available where most books are sold (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc). In celebration of the launch, I wanted to do a podcast series called the Sacred Spaces Series. During this series, I will be talking about common themes our service members and spouses go through during deployments, separations, as well as reintegrations. There will be interviews with key people from the book that shared sacred spaces with Matt and I as well as those I met during the trip with the secretary of defense. There will also be an interview with Matt where we talk about how Sacred Spaces can make a difference in your marriage. So, what is a Sacred Space? I will talk about that in this episode, but here is an easy definition: Many of us, spouses and service members, experience Sacred Spaces separately during trainings and deployments. After a while, it can feel like we are living independent lives more than a together life. This creates many opportunities for misunderstanding and disconnect. In this episode, I wanted to talk about what you can do if your service member comes home with mild, moderate, or severe changes from deployment. I will also address how you can care for yourself so that you can give your best to your marriage. More than anything, I want your marriage to succeed. Because of that, I am inviting you to join the Sacred Spaces Campaign. The Campaign is simple, I just want you to be intentional in your marriage. Only you know what your relationship needs right now. Only you know what the next step is. The Sacred Spaces Campaign invites you to take three steps: 1. Order and read the book Sacred Spaces. It is my story of how being intentional made a difference in my marriage 2. Join the Sacred Spaces Campaign by commiting to be intentional. You will get a FREE Sacred Spaces Intentional Marriage Challenge Commitment Card that will help you identify your intentional commitment, nail down the length of time you want to try it out, as well as encourage accountability to follow through. 3. Share your story. Our stories are powerful, and so will yours be. If your service member came home different... if your marriage is different... you are not alone.

Sacred Spaces: My Journey to the Heart of Military Marriage comes out August 1 and will be available where most books are sold (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc). In celebration of the launch, I wanted to do a podcast series called the Sacred Spaces Series. During this series, I will be talking about common themes our service members and spouses go through during deployments, separations, as well as reintegrations. There will be interviews with key people from the book that shared sacred spaces with Matt and I as well as those I met during the trip with the secretary of defense. There will also be an interview with Matt where we talk about how Sacred Spaces can make a difference in your marriage. So, what is a Sacred Space? I will talk about that in this episode, but here is an easy definition: Many of us, spouses and service members, experience Sacred Spaces separately during trainings and deployments. After a while, it can feel like we are living independent lives more than a together life. This creates many opportunities for misunderstanding and disconnect. In this episode, I wanted to talk about what you can do if your service member comes home with mild, moderate, or severe changes from deployment. I will also address how you can care for yourself so that you can give your best to your marriage. More than anything, I want your marriage to succeed. Because of that, I am inviting you to join the Sacred Spaces Campaign. The Campaign is simple, I just want you to be intentional in your marriage. Only you know what your relationship needs right now. Only you know what the next step is. The Sacred Spaces Campaign invites you to take three steps: 1. Order and read the book Sacred Spaces. It is my story of how being intentional made a difference in my marriage 2. Join the Sacred Spaces Campaign by committing to be intentional. You will get a FREE Sacred Spaces Intentional Marriage Challenge Commitment Card that will help you identify your intentional commitment, nail down the length of time you want to try it out, as well as encourage accountability to follow through. 3. Share your story. Our stories are powerful, and so will yours be. If your service member came home different... if your marriage is different... you are not alone.

(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.
You can record a short voice memo and email it to:
📩 https://linktr.ee/corieweathers

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