Living the Grace Life

Ep. 43 Embracing Grace: A Summer in the Psalms

Welcome to a brand-new summer series on Living the Grace Life! In this kickoff episode, we explore how the Psalms invite us to bring our whole selves—messy emotions and all—into God’s presence. Whether you're feeling weary, hopeful, or somewhere in between, this series will help you discover how grace speaks into every season of the soul. Join me in embracing grace as we journey through selected Psalms and lean into God’s faithfulness, one summer week at a time.
Each week includes a Psalm, read in several translations—without commentary or added reflections. This practice creates space to approach Scripture open-handed, letting the Holy Spirit speak without the filter of someone else’s interpretation. A less familiar translation might surprise you, allowing the words to land differently and inviting you to encounter God in a fresh, deeply personal way.
My prayer is that through this series, God’s grace will inhabit your body, mind, and soul—becoming more tangible and real for your very real life.
👉 Don’t forget to subscribe and follow so you don’t miss a single episode in the series—and grab your FREE Living the Grace Life: One Prayer at a Time companion guide to reflect deeper all summer long! 
💬 Embracing Grace Quotes:
“ The book of Psalms is that place of refuge where whatever we bring to the table is welcome there."
"God isn't put off by us. He's not threatened by what life churns up in us, or the response that often comes out of our mouth."
"The Psalms give voice to all of it."
🎧Let's journey together through the Psalms and embrace the grace that carries us, no matter what season we're in!
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Ep. 42 God, Can We Chat? | Niki Hardy

Do you wrestle with doubt? Ever feel like your faith is on shaky ground—especially when God feels silent or when His people have let you down? Perhaps it's time to ask: God, can we chat?
In this honest and hope-filled conversation, author and speaker Niki Hardy shares her journey of asking hard questions, navigating church hurt, and discovering intimacy with God amid grief, illness, and uncertainty. Drawing from her book God, Can We Chat?, Niki opens up about the power of raw, real conversations with God—even when the answers don’t come easily.
We talk about:
The wisdom her father once shared—and how ignoring "the fork in the road" changed her
Her personal story of loss, cancer, and learning to stay tender in the pain while asking the hard questions of doubt
Her C.H.A.T. framework for talking with God:
Consider the facts
Honor the story
Ask God what He wants to say
Team up with God
This episode is for anyone longing to feel safe bringing their whole heart to God—even the messy, doubting parts.
✨Stick around to the end, where Niki shares a tender blessing from her book. As she says, may you be "hugged by God like you've never been hugged before."
💬 Grace Quotes from Niki Hardy:
“ I rarely got answers. More often than not, what we get is deeper intimacy and relationship with God, a drawing closer to Him, an understanding of that grace and that love."
"I would rather live in mystery with God than walk away and be without Him because He hasn't given me the answers I need.”
“God said to me things like: How can you hear my still small voice if you don't get still and small?”
 "It's not until we get ourselves outside, that we can get outside ourselves." 
 
Key Scriptures:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll rediscover life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30, MSG
Resources Mentioned:
🌿 Niki's Books, including God, Can We Chat? and Breathe Again🌿 FREE: First three chapters of God, Can We Chat?🌿 Resources for God, Can We Chat? 🌿 Niki on Substack - Wildly Known
Connect with Niki Hardy:
Website: NikiHardy.comInstagram: @niki.hardy Facebook: @NikiHardyAuthor
Related Episodes:
Ep. 41 What If Doubt Is Part of Faith? | Niki HardyEp. 25 Divine Detour and Deepened Faith | Lori Ann Wood 
Stay Connected with Jennifer Sakata:
🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content & episode updates⭐ If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with a friend!
 
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Ep. 41 What If Doubt Is Part of Faith? | Niki Hardy

Is it possible that doubt can actually strengthen your faith? What if doubt isn’t the enemy of faith, but a doorway to deeper intimacy with God? What if doubt is part of faith?
In our transparent conversation, author and speaker Niki Hardy shares how honest questions and spiritual uncertainty can lead to deeper intimacy with God. If you've ever wrestled with doubt, questioned your beliefs, or wondered if God can handle your uncertainty — this episode is for you.
Inspired by her new book God, Can We Chat?, Niki opens up about her personal journey of struggling with faith, church, and life’s hardest questions — and how she discovered grace in the middle of it all. Rather than seeing doubt as a threat, Niki invites us to see it as a catalyst for growth and deeper trust in God.
In this episode, we discuss:
How Niki’s experience flipped the familiar line from Amazing Grace: “I once was found, but now I’m lost.”
Why asking questions can draw you closer to God, not push you away
The unexpected grace found in spiritual deconstruction and reconstruction
Peter’s story as an example of carrying both faith and doubt
How lies about faith keep us from honest conversations with God
How doubts can fuel your spiritual growth, not weaken it
If you’ve ever thought:
"Can I still be a Christian if I have doubts?"
"Is it okay to question my faith?"
"How do I trust God when I feel spiritually lost?"
…this episode offers hope, permission, and practical encouragement.
When faith feels shaky, God welcomes your questions. Spiritual uncertainty doesn't have to undo your faith — it can deepen it.
🎧Join us as we explore the “unforced rhythms of grace” that hold space for our doubts — grace for today, grace for tomorrow, and grace forever.
 
💬 Grace Quotes from Niki Hardy:
“ What scared me the most was rather than faking it or forcing it was fading out.”
“I had to address the lies about coming to God with all my questions.”
 "You don't have to get it for [God] to love you. Because [God] is love itself. He can't help but love you. And when we get that, we say, 'So you mean I can ask anything?' And God says, 'Yep.' It doesn't mean we'll get the answers, but we can ask anything. Absolutely anything." 
 
Key Scriptures:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll rediscover life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30, MSG
Resources Mentioned:
🌿 Niki's Books, including God, Can We Chat? and Breathe Again🌿 FREE: First three chapters of God, Can We Chat?🌿 Resources for God, Can We Chat?
Connect with Niki Hardy:
Website: NikiHardy.comInstagram: @niki.hardy Facebook: @NikiHardyAuthor
 
Stay Connected with Jennifer Sakata:
🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content & episode updates⭐ If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with a friend!
 
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Ep. 40 Be Still and Be Loved | Michael John Cusick

What do you do when there’s a gap between what you believe about God and what you actually experience? When the invitation to be still and be loved feels not just difficult—but impossible?
Michael John Cusick knows that gap all too well. His story begins in unlikely places: Alcoholics Anonymous at age five, family drug rehab by age ten, and a trailer park childhood marked by chaos. He jokes that if reality TV had existed back then, he might’ve had his own show. Instead, he became a psychotherapist, speaker, Spiritual Director, and author of Sacred Attachment and Surfing for God.
In this episode, Michael shares his own winding journey toward God—one marked by brokenness, addiction, healing, and ultimately, divine attachment. His trauma-informed wisdom helps reframe how we think about God’s love, especially when our wounds have distorted our ability to receive it.
We talk about:
Living a double life and the toll it took on his soul
The four S’s of attachment and why they matter in our relationship with God and others
The lies he had to unlearn to discover safety with God
Rhythms and practices for growing in secure attachment
And yes, we even talk about pedicures—with his daughter—and how they changed the way Michael experiences Jesus washing Peter’s feet.
But the most powerful moment comes at the end, as Michael guides us through an experiential reading of Psalm 23 that you won’t soon forget. 
🎧 Tune in and let this episode be an invitation—to be still and live loved.
 
💬 Grace Quotes from Michael John Cusick:
“Hey, this distance my [child], it's killing me. I [God] long for connection with you.”
“On the worst day of my life, I felt embraced by God. I felt seen by God. I felt for the first time he wasn't disgusted by me, but that he had compassion on me.”
“How do I gain secure attachment? By living the grace life. The pressure's off to be somebody other than who I am at any given moment.”
 
Key Scriptures:
"Be still and know that I am God!" Psalm 46:10a
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12
"You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies." Psalm 23:5a
Resources Mentioned:
🌿 Michael's Books, including Sacred Attachment: Escaping Spiritual Exhaustion and Trusting in Divine Love🌿 Restoring the Soul Podcast
Connect with Michael John Cusick:
Websites: MichaelJohnCusick.com Restoringthesoul.comInstagram: @MichaelJCusick @restoringthesoul Podcast: Restoring the Soul
 
Stay Connected with Jennifer Sakata:
🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content & episode updates⭐ If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with a friend!
 
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Ep. 39 God's Steadfast Love in Daily Life | Rachael Adams

What if truly understanding God's steadfast love could reshape your relationships, your identity, and your daily rhythms?
In this episode of Living the Grace Life, I’m joined by Rachael Adams, author of Everyday Prayers for Love and host of The Love Offering podcast—recently ranked in the top 10 Christian podcasts for women.
Together, we explore how to live loved, even when grace feels hard to come by. Rachael shares her personal journey of discovering God’s persistent and consistent love, and how receiving that love has transformed how she sees herself, others, and her calling.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why we struggle to receive God’s steadfast love and grace
Rachael’s journey to giving herself grace
What it means to live a “grace-filled life” in a graceless world
The powerful night that changed the hearts of a group of teenage girls
Spiritual rhythms that help us embrace grace every day
🎧 Listen in to rediscover God’s unchanging love—and how it can radically influence your everyday life.
💬 Grace Quotes from Rachael Adams:
“God is such a gentleman. He never forced Himself on me. He waited until I was ready.”
“Jesus knew we couldn't do this life perfectly.”
“Give [God] your little and He'll take it a long way.”
Key Scriptures:
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
 
Resources Mentioned:
🌿 FREE Love Offering Calendar & other FREE resources🌿 Rachael's books: Everday Prayers for Love & A Little Goes a Long Way🌿 Rachael's Good Morning America Faith Friday segment
Connect with Rachael Adams:
Website: RachaelkAdams.comInstagram: @RachaelAdamsAuthorFacebook: @RachaelAdamsAuthorPinterest: @RachaelAdamsLoveOffering
 
Stay Connected with Jennifer Sakata:
🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content & episode updates⭐ If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with a friend!
 
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Ep. 38 Grace Honors the Try | Kim Tschirret

Do you ever struggle to receive something so incredibly good because you feel like it’s too much—or that you don’t deserve it?
In this powerful Part 2 conversation, Kim Tschirret, founder and CEO of Hope Reins, a 38-acre ranch in Raleigh, NC, reminds us of a life-altering truth: Grace honors the try. Not perfection. Not performance. Just the courage to keep showing up.
Kim shares what it means to live with open hands in the middle of trauma, uncertainty, and fear—and how grace welcomes God’s presence in our imperfection.
In this episode, we talk about:
What it means to be trauma-informed—and why asking “What happened to you?” changes everything.
The heartbreaking mental health crisis facing kids today.
How to journey from worry to trust—and back again, when worry takes over.
Why gratitude is more than a feeling—it’s a powerful affirmation of God’s sovereignty and goodness.
You’ll also hear the unforgettable story of a young girl whose trauma stole her security—and the blind horse named Joey who helped her find her voice.
Don’t miss the moment Kim realized God had a gift just for her. Selah.
💬 Grace Quotes from Kim Tschirret:
“I don't control because I think I'm right. I control for safety... It's that [fear] of what might happen.”
“Healing can't happen without trust.”
"When I look for Him and live my life with gratitude, I realize God is sovereign and in control. I don't need to be. I'm safe."
“Keeping my eyes open to what He's doing helps me because I see Him working.”
Grace doesn’t demand you to get it all right. Grace simply honors the try.
🎧 Listen now, and share this conversation with someone who needs a reminder that they are not alone—and they are not beyond grace.
 
Resources Mentioned:
🌿 Download your FREE digital copy of Jennifer Bleakley's Joey here🌿 The Academy, training programs to bring hope and healing to your community🌿 Harvard's Center for Child Development Studies on Resiliency in Children
 
Connect with Kim Tschirret:
Website: HopeReins.orgInstagram: @HopeReinsNCFacebook: @HopeReinsNCX: @HopeReinsNC
Stay Connected with Jennifer Sakata:
🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content & episode updates⭐ If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with a friend!
 
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Complete show notes here
 

Ep. 37 Healing & Growth Through Equine Therapy | Kim Tschirret

Did you ever dream of having a horse as a kid? For Kim Tschirret, that dream became a lifeline—and later, a powerful ministry. Kim believes horses, mentors, and Jesus form a life-changing "trifecta" for kids facing today’s mental health crisis. What started as a childhood refuge became a surprising on-ramp to grace, healing & growth.
Growing up in an alcoholic home, Kim found peace and safety with her horse, Country. “The barn was my one safe place,” she recalls. As an adult, she chased performance over self-destruction, only to find herself burned out and empty. Even after meeting Jesus, Kim realized she was still living for approval—transferring her father wounds onto her relationship with God.
In this episode, Kim shares:
🧠 What horses can teach us about trust, communication, boundaries, and leadership📊 The surprising overlap between equine therapy and Harvard’s research on childhood resilience💡 How time with horses can ease anxiety, depression, and emotional trauma🌿 A roadmap from worry to trust—and from brokenness to healing📖 Elena’s story of discovering she wasn’t “permanently damaged” but deeply loved and redeemable
Today, Kim is the founder of Hope Reins, a ranch where rescued horses and hurting kids experience healing together. Her journey has been featured in national media and told in the bestselling book Joey, written by Jennifer Bleakley.
Join us for a grace-filled conversation on the healing power of horses, the freedom found in letting go of performance, and the deep hope we have in Christ.
Listen now and be encouraged—grace, healing & growth meet us in the most unexpected places.
 
Grace Quotes from Kim Tschirret:
💬 “God doesn't waste anything.”💬 “There is not anything outside Jesus’ ability to heal.”💬 “You have to hope and believe in something bigger than yourself—and that you have purpose.”
 
Resources Mentioned:
🌿 Download your FREE digital copy of Jennifer Bleakley's Joey here🌿 The Academy, training programs to bring hope and healing to your community🌿 Harvard's Center for Child Development Studies on Resiliency in Children
 
Connect with Kim Tschirret:
Website: HopeReins.org
Instagram: @HopeReinsNC
Facebook: @HopeReinsNC
X: @HopeReinsNC
Stay Connected with Jennifer Sakata:
🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content & episode updates⭐ If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with a friend!
 
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Complete show notes here
 

Ep. 36 Don't Hoard Your Healing | Nancy Manassero

"Don't hoard your healing."It wasn’t what she expected to hear. But it was exactly what she needed.
In this powerful Part 2 episode, Nancy Manassero shares the courageous continuation of her story—how a gentle prompting from God led her to do the unthinkable: forgive the father who had raped her nearly 60 years earlier.
Nancy, author of Heartmending: God Can Heal Your Heartbreak from Sexual Abuse, opens up about her journey through deep trauma into deeper grace. Drawing inspiration from Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, Nancy beautifully illustrates how God’s grace not only restores, but transforms—turning scars into sacred strength.
In this conversation, we explore:
The neuroscience of healing and how the brain processes trauma
The two life-giving truths Nancy anchored herself to as she began to heal
Why true healing moves from the inside out
What soul care looks like during a lifelong journey of forgiveness
Nancy’s story is a powerful reminder that healing isn’t meant to be hidden—it’s meant to be shared. And when we do, grace multiplies.
Nancy met Jesus alongside her husband Tom at Swiss L’Abri during their extended honeymoon through Europe. She’s a mom of two adult daughters, “Jama” to six grandkids, and a retired RN with a heart for missions, having served with Mercy Ships in Africa and in post-earthquake Haiti.
Grace Quotes from Nancy Manassero:
💬 "Don't hoard your healing."💬 "God took me, the victim of the worst thing that's ever happened in my life, to the person who perpetrated the worst thing. And had me lead him to Jesus."💬 "[My father] was ripped from the enemy's grasp in the last 1% of his life."
Resources Mentioned:
🌿 Read Heartmending: God can heal your heartbreak from sexual abuse🌿 Downloadable Journal: Forgiveness Sets You Free🌿 My Healing Journal🌿 Resources to nurture your healing🌿 Nancy's FREE Resources🌿 Nancy's newsletter, Hope for Healing🌿 Swiss L'Abri, where Nancy and Tom met Jesus🌿 Nancy's cover artist, Sara de Hontheim, at Art Kintsugi
Connect with Nancy Manassero:
Website: nancymanassero.com
Instagram: @nancyannmanassero
Facebook: @nancymanasseroauthor
Stay Connected with Jennifer Sakata:
🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content & episode updates⭐ If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with a friend!
 
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Complete show notes here

Ep. 35 Where Grace Intersects Sexual Trauma | Nancy Manassero

What happens when grace meets the deepest wounds of sexual trauma?
In this powerful episode of Living the Grace Life, my guest Nancy Manassero shares her incredible journey of healing from sexual abuse through the redemptive grace of Jesus. During an extended honeymoon trip through Europe, Nancy and her husband Tom encountered the transformative ministry of Swiss L'Abri, where their faith in Christ was born. But they had no idea that this new path would one day collide with unimaginable trauma.
Nancy, a retired nurse and author of Heartmending: God Can Heal Your Heartbreak from Sexual Abuse, opens up about the night her life changed forever—when a moment meant for fatherly celebration turned into a devastating violation. Her story is raw, redemptive, and rooted in the truth of God’s grace.
We explore themes of:
Forgiveness after sexual abuse
Dispelling the myths of forgiveness
Breaking free from negative thought loops
Finding healing through Christian community and “one anothering”
The lifelong process of heartmending and truth-telling
Nancy believes, “Forgiveness is the epitome of healing.” Her story shows that God’s grace can reach even the most broken places—not only for the survivor, but even for the abuser.
If you’ve wrestled with pain, shame, or silence from past trauma, this episode offers hope, truth, and companionship on the journey toward healing.
🎧 Tune in now and take your next step in living the grace life.
Grace Quotes from Nancy Manassero:
💬 "Forgiveness is the epitome of healing."💬 "I give you [God] permission to change my mind."💬 "This hate that I'd been carrying for him became pity and compassion and it launched my forgiveness journey. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to do what seems and feels impossible."
Resources Mentioned:
🌿 Read Heartmending: God can heal your heartbreak from sexual abuse🌿 Downloadable Journal: Forgiveness Sets You Free🌿 Resources to nurture your healing🌿 Nancy's FREE Resources🌿 Nancy's newsletter, Hope for Healing🌿 Swiss L'Abri, where Nancy and Tom met Jesus
Connect with Nancy Manassero:
Website: nancymanassero.com
Instagram: @nancyannmanassero
Facebook: @nancymanasseroauthor
Stay Connected with Jennifer Sakata:
🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content & episode updates⭐ If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with a friend!
 
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Complete show notes here
 

Ep. 34 How to Live on Both Sides of Desperate Prayers | Rachel Wojo

Can you trust God when His answer is no? What about when He says yes? In part 2 of our desperate prayers conversation, Rachel Wojo, author of Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life’s Darkest Moments, shares how she has lived through both.
After losing her adult special needs daughter, Rachel had to tell her own heart: “I did not die.” God still had a purpose for her life—even in the pain.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
✅ How to keep trusting God when prayers feel unanswered✅ Why waiting is an invitation to deeper faith✅ How God's provision often comes in unexpected ways
Rachel also shares a mysterious gift from God—left under the green balance beam in her backyard. And don’t miss what’s bringing her joy these days—it might just make you laugh, too!
Rachel is a public speaker, podcaster, and passionate follower of Jesus who reminds us that God is the same whether we get the outcome we want or not. And He can be trusted with our surrender.
Grace Quotes from Rachel Wojo:
💬 "I had to say to my own heart, I did not die. God still has a plan and a purpose for me."💬 "As long as we have breath in our lungs, there's a purpose for our life."💬 "We think our prayer has gone unanswered because we can’t see how God sees."
🎧 Listen now and discover how to trust God on both sides of desperate prayers!
Scriptures Mentioned:
📖 Genesis 16 — The Angel of the Lord found Hagar in the wilderness. God finds us too, in our seasons of wilderness.
Resources Mentioned:
🌿 Rachel's FREE Guide: How to Be a Prayer Warrior for Your Family in Dark Times🌿 Read Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life's Darkest Moments
Connect with Rachel Wojo:
Website: rachelwojo.com
Instagram: @rachelwojo
Facebook Group: Rachel Wojo Author
Stay Connected:
🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content & episode updates⭐ If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with a friend!
 
Website | Instagram | Facebook
 
Complete show notes here