Women’s History Month Featuring Radio Host: Katie Manor

Katie Manor, Mom, Radio Host, Speaker for God’s Kingdom. Isn’t it amazing how the Lord’s timing works? We are called to Wait on the Lord and so often we can try to make things happen in our own strength or we give up on the dream just before it reaches its fruition. For Manor, she waited 25 years to see her dream of speaking on radio for God’s Kingdom realized, and in that time of waiting she was in full mom mode raising 3 amazing kids as a single mom. For Women’s History Month I connected with Manor, a powerhouse woman for the Lord, and asked about her journey with God and what wisdom she could share about God’s redeeming love, faithfulness, and the power of a voice. 

Hi Katie! I am so excited to share your words with women (and men)! As a speaker can you share your thoughts on Proverbs 18:20-21?

Katie: The tongue is such a blessing, but it is also a curse when the enemy gets ahold of that. And you can do much harm, you’re quick, and like a Ginsu knight, you can chop people up. So many have been destroyed by a careless word I have spoken. When I became a believer and I realized that I was making fun of everyone from the local governor to the president and everyone else because I did a morning show and you're supposed to be funny. A lot of humor is based on, you know, tearing people down. I was uncomfortable because the Holy Spirit was leading me out of that radio. I had the dream; I knew that the Lord wanted me to use those gifts. But I did not want to use them to sell Budweiser or this latest movie that is horrible for families. I talked to the Lord and said, Lord I don’t want to use my voice for anything other than what you have planned. And I waited a long time. 

So, you started out in radio, got saved, and then left to be a stay-at-home mom. How did the Lord answer your prayer to use your voice for his Kingdom?

Katie: Well about 2 and a half years ago I was really desperate, and I said, “Lord just take this away, take this desire away from me if it’s an idol of some sort.” And it never went away, it never, never went way. I wanted to share Psalm 27:14 “wait on the Lord Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say on the Lord.” There is a lot of waiting in walking with the Lord. So, what did I do? I took things into my own hands and thought, well hey I could just start my own podcast. I’d been out of it for a long time and I even had a friend that said, “Kate, I’ve been watching you for 10 years. Do you think you’re too old to be doing this?” But I really felt like I needed to do it, and I did, and it was almost like the Lord said, “Kate how bad do you want it? Lay it down, don’t let it be an idol but let me shape you and mold you and go on my timeline.” The Lord speaks to me through his Word and sometimes through songs. Lauren Daigle’s song You Say came on the radio and it was like God saying to me “don’t listen to that enemy when he’s on your shoulder saying you’re no good you’re not going to make it. Listen to the voice that says you are enough.” I researched Lauren Daigle and found out she had an autoimmune disease and had her own struggles being able to use her voice for the Lord and look where the Lord has brought her now. So, I prayed this prayer, Lord, you are no respecter of persons. You love me just as much as you do Lauren Daigle, and her prayer was ‘Lord the gift you have given me I want to honor and glorify you to as many people as possible,’ and that’s what I prayed. And soon after that I finished my podcast and got my confidence back, a radio station I applied to a year ago, KWAVE L.A., reached out to me for an interview! I’ve been there for two years and now I also soundtrack for a Christian radio in Vegas and do a midnight to 6am at a Christian station in San Diego. 

 Wow. How did that feel to finally see your dream realized? 

Katie:  I come alive. You feel the Lord’s pleasure when you’re doing what he created you to do. 

How have you used the gifts the Lord has given you to give back to the people of L.A. and give him the Glory?

Katie: I would say that I am transparent on the air. There’re other announcers that are very slick and very professional, but I’m not. I make mistakes. I giggle and laugh. I let them know that I’ve had broken marriages. I let them know that I’ve been in Celebrate Recovery 15 years ago and I’ve done the 12 steps. The secret weapon is prayer. I’m prayed up, I pray over the studio, I pray with the fellow announcer leaving the station and over the audience. I’ll be thinking of something in my mind that’s really funny or culturally relevant and the Lord will say, “I don’t want you to talk about that.” And 30 seconds before I’m going to talk the Lord’s like “Kate why don’t you tell them about that time you had an unplanned pregnancy,” because we happen to be doing a fundraiser for preborn that month. And I’m going, I’m not going to share that story it’s going to make me look bad. But I obey and I say, “you know this month we’re raising money so young girls can see ultrasounds of their child and not abort them. But I was 35 years old, not married and pregnant and I was a greeter at church. How’s that? I chose to keep that baby and one of my girlfriends says you’re the only one of my friends that kept that baby. Everyone else would have aborted.” And I share stories like that so somebody can say, “did you hear what that Christian lady on KWAVE said? Yeah, I can relate. She’s not perfect.” Life is Messy but God is so good. So, I’m transparent with my life and it leeks out as the Lord leads me to do it.  

Wow. So, now that you have these platforms to speak on, you do so in obedience to what the Lord puts on your heart to say. I love it. And you may or may not get to know the power of your words or who was impacted by your story. What’s something you’ve learned in this new season as a Christian Radio Host?

Katie: I’m thinking right now of a woman named Maureen. I open the request line for people to call and tell me what’s on their mind or if they want prayer, and she calls in every weekend. She’s got brain tumor cancer, inoperable, and we pray together over the phone every time I’m on air. And not only do I pray for her— she prays for me, and this is what I feel like. I feel like, “Wow Lord, who am I? I feel like I’m here because I’m supposed to be a blessing to these people, but they’re blessing me.” I feel like I’m in the right place and I never take it for granted and it really is, if I have 40 seconds to talk on air, I can just come on and say, “Jesus loves you with an everlasting love.” And know someone needed to hear that today. 

Manor’s journey of using her voice for the Kingdom is an amazing example of staying full of faith and hope and continuing to trust in the Lord when it comes to our dreams. She decided she wanted to use her words for life, and she wouldn’t let a friends words asking if she was too old to continue to pursue her dream take away her hope, instead Manor let Lauren Daigle’s words of life water her spirit and she leaned even more so into the Lord. Not long after that she was given multiple Christian platforms in radio. If we keep in the Word and pursue the Lord, putting our dreams up on the altar, God will answer. 

Katie Manor is a radio host on the Christian L.A .Station KWAVE.com on 107.9 FM, the Sand Diego Station KSDWradio.com on 88.9 FM, as well as a voice track for KWAVE Las Vegas 98.1. She also has a PODCAST called ‘He Speaks with Kate’