Love Life Sober

What happens when you finally get the thing you prayed for, and it turns out to be one of the hardest seasons of your life? In this episode of the Love Life Sober Podcast, Christy Osborne is joined by author Melissa Miller to explore change fatigue, overwhelm, and why living in God's answered prayers can sometimes feel harder than expected.

This week, Christy talks with Melissa about her beautiful new book, But I Prayed For This: What to Do When Living in God’s Yes Is Harder Than You Expected.

Melissa had prayed for two things: a big job move across the country and a bigger family through adoption. God said yes to both, and soon she and her husband were fostering a sibling set in Florida. On the outside, everything looked like an answered prayer. On the inside, she was overwhelmed, not sleeping, having panic attacks, and waking up every morning wondering, “Whose life is this?”

Melissa found the name for what she was going through: change fatigue. The term usually describes what happens to employees when an organization goes through a lot of change at once, but Melissa realized it’s just as real in our personal lives. In this conversation, Christy and Melissa talk about why good changes can still feel so heavy and why so many Christian women feel too guilty to admit they’re struggling. They also explore how God grows us in the dark, like a seed that’s surviving underground before it ever breaks the surface.

If you’ve stepped into an alcohol-free life and thought, “Wait, this isn’t what I expected,” this conversation is going to feel like a deep exhale.

What You’ll Learn

• What change fatigue is, and why it can hit hardest after an answered prayer.

• Why two things can be true: you can be grateful and overwhelmed at the same time.

• How big life changes, sobriety included, can bring up old trauma and memories you haven’t dealt with.

• Why survival mode isn’t failure, and what a surviving seed teaches us about growth.

• How to give yourself grace when you’re not the woman you expected to be in this season.

• Where our “perfect mom, perfect woman” expectations come from, and how comparison makes them worse.

• What simple, honest breath prayers can sound like when you’re in survival mode.

• Why choosing to keep showing up means you’re strong, not stuck.

If You’ve Ever Thought…

“I prayed for this, so why am I struggling so much?”

“I thought I’d be further along by now.”

“Everyone else seems to handle change so easily. What’s wrong with me?”

“I chose sobriety, so why does it feel like I’m stuck?”

...this episode is for you.

Get Melissa’s Book

But I Prayed For This: What to Do When Living in God’s Yes Is Harder Than You Expected is available wherever books are sold.

https://link.amazon/B01UzjhIn

🩷 Join the Love Life Sober Community
https://lovelifesober.circle.so/checkout/community

📖 Order Christy’s Book: Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

📲 Follow Love Life Sober on Instagram
@lovelifesoberwithchristy

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube — Come hang out with us!
(Link)

Disclaimer

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober Podcast are not healthcare practitioners and do not provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. The content of this podcast and all Love Life Sober communications is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Views and opinions expressed by guests, or in any resources referenced, do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Can alcohol affect your hormones, worsen PMS, or make symptoms of PMDD and perimenopause harder to manage? In this episode of Love Life Sober, Christy talks with Kim Gargano, author of Holy and Hormonal, holistic hormone health coach, about alcohol, women's hormone health, and learning to care for your body as a temple.

What if the struggle you're most ashamed of is the one God wants to use?

Kim Gargano's ministry took off after she shared an impassioned rant on TikTok from her car. But Kim's story began long before that moment.

She grew up afraid of God, spent two years in and out of hospital as a teenager, partied hard in college, and searched for love and identity through tarot cards, astrology, and relationships. Then, just four days after her baptism, a breakup phone call became her first real encounter with Jesus.

Kim and Christy talk about how God takes our hardest struggles, whether that's hormones or alcohol, and turns them into ministry. Kim explains what alcohol does to women's hormones, why women have been taught to stay quiet about their periods, and why slowing down is still holy.

What You'll Learn:

• Kim's story, from fearing God to meeting Jesus on her bedroom floor.

• How Kim discovered she had PMDD and the TikTok video that reached two million women.

• The pain in the pit: Paul's thorn, endurance, and the process of sanctification.

• Encouragement for the woman who's in the pit right now and can't see a way out.

• How alcohol affects estrogen and puts additional strain on the liver, and why that matters for PMS, endometriosis, PCOS, and perimenopause.

• What it means to reclaim the truth that your body is a temple, caring for your body as an act of worship rather than a source of shame.

• Why slow is still holy, and what Jesus' hidden life teaches us about rhythms of rest.

If You've Ever Thought...

"Why do I feel like a completely different person the week before my period?"

"I quit drinking, so why am I suddenly not sleeping and full of rage?"

"God, if you're using this struggle, I can't see how."

"I don't have time to slow down."

...this episode is for you.

RESOURCES:
Connect with Kim

Get Holy and Hormonal:
https://link.amazon/B0alHoqtW

Instagram: @holyandhormonal

🩷 Join the Love Life Sober Community
https://lovelifesober.circle.so/checkout/community

📖 Order Christy's Book: Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

📲 Follow Love Life Sober on Instagram
@lovelifesoberwithchristy

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube — Come hang out with us!

Content Note: This episode briefly mentions childhood trauma and suicidal thoughts linked to PMDD. If you're struggling, please reach out to someone you trust or a local support line.

Disclaimer

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober Podcast are not healthcare practitioners and do not provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. The content of this podcast and all Love Life Sober communications is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Views and opinions expressed by guests, or in any resources referenced, do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Why does alcohol make anxiety worse, disrupt sleep, and leave you craving more? Christy Osborne is joined by William Porter, bestselling author of Alcohol Explained and Alcohol Explained 2, to explore the science of drinking and why it can keep us stuck in the very problems we're trying to escape.

What if the very thing you're reaching for to relax is actually creating the anxiety you're trying to escape?

For so many of us, alcohol has been the answer to everything. Feeling stressed? Have a glass of wine. Can't sleep? Pour another. Want to relax, socialize, or celebrate? Surely a drink will make it better.

But what if everything we've been taught to believe about alcohol is actually keeping us stuck?

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why alcohol initially makes you feel relaxed but actually increases anxiety as it wears off.

• What's really happening in your brain when you drink, and why even moderate drinking can create a cycle of withdrawal and discomfort.

• Why you keep waking up at 3 a.m. after drinking and what alcohol is doing to your sleep cycles.

• The difference between alcohol-induced unconsciousness and genuinely restorative sleep, and why this matters so much for your energy and emotional well-being.

• Why developing a higher alcohol tolerance isn't something to celebrate, and how it can make moderation increasingly difficult.

• What William calls the craving spiral, and how your thoughts about drinking can steal the enjoyment from experiences you believe alcohol makes better.

• Why the pleasure you associate with drinking and socializing may have far less to do with alcohol than you think.

• How fading effect bias causes us to romanticize drinking, forget the consequences, and convince ourselves that we're missing out.

If You've Ever Thought...

"I need a glass of wine to relax after a stressful day."

"I know alcohol affects my sleep, but I just can't seem to fall asleep without it."

"I've been doing so well without drinking, but sometimes I really miss it."

...this is the episode for you.

Get William's Books

Alcohol Explained: https://link.amazon/B07UrodQc

Alcohol Explained 2: https://link.amazon/B0cwq1x0m

🩷 Join the Love Life Sober Community
https://lovelifesober.circle.so/checkout/community

📖 Order Christy's Book: Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

📲 Follow Love Life Sober on Instagram
@lovelifesoberwithchristy

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube — Come hang out with us!

Disclaimer

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober Podcast are not healthcare practitioners and do not provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. The content of this podcast and all Love Life Sober communications is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Views and opinions expressed by guests, or in any resources referenced, do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What if the anxiety, shame, cravings, and negative thought loops that keep you stuck don't have to be your story forever?

In this episode of the Love Life Sober. I'm joined by my beautiful friend Jo Hargreaves, The Faith-Filled Therapist, speaker, and neuroscience expert, for a fascinating conversation about the intersection of brain science, biblical truth, and the transforming power of Jesus.

We dive into neuroplasticity (your brain's God-given ability to change), why you can't simply think your way out of an overwhelmed nervous system, and how to interrupt the thought patterns that keep sending you back to old habits and counterfeit comforts like alcohol.

Jo walks us through her practical Notice, Name, Regulate, Reframe framework, explains why what you feed your mind first thing in the morning and before bed matters, and reminds us of one beautiful truth: God isn't waiting for you to get yourself together before coming close. He's already there, even in the messiest moments.

What You'll Learn

• Why the comforts we turn to for relief, including alcohol, can become counterfeits of the freedom Jesus offers.

• What neuroplasticity teaches us about breaking old habits, rewiring negative thought patterns, and renewing our minds through God's Word.

• Why it's so difficult to resist an alcohol craving when your nervous system is dysregulated, and practical ways to calm your body before trying to change your thoughts.

• How shame and self-criticism can actually keep us stuck, and why compassion is so important for lasting change.

• What your brain's default mode network has to do with overthinking, rumination, catastrophizing, and those exhausting mental loops.

• Why worship, gratitude, prayer, and meditating on Scripture can help us feel grounded and connected to God.

• How to be more intentional about what you allow into your mind in the morning and before falling asleep.

• The beautiful promise of Psalm 139: even when you're anxious, overwhelmed, or feeling far from God, He has not moved away from you.

If You've Ever Thought...

"Why do I keep going back to alcohol when I know it's not helping me?"

"I've been thinking these negative thoughts for so long. Can I actually change?"

"I know what God's Word says, but when I'm anxious or overwhelmed, I just can't seem to believe it."

"Surely God must be getting tired of me making the same mistakes over and over again."

This episode is for you!

My beautiful friend, your past does not have to determine your future, and the thoughts you've rehearsed for years do not have to be the ones you carry into tomorrow. God has given us an incredible capacity for change, and through His Word, His grace, and the renewing of our minds, we can begin to experience the freedom Jesus has already made possible. This conversation is packed with practical wisdom, biblical encouragement, and so much hope for the woman who is ready to stop living stuck and start living free.

🩷 Join the Love Life Sober Community
https://lovelifesober.circle.so/checkout/community

📖 Order Christy's Book: Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

📲 Follow Love Life Sober on Instagram
@lovelifesoberwithchristy

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube — Come hang out with us!

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober Podcast are not healthcare practitioners and do not provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. The content of this podcast and all Love Life Sober communications is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Views and opinions expressed by guests, or in any resources referenced, do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What if the very parts of your story you're most afraid to share are the parts God wants to use to set someone else free?

Recorded live at the ALIGNED Conference in Holland, Michigan, this special episode of the Love Life Sober brings together Christy Osborne, Sherry Hoppen, Caroline Beidler, Jon Seidl, Ericka Andersen and more voices for an honest, vulnerable conversation about Christian sobriety, shame, faith, and the healing power of being truly known.

Together, the panel explores the fear of rejection, the loneliness so many women experience, and the ways our culture has moved away from authentic connection. They also tackle questions many Christian women wrestle with:

Should I tell my church about my drinking? What if my family doesn't understand? What if I share my story and then struggle again? How do I know when God is calling me to speak up?

Through powerful personal stories and honest conversation, you'll hear how sharing the very things we once felt most ashamed of can become the beginning of connection, hope, and someone else's freedom.

When we bring our stories into the light, shame begins to lose its power. And when we allow ourselves to be fully known, we make room for the connection and healing God designed us to experience.

In This Episode

• Why we long to be fully known but fear being truly seen

• How shame and fear of rejection keep women hiding their struggles with alcohol

• Why authentic female friendships and Christian community matter in sobriety

• The difference between surface-level vulnerability and the radical honesty that helps us connect

• How to talk with family, friends, and church about your relationship with alcohol

• Why sharing your story doesn't mean you have to have everything figured out

• How God can use the hardest parts of our stories to encourage someone else

• Recognizing the Holy Spirit's prompting when it's time to speak up

• Why our testimonies are ultimately about God's faithfulness, not our own strength

A Reminder to Take With You

Your story doesn't have to be finished for God to use it.

There is a woman somewhere who thinks she's the only one. The only Christian woman who struggles with alcohol. The only mother who has hidden how much she drinks. The only person who loves Jesus but keeps returning to something she knows isn't bringing her life.

Maybe what she needs most is to hear your story.

Not because you've figured it all out, but because you're willing to say, “Me too. I've been there. And there is hope.”

We were never meant to heal alone. And we were never meant to keep the freedom God has given us all to ourselves.

Connect and Find Your Community

If you're a Christian woman questioning your relationship with alcohol, you don't have to figure it out on your own.

Love Life Sober is a community of women who love Jesus and are learning to live in freedom from alcohol together.

🩷 Join the Love Life Sober Community
https://lovelifesober.circle.so/checkout/community

📖 Get Christy's Book: Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

📲 Follow Love Life Sober on Instagram
@lovelifesoberwithchristy

🎥 Subscribe to Love Life Sober on YouTube
Come hang out with us!

Disclaimer

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober Podcast are not healthcare practitioners and do not provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. The content of this podcast and all Love Life Sober communications is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Views and opinions expressed by guests, or in any resources referenced, do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What happens when you’re several days or weeks into an alcohol fast, have a drink, and suddenly feel like you’ve failed? Today's conversation discusses the fear of starting over, redefining success, and discovering the deeper freedom God offers on your alcohol-free journey.

Christy answers the questions she’s asked most often before starting a fast. Interviewed by her good friend Lauren, they talk about Lauren’s own imperfect journey, the difference between counting days and actually experiencing freedom, and how “growth points” can become some of our greatest teachers when we approach them with curiosity instead of shame.

Most importantly, they explore what happens when we stop making alcohol the ultimate measure of success and begin asking a different question: What is God doing in me through this process?

Because the goal isn't perfection. it's learning to keep going, drawing closer to Jesus, and becoming more peaceful, joyful, and free along the way.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why fear of failure can keep you from taking the first step

• Why one drink doesn't erase the lessons you've learned

• The difference between counting alcohol-free days and experiencing freedom

• How to set goals that go beyond simply not drinking

• How to approach setbacks with curiosity instead of shame

• How God can use your experiences, even the difficult ones, to teach you and grow your faith

If You’ve Ever Thought…

“I’m scared to start because I’ve tried before and failed."

“What if I join a 40-day fast and I drink?”

“If I have one drink, do I have to start all over again?”

“Everyone else seems to be getting this. Why can’t I?”

“I made it several days without drinking and then blew it. What’s the point?”

“I’m so focused on my day count that sobriety itself is starting to make me anxious."

Then this episode is for you. 🩷

JOIN THE LOVE LIFE SOBER COMMUNITY:
https://lovelifesober.circle.so/checkout/community

📖 Order Christy's Book: Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

📲 Follow Love Life Sober on Instagram
@lovelifesoberwithchristy

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube — Come hang out with us!

https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

Disclaimer

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober Podcast are not healthcare practitioners and do not provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. The content of this podcast and all Love Life Sober communications is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Views and opinions expressed by guests, or in any resources referenced, do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Katherine Rhadans was a mom of three young children when drinking slowly became part of how she coped with motherhood. Her story begins with something that can feel incredibly normal for many mothers: wine at the end of a long day, a drink to take the edge off, or alcohol as a reward for making it through another day of motherhood.

Christy and Katherine unpack Mommy Wine Culture and the messages that can make drinking feel like self-care, connection, empowerment, or even part of being a good mom. When alcohol becomes the way you cope with exhaustion, stress, or difficult emotions, how do you know when you've crossed a line?

What started as “mommy wine culture” and a way to unwind eventually became alcohol dependence. Kat shares how she got sober, what helped her quit drinking, and how God helped her find a way forward.

Today, Kat is using the story she once felt ashamed of to help other women know they aren't alone. Through her writing and forthcoming book, No Wine in the Carpool Line, she is reminding mothers that alcohol doesn't have to be part of how they cope with motherhood—and that sobriety can open the door to something different.

What You’ll Learn

• How Kat’s drinking progressed while raising three children under six—and the early warning signs she wishes she hadn't ignored.

• Why getting sober required more than willpower or simply trying harder.

• How Mommy Wine Culture can make alcohol feel like self-care, connection, empowerment, and reward.

• How drinking can become a coping mechanism for stress, exhaustion, and the demands of motherhood.

• Why honesty with yourself—and finding at least one safe person to tell—can be an important first step toward sobriety.

• How shame can keep women stuck in unhealthy patterns around alcohol.

• How Kat’s faith in God carried her through one of the darkest seasons of her life.

• Why accepting support can be part of recovery rather than a sign of failure.

• How sharing a story you once felt ashamed of can become a source of purpose and hope for • another woman.

If You’ve Ever Thought…

“Wine is the one thing I have at the end of a long day with my kids.”

“I know my drinking isn’t making me feel good anymore, but I don’t know if it’s bad enough to do something about.”

“I’ve made mistakes because of alcohol that I’m deeply ashamed of—how could God possibly use this part of my story?”

…this conversation is for you. 🩷

Resources

📖 Pre-order Katherine’s book:

No Wine in the Carpool Line

https://amzn.to/4gN6fVB

JOIN THE LOVE LIFE SOBER COMMUNITY
https://lovelifesober.circle.so/checkout/community

📖 Order Christy’s Book:

Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind

https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

📲 Follow Love Life Sober on Instagram:

@lovelifesoberwithchristy

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube:

Disclaimer

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober Podcast are not healthcare practitioners and do not provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. The content of this podcast and all Love Life Sober communications is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Views and opinions expressed by guests, or in any resources referenced, do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If you’ve ever promised yourself you wouldn’t drink and then found yourself reaching for alcohol anyway, there may be more happening beneath the behavior than willpower. Christy Osborne and neuroscience expert Leanne Ellington explore drinking, the nervous system, brain patterns, neuroplasticity, faith, and lasting behavior change.

Leanne shares her own journey from decades of struggling with food and body image to discovering the nervous system, neuroplasticity, and eventually a relationship with God. Her story helps explain why knowing what you should do doesn’t always translate into being able to do it—and why lasting change requires more than simply trying harder.

Christy and Leanne unpack what happens in the brain when behaviors are repeated and why the patterns we practice can become automatic. They explore the connection between nervous system regulation, subconscious beliefs, self-image, identity, and drinking, along with what “renewing your mind” can look like through the lens of neuroplasticity.

They also talk about faith and behavior change, including why prayer and action were designed to work together. And when you drink after deciding you wouldn't? Instead of turning that moment into more shame, Leanne encourages a different approach: separate the data from the drama, learn from what happened, and use the experience as information for what comes next.

If You’ve Ever Thought…

“I know I don’t want to drink, so why do I keep doing it?”

“I know what God says about me, but I don’t actually feel like I believe it.”

“Why can’t I just pray harder and make this desire go away?”

“I’ve broken so many promises to myself that I don’t trust myself anymore.”

Then this episode is for you. 🩷

What You’ll Learn

• Why reaching for alcohol automatically can be a brain pattern, not a character flaw

• How repeated behaviors create and strengthen neural pathways

• How your nervous system, subconscious beliefs, self-image, and drinking can be connected

• Why knowing what God says about you isn't always the same as believing it

• What “renewing your mind” can look like through the lens of neuroplasticity

• Why prayer and practicing new patterns can work together in behavior change

• How to separate the data from the drama after drinking when you hadn't planned to

• How a drinking moment can become a growth point instead of evidence that you've failed

• Why lasting change involves asking not only “What should I do differently?” but also “Who am I becoming?”

Connect with Leanne

leanneellington.com 

Instagram @leanneellington

JOIN THE LOVE LIFE SOBER COMMUNITY
https://lovelifesober.circle.so/checkout/community

📖 Order Christy's Book: Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

📲 Follow Love Life Sober on Instagram
@lovelifesoberwithchristy

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube — Come hang out with us!

https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

Disclaimer

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober Podcast are not healthcare practitioners and do not provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. The content of this podcast and all Love Life Sober communications is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Views and opinions expressed by guests, or in any resources referenced, do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team.

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Fasting isn't simply about giving something up. Sometimes, it reveals what we've been reaching for when life gets hard—the alcohol, sugar, scrolling, shopping, or whatever else promises a little relief when we're overwhelmed, anxious, lonely, exhausted, or hurting. When we set that thing down, we're often left face-to-face with the discomfort we were trying to escape.

Wendy Speake, bestselling author of The 40-Day Sugar Fast, The 40-Day Social Media Fast, and The 40-Day Feast, shares why fasting is about more than giving something up. It can redirect our attention and affection toward God and create space for deeper intimacy with Jesus.

Christy and Wendy talk about what happens when the discomfort becomes overwhelming, why lasting transformation isn't about willpower, and how to keep moving forward when you stumble. They unpack why a slip doesn't erase the growth you've already experienced—and why God's grace means you don't have to return to the starting line every time you fall.

Wendy also shares the story behind her newest book, A Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving: 30 Days of Rejoicing in God's Goodness, and what it means to praise God without pretending that pain doesn't hurt. 

If You’ve Ever Thought…

“I know I should turn to God, but I just want something to make me feel better right now.”

“If I stop drinking, scrolling, eating, or whatever else I use to cope, what am I supposed to do with the discomfort?”

“I made it several days and then slipped. Does that mean I've failed?”

“Can I be hurting and still trust God?”

The this conversation is for you. 🩷

What You’ll Learn

• Why fasting is about more than simply giving something up

• What our coping mechanisms can reveal about where we turn for comfort

• How fasting can deepen our attention, affection, and intimacy with God

• How to sit with discomfort without immediately trying to escape it

• Why transformation requires more than willpower

• How to respond when you stumble without starting over

• Why God's grace is bigger than our failures

• How to praise God while honestly acknowledging pain

Check Out Wendy’s Books

📖 The 40-Day Sugar Fast
https://amzn.to/4h6qDQB

📖 The 40-Day Social Media Fast
https://amzn.to/3SYhWQ0

📖 The 40-Day Feast
https://amzn.to/4yAhMh6

📖 A Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving: 30 Days of Rejoicing in God's Goodness
https://amzn.to/4r6iQGI

JOIN THE LOVE LIFE SOBER COMMUNITY
https://lovelifesober.circle.so/checkout/community

https://lovelifesober.co.uk/october-fast

📖 Order Christy's Book: Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book

📲 Follow Love Life Sober on Instagram
@lovelifesoberwithchristy

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube — Come hang out with us!

Disclaimer

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober Podcast are not healthcare practitioners and do not provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. The content of this podcast and all Love Life Sober communications is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Views and opinions expressed by guests, or in any resources referenced, do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

You begin to understand the neuroscience behind drinking. You become curious about your patterns instead of judging yourself for them. You build new tools for dealing with stress, anxiety, grief, and big emotions. And you find people you can be completely honest with.

For me, that’s part of what changed as I learned to live alcohol-free.

After six years without alcohol, my friend Lauren—one of my earliest coaching clients and a professional journalist—turns the mic around and asks me what sobriety has actually been like, when it started to feel easier, and whether the desire to escape ever really goes away.

Our conversation became an honest look at what happens after the early days of sobriety are over.

Because eventually, something changes.

You realize that even when you no longer want alcohol, the desire to check out, escape, or change how you feel can still show up. The difference is learning how to respond when it does.

For me, the journey has never been only about alcohol. It has been about understanding why I was reaching for it in the first place and learning what real freedom actually looks like.

If You’ve Ever Thought…

“Why is this still hard when I know so much?”

“When will not drinking finally feel normal?”

“What if I’m not ready to quit forever?”

“Why do I keep reaching for alcohol when I know it isn’t helping me?”

This episode is for you. 🩷

What You’ll Learn

• When sobriety starts to feel easier

• Why the desire to “check out” can still show up years later

• How to recognize what you’re really reaching for when you want a drink

• Why curiosity is more helpful than shame

• How understanding your brain can change your relationship with alcohol

• How to build healthier tools for stress, anxiety, grief, and big emotions

• Why you don’t have to know whether you’ll quit forever to get curious about your drinking

• Why community matters so much in sobriety

I hope this conversation reminds you that sobriety isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about becoming curious, learning new ways to cope, and giving yourself the space to discover what is underneath the drinking.

JOIN THE LOVE LIFE SOBER COMMUNITY
https://lovelifesober.circle.so/checkout/community

📖 Order Christy's Book: Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
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Disclaimer

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober Podcast are not healthcare practitioners and do not provide medical, psychological, or professional advice. The content of this podcast and all Love Life Sober communications is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Views and opinions expressed by guests, or in any resources referenced, do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team.

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