Faith Over Fear

What happens when a respected Bible teacher’s hidden struggle finally comes to light?
In this special feed drop episode from Love Life Sober, Carol McCracken shares the deeply personal story behind a season she hid for years: increasing dependence on alcohol while navigating parenting stress, marital strain, shame, and emotional exhaustion.
From the outside, Carol appeared to have everything together. Inside, she was unraveling.
After an arrest forced her secret into the open, Carol found herself confronting painful truths about control, identity, fear, and the parts of her heart she had never fully surrendered to God. What followed became a story of grace, healing, freedom from alcohol, and an unexpected journey of restoration.
Whether or not alcohol has been part of your story, this conversation speaks to anyone who has:
hidden struggles behind a polished image
felt trapped by shame
feared being “found out”
tried to manage pain through unhealthy coping mechanisms
wondered if God could still redeem what feels broken
In this episode, Carol and Christy discuss:
the emotional roots beneath destructive coping patterns
the shame many Christians carry in silence
surrendering control to God
how healing often begins with honesty
why freedom rarely happens overnight
the difference between knowing truth in your head and believing it in your heart
God’s ability to restore what once seemed beyond repair
Connect with Christy Osborne:
On the Love Life Sober Podcast
On her website
On Instagram
Connect with Carol McCracken:
On her website
On Facebook
On Instagram
Scripture Referenced
Romans 8:38–39
Luke 10:38–42
Lamentations 3:22–23
If This Episode Encouraged You
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For additional support, download this free resource: Freedom from numbing: Breaking Alcohol’s grip
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We've probably all walked into a room and felt unseen, out of place, or excluded. Those experiences can cut deep and leave us feeling alone in the very place where everyone else seems connected with friends. In this episode, Jennifer talks with Dr. Heather Holleman to explore how powerful truths in Ephesians helps us reframes those painful experiences and related insecurities. Together, they unpack what it means to be chosen, included, and seated with Christ and how those realities speak directly into anxiety, comparison, and loneliness. Drawing from Scripture and personal story, this conversation invites listeners to move from striving for belonging to resting in the secure place they already occupy with Jesus.
They also discuss the impact of the narratives we carry, what Dr. Holleman calls “shadow stories”, and how replacing those with God’s biblical truth fosters healing and transformation. Through practices like expressive writing and sharing personal “Savior stories,” listeners will discover practical ways to process pain, renew their thinking, and step into their God-given purpose. This episode ultimately shifts the focus from isolation to mission, reminding us that we are not only included in Christ but also sent to reflect Him in a world longing for connection.
Resources referenced:
Included in Christ: Living A New Story from Ephesians (A Bible Study) by Dr. Heather Holleman
"Embracing Your True Self: Living in Your Christ-Centered Identity" Bible reading plan (on the YouVersion Bible app)
Connect with Dr. Heather Holleman:
On her website
On Instagram
On Facebook
Find Jennifer Slattery:
On her website
Instagram
Facebook
Amazon
Subscribe to her free newsletter

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

When someone you love is in recovery, the pressure can feel overwhelming. You want to say and do the right thing, hoping to prevent a setback, yet beneath that is a quiet fear that you might make things worse. In this episode, Carol talks with Caroline Beidler, author of When You Love Someone in Recovery, about how to walk alongside someone without losing yourself, addressing the tension many families feel between wanting to help and fearing they might hurt.
Caroline reframes a powerful truth: God never asked you to control someone else’s healing. He invites you to love faithfully, set wise boundaries, and trust Him with what you cannot control. If you’ve been carrying guilt or living with ongoing fear, this conversation brings clarity on support versus enabling—and the freedom to love without trying to control the outcome.
Resource discussed: When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide to Understanding Addiction by Caroline Beidler
Connect with Caroline Beidler:
On her website
On Instagram
On Facebook
Follow her writing on Amazon
Find Carol McCracken:
On her website
On Facebook
On Instagram
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This is a two-part message.
When our worst fears become reality, faith can feel fragile and disoriented. In this episode, Jennifer Slattery sits down with Vaneetha Risner and Angela Mackey to explore how trust in God is rebuilt—not through changed circumstances, but through a deeper awareness of His presence. Vaneetha shares her journey through devastating loss, disability, and abandonment, and how God met her in the place she feared most. Rather than offering quick relief, He revealed something stronger: that His presence is a more secure foundation than any outcome she once depended on.
Angela brings a complementary perspective through her “what if to even if” story, rooted in the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Walking through profound grief and physical trauma, she wrestled with God honestly and discovered that faith is not the absence of questions but the willingness to cling to Him in the fire. Together, these conversations reframe suffering—not as evidence of God’s absence, but as an invitation to encounter His nearness, deepen trust, and anchor hope in His unchanging character rather than fragile outcomes.
Scripture Discussed
Psalm 27:13
Isaiah 29:13
Exodus 3-4
Daniel 1–3
Resource Referenced: This Was Never The Plan:Walking with God through the Heartache of Divorce by Vaneetha Risner
Connect with Vaneetha:
On her website
On Instagram
On Facebook
Follow her work on Amazon
Find Jennifer Slattery:
On her website
Instagram
Facebook
Amazon
Subscribe to her free newsletter
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this honest and hope-filled conversation, worship leader and author Myshel Wilkins shares her journey through 8 miscarriages and the spiritual battle that followed. In the midst of grief, anger, and unanswered questions, she faced a defining choice: allow her pain to distort her view of God or anchor herself in what she knew to be true. With vulnerability and clarity, Michelle unpacks how intentionally defining God’s character became the turning point that sustained her faith, protected her heart from despair, and kept the enemy from stealing her calling.
Together, we explore how suffering can either pull us away from God or draw us into deeper intimacy with and effectiveness for Him.
Scripture referenced:
James 1:2–5
Isaiah 61:3
Resource discussed: Arise, Shine, and Conquer: 40 Days of Courage for Women – Listen to God’s Voice and Find Victory by Myshel Wilkins
Connect with Myshel Wilkins:
On her website
On Instagram
On Facebook
Follow her work on Amazon
Find Jennifer Slattery:
On her website
Instagram
Facebook
Amazon
Subscribe to her free newsletter
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.