In this episode of Love Life Sober, Christy shares a powerful testimony about stopping drinking and finding freedom from alcohol through faith. Shantel Chandler shares her journey from struggling with alcohol to living alcohol-free, and how God used conviction, community, and surrender to break a drinking stronghold.

Just 15 months ago, Shantel was at the very beginning of her journey—listening to the podcast, reading Christy’s book, and wondering if freedom could actually be real for her. Today, she’s living alcohol-free and sharing what changed as a Fast Captain, apart of the Love Life Sober community.

Shantel opens up about how alcohol first entered her life as a confidence boost in high school, how it became a coping mechanism through heartbreak and loneliness, and how it eventually turned into a stronghold during some of the hardest seasons of her life—including motherhood, moving, stress, and navigating her child’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis.

But this story is also about the slow and steady way God pursued her—through a sister’s gentle comment, through sermons she couldn’t forget, through discipleship that felt like grace instead of condemnation, and finally through the moment she woke up and prayed, “Okay God, I’m done… but I don’t know how.”

If you’ve ever felt the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart and you’re not quite sure what to do with it, this conversation will feel incredibly familiar.

If you’ve ever thought…

“I don’t know where I fit.”
“I’m keeping this secret.”
“I love Jesus… but I can’t stop.”
“This has a grip on me.”

This episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn

• How Shantel’s drinking began as a way to feel confident and fit in
• How heartbreak and divorce shifted alcohol from “fun” to coping
• What it was like becoming a single mom, rediscovering faith, and still living in a drinking cycle
• Why major stress can deepen alcohol’s grip—including moving, isolation, and parenting through medical challenges like Type 1 Diabetes
• The tension of wanting Christian community while still hiding struggles
• What conviction felt like for Shantel and how God used sermons and conversations to pierce her heart
• The difference between white-knuckling a fast and surrendering a stronghold
• How community support helped her stop hiding and begin healing

Links & Resources

Join the Love Life Sober Community
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/community

Join the Lent 40-Day Alcohol Fast
https://lovelifesober.co.uk/the-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

Connect on Instagram
@lovelifesoberwithchristy

Subscribe on YouTube — Come hang with us!

Disclaimer

The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, psychological, or professional advice nor intend for the podcast or any Love Life Sober communication to substitute for such. Views and opinions expressed in any referenced or linked resources do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team or guests.

In this episode of Love Life Sober, Christy shares a powerful testimony about stopping drinking and finding freedom from alcohol through faith. Shantel Chandler shares her journey from struggling with alcohol to living alcohol-free, and how God used conviction, community, and surrender to break a drinking stronghold.
Just 15 months ago, Shantel was at the very beginning of her journey&mdash;listening to the podcast, reading Christy&rsquo;s book, and wondering if freedom could actually be real for her. Today, she&rsquo;s living alcohol-free and sharing what changed as a Fast Captain, apart of the <a href="In%20this%20episode%20of%20Love%20Life%20Sober,%20Christy%20shares%20a%20powerful%20Christian%20sobriety%20testimony%20about%20stopping%20drinking%20and%20finding%20freedom%20from%20alcohol%20through%20faith.%20Shantel%20Chandler%20shares%20her%20journey%20from%20struggling%20with%20alcohol%20to%20living%20alcohol-free,%20and%20how%20God%20used%20conviction,%20community,%20and%20surrender%20to%20break%20a%20drinking%20stronghold.%20%20Just%2015%20months%20ago,%20Shantel%20was%20at%20the%20very%20beginning%20of%20her%20journey&mdash;listening%20to%20the%20podcast,%20reading%20Christy&rsquo;s%20book,%20and%20wondering%20if%20freedom%20could%20actually%20be%20real%20for%20her.%20Today,%20she&rsquo;s%20living%20alcohol-free%20and%20sharing%20what%20changed.%20%20Shantel%20opens%20up%20about%20how%20alcohol%20first%20entered%20her%20life%20as%20a%20confidence%20boost%20in%20high%20school,%20how%20it%20became%20a%20coping%20mechanism%20through%20heartbreak%20and%20loneliness,%20and%20how%20it%20eventually%20turned%20into%20a%20stronghold%20during%20some%20of%20the%20hardest%20seasons%20of%20her%20life&mdash;including%20motherhood,%20moving,%20stress,%20and%20navigating%20her%20child&rsquo;s%20Type%201%20diabetes%20diagnosis.%20%20But%20this%20story%20is%20also%20about%20the%20slow%20and%20steady%20way%20God%20pursued%20her&mdash;through%20a%20sister&rsquo;s%20gentle%20comment,%20through%20sermons%20she%20couldn&rsquo;t%20forget,%20through%20discipleship%20that%20felt%20like%20grace%20instead%20of%20condemnation,%20and%20finally%20through%20the%20moment%20she%20woke%20up%20and%20prayed,%20&ldquo;Okay%20God,%20I&rsquo;m%20done&hellip;%20but%20I%20don&rsquo;t%20know%20how.&rdquo;%20%20If%20you&rsquo;ve%20ever%20felt%20the%20Holy%20Spirit%20tugging%20at%20your%20heart%20and%20you&rsquo;re%20not%20quite%20sure%20what%20to%20do%20with%20it,%20this%20conversation%20will%20feel%20incredibly%20familiar.%20%20If%20you&rsquo;ve%20ever%20thought&hellip;%20%20&ldquo;I%20don&rsquo;t%20know%20where%20I%20fit.&rdquo;%20&ldquo;I&rsquo;m%20keeping%20this%20secret.&rdquo;%20&ldquo;I%20love%20Jesus&hellip;%20but%20I%20can&rsquo;t%20stop.&rdquo;%20&ldquo;This%20has%20a%20grip%20on%20me.&rdquo;%20%20This%20episode%20is%20for%20you.%20%20What%20You&rsquo;ll%20Learn%20%20&bull;%20How%20Shantel&rsquo;s%20drinking%20began%20as%20a%20way%20to%20feel%20confident%20and%20fit%20in%20&bull;%20How%20heartbreak%20and%20divorce%20shifted%20alcohol%20from%20&ldquo;fun&rdquo;%20to%20coping%20&bull;%20What%20it%20was%20like%20becoming%20a%20single%20mom,%20rediscovering%20faith,%20and%20still%20living%20in%20a%20drinking%20cycle%20&bull;%20Why%20major%20stress%20can%20deepen%20alcohol&rsquo;s%20grip&mdash;including%20moving,%20isolation,%20and%20parenting%20through%20medical%20challenges%20like%20Type%201%20Diabetes%20&bull;%20The%20tension%20of%20wanting%20Christian%20community%20while%20still%20hiding%20struggles%20&bull;%20What%20conviction%20felt%20like%20for%20Shantel%20and%20how%20God%20used%20sermons%20and%20conversations%20to%20pierce%20her%20heart%20&bull;%20The%20difference%20between%20white-knuckling%20a%20fast%20and%20surrendering%20a%20stronghold%20&bull;%20How%20community%20support%20helped%20her%20stop%20hiding%20and%20begin%20healing%20%20💌%20Links%20&amp;%20Resources%20%20🌿%20Join%20the%20Love%20Life%20Sober%20Community%20https://lovelifesober.co.uk/community%20%20🌟%20Join%20the%20Lent%2040-Day%20Alcohol%20Fast%20https://lovelifesober.co.uk/the-fast%20%20📖%20Order%20Christy&rsquo;s%20Book%20Love%20Life%20Sober:%20A%2040%20Day%20Alcohol%20Fast%20to%20Rediscover%20Your%20Joy,%20Improve%20Your%20Health,%20and%20Renew%20Your%20Mind%20https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book%20%20📲%20Connect%20on%20Instagram%20@lovelifesoberwithchristy%20%20🎥%20Subscribe%20on%20YouTube%20&mdash;%20Come%20hang%20with%20us!%20%20Disclaimer%20%20The%20creators,%20hosts,%20and%20producers%20of%20the%20Love%20Life%20Sober%20podcast%20are%20not%20healthcare%20practitioners%20and%20therefore%20do%20not%20give%20medical,%20psychological,%20or%20professional%20advice%20nor%20intend%20for%20the%20podcast%20or%20any%20Love%20Life%20Sober%20communication%20to%20substitute%20for%20such.%20Views%20and%20opinions%20expressed%20in%20any%20referenced%20or%20linked%20resources%20do%20not%20necessarily%20reflect%20those%20of%20the%20Love%20Life%20Sober%20team%20or%20guests.">Love Life Sober community.</a>
Shantel opens up about how alcohol first entered her life as a confidence boost in high school, how it became a coping mechanism through heartbreak and loneliness, and how it eventually turned into a stronghold during some of the hardest seasons of her life&mdash;including motherhood, moving, stress, and navigating her child&rsquo;s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis.
But this story is also about the slow and steady way God pursued her&mdash;through a sister&rsquo;s gentle comment, through sermons she couldn&rsquo;t forget, through discipleship that felt like grace instead of condemnation, and finally through the moment she woke up and prayed, &ldquo;Okay God, I&rsquo;m done&hellip; but I don&rsquo;t know how.&rdquo;
If you&rsquo;ve ever felt the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart and you&rsquo;re not quite sure what to do with it, this conversation will feel incredibly familiar.
If you&rsquo;ve ever thought&hellip;
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know where I fit.&rdquo; &ldquo;I&rsquo;m keeping this secret.&rdquo; &ldquo;I love Jesus&hellip; but I can&rsquo;t stop.&rdquo; &ldquo;This has a grip on me.&rdquo;
This episode is for you.
<hr data-start="2096" data-end="2099">
What You&rsquo;ll Learn
&bull; How Shantel&rsquo;s drinking began as a way to feel confident and fit in &bull; How heartbreak and divorce shifted alcohol from &ldquo;fun&rdquo; to coping &bull; What it was like becoming a single mom, rediscovering faith, and still living in a drinking cycle &bull; Why major stress can deepen alcohol&rsquo;s grip&mdash;including moving, isolation, and parenting through medical challenges like&nbsp;Type 1 Diabetes &bull; The tension of wanting Christian community while still hiding struggles &bull; What conviction felt like for Shantel and how God used sermons and conversations to pierce her heart &bull; The difference between white-knuckling a fast and surrendering a stronghold &bull; How community support helped her stop hiding and begin healing
<hr data-start="2855" data-end="2858">
Links &amp; Resources
Join the Love Life Sober Community <a href="https://lovelifesober.co.uk/community" data-start="2925" data-end="2962">https://lovelifesober.co.uk/community</a>
Join the Lent 40-Day Alcohol Fast <a href="https://lovelifesober.co.uk/the-fast" data-start="3005" data-end="3041">https://lovelifesober.co.uk/the-fast</a>
Order Christy&rsquo;s Book Love Life Sober: A 40 Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind <a href="https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book" data-start="3111" data-end="3143">https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book</a>
Connect on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lovelifesoberwithchristy/?hl=en">@lovelifesoberwithchristy</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@LoveLifeSober?app=desktop">Subscribe on YouTube </a>&mdash; Come hang with us!
<hr data-start="3248" data-end="3251">
Disclaimer
The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, psychological, or professional advice nor intend for the podcast or any Love Life Sober communication to substitute for such. Views and opinions expressed in any referenced or linked resources do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team or guests.

Love Life Sober is a Christian podcast for women questioning their relationship with alcohol and sensing God might have more for them beyond the wine glass.

Have you felt that nudge from God to put down the wine glass, but the thought of relaxing, having fun, or even coping with life feels impossible without it? Are you waking up each morning vowing not to drink tonight, only to find that by five p.m., all bets are off?

Love Life Sober is for sober and sober-curious women who love Jesus, or who are longing to reconnect with Him, and who know deep down that alcohol is no longer serving them.

Hosted by Christian sobriety coach and author Christy Osborne, author of Love Life Sober: A 40 Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind, this podcast blends Scripture, neuroscience, and practical coaching to help you understand what’s happening in your brain, your nervous system, and your heart, and how lasting freedom from alcohol is actually possible.

You’ll hear expert conversations and powerful testimonies for women exploring Christian sobriety, faith-based recovery, mindful drinking, and alcohol-free living. Each episode gently invites you to step away from wine and toward deeper connection with God, without shame, pressure, or the need to decide forever.

At the heart of Love Life Sober is a simple truth. Love, joy, peace, and connection were never meant to be found in a wine bottle. They are found in Jesus.

This is a grace-filled, shame-free space for women seeking freedom from alcohol through faith, neuroscience, and compassionate coaching. You don’t have to hit rock bottom. You don’t have to white-knuckle your way through sobriety. And you don’t have to do this alone.

If you’re ready to loosen alcohol’s grip and live the life God is inviting you into, you’re in the right place.
Welcome to Love Life Sober. Want more? Visit lovelifesober.com. 

Love Life Sober is a Christian podcast for women questioning their relationship with alcohol and sensing God might have more for them beyond the wine glass.
Have you felt that nudge from God to put down the wine glass, but the thought of relaxing, having fun, or even coping with life feels impossible without it? Are you waking up each morning vowing not to drink tonight, only to find that by five p.m., all bets are off?
Love Life Sober is for sober and sober-curious women who love Jesus, or who are longing to reconnect with Him, and who know deep down that alcohol is no longer serving them.
Hosted by Christian sobriety coach and author Christy Osborne, author of <a href="https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book">Love Life Sober: A 40 Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind</a>, this podcast blends Scripture, neuroscience, and practical coaching to help you understand what&rsquo;s happening in your brain, your nervous system, and your heart, and how lasting freedom from alcohol is actually possible.
You&rsquo;ll hear expert conversations and powerful testimonies for women exploring Christian sobriety, faith-based recovery, mindful drinking, and alcohol-free living. Each episode gently invites you to step away from wine and toward deeper connection with God, without shame, pressure, or the need to decide forever.
At the heart of Love Life Sober is a simple truth. Love, joy, peace, and connection were never meant to be found in a wine bottle. They are found in Jesus.
This is a grace-filled, shame-free space for women seeking freedom from alcohol through faith, neuroscience, and compassionate coaching. You don&rsquo;t have to hit rock bottom. You don&rsquo;t have to white-knuckle your way through sobriety. And you don&rsquo;t have to do this alone.
If you&rsquo;re ready to loosen alcohol&rsquo;s grip and live the life God is inviting you into, you&rsquo;re in the right place. Welcome to Love Life Sober. Want more? Visit <a href="https://lovelifesober.com/">lovelifesober.com</a>.&nbsp;

Love Life Sober is a Christian podcast for women questioning their relationship with alcohol and sensing God might have more for them beyond the wine glass.  Have you felt that nudge from God to put down the wine glass, but the thought of relaxing, having fun, or even coping with life feels impossible without it? Are you waking up each morning vowing not to drink tonight, only to find that by five p.m., all bets are off?  Love Life Sober is for sober and sober-curious women who love Jesus, or who are longing to reconnect with Him, and who know deep down that alcohol is no longer serving them.

Love Life Sober

She Loved Jesus And Couldn't Stop Drinking | A Love Life Sober Testimony

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/18362362-b970-4a1d-aa72-b40f000f5e39/transcript