A single break changed everything. Amber thought discipline would keep life in order—straight A’s, strict faith, and hours of exercise that looked healthy from the outside. When a double pirouette ended with a broken foot, the illusion shattered. What followed wasn’t instant perfection but a new kind of honesty about addiction, control, and the slow work of healing with God at the center.

Together we unpack what addiction can look like beyond substances—perfectionism, productivity, and legalism—and how to step out of their shadow with tools that actually help. Amber talks about the community that sustains her, the spiritual mentorship that keeps her grounded, and her calling as an author creating faith-based resources on anxiety, depression, and recovery.

If you’re craving a story that names hard things and still points to hope, this conversation is for you. Listen, share with a friend who needs courage today, and if the message resonates, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find a path toward faith-led recovery and real-world healing.

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Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.

Connect with Amber

Instagram: @amberginterauthor

Facebook: Amber Ginter Author

Podcast: Authentically Amber

Learn more about the Mental Reset: A Christian Co-Ed Retreat for Anxious Hearts here.

About the She Surrenders Podcast:

On the She Surrenders podcast we are talking about women, faith and addiction all on the same platform. There are many podcasts for women and sobriety, but very few for women seeking information and stories from others about faith-based recovery.

Help us reach more listeners: like, subscribe, review, and share.

Find us on Instagram @shesurrenders_sherry, on Facebook @shesurrenderssherry, and online at www.shesurrenders.com.

What if the moment you feared most became the doorway to freedom? That question sits at the center of Annetta’s story, a raw, hope-filled journey from childhood abuse and fifth-grade drinking to daily use, goth weekends, and a desperate plea on a skateboard that landed her at the door of AA.

Listen for the turning points, stay for the practical hope: how surrender can transform not just habits but identity. If this story encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find faith-based recovery that lasts.

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Annetta Caldwell is a wife, mother, dancer, and author passionate about sharing God's faithfulness. A Texas native, she trained in dance and ministry with Youth With A Mission, where she met her husband, Ryan. They moved to Virginia in 2007, where they’ve raised their seven children. Annetta now teaches others to worship through dance and shares her testimony through writing and speaking, helping others find freedom through God’s redemptive power.

Connect with Annetta:

Ftfministries.org

Purchase her book: Caught

About the She Surrenders Podcast:

On the She Surrenders podcast we are talking about women, faith and addiction all on the same platform. There are many podcasts for women and sobriety, but very few for women seeking information and stories from others about faith-based recovery.

Help us reach more listeners: like, subscribe, review, and share.

Find us on Instagram @shesurrenders_sherry, on Facebook @shesurrenderssherry, and online at www.shesurrenders.com.

What if the darkest chapter of your life could become the raw material for something beautiful? Molly joins us to share a rare, vulnerable account of moving from childhood sexual trauma and years of substance use to a grounded, faith-centered life where recovery is real and creativity heals. Her story isn’t a tidy turnaround; it’s a slow, steady walk out of confusion and into clarity, backed by scripture, community, and the kind of grace that keeps showing up.

If this moved you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review to help others find their way to the same hope.

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Molly Cherry spent years running from herself—using addiction, manipulation, and self-destruction to numb what she didn’t know how to face. But what she was really running from was the pain Jesus wanted to heal. Her escape led to broken relationships, mental hospitals, trauma, and moments when her family almost had to live without her. Yet in her darkest place, God’s grace found her. Jesus didn’t shame Molly—He rescued her, rebuilt her, and showed her real freedom. Molly's recovery is not just her story—it’s His, and proof that no one is too far gone for redemption.

Connect with Molly:

On Facebook: Art for One's Self
On Instagram: @yesterdayagain

About the She Surrenders Podcast:

On the She Surrenders podcast we are talking about women, faith and addiction all on the same platform. There are many podcasts for women and sobriety, but very few for women seeking information and stories from others about faith-based recovery.

Help us reach more listeners: like, subscribe, review, and share.

Find us on Instagram @shesurrenders_sherry, on Facebook @shesurrenderssherry, and online at www.shesurrenders.com.

When a spine infection stole her twenties, prescriptions promised relief but quietly rewired everything. In this episode, Janessa walks us through the years between her first Percocet high to a life rebuilt on surrender—forty pills a day, fentanyl patches, interventions, and the moment she chose honesty over hiding. This is not a neat redemption arc but a gritty, luminous one.

If you’ve ever wondered whether real freedom is possible after years of medicating pain, this conversation offers both candor and hope. It’s about finding a safe room where people understand and trusting God to do the heavy lifting.

Press play, share this with someone who needs a way out, and if this story moved you, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what’s one thing you’re ready to surrender today?

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Janessa Baar is a survivor, mentor, and advocate for addiction recovery and mental health awareness. After overcoming years of pain medication and fentanyl addiction, she celebrates over 11 years of sobriety and now dedicates her life to helping others find hope and healing. A former business owner, Janessa sold her company to start an outreach program in Honduras, where she served from 2018 to 2023.

With a background marked by trauma, loss, and resilience, Janessa brings raw honesty and compassion to conversations about recovery, faith, and rebuilding life after addiction. Today, she mentors through local ministries and the Big Brother Big Sister program, offering encouragement to those walking the same difficult road she once traveled.

About the She Surrenders Podcast:

On the She Surrenders podcast we are talking about women, faith and addiction all on the same platform. There are many podcasts for women and sobriety, but very few for women seeking information and stories from others about faith-based recovery.

Help us reach more listeners: like, subscribe, review, and share.

Find us on Instagram @shesurrenders_sherry, on Facebook @shesurrenderssherry, and online at www.shesurrenders.com.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains descriptions of self-harming behavior.

In this episode, we hear from Jaycie on the exact day she celebrates three years sober. She shares her brave, unfiltered account of how anxiety, family trauma, and isolation fed addiction and self-harm that almost swallowed her future — and how faith and community stitched it back together.

From denial, self-blame and looking for her worth in toxic relationships, Jaycie shares how a simple moment of surrendering her life to Jesus started her journey from the depths of addiction to a life of freedom.

If you've ever wondered whether faith-based recovery can heal your deepest doubts and pain, this conversation offers the hope of restoration.

Listen, share with a friend who needs hope, and if this story moved you, subscribe and leave a review so others can find their way to freedom too.

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Jaycie Kantrud is 29 years old and lives in the land of 10,000 lakes — Minnesnowta! Once a girl bound by rejection, anxiety, and addiction, she gave her life to Jesus inside a Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge treatment center and her life has never been the same. She is now 3 year sober and living a life she only ever dreamed of. All Glory to God!

You can follow her on Instagram @jayciekantrud

About the She Surrenders Podcast:

On the She Surrenders podcast we are talking about women, faith and addiction all on the same platform. There are many podcasts for women and sobriety, but very few for women seeking information and stories from others about faith-based recovery.

Help us reach more listeners: like, subscribe, review, and share.

Find us on Instagram @shesurrenders_sherry, on Facebook @shesurrenderssherry, and online at www.shesurrenders.com.

As we launch a new season of the She Surrenders Podcast, we’re starting right where it all began — with surrender.

In this heartfelt episode, recorded live at Rush Creek Bible Church in Byron Center, Michigan, She Surrenders founder Sherry Hoppen shares her raw and powerful story of addiction, surrender, and redemption.

From growing up in a Christian home to years of hiding behind shame and alcohol, Sherry opens up about the turning points that led her back to freedom through Christ — including a life-changing 1,000-mile bike ride, the founding of Selah House Recovery, and a life rooted in Ephesians 3:20 — hope.

This message is for anyone who’s ever wondered if God can redeem their story. Spoiler alert — He can. And He will.

Scripture Focus: Ephesians 3:20
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…”

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Sherry Hoppen is the founder of She Surrenders, an online faith-based recovery ministry and the Executive Director of Selah House Recovery, a Christ-centered, 30-day residential program in Hudsonville, MI that she and her husband Craig founded.

Sherry’s memoir, Sober Cycle: Peddling Through Recovery One Day at A Time, chronicles her journey from addiction to surrender.

Now Sherry dedicates her days to writing, podcasting, speaking, and walking alongside women as they step boldly into the same freedom she experiences, sharing her journey with honesty, vulnerability, and a healthy dose of humor.

Connect with Sherry:

On Instagram: @shesurrenders_sherry
On Facebook: @shesurrenders_sherry
Online: www.shesurrenders.com

About the She Surrenders Podcast:

On the She Surrenders podcast we are talking about women, faith and addiction all on the same platform. There are many podcasts for women and sobriety, but very few for women seeking information and stories from others about faith-based recovery.

Help us reach more listeners: like, subscribe, review, and share.

Find us on Instagram @shesurrenders_sherry, on Facebook @shesurrenderssherry, and online at www.shesurrenders.com.

What happens when a Christian mother's deepest fears about addiction come true not just once, but twice? Dawn Ward author of "From Guilt to Grace: Hope and Healing for Christian Moms of Addicted Children," never imagined she'd write a book, yet her personal journey through her sons' addictions transformed not just her approach to parenting but her entire relationship with God.

If you're walking the heartbreaking path of loving someone struggling with addiction, Dawn's story offers both practical wisdom and spiritual hope. Subscribe now to hear how one mother learned to trust God with her children's destiny while reclaiming her own life and purpose.

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Dawn Ward is a speaker, writer, and Bible teacher. She is the founder of The Faith to Flourish, a ministry equipping women to live transformed lives through inspiring teaching, mentoring, and biblical resources. The ministry also offers support and encouragement to women with addicted loved ones. She is married to Steve and mom to three adult children. Her book, "From Guilt to Grace: Hope and Healing for Christian Moms of Addicted Children", published September 2024, is available for order.

Connect with Dawn:
thefaithtoflourish.com
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Links Mentioned:

"From Guilt to Grace: Hope and Healing for Christian Moms of Addicted Children"

About the She Surrenders Podcast:

On the She Surrenders podcast we are talking about women, faith and addiction all on the same platform. There are many podcasts for women and sobriety, but very few for women seeking information and stories from others about faith-based recovery.

Help us reach more listeners: like, subscribe, review, and share.

Find us on Instagram @shesurrenders_sherry, on Facebook @shesurrenderssherry, and online at www.shesurrenders.com.

Kelly's story begins with a sixteen-year-old girl wearing baggy clothes to hide her pregnancy, setting the stage for a decades-long journey through trauma, addiction, and ultimately profound spiritual healing.

What makes Kelly's testimony so powerful is her raw honesty about the darkest moments and the lasting power of recovery rooted in faith.

What will you find in your own life when you stop numbing your pain and cast your cares on the Lord? Kelly's story offers hope that freedom awaits on the other side of surrender.

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Kelly Miller is a grateful believer in Jesus Christ. She has victory over prescription narcotics, alcohol, nicotine and love relationship addiction, and disordered eating. She is still working on areas of co-dependency, people pleasing, control, self doubt/guilt, and procrastination. She is a mother and grand mother! I blessed to live near most of my family in a small town in East Michigan.

About the She Surrenders Podcast:

On the She Surrenders podcast we are talking about women, faith and addiction all on the same platform. There are many podcasts for women and sobriety, but very few for women seeking information and stories from others about faith-based recovery.

Help us reach more listeners: like, subscribe, review, and share.

Find us on Instagram @shesurrenders_sherry, on Facebook @shesurrenderssherry, and online at www.shesurrenders.com.