What happens when the thing that made you feel relatable at church is the same thing keeping you from real freedom?

This week I'm joined by Nikki White, author of A Mother Worth Loving and writer behind the Substack Just a Broken Believer, for a conversation about growing up in a church with a strict no-drinking rule, and how she spent years hopping between the good Christian girl and the woman pouring wine in her own basement wine cellar.

Nikki takes us into her "cool Christian era," complete with a literal wine cellar behind a trapdoor in her living room, and the quiet discomfort she felt every time that door closed above her. We talk about the guilt-and-shame cycle of showing up hungover on Sunday, why the binary belief of "normal drinker or alcoholic" kept her stuck for so long, and the gentle, persistent way she believes God worked on her heart over years, not overnight.

This one is honest, funny in places, and tender in others. If you've ever felt like you were living two different lives depending on who was in the room, you'll want to hear how Nikki finally let those two selves become one.

Her testimony is full of her sincere love for Jesus. You will be blessed!

In this episode:

• Growing up under a strict no-alcohol church rule, and what happened when the rules stopped making sense (2:56)
• The wine cellar behind the trapdoor, and why Nikki never felt at ease down there (7:35)
• Living a divided life between church and the drinking scene (11:39)
• Why "alcohol is a substance problem, not a person problem" reframes everything (14:28)
• The moment that started to shift things for Nikki, and a spiritual dream she almost didn't share (16:43)
• What changed in her relationship with God once she stepped into full freedom (23:06)
• The friendships she was afraid to lose, and what actually happened (27:22)
• Nikki's advice to the version of herself who drank to fit in (28:13)
• Where to find Nikki and her book, A Mother Worth Loving (31:57)

Connect with Nikki:
Substack: Just a Broken Believer https://nikkiswhite.substack.com/
Book: A Mother Worth Loving: A Memoir of Finding Grace in Unexpected Places
https://www.justabrokenbeliever.com/nikki

Remember, you were made for more.

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Leave a message for Susan!

Connect with Susan: Susan@susanlarkincoaching.com
Follow Susan on Instagram: @drinklesswithsusan
Website: Susan Larkin Coaching: https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com

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It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Drink Less with Susan podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological recommendations nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.