Is 'just stopping' the end of the story?

Episode #13: A Conversation on being brave and discovering truth

This week on Circle of Chairs Conversations, I sit down with Laura L. Smith, a speaker, podcaster, and best-selling author whose passion is tearing down the lies that keep us bound.

Her knowledge of the stories of women in the Bible inspired me to want to share this beautiful episode with you and more about her lovely new book, Brave Woman, Mighty God.

For many of us, the journey begins with an urgent need for sobriety, to lay down a substance, an addiction, or a destructive behavior. But if we stop there, we often find ourselves still chained to the very things that led us astray.

Laura helps us navigate the crucial step of moving past just “sobriety” to embrace a whole-self and brave healing that transforms our thinking and spiritual lives.

In this powerful conversation, we explore how God meets us in our deepest struggles and urges us to replace the lies we believe about ourselves with life-changing truth.

We talk about:

• The crucial difference between achieving sobriety and experiencing true, holistic recovery.

• Identifying and actively replacing the lies that fuel our self-destructive patterns.

• The urgency of slowing down to hear God’s voice over the noise of life and addiction.

• Stepping into our true identity and embracing the call to be Brave through a Mighty God.

• Finding Christ’s truth as the unshakable foundation for lasting freedom.

“The real work of recovery is recognizing the lies we’ve believed and stepping into the brave truth of who God says we are.” — Laura L. Smith

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About Laura L. Smith

Laura L. Smith is a speaker, podcaster and best-selling author who has written fifteen books including Brave Woman, Mighty God, The Urgency of Slowing Down, and Holy Care for the Whole Self. Smith is passionate about tearing down lies, so we can live in Christ’s truth. She lives in the picturesque college town of Oxford, Ohio, with her husband and the youngest of their four young adult kids. There you’ll find her running the wooded trails, teaching a local Bible study, shopping at the Saturday morning farmer’s market, or going on a sunset walk.

🌐 Learn more about Laura and her work: www.laurasmithauthor.com

📚 Download the first chapter of Brave Woman, Mighty God for free! First Chapter Download

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Let’s keep pulling up more chairs.

Each week, I’m amazed at how God continues to move through these stories, stories that remind us that recovery isn’t a destination of perfection, but an ongoing journey of replacing old chains with a new truth. Laura’s perspective encourages us to move beyond mere behavioral change and embrace the total transformation Jesus offers for our minds, bodies, and souls.

If this conversation touched your heart, share it with someone who is ready to ask the big question:

💬 Have a story to share or know someone living out recovery with faith and purpose? Reply here or send me a message, I’d love to connect.

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and Managing Editor of Recovery.com, where she combines expert guidance with research to help people find the best path to healing and treatment. Her next book, When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide to Understanding Addiction, is coming Spring 2026 with Nelson Books. Drawing from her own recovery journey through addiction, mental health challenges, and trauma, along with training as a clinical mental health provider and addiction recovery expert, Caroline is passionate about guiding you into seasons of greater healing. Learn more about her books here.