Monthly Archives: June 2026

There’s Only One Addiction Worth Having — And It Just Might Change Your Life

Posted in Reflections From My Heart by

What if the very thing that’s been controlling you could actually save you?

That’s not a trick question. It’s the heartbeat of my life and ministry.

My name is Sarah Annie Schneider. For over a decade I’ve sat with women behind bars — women most of the world has written off — listening to stories of addiction, regret, shame, and brokenness. For the past three years I’ve also led a women’s support group where I’ve watched God begin to heal wounded hearts, one honest conversation at a time.

In all those years, one truth has become crystal clear:

Most people don’t lack the desire to know God. They just don’t know where to start. And more importantly, they’re longing for real connection with people who love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength.

The Vision Behind Addicted to God

The Vision Behind Addicted to God

It actually started back in 2007 with a blog called Live Out Loud. What began as my personal space to share life and faith honestly eventually evolved into Godly Girlfriends — a community I officially started thirteen years ago with a simple dream: to do life together as devoted, Christ-centered women — encouraging one another, speaking truth, and offering virtual (and sometimes real) hugs.

That dream hasn’t changed. But God has expanded it.

What began as Godly Girlfriends has grown into Addicted to God — a name rooted in Mark 12:30: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (NIV)

We all have addictions. Some look obvious and destructive — alcohol, drugs, pornography, gambling. Others are more subtle and socially acceptable: sugar, scrolling, shopping, people-pleasing, overworking, seeking approval, binge-watching, or even “good” things like gardening or exercise when they become escapes.

When anything other than God becomes what we run to for comfort, identity, or relief, it eventually leaves us empty. But when God becomes our greatest desire — when we love Him with everything we have — He becomes the one healthy addiction. The life-giving kind. The only One that truly satisfies and sets us free.

Who This Is For

This is for anyone who feels stuck in cycles they can’t seem to break. For those battling obvious addictions and for those quietly controlled by “harmless” habits. For the discouraged, the defeated, and the ones who wonder if God could really want someone like them.

No perfect past required. No spiritual resume needed. Just come as you are.

What I Believe With Everything in Me

I believe with all my heart in Mark 10:27 — “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (NIV)

We cannot break free or fix ourselves on our own. But God can — and He does. I’ve witnessed it in prison cells, support group meetings, and ordinary conversations over coffee. That’s why I share real stories of redemption: because when someone who’s been where you are says, “There’s hope,” you can actually believe it.

A New Chapter: Sarah Annie Schneider

As this ministry grows, I’m bringing everything together under one name: Sarah Annie Schneider.

My writing, speaking, The Addicted to God Podcast, YouTube channel (@AddictedToGod), and upcoming book will now live in one place. My hope is that this makes it easier for you to find encouragement exactly when you need it — and simpler to share with others who are quietly struggling too.

The heart of this community stays exactly the same. We’re just building a bigger table.

An Invitation

If you’ve ever felt controlled by something you wish you could stop — whether it’s obvious or hidden — this is for you. If you’re hungry for a faith that’s real, honest, and practical — this is for you.

I invite you to join this movement. A place where we gently transfer our earthly addictions, habits, and destructive cycles to the one healthy addiction: a deep, life-giving relationship with God.

I can’t wait to walk this journey with you.

Because there really is only one addiction worth having — and it changes everything.

Find Me Here

📖 Writing & Newsletter — Substack: substack.com/@sarahannieschneider ▶️ YouTube — @AddictedToGod 🎙️ Podcast — The Addicted to God Pod Podcast (Apple or Spotify)

If this encouraged you, please share it with someone who needs hope today.

Stop Blaming God: It’s Not His Fault

Posted in Addicted to God by

Have you ever caught yourself thinking — or maybe even saying out loud —

“Why did God give me this [disease, pain, hardship, grief, addiction]?”

“If God really loved me, He wouldn’t make me this way.”

“I can handle this. It’s really not that bad.”

If any of those sound familiar, you are not alone. And I want to tell you something that might sting a little before it sets you free: if you are blaming God for your addiction, your struggle, your craving — you are doing exactly what Satan wants you to do.

The good news is, God is not only bigger than Satans lies, He’s sovereign over ALL of your circumstances.

The Blame Game Is Older Than You Think

The blame game isn’t a modern problem. It’s literally the oldest story in the Bible.

Genesis 3. The garden. God gave Adam and Eve everything — with one boundary. And when the serpent showed up and they broke it, look at what happened. God asked Adam, “Did you eat from the tree I told you not to eat from?”

Adam’s response? “The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:12 NIV)

He didn’t just blame Eve. He blamed God. The woman YOU put here.

That same ancient pattern runs in us today. When life is a mess, when we feel enslaved to something we can’t shake, our first instinct is to look up and ask, “God — how could You let this happen to me?”

The Lie That Keeps You Trapped

Here’s what God’s Word actually says about where temptation comes from:

“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.” — James 1:13 NIV

God did not give you your addiction. Not the substance addiction. Not the approval addiction. Not the shopping or scrolling or food or work addiction. Not one of them.

And that quiet lie — “I can control it, it’s not that bad” — is one of the most dangerous of all, because it cuts off the only lifeline that actually works. Jesus said plainly in John 15:5, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” That’s not a criticism. That’s an invitation.

So Who Is Actually to Blame?

John 10:10 answers this better than I ever could:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

There is a thief. There is a killer. There is a destroyer. And it is not God.

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our real battle isn’t against flesh and blood — it’s against spiritual forces of darkness. We have a real enemy, and when we blame God, we let that enemy off the hook entirely while pushing away the only One who has the power to set us free.

God Allows Hard Things — But He Doesn’t Waste Them

Here’s the part I want to be careful with, because I know some of you are carrying real pain — things that were done to you, not chosen by you.

God is not the author of your addiction or your trauma. But He is a Redeemer, and Romans 8:28 promises that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Not that all things are good — but that God works in all of it.

I’ve seen this in the jail cells where I mentor women. God didn’t put those women there. But He showed up there anyway.

The Power You Have Access To Right Now

When you stop blaming God and run to Him, you get access to something no one else can offer: the Father who is completely for you (Romans 8:31), the Son who is actively interceding for you (Hebrews 7:25), and the Holy Spirit who counsels, guides, and gives you discernment in your weakest moments (John 14:26).

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

And the verse I want you to write somewhere you’ll see it every single day:

“With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” — Mark 10:27 NIV

One Practical Step for This Week

When a lie about God surfaces — and it will — ask yourself one question: Does this align with who God says He is in Scripture?

Then speak the truth out loud. Replace the lie with a verse. Faith comes from hearing (Romans 10:17), and there is something powerful about saying truth into the air in your own voice.

The battle is already won. You just have to stop fighting on the wrong side.

Stop blaming God. Start running to Him. He is not the source of your captivity — He is the only source of your freedom.

Want to go deeper? Listen to the full episode on the Addicted to God Podcast — available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Search “Addicted to God.” A new episode is published weekly.

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