Anchored in His Promises: Finding Peace in the Unexpected with Gail Schaar!

Anchored in His Promises: Finding Peace in the Unexpected with Gail Schaar!

What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This reshared conversation from Anchored by the Sword brings back author and speaker Gail Scharr, whose story stretches from alcohol-fuelled chaos to a cancer diagnosis and, remarkably, to deep-rooted peace. Gail talks openly about her "checkered background" of alcohol, promiscuity and destructive choices, and how she eventually said, "All right, Lord, come on in" and watched God completely change her desires and direction.

That honesty makes this episode especially relatable for anyone who’s wrestled with addiction, shame or feeling beyond help. The heart of the episode centres on her breast cancer diagnosis and her book, *I Am Not a Cancer Patient*. Gail explains why she refuses to let illness define her identity: for her, the final word is in Scripture, not in medical reports.

She shares how verses like Mark 11:23–24 and Hebrews 10:23 became her anchor, often grabbing her 10:23 necklace and reminding herself to "hold tightly, without wavering" to God’s promises.

You’ll hear how fear, statistics and other people’s stories tried to drag her under, and how she kept coming back to one question: "Whose report are you going to believe?" She describes the cancer journey not as graceful, but as feeling "like I tried to get on a horse… and he dragged me for a year and a half"—a vivid picture for anyone who’s felt dragged through their own battle.

Host Gina Fox rounds things out by connecting Gail’s message to the upcoming "Anchored in His Promises" workshop, built on Hebrews 10:23. Together they stress that circumstances shift, but "he who promised is faithful" remains steady. If you’re dealing with illness, addiction, or just a season that looks nothing like you expected, this episode gently asks: what would change if you stopped owning the label and started clinging to the promise instead?