Affirming Truths Podcast | Christian Mental Health, Encouragement

Carla saw a phrase circulating online: "obedience begins at the end of self." Something about it didn't sit right - so in this episode, she unpacks why that statement, however well-intentioned, can be deeply misleading, especially for anyone who's spent years people-pleasing or learning to distrust their own needs and emotions.

Drawing on Scripture and her own experience as a recovering people-pleaser and a mom, Carla makes the case that surrender is not the same as self-abandonment. God isn't asking you to disappear so He can take over - sanctification is Him restoring who you were created to be, not erasing it. You'll hear how gifts like compassion, leadership, and discernment can be twisted by fear, and what it looks like for God to redeem them instead.

Book a Discovery Call -> https://calendly.com/cmsarges/discoverycall

Connect with Carla -> www.carlaarges.com

Follow on IG -> www.instagram.com/carla.arges

What do you do when the "what ifs" won't stop? Carla's natural instinct - and probably yours too - is to talk herself out of it: that's not going to happen. But she's discovered that doesn't actually calm an anxious nervous system, because the what ifs just keep coming back.

In this episode, prompted by real conversations with her son as he headed off to his first year of university, Carla walks through a shift that does bring safety: trading "what if" for "even if." Through the stories of Habakkuk, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and Psalm 23, she shows how "even if" isn't denial - it's a declaration of trust that actually rewires anxious thinking, one nervous system and one neural pathway at a time.

Book a Discovery Call -> https://calendly.com/cmsarges/discoverycall

Connect with Carla -> www.carlaarges.com

Follow on IG -> www.instagram.com/carla.arges

When a popular Christian commentator claimed online that postpartum depression is really just selfishness in disguise, Carla couldn't stay quiet - and this episode is her response.

Using the stories of two fleeing prophets, Jonah and Elijah, Carla unpacks the real difference between willful disobedience and nervous-system dysregulation, and why God meets each one so differently. If you've ever wondered whether your anxiety, your snapping, your isolating, or your depression means you're being disobedient to God, this episode is for you.

You'll also hear a bit about Rooted & Regulated, Carla's 4-week program on physiology, nervous system regulation, and spiritual formation - with a reminder that finances should never be the reason someone can't get support.

Learn more & register here: https://carlaarges.podia.com/rooted-regulated

What was meant to be a one month sabbitical - turned into six months! As I start to emerge back into this space - it feels hard. I'm breaking through exectuive function challenges and learning that God doesn't want me to simply return as I was before. So - here's to a messy re-entry and all God has in store for this podcast!

Have you ever felt like God has gone quiet?

In this episode, Carla shares from her own sabbatical season where God has felt silent - and what He's been gently revealing in that space. We explore the difference between God's silence and His absence, the 400 years between Malachi and Matthew, and why God often invites us to act on what He has already said instead of seeking something new.

You'll also learn what it actually looks like to meet God in the silence, why silence feels so uncomfortable, and how to respond in a way that deepens your trust rather than shakes it.

If you've been waiting for clarity, direction, or a fresh word from God, this episode will help you remain grounded, faithful, and connected - even when heaven feels quiet.

GET YOUR FREE RENEWING YOUR MIND WORKBOOK HERE

Book a Discovery call with me https://calendly.com/cmsarges/discoverycall

Come hangout on IG with me @carla.arges

Check out my blog and more at www.carlaarges.com

As Christians, we say we want to grow, heal, and become more like Jesus - but what happens when that process requires discomfort? From avoiding silence to staying in familiar patterns of brokenness, many of us are unintentionally choosing comfort over formation.

This episode unpacks how comfort can become an idol, why our brains resist change, and what Scripture actually says about the cost of spiritual growth. If you've been feeling stuck, numb, or resistant to deeper healing, this conversation will gently challenge and invite you into something more.

GET YOUR FREE RENEWING YOUR MIND WORKBOOK HERE

Book a Discovery call with me https://calendly.com/cmsarges/discoverycall

Come hangout on IG with me @carla.arges

Check out my blog and more at www.carlaarges.com

If you've ever asked yourself "what is my purpose today?" and felt discouraged by the answer - this episode is for you.

Carla shares a powerful reframe God walked her through this past week - shifting from striving to find purpose to simply asking, "what does faithfulness look like today?"

We'll explore how this small shift brings peace, clarity, and freedom, along with the science behind reframing your thoughts and the biblical foundation for living a faithful, grounded life.

If you're feeling stuck, unproductive, or like your days don't "matter," this episode will gently reorient your heart back to what truly does.

GET YOUR FREE RENEWING YOUR MIND WORKBOOK HERE

Book a Discovery call with me https://calendly.com/cmsarges/discoverycall

Come hangout on IG with me @carla.arges

Check out my blog and more at www.carlaarges.com

"He is risen."

It's a phrase we hear every Easter - but what if it's more than a declaration about the past?

In this episode, we explore how the resurrection of Jesus is not just a historical truth, but a present power and a future promise. Because of the resurrection, you are not only forgiven - you are made new. You belong. You are free. And even in the midst of ongoing struggles, the victory has already been secured.

If you've ever felt stuck in your past, defined by your struggles, or unsure how to actually live out your faith in a real and tangible way, his episode will ground you in what the resurrection truly means for your life today.

GET YOUR FREE RENEWING YOUR MIND WORKBOOK HERE

Book a Discovery call with me https://calendly.com/cmsarges/discoverycall

Come hangout on IG with me @carla.arges

Check out my blog and more at www.carlaarges.com

Have you ever felt called to something - but instead of being released into it, you feel like God is asking you to pause?

In this episode, we're talking about the often misunderstood and deeply uncomfortable season of restoration. The season where God calls you to step back, be still, and allow Him to restore what has been poured out.

Drawing from Leviticus 25 and the Biblical principle of letting the land rest, we explore why God's design includes pause, how our identity can become entangled with productivity, and why hiddenness in Christ is not a setback - but preparation.

If you're afraid of losing momentum, being forgotten, or becoming "nothing" in the stillness, this episode will gently reframe what God is actually doing beneath the surface.

GET YOUR FREE RENEWING YOUR MIND WORKBOOK HERE

Book a Discovery call with me https://calendly.com/cmsarges/discoverycall

Come hangout on IG with me @carla.arges

Check out my blog and more at www.carlaarges.com

What happens when you're doing "God's work" - but you feel completely burned out?

In this episode of Affirming Truths, Carla shares why she is stepping into a 5-week sabbatical and what God has been revealing about identity, striving, and control. Reflecting on Matthew 11:28–29, she unpacks what it truly means to "take Jesus' yoke" - not as a poetic phrase, but as a practical invitation.

If you've been hustling for your worth, overworking to prove yourself, or quietly exhausted from trying to carry life in your own strength, this episode will gently challenge and encourage you.

You'll learn:

• What a yoke actually was in biblical times

• Why Jesus calls His burden "light"

• How burnout can reveal misplaced identity

• What it means to let Jesus set the pace

This is an invitation to stop striving, release control, and walk beside the One who carries the weight.

Did you know that Carla is a Christian Mental Health coach? See if working with her is what you need in your current season. Book a discovery call today!

GET YOUR FREE RENEWING YOUR MIND WORKBOOK HERE

Book a Discovery call with me https://calendly.com/cmsarges/discoverycall

Come hangout on IG with me @carla.arges

Check out my blog and more at www.carlaarges.com