Anchored by the Sword

Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of The Anchored by the Sword Podcast. You guys already know… conversations surrounding mental health are deeply important to me. Not only because of my own journey, but because I’ve seen firsthand how anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and mental health struggles can impact entire families—and how often people inside the church feel ashamed to talk about it.Today’s conversation is one I think so many of you need.I’m joined by Melissa Fisher, licensed mental health counselor and author of Jesus for the Anxious: 8 Weeks of Practicing Peace to Calm Your Worry and Fear, which released this May.And honestly…This episode felt like permission.Permission to admit you’re anxious.Permission to stop believing anxiety automatically means weak faith.Permission to realize that Jesus and mental health belong in the same conversation.Because Melissa said something that stuck with me:Anxiety is not sin.And I know for some people that statement alone may challenge years of messaging.In this episode we talk about:✨ Why anxiety is not a spiritual failure✨ Harmful messages Christians often hear:“If you just prayed more…”“If you had more faith…”✨ How therapy and faith can work together✨ Why anxiety impacts the nervous system physically—not just spiritually✨ Practical tools for calming anxiety (breathing, rest, body awareness, thought patterns)✨ Learning to build your life on God’s faithfulness instead of unstable foundationsMelissa shares a powerful picture of wooden beams vs. steel beams:Wooden beams = things we rely on for security:financesplansrelationshipssuccesscontrolSteel beams = truths about God:His faithfulnessHis presenceHis righteousnessHis promisesBecause storms will come.Life will shake.But the goal isn’t avoiding hardship.The goal is having a foundation that holds.We also talk about:🤍 Why rest matters🤍 The church and mental health stigma🤍 The importance of counseling🤍 Why overachievers struggle with slowing down🤍 And how calm practices aren’t just for crisis moments—they’re daily habitsOne thing I loved hearing:You can struggle with anxiety…and still deeply love Jesus.Friend, if you’re carrying worry, overthinking, panic, fear, or simply feeling exhausted—This conversation is for you.🎧 Listen now.Bio:Melissa Fisher is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Vancouver, Washington, working with trauma and anxiety. She has two decades of experience in Christian youth, women's, military, and young adult ministries, as well as personal work in spiritual formation. Melissa has contributed to Karen Whiting and Jocelyn Greene's Battlefields and Blessings. She and her husband, a retired military officer, enjoy traveling with their adult children and hiking in the mountains.Anchor Verses:Psalm 91Connect with Melissa: Website: https://www.melissafishercounseling.com***We love hearing from you! Your reviews help our podcast community and keep these important conversations going. If this episode inspired you, challenged you, or gave you a fresh perspective, we’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review. Just head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen and share your thoughts—it’s a simple way to make a big impact!***

Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of The Anchored by the Sword Podcast. Today’s conversation is one that honestly hit me in a lot of places because we’re talking about something I think so many women quietly carry:The pressure to be strong.The pressure to move on quickly.The pressure to bounce back.And what happens when you’re tired.Today I’m joined by Charaia Rush, author of The Myth of Bouncing Back, and you guys… this conversation is raw, honest, and one I think a lot of women need.Because the truth is:Sometimes healing doesn’t look like getting back up quickly.Sometimes resilience costs us something.Sometimes we rise again… but we don’t rise as the same person.And maybe that isn’t failure.Maybe that’s healing.In this episode we talk about:✨ Walking away from an abusive marriage and rebuilding from nothing✨ Shame after divorce and church hurt✨ Why “bounce back culture” can actually do more harm than good✨ The anger women often feel but don’t think they’re allowed to admit✨ Learning to sit in the ashes instead of rushing redemption✨ The gift of rock bottom—and how God sometimes meets us there✨ Rumination, shame, resilience, and learning to let God rebuild what brokeOne thing Charaia said that stayed with me:“You don’t have to bounce back. You can rise as a completely different woman.”And honestly…I think a lot of us needed permission to hear that.Because healing after grief, trauma, infertility, divorce, loss, betrayal, mental health struggles, or disappointment rarely makes us look the same.And that doesn’t mean we failed.It means we survived.Friend, if you’re sitting in the ashes right now…This episode is for you.If you’re angry…This episode is for you.If you’re exhausted from trying to be “strong”…This episode is for you too.🎧 Listen now and share this episode with others who need to hear this message.Bio:Charaia Rush is a writer and speaker based in Colorado. She is the author of Courageously Soft, an invitation to hold on to tenderness in a world that demands toughness. Her work has been featured by She Reads Truth, Christian Parenting, and other platforms where faith, honesty, and everyday life intersect. Known for her poetic voice and practical wisdom, Charaia writes for anyone learning to live with hope, wrestle with truth, and keep showing up--even when it's hard. She lives in Colorado with her two kids, where she's always chasing beauty in the ordinary.Anchor Verses:Isaiah 61:3Romans 5:5 Isaiah 50:7Connect with Charaia:Website: https://www.charaiarush.comIG: https://www.instagram.com/charaiarush/FB: https://www.facebook.com/charaia.rush***We love hearing from you! Your reviews help our podcast community and keep these important conversations going. If this episode inspired you, challenged you, or gave you a fresh perspective, we’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review. Just head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen and share your thoughts—it’s a simple way to make a big impact!***

Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of The Anchored by the Sword Podcast. Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I really wanted to continue having these important conversations surrounding faith and mental health—because the truth is, so many people are silently struggling while feeling like they have to pretend they’re fine.And you guys already know… this topic is deeply personal to me.Today, I’m joined by Pastor Steve Larson, whose book The Four Keys to Mental Health: Feel Better, Think Clearly, and Enjoy Life Again came out earlier this year, and this conversation was such an encouraging and practical one.Steve shares his own journey of walking through depression and anxiety while planting and pastoring a church. After walking through a painful season of church division, he found himself emotionally exhausted and struggling mentally in ways he never had before. And I think what impacted me most is that instead of hiding it, he began learning, growing, and eventually helping others walk through their own mental health journeys too.In this episode, we talk about:✨ Why the church needs to become a safer place to talk about mental health✨ The difference between faith and pretending everything is fine✨ Why mental health struggles are not a sign of spiritual failure✨ How God can heal through miracles, medicine, counseling, community—or all of the above✨ And the four key areas that impact our mental health:PhysicalMentalSpiritualRelationalOne thing Steve said that really stood out to me was this:👉 “If you have a body, you have physical health. If you have a brain, you have mental health.”And honestly… that’s such an important reminder.Mental health isn’t just “for certain people.”It affects all of us in different ways.We also talk about:The stigma surrounding medication in Christian spacesLearning to let go of the illusion of controlWhy vulnerability mattersAnd how even giants of the faith like Elijah, David, and Jeremiah wrestled deeply emotionallyAnd I loved this reminder:You are not weak because you need help.You are human.If you are struggling right now, please hear me:It is OK to not be OK.Just don’t stay there alone.There are people who want to walk beside you. Reach out to someone or dial 988 today.Bio:Steve Larson serves as lead pastor of Community Celebration Church in Kasson, MN. Steve is married to Tammy, and they live in Rochester, MN. They have two children: Dalton and Miracle.  In 2002, he went through a severe season of depression and burnout. As a result, he was given a forced sabbatical from the ministry. During that time, he began to collect tools that would help him experience better mental health and spiritual well-being. He was asked to teach those tools to others in his association of churches. He has been teaching those tools for nearly twenty years to pastors in the Minnesota district Assemblies of God. He has also taught them at conferences, recovery centers, and other groups.Anchor Verses:Luke 2: 52Proverbs 3: 5-6Zechariah 4:6Connect with Steve:FB: https://www.facebook.com/share/1bbf5iwtGF/?mibextid=wwXIfrIG: https://www.instagram.com/ccc.kassonCommunity Celebration Church YouTube: https://youtube.com/@communitycelebrationchurch***We love hearing from you! Your reviews help our podcast community and keep these important conversations going. If this episode inspired you, challenged you, or gave you a fresh perspective, we’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review. Just head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen and share your thoughts—it’s a simple way to make a big impact!***

Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of The Anchored by the Sword Podcast. I am so excited about today’s conversation—because this one truly felt like a God-ordained connection.Today, I’m sitting down with Kim Oswalt, and you guys… her story is such a beautiful reminder that when God calls you into something, He doesn’t leave you to figure it out alone.We talk about what it looks like to:Say “yes” to God—even when you feel unqualifiedWalk through fear (especially the fear of failure)Step into obedience before you feel readyAnd discover that you were actually made for more all alongKim shares her journey of coming to faith as a teenager, walking through years of growth, and then—years later—feeling God nudge her to write a book… even though she had never written anything before.And I love this part—because I know so many of us can relate:👉 The fear wasn’t about writing👉 The fear was about failingBut the moment she named it, God met her there… and everything started to shift.Since then, she has released three books:The Abundant LifeThe Battle for Our MindsAbiding with GodAnd in this episode, we dive deep into:✨ What it really means to abide with God✨ The lies we believe that hold us back✨ Why we keep God at arms length (even when we love Him)✨ And how spending time with Him actually transforms us from the inside outOne of my favorite takeaways from this conversation:We become like who or what we spend time with.So what would happen… if we truly spent time with Jesus daily—not just on Sundays, not just when things get hard—but in the everyday moments?This episode is such an encouragement if you’ve been:Feeling stuckFeeling afraid to take the next stepOr sensing God is calling you into something moreFriend, this is your reminder:Your obedience matters more than your perfection.Tune in now and let this conversation encourage you to take that next step with God.Bio:Kim Oswalt is a wife, mother, women’s ministry leader, and three-time published author with a heart devoted to serving the Lord. She lives in the beautiful state of Utah where she finds refreshment in God’s creation—whether that’s running (three half-marathons and counting), hiking with family and friends, or simply soaking in the stillness of nature. When she’s not outdoors, Kim enjoys reading, writing, and relaxing at home, snuggling with her puppies.She and her husband, Steve, have been married for twenty-three years and are raising their teenage daughter, who keeps them on their toes and fills their lives with joy. Kim’s background as both a military child and former military spouse has given her a deep appreciation for life’s many seasons and the faithfulness of God through them all. Kim leads a women’s Bible study and enjoys hosting events that draw women together in Christ-centered community. She’s passionate about encouraging others to walk closely with God, believing that while each of our journeys is unique, every path we walk is divinely woven and never crosses another by accident. Through her ministry, writing, and relationships, Kim continues to point others toward deeper faith and lasting friendship rooted in the love of Jesus.Anchor Verse:Jeremiah 29:13Connect with Kim:Website: Kimoswalt.comFB: https://www.facebook.com/share/17VBTnNyCy/?mibextid=wwXIfrIG: https://www.instagram.com/kimoswalt_author***We love hearing from you! Your reviews help our podcast community and keep these important conversations going. If this episode inspired you, challenged you, or gave you a fresh perspective, we’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review. Just head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen and share your thoughts—it’s a simple way to make a big impact!***

Welcome back to another episode of The Anchored by the Sword Podcast. I’m really excited—and honestly, really expectant—about today’s conversation.If you’ve been around this podcast for any length of time or you’ve read Anchored in Freedom, then you already know… mental health is something that is deeply personal to me. It’s something I’ve walked through, something my family has walked through, and something I am incredibly passionate about bringing into the light.And I truly believe there is no better time to have this conversation than right now, as we walk through Mental Health Awareness Month.Today, I’m sitting down with Erin Kerry, author of Live Beyond Your Label: A Holistic Approach to Breaking Old Patterns and Rediscovering a Healthier You in Mind, Body, and Spirit.And you guys… this conversation is real.We talk about:What it looks like to be diagnosed with mental illness at a young ageHow labels can both help… and hinderThe tension between faith and mental health (and why “just pray more” isn’t the answer)Walking through trauma without shameThe importance of boundaries (yes—even as Christian women)And how our physical health—what we eat, how we move, how we rest—actually impacts our mental and emotional well-beingErin shares her story of being diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder, the struggles that followed, and the healing journey God led her through—not overnight, but through intentional steps, support, and truth.We also talk about something that I think is so important:👉 You are not your diagnosis.👉 You are not your struggle.👉 And you are not disqualified because of your mental health.As believers, our identity is rooted in Christ—not in the labels we’ve been given.This episode is for you if:You’ve ever felt defined by your mental healthYou’ve wrestled with shame, anxiety, depression, or traumaYou’ve felt unseen—even in the churchOr you’re just trying to figure out how faith and mental health actually work togetherAnd I just want to say this clearly:You are not alone in this.And there is hope.Let’s keep having these conversations—not just this month, but always.Bio:Erin Kerry is a health coach and mental health advocate. She encourages people to live beyond their labels, sparking hope and wholeness each week through her podcast, Sparking Wholeness. Erin knows how suffering from a chronic illness can infiltrate every area of life. By the age of 18, she was given the labels PTSD, depression, and bipolar disorder. Today, she is livingsymptom-free. She empowers people to be their own health advocates so they don’t have to be limited by a label or diagnosis. She and her husband, Richard, live in Tyler, Texas, with their three kids: Isabel, Roman, and Rhett.Anchor Verses:Zephaniah 3:17Romans 8:1Hebrews 4:16Connect with Erin:Website: https://erinbkerry.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/sparkingwholeness/FB: https://www.facebook.com/sparkingwholeness ***We love hearing from you! Your reviews help our podcast community and keep these important conversations going. If this episode inspired you, challenged you, or gave you a fresh perspective, we’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review. Just head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen and share your thoughts—it’s a simple way to make a big impact!***