If you’ve wondered whether you’ve missed your chance to pursue a dream, this conversation offers a much-needed perspective shift. God’s calling on your life transcends age because wisdom and experience are assets, not hindrances. In this episode with Heather Creekmore, we talk about managing the fear of not feeling qualified, shifting into a biblical perspective on growing old, and fighting the thoughts and insecurities that keep your dream hidden.
303 || How to Re-Energize Your Faith through the Practice of Wonder || Jen Weaver
Are you afraid of what God might do with your dream? If fear has been a driving force in your dream (or lack thereof), it’s time to go deeper in your faith. Jen Weaver shares in this episode about how to manage the fear of not feeling qualified for the dream God has given you. Rather than quit when you hit a fear roadblock, you can choose to walk through your fear with God—who is the antidote to fear—so He can re-energize your faith with the truth of His Word.
300 || How to Not Miss God’s Purpose for Your Life || Tracey Gates
Is it possible to miss God’s plan? As the years went by raising children and working odd jobs, Tracey Gates felt there was more she could do with her skills and gifts. She thought maybe she would write a book one day, but she had no idea how to begin or what her topic would be. So she set aside that dream for another time. Occasionally it would come up in conversation with a friend or her spouse but there was never enough clarity to move forward. By age 50, though, she began to wonder if she’d totally missed what God had planned for her.
299 || How an Unexpected Layoff Brought a Dream to Life || Shadia Hrichi
What are you waiting on God to do? Sometimes we are so busy looking ahead for an answer to prayer or a change in circumstance that we miss out on what He’s doing right in front of us. Today’s guest, Shadia Hrichi, shares the unexpected twist in her career journey and how it revealed her God-shaped dream. You’ll learn about trusting God when progress is slow, how downtime brings you closer to the Lord, and the vital role of wise mentors in your life and dreams.
280 || [Recast] How to Keep Perspective When You Don't See the Fruit of Your Dream || Katy McCown
Does it sometimes feel like God’s timing doesn’t make sense? Katy McCown always knew she was called to write but she didn’t expect to get the green light when she was eight months pregnant with her sixth child. Today she is the author of two Bible studies, president of She Laughs Ministries, a writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and a national speaker. Through all life’s uncertainties and surprises, Katy has learned some things about “living sure” even when the future is not.
273 || How to Hold On to God When It Doesn’t Go the Way You Expected || Keagan Hayden
My guest Keagan Hayden shares how she relinquished control and learned to enjoy the journey rather than focusing on the destination. She talks about the challenges of following God’s plan, especially when it doesn't match your expectations, and the difference between working with God versus doing work for Him. Despite the ebbs and flows of her dream, Keagan continues to trust in God's plan and take each day as an adventure.
271 || How to Remain Faithful When God Has You in a Season of Waiting || Eryn Lynum
What if you embraced your doubts? In this episode, Eryn Lynum shares how her dream has become more aligned in the last five years, even in the midst of her doubts. You’ll learn how embracing doubts becomes an opportunity for God to reveal His plan, that waiting is not idle because it allows for growth and strength in preparation for when it's time to act, and how spending time connecting with God through nature provides a better understanding of both His written Word and His created world.
259 || How to Pursue a Dream When You Can't See the Full Picture || Rachel Baker
What can you do when you don’t have what it takes to follow your dream? If you lack the time, energy, or know-how to accomplish the God-shaped dream on your heart, it can feel like an unbearable weight. In this episode, Rachel Baker shares her story about battling self-doubt so she can continue pursuing her dream. You’ll learn about depending on God for all that you lack, keeping your dream surrendered to Him as He shapes and grows it, and letting Him define success in every season.
251 || Finding Beauty in the Messy Middle of Pursuing a God-Shaped Dream || Christine Marie Bailey
How do you adapt when your dream isn’t quite what you planned? Fear and perfectionism are two of the biggest enemies when it comes to pursuing a God-shaped dream. Maybe you’d prefer to have it all figured out before you begin. Or you’ve stepped out in the past but then retreated when things didn't work like you thought they would. My guest Christine Bailey knows all about stepping into a dream that is not fully figured out and the courage that comes from taking simple steps of obedience.
223 || The Best Way to Get Started When You Don’t Know Where to Begin || Rachel Baker
Which do you struggle with most: starting on a dream or staying faithful through the messy middle? Along her journey Rachel Baker has questioned her lack of training, doubted her calling, and has been tempted to give up before reaching the finish line. Like many dreamers, she also went through a season of not knowing where to begin. In a beautiful turn of events (and a conversation with her husband), she realized that the starting line was just outside her own door. Maybe yours is there too!
209 || She’s Living a Dream That She Never Expected || Jamie Dodero
Have you ever wondered where God is when your life feels out of control, or your plan isn’t working out the way you thought it would? A sudden job loss because of the pandemic and a previously undetected heart defect in her newborn daughter shook Jamie Dodero to the core. But God used both to grow Jamie’s faith and fuel her dream to write a children’s prayer book.
202 || The Delight of Keeping it Simple and Working from Your Zone of Genius || Sarah Maddack
Sarah Maddack discovered her God-shaped dream by paying attention to what flows naturally out of the gifts, talents, and experiences God has given her. Sarah didn’t know the path He would take her on; none of us do. But she was willing to take risks and try new things, to stand out from the crowd, and to trust that God is so much bigger than any of the insecurities she may have felt before she became a TikTok sensation.
201 || [Mini] This is What Happens When You Suddenly Go Viral on TikTok || Katie Bulmer
Katie Bulmer returns to the Devoted Dreamers Podcast to remind us of what really matters, especially once you achieve something you’ve worked toward for a long time. When a 30-second video she created went viral on TikTok, she felt blindsided. This short conversation is all about the unexpected reactions, how she dealt with criticism from strangers, and what she learned as a result.
199 || How to Keep Perspective When You Don't See the Fruit of Your Dream || Katy McCown
Sometimes God’s timing does not make sense in our limited perspective. Katy McCown always knew she was called to write but she didn’t expect God to give the green light when she was eight months pregnant with her sixth child. Today she is president of She Laughs Ministries, a writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and a national speaker. Through all life’s uncertainties and surprises, Katy has learned some things about “living sure” even when the future is not.
198 || How You Respond to Rejection Matters More Than Your Success || Heather Thompson Day
Although she is the author of seven published books, Dr. Heather Thompson Day has faced rejection after rejection in her dream of becoming a best-selling author. Her newest book It’s Not Your Turn is the story of how God has used repeated rejections to shape her character over the years and to help her realize that who she is when she’s not in the spotlight is far more important than who she will be when she is.
196 || God Meets You in the Most Unexpected Moments of Pursuing a Dream || Kat Harris
Kat Harris’s vision for women to know their beauty, identity, and value was born out of years spent asking difficult questions of God, herself, her community, and strangers on the subway. Her dream was never to write a book on sex and dating as a single Christian woman. In fact, doing so has revealed all her insecurities. But walking forward in it despite the challenges has grown her confidence in a God who gives us space to question and explore our dreams.
194 || How to Glean the Best Path Forward from the Mentors in Your Life || Kelsey Chapman
Kelsey Chapman is an author, podcaster, and personal cheerleader to women building their dream life and business. She loves teaching other women how to find mentors because mentorship has had such a positive impact on her life and business. Her mentors paved the way and shared their experiences, so she didn’t have to learn all the hard lessons herself. Those relationships are what pushed Kelsey to rise up and continue making her dream a reality, even through the difficulties.
193 || Do You Believe God Will Do Great Things Through Your Dream? || Blythe Daniel
What’s your relationship like with your mom? Blythe Daniel and her mom wrote a book together to support restoration and healing in mother/daughter relationships. Theirs is one of the many resources Blythe has shepherded onto bookshelves around the world in fulfilling her mission as a literary evangelist. Part of pursuing this dream for Blythe has been remembering God’s faithfulness and His limitless nature; her story reminds us that this is true for His role in our dreams as well.
184 || God is Good Even When You Don't Understand His Ways || Ellie Sanazaro
God’s plans are often different from our plans. This was true for Ellie Sanazaro when her world was forever changed after her daughter was born without the chromosomal disorder doctors had told her to expect. God used this event to change Ellie's heart and lead her down the path of adopting a baby with Down syndrome. Ellie is now passionate about spreading the message that EVERY child is an Image Bearer.
183 || Why You Need to Give Yourself Permission to Fail || Hannah Brencher
Failure is where we grow and learn; it shapes our future decisions and is a reminder of the choices we want to make differently next time. Few people wish to experience failure but attempting to avoid it means missing out on essential opportunities for growth that only come from taking risks, getting it wrong, and picking yourself up to learn and try anew. This week, Hannah Brencher shares a message of hope-filled reminders to keep seeking light in the darkest places of our lives, even amid failure.