In this episode, you’re going to be bathed in scripture! Hunter Beless knows her bible and shares the value of being in His word daily. She reminds us of God's power to fulfill dreams regardless of circumstances. You’ll learn about re-orienting your fear of the things of this world to the God of the universe and how that gives us courage to keep taking the next step. She also teaches us about embracing our limitedness with the grace and freedom to do what is within your capacity and let go of the rest!
091 || On Remembering to Include God in Your Plans || Teresa Swanstrom Anderson
In this episode, blogger/author Teresa Swanstom Anderson shares how she went from not wanting children in her 20s to having a house full of kids today. She reminds us that God put each one of us here, in this time and place, for a purpose. You’ll learn about her struggle through a season of waiting for God to reveal His plan for her life and how she figured out the direction she was going wasn’t it. She also teaches us what happens when we forget that closed doors can be an answer to prayer for doors to be opened.
090 || Because You Already Have Permission to Follow Your Dream || Bailey Hurley
In this episode, Bailey Hurley and I talk about friendship – the good and the challenging. You’ll learn how to invest and grow intentional friendships, why Bailey believes loving others is part of our relationship with God, and how to do this not just with grand gestures of hospitality but also with everyday acts of building community. She shares about figuring out your dream, waiting on the fruit of your investment in it, and the joy in pursuing what God created you to do, even when you feel like quitting.
089 || How to Loosen Your Grip on Your Dream || Kristi Hayes
Kristi Hayes’ greatest desire is to influence and inspire families to go into the vulnerable places and serve others. In this episode, she shares about how her business, Be Strong Story, was born and the years prior in which God taught her to hold loosely to her dreams. You will be inspired to work hard at your dream but also to check yourself for clues that you’re gripping it too tightly. You will learn Kristi’s bold but simple strategy to find a mentor and the value of obedience, even if you can’t see the rewards right away.
088 || Why You Don't Have to Be Perfect to Pursue Your Dream || Jessica Mathisen
In this episode, Jessica Mathisen reminds us we don’t have to be perfect to pursue our dream. In fact, our desire for perfection can often stand in the way of our dream. She encourages us that our dream is really God’s dream, and it’s meant for His glory and the good of others. You’re going to love her story about being bold with her former boss to go after a need she knew she could fill. (Don’t we all need a little more boldness as we walk towards our dreams?) You’ll also learn from her why it’s so important to share your dreams with others.
087 || Pursuing the Dream When You Feel Misunderstood || Blythe Scott
In this episode, Blythe Scott talks about Denver City Forum and its mission in the city of Denver to help mobilize and equip the Church to join Him in the “renewal of all things,” to further redemption, and to advocate for the vulnerable through politics and policy. She also shares what it feels like to be misunderstood in her dream, how she’s dealt with that disappointment and offers suggestions, in case it happens with you and your dream. You will also learn the value of not overthinking your dream (which can stand in the way of getting started) and gain a helpful tip about a morning ritual to help curb your thinking so you can be more fruitful and Christ-centered in your day.
086 || How to Lean into God’s Purpose for You || Wendy Bohling
Wendy Bohling is passionate about building a community of working women with faith. Along with her team of speakers and facilitators, Wendy is hosting the Not Just a Rib Conference for Working Women with Faith in Louisville, Colorado on April 28th. In this interview, you’ll hear why she has felt “not good enough” to pursue this dream and learn how God has grown and equipped her to follow it anyway. She talks about the importance of getting quiet before God, so you can hear what He’s saying to you, and believing He knows your needs even when you have no idea where provision for your dream will come from.
085 || How God's Word Can Breathe Life into Your Dream || Heather Holleman
In this interview, Heather Holleman reminds us that we can be deceived into thinking there’s life in the dream, instead of finding life in the Dream Maker. She shares the incredible power and joy we can find in living for the praise of God’s glory, and she reveals her daily practice of confessing the sin of self-exaltation. Finally, she talks about how the Lord may bring us through a season of preparation before we really see our dream come to fruition and what we can do in the meantime.
084 || How to Align Your Dream with God's Dream for You || Elizabeth Grace Saunders
Author and time management expert, Elizabeth Saunders, talks in this episode about the value of owning and sharing your truth, even if some people might not like it. She shares her dream of helping others connect with divine time management principles and draw closer to God as well as revealing how God used her dream to convict and change her heart. She also explains how we can trust God with our time and the choices we make about how we use what He’s given us.
083 || Why We Should Cease Striving and Learn to Rest || Kasey Shuler
Author Kasey Shuler talks about paying attention to what brings us joy to find the keys to our God-shaped dream. She reminds us that our dreaming begins with resting in the Lord and that this “rest” isn’t necessarily about sleep. Our souls also need rest and the place we find that is in Him. When we let go of our striving and focus on Him, we’ll learn to rest in Him and trust Him for the outcome.
082 || Letting God Lead Your Dreams || Sarah Beth Marr
Author Sarah Beth Marr talks about her experience of dreaming with God and her process of writing her book of the same name. She offers perspective on dreams that unfold slowly. She encourages us to look for the “little jewels of direction” and “divine sparks” from God to help us uncover our dreams. She also shares about where our feelings of restless might come from as well as how you can dream with grace, take the pressure off and just make a dent in the dream you feel like God’s given you.
081 || Mining Your Story for the Dream God's Given You || Beth Bruno
080 || Letting Grief Fuel Your Dream || Halley Mastrolonardo
As she prepares to meet their first child, Halley Mastrolonardo shares the best advice she’s received thus far: to know your season of life. That applies to all of us as it relates to our God-shaped dreams. Halley teaches us about letting go of what people think of us—and how that connects to confession and transparency in our lives. She talks about how grief, surprisingly, was the thing that spurred her on to pursue her dream. In fact, she says taking those risks to move forward was the thing that kept her from drowning in despair.
079 || How to Keep Trusting God When Your Calling Shifts || Amy Knuver
Amy Knuver makes her return to the podcast this week with an update on how her first year in Togo, West Africa, as a teacher of mission children went and what unexpectedly shifted within her while she was there. She talks about how she handled the shift in her dream, how difficult circumstances have and are shaping her, and about trusting God as provider even when you don’t see His provision in the timing you expect.
078 || Fitting Your Dream into An Already Busy Life || Tiffany Bluhm
In this interview, author and Bible study teacher Tiffany Bluhm helps us dump the mom-guilt that can come with trying to balance dreaming, raising kids, and caring for a home and a husband. Instead she talks about making the most of our time, asking for help when we need it, and how not to miss out on the dream God’s put on your heart—even if you feel too busy to pursue it. Her advice to the dreamer, near the end of our conversation, about finding someone who’s already doing your dream was priceless.
077 || Because Your Dream Was Never Just About You || Allison Hale
In this interview, Allison Hale educates us about how women get caught up in sex trafficking and prostitution from what she’s learned in her nearly 10 years of ministry on the streets of San Pedro, Dominican Republic. She shares about the value of doing what you can and letting that be enough, the fruit that’s come from working with a team, and how this dream started as an inkling and was confirmed through four months of prayer.
076 || Believing God's Faithfulness Above Your Self-Doubt || Dorcas Cheng-Tozun
In this interview, Dorcas Cheng-Tozun reminds us a that just because the path is difficult, or we cannot see the fruit of our work, or that we feel stuck and alone in this moment, that doesn’t mean God’s not with us or we’re not following the right dream. She also shares about the value of knowing yourself and learning to accept and embrace who God made you. She reminds us about keeping the Sabbath and that no matter your calling, you need breaks from work, technology, and the day-to-day demands. And finally, she suggests that if you’re feeling stuck it might just be God inviting you into deeper communion with Him.
All this and more including how to stay married to (and in love with) your entrepreneur spouse and their family’s rules about date nights, cell phone breaks and family time make this a don’t-miss episode of the podcast!
075 || When God Gives You a Dream That's Bigger Than You || Simone Halpin
In this interview, Simone Halpin (co-founder and Executive Director of Naomi's House) returns to the show to share about the day-to-day challenges and joys of stepping into something bigger than herself. She talks about needing to redefine success along the way, the beauty of being rooted and going deeper instead of wider, as well as the importance of clinging to God’s Word as we seek clarity on our God-shaped dream.
074 || Battling for a Biblical Mindset || Allie Davis
In this interview, Allie Davis talks about her experience of moving from depression and a negative mindset to a more biblical mindset and how it changed her perspective of “calling” in her life. She also shares the clues that pointed to what her dream might be. She reminds us that our discouraging thoughts are not from God and that baby steps may not always bring the results you hoped for…and that’s okay!
073 || How God Works Through You, Despite Your Past || Gretchen Foster
Gretchen Foster is a woman whose life has been completely undone and restored by the unfathomable love of Jesus Christ. In this interview, she talks about the choice we have between being fearful or faithful when it comes to following our God-shaped dream. She reminds us of the force, power, authority of our King Jesus who is coming back one day. And she admonishes us of the dangers of comparing ourselves or lives to those of other women.