What does rest look like for you? Is it collapsing into bed after a long day? Or vegging out on the couch with Netflix? I have recently realized that there has to be a better way to work and rest that will spark more creativity and help avoid burnout. This episode will help you think about the restorative rest you need to fuel your God-shaped dream and how to make decisions today to implement it in your life.
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.
200 || Celebration Episode: The Journey to Devoted Dreamers || Merritt Onsa & Tabitha Bigbee-Highland
In celebration of the 200th Devoted Dreamers episode I chose to do things a little differently. The tables are turned, and I am being interviewed by my friend and past guest Tabitha Bigbee-Highland, founder of Every Day Faith. You’ll hear the back story of Devoted Dreamers, my heart for this ministry and the challenges I’ve faced in pursuing my own dream (and how I’ve handled them). At the end, don’t miss the speed round where Tabitha asks me to answer a bunch of random questions on the fly!
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.
Season 9 || [Bonus] Do You Have a Dream Burning in Your Heart?
With five years of podcasting under my belt, people always ask what I’ve learned so today I'm sharing my three top takeaways from interviews with Christian women dreamers as they fight back fear to start business, launch a nonprofit, write a book, pursue a speaking career, wait on God, test out new ideas, fight the lies, battle comparison and imposter syndrome, and come out on the other side trusting God more because they’ve learned to lean on Him in the process of chasing their dreams.
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.
197 || How to Know When God Is Speaking to Your Heart || Heather Oncken
A kind gesture by a friend inspired Heather Oncken’s dream to encourage people to be more intentional in their friendships. She knew she was supposed to do something with this inspiration. She just didn’t know what. As she prayed for clarity, God prompted her to be faithful to the needs He placed in front of her. Today she shares the hope that in all our relationships we have an opportunity to change someone’s day, someone’s week, and even someone’s life through our small, intentional gestures of love.
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.
195 || [Solo] 3 Commitments to Make Before Spending Money to Pursue Your Dream || Merritt Onsa
Are you ready for big things to happen with your dream? Maybe you’re weighing the pros and cons of hiring a coach, or you want to invest in a course for the support and accountability that will push you out of your comfort zone, or that training program to fill in your knowledge gaps. All of these are great options but only once you have considered the three commitments that need to come first, before you invest any money in your dream.
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.
192 || Feeling Too Broken to Dream? Embrace Your Story & Trust God's Plan || Yolanda King
Do wounds from your past threaten your confidence or progress toward your God-shaped dream? Do you have trouble believing that God sees you and knows your needs? Yolanda King shares her story of childhood abuse and neglect that could have kept her stuck in fear and seeking approval from others. But God had a different plan. Today she’s helping other women overcome obstacles and trauma to create a life and career they love.
191 || Are You Tired of Feeling Like Your Work Doesn't Matter? || Michaela O’Donnell
What does it look like to pursue meaningful work in a changing world? Michaela O’Donnell helps people do just that through her programs, writing, and teaching on issues of vocation, work, and leadership. In this episode we talk about recalibrating expectations regarding the pace of change, what to do when your dreams don’t happen right away, and how to look for breadcrumbs of God's providence along the way.
190 || [Solo] A Beginner's Guide for How to be a Great Podcast Guest || Merritt Onsa
Have you ever considered being a podcast guest? You’re probably not surprised to hear that there are 1.75 million podcasts in the world (according to Podcast Insights) and that number is growing daily! This episode will teach you how to pitch yourself, the techy details you need to know, and how to prepare to be the best podcast guest you can be so you can share your dream with a wider audience.
189 || Making a Daily Decision to Surrender Your Dreams to God || Shelley Tyson
Shelley Tyson is passionate about seeing women fall in love with Jesus, live lives of wild abandon for Him, and pursue building homes and businesses that reflect Him for generations to come. She is a homeschool mom of four, wife to Bryan, and resides in Atlanta, GA, where she enjoys long talks with her husband, a strong cup of coffee, and playing the piano in her free time. She runs a skincare business and recently launched an online membership community.
188 || Mama, You Have Permission to Pursue Your Dreams || Amanda Bennett
Motherhood can be all-consuming, especially if you’re in that stage of caring for small children. Amanda Bennett of the Gotcha Mama Podcast shares about her difficult transition as a first-time mom and how that experience motivated her dream of supporting new moms who may be struggling alone like she was. Her message is one of grace and freedom in Christ as well as resisting the temptation to make everything perfect before you begin to pursue your dream.
187 || Are You Suffering? How to Trust God Even in Your Pain || Ashley Opliger
**Trigger Warning** When you are hurting, it can be difficult to believe that God would use your pain for good. In early 2014, Ashley Opliger was struggling with her faith, worrying about her unborn child, and wondering why she was not seeing answers to her constant prayers. Ultimately, her baby girl, Bridget, was stillborn at 24 weeks gestation.
186 || [Solo] 3 Strategies to Help You Shift from Busy to Purposeful || Merritt Onsa
Did 2020 reveal some hard truths about your life? Did slowing down (because you had to) reveal the true cost of busyness in your life? Or on your family? This solo episode is about the change you can affect when you shift from busy to purposeful in how you live and how you pursue your dreams. These three simple shifts in your thoughts and actions will simplify day-to-day life and make a real difference in how you feel about your responsibilities.
185 || Don't Shrink Back from God's Dream for Your Life || Stephanie Hodges
Stephanie Hodges wishes she hadn’t waited so long to boldly share her message of holistic health—body and soul, not just spirit—as a godly pursuit. Her book, The Daniel Fast Journey, is about the transformative experience of fasting for spiritual and physical health. This episode not only offers a primer for those who have been curious about fasting but also shares Stephanie’s journey of not shrinking back from the dream God had placed on her heart for His people.