Podcast — Merritt Onsa | Christian Life Coach for Women

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Interview

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298 || How to Start out Your Dream in Alignment with God || Polly Payne

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How do you know if you’re following God’s plan for your dream? I hear this question often from listeners and it’s why I’m honored to bring back the inspiring Polly Payne of Horacio Printing to share her heart for putting structure around how we begin to plan and pursue our dreams (anytime, not just at the new year). We talk about how to nurture your weekly schedule and make space for a dream, as well as how to set goals and intentions that stick.

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297 || How to Overcome Fear and Take Leaps of Faith Toward a Dream || Polly Payne

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Have you ever felt unqualified for the dream God has given you? You are not alone. Polly Payne shares how she learned the value of her creative nature, given by the Creator, and how He transitioned her out of a career in corporate advertising to use her gifts for a ministry and business that would glorify God and serve His people. You’ll learn about the challenges, strategies, and faith journey in her career shift, how she’s sharing her knowledge and experience with other creators, and the profound effect of surrendering our dreams and their outcomes to God's control.

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291 || How Brain Science and Creativity Can Grow Our Faith || Amy Pierson

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What does creativity have to do with spiritual transformation? Amy Pierson opens up in this episode about her exploration of creativity and neuroscience in the context of faith. Through this conversation, you’ll learn: how neurotheology deepens our understanding of faith and relationship with Christ, practical steps to identify your personal lament and find your unique purpose, and how to overcome creative blocks and connect with your creativity in a meaningful way.

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290 || [PodSwap] Clarifying Your Message One Stage at a Time || with Host Heather Sager

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How has self-doubt or perfectionism blocked your progress? In a recent interview with my speaking coach Heather Sager, host of the Hint of Hustle Podcast, we talk about learning to clearly communicate your dream, the power of employing consistent action as your weapon in the battle with perfectionism, and how to step into a leadership role so that you truly can begin to serve others who need what you are creating.

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289 || [PodSwap] Why You’ll Always Feel a Little Afraid and That’s a Good Thing || with Host Anne Watson

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Have you ever felt afraid when starting to step into a dream? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, most women I’ve spoken to affirm that fear is a regular part of pursuing a dream. In my recent interview with Anne Watson, host of the Swayology Podcast, we have the most beautiful conversation about navigating those feelings without giving up.

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288 || [PodSwap] How Do You Start to Dream Big After Divorce? || with Host Joy Bartholomew

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I recently talked with Joy Bartholomew, host of The Divorce Confidante Podcast, about how to consider dreams during a life transition like divorce. Whether or not you’ve experienced divorce, you’ve likely lived through seasons where you wondered if you had anything to give to a dream. In this episode you’ll learn how to begin the process of realizing your dreams, how to determine if you're ready to start, and the beautiful transformations that come when you begin to live into your authentic purpose.

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281 || How to Nurture True Belonging as You Pursue a God-Shaped Dream || Katy McCown

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Have you been pursuing a dream all on your own? This week Katy McCown returns to the show with a power-packed episode on the importance of belonging in the body of Christ and the impact of community as we pursue our dreams. Join me and Katy as we unravel the significance of community, acknowledge the challenges, and uncover practical ways to invite others into your unique journey.

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280 || [Recast] How to Keep Perspective When You Don't See the Fruit of Your Dream || Katy McCown

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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.

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277 || [Recast] How Trusting God Changes the Way You Pursue Your Dream || Krista (Hengesh) Breilh

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Krista (Hengesh) Breilh is the Executive Director and Founder of Live Salted, an intergenerational women’s ministry based in Seattle, Washington. Krista shares her infectious enthusiasm for life, unwavering devotion to God, and a remarkable ability to fuse practical wisdom with scriptural truths. Krista is honest about the faith necessary to step into your God-shaped dream, especially when you can’t predict the results (and who can!?)

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275 || [Recast] How to Grow in Courage? Take Action Even When You Don’t Feel Brave || Julie Landreth

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Get ready to be inspired as we revisit a captivating conversation with Julie Landreth from season five. If you’ve ever found yourself paralyzed by fear while preparing to embrace something significant and new, this is a must-listen. I’m sharing it again because of the vital role Julie played in anchoring me to truth when I was facing significant fear and doubt. This conversation offers fresh insights and a renewed perspective to propel you forward on your journey toward a God-shaped dream.

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273 || How to Hold On to God When It Doesn’t Go the Way You Expected || Keagan Hayden

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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.

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271 || How to Remain Faithful When God Has You in a Season of Waiting || Eryn Lynum

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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.

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270 || [RE-RELEASE] How She Got Her Book Published Even with a Small Platform || Eryn Lynum

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I’m re-releasing this 2017 episode because Eryn Lynum will be returning with a five-year update. Next week you’ll hear how her dream has changed (significantly in some ways and not so much in others). Give this re-release a listen to see where she’s come from, especially if publishing a book could be part of your dream. Then, come back next week to hear what’s changed in wildly beautiful ways since Eryn and I last spoke.

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269 || What If God Reveals a Dream That’s Out of Your Comfort Zone? || Yohonna Smith

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Have you ever considered that there’s someone waiting for your dream to come alive? As Yohonna Smith’s kids got older and started to uncover their own interests, she found she had more time for her own dreams. But what was God prompting her to do with that time? In this episode, you’ll learn about how her dreams grew from her own personal needs and desires, the fears that held her back at first, and the powerful lesson of becoming a spiritual mother.

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268 || How Weakness Will Show Us the Way Back to Ourselves || Kimberly Phinney

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What happens when your dream is sidelined by the realities of life in a broken world? Kimberly Phinney had a vision for her future as a writer with big hopes, dreams, and ideas she wanted to share with the world. Even as a child she had a sense that this would be her path. When her health took a turn for the worse, it seemed all of her dreams might be lost. In this episode, you’ll learn Kimberly’s 3-step process for staying true to the dreams God has given you (her students rave about this year after year!), what God has taught her in her brokenness (and the breakthrough that awaits in such seasons), and about letting go of anything that’s going to detract from God’s vision for you.

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266 || How a Dream Surrendered Can Open Your Eyes to a New Direction || Emily Karc

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How do you discern God’s will for your life and then surrender it back to Him? In this episode, Emily Karc offers practical advice for seeking God's guidance, waiting on His timing, and trusting in His plan. Through her story, she emphasizes the importance of prayer and obedience and how surrendering our dreams to God can lead to a shift in our dreams that far exceeds what we could or would envision on our own.

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265 || How God Answered One Woman’s Prayer to Use Her Creative Gifts || Carol Willis

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What if the decision you’ve been putting off could open up possibilities for your life and your dream that you haven’t even considered? In this episode, you’ll learn about how a simple (even unspoken) prayer in faith can transform your circumstances, why we can let go of the idea of ever arriving at the finish line, and how to hold tension between the demands of young children in one season of motherhood and the gift of time you’ll receive once you release them into the world.

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257 || How to Thrive in the Refining Fire of Bringing Your Dream into the Public Eye || Ainsley Britain

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Have you been keeping your dream to yourself? Making your work public is an act of vulnerability. Writers, artists, and dreamers know what it feels like to share something beyond a small, trusted circle and afterwards experience a vulnerability hangover. In this episode, Ainsley Britain shares one painful but a necessary part of making your dream more public, how to work from overflow rather than exhaustion, and practical tips on planning your days to reach writing milestones even with a baby at home.

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256 || Two Examples of How an Intern Can Expand Your Capacity and Grow Your Vision || Katie Bulmer & Christa Hutchins

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Have you ever wondered about bringing on extra help but didn’t think you could afford it? Your dream is so big that you can’t do it all on your own, but you don’t have the budget to hire someone else. That doesn’t change the fact that your hours are limited and you’re spending more time on tasks that drain you rather than light you up. Today’s guests are sharing what they’ve learned about how to get started with an intern as well as some unexpected benefits they discovered along the way.

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255 || Could Building the Right Team Be the Secret Sauce for Your Dream? || Lindsay May

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What if your dream is already in the hearts of others? Have you ever considered that just because God gave you a dream that it doesn’t mean you were intended to fulfill it alone? Could there be others out there who have gifts and talents and experiences that you lack and who could be fantastic assets to your team and the fulfillment of your dream? Lindsay May is back to share why it was so important to build a team from the beginning and how she started with people who were right in front of her.