Have you wanted to quit on a dream before you really started? In the early stages, the details are still foggy, and the lack of progress makes it feel like you’re pushing a boulder uphill, which can make it tempting to quit. But don’t give up before you get to the good part! In this episode, you’ll discover a simple process for confidently taking the first steps into your God-shaped dream and how to let go of excuses that are keeping you stuck.
241 || What Is Soul Care and How to Know If You Need It || Mindy Caliguire
In this episode Mindy shares about a dream that’s been on her heart for decades, the shape it’s taken over the years, and where she finds herself in it right now. We also talk about how soul care differs from self-care and why both are important, how to step into a dream in small ways rather than waiting for clarity on the whole thing before you begin, and specific soul care practices you can take with you and implement once this episode is through.
240 || Releasing Your Grip on What You Want Because God Has Something Better || Lindsay May
If you’ve wondered whether you’re on the right path, or how to hear God’s gentle whispers, or maybe you’re even sensing that he has something different for you, you will enjoy today’s guest, Lindsay May. Lindsay is a professional photographer turned print magazine founder as well as a fellow dream chaser who is learning to embrace the journey instead of trying to control her circumstances. She’s also bringing her best tips on how to get your writing published.
239 || [Solo] Dream Taking Too Long? Another Way to Think About Your Timeline || Merritt Onsa
If you feel discouraged about the pace of your dream and wonder if everyone else is years ahead of where you are, I’m going to shatter your idea of the perfect timeline today. We’ll talk about a clear example from Scripture of waiting faithfully for a dream and how to avoid the biggest mistake that keeps you from making progress. I’ll share examples of small steps of faithfulness you can take today and how to courageously face the scariest part of pursuing a dream.
238 || Practical Ways to Build Intimacy with God into Your Day || Angie Gibbons
You likely already know the Bible’s instruction about not living an anxious life, but if that’s your current reality, how do you change? My guest Angie Gibbons is all too familiar with the struggles of anxiety and depression. It took a painful loss to help her wake up to see the reality of her life and the impact it was having on her family, particularly her children. She’s here to share how the Lord took her from finding momentary breakthroughs from anxiety to making them a lifestyle.
237 || Do You Know About the Hidden Gift in Your God-Shaped Dream? || Gail Root
Has God called you to be bold and courageous in your dream? If you have a God-shaped dream, you may be experiencing opposition, fear, comparison, and imposter syndrome. But instead of seeing your dream as a mountain too high to climb, what if it became an invitation from the Lord to trust Him more? In this episode, we’re talking about your invitation to intimacy with God, the boldness He wants to bring into your business or industry, and what we miss when we don’t submit our plans to Him.
236 || How a Loving God Redeems Hurt and Brings Hope to His Daughters || Nicole Clark
Have you seen the thread of God’s hand on your life, even in your most difficult trials? Nicole Clark will tell you that she was so caught up in herself when the reality of her motherhood didn’t look the way she always dreamed it would. She will tell you that it became an obsession to fix the ache caused by her unmet desires. And she will tell you what God did instead of allowing her to stay there.
235 || [Solo] Five Business Realities That Will Shape the Way You Pursue a Dream || Merritt Onsa
I often hear dreamers question whether a God-shaped dream should be a business or a hobby—and how to decide. This solo episode is a wrap up of my financial series from last month but also shares my business-building story. You’ll hear how I accidentally became a freelance writer and the lessons I learned from that experience that you can use to discern if your particular dream could or should support you and your life.
234 || 10 Simple but Creative Ideas for Launching a Dream on a Little Budget || Jenn Jett Barrett
Are you in need of creative ideas for launching your dream without spending a lot of money? My guest Jenn Jett Barrett is full of ideas about how to vet your dream to make the most of your efforts, how to start with a minimal budget, and why it’s important to understand what phase of the dream you’re in so that you aren’t over-reaching financially. She also offers an encouraging and biblical affirmation that God uses financially successful women to advance kingdom purposes.
233 || Practical Lessons from a Business Coach about How to Invest in Your Dream || with Katie Wussow
I’m talking this week with Business Coach Katie Wussow about how to make wise investments in your dream. This is the second episode in a three-part series about the financial side of pursuing a God-shaped dream. You’ll learn from our mistakes as we discuss the difference between an investment and an expense, how to make a realistic assessment of the costs involved in your dream, and the mistake of spending money to solve a problem you don't yet fully understand.
232 || How to Find Money for Your Dream if You’re Just Getting Started || Katie Jones
In this first of three interviews in my financial series, I’m talking with Money Coach Katie Jones about the secret to getting started on a dream even when you feel like you don't have the money, the underlying motivations that could be influencing your desire to spend, and the importance of identifying priorities to see if you are spending on what's most important to you. If your finances are standing in the way of launching your dream, this conversation is for you.
231 || How to Trust God’s Calling on Your Life Even When You Feel Unqualified || Heather Creekmore
If a struggle with comparison has kept you from fully living in your God-given purpose, today’s episode is for you! Guest Heather Creekmore shares her battle with body image and comparison and how God has used this struggle in her dream to help women stop comparing and start living. After listening, you’ll identify the motivation behind your comparison temptation (it may not be what you think!) and glean truth that will help you find freedom from comparison in your daily life.
230 || [Solo] How Messy Action Gives You Permission to Get Started on Your Dream || Merritt Onsa
When you’re first getting started on a dream, it is hard to imagine achieving the success you’ve see in others. How do you get past the novice stage full of mixed-up ideas spinning around in your head? How do you get over fear-induced procrastination? How do you get to the finish line? It’s by taking the next step, which is often messy and imperfect. And yet, when you begin to walk in your purpose, you will be amazed with what God does through your small steps of faithfulness.
229 || [Solo] Two Practical Steps to Help You Let Go of What Other People Might Think || Merritt Onsa
Do you ever worry what someone else might think of your dream? Whether it’s your sister who doesn’t get you, a parent who’s never understood your passions, or a spouse who already feels deprived of time with you running after a dream can spark big feelings (and fears) about what others will think. This episode will help you re-think your preoccupation with other people’s opinions with encouraging guidance from Scripture to shape what you can do instead.
228 || [Solo] 3 Questions to Help You Decide if Your Dream is Worth Pursuing || Merritt Onsa
Do you ever wonder if the time you’ve spent on your dream is going to be worth it? Maybe you haven’t seen the fruit you expected at this point, or your progress has been slower than you imagined, especially given what you’ve invested. Wouldn’t it be terrible to look back and realize it was all a waste of time? This episode will help you determine if your dream is a worthwhile pursuit and give you some intentional questions to ask yourself right now to make sure that you’re walking in His purpose.
227 || [Solo] How to Know if This is the Dream God Has for You || Merritt Onsa
Do you tend to question your dream or wonder if you heard God right the first time? Nearly every day I encounter someone talking about the fear of missing out on the purpose God has planned for her life. Some describe it as a deep worry that everyone else has beaten her to the finish line, and she’s somehow gotten it wrong but doesn’t know how to find her way back into God’s ordained path that was chosen for her before the beginning of time. But you weren’t meant to live under that pressure!
226 || [Solo] How to Be Certain It Is the Right Time for Your Dream || Merritt Onsa
Is the timing right for my dream? I hear this question often in my conversations with women who have a dream on their hearts but also a long list of other responsibilities and interests that take up most of their waking hours. How do you determine the “right” timing to pursue a passion project? If your life is already full, how do you decide when to adjust your commitments so you can shift into what’s possible for the future? I’m helping you answer these questions and more in this week’s episode.
225 || [Solo] The Reassuring Truth about How to Grow Confidence Right Now || Merritt Onsa
How’s your confidence? When I asked this question on Instagram, 100% of those who responded answered, “I’m working on it.” But what does it look like to “work on” your confidence? Maybe it’s a little bit like saying, “I’m trying.” But “trying what?” is the next question. In this episode I’m teaching you how to avoid the common mistakes when it comes to confidence building and why it’s so important to set your mind on the truth as you do that.
224 || [Solo] How to Go After a Dream Even When You Don’t Feel Confident || Merritt Onsa
Which of these confidence myths are keeping you from stepping into your God-shaped dream?
“I have to know what I’m doing; I need to FEEL confident; I need to BE really good at {fill in the blank}.” Each of these may seem true on the surface, but they are all big, fat lies! Your dream is given to you by God for your good and for the good of His kingdom, and it’s an invitation to be part of God’s redemptive work in the world. How can you make sure this is the year you finally say no to self-sabotage?
[BONUS] How to Get Free Dream Coaching with Merritt—In Season 10!
People say my solo episodes are among their favorites! That’s why I’m kicking off Season 10 with a series of solo episodes focused on providing you with additional support for getting off the sidelines instead of waiting around for the right timing to pursue your dream. The time is now! It’s not a mistake. If there’s a dream on your heart, God means for you to pursue it!