The Devoted Dreamers Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Nineteen-year-old Anna Sackett recently left the comforts of home to study midwifery as a missionary in the Philippines. This conversation, just a few weeks prior to her departure, offers us a gentle reminder that our hope and joy is not in having discovered our dream or even what’s next on our journey, but it is solely and totally in Jesus. The alternative is true as well: if you...

Send us Fan Mail Charlena Ortiz teaches us how she’s learned to trust Jesus as her sustainer, sought the unforced rhythms of grace in the pursuit of her dream, and discovered patience with herself and with Him in the process. In this episode, Charlena offers a helpful question to ask yourself if you’re still trying to figure out your dream. And she explains how we might gain clarity on the lies we...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve been putting off starting or kept your dreaming all to yourself or known you need to take a step, but you just haven’t figured out how to do that, this conversation is for you! In this year of testing out monthly solo episodes, we’ve covered a lot about the emotional and spiritual journey of pursuing our God-shaped dreams. Today, we’re talking about finally getting busy...

Send us Fan Mail Lesley Pyle’s dream was born out of her own desire to be at home with her baby instead of reporting to a job. In 2007, she founded HireMyMom.com with a strong desire to help professional women find flexible, legitimate, home-based work. Lesley’s story teaches us the value of not waiting until you have it all figured out before taking a step in the direction of your dream. She talk...

Send us Fan Mail To all the doers and dreamers, Haley offers the important reminder God gave her that “I am not my work.” This episode is a real and honest look at how we go about building our God-shaped dream and what to do when you aren’t sure how to begin. Haley talks about starting before you feel ready (and why it’s a good idea to just take the leap). You’ll discover the value of trusting God...

Send us Fan Mail We’ve been talking about fear and what it says about our identity or, rather, how we’re placing our identity on something besides Jesus when we allow fear to stand in the way of what God created us to do with our lives. This solo episode falls in line behind #122 and provides some next steps about what to do once you realize that you have, in fact, trusted in something beside the...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s conversation with Brittany Rust builds upon last week's episode. In this one, Brittany teaches us how she built a foundation of intimacy with Jesus by being in God’s word and through prayer, and she shares how those two actions plus the practice of listening and responding in obedience have grown her understanding of what God is calling her to do next. In addition...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered how to hear God’s voice? Or how to know if you’re on the right path? Or what He’d want you to do next? Tabitha Bigbee, a faith-based life coach and founder of Every Day Faith, offers up grace-filled thinking on how to get in God’s Word every day so you can be transformed by it. She has established her own everyday faith practices and freely shares them with...

Send us Fan Mail Alia Joy is an author who believes the darkness is illuminated when we grasp each other’s hand and walk into the night together. She writes poignantly about her life with bipolar disorder as well as grief, faith, marriage, poverty, race, embodiment, and keeping fluent in the language of hope. God’s power is made perfect in your weakness. We know the Bible verse, but most of us wou...

Send us Fan Mail Who am I? is an age-old question. It is easy to respond with a summary of your roles, achievements, degrees, career, or job title. But I think we could all agree that those simple answers do not begin to explain who God made you, what passions ultimately motivate your decisions, or what you value most in this world.    If you know Jesus, the churchy, Sunday school answer about our...

Send us Fan Mail Writer, mama, and former silent-struggler Laura Harris shares her vulnerable story about the night on the bathroom floor when she realized that she was on the verge of depression and had to speak up about it. Laura is a writer, mother of three, and Christ follower. Her words from the heart and parenting advice have been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Huffington Post, M...

Send us Fan Mail Heather Boersma says the dream she is pursuing today wasn’t on her radar two decades ago when a pastor prayed it over her. Since then it has been a journey of learning, trusting and listening to God, faltering, and then remembering to trust and listen to Him again. In this episode she talks about the importance of intimacy with God, especially if you’re struggling to make progress...

Send us Fan Mail Not long ago I was asked by a listener to share on the podcast about how I came to know Jesus. Some of you listening who know me personally have probably heard at least a part of this story. For a lot of you, we’ve never met; you only know what you see (or hear) about my life as it is today. But that’s not the whole story—it never is. What’s remarkable to me is that 25 years ago I...

Send us Fan Mail Fear is a common feeling once you start chasing God-shaped dreams, but this fear is not from God. We have a very real enemy to seeks to steal, kill and destroy you and your dreams. Thankfully, we also have a good Father in heaven who loves and cherishes you, and He wants to empower courage in you, especially in the face of fear. In this episode, you’ll learn four strategies to ove...

Send us Fan Mail Whatever your leadership role, this conversation with Esther Littlefield will teach you about fulfilling your God-given purpose despite the fear that threatens to cripple you or halt your dream altogether. Esther’s example of leading a bible study when she didn’t feel ready teaches us that you can use your gifts anywhere, whether in motherhood, a full-time job, or serving in your...

Send us Fan Mail Creative business owner Laurel Smith had a dream about making jewelry before she even possessed the knowledge or tools to do so. Over the next 14 years that dream grew into the reality that is Laurel Denise today. However, its God-given purpose didn’t become clear to her until years later. Laurel’s story reminds us that understanding your purpose and calling takes time. In this ep...

Send us Fan Mail God has a plan for His people and His Kingdom; that means He has a plan for you and your life, too. You likely have a dream of your own, a passion that burns deep inside and makes you want to leap from bed in the morning. Maybe your dream is a desire to change the world for the better, or make beautiful things, or teach others what you have learned on your journey. Whatever it is,...

Send us Fan Mail LISTENER SURVEY - DEADLINE IS APRIL 15TH! Please take a few minutes to respond to our listener survey. You’ll be entered to win your choice of a $10 Amazon gift card or a signature Devoted Dreamers coffee/tea mug!    Ministry coach Christa Hutchins is the woman you’ll want by your side if you’re feeling overwhelmed in managing the details of your dream. She loves to serve Christia...

Send us Fan Mail TAKE THE LISTENER SURVEY Please take a few minutes to respond to our listener survey . You’ll be entered to win your choice of a $10 Amazon gift card or a signature Devoted Dreamers coffee/tea mug! Deadline to enter: April 15th! Entrepreneur Amber Brannon returns to the podcast to share how she’s grown in her faith since our last conversation in 2017, and how God has transformed h...

Send us Fan Mail Please take a few minutes to respond to our listener survey . You’ll be entered to win your choice of a $10 Amazon gift card or a signature Devoted Dreamers mug! * * * * * * * There is purpose for your life; you are not here by accident. I believe there’s enough in God’s word to back this up, so today I’m talking about the two perspectives I’ve been wrestling with related to this...

Send us Fan Mail LISTENER SURVEY Please take a few minutes to respond to our listener survey  so we can get to know you better. You’ll be entered to win your choice of a $10 Amazon gift card or a signature Devoted Dreamers mug! ABOUT THIS EPISODE  God created you for a reason. This is our theme for the month of March, and in this episode, Julie Watson shares how she fought back fear and a lack of...

Send us Fan Mail God created you for a reason. This is our theme for the month of March, and in this episode, Ashley Hales shares how her life today feels far more ordinary than what she dreamed as a younger person – and why that’s exactly where God wants her right now. Through her story we learn the importance of pressing in to the greater story of the gospel because of how it impacts our lives a...

Send us Fan Mail Ep 110 Show Notes are here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/110 This solo episode is tied directly to my last solo episode (#107 , so go listen if you haven’t already). In this one I’m talking about our value and worth because we are daughters of the Most High King. You’ll hear a few more bits of my story prior to becoming a Christian, and then even after Jesus rescued me, abou...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Cari Jenkins teaches us about our identity in Christ. She approaches this topic in a way that is both gentle and convicting, and she reminds us that He sees us and knows what we need. You'll learn from Cari's experience that when you listen to the Spirit and trust His lead, it might result in something completely different than what you planned or hoped...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode, April Matt, co-founder and director of the Pennsylvania-based nonprofit Along the Way, reveals the value of asking good questions as you prepare to pursue your dream. And, more importantly, she reminds us to listen to the answers; in doing so you might uncover something you never considered. You’ll also hear why your dream is worth pursuing, even when it ge...