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The Devoted Dreamers Podcast

The Devoted Dreamers Podcast

Merritt Onsa: Dream Coach | Faith-based Business Owner | Christian Entrepre

Whether you have a dream in your heart or aren’t sure what God might be calling you to, The Devoted Dreamers Podcast will encourage you on the journey. This space is dedicated to sharing stories every week of women who are following Jesus and pursuing their God-given gifts in beautifully imperfect ways. You’ll hear about the fears and challenges that threaten their dreams as well as the joy, courage and confidence that comes from following Jesus even in the unexpected...especially in the unexpected. I’m your host, Merritt Onsa, and my prayer is that this show will meet you where you are in your walk with God. I hope you will come away from the podcast each week with encouragement to begin pursuing your own dreams even when you still feel flawed, imperfect, unfinished and not ready. Because if you wait until you are perfect, you will never take the first step. Join us!
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Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Devoted Dreamers Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Devoted Dreamers Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Devoted Dreamers Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Find show notes here.

Do you have a burning question that feels too small to ask?

I have a really special episode for you today, thanks to a previous guest Jenn Jett Barrett who came on the show first in 2016 (ep 16) and then again in March 2022 for my financial series. In that most recent episode (#234, which was filled with amazing ideas for funding our dreams), Jenn offered to do a follow-up Zoom call to help a few of listeners with their questions on this topic.

Trauma integration practitioner Mandy Mae Johnson was the first to respond when I put out the call in my private Facebook group, and she admits that her question felt too small to ask, but she asked it anyway. (Can I pause a sec to say how proud I am of Mandy for doing that!?) More about her segment of the episode below.

Another listener Hannah Pierrou joins us as well for this conversation. She’s a photographer, designer, illustrator and children’s book author. She brings her question to Jenn about how to sell more of her children’s books.

Jenn responds to Hannah with insights on:

  • Dedicating marketing dollars to activities with the highest return on investment, including how to get more of her books into boutique stores,
  • Up-leveling her website messaging and putting buttons for revenue generating activities front and center on the home page,
  • Creative ways to connect with her ideal customer and show how other families are engaging with the books, and
  • Building an email marketing strategy now to prepare for a future podcast launch.

For Mandy’s part of our conversation, she is looking for creative ideas of additional revenue streams that could offset her one-on-one trauma integration practice. Jenn shares her thoughts related to:

  • Collaborating with other organizations that have like interests,
  • Creating an evergreen course for ideal clients at an entry-level price point,
  • Website updates to clearly explain her best offers on the front page,
  • Reaching clients who may not be ready for 1:1 services, and
  • Steps to determine if nonprofit status is the way to go.

There are so many ideas packed into this 45-minute conversation! Even if your dream is completely different from the pursuits Hannah and Mandy are working on, I have some questions for you at the very end to help you process and apply what you’ve heard to your own God-shaped dream.

I hope you’ll set aside at least 10 minutes after listening to this one for journaling and to consider how one of more of Jenn’s ideas could work for you. Then, come on over to the Facebook group and share what came up for you!

NEXT STEPS:

Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Discovery Call

Get Connected with the Facebook Community

Support the Podcast

Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes

Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android

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Find the show notes here.

Have you delayed your dream because you don’t feel ready yet?

One of the biggest lies keeping dreamers stuck is thinking you are lacking something necessary to begin. It’s like there’s a box to check, an accomplishment to achieve, or a degree to earn before you can truly begin on the dream in earnest. Well, that’s simply not true.

In this episode, you’re going to hear:

  • What’s at stake if you wait to feel ready
  • The truth about what pursuing a dream is really like (instead of what you’ve made up in your head)
  • Strategies for starting before you feel ready

And that’s not all. There’s one factor that will make the biggest difference in how you feel about beginning a project that's unfamiliar, intimidating, and overwhelming – building a support team around you. If I can help you do that, let me know by hopping on the Accountability Working Group waitlist here: Merrittonsa.com/awgwaitlist

NEXT STEPS:

Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Discovery Call

Get Connected with the Facebook Community

Support the Podcast

Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes

Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android

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The Devoted Dreamers Podcast - An invitation for Denver Area listeners

An invitation for Denver Area listeners

The Devoted Dreamers Podcast

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03/17/22 • 1 min

Join me for a Devoted Dreamers gathering on March 31, 2022!

RSVP at merrittonsa.com/marchevent

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Courtney Wong Davis is a coach for executives and organizational leaders looking for creative solutions to complex challenges. She’s an associate professor of communication management at Azusa Pacific University, and her first book, Leading Small Groups that Thrive : Five Shifts to Take Your Group to the Next Level, is grounded in social science research and translated to make a practical contribution to equip small group leaders to facilitate individual spiritual growth.

This is exactly the type of conversation I want to have here every week! It’s grounded in the gospel with a focus on how we can best steward the gifts God has given us, and it releases us from the weight of doing it all on our own strength.

If your dream has felt heavy, let this episode be a reminder to you that the Lord has a greater purpose for your life than the form your dream is in today.

After listening to this episode, you’ll:

  • be inspired by the three short words Courtney uses to describe her dream,
  • learn how using specific language like this helps shape her mission and inform every “yes” and “no” she gives,
  • hear how our dreams help us identify idols and provide avenues for spiritual growth, and
  • glean some deep gospel-based reassurance about God’s desire for us to dream alongside Him as the creator and maker of our dreams in the first place.

Looking for the show notes? You’ll find them right here: https://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/175

NEXT STEP: GET CONNECTED WITH THE COMMUNITY:

Join the Devoted Dreamers Podcast Facebook Group for passionate Christian women with a dream. It’s a place to gather with other like-minded Christian women who are taking next steps toward their God-shaped dreams. Because none of us were meant to do this alone!

BECOME A DEVOTED DREAMERS PATRON:

Listener support makes this show possible! Click here to learn more about how you can get involved!

LEAVE A REVIEW:

On Apple Podcasts/iTunes or Stitcher

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts * Subscribe on Android

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The Devoted Dreamers Podcast - 135 || How to Make Time for Your Dream Every Day|| Stefanie Gass
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11/13/19 • 45 min

If “busy” has become your mantra, Stefanie Gass offers up a little real talk in this interview to help you plan out your day, prioritize what matters, and let go of the rest so you can finally find the time for your God-shaped dream. Host of The Mompreneur Mastermind Show, Stefanie loves helping women business owners step into their potential.

We can so easily get distracted or discouraged with where we are today because it is impossible to see where we’ll be tomorrow or a year from now or in five years. In this conversation, you’ll learn that the place you are right now is not necessarily your destination. Stefanie shares the steps she took and the roles she was in before she discovered her dream.

She teaches us the importance of getting to a healthy space – mentally, emotionally, spiritually – before you’re really ready to take on the dream. That might look different for you than it did for her, but it’s worth taking inventory regarding where you need healing before you take steps into your dream.

You’ll also hear her tricks for time-blocking and how to get out of your own way to make time for your dream.

You’ll find the show notes and all the ways to connect with Stefanie, here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/135

NEXT STEPS:

If you’re new to the Devoted Dreamers Podcast or just trying to figure out what’s next after you’ve heard this one, check out my 30 Days of Prayer series or one of these recent interviews:

Episode 133 – How to Center Your Life on What Matters with Tonya Dalton – released 10/31/19

Episode 134 – Because Your Dream is Not Too Big for God with Rachel Pellegrino – released 11/6/2019

GET MORE INVOLVED...BECOME A DEVOTED DREAMERS PATRON

Listener support makes this show possible! Click here to learn more about how you can get involved!

GET CONNECTED WITH THE COMMUNITY:

Find your tribe in the Devoted Dreamers Insiders Facebook Group where you can connect with other like-minded women in pursuit of their God-shaped dreams.

Leave your review of the show on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or Stitcher

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts * Subscribe on Android

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The Devoted Dreamers Podcast - 112 || Because Fear Will Try to Steal Your Dream|| Julie Watson
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03/14/19 • 44 min

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 confidence to pursue the dreams God has given her for the one life she has to live.

Through Julie's story we are reminded how God often calls us into places where we feel incompetent, like we can’t do it, or are just too full of fear to move forward (think of Moses). But He meets us in our “gaps,” and He grows us when we say “yes” despite our objections to the challenges before us. Julie reveals the truth about the training, education or preparation you need to pursue your dream – and it’s probably not what you think! Finally, she asks a poignant question towards the end that helps us think about what we really want for our life and our dream.

Julie is a certified health coach and life coach and a newly published author. After battling with her own health and life struggles, she is passionate about helping women increase their health so they can live out the life they’re called to live. She believes we are created for more, to flourish not flounder in our everyday life. Julie lives in the country with her husband and their combined family of five children. In her free time, she can be found writing, researching, running, teaching others about healthy living, and connecting with friends over a great cup of coffee.

You’ll find the show notes here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/112

CONNECT WITH JULIE:Website || Instagram || Facebook

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW:

Google “I Am” statements as a reminder of your identity in Christ

The four pillars mentioned in Julie’s book, True Health: True health Realizing your potential Understanding you Enlightenment by the Holy Spirit

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

Books

Battle Ready by Kelly Balarie

High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard

Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

Dream by Dutch Sheets

4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice by Mark Virkler

Not mentioned in our conversation, but Julie shared this book with me later as a great resource for anyone dealing with grief or wondering how to respond to friends and loved ones who are:

A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss by Jerry Sittser

GET MORE INVOLVED...BECOME A DEVOTED DREAMERS PATRON

Your monthly contribution helps us ensure the podcast makes it to your earbuds each week!

GET CONNECTED:

Find your tribe in the Devoted Dreamers Insiders Facebook Group where you can connect with other like-minded women in pursuit of their God-shaped dreams.

Leave your review of the show on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or Stitcher

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts * Subscribe on Android

Some links to products listed here are affiliate links. When you click those and make a purchase, I earn a commission that supports this podcast. Thanks for your support!

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The Devoted Dreamers Podcast - 110 || [SOLO] You Have Great Value and Worth || Merritt Onsa
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02/20/19 • 25 min

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, about how I rested my value on something that was ultimately going to fail me.

I share the best response I ever got from a Christian man who knew he couldn’t bear the weight of my identity on his back.

And I talk a bit about what’s going on my world right now that has revealed to me that I am, yet again, struggling to remember that my security is in Christ.

You also have a homework assignment after this one. It’s just a little journaling, so whether that practice is new to you or you have stacks of journals laying around, I hope you will plan for some alone time after listening to this one. I provide a few journaling prompts as well as tips on how to journal if you’ve never done it before.

You’ll find the show notes, the verses I mentioned, and links to the past episodes I talked about, here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/110

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW:

Episode 107 – Solo Episode – You are a Daughter of the Most High King

Episode 109 with Cari Jenkins – Believing the God Who Sees You

Looking for the printable scripture cards I mentioned again in this episode? You’ll find them in the Devoted Dreamers Insiders Group on Facebook. Click here to join and then, once you’re in, search for “verses” or “Daughter of the King Scripture Cards.”

Sign up for my monthly Dream Letter HERE: Bit.ly/dreamltr. The February letter contains a discount code to my favorite Enneagram Assessment, so don’t miss that!

Journaling Homework:

What is it that you are trying to rest your value and worth in besides Jesus?

What is it that, if you lost it, would make you feel sick to your stomach or cause you to forget that there’s any good thing in your life?

What would feel like the end for you if you lost it? Like death might seem sweeter than enduring the loss of this thing you treasure?

GET MORE INVOLVED...BECOME A DEVOTED DREAMERS PATRON

Your support of this show helps all the other dreamers who need to be reminded of their value and worth in Christ!

GET CONNECTED:

Find your tribe in the Devoted Dreamers Insiders Facebook Group where you can connect with other like-minded women in pursuit of their God-shaped dreams.

Leave your review of the show on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or Stitcher

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts * Subscribe on Android

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The Devoted Dreamers Podcast - 111 || How to Find Remarkable Beauty in Ordinary Dreams || Ashley Hales
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03/06/19 • 44 min

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 and relationships with others. She reminds us of our identity in Christ through the story of the prodigal son and God's love for His children. You’ll also discover the value of instituting small disciplines in your life like finding a verse to meditate on, or a way to move your body each day, or anything that helps you detach from your everyday role(s). She also talks about why she wrote her first book, Finding Holy in the Suburbs: Living Faithfully in the Land of Too Much (IVP), even though she never expected to author a book.

Ashley holds a PhD in English from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She’s a writer, speaker, and hosts The Finding Holy Podcast. Ashley is married to a church planter in the southern California suburbs and is a mother to four children. Her writing has been featured in The Gospel Coalition, Books & Culture, and Christianity Today.

You’ll find the show notes and all the ways to connect with Ashley, here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/111

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY:

Website || Instagram || Twitter

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW:

MOPS International Resurrection Orange County

FAVORITE RESOURCES:

Books

Finding Holy in the Suburbs by Ashley Hales

Teach Us to Want by Jen Michel

Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren

Long Days of Small Things by Catherine McNiel

Poetry 180 by Billy Collins

Podcasts

Finding Holy Podcast by Ashley Hales

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BECOME A DEVOTED DREAMERS PATRON

Your monthly support makes the podcast possible. Click the Patron button to learn more.

GET CONNECTED:

Find your tribe in the Devoted Dreamers Insiders Facebook Group where you can connect with other like-minded women in pursuit of their God-shaped dreams.

Leave your review of the show on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or Stitcher

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts * Subscribe on Android

Some links to products listed here are affiliate links. When you click those and make a purchase, I earn a commission that supports this podcast. Thanks for your support!

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In this solo episode, I’m talking about identity, specifically our identity in Christ as daughters of the Most High King. You’ll hear how I struggled early on as a Christian to even understand what this means and how to live it out. To explain what it means to find our identity in Christ, I also share what it’s not, meaning you’re going to hear a bit about my messy life before Jesus (um, yes, it’s still messy AFTER Jesus but just in a different way now!)

I share a bunch of verses from scripture as proof that this is who we are: Daughters of the Most High King, in the hope that you’ll be inspired to dig into God’s Word to see for yourself how this truth is reflected there (not because of who we are but because of Who He is). If you don’t believe it right now, that’s okay. But then, once you see it for yourself in His Word, I hope you’ll begin to rehearse it in your own mind (i.e. renew your mind with this truth) and then begin to believe it and live it out and let it be the freedom and hope with which you pursue whatever dream God has placed on your heart to do with your one precious life.

Looking for the printable scripture cards I mentioned in this episode? You’ll find them in the Devoted Dreamers Insiders Group in Facebook. Click here to join and then, once you’re in, search for “Daughter of the King Scripture Cards."

You’ll find the show notes, those verses I mentioned, and links to the three on-air coaching calls from last summer, here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/107

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW:

On-air Coaching – Session 1 with Cynthia Culver

On-air Coaching – Session 2 with Cynthia Culver

On-air Coaching – Session 3 with Cynthia Culver

Next week’s guest: April Matt with Along the Way

SCRIPTURE:

YOU ARE A CHILD (DAUGHTER) OF GOD So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. ~ Galatians 3:26-29 (NIV)

YOU ARE AN HEIR, WITH CHRIST Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. ~ Romans 8:17 (NIV)

YOU ARE HIS BELOVED “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” ~ Matthew 3:17 (ESV)

HE CALLS YOU BY NAME. YOU ARE HIS. “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43:1 (ESV)

YOU ARE ADOPTED AND CHOSEN For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 (NIV)

YOU ARE HIS TREASURED POSSESSION For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. ~ Deuteronomy 7:6 (NIV)

HE DELIGHTS IN YOU WITH LOUD SINGINGFor the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” ~ Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT)

HE RUNS TO YOU WHEN YOU ARE FAR OFF “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. ~ Luke 15:20 (NLT)

GET MORE INVOLVED...BECOME A DEVOTED DREAMERS PATRON

Your support makes the podcast possible every week!

GET CONNECTED:

Find your tribe in the Devoted Dreamers Insiders Facebook Group where you can connect with other like-minded women in pursuit of their God-shaped dreams.

Leave your review of the show on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or

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Launch your own podcast by March 1st when you join my podcast beta program with Natalie Arent. Sign up here: nataliearent.com/podcastbeta

Caroline Cobb is a mom and a wife with a passion to tell the stories of scripture through singing and songwriting.

When she started writing her own songs, it was just a hobby; but a challenge from her husband and a looming thirtieth birthday turned her passion project into a profession. Her newest album A Seed, A Sunrise explores the longing of Advent, the joy of Christmas, and the anticipation of Jesus’s return, and builds on previous storytelling albums highlighting the message of scripture.

In 2011, Caroline gave herself the goal to write a song for every book of the Bible in a year. That put in motion a dream to tell the stories of scripture through music, with imagination, artistry and faithfulness to the text.

Listening to this episode, you’ll gain insight on:

  • How stepping forward in your dream, despite the weakness and insufficiency you feel, is often the just what you need to lean more into Jesus,
  • The dangerous distraction that comparison can be for creative work, and
  • That being faithful to the call upon your life is far more important than the numbers of people actually paying attention to work you’re doing.

Looking for the show notes? You’ll find them right here: https://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/178

NEXT STEP: GET CONNECTED WITH THE COMMUNITY:

Join the Devoted Dreamers Podcast Facebook Group for passionate Christian women with a dream. It’s a place to gather with other like-minded Christian women who are taking next steps toward their God-shaped dreams. Because none of us were meant to do this alone!

BECOME A DEVOTED DREAMERS PATRON:

Listener support makes this show possible! Click here to learn more about how you can get involved!

LEAVE A REVIEW:

On Apple Podcasts/iTunes or Stitcher

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts * Subscribe on Android

bookmark
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FAQ

How many episodes does The Devoted Dreamers Podcast have?

The Devoted Dreamers Podcast currently has 357 episodes available.

What topics does The Devoted Dreamers Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Courage, Christianity, Conversation, Dream, Leadership, Interview, Entrepreneurship, Women, Lifestyle, Religion & Spirituality, Podcasts, Inspiration, Jesus, Business, Encouragement, Hope and Christian.

What is the most popular episode on The Devoted Dreamers Podcast?

The episode title '245 || Listeners Ask: What are the Best Ways to Grow Revenue? || Jenn Jett Barrett' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Devoted Dreamers Podcast?

The average episode length on The Devoted Dreamers Podcast is 40 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Devoted Dreamers Podcast released?

Episodes of The Devoted Dreamers Podcast are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of The Devoted Dreamers Podcast?

The first episode of The Devoted Dreamers Podcast was released on Jun 1, 2016.

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