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Find show notes here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/299 

What have you been waiting on God to do with your dream? 

Let’s be honest, waiting is hard. But often we are so busy looking ahead wondering when God will answer a prayer or change a difficult circumstance that we risk missing out on what He’s already doing right in front of us, right now.

In this episode, I am honored to introduce you to Shadia Hrichi, a passionate Bible teacher, award-winning author, and speaker. She’s joining us to share the surprising twist in her career as a result of corporate layoffs and how one question from a godly mentor opened her eyes to a seminary degree and the possibility of working in full-time ministry.  

In this episode you’ll learn:

✨ How scheduled, intentional downtime can bring you into a closer walk with the Lord,

❤️ About trusting God even when progress seems slow, and

👂 The vital role of wise mentors to help uncovering your God-given dreams.

I pray this conversation is a reminder that God is always working. He never sleeps on our dreams; He i

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Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
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Find show notes here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/298 

How do you know if you’re following God’s plan for your dream? 

It’s a big question! And if you’re asking it, you should know you are not the only one. I hear this all the time from listeners who are concerned about missing what God is prompting them to do. 

It’s one of the reasons I’m so honored to have the inspiring Polly Payne back for a second episode this month. In case you’re new to Polly, she’s the CEO + Founder of Horacio Printing, and she’s here to share her heart for putting structure around how we plan and pursue our dreams.

In this follow-up to last week’s interview, Polly and I talk about her core philosophy of how to make time for our dreams and ensure that those dreams are in alignment with the will of God.

You’ll learn:  

• Polly’s strategies for beginning to plan and dream (anytime, not just at the new year),
• 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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Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
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Find show notes here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/297 

Have you ever felt unqualified for the dream God has given you? 

You’re not alone in that. My guest today is a decade into her dream, and she’s here to share how God moved her from a career in corporate advertising to building a ministry and business that would glorify God and serve His people. 

Polly Payne is the CEO + Founder of Horacio Printing and in this episode, you’ll hear her talk about the birth of her dream to create a God-centered planner company. Horacio Printing has sold over 45,000 Dream Planners around the world and raised over $73,000 to fight human trafficking through her partnership with A21.

A mother of two, Polly now lives in Lookout Mountain, GA, where she leads her company and empowers other dreamers to create their own bible studies, journals and planners, through her Print School, which she founded in 2022.

Stick around to learn from Polly about:

• the challenges, strategies, and faith journey in her shift from corporate to entrepreneurship
• sharing knowledge and experience with other creators—even if it means empowering future competitors, and
• the profound effect of surrendering our dreams and their outcomes to God's control.

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Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

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THIS EPISODE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2023.

Go to show notes for the entire Habits series: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/habits 

Are you stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts?

Throughout my January Habit Series, I’ve been talking about habits you might consider adopting this year (and tips for making them easier), because building new habits has the potential to strengthen you and support your dream.

Each episode focuses on a particular habit and a tip/hack to help you implement it. These are short and sweet episodes (about 10 minutes each) and are meant to get you thinking about what you can do right now to nurture your dream by building positive habits into your life.

In this final episode of the series, I’m talking about the reasons I began a simple daily gratitude practice and the mindset shift that resulted in a fairly short period of time after implementing it.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The easiest way to practice daily gratitude,
• What daily gratitude can do to change your attitude for the better, and
• The underlying benefit for your dream when you start building new habits.

Grab my free, UPDATED Devoted Dreamers Habit Tracker.

Subscribe to the show and then come on back on Wednesdays following this series for more i

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Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

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THIS EPISODE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2023\

Show notes for the entire Habits series are here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/habits

When was the last time you tried a thing you’ve never done before? 

In my January Habit Series, I’ve been talking about habits you might consider adopting this year (and tips for making them easier), because building new habits has the potential to strengthen you and support your dream.

Each mini episode focuses on a particular habit and a tip/hack to help you implement it. These are short and sweet episodes (about 10 minutes each) and are meant to get you thinking about what you can do right now to nurture your dream by building positive habits into your life. If you’ve missed any of them, I’ve created a Spotify playlist for you right here.

But the habits we’re talking about in these episodes are not necessarily the “new skills” I’m referring to in today’s episode. Rather, this one is all about making it a habit to try something new every chance you get. It’s important because it builds perseverance, confidence (even when you fail), and rewires your brain for other uncomfortable endeavors that are bound to come your way as you run after a God-shaped dream.

In this episode, you’ll:

• Learn the value of getting out of your comfort zone by learning a new skill,
• Consider possible roadblocks to the “new” things necessary in pursuing a dream, and
• Gather some ideas for making it easy to try new things.

 

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MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

Send us a text

THIS EPISODE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2023.

Show notes for the entire Habits series are here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/habits

How good would it feel if you could clear out your email inbox by next week?

This month on the podcast I’m talking about habits to consider that will strengthen you and support your God-shaped dream. Each mini episode will focus on a particular habit and a tip/hack to help you implement it. These are short and sweet episodes (~10 minutes each) and will help you begin thinking about what you can do right now to nurture your dream by building positive habits into your life.

For this one, I’ve got a special treat for you. I’m sharing an episode from my friend Christa Hutchins’ podcast, Just One Simple Thing, about getting your email inbox in order as part of her “January Reset” series. (The entire series is GOLD, so I urge you to subscribe to her show and listen to all of them!)

If you don’t already know Christa, she’s a professional project manager, ministry leader, and entrepreneur. Christa loves details and turning scary, complex ideas into specific plans to accomplish a goal, one step at a time.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The easy way to get your email subscriptions under control,

A simple 5-step method for clearing out your inbox once and for all, and

One thing you should start doing with the subscribers on your email list.

Grab the free, UPDATED Devoted Dreamers Habit Tracker

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MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

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THIS EPISODE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2023. 

Find show notes for the entire Habits series here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/habits 

What if getting more sleep at night could increase your energy for pursing a dream?

This month on the podcast I’m talking about habits to consider that will strengthen you and support your God-shaped dream. Each mini episode will focus on a particular habit and a tip/hack to help you implement it. These are short and sweet episodes (~10 minutes each) and will help you begin thinking about what you can do right now to nurture your dream by building positive habits into your life.

Getting more sleep has been one of the most impactful shifts I’ve made in the last six months for improving my energy and the creativity I’m able to give to my dream.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The importance of sleep hygiene (and a definition, in case this is the first time you’re hearing this term),
• Indicators you need to clean up your sleep habits, and
• How to get started at getting to bed earlier, even if you’re naturally a night owl.

Grab the free, UPDATED Devoted Dreamers Habit Tracker.

Subscribe to the show and then come back every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in January to learn about building simple, small habits that will grow your confidence and create the consistency you need to run your race and pursue a God-shaped dream.

NEXT STEPS:

Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Call
Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes
Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android

MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

Send us a text

THIS EPISODE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2023. 

Find show notes for the entire Habits series here. 

Could you benefit from planning out your week on Sunday nights?

Preparing for the week ahead on a Sunday night will not only help you stay on top of those one-off commitments you might otherwise forget, but it also illuminates where you have pockets of time that could be used more effectively for pursuing your God-shaped dream.

I started weekly planning (off-and-on) about two years ago. I usually get really excited about it at the beginning of the year and lose track when summer rolls around.

But I’ve noticed that when I consistently do my weekly planning, I am less likely to be in a panic about needing to be somewhere all of a sudden (even though I made the appointment just last week), or feel unprepared for a call that’s about to happen, or wish I’d washed my hair that morning so I’d be “camera ready” for an afternoon Zoom meeting.

Simply making an appointment with myself to plan once a week often means the days that follow go more smoothly.

This month on the podcast I’m talking about habits to consider that will strengthen you and support your God-shaped dream. Each mini episode will focus on a particular habit and a tip/hack to help you implement it. These are short and sweet episodes (~10 minutes each) and will help you begin thinking about what you can do right now to nurture your dream by building positive habits into your life.

Weekly planning has so many benefits, and in this episode, you’ll learn:

• A few tell-tale signs that you could benefit from weekly planning,
• Why to start weekly planning now, even if you’re not currently engaged in pursuing a dream, and
• The surprising rhythms you might discover just by starting a habit of planning out your week in advan

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Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes
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MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

Send us a text

THIS EPISODE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2023.

Find show notes for the entire Habits series here. 

What would need to change for you to spend 20 minutes a day moving your body?

Five days ago, when I recorded this episode, I did not have a daily movement habit, but that is no longer the case. Just thinking and talking about it for this episode was enough to spark me into action. Maybe it’ll do the same for you. As of Tuesday morning, I’ve walked four out of four mornings for fifteen to twenty minutes, just as the sun was rising (and didn’t let 14 degrees temps keep me inside!).

Every day I’m excited to pull out my UPDATED Habit Tracker and check off that day when I get home from my walk. So simple and yet so satisfying!

This month on the podcast I’m talking about habits to consider that will strengthen you and support your God-shaped dream. Each mini episode will focus on a particular habit and a tip/hack to help you implement it. These are short and sweet episodes (~10 minutes each) and will help you begin thinking about what you can do right now to nurture your dream by building positive habits into your life.

This is the fourth episode in my Habit Series, and in it I’m talking about the value of moving your body every day (ideally outside in the morning sunlight) and a few tips to help you get this habit started.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What your body needs in a 24-hour cycle,
• The impact of getting morning sunlight, and
• How to make moving your body every day easier.

 Grab the free UPDATED Devoted Dreamers Habit Tracker.

Subscribe to the show and then come back every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in January to learn about building simple, small habits that will grow your confidence and create the consistency you need to run your race and pursue a God-shaped dream.

NEXT STEPS:

Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Call
Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes
Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android

MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.

Send us a text

THIS EPISODE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2023.

Find show notes for the entire Habits series here. 

How important is restorative rest in pursuing a big dream?

Our body, mind and soul require rest; it’s just how we were made and it was modeled for us by God in the creation account and in Adam’s first day on earth. Why wouldn’t we also benefit from regular rhythms of rest in our lives?

This month on the podcast I’m talking about habits to consider that will strengthen you and support your God-shaped dream. Each mini episode will focus on a particular habit and a tip/hack to help you implement it. These are short and sweet episodes (~10 minutes each) and will help you begin thinking about what you can do right now to nurture your dream by building positive habits into your life.

This is the third episode in my Habit Series; I’m talking about the value of living from rest instead of for rest and how simple it can be to add Sabbath rest into your weekly rhythms.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How restorative rest differs from just chilling out,
• Steps you can take to determine if you need more Sabbath rest, and
• When and how I get Sabbath rest even when life is busy.

Grab the free UPDATED Devoted Dreamers Habit Tracker.

Subscribe to the show and then come back every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to learn about building simple, small habits that will grow your confidence and create the consistency yo

NEXT STEPS:

Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a Call
Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunes
Subscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on Android

MORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:
Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson.
Theme music by Reaktor Productions.
Ad music by Komiku.