111 || How to Find Remarkable Beauty in Ordinary Dreams || Ashley Hales

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 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 * Sign up for Dream Believers. Just $49/month or $490 for the year (get 2 months free!) NEXT STEPS:Connect with Merritt: Website || Instagram || Book a CallLeave a Review: Apple Podcasts/iTunesSubscribe: on Apple Podcasts * on AndroidJoin the Dream Believers communityMORE ABOUT THE DEVOTED DREAMERS PODCAST:Produced by Jonathan R. Clauson. Theme music by Reaktor Productions. Ad music by Komiku.