123 || How to be Faithful in the Dream You Didn't Want || Alia Joy

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 would rather run from weakness than embrace it. Years ago, Alia might have told you the same. She never expected to write a book about weakness, nor did she expect to wrestle with mental illness, but this journey has put her on a path to be a voice for the hurting, the broken, and the lonely. Her new book Glorious Weakness: Discovering God in All We Lack is meeting people in their place of need and giving them hope that they are not alone. There were so many incredible (and challenging) takeaways from this conversation with Alia. First, she offers a gentle reminder that sometimes our dreams don’t include a checklist of things to do. In fact, we should probably question whether results are really the point of any dream. Is God asking you for results or is He asking you for obedience? Alia provides an excellent biblical reminder not to fret, worry about, or covet what someone else has. This is especially true when you encounter others who are pursuing a dream that feels very similar to yours. Guess what? That’s not about you. If you feel you can celebrate someone who has a similar dream, then do so. But if you can’t without fretting, then unfollow, scroll past, and ask God to help you let go of those feelings. In this episode, you’ll also discover the value of finding a quiet place to release the noise of the world. Alia talks about how there can be too much of a good thing (like reading all the books or, for me, attending every last webinar so I can make up for what I think I lack in knowledge). If you’re currently feeling alone in your struggles or the pursuit of your God-shaped dream, I promise you, you’re not! I hope you’ll join us over in the Devoted Dreamers Insiders Facebook Group and get to know some fellow dreamers. We’d love to meet and encourage you toward Christ. You’ll find the show notes and all the ways to connect with Alia, here: http://www.merrittonsa.com/podcast/123 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 121 – Listening to Your Feelings Can Sabotage Your Dream, with Laura Harris – released 7/10/2019 Episode 120 – How to Pursue Your Dream Without a Road Map, with Heather Boersma – released 7/3/2019   Get Alia’s Book: Glorious Weakness: Discovering God in All We Lack   GET MORE INVOLVED...BECOME A DEVOTED DREAMERS PATRON Starting in August, every new contribution goes to support the transcription needs of the podcast. There’s more info in today’s show, but if you enjoy just one episode a month, consider joining my support team with a monthly contribution. Just click the red button to get started.    GET CONNECTED WITH THE COMMUNSign 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.