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How God Leads Us into Our Most Passionate, Purposeful Work
What if your dream isn’t a straight line but a winding path that God is faithfully unfolding?
That’s the story we’re exploring today with my returning guest Eryn Lynum. I interviewed Eryn in 2017, (eight years ago!) about her first book, 936 Pennies; it was her very first podcast guest appearance ever! What neither of us could have predicted then was how that tiny step of obedience would lead to something much bigger.
IF YOU’VE EVER struggled to trust god’s timing of your dream, THIS IS THE EPISODE FOR YOU!
Now Eryn is a Bible teacher, certified master naturalist, and host of the wildly successful Nat Theo Podcast, where she helps families and children discover God’s truth through His creation. In this episode, we trace her journey—from saying yes to an unfamiliar opportunity, to watching God bring her dream to life in the most unexpected way.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
🦋 What a caterpillar reveals about waiting on God’s timing,
🚶 Why you don’t need all the answers before you begin, and
💡 How your purpose unfolds through imperfect, faithful steps
This conversation is a powerful reminder that God is always at work—even when we don’t know what comes next.
Whatever stage you’re at—whether you’re just beginning or walking out a long-held dream—take heart. God isn’t in a rush, and He’s not finished with your story. Keep showing up in faith, one small step at a time, and trust that He’s doing more than you can imagine, even in the waiting. You may not see the full picture now, but God does—and He’s shaping you along the way.
Throughout this month we are exploring the theme of keeping our focus on Christ amidst distractions and setbacks, so press play and let’s get started!
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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Eryn Lynum’s books:
The Nature of Rest: What the Bible and Creation Teach Us About Sabbath Living by Eryn Lynum (May 13, 2025)
Rooted in Wonder: Nurturing Your Family's Faith Through God's Creation by Eryn Lynum
936 Pennies: Discovering the Joy of Intentional Parenting by Eryn Lynum
How to Battle Imposter Syndrome
Trying harder to believe you’re enough will never be the solution to imposter syndrome. Freedom begins when you cease striving and start believing in God’s truth of who He says you are.
If you want to find freedom from imposter syndrome, join the waitlist for Dreamers Unleashed today! Doors open in May 2025!
Scripture:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,
a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
~ 2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)
…for they realized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
~ Nehemiah 6:16 (NASB)
Enjoy This Episode?
Here are some additional episodes about staying focused on Christ despite distractions and setbacks:
Ep 54: How She Got Her Book Published Even with a Small Platform w/ Eryn Lynum Spotify
Ep 271: How To Remain Faithful When God Has You in a Season of Waiting w/ Eryn Lynum Apple | Spotify
Ep 259: How to Pursue a Dream When You Can't See the Full Picture w/ Rachel Baker Apple | Spotify
Ep 268: How Weakness Will Show Us the Way Back to Ourselves w/ Kimberly Phinney Apple | Spotify
Ep 269: Surrendering to a Dream Out of Your Comfort Zone w/ Yohonna Smith Apple | Spotify
Ep 286: Top 3 Traps Standing in the Way of Your God-Given Purpose Apple | Spotify
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The unedited transcript for this episode of The Devoted Dreamers Podcast follows:
Welcome to episode 334 of the Devoted Dreamers Podcast. Today we are talking about How God Leads Us into Our Most Passionate, Purposeful Work.
Today’s guest and I were emailing a few months back recounting her first-ever podcast interview of all time between she and I way back in 2017, where she shared about a book she was about to publish. We’d met at a dinner party, locally; and I loved her story about 936 Pennies and invited her to come on my show.
This was back in the early days; it was episode 54. And as we recounted that experience, there was one thing she wrote in her email to me that inspired this follow-up conversation. She said:
“I couldn't have known then how much God was going to turn my work toward podcasting in the future.”
It was a simple little comment, but it’s wild to think about. Right?
What was going on in your life 8 years ago … in 2017? Think about: Where did you live? What ages were your kids then? Who was most present in your day-to-day life? Maybe what dream were you considering in 2017?
And what has God done in those years that was unexpected?
I don’t think I’m going out on a limb here to suggest that 8 years ago you had no idea where your life would be today.
Proverbs 16:9 says: The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (ESV)
I hope that encourages you.
We can make our plans, but God is the one who directs our steps.
So what has He done in you in the last 8 years?
Imagine everything He could do in the next 8 or 12, 15, 25, or even 30 years from now. It’s a lot; He’s a big, big God.
And I hope you’ll join me in welcoming back, Eryn Lynum, a certified master naturalist, author, Bible teacher and mama, sharing the truth of God’s Word through the wonders of His creation…now through a wildly successful podcast called Nat Theo.
It’s exciting to have Eryn back, 8 years later, because we can literally trace pieces of her dreamer journey through episodes 54, 271, and now here in 334, looking at how God has taken her on this journey of discovering her true passion and gifting as a nature and theology teacher.
Rarely have I invited a guest for a third appearance on the show, but the fact that Eryn’s story, thus far, seems to have come full-circle from trying out podcasting as a first-time author, promoting her book, to now having her own podcast and feeling like she’s finally found her groove. It’s such a wonderful reminder to you and me that this journey to a God-shaped dream is usually not a straight line.
In this episode, you’ll hear Eryn talk about:
What a caterpillar teaches us about the beauty and value of waiting on God’s timing,
We talk about starting before you have it all figured out, especially before you have it all figured out, and
How stepping into the unknown can reveal your most purposeful work.
But you won’t see it unless you take the step.
This month my theme is all about keeping our focus on Christ amidst distractions and setbacks in our dreams.
And this conversation with Eryn is all about what God can do with our imperfect, even terrified yes…and how He transforms us from the inside out as we step into our God-shaped dreams.
Welcome to part one of my two-part conversation with Eryn Lynum.
***
I’m your host, Merritt Onsa, a Christian life coach. I’m kind of like the Joanna Gaines for women of faith who have big dreams about how God might reorder the second half of your life so you can use your gifts and life experiences to usher in beauty, redemption, healing and service to others. It’s not a redesign of your home that we’re working on. It’s a brand-new way to live—in freedom, free from fear, free from second-guessing yourself all the time, and free from the lies that the enemy has used to keep you quiet and playing small in the past. Isn’t it about time more of us who believe in Christ started living that way?
I’m on a mission to engage 10,000 women worldwide to start taking intentional and purposeful steps that will bring their God-shaped dreams to life. If you believe in Jesus and you see his work in your life and you’re aware that you’ve been given gifts, talents and a life story that could serve and benefit others, maybe you’re among those 10,000. I hope that you are, because you’re here listening to a podcast about dreams.
Maybe you’re looking for a chance to see if your dream has legs. You want to try it on for size and figure out if it’s possible. You want to be inspired and encouraged that there’s hope for what you’ve been dreaming all these years. Maybe you’ve been too fearful in the past, or someone dashed your dreams with a comment that hit too close to home, or you just haven’t had time to figure out how to proceed.
Well, my friend, this is your time. This is your space. If you have big ideas for how God could use the gifts He’s given you and the years of your life that remain, and you have a dream that would serve others, let’s figure out how to turn that heartfelt hidden dream into real, actionable plans with impact for God’s kingdom work in the world.
Hello, Eryn Lynum. Welcome back to the podcast!
Eryn Lynum:
Thank you.
Thank you, Merritt, for having me back.
Merritt Onsa:
Well, and it's been a fun little journey to watch you over the years, and we're going to talk about that a little bit here in this part one of our conversation.
But I want to begin with you saying for us today, what is your God shaped dream? And then we'll rewind and look at the past.
Eryn Lynum:
Like, what today, my God-shaped dream is?
Merritt Onsa:
What is it today?
How would you describe it today?
Eryn Lynum:
My God shaped dream is to work within the gifts that God has given me as he reveals those. And today that looks like—I have never felt this purposeful in my work. I have never felt like I was having such an impact for his kingdom, and so I just praise him for that—and it looks like teaching kids and families who God is and true biblical truth, coming from 2 Timothy 2:15, let us be workers unashamed who rightly handle the word of truth. And so teaching families the truth using nature and science.
Merritt Onsa:
And it is so cool to watch you do this. So let's talk about that a little bit. What are the pieces of it today?
Eryn Lynum:
So this really began a few years ago when I certified as a master naturalist, which is basically a nature teacher. And I wanted to pursue that certification and education because I saw that Jesus taught using nature and that there are nature narratives all throughout scripture.
And so I thought, okay, if I can better understand what God has made and his designs, then I can better teach biblical truth using those visuals, those things that kids remember, so that when they go outside and they see a milkweed plant or a butterfly or a bird, it's bringing back all this biblical truth. And so that really kicked off my second book, which was our previous conversation with Rooted in Wonder. And then out of that came our podcast for families, Nat Theo, Nature Lessons Rooted in the Bible, where we are just teaching real science and nature and always connecting it back to the Creator God.
Merritt Onsa:
Amazing. It's so sweet. I was just listening to part of your episode about the smallest seed that comes from an orchid and the way you talked about that. And yeah, the milkweed I think we talked about in the episode from 2023.
So, okay, I'm going to rewind a little bit.
So we first talked in 2017 before your very first book published, and it was your first ever podcast episode?
Eryn Lynum:
Yeah, I mean, when you said that you hosted a podcast, I had to ask my husband, what is a podcast? And then I had no idea. Yeah, I had no idea. Like, how do. What does this mean, being on a podcast? Yeah, I. No idea.
Merritt Onsa:
Yeah. So you were a newbie author, a knew-nothing-about-podcasting person in 2017. And as I go back and listen to episode 54, which we recorded, you were in the public library. And I was super nervous. Like, I could even hear, like, the nervousness in my voice as I was asking you questions. It's like, all right, we're trying to figure this out.
And then five years later, you came back on the show. You came to talk about Rooted in Wonder. That was a big conversation. I think I titled it How To Remain Faithful When God Has You in a Season of Waiting. So you talked about kind of waiting, you were still waiting to get to this thing that had yet to be defined even. You couldn't even put your finger on it that I would be in 2025, hosting this podcast for kids on nature, theology. I mean, all of these things. You did not know that in 2017. So talk about the courage that it took to step into the unknown.
Eryn Lynum:
My husband has been huge in this. So he tried to convince me for years to start a podcast. And he's an avid podcast listener. He listens to them every day. And I was like, when am I going to start a podcast? I'm publishing these books, and I'm, you know, homeschooling our kids, and we're raising a family, and you have your business. And so it was not something I saw whatsoever. I was like, I'm just going to keep writing books as I have the opportunity to do that.
And then when Rooted in Wonder launched, my second book, God just put this little idea in my head about what Jesus's favorite bird might have been, which happens to, I think, be the house sparrow. And so I wrote up this little script on it, and it ended up being for kids. Like, I never thought I would do a podcast. Definitely never thought it would be a children's podcast. And so I think that was a step into the unknown, because I had no idea how to record a podcast, how to get it online. My husband had bought me a mic for interviews for the book launch. So I just recorded it, and it's, if you go back and listen, I've kept it up there because it points to the journey and where it started. But, like, my mic is way up above my head because I didn't know where to put a mic. So there's like this echo in the room and no idea what I was doing. But I figure out how to get it online and send it out into the world. And the next day we're like, oh, some people are listening. That's really cool. Maybe I'll do another episode.
And so I start putting them out there, and then we start learning about podcasting, since apparently, I'm doing it. And we realize, oh, wait, a lot of people are listening.
And God took it and ran with it. And the whole thing has just been, okay, we're going to learn as we go. I told my kids the other day, because we went back and listened to that first episode, which I still love it. I love it. But with the echo and the poor audio. And I told my kids, you know, I spent months just tweaking the audio and figuring it out and YouTubing it and adjusting it.And so just all of it has been learn as we go. The whole thing has been a step into the unknown and just God confirming it over and over. Like, we never…
Last week it ranked us the number one education for kids podcast in America. And that's not faith based. Like, what? Overall, yeah, it was up with, like, the American Public Media podcast. And I'm like, this is like, I'm like, in my little home office with my kids and literally written on construction paper: I'm recording. Please don't come in.
Merritt Onsa:
Number one. Way to go. Let's celebrate that. That's so amazing.
Eryn Lynum:
God is so good. We never, ever anticipated anything like that.
Merritt Onsa:
Yeah. And so your audience is any children, but it sounds like you're also kind of producing curriculum for homeschool families especially.
Eryn Lynum:
Yeah, Yeah, I didn't expect that either. So we homeschool and we're in that realm. But what we saw was people started telling us, oh, yeah, we listen to Nat Theo for our science curriculum and for our Bible curriculum. And I was like, you're using this for homeschooling. That's amazing.
And more and more people were telling us that. And so I thought, okay, well, what if we actually produce a curriculum along with it so that while the kids are listening, they have all these visuals and they have additional videos they can watch, and then afterwards, like, all this science that they can dive into that just builds on the lesson and then it has a devotional with it and coloring pages and worksheets and crafts, and it's been so fun to just see families engaging with that, knowing all of it is just rooting that biblical truth even deeper.
Merritt Onsa:
How beautiful. And so when you recorded that first episode, you had no idea that it would go here?
Eryn Lynum:
No idea. Never. I thought it was going to be like maybe a little hobby, like, oh, once in a while I'll put a little episode out there. This is like fun. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I had no idea how much fun it would be. Like I said, like, I've never felt so much purpose in my work, but I've also never had this much fun.
Merritt Onsa:
Wow. And so God did this. And you are about to release your first Bible study, third book.
Eryn Lynum:
Yeah.
Merritt Onsa:
Talk about that.
Eryn Lynum:
Yeah. The Nature of Rest, what the Bible and creation teach us about Sabbath living. So, yeah, this was a totally new project. I've written a lot of devotionals, like for other publishers and companies, but it's my first standalone devotional.
And so it's a six-week Bible study that really just shows us God's gift of rest as he originally meant it, and the deep roots of rest that run throughout scripture, and how we see rest in every part of creation. God designed nature to thrive through rest, including us.
So this has been a completely new, I mean, my first two books being focused on parenting and this is more of a general Bible study. Let's dig into the scriptures.
Merritt Onsa:
Beautiful. When does that come out?
Eryn Lynum:
That releases May 13th.
Merritt Onsa [00:10:08]:
This year. It's coming, it's coming shortly after.
And you can pre-order?
Eryn Lynum [00:10:10]:
Yeah, yeah, I just got them this week. And I. You like there's nothing like seeing it for the first time after you've worked on this thing for a few years and. Yeah, but, yeah, so it's available for pre order wherever you buy books, Amazon of course, and on my website as well.
***
Merritt Onsa:
Have you ever felt that little nudge, that pull toward something meaningful, something God might be inviting you into, I call it a God-shaped dream. You know it’s there, and yet, sometimes your inner critic shows up bossier than your faith!
The accusing voice that says, “Who do you think you are?” The second-guessing. The shame spiral.
My sister in Christ, all of that is imposter syndrome. And it is not from God.
However, believing what’s true and allowing such truth to rule over the lies is easier said than done.
And this is exactly why I created Dreamers Unleashed—a live group-coaching experience to help you move from feeling stuck and in a cycle of lies, insecurity and striving on your own strength to boldly living in the truth of who you are in Christ—equipped, confident, and free to pursue your God-given dreams with joy and the authority of Christ.
The next round of Dreamers Unleashed starts in June and this is just the opportunity you’ve been looking for to learn how to exchange lies for God’s truth.
Together, we’ll unpack the stories we’ve believed, open Scripture to remember who we really are, and start stepping into the dreams God has placed on our hearts—with clarity and courage.
Doors open in May, but space is limited.
So you’re going to want to join the waitlist now at merrittonsa.com/impostersyndrome so that you can be the first to know when enrollment begins.
It’s time to remember who you are—and who God made you to be.
***
Merritt Onsa:
And. Oh, and then there's something else coming up. I want you to. I want you to look into the future and tell us what we're going to be talking about next year.
Eryn Lynum:
Yeah. So my third book is about to release and right before it releases, my manuscript is due for a fourth book, which is my first ever children's book. And not even like a small one. It's a fully illustrated children's chapter book, so It'll be about 20 chapters. Follows the story of a little girl following in her grandmother's footsteps to become a young naturalist.
So she's meeting all these bird experts and reptile experts and hiking through the woods and discovering all these things about nature and how it all points us back to our creator, God.
And so it brings in theology, it brings in science, and it's all storyform for children. So that is supposed to release in September of ‘26.
Merritt Onsa:
Awesome. Well, we better get that interview on the books. So you can do my 4th!
Yeah, so along this journey, and I know it started long before 2017, but can you share kind of some of the challenges or maybe a specific challenge? We've talked about waiting. You know, there's this: all the unknown. How are you taking steps towards something that you don't really know exactly what the finish line is? Maybe dispel any myths that this feels easy.
Eryn Lynum:
Yeah, it's not. It's not easy.
So I think one of the biggest lessons for me has been to trust God and be patient as he leads us deeper and deeper into our most passionate, purposeful work.
Because as we talked about on our previous conversation, I had these really hard seasons of waiting between my first two books, really having no idea, like, does God even want me to write another book? What am I supposed to write on? I kind of had this identity crisis in all of this, because we do. We tie our identity to our work in a way.
And so what God has been doing is showing me who he created me to be and the work that he created me to do and to enjoy and finding such purpose in that.
Like I said, I never anticipated it would be podcasting. Someone asked me the other day, they said, are you going to keep writing books? I was like, as long as the opportunity is there.
Yeah. Like, I love doing it. But for so long, there was so much pressure to write a book because you feel like. I know, I felt like after my first book published, oh, we're supposed to go on into the next one. And you, you just assume that your publisher is going to be like, okay, let's do this again. And that's not always what happens.
That it wasn't in my case. And so it really is just trusting God in those unknown seasons, in those seasons of waiting. Not only that he's going to bring the opportunities, but I think more importantly, that he is developing us for those opportunities.
Like, I think about a caterpillar in a chrysalis, and I use this analogy in the new book, there's a whole week on waiting and how important waiting is and resting and waiting together.
So I think about a caterpillar, and as they wrap themselves up into this chrysalis. So we saw this a couple of summers ago, we had five monarch caterpillars, and we watched them wrap up into their chrysalis and before they do this, they eat and eat and eat nonstop. Like they are constant activity, going, going, eating, eating. And then one day they stop and they go up to the top of—we had them in these glass containers. Or they find a branch and they ad adhere themselves with a silk pad and they hang in a J shape and they wrap up into their chrysalis. And when they're in the chrysalis, almost the whole caterpillar completely liquefies, except for there's this group of cells called imaginal discs. And those imaginal discs become the new parts of the butterfly.
And I just love their name. Think about, like, God tucked these imaginal discs into the caterpillar. And it's like he was saying, just imagine what you're going to become. And those have been my seasons of waiting in between opportunities.
And that God was preparing me for the work that he was bringing. And that was a necessary part of it.
Merritt Onsa:
Did you ever wonder or think, what if it doesn't come? What if it doesn't work out?
Eryn Lynum:
Yeah, I mean, I've seen that because in between my first and second book, I put out, I think it was three book proposals. And that's not a small thing. And in nonfiction, you have to do three sample chapters and a full, like, marketing analysis and all the things. So, like, for me, it was six to eight months of work on one book proposal. And you're pouring your heart into that and just trusting that something's going to come of it, and then nothing. And so I definitely did experience that, where you're hoping and you're working faithfully and diligently.
But the thing is, all of those were necessary. I can see how each of those processes of putting together those works shaped the work I'm doing today and shaped me as a person. And especially just deepened my trust in God. That, okay, that's not what you had for me. You must have something else.
And he does.
Merritt Onsa:
Yeah. Yeah. And as you basically just said, he didn't waste those months.
Eryn Lynum
That was not wasteful.
Merritt Onsa
No, no. That would be crazy. He used it and is using it. And so many people are being touched by your work.
So how about we close out this episode with you just recognizing who gave you these beautiful gifts, this amazing opportunity to do ... what did you call it? I have to look: The most passionate, purposeful work that you could do with your life.
Eryn Lynum:
Yeah. I always think back to Nehemiah and when they rebuilt the wall. And there's this key phrase I love in that story. After they've rebuilt it, it says that the people would look upon the work and know that it was the hand of the Lord that had done this.
And that's been my prayer all along. Because I don't want to write books on my own. I don't want to put out a single podcast episode that's just me like, oh, gotta get more content out. Or thinking like, oh, I'm the best one to do this, because that's not. I'm just not.
And I want all of this work to be something that people look upon, whether they're reading a book, whether they're pressing play on an episode, and listening as a family that their thoughts go to God and that they know right away that this is a work that the hand of the Lord has done.
Merritt Onsa:
Yeah, that's really beautiful. And we need that reminder probably again and again, because it's so easy to put your hand to the work and think, this was my hand, but it's really His.
Thanks, Eryn. I can't wait to hear more.
Come on back next week and we'll do part two.
My friends, tune in every week. Like I said, this is going to be a weekly show this year. Invite your friends. Share this episode and mostly trust God’s guidance for the dream that He has given you.
Finally, Daughter of the King, you were made for a beautiful purpose. Your identity and security rest in him, as does your dream, because the Lord is good and his ways are always good. No weapon formed against you will prosper because you belong to Him.
Until next week, stay faithful, keep dreaming. And remember, trusting God with your next step doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be scary. It means taking the step anyway. That’s what faith is.
You are welcome here among women braving those scary steps in faith, knowing our dreams matter because they are His.
Until next time, I’m Merritt Onsa, your dream coach and sister in Christ walking by faith with you in the dream.
Have a great week.
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