Dream Brave
Dream Brave with Wai Jia addresses the self-doubt and fear we all have to unlock the audacious faith we need to live out our God-given dreams, big or small. More encouragement on Instagram @drwaijiatam and YouTube @Kitedreams. Purchase Wai Jia's latest book Dream Brave, available where books are sold.
Episodes
The Place Between Our Pains (with K.J. Ramsey)
Just seconds into our conversation, tears arrived. In the darkest season of my life, K.J.'s writing was a lifeline. Our parallel crises in health and faith helped me feel seen — when my body was in pain and my faith felt fragile. K.J. is a trauma-informed therapist, a Penguin-published author of four books, and someone who lives with seven chronic illnesses. Her wisdom is hard-won, forged through
Find Your Anchor: Befriending Your Nervous System (with Deb Dana)
I thought I was strong because I could push through anything. Until my body said, "Not anymore." Two years ago, I moved to Tanzania for humanitarian work…but instead of peace, I found myself stuck in constant hypervigilance. Dogs barking for hours. Armed robberies outside our door. Even being groped in the place I lived. I was falling apart. Spiritually. Physically. Emotionally. No amount
Trauma Myths We Need to Stop Believing (with Dr. Aimie Apigian)
This episode exists because a listener reached out and recommended Dr. Aimie Apigian's work — and I'm so glad they did. Dr. Aimie is a double board-certified physician in Preventive and Addiction Medicine, with Master's degrees in Biochemistry and Public Health, and specialised training in Functional and Integrative Medicine. She is the founder of the Mind-Body-Biology Institute, where she trains
Truths About Trauma No One Told You (with Anya Charnaud)
Have you ever wondered, "Was what I went through really trauma?" Or have you felt ashamed that therapy means your faith is weak? For years, I told myself what I went through wasn't bad enough to matter. Not war. Not abuse. Not the kind of "big T trauma" you read about. But then my body broke down—chronic pain, panic, tears that wouldn't stop. It was only when I began to understand what trauma r
What Prayer Does to Your Brain (with Jo Hargreaves)
Have you ever wondered: "Is therapy biblical?" "Is breathwork new age?" "Why do I still spiral even when I pray?" These were honestly questions I wrestled with deeply too. And the more I've learned about trauma, the nervous system and neuroplasticity over the past two years… the more in awe I've become of Scripture. One of the people I've most loved learning from in this space is Jo Hargreaves—
Permission to Hurt: Healing Without Losing Your Faith (with Pastor Benny Ho)
Have you ever been in pain and someone tried to explain it, rebuke it, cast it out, or pray it away… before simply sitting beside you? Have you ever been told you just needed more faith—when your body was exhausted? Or left a healing space feeling more ashamed than whole? I think in many church spaces—especially in Asian culture—there can be so many voices telling us what God is saying. What ou
The Ache Beneath Achievement: When My Body Quit | Season 4 (Tender & Wild)
At the peak of my life, my life ground to a halt. I found myself in the ICU after major spine surgery through my neck. Back then, I was working a medical job, running a nonprofit, writing my book, preaching on weekends, clocking 20 miles a week, going to the gym once to twice a day, cooking all our meals from scratch… I FELT LIKE A MACHINE. We'd made epic plans for me to quit work in a month, rel
What if You're One Try Away?: The Risk of Trying Again (with Julius Mwimo)
Have you ever pursued a dream wholeheartedly…only to keep falling short? Maybe the opportunity came…but not the funds for it. The door opened…but not quite enough. Your dream felt so near, yet painfully out of reach. My friend Julius knows that feeling. Our story began by what felt like an accident. We met at a medical conference during a short visit to Tanzania years ago. At the time,
The Accidental Entrepreneur (with Ee-Ling Fock)
One of the things I love most about this conversation is that it's not just an interview—it's a friendship. I still remember the first time I encountered Ee-Ling's work. I was preparing for a calligraphy exhibition and needed something elegant to wear. Someone recommended her brand, and I stepped into her store not expecting much…but walked out with something that felt like more than just an outf
The Risk of Disappointing Your Family (with Bronwyn Lea)
One of the riskiest things we can ever do is disappoint family—isn't it? Not move countries. Not quit your job. Not start something new. But to confront the truth and draw a boundary that our loved ones might never agree with. In this episode, Wai Jia is joined by Ps. Bronwyn Lea—pastor, Bible teacher, and coach at Propel Women, a ministry founded by Christine Caine. Ps. Bronwyn is trained in l
The Ambition of a Quiet Life (with Ang Hern Shung)
Some risks look dramatic. Some look admirable. But some risks look like choosing a quieter, less self-promoting life in a world that rewards visibility. In this episode, Dr. Wai Jia interviews a good friend, Hern Shung. He chose a path that looked "behind" by the world's standards, and shares honestly about the wrestle with comparison, ambition, recognition, and obedience over the years. Not all r
$5 Became a 5-Million Cupcake Calling (with Mignon Francois)
What do you do when you only have $5…and six mouths to feed? In this powerful episode, Mignon Francois—founder of The Cupcake Collection and bestselling author of Made From Scratch—shares how she went from having no electricity and overwhelming debt to building a multi-million dollar cupcake business grounded in faith. 🧁 But this isn't just a story about success. It's about obedience and risk. Fro
Choosing Surrender Over Success (with Jasmine Chong)
What if the very thing that made you successful was the very thing God asked you to lay on the altar? That's exactly what happened to Jasmine Chong—founder of Lab Studios, one of Singapore's most influential boutique fitness brands. After years of building a thriving yoga empire, Jasmine sensed a whisper. A stirring. Not to grow bigger. Not to scale faster. But to surrender the yoga arm—her most
The Long Spoons Parable: What It Teaches About Marriage, Calling & Risk (with Jason Min)
What happens when God's call on your life doesn't just affect you, but the person you love most? In this episode, Jason Min, lead pastor of Citizens Church in Los Angeles, shares a deeply honest and moving conversation about what it means to pursue God's calling as a couple, not just as individuals. From leaving behind an Ivy League–shaped future to stepping into music, entrepreneurship, and u
The Risk of Pursuing Love (with Cliff Tam)
Skydiving is easy. Pursuing a girl? Now that's terrifying. Before Cliff got me, he got rejected…a LOT. 😂 👉 Called a girl 20 times in 5 minutes. 👉 Lost another because her parents thought he'd "die too soon" after his transplant. 👉 Watched his best friend marry the girl he liked. 👉 And (OMG 🤯) I just found out, in this interview, that he once SPRINTED out of a symphony recital mid-show… ran down t
Color Outside the Lines (with Aiken Chia)
They told him he wasn't good enough. Not smart enough for Pure Literature. Not good-looking enough for TV. Not fluent enough in Mandarin. Not enough. But instead of shrinking, Aiken Chia—now a well-known content creator—chose risk. In the first guest interview of Season 3: RISK (Episode 29), Aiken shares how every rejection became soil for something deeper, and how God rewrote his story when he da
The Illusion of Security
What if the safest place isn't comfort—but obedience? In this opening episode of a brand-new season called Risk, Dr Wai Jia explores what it truly means to live a life of faith-filled risk. Through real stories and hard-won lessons, this episode wrestles with the tension between fear and obedience—and why playing it safe can sometimes cost us more than stepping out. From small, trembling acts of t
Living Fully with Chronic Illness: An Ironman's Defiant Hope (An Interview with Cliff Tam)
If you live with chronic illness, you know how strange it feels to look fine on the outside—while fighting invisible battles within. Maybe you learn to smile through pain. Plan your days around fatigue. Wonder if you can do what someone else could easily say yes to. Some days, you might ask yourself, "Does my chronic illness exclude me from pursuing my passion or limit my dreams?" 🎙️ In this Trea
Standing Tall with Dwarfism (An Interview with Tim Muttoo)
What the world sees as limitation, God calls opportunity. Born with dwarfism, Tim Muttoo never let his height define him. Instead, he chose to believe he was created with purpose and intentionality. When he married Anita in Canada, their wedding story went viral—over 100 million views worldwide—because their love defied expectations and showed the world what it truly means to stand tall in faith,
Does Following God Make Me the Enemy's Target? (An Interview with Cameron Walcott)
Does following God put a target on your back for the enemy? When Pastor Cameron Walcott obeyed God and moved his family across the world to plant a church, tragedy struck. Just days before their launch, his 13-year-old son Caleb died in his sleep. After the previous episode with Ps. Cameron about losing Caleb, Dr. Wai Jia was haunted by deeper questions about spiritual warfare. So Ps. Cameron came
Life After Losing My 13-Year Old Son (An Interview with Cameron Walcott)
What do you do when tragedy strikes while you're walking in obedience? When your faith is real, your prayers are sincere—and still, your world falls apart? In this deeply moving episode of Dream Brave, Dr. Wai Jia sat down with Pastor Cameron Walcott, who lost his firstborn son, Caleb—days before his 14th birthday. Caleb was a vibrant young boy, full of joy and purpose. He was also the page boy at
Unstacking the Grief of Transitions (An Interview with Lauren Wells)
What if the way we raise our kids today could spare them from the pain we're experiencing today from our childhoods? In this tender, powerful episode of Dream Brave, Dr. Wai Jia speaks with Lauren Wells, founder of TCK Training, an industry leader in intersectional preventive care training and education to help Third Culture Kids thrive. Lauren shares not just as a childhood trauma expert, but as
What You Find in the Dark (An Interview with Aubrey Sampson)
So many of us associate darkness with death and pain. But what if I told you, that though darkness is gloom, it is also a womb? That if you walk through grief, you will find a garden? In this episode, Dr. Wai Jia interviews author and pastor Aubrey Sampson, who's not only lived through but has written a number of books on grief, lament and joy. Aubrey has lived through autoimmune disease, being a
How God Promotes Us Through Pain and Perplexity (An Interview with Bob Sorge)
What do you do when life never goes back to normal? When a routine surgery left Bob Sorge with a lifelong vocal injury, everything changed. Once a powerful speaker and worship leader, he suddenly couldn't do the work he loved or live life the way he had planned. In this vulnerable conversation, Bob shares his journey through decades of chronic pain, unanswered questions, and the transformation tha
What Cancer Couldn't Kill: The Long Way Home (An Interview with Marianne Tan)
What if the worst news of your life becomes the turning point for your greatest healing? Diagnosed with cancer at just 27, Marianne had no family support, no insurance, and a past full of pain. But what followed was a flood of miracles—reconciliation, redemption, and a peace she never imagined. In this raw and honest episode, Marianne opens up about growing up in dysfunction, her battle with canc
Can You Just Sit With Me? (An Interview with Natasha Smith)
In this powerful episode, Dr. Wai Jia sits down with Natasha Smith, grief educator and author of Can You Just Sit With Me? Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life, to explore what it means to grieve well. Natasha has experienced multiple heartbreaking losses—miscarriage, stillbirth, divorce, giving up her first baby for adoption, the loss of her two older sisters and dad to cancer, the murder of h
Half a Donut and a Whole Lot of Faith: My MIL's Legacy of Resilience (An Interview with Susanna Tam)
What do you do when your child is diagnosed with terminal cancer in a new country...and you can only afford to share half a donut for lunch? When Dr. Wai Jia's mother-in-law Susanna immigrated from Hong Kong to Canada, she had no idea her 10-year-old son (now Dr. Wai Jia's husband) would be diagnosed with liver cancer…or that he'd survive a transplant, complete an Ironman, and later raise a family
Treasures in the Dark
What if your darkest seasons weren't detours, but sacred spaces where God meets you most deeply? In this opening episode of Season 2 called "Treasures of Darkness," Dr. Wai Jia Tam shares raw and vulnerable reflections from her personal journey through physical pain, emotional exhaustion, and spiritual wrestling. From ICU beds to unexpected encounters in the wild, she explores the profound truth t
Sabbath & Rest: How To Sabbath Audaciously (An Interview with Hern Shung)
Have you felt worn out or breathless in trying to pursue your goals? Have you ever wished you could just go away with Jesus and find rest for your soul? Does Sabbath seem like an impossibility? If those are the questions you've asked, you'll enjoy this episode. In this episode, Dr. Wai Jia sat down with Ang Hern Shung, Pastoral Overseer at Trinity Methodist Church in Singapore, who talks candidly
Why God's Rest Unlocks the Miraculous
Does rest seem like an impossible demand from God? In your busy life, do you find yourself squeezing in errands to run, people to meet and things to do when you know you wished you could rest? How can rest be part of our journeys of dreaming brave when our big dreams demand so much of us? In this episode, Dr. Wai Jia shares why rest is the key to our fruitfulness and abiding in God. And why rest,
Stepping Out in Faith When You Feel Unqualified (An Interview with Becca David)
Have you ever felt you're unqualified or ill-equipped for what God is calling you to? Do you ever feel someone else could do a better job, or think: What can God possibly do with someone like me? If those are the questions you've asked, this episode is for you. In this episode, Dr. Wai Jia speaks with Becca David, a hairstylist from Massachusetts, about how God freed her from feeling unworthy and
When I Feel I'm Not Good Enough
Do you often feel small and inadequate? Have you ever wondered how God could possibly do anything significant through someone as broken and flawed as you? God, why can't I just be good enough to do something great in my lifetime? In this episode, Dr. Wai Jia share how God loves to use the weak and the lowly and why, if you're feeling "not good enough" for His God-sized dreams for your life, that's
Turning Trauma into Truth: Leading from a Place of Being Loved (An Interview with Jeanette Salguero)
Have you ever wondered how you could do anything worthwhile for God if you yourself were neglected, abused or traumatized before? In this episode, Dr. Wai Jia sat down with Ps. Jeanette Salguero from New York City, a Puerto-Rican pastor, coach and regular advocate at the White House for Hispanic legislation, to discuss what it means to live and lead from a posture of being loved, when we've been b
How Can I Dream Brave When My Family Is So Broken?
Have you ever felt ashamed of your family of origin? Maybe you struggle with estrangement from your parents, siblings who have hurt or bullied you, family baggage that carries years of generational trauma and sin. You're not alone. In this episode, Dr. Wai Jia speaks to us about how our family's dysfunction does not exclude us from fulfilling God's dreams for our lives. Links: Get the list of ques
Surrender and Surprises: How Letting Go Helps Us Receive God's Best (An Interview with Bronwyn Lea)
Have you ever felt disappointed that your dreams didn't turn out the way you expected? Is God telling me to let go of my dreams? And if so, then why does it feel so hard? If those are the questions you've asked, you've come to the right place. In this episode, I'm so excited to have Bronwyn Lea with me. Bronwyn is originally from South Africa but now lives in California with her family, where she
Surrendering My Dreams to God
Have you ever felt like you didnt know where you were headed? You know you've heard God's call, but then, it's as if He's gone silent and you dont know whats next. What steo do you take whe there're so many options. Hello God, are you there? In this episode, Wai Jia speaks to us about how God's plans for our lives comes through best when we come to the place of true surrender, and how, even in our
Struggle & Setbacks: What If I Wrestle with Depression? (An Interview with Dave Quak)
Do you ever feel like your mental health struggles limit you from pursuing your dreams? How can God use me to impact others if I myself am struggling? In this episode, I sat down with Dave Quak, podcast host of Sunburnt Souls and pastor of Living Temple church in Brisbane to hear his journey with bipolar disorder, how he thrives with it, and why it doesn't hold him back. I love Dave. He's become a
When I've Lost Hope
Are you struggling with pain, heartbreak or setback? Ever felt like you're carrying too much baggage or have gone through too much to ever be useful enough for God? In this episode, Wai Jia takes us into Joseph's life and shares her own struggles with mental health, to show us how God uses our pit and prison experiences to prepare us for the palace. If you feel like you're struggling to hold ont
Naysayers and Mentors: What if they don't agree with my dreams? (An Interview with Jason Min)
Have you faced opposition from your loved ones when you share your dreams with them? How do you discern good advice from the naysayers? In this episode, I sat down with Pastor Jason Min from Citizens Church to hear his remarkable story of confronting and managing parental expectations when his brother and him chose unexpected career paths. As a Korean-American at the intersection of eastern cultur
Discerning God's Voice When Others Say No
Have you ever felt lost amidst the many well-intentioned voices that advise you on your next steps? What if those voices don't align with what you're sensing God speak to you about His dreams for your life? When is it all right to choose not to yield to authority? In this episode, Wai Jia speaks to us about the principles that can guide us in hearing God's voice, especially when they run counter t
When Counting the Cost Feels Too Hard: An Interview with Cliff Tam
In the pursuit of your God-given dreams, have you ever felt like the sacrifice you had to make felt too great? Do you ever feel like backing out because the possibility of failure just seems too high? If those are the questions you've asked, this episode is for you. In this episode, Wai Jia sat down with her cancer-surviving, IronMan triathlete, stay-at-home-dad Canadian missionary husband, Cliff,
When the Risk of Pursuing My Dream Feels Too Great
Have you ever felt paralyzed by fear because stepping out into the unknown feels like too great of a risk? After all, we can still do good within our comfort zones. In this episode, Wai Jia shares with us why risk is a crucial part of our learning to walk by faith. If you're holding back because you've counted the cost and it feels too hard, this episode is for you. Links: Order your copy of DR
What If My Faith Feels Too Small?
Have you ever felt like your faith was too small or weak? Ever felt ashamed or guilty for feeling doubtful if your plans would work out? Friend, you're not alone. In this episode, Wai Jia unravels the mystery of why Jesus rebukes His disciples for having "little faith," then promptly says that a mustard-seed sized faith would be sufficient. If you feel like you're falling short on faith, this epis
Your Dreams Matter, Because You Do
Have you ever wondered if your dreams matter? After all, why pursue them if they seem far-fetched or the cost seems too high? In the first episode of Dream Brave with Wai Jia shares with us why our dreams matter, by recollecting a little dream that changed her life forever. If you're tempted to squash a dream in your heart because it seems too whimsical, too silly, or just too much, this episode i
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