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The Dream of You

Let Go of Broken Identities and Live the Life You Were Made For

Jo Saxton

About The Dream of You

Let’s be honest, the life you lead isn’t what you’ve always dreamt. And maybe the person you’ve become isn’t who you’ve always imagined. Sure, you can clean it up. You can work longer, love harder, and eat better. You can scrub the surface of your life until it gleams and still never address the fact that somehow you lost sight of who you really are and what you’re living for.
 
Is this the life you were meant to live?
 
       As the child of Nigerian immigrants in the UK, author and speaker Jo Saxton knows firsthand how quickly the world can cause us to doubt our dreams and question who we are. She understands how easily we can exchange our true child-of-God selves for an identity built on lies, guilt, and brokenness.
       In this powerful book, Jo examines Biblical figures and shares her personal story as she invites you to turn to the One who knows you intimately and loves you deeply. He sees all you’ve struggled to hide. He hears the voice inside you that others have silenced. He knows the potential and purpose that no one valued. He longs to redeem the story of your life and set you on the path to reclaim The Dream of You. Are you ready?

Praise

“My friend Jo has a pastor’s heart, and that heart shines through every page of this beautiful book. Reading these pages is like learning from a wise friend.”—Shauna Niequist, New York Times best-selling author of Present Over Perfect

“In these pages, Jo’s trademark wisdom is on display and accessible to everyone who settles in for the ride. Through her gift of delivering essential messaging with wit and wonder, Jo rekindles the desires of your heart and reintroduces you to the life you were meant to live. If you and this book have found your way to each other, I have just two words to share: lucky you!”—Deidra Riggs, national speaker and author of One: Unity in a Divided World

“We live in a noisy culture. It feels as if nearly everyone is screaming about who we ought to be, creating a heightened sense of anxiety and confusion. Jo Saxton, in The Dream of You, speaks prophetically, pastorally, and practically to this crisis of identity, because if our identity is not in Christ, we’ll struggle with deep insecurity. We’ll pursue everything, trying to fill our lives with meaning. With her own personal vulnerability, Jo invites us to relinquish our broken identities and return once more to the One who created us.”—Rev. Eugene Cho, senior pastor, Quest Church, and author of Overrated: Are We More in Love with the Idea of Changing the World Than Actually Changing the World?

“Jo is a friend of ours. She’s a lot of fun, but she’s also filled to the brim with guts and grit and Jesus. This isn’t a book about Jo; it’s about leaving behind who you thought you were and becoming who God made you to be. You’ll be captivated by her stories and swept away by God’s love.”—Maria and Bob Goff, authors and Jo’s friends

“Who do you see when you look in the mirror or take a selfie? Maybe you see blemishes, pudgy cheeks, imperfection, emptiness, and a lost identity of yourself. The Dream of You is a reality check for many who have gotten lost in what society requires and what others desire of you. These false identities have created a sunken silo, sometimes unrecognizable to us. Jo brilliantly calls us to remember our true identities, discovering the people God created us to be. Jo takes us on a personal discovery of ourselves, interwoven through personal and biblical stories of broken identity that keep us from living the lives we were created to live. She invites you to be brave, bold, and courageous, whether you were told you had to work harder than everyone else or that you’re not good enough and will never be enough. God wants to redeem our stories and capture our hearts. God wants to restore your name and purpose. He wants you to embrace His redeeming love.”—Latasha Morrison, founder and president of Be the Bridge

“Absolutely hands down, Jo is one of my most trusted voices in Christian leadership. When she teaches us about our identity in Christ, being deeply known and loved and purposed by God in The Dream of You, the greatest testament I can offer toward her credibility is that she texts me some version of that message every single week. She leads auditoriums full of people, and she leads me one-on-one. She is the real deal, and every word of this book is the gospel truth.”—Jen Hatmaker, New York Times best-selling author of Of Mess and Moxie

“In The Dream of You, Jo Saxton takes her readers by the hand as she walks us through the many broken identities she once claimed and has now relinquished in order to retain the only One who is necessary. She does so by inviting us into the most painful touchpoints in her life while describing what it has meant for her to navigate her intersectional identities as a black woman who is the daughter of Nigerian immigrants. External voices scream incessantly, telling us who we ought to be. Even heroines like Wonder Woman become cruel taskmasters whose images reminds us that we will never measure up. Jo Saxton calls us to give up the ever-elusive chase to be everything but what God has called us to be and we are all the better for it.”—Ekemini Uwan, public theologian

“The thing I admire most about the words Jo writes is the way in which she lives them. She carries this message like a jug and passes out cups of cool water to those who have been running faster, harder, and longer. If you have lost sight of where you are going, The Dream of You is a guidebook to help you get back on track.”—Bianca Juarez Olthoff, speaker, advocate, and best-selling author of Play with Fire

“Henri Nouwen wrote, ‘One of the great tragedies of our life is that we keep forgetting who we are.’ Jo Saxton’s The Dream of You carries the antidote to this universal problem—a book that calls us to remember who we really are. It is a primal, human book, crackling with life and wind and Spirit. The Dream of You doesn’t just speak about our shared human condition, but into it with revelatory clarity, like the prophet Ezekiel speaking to the valley of dry bones. To truly hear these words is for your soul to come to life. The dream Jo Saxton writes about will actually be your awakening.”—Jonathan Martin, author of How to Survive a Shipwreck and Prototype

“Jo writes like she teaches. With a deeply rooted foundation in Scripture, Jo fills the pages of The Dream of You with biblical meat along with challenging, grace-filled application. Most of this beautiful balance of truth and grace unfolds in her personal, and sometimes painful, journey. Authentic, funny, relatable, poignant, and tender, this book is packed with practical direction for each of us to discover and embrace our true identity in the unchanging character of God. I am excited for how lives will be impacted as a result of reading the truths found in the pages of this wonderful book.”—Vivian Mabuni, speaker and author of Warrior in Pink: A Story of Cancer, Community, and the God Who Comforts

“Jo writes with the same gusto with which she speaks, from a life lived fiercely and faithfully. Without an understanding of our core identity, we will squander the short time we have here on earth and miss out on the story the God of the universe has written for each of us, one of meaning and intimacy. Jo challenges us to live as we were meant to, with power and purpose.”—Jennie Allen, author of Nothing to Prove; founder and visionary of the IF:Gathering

“In reading Jo’s book, I wondered if she had been reading my journals or eavesdropping on my conversations. Her writing finds us where we are, whether we are broken, surviving, healing, or desperate for a change. This book is not only Jo’s letter to her readers, but it is a great reminder of the letter God is writing to all of us. Let this book serve as your loving wake-up call to God’s dream of you.”—Amena Brown, spoken word poet and author of How to Fix a Broken Record

“Jo Saxton didn’t just give us a book. She gave us an invitation to dig into Scripture, to listen to her journey, and to be honest with ourselves and with God. She walks us through her story as a Nigerian Brit now in the US. You can almost hear her laugh and sip her tea as she tells us about her childhood hurts and dreams, and she weaves it all together with a reminder that God sees us and knows our dreams. What a needed reminder!”—Kathy Khang, author of the forthcoming book Raise Your Voice and coauthor of More Than Serving Tea

“Careful. You’re about to have an encounter with Jo Saxton here in this book, and life may never be the same! Every time I am with Jo, I am challenged, refocused, inspired, and a bit more free to rise to my full capacity as a woman of God. With her trademark boldness and authenticity, Jo will empower you, embolden you, and send you out with purpose and hope to become who God always intended for you to be all along.”—Sarah Bessey, author of Jesus Feminist and Out of Sorts

About Jo Saxton

Jo Saxton is a popular leadership trainer, international speaker, and author who is passionate about seeing Jesus transform lives across the globe. She has been featured at IF: Gathering, Catalyst, Thrive, and Propel conferences. Jo also chairs the board of an international discipleship organization, known as 3D Movements, serves on the advisory board for Today's Christian Woman, and co-hosts the LeadStories podcast. Jo and her husband, Chris, live in the Minneapolis area with their two daughters.

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Book Trailer: THE DREAM OF YOU by Jo Saxton

Product Details

240 pages | Published by WaterBrook

On Sale Date: Jan 23, 2018

Trim Size: 5-3/16 x 8

Carton Quantity: 24

Sneak Peek

Read the first chapter of The Dream of You. Let’s be honest, the life you lead isn’t what you’ve always dreamt. And maybe the person you’ve become isn’t who you’ve always imagined. Sure, you can clean it up. You can work longer, love harder, and eat better. You can scrub the surface of your life until it gleams and still never address the fact that somehow you lost sight of who you really are and what you’re living for. Is this the life you were meant to live? As the child of Nigerian immigrants in the UK, author and speaker Jo Saxton knows firsthand how quickly the world can cause us to doubt our dreams and question who we are. She understands how easily we can exchange our true child-of-God selves for an identity built on lies, guilt, and brokenness. In this powerful book, Jo examines Biblical figures and shares her personal story as she invites you to turn to the One who knows you intimately and loves you deeply. He sees all you’ve struggled to hide. He hears the voice inside you that others have silenced. He knows the potential and purpose that no one valued. He longs to redeem the story of your life and set you on the path to reclaim The Dream of You. Are you ready?

Press Release

For Immediate Release
from WaterBrook an imprint of Penguin Random House
Lisa Beech, Assistant Director of Publicity
719-268-1917
lbeech@penguinrandomhouse.com
 
International Speaker and Bible Teacher, Jo Saxton, Combines Her Powerful Personal Story and Deep Biblical Insights to Invite Women on a Journey of Redemption, Where God is Able to Make All Things New

  Best-selling author and speaker Jo Saxton, regularly featured on the most influential Christian leadership platforms, including Catalyst and Propel conferences, is set to release her new book, The Dream of You: Let Go of Broken Identities and Live the Life You Were Made For (WaterBrook & Multnomah, January 23, 2018). Saxton, who is passionate about seeing Jesus transform lives, wants to help readers confront their past, break through stifling perceptions, and live authentically.   

“When our identity in Christ is reduced to a checklist, it’s no wonder why the connection between our faith and our identity is a big disconnect for many of us,” says Saxton. “The Dream of You is God’s vision of you—your real, true identity and your God-given purpose.”  

Saxton pulls back the curtain on anxiety millions of women may feel, with compelling chapter titles like “Don’t Call Me Pleasant,” “The Day I Lost My Voice,” and “Breaking Up With Perfection.” Saxton believes pain and society-placed labels often shape identities, but redemption is possible.  

The book also chronicles the triumphs and tragedies of Jo’s journey growing up as a child of Nigerian immigrants in the U.K., ultimately finding her own significance, and now raising a multi-racial and multi-cultural family in the American Midwest. Saxton’s journey becomes a mirror to reflect readers’ own experiences, while her lessons-learned become images to emulate (“Steps Toward Recovering Your Life”).  

“Jo writes with the same gusto with which she speaks, from a life lived fiercely and faithfully. Without an understanding of our core identity, we will squander the short time we have here on earth and miss out on the story the God of the universe has written for each of us, one of meaning and intimacy. Jo challenges us to live as we were meant to, with power and purpose,” says Jennie Allen, author of Nothing to Prove and founder and visionary of the IF: Gathering.  

The Dream of You opens with Jo’s childhood account of wanting to be Wonder Woman. Little Jo wore a version of the famed red boots every chance she got. As the book unfolds with wisdom and faith lessons, adult and mentor Jo asks, “Will You Ever Let Wonder Woman Go?” which challenges readers not only to shed someone else’s identity, but also release the need to save everyone but yourself.

A woman who teaches the Gospel. A woman of color coming of age in Europe. A wife and mom nurturing a multi-racial family in a divided America. A businesswoman juggling it all. Jo Saxton’s surprising pedigree of contradictions and connections will resonate with millions as she gives practical advice for them to discover The Dream of You.   For more information on this must-read for a fresh start in 2018, visit  www.waterbrookmultnomah.com or https://www.josaxton.com/product/the-dream-of-you/.      

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JO SAXTON
is a popular leadership trainer, international speaker, and author who is passionate about seeing Jesus transform lives across the globe. She has been featured at IF: Gathering, Catalyst, Thrive, and Propel conferences. Jo also chairs the board of an international discipleship organization, 3D Movements; serves on the advisory board for Today's Christian Woman; and co-hosts the LeadStories podcast. Jo and her husband, Chris, live in the Minneapolis area with their two daughters.
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1josaxton/
Twitter/Instagram: @josaxton
    
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