That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs

How else would we mark the 1000th episode than with the person we’ve talked to the most: our pal Eddie Kaufholz! And I just want to tell you now, so you can make the switch if you need to…this is an episode I think you’ll want to watch on your Spotify App or YouTube, and also watch the whole thing. Just trust me, this is a fun one.  Things we also talk about include BUT NOT LIMITED TO The Gilded Age, Marcus Mumford, Billy Joel, Perkins, and colonoscopies. We have some note taking pages for you for this episode over in our TSF Seasons Guidebook on page 88. If you need a copy of the guidebook, head over to anniefdowns.com/seasons! . . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode? Watch on your Spotify App, or head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Boll and Branch: Go to bollandbranch.com/thatsoundsfun for 15% off and free shipping! Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/soundsfun.  Helix Sleep: Go to helixsleep.com/thatsoundsfun for 27% off sitewide. Make sure you enter our show name after checkout so they know we sent you! NIV Application Bible: Save an additional 10% on any NIV Application Bible and NIV Application Commentary Resources by visiting faithgateway.com/NIVAB and use promo code THATSOUNDSFUN. Thrive Market: Go to ThriveMarket.com/THATSOUNDSFUN to get 30% off your first order and a FREE $60 gift. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve been feeling stuck lately or every conversation or thing around you just feels hard, we’re going to talk about it today. Ann Voskamp going to help us figure out how to find some gifts in the middle of suffering as we answer the question, “What are the gifts of summer I should take into the fall?” Go grab a copy of her 40-Day devotional Loved to Life and join me on Sept 10th (or sooner!). And also if you have never read One Thousand Gifts, I highly recommend getting a copy of that too! If you're following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we switched the date of this episode around, and we’re skipping ahead to page 91. As always, the guidebook is available for you at anniefdowns.com/seasons. Find the show notes here . . . . . In September, we’re reading the Gospels together over on the Let’s Read the Gospels podcast and we’re using the Chronological Bible. So if hearing Ann talking about going through John chronologically sparked interest in you, we’d love for you to join us! We’ll start reading that version on September 1, so make sure you’re subscribed! . . . . . If you enjoyed this episode, I think you’d also these: Winter Never Gets the Final Word; Spring is Coming with Ellie Holcomb- Episode 968 Hope In the Valley of Grief and Suffering with Mattie Jackson- Episode 961 . . . . . Want to watch this episode? Watch on your Spotify App, or head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! BetterHelp: Our friends get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. WayFair: Get organized, refreshed, and back to routine for way less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. AG1: Go to drinkAG1.com/soundsfun my friends will get a FREE Welcome Kit worth $76 when you subscribe, including 5 AG1 Travel Packs, a shaker, canister, and scoop! NIV Application Bible: Save an additional 10% on any NIV Application Bible and NIV Application Commentary Resources by visiting faithgateway.com/NIVAB and use promo code THATSOUNDSFUN. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/soundsfun.  Thrive Market: Head over to ThriveMarket.com/THATSOUNDSFUN to get 30% off your first order and a FREE $60 gift. Helix Sleep: Go to helixsleep.com/thatsoundsfun for 20% off sitewide. Make sure you enter our show name after checkout so they know we sent you! NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My COO Ashley Warren is joining me and we’re going through all of the questions you’ve sent in over the past few months about our work here at AFD Inc or the That Sounds Fun Network… or general questions about running a business or leading a team. Ashley and I have done a few of these Q&A episodes over the years and love getting to do them, (plus, you’re getting to hear Ashley’s wisdom and brilliance that I get to work with everyday) so I can’t wait to hear what you think or what additional questions this episode may spark. If you enjoyed this episode, I think you’ll also love these: Leading by Learning with David Novak – Episode 891 Is it Time For a Business Coach? (With Kelli Haywood and Chris Weinberg) – Build Your Board Series . . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode? Watch on your Spotify App, or head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! NIV Application Bible: Save an additional 10% on any NIV Application Bible and NIV Application Commentary Resources by visiting faithgateway.com/NIVAB and use promo code THATSOUNDSFUN. Helix Sleep: Go to helixsleep.com/thatsoundsfun for 20% off sitewide. Make sure you enter our show name after checkout so they know we sent you! Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/soundsfun.  Thrive Market: Head over to ThriveMarket.com/THATSOUNDSFUN to get 30% off your first order and a FREE $60 gift. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George and Tondra Gregory, NFL chaplains and marriage coaches, share insights from their bestselling book, The Marriage Game Plan. They dive into navigating life's seasons together and the importance of intentionality in marriage. The couple discusses how to maintain connections during tough times, highlighting the need for communication and understanding emotional needs. They also introduce 'Victory Mondays' to cultivate appreciation in relationships and share contrasting views on fun, encouraging couples to engage with each other's interests and grow together.

Dan Blythe, Global Youth Director for Alpha and a UK-based champion for youth ministry, shares his insights on engaging the next generation with faith. He discusses the changing dynamics of youth spirituality, emphasizing the need for authentic connections and mentorship. Listeners will learn how to prepare for a spiritual harvest among Gen Z and Alpha, and how open conversations can foster growth. Dan highlights inspiring stories of youth actively participating in their faith and the critical role community plays in this revival.

Today we’re answering the question, “How does nature teach us about the seasons?" I get to talk with my new friend, Rachel G. Jordan. She is a marine biologist and spiritual guide and using the ocean as a lens, she points us to the way God is revealed in biology AND IT IS SO COOL. We’re talking about the coral reef, all that we don’t know about the ocean, the intelligence of sea creatures, and you’re not even ready for the insight she has about Moses crossing the Red Sea. I’m telling you, mind blowing. Rachel has a new book out called If The Ocean Has a Soul, so when this came across my desk you know I was all in. *I also want to note that we had some tech issues in the middle of recording this, so we picked back up on another day because we HAD to finish this conversation* So if you’re following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we’re on page 83. As always, the guidebook is available for you at anniefdowns.com/seasons.. . . . . If you like this episode, we think you’ll love these: Episode 178 with Dr. Matthew Sleeth where we talk about faith and trees  Episode 202 with Beth Moore where we talked about vines when her book Chasing Vines released . . . . . Show notes Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . BetterHelp: Our friends get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. Our Place: Stop cooking with toxic cookware, and upgrade to Our Place today. Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide Hiya Health: Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. Helix Sleep: Go to helixsleep.com/thatsoundsfun for 20% off sitewide. Make sure you enter our show name after checkout so they know we sent you! Thrive Causemetics: New customers can get the Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara and a mini-sized Brilliant Eye Brightener at a special set price with free shipping at thrivecausemetics.com/TSF. NIV Application Bible: Save an additional 10% on any NIV Application Bible and NIV Application Commentary Resources by visiting faithgateway.com/NIVAB and use promo code THATSOUNDSFUN. Thrive Market: Head over to ThriveMarket.com/THATSOUNDSFUN to get 30% off your first order and a FREE $60 gift.  Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/soundsfun.  NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Thank you to our sponsors! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome Back miniBFFs! Guess what? For the first time ever on Annie’s miniBFF Podcast, we have a guest reader. Actually we have a whole band guest reading for us! The band, CAIN will be joining us to share about their kids book, I’m So Blessed, and a story from… THE BIBLE!  Don’t worry. I will be there too. But I am so excited to share my friends, Taylor, Logan and Madison with you guys. Along with meeting them you will also get to meet their character from ⁠I’m So Blessed⁠: Tay Tay Tangerine, Maddie Melon, and Logo Lemon. Did I mention they are all fruit in the book? Because they are and I am obsessed!  I explain all you need to know in the trailer but here are the links you will need to make this series the best one yet.   ⁠I’m So Blessed by CAIN⁠  ⁠So Happy to Know You by Annie F. Downs ⁠ - Autographed Copy ⁠HERE⁠ ⁠Live And In Color Tour⁠ - Grab you tickets ⁠HERE⁠! (MINIBFF APPROVED SHOW)  Follow along with ⁠@miniBFFclub⁠, ⁠@Anniefdowns⁠ and ⁠@CAIN⁠ Learn more about miniBFF Club - ⁠HERE⁠ PS: Get ready for our next season on the podcast by grabbing your own copy of ⁠100 Days to Brave for Kids⁠! If you want an autographed copy, buy it ⁠HERE⁠!  (Parents there is a grownup version called 100 Days to Brave you can grab ⁠HERE⁠) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today our pal Eddie Kaufholz and I keep talking about our summer, Eddie’s new tattoo, and what it’s like to go on a cruise. We also need to know the perfect time of a day for soft serve ice cream. I would love to know your answer. . . . . . Show notes Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at shopify.com/soundsfun.  Helix Sleep: Go to helixsleep.com/thatsoundsfun for 20% off sitewide. Make sure you enter our show name after checkout so they know we sent you! NIV Application Bible: Save an additional 10% on any NIV Application Bible and NIV Application Commentary Resources by visiting faithgateway.com/NIVAB and use promo code THATSOUNDSFUN. Thrive Market: Head over to ThriveMarket.com/THATSOUNDSFUN to get 30% off your first order and a FREE $60 gift. If you’d like to partner with Annie as a sponsor for the That Sounds Fun podcast, fill out our Advertise With Us form! . . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. #thatsoundsfunpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Mark Comer, a pastor and author renowned for his work on spirituality, joins the conversation about the importance of rest and Sabbath. They explore how authentic spiritual practices can intertwine with pain and joy, urging honesty during life's chaos. The discussion emphasizes Sabbath as a communal responsibility, highlighting the significance of self-awareness in managing stress and personal wellness. Comer's personal stories and insights on healing through relationship and reflection make for a thought-provoking dialogue on nurturing one’s spirit amid the complexities of modern life.

Gabe and Rebekah Lyons, authors and speakers passionate about relationships, dive into the complexities of marriage. They discuss identifying emotional seasons in marriage, particularly the challenges of summer, including the need for intentional communication. The couple emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and empathy, and how these elements enrich emotional and physical intimacy. They also tackle the balance between maintaining joy and navigating difficult conversations, encouraging couples to embrace the journey of a wholehearted marriage.