The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey

My guest for The Happy Hour #344 is Terence Lester. Terence Lester is a minister, speaker, community activist, author, and founder of Love Beyond Walls, a not-for-profit organization focused on poverty awareness and community mobilization. He is also the author of I See You: How Love Opens Our Eyes to Invisible People. Terence is an incredible example of what it looks like to be a doer, and I’m so excited to share this episode with you today. In this show, Terence talks about growing up in Atlanta, running away from home at sixteen years old, and the man who discipled him and changed his life. Terence also talks about the common misconceptions about people experiencing homelessness, and the importance of seeing people by building relationships in our communities. I love so much when he says “Home goes beyond just four walls and a roof. Home is community and belonging.” Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour #343 is Jamie Grace. Jamie Grace is a contemporary Christian music artist who started her career at age 14. She has made several albums, and recently released a book called Finding Quiet: My Journey to Peace in an Anxious World. In today's episode, Jamie talks about finding quiet through seasons of change, growing up in the public eye as a teen star, and the process of transitioning her image from child fame to a grown, married adult with a family. She also shares about her experience with mental illness and postpartum depression, and how important it is to seek help when we need it. I think in a lot of ways we all struggle to ask for help because it makes us feel inadequate or less than, but I love when Jamie says “I cannot rely on my feelings, which are so inconsistent. I have to rely on the truth.” For the full summary and show links, click the link below! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour #342 is Colton Dixon. Colton Dixon is a musical artist who earned his professional start on American Idol. Fun fact: Colton is now the third American Idol contestant I’ve had on the podcast, how cool is that?! In today’s episode, he talks about the hurt and bitterness he felt after being cut from American Idol, unexpectedly being dropped from his label a few years later, and the terrifying delivery scare he and Annie experienced with their girls. Colton also talks a lot about stepping into new seasons and how those difficulties really shaped him. I love when he says “Without those trials, our faith would be so watered down. Not that God is the source behind the trial, but that He will use it to build our faith.” For the full summary and show links, click the link below! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour #341 is Jonathan Almonte. Jonathan was registered in Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program when he was seven years old. Today, he is a manager of Supporter Engagement for Compassion Dominican Republic, serving donors and sponsors of Dominican children. In today’s episode, Jonathan talks about his childhood growing up in deep poverty with a single mother, and how he got connected with a sponsorship program through the local church. He also dives into how sponsorships provide more than basic needs, but also provide a way for children to be introduced to the Gospel. I love when he says, “It’s more than just the $38. It’s making a child a disciple of Christ.” To learn more about how to sponsor a child, click the link below! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

It’s that time of year again! Holiday Gift Guide is one of my favorite things we do all year, and I cannot wait to share this year’s amazing vendors and products with you! My dear friend, Mica May and I had the best time learning about these incredible companies and small businesses, and we are so confident you’ll have plenty to choose from for your Christmas shopping! We love supporting businesses that are small, women-owned, give-back, or ethical brands, and we have such a special round-up for you this year. Make sure to listen to the full podcast episode to get all the discount codes for the vendors! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour #340 is Tracy Foster. Tracy Foster is co-founder and Executive Director of START | Stand Together and Rethink Technology which brings parents and community leaders together to develop "digital health" for raising kids with healthy screen habits. Tracy has SO much knowledge around this topic that is so helpful to me as a mom of four. I’m so thankful she is sharing her wisdom with us today. In this episode, she talks about how to navigate digital health during COVID-19, being a safe place for your kids to talk to about harmful images, and practical steps to protect children from the dangers of pornography. The difficult thing about technology is that it’s a great tool when used well, but it can also be a harmful obstacle. Tracy says “For most of our kids, their screens are probably at risk of being the biggest things standing in the way of themselves actually achieving the goals that they care about most in life.” For the full summary and links to the show, click the link below! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour #339 is Daniel Hill. Daniel Hill is the author of White Awake, White Lies, and 10:10: Life to the Fullest. Daniel is the Founding and Senior Pastor of River City Community Church, located in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. Friends, I cannot fully put into words how excited I am that Daniel is joining us on the podcast today. I completely devoured his book White Awake earlier this summer and have been wanting to chat with him ever since. In today’s episode, Daniel dives deep into his journey of coming face to face with a culture of white supremacy and realizing how many things in his life he never had to think about as a white male. I really appreciated Daniel’s words when he said “Racism is built on a set of lies, and lies belong to the evil one.” For the full summary and show links, click the link below! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour #338 is Lisa Bevere. Lisa Bevere has spent nearly three decades empowering women to find their identity and purpose. She is a cancer survivor and a New York Times bestselling author. In today’s episode, she talks about working hard to create a healthy family foundation and her early days as a Christian woman who wanted to be poured into. She also talks about the hard journey of fighting for her place as a woman in the church and her desire to share what God has done in her life. It’s no secret that there is still controversy over the voice of women in some churches and beyond, but I love so much when Lisa says, “God would not have given women a voice if He did not intend them to use it.” For the full summary and links to the show, click the link below! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour #337 is Sam Acho. Sam Acho is an NFL player, writer, public speaker, and humanitarian. It’s awesome people like Sam that make me so happy to have men on The Happy Hour! In today’s episode, we chat about fun Super Bowl predictions, the process of transitioning to new seasons, and releasing his new book! He also dives into his journey of learning not to hide his emotions and allowing people to see him for who he is, the same way that The Lord sees us. I love when he says, “When I showed people ‘me’, I wasn’t shunned or rejected or tossed aside or thrown away or cast out. Instead I was embraced. I was loved. I was accepted. I was welcomed.” For the full summary and show links, click the link below! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour #336 is Jeff Bethke. Jeff Bethke is the author of several books, including Jesus > Religion, and his most recent book To Hell With The Hustle. I have so much respect for Jeff and the whole Bethke crew, and I’m so excited to have him on the podcast today. In this episode, Jeff dives into his passion for helping families lean into their purpose of glorifying God as a unit and being called to mission as a family. Not necessarily in the sense of a nuclear or corporate family, but rather in the multigenerational family that is the body of Christ. I love when Jeff says, “The picture of family in scripture is such a big table, there’s no one that doesn’t have a seat.” For the full summary and show links, click the link below! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE