The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey

My guest for The Happy Hour # 302 is Gena Thomas. Gena is a writer, a faith wrestler, a wife, and a mom. She and her husband, Andrew, have been married for 11 years and they have two children, an 8-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl. Gena has published two books, A Smoldering Wick: Igniting Missions Work with Sustainable Practices and Separated by the Border: A Birth Mother, a Foster Mother, and a Migrant Child's 3,000-Mile Journey. You guys, I have been eager for Gena to be a guest on The Happy Hour since I read her book, Separated by the Border. I originally read the book before my trip to the border last year with Tess Clark and the women of Welcome and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Today’s conversation with Gena is so rich and I’m really grateful for her time. In this episode, we talk about lament as a spiritual discipline, her time as a missionary in Mexico, and her unique path to fostering her daughter from Honduras. Gena also shares about the policies that directly affect families at the border and the action she and other women are taking to influence legislative change. I hope this conversation was as encouraging and enlightening for you as it was for me. We can learn so much through proximity and listening to others' stories. Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

As we enter this new decade, I thought it would be fun to talk to a few friends and reflect back on what life was like 10 years ago. In these conversations, you’ll hear guests speak about what God has done in their life, their dreams and goals, things they would have done differently, and things they’re most proud of. And, looking back always causes me to look forward, so we’ll also chat about dreams for the next ten years! Today, I’m talking with Jimmy McNeal. Jimmy’s energy and passion for God is contagious, and he leads worship out of an overflow of his love for Jesus. Serving as one of the Worship Pastors within Austin Stone Worship, God continues to challenge Jimmy to live out his life with purpose, while loving and serving others in the process. 10 years ago, Jimmy was living his best single life and serving on the worship team at Austin Stone. Then in 2013, he and his wife, Staci, started dating, got engaged, married and then got pregnant! Y’all -- what a year! In this episode, we talk about Jimmy’s new album and the creativity behind it. Jimmy also shares so vulnerably about the pain of grieving 2 miscarriages in the past decade and what it’s been like walking through the loss of 3 family members due to COVID-19 and the real impact the global pandemic has had on his family. Friends, I have so much respect for Jimmy and I know this episode is going to be a gift for you. Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour # 301 is Danielle Coke. Danielle is the incredibly talented artist behind @OhHappyDani on Instagram where she makes doodles designed to encourage faith, inspire justice, and guide us as we love our neighbors well. You guys, Dani is one of a kind! In our conversation today, we talk about her recent thrust into the social media limelight with her illustrations that have gone viral in light of recent events. She shares about her upbringing in a Jamaican family in New York, navigating spiritual abuse in the church, and how God redeemed her relationship with Him and showed Dani His true character through scripture. We talk about how to handle the hateful comments on social media and doing the inner work necessary to address bias in all of us. I love when Dani says, “Often surrounding the conversation surrounding race, we encourage people to pull up a seat to the table, to sit with us and join the conversation...but I don’t see this as a table discussion anymore. I see it as a moving train...so please get on board, but know the train is moving...it’s not slowing down.” Friends, I’m so grateful for my conversation with Dani today and I hope you are as blessed by it as I am. Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

As we enter this new decade, I thought it would be fun to talk to a few friends and reflect back on what life was like 10 years ago. In these conversations, you’ll hear guests speak about what God has done in their life, their dreams and goals, things they would have done differently, and things they’re most proud of. And, looking back always causes me to look forward, so we’ll also chat about dreams for the next ten years! My guest today is Derek Minor. Derek has earned the title of veteran in the game not only as a rapper but also as a producer and businessman. After a decade of making music, the award-winning artist has established himself as a leading voice of hope in the midst of darkness. Friends, Derek is a light and I so enjoyed our conversation today. In this episode, we chat about his last 10 years, starting his own record label, Reflection Music Group, his introduction to the white Evangelical church, and navigating the tightrope of being Black, Christian, and a Hip-Hop artist. He also shares transparently about his struggles in a predominantly white church during the shootings of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Philando Castile, and other Black men lost to police violence. I found it especially moving (or convicting?) when Derek says, “The version of unity that [the church] is asking for always involves the Black people being quiet about their pain and the white people getting to move on.” I am so grateful for Derek’s voice and the way he uses his platform so honestly; the world is better for it. To see some of Derek’s other ventures, check out Ownership is the New Black -- a movement promoting and supporting black ownership, shifting our consumer power to ownership power. Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

Hello friends and welcome to The Happy Hour’s 300th episode! Between this milestone and celebrating our 6th birthday in May, it feels like it’s been a big month around here. I am so grateful for my past guests and each of my listeners, I truly couldn’t do this without you. My guests for today’s episode are 4 of my favorite people on the planet -- my kids! Last year, in an episode over on our Patreon Party, my son Deacon predicted that they would be back for the 300th episode, and it has turned out to be more than a little prophetic. In today’s episode, my kids, Cayden, Amos, Deacon, and Story join me to answer the questions that you all submitted last week. We touch on a range of topics including race, adoption, transracial adoption, sex, porn, social media, and faith. My kids share their thoughts about living in a biracial family, tips for how parents can best cultivate open relationships with their kids, and where they each see themselves in 10 years; I’m crossing my fingers for grandkids! You guys, this was such a joy for me to do and I hope this conversation encourages you to talk with your kids, relatives, and friends about topics that can feel awkward or uncomfortable and normalize topics that have traditionally been off-limits. Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

As we enter this new decade, I thought it would be fun to talk to a few friends and reflect back on what life was like 10 years ago. In these conversations, you’ll hear guests speak about what God has done in their life, their dreams and goals, things they would have done differently, and things they’re most proud of. And, looking back always causes me to look forward, so we’ll also chat about dreams for the next ten years! My guest today is Katie Wussow. Katie is a Christian, wife, mother of two, and native Texan living in Washington, D.C. She is also a business coach for creative entrepreneurs, helping them build profitable businesses that allow them to make a full-time living doing what they love. You guys, Katie is one of my dear real-life friends and I had a great time talking to her today. We talk BIG faith and BIG transitions over Katie’s last 10 years and how God encourages us specifically according to our dreams, ambitions, and paths. Katie dives into how God stripped away all the earthly identities she had invested in to stretch her faith in Him and refine her vision for what she has to offer the world. In this episode, she reminds us that, “There are a million paths and you can only walk the one the Lord is asking you to walk.” Friends, I love this simple encouragement that we can all apply to our own lives. If you loved this conversation as much as I did, be sure to check out Katie’s podcast, The Game Changer. Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour # 299 is Lore Ferguson Wilbert. Lore is a writer on spiritual formation, faith, culture, and theology in life and recently released a book titled, Handle with Care: How Jesus Redeems the Power of Touch in Life and Ministry. Friends, my conversation with Lore today is so rich. She speaks beautifully and honestly about the redemption and attention that Jesus brings to the theology of touch and how that influenced her exploration into this topic and subsequently her book, Handle with Care. We also dive into her fundamentalist upbringing, how that shaped her doubts as a 20-something, and her experience with the gospel. There are so many things that have stuck with me about our conversation, but I especially love when Lore references Aimee Byrd and says that “avoidance is not purity.” The topic of physical touch is so important, especially for those in the church, and I hope you are encouraged by Lore’s words today. Be sure you check out Lore’s new book, Handle with Care: How Jesus Redeems the Power of Touch in Life and Ministry. Handle with Care is the book you need to dive into the theology of touch and know that “somewhere in the mess of our assumptions and fears about touch, there is something beautiful and good and God-given.” Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour #298 is Lauren McAfee. Lauren is a speaker, writer, connector, and coffee enthusiast with a heart to engage others in the Bible. With her husband Michael McAfee, she is the author of Not What You Think: Why the Bible Might Be Nothing We Expected Yet Everything We Need. In today’s episode, Lauren and I talk Hobby Lobby, the Museum of the Bible, and getting her PhD in Ethics and Public Policy at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Lauren also shares so vulnerably about her tumultuous path toward motherhood, her family’s adoption story with their daughter Zion, Zion’s cancer diagnosis, and how she tethered herself to the Word. I was so moved when Lauren told the story of her friend reassuring her with Lauren’s own words -- that “even if we never have this longing for children fulfilled, Jesus is enough.” Friends, Lauren has fought so courageously to stay close to God through difficult seasons and she is a great encouragement to all of us that we find contentment in Christ and not our circumstances. Be sure to check out Lauren’s book, Not What You Think: Why the Bible Might Be Nothing We Expected Yet Everything We Need. Not What You Think is the book you need to clear the deck on your preconceptions of the Bible and encounter it anew. Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

As we enter this new decade, I thought it would be fun to talk to a few friends and reflect back on what life was like 10 years ago. In these conversations, you’ll hear guests speak about what God has done in their life, their dreams and goals, things they would have done differently, and things they’re most proud of. And, looking back always causes me to look forward, so we’ll also chat about dreams for the next ten years! My guest today is Lyndsey Sweeney. Lyndsey is Ivey Media’s Operations Manager, Podcast Producer, and the reason anything ever gets done around here -- seriously. Today is also her birthday! Make sure you send her some love over on Instagram. This podcast was recorded for our Patreon Party in May 2019 and it’s such a joy to look back and see how things have changed and, now, to chat this week about what Lyndsey is looking forward to in her next decade. In this episode, we talk about some of the painful things that Lyndsey has walked through in the last 10 years including her dad’s untimely death, the closed doors to pursuing a dream, the struggles of having an auto-immune disease, and how she is fighting for joy and contentment despite life’s difficulties. Friends, I am so grateful for Lyndsey’s transparency and faithfulness. I love when she says that “[God] has been so constant when I have been so distant, and I cannot ignore His constant faithfulness to me in any of the things I do moving forward.” What an encouragement for all of us! I hope you’re as blessed by this conversation as I was. Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour #297 is Paula Faris. Paula is an Emmy-nominated journalist and television correspondent for ABC News. She is known for her tenure as co-anchor of Good Morning America Weekend from 2014–2018 and as co-host of The View from 2015–2018. Y’all, this conversation is the first time I met Paula and it did not take long to know that this lady is the real deal and someone I am so happy to call a friend. In this episode, Paula and I talk about how God asked her to walk away from what the world sees and, if we are honest, what we see as a wildly successful career. We also chat about imposter syndrome, living in the space of faith and media, and how she’s navigated those waters. Paula is so full of wisdom and I just love when she says that you can’t control what people think of you, but what you can control is your attitude and how you respond to a situation. Because when you’re faced with something difficult, “it reveals your character, it doesn’t define it.” I adore stories like Paula’s because it is such an example of God's kingdom ways overriding those of the world we live in for now. Paula’s book, Called Out: Why I Traded Two Dream Jobs for a Life of True Calling is available now. And be sure you check out Paula’s podcast, Journeys of Faith with Paula Faris, to learn a bit more about the faith stories of the influencers in our world. Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE