The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey

My guest for The Happy Hour # 266 is Jaci Velasquez. Jaci released her first album at just 16 years old and is a multi-platinum selling, Grammy nominated artist as well as author, actress, wife, and momma to two boys, Zealand and Soren. Her newest book When God Rescripts Your life: Seeing Value, Beauty, and Purpose When Life is Interrupted releases this week! Jaci and I start off the show talking about what makes us nervous, and Jaci shares how she has learned to pause, let go of control, and ask the Holy Spirit to do the work. You'll also hear how much Jaci loves being involved at her boys' schools because you guys, she was always on the road and never got to experience it! Jaci opens up about what it was like to start recording so young, and reaching her darkest place where she felt the only option was to run away. I think we can all relate when Jaci speaks about God rescripting life in ways we hadn't planned or expected such as learning what were God dreams vs. "me" dreams. In the last part of the show we talk about trust, and I know you will love and be so, so encouraged that God cares about the big things and the small things when you hear her story of the bus driver Mr. Fred. Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube Sponsors STUNN - get 20% off your first order with code HAPPY Greenlight  ThirdLove - get 15% off your first order  IF:Gathering 2020 - get your tickets a day early! GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour # 265 is Latasha Morrison. Latasha is a bridge-builder, reconciler, and a compelling voice in the fight for racial justice. She is the founder of Be the Bridge, a non-profit organization equipping people to serve as ambassadors of racial reconciliation. LaTasha has been recognized as a leading social justice advocate by organizations such as Facebook’s Community Leadership Program, Forbes, and EBONY magazine.  You guys, Latasha is my real life friend and she challenges, encourages, and inspires me. Our topics of conversation today are ones that are important to me and should matter to us all. As Latasha says, "if we are followers of Jesus Christ, then we have skin in the game." Latasha and I start off the show talking about how she started Be the Bridge with just 8 people and her Latasha vision. She talks about the need to create "brave spaces" for conversation and how humility, listening, and leveraging privilege are critical.  We also discuss how racial reconciliation is about having a Kingdom perspective on dignity and humanity. I loved how Latasha said, "we all have to be teachable", and that means opening our hearts, learning the historical context, and taking this on as all of our responsibility. In the last part of the show, Latasha and I discuss feeling marginalized as a single in church. She speaks of the need to create "brave spaces" in churches as well to have real, non-traditional conversations about singleness.  Friends, I could talk with Latasha for hours, and I hope you'll check out the links from the show to learn more about how to continue this conversation.    Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube Sponsors Bona Rothy's Flamingo - Get the Flamingo Shave Set, a $22 value for only $16! IF Gathering February 7-8, 2020 - Get your tickets a day early on October 14! GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour # 264 is Rebekah Lyons. Rebekah is a national speaker, bestselling author, and podcaster. Rebekah is as an old soul with an honest, contemporary voice, and she invites others to discover and boldly pursue their God-given purpose. Alongside her husband, Gabe, Rebekah finds joy in raising four children, two of whom have Down syndrome. Friends, I'm so happy to welcome back my friend Rebekah to the show. She is wise, funny, and always points me to Jesus, and I know you're going to love our conversation. We start off the show talking about the amazing story of how God brought their youngest daughter, Joy, to their family through adoption. Rebekah then shares openly about her struggle with anxiety and depression. I appreciated her honesty so much when she tells us how after years of no panic attacks, she had her worst one yet and then felt such shame from it. Rebekah offers wisdom and encouragement as she speaks of God's reminder that when fear comes knocking, He will always be with us and He will always provide a way out. Rebekah also shares how from this experience she realized areas of her life that needed renewal and you'll hear how she's changed rhythms in her life to prioritize time to rest and restore. Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour # 263 is Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith. Saundra is an author, speaker, and board-certified internal medicine physician with an active medical practice near Birmingham, AL. Saundra has been featured in many media outlets including Redbook, Daystar, Women's Day, Prevention, and MSNBC. Her newest release is Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity. A little note for the show today: at the end of our conversation we talk about how rest impacts marriage and sex. It's all appropriate (and encouraging!), but just a heads up in case little ears are listening. Saundra starts off stating the importance of being aware of our mental health. Saundra shares the story of laying on her kitchen floor when she hit complete burn out. Saundra tells us how she realized her perspective on rest needed to change, and we must fight against what our culture promotes. You guys, we don't need to earn rest, we need to work from rest. I'm still thinking about the different ways Saundra finds rest now, including social rest. Saundra also explains how much sensory overload impacts us (including becoming a barrier in the bedroom!), and offers suggestions for how to manage it. Friends, I'm pretty sure we all need to learn how to rest better and I'm thankful for Saundra's perspective and encouragement! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour # 262 is Sarah Mae. Sarah is the author of The Complicated Heart: Loving Even When it Hurts, the story of how Sarah learned to love and forgive her alcoholic mother. She also hosts The Complicated Heart podcast, and speaks all over the country encouraging women to walk in freedom. Sarah lives in Lancaster, PA with her woodworker husband, Jesse, three kids, and two new puppies.  On today's show you'll get to hear the incredible story of what God has done in the lives of Sarah and her mother. Sarah shares when she learned her mom was an alcoholic, and how the wounds of their relationship left her searching for love, affection, and security. Sarah tells us about her pregnancy and abortion at 16, and the moment she knew she had to get out of that destructive environment. You'll hear Sarah speak of how she came to know Jesus at 19, and I loved hearing how she saw God pursuing her throughout her life. We then discuss what it looked like for Sarah to confront her pain and grief, uncover the lies she believed, and learn to love and forgive her mother.  You guys, Sarah so graciously and openly lets us into her story, and she speaks such encouragement and hope that God is always there waiting, even in the pit.  Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube Sponsors Beholding and Becoming by Ruth Chou Simons Visit Ruth Chou Simon's Website Greenlight ZipRecruiter - Try for Free! GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour # 261 is Kat Armstrong. Kat is a ministry leader, speaker, and author of No More Holding Back.  She has a Master's from Dallas Seminary, and is also the co-founder and Executive Director of Polished Ministries. She and her husband Aaron live in Dallas, TX with their son Caleb. Friends, one note about the beginning of our conversation. Kat and I talk about losing her dad to suicide and her walk through grief. If this topic could be a trigger for you, we only mention it in the early part of our conversation so feel free to skip over or wait another day to listen. I appreciate Kat's honesty in sharing how this loss has changed her and how she also has become an advocate to encourage women to "get all the helps" when we need them.  Kat and I then dive into talking about what I love, which is encouraging women in their faith and giftings, and running with it! Kat tells us how she kept hearing women struggle with finding their place in the world, and friends, you are going to be so encouraged as you hear Kat remind us of who God says we are and what we are called to do. Kat also shares important messages of how we speak about a woman's value, and how she’s heard women say they feel left out of the Scriptures. In the last part of the show we talk about the enormous impact that you, me, all of us can have on someone's life. As you hear her story of being discipled at 18 by a friend who was 20 and how it literally changed her life, I hope you are encouraged and inspired to go anywhere in your influence. As Kat says, "we can have such a radical impact on someone's life." Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube Sponsors Panama City Beach LOLA - get 40% off your first month's subscription with code HAPPYHOUR40 Beholding and Becoming by Ruth Chou Simons Ruth Chou Simon's Website GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour # 260 is Tess Clarke. Tess is the co-founder of Seek the Peace and the Director of We Welcome Refugees. She has a passion to see refugee and immigrant women protected and empowered along with helping the American church recognize and revere the image of God in these women.  Friends, if you hear the topic of this show and think this episode might be a political one, let me just tell you it isn't. Through our conversation I know you will see Jesus in the stories Tess shares, and the ways she encourages us to find the humanity in one another. Tess starts off telling us how she and her husband began working with refugees. We get to hear some of their stories, what they've been through, and how "refugees are ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances."  We also learn about Tess' ministry Project Shine that equips pre-teen and teen refugee girls to understand their own worth, strength, and purpose. I know that these stories of suffering can be hard to listen to, but Tess describes how every single one of us can participate in the ministry of presence. She encourages us to go and find those who look, live, and sound different than you and to challenge our own bias. Tess says, God is calling us is step in and listen, and we are all invited to "come and be." Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube Sponsors Beholding and Becoming by Ruth Chou Simons Third Love - get 15% off your first order! Panama City Beach thredUp - get 50% off your first order (on select items)   GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour # 259 is Bianca Olthoff. Bianca describes herself as a passionate Jesus-loving, Bible-teaching, book-writing MexiRican who loves to help people navigate life, connect in community, and live significantly. Bianca's new book, How to Have Your Life Not Suck: Becoming Today Who You Want to be Tomorrowcomes out August 27. I always love a chance to talk with my friend Bianca, and I know you're going to love this show. Bianca starts off telling us some crazy stories about being a twin - including a time she pretended to be her sister! Bianca and I discuss some of the amazing women out there who we'd love to be taken under their wing, and about building up the future generation of leaders. We then talk about one of Bianca's passions: prison ministry. You guys, Bianca shares that the next campus of their church will be at a prison!  As you hear her speak about all that they're doing, I know you're going to get goosebumps just like I did. In the last part of the show, we talk about the current dating culture, and how many people are living with sexually transmitted demons (yes, you read that right!). I could talk to Bianca for hours and I hope you were as fired up and encouraged as I was by our conversation! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube Sponsors Beholding and Becoming by Ruth Chou Simons Rothy's  Panama City Beach   GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour # 258 is Emily Maynard Johnson. While many of you may know Emily from The Bachelor and Bachelorette, Emily is an author, mom and wife to Tyler. Emily and her husband Tyler are parents to four children, Ricki, Jennings, Gibson, and Gatlin.  Emily and I start off talking about how her friend's nomination helped land her a spot as a contestant on The Bachelor. Emily also shares how she said no the first time they asked her to be The Bachelorette! We then get to hear Emily and her husband's Tyler love story and the different peace she felt about him that she hadn't experienced before. Emily and I chat about what it's like to be in the crazy season of life with three littles under the age of 4 and a teenager. I loved hearing her speak about how she's come to embrace the season of life she's in and have peace about how God uses us in different seasons and life experiences. And you guys, I didn't get a pregnancy announcement on the show, but Emily did share with us how she'd love to have more kids! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube Sponsors Panama City Beach ZipRecruiter - Try for free! Butcher Box - use code HAPPYHOUR and get 2 pounds of ground beef and 2 packs of bacon AND $20 off your first box! The Long Walk Home by Matt Carter GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE

My guest for The Happy Hour # 257 is Becca Matimba. Becca is a visual storyteller and captures and creates honest, compelling narrative through her work in production, photography and acting. Becca describes herself as a lover of film, people, and culture and currently resides in Austin. You guys, I loved having my friend Becca on the show today! Becca and I talk about what it was like to grow up in Texas as a first generation daughter to parents from Zimbabwe. Becca then shares about the years of pain and sadness she experienced after her parents divorced when she was 13. Becca tells us how she didn't realize that depression was even part of her story, nor that she had so much unforgiveness inside. I loved hearing her speak of how the Lord showed how much He saw her and loves her as she navigated finding healing and the ability to forgive. In the last part of the show, Becca opens up about her experience being black in predominately white churches and culture. I appreciate so much Becca's willingness to honestly share her journey and the encouragement she brings when she reminds us that we all are first a child of God. Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE