That Sounds Fun With Annie F. Downs

Today on the show, I get to talk with my long-time friend Lanier Ivester. I’ve known her for 30 years and I don’t think I’ve talked publicly much about my grandmother’s book store, but Lanier worked there growing up, so this conversation was so sacred to me—to relive some of those memories, to get to talk about my grandmother AND THEN get to talk about the Advent & Christmastide season, which y’all know is sacred to me too. Lanier’s very first book, Glad and Golden Hours: A Companion for Advent and Christmastide, is out now and it's so good. She has walked through great grief in infertility, losing her parents, and a house fire. I think you’re really going to love getting to know her story and her heart.  We also recorded a little bonus for Single Purpose League too. . . . . Find the show notes here! Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our advent study at https://www.anniefdowns.com/advent Join our Patreon community Si

Today, December 1st, kicks off Advent, and you know how I feel about ADVENT! I have absolutely zero chill that we finally get to start our Advent series with a ton of you today. We truly have been talking about this one and planning for this one for a long time.  Today is the only day we’re going to share our Advent series here on the That Sounds Fun feed, but if you listen along and decide you want to join us for this series, you can jump in anytime! You’ll find the links to purchase the digital bundle over at anniefdowns.com/advent. Once you download it, you get to choose if you want to listen to each day’s devotion, read them, or watch them on video. Whether you’re starting your day, running errands, cooking a meal, or working out, I hope these 9 minutes offer you an invitation to not let this Advent season pass you by without acknowledging where your hope is and where you can find it. Join us for the rest of the series here: anniefdowns.com/advent . . . . . Advent Facebook Group . . . . . Want to watch

Name a better way to spend Thanksgiving than listening to a conversation with our pal Eddie Kaufolz. We’ve been recapping each year of the past 10 years with Eddie and can you believe we’ve made it to recapping 2023? LAST year?! Except we barely mention it... we mainly just catch up, talk Thanksgiving traditions and food, invent the term "travel robes" LOL, and you don't want to miss where you can potentially see Eddie TODAY on TV.... and no its not the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (hint: woof woof).  . . . . . Find the show notes here! Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our advent study at https://www.anniefdowns.com/advent . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN today to get 10% off your first month.  Glorify App: Download the #1 Christian devotional app fo

Sadie Robertson Huff and I talk about what it looks like to figure out a next step forward when you feel stuck, Her lifestyle devotional called, The Next Step, released last week and y’all are going to love it! This would be such a great gift for a girl in your life who’s trying to navigate a “next thing,” whether that be a new semester at school, figuring a job change, or taking steps towards something they’ve been dreaming about. Plus, you know Sadie’s like a little sister to me, so it’s always the best to just catch up about life. We talked about all the things happening with her podcast and Live Original (or LO, as you’ll hear us call it), family traditions around the holidays, and her balancing working and being a mom. I love just love her and work she’s doing for the kingdom. . . . . Find the show notes here! Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our advent study at https://www.anniefdowns.com/advent Join our Patreo

Today is the official birthday of That Sounds Fun. Ten years ago today, the first episode released. Yes, of course we’ve been celebrating all year, but I couldn’t let the actual day of the start come and go without pausing and giving thanks, for you and with you.  This podcast also opened the door for my first ever show at the Ryman Auditorium- truly a dream come true. Over 2,000 of you were in the room with us, but that’s just a fraction of the friends listening today. So I thought it would be fun to grab our old pal Eddie for a few minutes, who was an integral part of the night, and recap it for you here. . . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our advent study at https://www.anniefdowns.com/advent . . . . . Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week I

A Little Women’s Christmas is a contemporary retelling of the beloved classic novel, and it follows the lives and loves of the March sisters in a small Tennessee town at Christmas. It was filmed here in Franklin, TN and your girl AFD got a small cameo in it! I can’t for you to see. Today, we’re sitting down with 3 of the cast members: Laura Osnes who plays Beth March, Julia Reilly who plays Amy March, and Jesse Hutch who plays John. The movie premieres this Saturday, November 23rd at 8pm ET/7pm CT on Great American Family and Pure Flix (pureflix.com), so you’re going to want to check your local listings to see if you get Great American Family or head to pureflix.com and start their free 7-day trial so you’re ready to watch on Saturday. Invite your friends, put on your comfy clothes and let’s watch this adorable movie together. . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our advent study at https

Strahan Coleman is a teacher at Practicing the Way, founder of the ministry Commoners Communion, AND he’s an award-winning musician. He lives in New Zealand with his wife and three young boys and in his latest book, Thirsting, Strahan poetically explores how to rediscover and fulfill our deepest desire through communion with God. We talk about how his chronic illness and losing his ability to sing lead him into a deeper friendship and closeness with God, the depths of God being like the dark ocean, the time it takes for a tree to produce fruit, and more. I hope this conversation leaves you thirsting for more of God.  . . . . Find the show notes here! Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our advent study at https://www.anniefdowns.com/advent Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week I

Lisa Bevere is one of those wise, mothering voices we all can learn from—strong and full of wisdom—and today we’re talking about being empowered women running after God. Her latest book The Fight for Female is out now so you’re going to hear all about it and hear why this was the book that was needed for our generation of women right now, in 2024.  . . . . Other topics include miscarriage and infant loss, Heaven, mothering voices, and fasting. . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our advent study at https://www.anniefdowns.com/advent Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN today to get 10% off y

Y’all get ready, because today I get to talk with my friend, Ellen Skrmetti—one of my favorite follows on Instagram. I bet you love her too…she makes those “Hey Jesus, it’s me,” videos…and she’s just as funny in person as she is online. Her southern humor is just spot on in the bless-your-heart kind of way and I laughed so much during this conversation. We did a real deep dive on how her comedy career got started, church potlucks, the speed of funerals, panty hose, a new sausage ball recipe… and we also got to talk about her brand new book, Hey Jesus, It’s Me. Y’all, hand to heaven, ask my coworkers, I laughed out loud multiple times reading this book. It is so funny and so good. . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  Find the show notes here! . . . . . Join our advent study at https://www.anniefdowns.com/advent Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my pu

Who else absolutely LOVED the book The Best Christmas Pageant Ever growing up? It was one of my favorites and tomorrow it’s coming to the big screen, and we get to talk all about it today with Dallas Jenkins, who directed the movie, and his wife, Amanda. Y’all know them and love them already because Dallas is the director of The Chosen, but I’m telling you, I’ve cried BOTH times I’ve seen this screening of this movie. You’re going to LOVE it. Do not miss Dallas's story at the end of how he got to produce this amazing movie!  . . . . Find the show notes here! . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our advent study at https://www.anniefdowns.com/advent Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Than

You may remember Bethany Joy Lenz from One Tree Hill (she was Haley James Scott on the show), but today she is being generous with her story of faith and freedom and identity, as she talks about the journey of finding herself in a cult, the manipulation she experienced, and the empowerment she found to break way from it all. She shares even more of this story and the destruction narcissism can cause in her brand new memoir, Dinner for Vampires, which, y’all, I seriously couldn't put down. . . . . Find the show notes here! Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our advent study at https://www.anniefdowns.com/advent Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! AG1: Every week of Nov

In case you haven’t been with us for a while, once a month we’re recapping each of the last 10 years in honor of the 10th anniversary of That Sounds Fun, so this month, we’re recapping 2022... but what we actually do is talk about anything else. Today we talk big about the World Series and (mainly Shohei Ohtani), Lin-Manuel Miranda, AI, and water because why not.  Also, let us know on Instagram what you would with 41 million dollars!!! . . . . . Find the show notes here! Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . .  Join us for our Advent series, Stay Tuned!  . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN today to get 10% off your first month.  KiwiCo: Get up to 50% off your first crate at kiwico.com, promo code THATSOUNDSFUN. . . . . . If you’d like to partner with Annie as a spons

Learning how to be a person of faith in 2024 seems very challenging and the center of a lot of conversations these days. Today felt like the perfect time to talk to my friend Phil Manginelli about what's going on in the world, in the US, in our faith, and where those all meet. Phil equips churches and organizations teaching internationally on navigating the cultural landscape of a post-Christian world and following Jesus in a secular age, and serves as the Lead Pastor of The Square in Smyrna, GA. I think you all will love this conversation and his new book You Are Not Alone: A Guide To Following Jesus In A Secular Age.  . . . . . Find the show notes here! 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! AG1: Try AG1 and get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first

We're going there today! My friend Ryan Wekenman and I talk about how to help our churches and pastors understand how to serve the single people in their church. Ryan’s a pastor at Red Rocks Austin and he’s also the author of Single Today, which came out earlier this year. We also talk about finding contentment and being present in your current season, finding community, and permission to change your mind in big life choices. No matter your season or relationship status, I think you'll find this conversation really helpful.  If you’re single (or know someone who is), our open registration season for Single Purpose League is coming to a close next week (on Oct. 28th), and it won’t open again until the New Year, so make sure you come join us, especially because you’ll get to go through our Advent series, Stay Tuned, together. You can find all the details at singlepurposeleague.com. There's a resource that I want to give you, too, at anniefdowns.com/pastoringsingles. It's a short PDF that offers some ideas to

One of my BFFs, Danielle Walker, is back and this is her 5th time on That Sounds Fun, so you know what that means, right?! HALL OF FUN induction.  Her new cookbook is called Make It Easy: A Healthy Meal Prep and Menu Planning Guide and I’m telling you.. If you’re already building your Christmas wish list, put this on it. Especially those of you who like a meal prep plan. She’s got you covered. Y’all know I don’t cook much, but when I do… Danielle’s my girl for all the recipes. We also answer some of your questions you asked her on our AFD Week In Review!  Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! other topics we cover: Infant Loss Awareness Day, insecurities, New York Times Bestsellers, favorite New York restaurants, and Disneyland . . . . . Find the show notes here! Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join us for our Advent study this year at anniefdowns.com/advent! . . . . . Join

When the Advent season rolls around every year, the theme that always leads the way is waiting with anticipation. Waiting with excitement because the birth of Christ is near. But sometimes that’s hard because Advent is ANOTHER season of waiting for a lot of us. How do we level up excitement and joy around WAITING when it feels like waiting is our whole year? That’s why we’ve created Stay Tuned: An Advent Series For Those Already Waiting—a series designed for anyone struggling with unanswered prayers and hope that feels a bit worn out. Whether you’re single or simply navigating a tough season, this Advent, we’ll face the challenges of waiting together and discover the beauty and purpose in the midst of it. Join us for three weeks of devotionals (available in written form, audio, and video), prayers, and reflection questions on how to wrestle with the waiting, find hope in it all, and celebrate the faithfulness of God as we anticipate the arrival of our King. For all the Advent details and to purchase this s

Today we get to sit under the wisdom of a mothering voice who understands long obedience in the same direction. What a gift. If you don’t know her already, Darlene Zschech is a Christian music LEGEND. She's an acclaimed Australian composer, worship leader, pastor, author, and speaker who helped pioneer the modern worship movement in the Church from the 1990’s onwards. Her new album “Testament” marks the milestone 30-year anniversary of “Shout to the Lord,” her song that became an anthem for the church worldwide. Her voice and that song has absolutely shaped my faith, and I got to tell her today (yes, I cried). . . . . . Find the show notes here Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunp

This is Lysa Terkeurst’s 4th time here on the podcast and she’s that friend to all of us who just isn’t afraid to talk about the real and hard things that she’s walked through and what God’s taught her through it. Her brand new book came out this week… it’s called I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t… so we’re going in on broken trust and what to do with it. After several painful friendship breakups, the death of her marriage and other devastating betrayals, Lysa realized she was caught in a cycle of distrust and this book is the journey to figuring out how to move forward from it.  I have no doubt there’s someone who’s broken your trust before (and maybe even recently), so you’re going to learn a ton from this book and this friend. . . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign

Today on the show, I get to talk with my friend, Kendra Adachi or better known as The Lazy Genius. Y’all know Kendra has helped me Lazy Genius all the things.. my kitchen… basically my whole life. And y’all are going to LOOOVE her new book on time management called The Plan. She says, “you’re not starting something today, you are starting with where you are today.”  It doesn’t matter if you’re working full time or part time or managing your home or school work, this book is sooo helpful. I always love learning from Kendra and I think you will too. . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . Subscribe to Let's Read the Gospels with Annie F. Downs HERE. . . . . . Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank

Today on the show, I get to catch up with one of my favorite dudes, Mack Brock. This is Mack’s third time back with us, but his first time flying solo! He and his wife, Meredith, have been here twice for our couples series in 2019 and 2021. I have no doubt you’re already listening to Mack’s music and probably singing them at church, but don’t even realize he wrote them. Mack was one of the founding members of Elevation Worship, but we get to talk about his brand new full-length album that just released last week called This is Holy. Y’all. The lyrics. The music. The song his daughter got to be a part of. We’re going to talk about all of it.  . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . Subscribe to Let's Read the Gospels with Annie F. Downs HERE. . . . . . Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD