Happy Talks

Alyce is a wife and mother of 4 amazing kids that I adore. She has moved a handful of times, experienced strong emotional support, and also isolation, financial hardship, and financial blessing. This is her story of how she has made it through the rollercoaster that life has taken her on even to the point of questioning her faith. Her words of wisdom is: don't listen to others while searching for an opportunity to speak, listen simply to hear what others have to say. Most of the time you will find that you don't need to say anything at all. In other words, listen before you speak and decide at the end if it is necessary for you to speak at all.

Madison is a nurse and is currently loving working on a pediatric floor in the hospital. she is such an outgoing, friendly person that truly loves God and people. When I first met her, it was natural and easy to talk to her and confide in her like we had been friends for years already. Her words of wisdom is: It's important to start your day recognizing who God is and knowing that he is in control and taking a moment to shift your perspective to match God's will and not your will, choosing to live for God and not yourself.

Welcome back! So Glad to be back after a week off! This weeks guest is super special! It's our very editor's mother Donna! We go in a deep dive in her life on how getting things done and handling things has always been a strong suit of Donna's, and what was life like from her point of view. Donna's words of wisdom is to stop worrying about it (whatever it is) and just do it.

This week episode we have Alexandra! She walks us through her life and how scripture has shaped her. Alexandra's words of wisdom are from Proverbs. We go through hard things and tough times are used by God to make us into people who He wants us to be.

As a kid Michelle was in one of the first schools in Mississippi to be integrated. Although she originally had no desire to have kids and instead pursued learning and her career for years, when she did have kids, they were intentional and an absolute blessing to her and her husband. She is considered a senior citizen now but doesnt feel like one. And she is still pursuing knowledge and educating herself every day. She had so much advice to offer: Get serious. Open your mind. Learn what you can learn. Do not be afraid of learning and don't forsake learning. We are in a time where you are going to need to use the word of God to be your guide. Measure God's word against every decision you make.

Gavin was raised by a mother that loved God. However, his father was at times, drunk and abusive. Through difficult times, Gavin learned to seek wisdom, understanding, and came to realize the importance of prayer and seeking God's presence. Gavin's word of wisdom is that the mind of the wise is in the house of mourning. "Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies— so the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time." Ecclesiastes 7:2‭-‬4

This week's episode is brought to you by Munchy Match Cereal. Not really, but could you imagine. This week we interview Emmanuel. He shares his story from his start in acting, his life as a pastor's kid, and finding his calling as a prayer warrior. Emmanuel's words of wisdom are if the lord is asking you to do something, don't ignore it, do it because he knows what's right for you and where you should be.

Meet Lindsey! She is a kind, bubbly, sweet new friend of mine. She is a Christian military kid from Ohio and grew up on a cattle farm. Her love for people has led her to go to school to become a nurse. And although friendships have never been easy due to frequent moving, she has learned to trust God and depend on him. Her words of wisdom: 1. The world is full of the best intentions but until they become actions, they are still just intentions 2. Forgiveness is not for others, it is for ourselves.

Eddie is from Byram, Mississippi and was a quiet kid who kept to himself. After being bullied, eventually fighting back, feeling like an outsider, he found himself searching for a group of people that would accept him and started to do drugs. Listen to find out, how he was able to quit doing drugs and why he began to pursue God. His word of wisdom: bible reading and prayer is huge, keep leaning into Jesus. There is something so special and life giving that you come across when seeking a deep relationship with God and it is so worth it.

Meet Isaac! He is a good friend of mine from Singapore whom I met shortly after him coming to the U.S. for school. Find out what life was like for him growing up in Singapore and what eventually led him to come to college here in Clinton, Mississippi. His words of wisdom are: If you are struggling or just want balance in your life, make christ the center of your life and everything else will fall into place. "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33

Ethan is from New Jersey. He grew up in a Christian home and has even been to Haiti when he was younger when his parents decided to serve as missionaries there. Now he is on a journey trying to understand the validity of the bible and why he should become a Christian. Tune in to find out how he ended up in Jackson, MS staying at my pastor's house. His words of wisdom are, don't be afraid to challenge yourself. And no matter what you do, always do your best.

EPISODE 50!!! We are so excited here at Happy Talks! This week we celebrate episode 50 by sitting down with Owen. He shares his story of his humble beginnings in Brandon, MS to get working on getting his Masters in Psychology. His words of wisdom is from James 1:19 which is to be quick to hear, be slow to speak, and slow to anger.

Tess has lived in Mississippi all of her life and has never moved before. She comes from a Christian family and has 5 siblings who were all homeschooled. While growing up, she was taught that you can succeed as long as you try hard. Her words of wisdom are that your feelings are valid, love people, and go spend time in nature.

Cole was born in Clarksdale, MS and is the youngest of 5 siblings (youngest of 7 after his mom remarried). His parents got divorced when he was young and his mom and stepdad are both pastors. Cole has learned that there is a lesson in everything. His words of wisdom are don't let hard times bring you down, learn from life instead.

In this weeks episode we sit down to talk with Jared! He shares his experiences with choosing a major in college, transition from homeschool to public school, and much more! Jared's words of wisdom is that hard times are gonna happen, and that reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness but an understanding that you may be going through something that your strengths are made to handle.

Stephen lost his dad when he was just 4 years old, has endured bullying, and took drugs to numb the pain, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and has attempted suicide. He is divorced but says the best day of his life was when his daughter was born. All the bad things in his life has helped him appreciate the good. His advice is if you have someone in your life that is struggling with mental illness, they may be afraid to open up to you in fear of being judged, but just show them love, show them care, and try to direct them to Jesus.

Laura is a southern, christian military kid. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She was homeschooled, grew up on a farm, and did ballet. She loves her family and has learned a lot from past relationships as well as the difference between holiness and self-righteousness. Her words of wisdom are that God is dependable and trustworthy.

Lorin's parents got divorced when she was three, she has been homeless, was addicted to drugs, and has been in abusive relationships, but she met God loving people that spoke truth into her life. She discovered that the only way she was really going to be able to give up her addictions is with God. Her words of wisdom come from advice given to her by her mother: attitude is everything.

Meet Nancy! She is a talented trombone player and she moved from Louisiana to Mississippi to go to college at Belhaven. In the process, she has learned a lot about herself and what she really believes in. Her words of wisdom are to be knowledgeable and stand up for what you believe in so that you wont be easily swayed by others.

O! M! GOODNESS! Erin is back! This week we take a drive around Jackson and Brandon and answer some really deep thought provoking questions! So sit back, enjoy the ride (because we were driving around. get it?) and enjoy the show.

This week Stephen sits down with one of his best friends, Carrie, aka “Mary Ellen's Kid” to talk with her about her story. She walks us through her life from an emotionally and literally distant father and leaving that toxic environment, finding a great church family, and what her radio voice would be. Carrie's words of wisdom is that we should keep on loving others like Christ and that you may not see a change in their life, but it totally does!

This week's guest is Michael! We get into his love for his family, ministry, and classic rock. We also talk in detail about starting a band with some youth students and getting to travel all over the east coast playing music. Michael's words of wisdom is that ministry is everywhere and to keep an eye out for it anywhere, even in the small things.

Meet Matt! He was born in a small town in South New Jersey in a Christian family. He is a missionary and a husband to Stacey as well as a father to 4, soon to be 5, beautiful kids. Take a moment to get to know him and how and why he came to Mississippi. Matt's words of wisdom: In your relationship with God, obedience is more important than achievement and success. And when you are obedient in small things, you may discover later that it was not small at all. Another important thing that Matt emphasized is that love without obedience isn't love at all. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." John 14:15

Today's guest is Anna! She is one of Stephen's good friends. Anna shares stories about her parents not being emotionally available during her childhood, to finding her voice in theater, and so much more! Her words of wisdom are to be yourself, and don't stick around for bad relationships.

Living room talks with Stephen and Erin! Story time with Stephen, Erin asks questions from a book, and maybe a fire???

Tim suffered from his dad's verbal and physical abuse before his dad eventually left them. But his mom was straightforward, generous, and took good care of Tim and his siblings. And he had another family and home in his local church. Tim's word of wisdom is from scripture: "Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." Matthew 6:33. He has come to fully trust and believe that if you put God first in your life, everything else is going to work out, and he has shown that in how he has lived his life.

I met Kari for the first time 4 years ago but we had our first real in depth conversation in this interview. Fun fact: she was once prayed over to not have a lot of friends. And in the process she learned to really depend on God. Her advice is to get involved in community. Even if you are tired or don't feel like it, it is worth getting out of bed and sacrificing personal time to invest in people and your community.

Peter was born in Russia but eventually was adopted and brought to the United States when he was just 4 years old. Now he is in trade school and works as a plumber, saving up to eventually buy a house of his own. His words of wisdom: know that God has a plan for your life even if you cant see it yet.

Sarah is such a warm, kind person who will make your life better just by being in it. She has a loving husband, a beautiful, funny toddler girl, and she is pregnant with a new sweet baby boy now. She believes that the biggest thing we are missing in life is truly loving each other and showing that and remembering that regardless of what is going on, the most important thing is making sure your loved ones know they are loved.

Meet shelby, because she moved around a lot growing up, she often would feel like she didn't fit in until she started going to church and found people that she now considers family, she had a movie star moment of love at first sight when she went on a first date with her, now husband, whom she met on a dating app, and her words of wisdom are to put your whole heart into whatever you are working on with love and think of others more than yourself.

Meet Stacey, she is a pastor's wife and has four beautiful kids. She grew up in a Christian home with a mother that was dedicated to sharing her faith with her children. Her words of wisdom are this: there is no room to not be totally abandoned to the lord. His plans are so much better than our plans and we need to stop clinging to the things we have whether that is physical things, people, or insecurities.

Justin is from Philadelphia, Mississippi. He was born and raised in a southern Christian household and yet he was molested as a young child by someone he knew and trusted. But that is just the beginning of his story and his struggles. Now he feels that it is his responsibility to share his story and encourage others to speak up. His advice is to communicate. Don't avoid awkward conversations especially when it comes to boundaries or personal struggles that you are trying and failing to get through on your own.

In this week's episode, Erin and Stephen chat "fireside" about the favorite Christmas Traditions, memories, and the future of the podcast. We are well aware that Christmas was three weeks ago. Just be cool, okay. Like just this once. Thank you.

Noah grew up in a Christian home going to church and small Christian private schools. And he spent some of his best childhood summers with his grandparents in the countryside. He recommends a musical hobby to everyone. His advice is to not let your situation affect your attitude. God can use the hardest experiences in our life to bring us exactly where we need to be. Also one of the best things you can have is a good support system.

Meet Amiee! She is a night shift nurse and also my roommate. She has some social anxiety and has felt like a background person for most of her life. However, she has come a long way and is now about to be a first time homeowner. In this episode, we are driving back home together after visiting my mom in Alabama. Her advice to anyone listening is to save your money.

I had a blast interviewing Ashton. She has six siblings and an adorable baby girl named Piper. Friends and family are very important to her. After suffering from the loss of a friend during high school, she learned to appreciate every moment and to not take life for granted. Her advice is to stay ready so you don't have to get ready. Lots of things happen in life that you cant control so be prepared but dont forget to stop and cherish all of the good moments and blessings.

Tune into this episode as I follow my friend Nikki around while she cooks a delicious pasta dinner. She has learned "Dont feel your way into an act, act your way into a feeling." In other words dont be led by your emotions because "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"- Jeremiah 17:9 Her advice is to always trust the lord because he knows you better than you know yourself.

I had the opportunity to interview my treasure of a friend, Kayla. I love her heart for people and how much she values friends and family. She grew up in a Christian household and was able to look to her dad as an example of what a relationship with God should look like. Her words of wisdom is from scripture Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

Meet Grace! She is my youngest aunt (my dad's youngest sister), only two years older than myself. She grew up in a missionary family and learned how to manage a household at a young age. From being my childhood best friend to now being a wife and mother, it is incredible to see what life was like from her perspective. Her word of wisdom to Christians is to turn to God with the attitude of "Your will, Your way, Always" If you aren't a Christian, seek the truth in every situation and love people.

Lindsay is a singer and a leader on the worship team. She came to know Jesus through her employer and has been a christian for over 3 years now. She has experienced addiction, and loneliness, and she had to learn not to find her identity in things and people around her. Lindsay's advice is to ask questions about the bible and remember that worship is more than just praise, it is also lamenting and leaving your burdens at God's feet.

Josh was once a boy scout, then a scene kid, and now a pediatric nurse. He really started pursuing God after starting college. To this day, he still uses a prayer book that was given to him by his mom called, "Daily Prayer" from the New International Version. His advice would be to live one day at a time and don't stress yourself out.

Meet Hannah, she grew up in a Christian household. Through college she struggled with her health, depression, drugs, and eventually stopped going to church. But she has two wonderful grandparents that loved on her and took care of her when she needed it. The journey back to God and sobriety was not an easy one but she is here and I love her so dearly. Her words of wisdom is to have the mindset of: "I love you too much to let you stay the same" and to get a mentor if you don't have one already.

Sitting on the steps outside of Foundry Church, I had the chance to interview Bryson. He went to public school but later on did homeschooling. He is a pastor's kid and although he says he isn't usually very open with others, he is willing to answer questions. His advice is to not judge a book by its cover. Take the time to get to know people, it's a lot more rewarding than you'd think.

Meet Emma, she is a young single mom with an amazing support system. Her life has not been easy. She has experienced loss and had to learn a lot of things the hard way. Her words of wisdom: Don't lose faith, when things don't go according to plan, trust that God's plan is better than yours.

Meet Mason, he is from New Jersey but hates the stereotyped accent. Although he lived an hour or two away from many very big cities, he actually grew up in a rural area of New Jersey. Like most people, he had to decide what he was going to do with his life when he started college. He had to figure out what really mattered. His words of wisdom: Life is a vapor and God's gift to us is finding the significance in that.

I got a chance to interview my friend, Juice. He is a very talented artist/producer from Pearl, Mississippi. Find out what inspired him to pursue music and how he does it from his house. His life has not been perfect or easy but he will tell you to keep on moving forward no matter how hard things get.

Meet Hannah, introspective at a young age, growing up with all brothers in a Christian home, learning cuss words through classical books, she loves her family and after leaving home for a while she is happy to be back again. And I'm thrilled that I have the opportunity to get to know her.

It's a beautiful day outside of Winstead Clothing Company in Clinton where I interviewed my friend, Jake. My sister met him first and knew him as "hammock dude." He is the only person that I've ever met that was intentionally homeless three different times, he used to own a farm, and now he owns a Subway in Jackson.

In my room at my house, I had the chance to interview one of my good friends, Rebecca: Growing up in a Christian household, there was a point where she had to decide if God was real or not. Rebecca knew that if God was real, she would have to change. Like most college students, Rebecca has also experienced loneliness. She came to the realization that not everyone is going to love you, want to be your friend, and you just can't please everybody. Her advice to you is err on the side of love and always be unconditionally kind.

Get to know Brooke: I love her and her love for people, she has moved 7 times, she used to work at a Baskin Robbins, after leaving home she had to learn how to keep God at the center of her life without the influence of her parents. She comes from a big family and knows the importance of being kind, and sometimes the smallest things have the biggest impact.

At a recording studio at Wesley Biblical Seminary, we get to know Elijah and hear his story. See what his childhood was like and how he came to be a pastor at Foundry Church. Know that you can change the world around you, and you should change the world around you. Be a utility player.